Charging system for vehicles

• US 8,311,690 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2008
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIPALA, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US12/237,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20090082916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/22, 701/29, 701/36, 701/49, 701/29.1, 701/31.5, 701/32.7, 701/33.4, 701/31.4, 701/33.2, 701/34.2, 340/901, 340/426.1, 340/428, 340/438, 180/65.1, 180/65.21, 180/65.27, 180/65.29, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/10.2, 307/10.3, 307/10.4, 307/10.7
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• 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 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/06 Ignition switch
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5889 : For automotive vehicles

Abstract

A charging system provided for vehicles prevents theft of a charging cable, insertion of foreign matter into a vehicle-side receptacle, or tampering when an onboard battery usable for running power is charged from a household power supply. A cable connector of the charging cable is opposed to the vehicle-side receptacle in a connecting part to prepare for charging. When a PHV is exited, a switching command switching from an unlocked state of a door locking mechanism to a locked state is inputted to a PHV ECU responsive to an inputting manipulation performed on a key or door key sensor. The PHV ECU allows the door locking mechanism to switch from the unlocked state to the locked state. The PHV ECU allows locking mechanisms to switch from the unlocked states to the locked states in the manner interlocked with the switching action of the door locking mechanism.

Claims

1. A charging system for a vehicle using an onboard battery for running power, the charging system comprising:

a door locking mechanism that switches between a door locked state, in which a door of the vehicle is closed and locked, and a door unlocked state, in which the door for boarding is unlocked;

a charging locking mechanism that switches from a charging locked state, in which the charging cable is attached to a vehicle-side receptacle in order to enable charging, to a charging unlocked state, in which the charging cable is detached from the vehicle-side receptacle in order to suspend charging, when the onboard battery and an alternating-current (AC) power supply are disconnected from each other using a charging cable and that switches from the charging unlocked state to the charging locked state when the onboard battery and the AC power supply are connected with each other using the charging cable; and

an interlocked locking controller that causes the charging locking mechanism to switch from the charging unlocked state to the charging locked state in response to a switching command of switching from the door unlocked state to the door locked state when an occupant leaves the vehicle, and that causes the charging locking mechanism to act to switch from the charging locked state to the charging unlocked state in response to a switching command of switching from the door locked state to the door unlocked state when the occupant boards the vehicle;

wherein;

the charging locking mechanism includes;

a connector locking mechanism that switches between a connector locked state, in which a cable connector of the charging cable is inserted into and held in the vehicle-side receptacle, and a connector unlocked state, in which the cable connector is pulled out of the vehicle-side receptacle; and

a cover locking mechanism that switches between a cover locked state, in which a receptacle cover externally shielding the vehicle-side receptacle is closed and locked, to a cover unlocked state, in which the receptacle cover is unlocked; and

when the occupant leaves the vehicle, the interlocked locking controller causes at least one of the connector locking mechanism and the cover locking mechanism to switch from a first corresponding at least one of the connector unlocked state and the cover unlocked state to a second corresponding at least one of the connector locked state and the cover locked state in response to the switching command of switching from the door unlocked state to the door locked state; and

the door locking mechanism is an intelligent key or a smart key.

2. The charging system for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein:

the interlocked locking controller includes a key switch that is manipulated in order to manually input the switching command of switching between the door locked state and the door unlocked state;

when the key switch is used to input an initial command which instructs the door locking mechanism to switch from the door locked state to the door unlocked state, the interlocked locking controller causes the door locking mechanism alone to perform the switching action;

when the key switch is used to input a successive command having the same contents as the initial command, the interlocked locking controller causes at least one of the connector locking mechanism and cover locking mechanism to perform the switching action; and

the switching action of the door locking mechanism and the switching action of the at least one of the connector locking mechanism and the cover locking mechanism are performed in a stepwise manner.

3. The charging system for vehicles according to claim 2, wherein the interlocked locking controller includes a selective input device that is used externally to selectively input a first control mode in which interlock of the switching action of the door locking mechanism with the switching action of the at least one of the connector locking mechanism and the cover locking mechanism is controlled at a time in response to the switching command inputted using the key switch, and a second control mode in which the interlock is controlled in a stepwise manner in response to the switching command inputted using the key switch.

4. The charging system for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein, when the occupant leaves the vehicle, the interlocked locking controller causes both of the connector locking mechanism and the cover locking mechanism to switch from a first corresponding to both of the connector unlocked state and the cover unlocked state to a second corresponding to both of the connector locked state and the cover locked state in response to the switching command of switching from the door unlocked state to the door locked state.

5. The charging system for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein:

the interlocked locking controller includes a key switch that is manipulated in order to manually input the switching command of switching between the door locked state and the door unlocked state;

when the key switch is used to input a command which instructs the door locking mechanism to switch from the door locked state to the door unlocked state, the command persisting for a predetermined time or less, the interlocked locking controller allows the door locking mechanism alone to perform the switching action;

when the key switch is used to input a command that persists for a time longer than the predetermined time, the interlocked locking controller causes at least one of the connector locking mechanism and cover locking mechanism to perform the switching action; and

the switching action of the door locking mechanism and the switching action of the at least one of the connector locking mechanism and the cover locking mechanism are performed in a stepwise manner.

