Electrically powered vehicle

• US 8,600,593 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohno, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US12/451,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20100168945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 307/11, 307/18, 307/22, 307/23, 307/24, 307/43, 307/109, 903/903
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0038 relating to sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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 10/70 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 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electrically powered vehicle is connected to an external power supply through a charge plug. A relay is interposed in an electrical path extending to a power storage device from a power feed node electrically connected to the external power supply through the charge plug. A control device operates with electric power from an auxiliary machinery power supply provided separately from the power storage device and controls opening and closing of the relay in correspondence with a period during which the power storage device is charged. None of electric power consuming components mounted on the electrically powered vehicle is connected to the power feed node. Therefore, even during a period in which the electrically powered vehicle is connected to the external power supply, all electric power consuming components can electrically be disconnected from the external power supply by turning off the relay.

Claims

1. An electrically powered vehicle that can be charged by an external power supply, comprising:

a power feed node electrically connected to said external power supply through a connection device;

a power storage device for storing electric power to be used for generating vehicle drive force, configured such that it can be charged with electric power supplied by said external power supply;

a switching element interposed in an electrical path from said power feed node to said power storage device;

a control device operating by using electric power from an auxiliary power storage device provided separately from said power storage device, for controlling opening and closing of said switching element in correspondence with a period during which said power storage device is charged; and

an internal power supply line for transmitting electric power from said external power supply, wherein

said switching element is connected between said power feed node and said internal power supply line,

said electric power consuming component includes a detector connected to said internal power supply line, for detecting whether electric power is supplied from said external power supply to said internal power supply line,

all electric power consuming components mounted on said electrically powered vehicle being arranged to electrically be disconnected from said power feed node, as a result of opening of said switching element,

said control device includes

a charge start instruction unit for generating and instruction for requesting charge of said power storage device,

a charge end determination unit for determining end of charge of said power storage device, and

an opening and closing control unit for turning on said switching element in response to generation of said instruction for requesting charge and opening said switching element in response to determination as said end of charge,

after power supply of said electrically powered vehicle is stopped, at least one prescribed timing to turn on said switching element is provided, and

said charge start instruction unit generates said instruction for requesting charge when said detector detects electric power supply to said internal power supply line at said prescribed timing when said switching element was turned on.

2. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said charge start instruction unit also generates said instruction for requesting charge of said power storage device in response to an operation input to a prescribed instruction unit, and

said opening and closing control unit causes said switching element to open, when said detector detects electric power supply to said internal power supply line at said prescribed timing, even when said instruction for requesting charge is generated.

3. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said charge start instruction unit also generates said instruction for requesting charge in response to a remaining charge amount of said power storage device, and

said opening and closing control unit causes said switching element to open, when said detector detects electric power supply to said internal power supply line at said prescribed timing, even when said instruction for requesting charge is generated.

4. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

said charge start instruction unit regularly senses the remaining charge amount of said power storage device and generates said instruction for requesting charge when the sensed remaining charge amount is equal to or lower than a prescribed value.

5. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said charge start instruction unit also generates said instruction for requesting charge in accordance with time, and

said opening and closing control unit causes said switching element to open, when said detector detects electric power supply to said internal power supply line at said prescribed timing, even when said instruction for requesting charge is generated.

6. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said control device further includes a fault detection unit for detecting occurrence of a fault in said electrically powered vehicle, and

said opening and closing control unit maintains opening of said switching element, even when said fault detection unit detects occurrence of the fault.

7. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said control device further includes a fault detection unit for detecting occurrence of a fault in said electrically powered vehicle, and

said opening and closing control unit maintains opening of said switching element, even when said fault detection unit detects occurrence of the fault.

8. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

said control device further includes a fault detection unit for detecting occurrence of a fault in said electrically powered vehicle, and

said opening and closing control unit maintains opening of said switching element, even when said fault detection unit detects occurrence of the fault.

9. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

said control device further includes a fault detection unit for detecting occurrence of a fault in said electrically powered vehicle, and

said opening and closing control unit maintains opening of said switching element, even when said fault detection unit detects occurrence of the fault.

10. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

said control device further includes a fault detection unit for detecting occurrence of a fault in said electrically powered vehicle, and

said opening and closing control unit maintains opening of said switching element, even when said fault detection unit detects occurrence of the fault.

11. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said electric power consuming component includes an electric power converter provided between said internal power supply line and said power storage device, for converting electric power supply from said external power supply received through said internal power supply line into electric power for charging said power storage device.

12. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said switching element is configured to close while a current flows in an excitation circuit and to open while a current does not flow, and

current flow and absence of current flow in said excitation circuit are controlled by said control device.