Electric vehicle control apparatus

• US 7,742,268 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shige, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Bao Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang; Jue
• Application Number:
  US11/579,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20070227788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/103, 320/104, 429/12, 429/21, 429/22, 361/23, 361/24, 361/30, 361/31, 361/54, 361/57, 361/28, 361/93.1, 180/65.285, 180/65.29, 180/65.31, 180/65.8
• US Class Current: 361/93.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Control apparatus of an electric vehicle controls a power supply system of the electric vehicle equipped with a first direct current power supply apparatus for supplying direct current power to a traction inverter, and a second direct current power supply apparatus connected in parallel with the first direct current power supply apparatus via a DC/DC converter. This control apparatus is also provided with a relay for cutting off supply of power from the first direct current power supply apparatus to the traction inverter in synchronization with the operation of the self-protection circuit in the event that the self-protection circuit of the traction inverter operates as a result of overcurrents supplied by the first direct current power supply apparatus.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a first direct current power supply apparatus for supplying direct current power to a traction inverter;

a second direct current power supply apparatus connected in parallel with the first direct current power supply apparatus via a DC/DC converter;

a first self-protection circuit for protecting a circuit of the traction inverter from overcurrents supplied by the first direct current power supply apparatus; and

a second self-protection circuit for stopping a switching operation of the DC/DC converter in synchronization with operation of the first self-protection circuit so as to cut off overcurrent flowing into the DC/DC converter.

2. The electric vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second self-protection circuit restarts the switching operation of the DC/DC converter after a predetermined period of time elapses from the first self-protection circuit of the traction inverter starting to operate.