Vehicle charge system and vehicle charge method

• US 9,242,569 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Takikita, Mamoru, Kawamura, Mao
• Primary Examiner(s): Memula, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US14/004,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20130342166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle charge system has a connection cable to supply power from an outside power supply, such as a commercial power supply, a driving battery, an auxiliary battery, a driving battery charge apparatus, and an auxiliary battery charge apparatus. When a voltage across the auxiliary battery is below a predetermined constant value, power from the outside power supply is supplied to a control circuit of the auxiliary battery charge apparatus, so that the auxiliary battery charge apparatus charges the auxiliary battery on its own without being controlled by a charge control portion.

Claims

1. A vehicle charge system, comprising:

a driving battery that feeds power to a running motor of a vehicle;

an auxiliary battery that feeds power to an auxiliary machine of the vehicle;

a charge control portion that controls charging of each of the driving battery and the auxiliary battery;

a driving battery charge apparatus that is controlled by the charge control portion and charges the driving battery ; and

an auxiliary battery charge apparatus that is controlled by the charge control portion and charges the auxiliary battery , the vehicle charge system being characterized in that;

the driving battery charge apparatus is formed of,

a first control circuit,

a first power-supply circuit that supplies power to the first control circuit, and

a first charge circuit that is capable of charging the driving battery, and

the first power-supply circuit is configured to supply power at least from an outside power supply to the first control circuit; and

the auxiliary battery charge apparatus is formed of,

a second control circuit,

a second power-supply circuit that supplies power to the second control circuit, and

a second charge circuit that is capable of charging the auxiliary battery, and

the second power-supply circuit is configured to supply power at least from the outside power supply to the second control circuit.

2. The vehicle charge system according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the second power-supply circuit supplies power from the outside power supply to the second control circuit when a voltage across the auxiliary battery is below a predetermined constant value, so that the auxiliary battery charge apparatus charges the auxiliary battery on its own without being controlled by the charge control portion.

3. The vehicle charge system according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the driving battery charge apparatus supplies power from the outside power supply to the first control circuit when a voltage across the auxiliary battery is below a predetermined constant value and cuts a connection between the driving battery charge apparatus and the driving battery while the auxiliary battery charge apparatus outputs predetermined power on its own without being controlled by the charge control portion.

4. The vehicle charge system according to claim 2, characterized in that:

the driving battery charge apparatus supplies power from the outside power supply to the first control circuit when a voltage across the auxiliary battery is below a predetermined constant value and cuts a connection between the driving battery charge apparatus and the driving battery while the auxiliary battery charge apparatus outputs predetermined power on its own without being controlled by the charge control portion.

5. A vehicle charge method in a vehicle charge system comprising:

a driving battery that feeds power to a running motor of a vehicle;

an auxiliary battery that feeds power to an auxiliary machine of the vehicle;

a charge control portion that controls charging of each of the driving battery and the auxiliary battery;

a driving battery charge apparatus that is controlled by the charge control portion and charges the driving battery; and

an auxiliary battery charge apparatus that is controlled by the charge control portion and charges the auxiliary battery,

the vehicle charge method being characterized in that;

when a voltage across the auxiliary battery is below a predetermined constant value, the driving battery charge apparatus and the driving battery are kept disconnected until the voltage across the auxiliary battery reaches or exceeds the predetermined constant value, so that the auxiliary battery alone is charged by the auxiliary battery charge apparatus that uses an output of the driving battery charge apparatus as a power supply source.