Battery power source device of electric power vehicle

• US 7,019,488 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2002
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Company, Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Company, Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakao, Yoshitada
• Primary Examiner(s): Tibbits, Pia
• Application Number:
  US10/489,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20050077874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/116, 320/118, 320/136, 320/132, 320/147, 320/152, 320/153, 320/DIG.18, 320/DIG.21
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• 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: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/63 Control systems charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 , H01M10/443; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 , H01M10/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/635 based on ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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

Communication is provided for each of battery ECUs so that the battery ECUs are connected through a connection cable to communicate with each other. Operating power is constantly supplied to the battery ECU used as a master while being supplied to the battery ECUs used as slaves through a relay contact. When a vehicle stops running, the master battery ECU controls the relay contact to be turned OFF after collecting necessary data of each of the slave battery ECUs to store therein. When the vehicle restarts running, the master battery ECU turns the relay contact ON to transmit the necessary data to each of the slave battery ECUs.

Claims

1. An electric power vehicle power source device, comprising:

a plurality of battery pack blocks connected in one of parallel and a combination of series and parallel, each of the battery pack blocks including a plurality of rechargeable batteries connected in series; and

a plurality of battery electronic control units (ECUs) connected with each other through a communication line, each battery ECU corresponding to an address, managing an operating status of a corresponding battery pack block and exchanging information with a vehicle ECU;

wherein one battery ECU of the plurality of battery ECUs is a master battery ECU and other battery ECUs of the plurality of battery ECUs are slave battery ECUs, such that operating power is supplied to the slave battery ECUs through a switch;

wherein when stop information is received by the master battery ECU, the master battery ECU collects and stores data from the slave battery ECUs and controls the switch to discontinue the power supply to the slave battery ECUs; and

wherein when start information is received by the master battery ECU, the master battery ECU controls the switch to supply power to the slave battery ECUs and to transmit the stored data to the slave battery ECUs.

2. The electric power vehicle power source device according to claim 1, wherein operating power is constantly supplied to the master battery ECU.

3. The electric power vehicle power source device according to claim 1, wherein the electric power vehicle power source device is provided to an electric power vehicle,

wherein the master battery ECU includes a non-volatile memory, and when the electric power vehicle stops running for at least a predetermined period of time, the supply of power to the slave battery ECUs is shutoff after the necessary data of the master battery ECU and the slave battery ECUs are stored in the non-volatile memory.

4. The electric power vehicle power source device according to claim 1, wherein each battery ECU computes a state of charge (SOC) corresponding to a quantity of accumulated electricity with respect to a battery capacity from detected values of voltage, current and temperature, so as to output the SOC to the vehicle ECU.

5. The electric power vehicle power source device according to claim 1, wherein a cooling device is provided with each of the plurality of battery pack blocks, and wherein each battery ECU controls the operation of a cooling device based on a detected temperature of the corresponding battery pack block.