Charging cable, vehicle, and vehicle charging system

• US 8,791,666 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yano, Mitsuteru, Yokoyama, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIGGUSH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US12/975,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20110199048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/105, 320/109, 320/145, 320/157
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• 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 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• 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 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• 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: 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 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charging cable for use in charging a vehicle includes a power line, an input section, an oscillator, and a pulse-width adjusting device. The power line is used to carry power from an external power supply to the vehicle. The external power supply and the vehicle are connected to each other with the power line disposed therebetween. A set charging current value in charging the vehicle is input to the input section. The oscillator is configured to generate an oscillation signal having a pulse width within a range of a rated current of the external power supply. The rated current is capable of being supplied to the vehicle. The pulse-width adjusting device is configured to adjust the pulse width of the oscillation signal generated by the oscillator to correspond to the set charging current value input from the input section.

Claims

1. A charging cable for use in charging a vehicle, the charging cable comprising:

a power line used to carry power from an external power supply to the vehicle, the external power supply and the vehicle being connected to each other with the power line disposed therebetween;

an input section to which a set charging current value in charging the vehicle is input;

an oscillator configured to generate an oscillation signal having a pulse width within a range of a rated current of the external power supply, the rated current being capable of being supplied to the vehicle;

a pulse-width adjusting device configured to adjust the pulse width of the oscillation signal generated by the oscillator to correspond to the set charging current value input from the input section; and

a charging current setting device configured to communicate with a power-supply side of an alternating-current power supply to set a value calculated by subtracting a current being used in household electrical appliances from a breaker rated current as a maximum supply current value in charging the vehicle, the set charging current value being set within a range of the maximum supply current value.

2. The charging cable according to claim 1, wherein the pulse-width adjusting device comprises

an input-signal generator configured to generate an input signal corresponding to the set charging current value input from the input section and

an adjustment section to adjust the pulse width of the oscillation signal generated by the oscillator to correspond to the input signal.

3. The charging cable according to claim 1, further comprising a display to display the set charging current value input from the input section and an actual charging current value on a display section of the display.

4. The charging cable according to claim 1, further comprising a key lock device to forbid the input section from accepting an input when it is operated in a locked state and to allow the input section to accept an input set charging current value when it is operated in an unlocked state.

5. The charging cable according to claim 1, wherein the input section is disposed back from an surface of an ouster outer case forming a housing of the charging cable.

6. A vehicle comprising:

a battery rechargeable from an external power supply with a charging current through the charging cable according to claim 1; and

a charging-current adjusting device to adjust an amount of the charging current correspond to the pulse width in response to the oscillation signal having the pulse width corresponding to the set charging current value output from the oscillator of the charging cable.

7. The charging cable according to claim 2, further comprising a display to display the set charging current value input from the input section and an actual charging current value on a display section of the display.

8. The charging cable according to claim 2, further comprising a key lock device to forbid the input section from accepting an input when it is operated in a locked state and to allow the input section to accept an input set charging current value when it is operated in an unlocked state.

9. The charging cable according to claim 3, further comprising a key lock device to forbid the input section from accepting an input when it is operated in a locked state and to allow the input section to accept an input set charging current value when it is operated in an unlocked state.

10. The charging cable according to claim 7, further comprising a key lock device to forbid the input section from accepting an input when it is operated in a locked state and to allow the input section to accept an input set charging current value when it is operated in an unlocked state.

11. The charging cable according to claim 2, wherein the input section is disposed back from an outer surface of an outer case forming a housing of the charging cable.

12. The charging cable according to claim 3, wherein the input section is disposed back from an outer surface of an outer case forming a housing of the charging cable.

13. The charging cable according to claim 4, wherein the input section is disposed back from an outer surface of an outer case forming a housing of the charging cable.

14. The charging cable according to claim 7, herein the input section is disposed back from an outer surface of an outer case forming a housing of the charging cable.

15. The charging cable according to claim 8, wherein the input section is disposed back from an outer surface of an outer case forming a housing of the charging cable.

