Controller for electric automobile

• US 6,909,950 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2001
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Corpration (Japan Science And Technology Agency)
• Original Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Corpration (Japan Science And Technology Agency)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Colon Santana, Eduardo
• Application Number:
  US10/450,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20040027076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 318/16, 318/586, 318/587, 318/628, 361/23, 361/78, 701/33, 701/36, 701/29, 701/48, 710/110, 709/208, 709/253, 307/9.1, 370/235, 340/3.43, 340/3.44, 324/522, 324/528
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0092 with use of redundant elements for safety purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/26 Controlling the braking effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A control device of an electric car in which any two of control devices fixed to the corresponding electric motors send signals to each other and send and receive control information by taking a bypass route when any one of transmission lines malfunctions is provided.

Fail safe means for signal transmission lines, in which a bypass route is established such that a node detecting a communication failure in an electronic control system of the car sends a search message for searching a transmission route and another node which is able to establish the transmission route sends back a response message, is provided.

Claims

1. A control device of an electric car, comprising fail safe means for signal transmission lines, wherein a bypass route is established such that a node detecting a communication failure in an electronic control system of the car sends a search message for searching a transmission route and another node which is able to establish the transmission route sends back a response message, and wherein each of the nodes comprises self-node-ID storing means for storing its own node identifier, adjacent-node-ID storing means for storing identifiers of adjacent nodes connected to the transmission route, and processing means for processing route setting on the basis of a message sent to the node.

2. The control device of an electric car according to claim 1, wherein the node is provided at each of a car controller and motor controllers, each provided at a pair of wheels.

3. The control device of an electric car according to claim 2, wherein the bypass route is established by a control-signal-use, alternative main transmission line forming a closed loop and two alternative transmission lines connecting the alternative main transmission line and two of the motor controllers.

4. The control device of an electric car according to claim 3, wherein, when a certain node detects that all communication lines and bypass routes to the car controller malfunction, the node stops an operation of the corresponding motor controller, and the car controller detects that there is no response from the certain node and separates the motor controller of the certain node from its control objects.

5. The control device of an electric car according to claim 1, wherein the node is provided at each of a battery controller, a steering controller, a brake controller, and a battery charging controller.

6. The control device of an electric car according to claim 5, wherein the bypass route is established by a control-signal-use, alternative main transmission line forming a closed loop and two alternative transmission lines connecting the alternative main transmission line and two of the motor controllers.

7. The control device of an electric car according to claim 6, wherein, when a certain node detects that all communication lines and bypass routes to the car controller malfunction, the node stops an operation of the corresponding motor controller, and the car controller detects that thee is no response from the certain node and separates the motor controller of the certain node from its control objects.

8. The control device of an electric car according to claim 1, wherein the car controller and the motor controllers, each provided at a pair of wheels, control corresponding power converters in accordance with control signals received via the corresponding nodes.