Charge control apparatus, battery pack, and vehicle

• US 8,264,196 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Research Institute Limited (Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Japan Research Institute Limited (Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mera, Masanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US13/245,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20120013303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/104
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/50 Charging stations characterised by energy-storage or power-generation means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/19 Switching between serial connection and parallel connection of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

A charge control apparatus for controlling how to charge a battery unit having a plurality of batteries connected in series, includes a connection control section that divides the batteries into a plurality of groups of batteries by switching connections between the batteries, according to a received current amount indicative of an amount of a current that can be received from one or more external power sources, and a charge control section that charges the groups of batteries in parallel with power received from the external power sources.

Claims

1. A charge control apparatus for controlling how to charge a battery unit having a plurality of batteries connected in series, comprising:

a connection control section operable to divide the batteries into a plurality of groups of batteries by switching connections between the batteries, according to a received current amount indicative of an amount of a current that can be received from one or more external power sources; and

a charge control section operable to charge the groups of batteries in parallel with power received from the external power sources, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide the batteries into more groups when the received current amount is greater.

2. The charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide the batteries into more groups when the number of the external power sources is greater.

3. The charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide the batteries into the same number of groups as the number of the external power sources.

4. The charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

a division judging section operable to judge, based on the received current amount, whether the batteries are to be divided into the groups of batteries, wherein

when the division judging section judges that the batteries are to be divided, the connection control section divides the batteries into the groups of batteries, and

when the division judging section judges that the batteries are to be divided, the charge control section charges the groups of batteries in parallel with the power received from the external power sources.

5. The charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

a battery information obtaining section operable to obtain information indicative of a degree of degradation of each of the batteries, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide batteries with similar degrees of degradation into the same group of batteries.

6. The charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

a battery information obtaining section operable to obtain information indicative of an internal resistance of each of the batteries, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide batteries with similar internal resistances into the same group of batteries.

7. A battery pack comprising:

a plurality of batteries connected in series; and

the charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 1 that controls how to charge a battery unit including the batteries.

8. A vehicle comprising:

a battery pack including a plurality of batteries connected in series and the charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 1 that controls how to charge a battery unit including the batteries; and

a motor operable to be driven by energy stored in the battery pack.

9. The vehicle as set forth in claim 8, further comprising

a connector section to/from which a plurality of charging cables are externally attachable and detachable, the charging cables operable to supply power from the external power sources to the vehicle, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide the batteries into more groups when the number of the charging cables attached to the connector section is greater.

10. The vehicle as set forth in claim 9, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide the batteries into the same number of groups as the number of the charging cables attached to the connector section.

11. The charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

a battery information obtaining section operable to obtain information indicative of a stored power amount of each of the batteries, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide batteries with similar stored power amounts into the same group of batteries.

12. A vehicle comprising:

a battery pack including a plurality of batteries connected in series and the charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 1 that controls how to charge a battery unit including the batteries; and

a motor operable to be driven by energy stored in the battery pack.

13. The vehicle as set forth in claim 12, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide the batteries according to a received current amount indicative of an amount of a current that can be received from one or more external power sources,

the vehicle further comprises a connector section to/from which a plurality of charging cables are externally attachable and detachable, the charging cables operable to supply power from the external power sources to the vehicle, and

the connection control section is operable to divide the batteries into more groups when the number of the charging cables attached to the connector section is greater.

14. The vehicle as set forth in claim 13, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide the batteries into the same number of groups as the number of the charging cables attached to the connector section.

15. A charge control apparatus for controlling how to charge a battery unit having a plurality of batteries connected in series, comprising:

a connection control section operable to divide the batteries into a plurality of groups of batteries by switching connections between the batteries;

a charge control section operable to charge the groups of batteries in parallel with power received from the external power sources; and

a battery information obtaining section operable to obtain information indicative of a degree of degradation of each of the batteries, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide batteries with similar degrees of degradation into the same group of batteries.

16. The charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide the batteries according to a received current amount indicative of an amount of a current that can be received from one or more external power sources and to divide the batteries into more groups when the number of the external power sources is greater.

17. The charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide the batteries according to a received current amount indicative of an amount of a current that can be received from one or more external power sources and to divide the batteries into the same number of groups as the number of the external power sources.

18. The charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide the batteries according to a received current amount indicative of an amount of a current that can be received from one or more external power sources,

the charge control apparatus further comprises a division judging section operable to judge, based on the received current amount, whether the batteries are to be divided into the groups of batteries,

when the division judging section judges that the batteries are to be divided, the connection control section divides the batteries into the groups of batteries, and

when the division judging section judges that the batteries are to be divided, the charge control section charges the groups of batteries in parallel with the power received from the external power sources.

19. A battery pack comprising:

a plurality of batteries connected in series; and

the charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 15 that controls how to charge a battery unit including the batteries.

20. The charge control apparatus as set forth in claim 15, further comprising

a battery information obtaining section operable to obtain information indicative of a stored power amount of each of the batteries, wherein

the connection control section is operable to divide batteries with similar stored power amounts into the same group of batteries.