16. A vehicle charging system for a vehicle rechargeable from an external power supply with a charging current through a charging cable, the vehicle charging system comprising:

an input section to which a set charging current value in charging the vehicle is input;

an oscillator configured to generate an oscillation signal having a pulse width within a range of a rated current of the external power supply, the rated current being capable of being supplied to the vehicle;

a pulse-width adjusting device configured to adjust the pulse width of the oscillation signal generated by the oscillator to correspond to the set charging current value input from the input section;

a charging-current adjusting device to adjust an amount of the charging current correspond to the pulse width in response to the oscillation signal having the pulse width corresponding to the set charging current value output from the oscillator; and

a charging current setting device configured to communicate with a power-supply side of an alternating-current power supply to set a value calculated by subtracting a current being used in household electrical appliances from a breaker rated current as a maximum supply current value in charging the vehicle, the set charging current value being set within a range of the maximum supply current value.

17. The vehicle charging system according to claim 16, wherein the pulse-width adjusting device comprises

an input-signal generator configured to generate an input signal corresponding to the set charging current value input from the input section and

an adjustment section to adjust the pulse width of the oscillation signal generated by the oscillator to correspond to the input signal.

18. The vehicle charging system according to claim 16, further comprising a display to display the set charging current value input from the input section and an actual charging current value on a display section of the display.

19. The vehicle charging system according to claim 16, further comprising a key lock device that forbids the input section from accepting an input when it is operated in a locked state and that allows the input section to accept an input set charging current value when it is operated in an unlocked state.

20. The vehicle charging system according to claim 16, wherein the input section is disposed back from an outer surface of an outer case forming a housing thereof.

21. A charging cable for use in charging a vehicle, the charging cable comprising:

a power line used to carry power from an external power supply to the vehicle, the external power supply and the vehicle being connected to each other with the power line disposed therebetween;

an input section to which a set charging current value in charging the vehicle is input;

an oscillator configured to generate an oscillation signal having a pulse width within a range of a rated current of the external power supply, the rated current being capable of being supplied to the vehicle;

a pulse-width adjusting device configured to adjust the pulse width of the oscillation signal generated by the oscillator to correspond to the set charging current value input from the input section; and

a charging current setting device configured to communicate with a power-supply side of an alternating-current power supply, the charging current setting device being configured to communicate with at least one additional charging cable used to carry power from the external power supply to at least one additional vehicle with a communication unit, the charging current setting device being configured to identify a used current of the charging cable and at least one additional used current of the at least one additional charging cable, the charging current setting device being configured to set a value calculated by subtracting a current being used in household electrical appliances from a breaker rated current as a maximum value of a sum of a charging current set using the set charging current value and at least one additional charging current set using at least one additional set charging current value input to at least one additional input section of the at least one additional charging cable.

22. A vehicle charging system for a vehicle rechargeable from an external power supply with a charging current through a charging cable, the vehicle charging system comprising:

an input section to which a set charging current value in charging the vehicle is input;

an oscillator configured to generate an oscillation signal having a pulse width within a range of a rated current of the external power supply, the rated current being capable of being supplied to the vehicle;

a pulse-width adjusting device configured to adjust the pulse width of the oscillation signal generated by the oscillator to correspond to the set charging current value input from the input section;

a charging-current adjusting device to adjust an amount of the charging current correspond to the pulse width in response to the oscillation signal having the pulse width corresponding to the set charging current value output from the oscillator; and

a charging current setting device configured to communicate with a power-supply side of an alternating-current power supply, the charging current setting device being configured to communicate with at least one additional charging cable used to carry power from the external power supply to at least one additional vehicle with a communication unit, the charging current setting device being configured to identify a used current of the charging cable and at least one additional used current of the at least one additional charging cable, the charging current setting device being configured to set a value calculated by subtracting a current being used in household electrical appliances from a breaker rated current as a maximum value of a sum of a charging current set using the set charging current value and at least one additional charging current set using at least one additional set charging current value input to at least one additional input section of the at least one additional charging cable.