Power management system and power management method

• US 8,354,822 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US12/967,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20110140659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/107, 320/109, 320/132, 320/149, 414/266, 414/269, 180/65.1, 180/65.21
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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: 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 power management system is a system for performing power management on a management subject apparatus that includes a charging unit for charging a storage apparatus installed in a vehicle. The power management system includes: a detection unit that detects a power consumed by the management subject apparatus; an adjustment unit that adjusts a charging power charged to the vehicle from the charging unit; and a control unit that controls the adjustment unit. The control unit determines an allowable power that can be supplied to the vehicle from the charging unit, notifies the vehicle of the allowable power, and controls the adjustment unit such that a power transmitted to the vehicle is reduced when a response to the notification of the allowable power is not received. With the system according to the invention, restrictions on charging subject vehicles can be alleviated without increasing a charging capacity of a charging facility.

Claims

1. A power management system for performing power management on a management subject apparatus that includes a charging unit for charging a storage apparatus installed in a vehicle, comprising:

a detection unit that detects a power to the management subject apparatus;

an adjustment unit that adjusts a charging power charged to the vehicle from the charging unit; and

a control unit that controls the adjustment unit, wherein

the control unit determines an allowable power that can be supplied to the vehicle from the charging unit, notifies the vehicle of the allowable power, and controls the adjustment unit such that a power that is transmitted to the vehicle is reduced when a response to the notification of the allowable power is not received.

2. The power management system according to claim 1, wherein:

when a sum total of the power that is consumed by the management subject apparatus does not exceed a predetermined threshold, the control unit controls the adjustment unit such that the charging power charged to the vehicle is not limited irrespective of whether or not a response to the notification of the allowable power is received; and

when the sum total of the power that is consumed by the management subject apparatus exceeds the predetermined threshold, the control unit issues a request to the vehicle connected to the charging unit to reduce the charging power by notifying the vehicle of the allowable power.

3. The power management system according to claim 2, wherein:

the charging unit is constituted to be capable of charging a plurality of vehicles;

the adjustment unit includes a plurality of power interruption units corresponding respectively to the plurality of vehicles;

the detection unit is capable of detecting a power supplied to the plurality of vehicles from the charging unit in relation to each of the plurality of vehicles; and

the control unit controls the plurality of power interruption units such that, of the plurality of vehicles, a vehicle that responds to the notification of the allowable power is charged preferentially over a vehicle that does not respond to the notification of the allowable power.

4. The power management system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit causes the power interruption unit corresponding to the vehicle that has not responded to the notification of the allowable power to interrupt the power, re-determines the allowable power, and re-notifies the vehicle that has responded to the notification of the allowable power, of the re-determined allowable power.

5. The power management system according to claim 2, wherein:

the detection unit is capable of detecting a power that is transmitted to the vehicle from the charging unit;

the adjustment unit includes a power interruption unit that interrupts transmission of the powers; and

the control unit causes the power interruption unit to interrupt power transmission to the vehicle from the charging unit when the power that is transmitted to the vehicle does not vary even after the allowable power is modified.

6. The power management system according to claim 2, wherein:

the detection unit is capable of detecting a power that is transmitted to the vehicle from the charging unit;

the adjustment unit includes a power interruption unit that interrupts transmission of the power; and

the control unit causes the power interruption unit to interrupt power transmission to the vehicle from the charging unit when the power that is transmitted to the vehicle exceeds the allowable power.

7. The power management system according to claim 2, wherein:

the management subject apparatus further comprises a power supply unit capable of supplying power to an electric load other than the vehicle, and

the control unit controls the adjustment unit such that a sum total of a power that is consumed by the charging unit and the power supply unit does not exceed a predetermined value.

8. The power management system according to claim 1, wherein:

a power is supplied to the management subject apparatus at a predetermined voltage; and

the detection unit measures a current in order to detect the power to the management subject apparatus.