6. The charging system for vehicles according to claim 5, wherein the interlocked locking controller includes a selective input device that is used externally to selectively input a first control mode in which interlock of the switching action of the door locking mechanism with the switching action of the at least one of the connector locking mechanism and the cover locking mechanism is controlled at a time in response to the switching command inputted using the key switch, and a second control mode in which the interlock is controlled in a stepwise manner in response to the switching command inputted using the key switch.

7. The charging system for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein when the occupant boards the vehicle, the interlocked locking controller causes at least one of the connector locking mechanism and cover locking mechanism to switch from a first corresponding at least one of the connector locked state and the cover locked state to a second corresponding at least one of the connector unlocked state and the cover unlocked state in response to the switching command of switching from the door locked state to the door unlocked state.

8. A charging system for a vehicle using an onboard battery for running power, the charging system comprising:

a door locking mechanism that switches between a door locked state, in which a door of the vehicle is closed and locked, and a door unlocked state, in which the door for boarding is unlocked;

a charging locking mechanism that switches from a charging locked state, in which the charging cable is attached to a vehicle-side receptacle in order to enable charging, to a charging unlocked state, in which the charging cable is detached from the vehicle-side receptacle in order to suspend charging, when the onboard battery and an alternating-current (AC) power supply are disconnected from each other using a charging cable and that switches from the charging unlocked state to the charging locked state when the onboard battery and the AC power supply are connected with each other using the charging cable; and

an interlocked locking controller that causes the charging locking mechanism to switch from the charging unlocked state to the charging locked state in response to a switching command of switching from the door unlocked state to the door locked state when an occupant leaves the vehicle, and that causes the charging locking mechanism to act to switch from the charging locked state to the charging unlocked state in response to a switching command of switching from the door locked state to the door unlocked state when the occupant boards the vehicle;

wherein;

the charging locking mechanism includes;

a connector locking mechanism that switches between a connector locked state, in which a cable connector of the charging cable is inserted into and held in the vehicle-side receptacle, and a connector unlocked state, in which the cable connector is pulled out of the vehicle-side receptacle; and

a cover locking mechanism that switches between a cover locked state, in which a receptacle cover externally shielding the vehicle-side receptacle is closed and locked, to a cover unlocked state, in which the receptacle cover is unlocked; and

when the occupant boards the vehicle, the interlocked locking controller causes at least one of the connector locking mechanism and cover locking mechanism to switch from a first corresponding at least one of the connector locked state and the cover locked state to a second corresponding at least one of the connector unlocked state and the cover unlocked state in response to the switching command of switching from the door locked state to the door unlocked state; and

the door locking mechanism is an intelligent key or a smart key.

9. The charging system for vehicles according to claim 8, wherein:

the interlocked locking controller includes a key switch that is manipulated in order to manually input the switching command of switching between the door locked state and the door unlocked state;

when the key switch is used to input an initial command which instructs the door locking mechanism to switch from the door locked state to the door unlocked state, the interlocked locking controller causes the door locking mechanism alone to perform the switching action;

when the key switch is used to input a successive command having the same contents as the initial command, the interlocked locking controller causes at least one of the connector locking mechanism and cover locking mechanism to perform the switching action; and

the switching action of the door locking mechanism and the switching action of the at least one of the connector locking mechanism and the cover locking mechanism are performed in a stepwise manner.

10. The charging system for vehicles according to claim 9, wherein the interlocked locking controller includes a selective input device that is used externally to selectively input a first control mode in which interlock of the switching action of the door locking mechanism with the switching action of the at least one of the connector locking mechanism and the cover locking mechanism is controlled at a time in response to the switching command inputted using the key switch, and a second control mode in which the interlock is controlled in a stepwise manner in response to the switching command inputted using the key switch.

11. The charging system for vehicles according to claim 8, wherein:

the interlocked locking controller includes a key switch that is manipulated in order to manually input the switching command of switching between the door locked state and the door unlocked state;

when the key switch is used to input a command which instructs the door locking mechanism to switch from the door locked state to the door unlocked state, the command persisting for a predetermined time or less, the interlocked locking controller allows the door locking mechanism alone to perform the switching action;

when the key switch is used to input a command that persists for a time longer than the predetermined time, the interlocked locking controller causes at least one of the connector locking mechanism and cover locking mechanism to perform the switching action; and

the switching action of the door locking mechanism and the switching action of the at least one of the connector locking mechanism and the cover locking mechanism are performed in a stepwise manner.

12. The charging system for vehicles according to claim 11, wherein the interlocked locking controller includes a selective input device that is used externally to selectively input a first control mode in which interlock of the switching action of the door locking mechanism with the switching action of the at least one of the connector locking mechanism and the cover locking mechanism is controlled at a time in response to the switching command inputted using the key switch, and a second control mode in which the interlock is controlled in a stepwise manner in response to the switching command inputted using the key switch.

13. The charging system for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein, when the occupant boards the vehicle, the interlocked locking controller causes both of the connector locking mechanism and cover locking mechanism to switch from a first corresponding to both of the connector locked state and the cover locked state to a second corresponding to both of the connector unlocked state and the cover unlocked state in response to the switching command of switching from the door locked state to the door unlocked state.