Controller for electric automobile

• US 7,072,751 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2005
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Corpration
• Original Assignee: Japan Science And Technology Corpration
• Inventors: Shimizu, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Santana, Eduardo Colon
• Application Number:
  US11/127,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 701/33, 701/36, 701/29, 701/48, 340/3.43, 340/3.44, 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 including plurality of driving wheels, each having a drive motor fixed thereto,

wherein the plurality of driving wheels are eight wheels, each having a drive motor fixed thereto, the control device comprising:

a plurality of speed control devices, each fixed to the corresponding drive motor for accelerating or decelerating the corresponding driving wheel in accordance with an external electrical signal; and

a main control device having functions of sending a control signal, to each of the speed control devices, for performing an acceleration or deceleration in accordance with a command from a driver or at least one of on-board sensors, and also receiving a control signal including information of an operating state of each of the drive motors and the speed control devices; and

wherein the control device comprising fail safe means which outputs the control signal from the main control device to the driving motors, each disposed on the eight-wheel drive wheels, via transmission lines, alternative transmission lines, and a control-signal-use, alternative main transmission line.

2. The control device of an electric car according to claim 1, wherein a voltage of a battery, a current fed from the battery, and a battery temperature are included as sensor signals which are input into the main control device.

3. The control device of an electric car according to claim 1, wherein a steering-angle of a steering wheel is included as a sensor signal which is input into the main control device.

4. The control device of an electric car according to claim 1, wherein a signal indicating that a battery is being recharged from a battery charger is included as a sensor signal which is input into the main control device.

5. The control device of an electric car according to claim 1, wherein signals representing a brake command value from a brake controller and a hydraulic pressure of a master cylinder are included as sensor signals which are input into the main control device.

6. The control device of an electric car according to claim 1, wherein a steering-angle signal of a steering wheel is included as a control signal sent from the main control device.