Control apparatus and control method

• US 8,179,086 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakaso, Yoshiaki, Kamaga, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US12/682,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20110057611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/107, 320/109, 320/111, 320/114, 320/128, 320/137
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• 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 2270/36 of vehicles
• 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 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/24 including control of energy storage means
• 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 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using 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 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

To properly resume charging when insertion and removal of a charging cable connector are repeated, a control apparatus includes a power control unit that turns on a charging mode signal when a signal state changes from a state with no change for a certain period of time to a changed state, to activate a charging control unit, and turns off the charging mode signal when detecting a charging completion signal turned on by the charging control unit and outputted from a signal generating unit included in the charging cable which connects an external power source to the vehicle; and the charging control unit turns on the charging completion signal when the charging has been completed, and thereafter turns off the charging completion signal when detecting that the charging mode signal has been turned off by the power control unit.

Claims

1. A control apparatus that charges an energy storage apparatus mounted on a vehicle, with electrical energy supplied through a charging cable from a power source external to the vehicle, the control apparatus comprising:

a power control unit that turns on a charging mode signal when a state of a signal changes from a state with no change for a certain period of time to a state with a change, to activate a charging control unit, and turns off the charging mode signal when detecting a charging completion signal which is turned on by the charging control unit, the signal being outputted from a signal generating unit included in the charging cable and being according to a state of electrical energy supply from the power source; and

the charging control unit that charges the energy storage apparatus through the charging cable when detecting the charging mode signal which is turned on by the power control unit, and turns on the charging completion signal when the charging has been completed, and thereafter turns off the charging completion signal when detecting that the charging mode signal has been turned off by the power control unit.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the charging control unit detects that the charging mode signal has been turned off by the power control unit, the charging control unit turns off the charging completion signal and performs a shutdown process in which data pertaining to the charging is stored in a memory and thereafter stops the operation, and when the charging control unit detects that the charging mode signal has been turned on while the shutdown process is performed, the charging control unit charges the energy storage apparatus again.

2. A control apparatus that charges an energy storage apparatus mounted on a vehicle, with electrical energy supplied through a charging cable from a power source external to the vehicle, the control apparatus comprising:

a power control unit that turns on a charging mode signal when a state of a signal changes from a state with no change for a certain period of time to a state with a change, to activate a charging control unit, and turns off the charging mode signal when detecting a charging completion signal which is turned on by the charging control unit, the signal being outputted from a signal generating unit included in the charging cable and being according to a state of electrical energy supply from the power source; and

the charging control unit that charges the energy storage apparatus through the charging cable when detecting the charging mode signal which is turned on by the power control unit, and turns on the charging completion signal when the charging has been completed, and thereafter turns off the charging completion signal when detecting that the charging mode signal has been turned off by the power control unit, wherein when the power control unit detects that the charging completion signal outputted from the charging control unit has been turned on, the power control unit turns off the charging mode signal after oscillation of a control signal has stopped.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the charging control unit detects that the charging mode signal has been turned off by the power control unit, the charging control unit turns off the charging completion signal and performs a shutdown process in which data pertaining to the charging is stored in a memory and thereafter stops the operation, and when the charging control unit detects that the charging mode signal has been turned on while the shutdown process is performed, the charging control unit charges the energy storage apparatus again.

4. A control method for charging an energy storage apparatus mounted on a vehicle, with electrical energy supplied through a charging cable from a power source external to the vehicle, the control method comprising:

a power control step of turning on a charging mode signal when a state of a signal changes from a state with no change for a certain period of time to a state with a change, to start a charging control step, and turning off the charging mode signal when a charging completion signal which is turned on in the charging control step is detected, the signal being outputted from a signal generating unit included in the charging cable and being according to a state of electrical energy supply from the power source; and

the charging control step of charging the energy storage apparatus through the charging cable when the charging mode signal which is turned on in the power control step is detected, and turning on the charging completion signal when the charging has been completed, and thereafter turning off the charging completion signal when it is detected that the charging mode signal has been turned off in the power control step.

5. The control method according to claim 4, wherein in the power control step, when it is detected that the charging completion signal has been turned on in the charging control step, the charging mode signal is turned off after oscillation of a control signal has stopped.