Electric vehicle

• US 7,096,984 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Terada, Junji, Kurosawa, Atsushi, Ono, Tomohiro, Yagi, Hiroaki, Sasaki, Koushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AVERY, BRIDGET D
• Application Number:
  US10/680,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20040069549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.8, 180/220
• US Class Current: 180/65.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/22 by presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric vehicle includes a motor, a first controller that controls the motor, a chargeable battery supplying electric power to the motor, a second controller connected to the battery that controls electric charge for the battery and electric discharge from the battery and a first communication path that communicates between the first controller and the second controller. The first and the second controllers each includes a mutual actuating unit for actuating the other controller via the first communication path in response to actuation of the first or second controller.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising:

a motor;

a first controller that controls the motor;

a chargeable battery supplying electric power to the motor;

a second controller connected to the battery that controls electric charge for the battery and electric discharge from the battery; and

a first communication path that communicates between the first controller and the second controller,

wherein the first controller includes a first power source that operates and stops the first controller and a first power source control circuit that turns ON and OFF the power source, the first communication path includes a first path for connecting the second controller and the first power source control circuit, the second controller transmits an activation signal to the first power source control circuit via the first path when electric charging to the battery starts in a state in which the first controller has not been activated, and the first controller is adapted to start by a turning-ON operation of the first power source by the first power source control circuit in response to the transmitted activation signal;

a battery charger, brought into and out of electrical contact with the battery and the second controller, the battery charger charges the battery in a state of being electrically connected to the battery and the second controller;

the battery charger includes a third controller for controlling an output current and/or an output voltage during a charging operation of the battery charger, and

a second communication path that communicates between the second controller and the third controller,

wherein the second controller includes a second power source that operates and stops the second controller and a second power source control circuit that turns ON and OFF the second power source, the second communication path includes a second path that connects the third controller and the second power source control circuit, the third controller transmits an activation signal to the second power source control circuit via the second path when the battery charger is electrically connected to the battery in a state in which the second controller has not been activated, and the second controller starts by a turning-ON operation of the second power source by the second power source control circuit in response to the transmitted activation signal.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the third controller transmits a stop signal to the second power source control circuit via the second path when the battery charger is electrically disconnected from the battery when the first and the second controllers are activated,

the second controller stops activating by a turning-OFF operation of the second power source by the second power source control circuit in response to the transmitted stop signal,

the first power source control circuit turns OFF 1 he first power source in response to the stop of activation of the second controller and/or an activation stopping signal transmitted from the second controller, and

the first controller stops activation by a turning-OFF operation of the first power source.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit that displays the charged state of the battery;

a fourth controller that controls the displaying mode of the display unit; and

a third communication path that communicates between the first controller and the fourth controller,

the fourth controller includes a third power source that operates the controller and a third power source control circuit that turns ON and OFF the third power source,

the third communication path includes a third path that connects the first controller and the third power source control circuit,

wherein the first controller transmits an activation signal to the third power source control circuit via the third path in response to the activation of the first controller in a state in which the fourth controller is not activated, and the fourth controller is activated by a turning-ON operation of the third power source by the third power source control circuit in response to the transmitted activation signal.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first communication path includes a fourth path that connects the first controller and the second power source control circuit, the first controller transmits the activation signal to the second power source control circuit via the fourth path in response to the activation of the first controller in a state in which the second controller is not activated, and the second controller is activated, by the turning-ON operation of the second power source by the second power source control circuit in response to the transmitted activation signal.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a main switch connected to the first controller and being turned ON and OFF, wherein the first controller is activated by a turning-ON operation of the main switch and stops operation by the turning-OFF operation of the main switch.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display unit that displays the charged state of the battery;

a fourth controller that controls the displaying mode of the display unit; and

a third communication path that communicates between the first controller and the fourth controller,

the fourth controller includes a third power source that operates the controller and a third power source control circuit that turns ON and OFF the third power source,

the third communication path includes a third path that connects the first controller and the third power source control circuit,

wherein the first controller transmits an activation signal to the third power source control circuit via the third path in response to the activation of the first controller in a state in which the fourth controller is not activated, and the fourth controller is activated by a turning-ON operation of the third power source by the third power source control circuit in response to the transmitted activation signal.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the first communication path includes a fourth path that connects the first controller and the second power source control circuit, the first controller transmits the activation signal to the second power source control circuit via the fourth path in response to the activation of the first controller in a state in which the second controller is not activated, and the second controller is activated by the turning-ON operation of the second power source by the second power source control circuit in response to the transmitted activation signal.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a main switch connected to the first controller and being turned ON and OFF, wherein the first controller is activated by a turning-ON operation of the main switch and stops operation by the turning-OFF operation of the main switch.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the first communication path includes a fourth path that connects the first controller and the second power source control circuit, the first controller transmits the activation signal to the second power source control circuit via the fourth path in response to the activation of the first controller in a state in which the second controller is not activated, and the second controller is activated by the turning-ON operation of the second power source by the second power source control circuit in response to the transmitted activation signal.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a main switch connected to the first controller and being turned ON and OFF, wherein the first controller is activated by a turning-ON operation of the main switch and stops operation by the turning-OFF operation of the main switch.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising the main switch connected to the first controller and being turned ON and OFF, wherein the first controller is activated by a turning ON operation of a main switch, the activated first controller transmits an activation signal to the second power control circuit via the fourth path, and the second controller is activated by the turning ON operation of the second power source by the second power source control circuit in response to the transmitted activation signal,

the first controller shifts the operation mode of the first controller to a charging mode when the battery charger is electrically connected to the battery with the main switch turned ON and stops operation when the battery charger is electrically disconnected from the battery.

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the first path is a common path through which a signal indicating information about the vehicle and the battery passes together with the activation signal.

13. The electric vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising a main switch connected to the first controller and being turned ON and OFF, wherein the first controller is activated by a turning-ON operation of the main switch and stops operation by the turning-OFF operation of the main switch.