Vehicle controller that stably supplies power to a battery and method thereof

• US 7,019,472 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2003
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Tajima, Yoichi, Kayukawa, Atsushi, Kobayashi, Yasuhiko, Murase, Yoshitaka, Nakamori, Yukinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Masih, Karen
• Application Number:
  US10/653,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20040070353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 318/139, 318/376, 318/377, 318/500, 320/132, 180/65.2, 388/928.1
• US Class Current: 318/139
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/20 Braking by supplying regenerated power to the prime mover of vehicles comprising engine-driven generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/00 Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function for propulsion of purely electrically-propelled vehicles with power supplied within the vehicle B60L50/00 - B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0002 Automatic control, details of type of controller or control system architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/285 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 vehicle and method of operating a vehicle including a motor that supplies a driving force to a wheel, a battery that supplies electric power to the motor and receives regenerative electric power from the motor and a controller that detects a state of the battery and sets, based on a detected state of the battery, a first upper limit value and a first lower limit value for a voltage value and an electric current value that is output from the battery to the motor, and a second upper limit value and second lower limit value for the voltage value and the electric current value that is input from the regenerative electric power to the battery.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a motor that supplies a driving force to a wheel;

a battery that supplies electric power to the motor and receives regenerative electric power from the motor; and

a controller that;

detects a deteriorating state of the battery; and

sets, based on a detected deteriorating state of the battery, an upper limit value and a lower limit value for a voltage value or an electric current value that is output from the battery to the motor or is input from the motor to the battery.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

detects an outside air temperature or a battery temperature, and sets, based on the detected deteriorating state of the battery and a detected outside air temperature or battery temperature, the upper limit value and the lower limit value for the voltage value or the electric current value that is output from the battery to the motor or is input from the motor to the battery.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a torque of the motor is controlled in accordance with the upper limit value and the lower limit value.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the upper limit value and the lower limit value are changed for every control relating to driving the motor.

5. A vehicle, comprising:

a motor that supplies a driving force to a wheel;

a battery that supplies electric power to the motor and receives regenerative electric power from the motor; and

a controller that;

detects an outside air temperature or a battery temperature; and

sets, based on a detected outside air temperature or battery temperature, an upper limit value and a lower limit value for a voltage value or an electric current value that is output from the battery to the motor or is input from the motor to the battery.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the upper limit value and the lower limit value are changed for every control relating to driving the motor.

7. A vehicle, comprising:

a motor that supplies a driving force to a wheel;

a battery that supplies electric power to the motor and receives regenerative electric power from the motor; and

a controller that changes an upper limit value and a lower limit value for a voltage value or an electric current value that is output from the battery to the motor and is input from the motor to the battery.

8. A method of operating a vehicle with a motor that supplies a driving force to a wheel and a battery that supplies electric power to the motor and receives regenerative electric power from the motor, comprising:

detecting a deteriorating state of the battery; and

setting, based on a detected deteriorating state of the battery, an upper limit value and a lower limit value for a voltage value or an electric current value that is output from the battery to the motor or is input from the motor to the battery.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising:

detecting an outside air temperature or a battery temperature, and

setting, based on the detected deteriorating state of the battery and a detected outside air temperature or battery temperature, the upper limit value and the lower limit value for the voltage value or the electric current value that is output from the battery to the motor or is input from the motor to the battery.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein a torque of the motor is controlled in accordance with the upper limit value and the lower limit value.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the upper limit value and the lower limit value are changed for every control relating to driving the motor.

12. A method of operating a vehicle with a motor that supplies a driving force to a wheel and a battery that supplies electric power to the motor and receives regenerative electric power from the motor, comprising:

detecting an outside air temperature or a battery temperature; and

setting, based on a detected outside air temperature or battery temperature, an upper limit value and a lower limit value for a voltage value or an electric current value that is output from the battery to the motor or is input from the motor to the battery.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the upper limit value and the lower limit value are changed for every control relating to driving the motor.