Motor driving apparatus capable of driving motor with reliability

• US 7,764,044 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2005
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Hiroshi, Ishikawa, Tetsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US11/632,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20080067973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320/104, 320/127, 320/128, 320/137, 320/138, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• 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 20/50 Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• 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 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

DC/DC converter is connected directly to a main battery with no system relays intervening therebetween. The DC/DC converter drops and then supplies the voltage of a power supplied from the high voltage main battery to a subsidiary battery. A DC/DC converter control circuit receives a supply of the power from the main battery to control the dropping operation of the DC/DC converter. Even when the subsidiary battery goes dead, the DC/DC converter is responsive to a control signal outputted from the DC/DC converter control circuit using, as its power supply, the main battery, to perform a boosting operation, thereby quickly charging the subsidiary battery.

Claims

1. A motor driving apparatus, comprising

a first power source that outputs a first DC voltage,

a driving circuit receiving the first DC voltage as a supply of electric power from said first power source and driving a motor using the first DC voltage,

a second power source charged by receiving a second DC voltage lower than the first DC voltage output from said first power source,

a voltage converter converting said first DC voltage to said second DC voltage between said first power source and said second power source, and

a converter control circuit controlling said voltage converter;

wherein

said converter control circuit is directly connected to said first power source and operates using said first DC voltage as a power supply voltage.

2. The motor driving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a driving circuit control circuit receiving and driven by electric power supply from said second power source, controlling said driving circuit and inputting a trigger signal for activating said converter control circuit to said converter control circuit, and

trigger signal generating means for generating said trigger signal and inputting the signal to said converter control circuit, when amount of charges stored in said second power source is lower than a prescribed amount.

3. The motor driving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said prescribed amount is an amount of electric power supply necessary for driving said driving circuit control circuit.

4. The motor driving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said trigger signal generating means includes

a third power source for generating said trigger signal, and

a switch indicating a timing of input of said trigger signal generated by said third power source.

5. The motor driving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said first power source, said second power source, said voltage converter, said converter control circuit, said driving circuit control circuit and said trigger signal generating means are housed integrally in one box,

said driving apparatus further comprising

a cooling apparatus for cooling said box.