Charge controller and charging system

• US 9,071,070 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ohnuki, Yasumichi
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US13/820,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20130162208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/109, 320/134, 701/22
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC 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 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 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/92 : Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charge controller for controlling the charging of a battery provided inside a vehicle using a control signal supplied from an external power source apparatus via a power cable includes a control section for controlling the charging of the battery and an activating section for activating the control section inside the vehicle. The external power source apparatus switches the control signal from a non-oscillation state to an oscillation state when the preparation for power supply is completed. The activating section has an oscillation state judgment section for judging whether the input control signal is in the oscillation state or the non-oscillation state and for outputting an oscillation state judgment signal and an activating signal generation section for generating an activating signal for activating the control section when the oscillation state judgment signal is switched from a state indicating non-oscillation to a state indicating oscillation.

Claims

1. A charge controller configured to control a charging of a battery provided inside a vehicle using a control signal supplied from an external power source via a power cable,

wherein the external power source apparatus switches the control signal from a non-oscillation state to an oscillation state when a preparation for power supply from the external power source apparatus is completed,

wherein the charge controller includes, inside the vehicle,

a control section which controls the charging of the battery and

an activating section which activates the control section, wherein the control section changes a voltage of the control signal, and

wherein the activating section includes

an oscillation state judgment section which judges whether the control signal input from the external power source apparatus via the power cable is in the oscillation state or the non-oscillation state and outputs an oscillation state judgment signal and

an activating signal generation section which generates an activating signal for activating the control section when the oscillation state judgment signal is switched from a state indicating non-oscillation to a state indicating oscillation.

2. The charge controller of claim 1,

wherein the oscillation state judgment section switches the oscillation state judgment signal from the state indicating non-oscillation to the state indicating oscillation when the number of pulses of the control signal becomes equal to or more than a predetermined value.

3. The charge controller of claim 2,

wherein the oscillation state judgment section includes

a pulse integration section which accumulates the number of pulses of the control signal during a predetermined period and

a comparison section which compares the accumulated number at the pulse integration section with a reference value and switches the oscillation state judgment signal from the state indicating non-oscillation to the state indicating oscillation when the accumulated number becomes equal to or more than the reference value.

4. The charge controller of claim 3,

wherein the oscillation state judgment section includes a pulse-width fixed conversion section which converts the control signal into a periodic signal having a constant pulse width, and

wherein the pulse integration section accumulates the number of pulses of the control signal converted so as to have the constant pulse width by the pulse-width fixed conversion section.

5. The charge controller of claim 3,

wherein the oscillation state judgment section includes a frequency division section which divides a frequency of the control signal, and

wherein the pulse integration section accumulates the number of pulses of the control signal, the frequency of which is divided by the frequency division section.

6. The charge controller of claim 3,

wherein the pulse integration section is formed of a counting circuit which increases a count value when a pulse is input and decreases the count value when the input of the pulse stops.

7. The charge controller of any of claim 1,

wherein the control section outputs a clear signal for stopping the activating signal generation section from generating the activating signal.

8. The charge controller of claim 7,

wherein the activating signal generation section maintains the state in which the generation of the activating signal is stopped even if the oscillation state judgment signal having the state indicating oscillation remains unchanged after the generation of the activating signal is stopped in response to the clear signal.

9. The charge controller of any of claim 1,

wherein the charge controller further includes a buffer circuit section which converts the control signal input from the external power source apparatus into a stabilized signal having a constant voltage amplitude,

wherein the control signal converted by the buffer circuit section into the stabilized signal having the constant voltage amplitude is input to the oscillation state judgment section.

10. A charging system configured to charge a battery provided inside a vehicle with power supplied from an external power source apparatus via a power cable,

wherein the external power source apparatus includes

a signal output section which outputs an oscillation signal or a non-oscillation signal serving as a control signal for activating a charge controller provided inside the vehicle and

a switching control section which switches the control signal from the non-oscillation signal to the oscillation signal when a preparation for power supply is completed,

wherein the charge controller includes

a control section which controls a charging of the battery and

an activating section which activates the control section, wherein the control section changes a voltage of the control signal, and

wherein the activating section includes:

an oscillation state judgment section which judges whether the control signal input from the external power source apparatus via the power cable is in an oscillation state or a non-oscillation state and outputs an oscillation state judgment signal and

an activating signal generation section which generates an activating signal for activating the control section when the oscillation state judgment signal is switched from a state indicating non-oscillation to a state indicating oscillation.