Charging system

• US 8,350,527 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Muralidar, Richard V
• Application Number:
  US13/379,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20120098488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320/104, 320/109, 320/111, 180/65.1, 180/65.21, 180/65.31, 439/34, 439/503, 307/10.1, 307/10.7, 702/57, 702/63, 340635-6362
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• 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: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A vehicle includes a charging port, a charger, a motive power output device, a PLC processing unit, and a charging ECU. The charging port is configured so that a charging cable can be connected to the charging port. The PLC processing unit uses the charging port and the charging cable as a communication path for performing PLC-based communication with a PLC processing unit of a house. In the case where PLC-based communication has come to an end when external charging comes to an end, the charging ECU controls a relay of a CCID so that it is in OFF state and, in the case where PLC-based communication is continuing when external charging comes to an end, it maintains the relay of the CCID in ON state.

Claims

1. A charging system comprising:

a vehicle configured to be chargeable by an external power supply external to the vehicle;

a charging cable for supplying electric power from said external power supply to said vehicle; and

a relay provided on said charging cable,

said vehicle including;

a rechargeable power storage device;

a charging port configured so that said charging cable can be connected to the charging port;

a charger receiving electric power supplied from said external power supply for charging said power storage device;

a control unit controlling said relay so that said relay is in an ON state while said power storage device is charged by said charger; and

a communication unit using said charging port and said charging cable as a communication path for communicating with a communication device external to the vehicle,

said control unit controlling said relay so that said relay is in an OFF state, in a case where communication with said communication device external to the vehicle by said communication unit has come to an end when charging of said power storage device by said charger comes to an end, and

said control unit maintaining said relay in the ON state, in a case where communication with said communication device by said communication unit is continuing when charging of said power storage device by said charger comes to an end.

2. The charging system according to claim 1, further comprising a signal generation unit configured to generate a pilot signal for detecting a state of said vehicle and transmit said pilot signal to said vehicle via said charging cable, wherein

said control unit includes a signal manipulation unit configured to manipulate a potential of said pilot signal for informing said signal generation unit of the state of said vehicle,

said signal manipulation unit manipulates the potential of said pilot signal in accordance with whether or not communication with said communication device external to said vehicle by said communication unit has come to an end when charging of said power storage device by said charger comes to an end, and

said signal generation unit manipulates said relay in accordance with the potential of said pilot signal.

3. The charging system according to claim 1, further comprising a lock mechanism for locking a state of connection between said charging cable and said charging port, wherein

said control unit further controls said lock mechanism so that said state of connection is locked while said power storage device is charged by said charger,

said control unit further controls said lock mechanism so that said state of connection is unlocked, in a case where communication with said communication device external to the vehicle by said communication unit has come to an end when charging of said power storage device by said charger comes to an end, and

said control unit further controls said lock mechanism so that said state of connection continues being locked, in a case where communication with said communication device by said communication unit is continuing when charging of said power storage device by said charger comes to an end.

4. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein said control unit further calculates time for charging required for charging said power storage device by said charger and time for communication required for communicating with said communication device external to the vehicle by said communication unit, and adjusts said time for charging so that communication with said communication device is completed, in a case where said time for communication is longer than said time for charging.

5. The charging system according to claim 4, wherein said control unit changes timing at which charging of said power storage device is started so that communication with said communication device is completed when charging of said power storage device by said charger comes to an end, in a case where said time for communication is longer than said time for charging.

6. The charging system according to claim 4, wherein said control unit changes a rate of charging said power storage device so that said time for charging is equal to or longer than said time for communication, in a case where said time for communication is longer than said time for charging.