Starting control device of electric vehicle

• US 8,855,843 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Yuichi, Shokaku, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US13/109,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20110288705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 318/139, 320/103, 320/104
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/00 Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/04 fed from dc supply lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/08 fed from ac supply lines
• 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

Abstract

A socket receives charging voltage and auxiliary voltage of the main battery from an external power supply. A charging line Lch connects the charging voltage to the main battery. Auxiliary power supply lines connect the auxiliary voltage to a vehicle drive control unit. A main switch is provided on a constant line for inputting the output of an electric power converting unit to the vehicle drive control unit. The vehicle drive control unit includes an electric power converting unit starting unit started when the auxiliary voltage is applied to output a starting signal of the electric power converting unit, and means for maintaining the starting signal to charge the sub-battery with the electric power from the electric power converting unit when the voltage applied from the electric power converting unit through the main switch to the vehicle drive control unit is a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A starting control device for an electric vehicle, comprising:

a main battery charged by an external battery charger;

a main switch for designating an operational state of a vehicle;

a motor for generating a driving force of the vehicle by electric power supplied from the main battery;

an electric power converting unit for converting an output voltage of the main battery to a low voltage;

a sub-battery charged with output electric power of the main battery converted to low voltage by the electric power converting unit only when the main switch of the vehicle is turned on to put the power supply in an on-state;

a vehicle drive control unit started by electric power supplied from the sub-battery to drive the electric power converting unit; and

a normal system line (L3) having two portions, the main switch being located between and connecting the two portions,

wherein the portion of the normal system line (L3) extending from one side of the main switch is directly connected to the vehicle drive control unit in a fixed manner, and

the portion of the normal system line (L3) extending from an opposite side of the main switch is directly connected to each of the sub-battery, an output side of the electric power converting unit, and the main battery in a fixed manner,

so that when the main switch is on an off-state, the normal system line (L3) between the vehicle drive control unit and the main battery is open, and

wherein in the case where the sub-battery is at a charging level not to drive the electric power converting unit, the vehicle drive control unit causes the electric power converting unit to operate by the electric power supplied from the battery charger to thereby put the vehicle in an operating state when the battery charger is put in a connecting state with the main switch in the on-state, and outputs a signal for charging the main battery to the battery charger when the battery charger is put in the connecting state with the main switch in the off-state.

2. The starting control device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle drive control unit activates the electric power converting unit only during a predetermined time when the battery charger is put in the connecting state, and determines the on-state or the off-state of the main switch by detecting the output voltage.

3. The starting control device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle drive control unit stops starting of the electric power converting unit to charge the main battery with external electric power from a charging line when the voltage applied from the electric power converting unit is not a predetermined value.

4. The starting control device for an electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle drive control unit stops starting of the electric power converting unit to charge the main battery with external electric power from a charging line when the voltage applied from the electric power converting unit is not a predetermined value.

5. The starting control device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle drive control unit constitutes a Power Drive Unit (PDU) with an inverter circuit for driving the motor;

and

lines for drawing high voltage from the charging line are connected to the inverter circuit.

6. The starting control device for an electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle drive control unit constitutes a Power Drive Unit (PDU) with an inverter circuit for driving the motor;

and

lines for drawing high voltage from the charging line are connected to the inverter circuit.

7. The starting control device for an electric vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle drive control unit constitutes a Power Drive Unit (PDU) with an inverter circuit for driving the motor;

and

lines for drawing high voltage from the charging line are connected to the inverter circuit.

8. The starting control device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the main switch is in the off-state, a transition to a charging mode of the main battery occurs.

9. The starting control device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the main switch is in the on-state during ordinary operation with an external power supply being placed in a connecting state, the electric power converting unit is operated to supply power to the vehicle drive control unit, wherein a jump starting can be performed and the sub-battery is charged.

10. The starting control device for an electric vehicle according to claim 9, wherein when the main battery is charged without charging the sub-battery, the battery charger is operated with the main switch in the off-state.

11. A starting control device for use with an electric vehicle, comprising:

a main battery adapted to be charged by an external battery charger;

a main switch operatively connected for designating an operational state of a vehicle;

a motor for generating a driving force by electric power supplied from the main battery;

an electric power converting unit adapted for converting an output voltage of the main battery to low voltage;

a sub-battery adapted to be charged with output electric power of the main battery converted to low voltage by the electric power converting unit only when the main switch of the vehicle is turned for placing the power supply in an on-state; and

a vehicle drive control unit adapted to be started by electric power supplied from the sub-battery to drive the electric power converting unit; and

a normal system line (L3) having two portions, the main switch being located between and connecting the two portions,

wherein the portion of the normal system line (L3) extending from one side of the main switch is directly connected to the vehicle drive control unit in a fixed manner, and

the portion of the normal system line (L3) extending from an opposite side of the main switch is directly connected to each of the sub-battery, an output side of the electric power converting unit, and the main battery in a fixed manner,

so that when the main switch is on an off-state, the normal system line (L3) between the vehicle drive control unit and the main battery is open, and

wherein in the case where the sub-battery is at a charging level not to drive the electric power converting unit, the vehicle drive control unit causes the electric power converting unit to operate by the electric power supplied from the battery charger to thereby put the vehicle in an operating state when the battery charger is put in a connecting state with the main switch in the on-state, and outputs a signal for charging the main battery to the battery charger when the battery charger is put in the connecting state with the main switch in the off-state.

12. The starting control device for use with an electric vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle drive control unit activates the electric power converting unit only during a predetermined time when the battery charger is put in the connecting state, and determines the on-state or the off-state of the main switch by detecting the output voltage.

13. The starting control device for use with an electric vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle drive control unit stops starting of the electric power converting unit to charge the main battery with external electric power from a charging line when the voltage applied from the electric power converting unit is not a predetermined value.

14. The starting control device for use with an electric vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle drive control unit stops starting of the electric power converting unit to charge the main battery with external electric power from a charging line when the voltage applied from the electric power converting unit is not a predetermined value.

15. The starting control device for use with an electric vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle drive control unit constitutes a Power Drive Unit (PDU) with an inverter circuit for driving the motor;

and

lines for drawing high voltage from the charging line are connected to the inverter circuit.

16. The starting control device for use with an electric vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle drive control unit constitutes a Power Drive Unit (PDU) with an inverter circuit for driving the motor;

and

lines for drawing high voltage from the charging line are connected to the inverter circuit.

17. The starting control device for use with an electric vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the vehicle drive control unit constitutes a Power Drive Unit (PDU) with an inverter circuit for driving the motor;

and

lines for drawing high voltage from the charging line are connected to the inverter circuit.

18. The starting control device for use with an electric vehicle according to claim 11, wherein when the main switch is in the off-state, a transition to a charging mode of the main battery occurs.

19. The starting control device for use with an electric vehicle according to claim 11, wherein when the main switch is in the on-state during ordinary operation with an external power supply being placed in a connecting state, the electric power converting unit is operated to supply power to the vehicle drive control unit, wherein a jump starting can be performed and the sub-battery is charged.

20. The starting control device for use with an electric vehicle according to claim 19, wherein when the main battery is charged without charging the sub-battery, the battery charger is operated with the main switch in the off-state.