Charging apparatus for vehicles

• US 9,296,305 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2011
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nitto Kogyo Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nitto Kogyo Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shinji, Okamura, Naomi, Tanaka, Satoshi, Ando, Atsuhisa, Okada, Hiroyuki, Suzuki, Hiroshi, Aikawa, Yoshinori, Inamori, Shougo
• Primary Examiner(s): Memula, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US13/976,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20140021918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• 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 90/12 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

Provided is a charging apparatus for vehicles which charges a vehicle provided with a charging control circuit via a charging cable, comprising a charging control device which controls electrical charging to the vehicle by transmitting a charging control signal to the charging control circuit on the vehicle side, a charging control signal transmission restricting device which restricts transmission of the charging control signal, and a resetting device which forcibly resets the charging control signal when said restriction on transmission of the charging control signal is withdrawn.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus for vehicles which charges a vehicle provided with a charging control circuit via a charging cable, comprising;

a charging control device which controls electrical charging to the vehicle by transmitting a charging control signal to the charging control circuit on the vehicle side,

a charging control signal transmission restricting device which restricts transmission of the charging control signal, and

a resetting device which forcibly resets the charging control signal when said restriction on transmission of the charging control signal is withdrawn.

2. The charging apparatus for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the charging control signal transmission restricting device has a function to restrict the transmission of the charging control signal to the charging control circuit on the vehicle side by control of a restricting device after connection with the vehicle via the charging cable.

3. The charging apparatus for vehicles according to claim 2, wherein the restricting device is a timer control device which allows electrical charging at a set-up time.

4. The charging apparatus for vehicles according to claim 2, wherein the restricting device is a computer for control which configures a control function to perform temporary stop and restart of electrical charging, said control function repeating said start and stop of electrical charging alternately.

5. A charging apparatus for vehicles which charges a vehicle provided with a charging control circuit via a charging cable, comprising;

a charging control device which controls electrical charging to the vehicle by transmitting a charging control signal to the charging control circuit on the vehicle side,

a charging control signal transmission restricting device which restricts transmission of the charging control signal, and

a resetting device which forcibly resets the charging control signal when a predetermined condition is fulfilled.