Vehicle control system for controlling charging and discharging control of a battery

• US 8,129,940 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Abe, Kunihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US12/320,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20090184683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/105, 320/144, 320/150, 324/430
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/364 Battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A vehicle control system has a battery mounted to a vehicle, a vehicle alternator charging the battery, a battery current detection device detecting a charging/discharging current of the battery, a voltage regulation device regulating an output voltage of the vehicle alternator to a specified output voltage, and a temperature sensor mounted to the inside of the battery current detection device. One terminal of a shunt resistance is connected to a negative terminal of the battery through a battery clump, and the other terminal of the shunt resistance is grounded. The temperature sensor is placed close to the shunt resistance. This structure enables the temperature sensor to detect the temperature of the battery with a high accuracy while considering the temperature characteristics of the shunt resistance.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system comprising:

a battery mounted to a vehicle;

a vehicle alternator configured to generate electric power and charge the electric power to the battery;

a battery current detection device configured to detect charging and discharging current of the battery;

a voltage regulation device configured to adjust an output voltage of the vehicle alternator to a specified output voltage; and

a temperature sensor mounted to the inside of the battery current detection device, configured to detect a temperature of the battery and a temperature of a shunt resistance, wherein

the battery current detection device and a battery clamp connected to a terminal of the battery are assembled together,

temperature characteristics of the shunt resistance are compensated on the basis of the temperature of the shunt resistance detected by the temperature sensor,

the battery current detection device detects the charging and discharging current of the battery on the basis of the shunt resistance having the compensated temperature characteristics, and

the temperature sensor is mounted onto the shunt resistance which faces a side of the battery clamp or onto a conductor through which the shunt resistance and the battery are electrically connected together.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the battery current detection device and the terminal of the battery are assembled together, where a current flows from the battery to the outside of the battery through the terminal.

3. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the battery current detection device comprises a charging and discharging control circuit that sets a regulation voltage which is controlled by the voltage regulation device based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the battery current detection device comprises a charging and discharging control circuit that sets a regulation voltage to be controlled by the voltage regulation device based on the detected charging and discharging current and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the battery current detection device is attached to a negative terminal of the battery.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein a digital data transmission is performed between the battery current detection device and the voltage regulation device.