Charging device

• US 9,346,369 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Noriaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Sun
• Application Number:
  US14/346,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20140225561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/50 using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/20 Pressure-sensitive devices
• 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 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 : for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 : Regulation of charging current or voltage
• 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 10/72 : 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 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A charging device is provided with a charger, a charging time setting unit and a usage latency calculation unit. The charger is configured to charge a vehicle battery. The charging time setting unit sets a charging time for charging the vehicle battery. The usage latency calculation unit calculates a latency of usage of the charger. The usage latency is a time between an end time of charging of a first vehicle connected to the charger and a start time of charging of a second vehicle connected to the charger and charged after the first vehicle. The charging time setting unit compares the usage latency with a first threshold time and a second threshold time shorter than the first threshold time. The charging time setting unit sets the charging time in accordance with whether or not the usage latency is between the first and second threshold times.

Claims

1. A charging device comprising:

a charger configured to charge a battery of a vehicle;

a charging time setting unit configured to set a charging time for charging the battery of a vehicle; and

a usage latency calculation unit configured to calculate a usage latency of the charger, the usage latency being a time between an end time of charging a battery of a first vehicle connected to the charger and a start time of charging a battery of a second vehicle connected to the charger and to be charged after the battery of the first vehicle is charged;

wherein the charging time setting unit is configured to compare the usage latency with a first threshold time and a second threshold time, which is shorter than the first threshold time, and configured to set the charging time in accordance with whether or not the usage latency is between the first threshold time and the second threshold time.

2. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein

the charging time setting unit is further configured to set the charging time to a first charging time when the usage latency is longer than the first threshold time;

and

the charging time setting unit is further configured to set the charging time to a second charging time that is shorter than the first charging time when the usage latency is shorter than the first threshold time.

3. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein

the charging time setting unit is further configured to disallow shortening of the charging time when the usage latency is less than or equal to the second threshold time indicating that the battery of the first vehicle was recharged immediately following the end time.

4. The charging device according to claim 1, wherein

the charging time setting unit is further configured to maintain the charging time when the usage latency is less than or equal to the second threshold time indicating that the battery of the first vehicle was recharged immediately following the end time.

5. The charging device according to claim 2, wherein

the charging time setting unit is further configured to set the charging time to a time longer than the second charging time when the usage latency is less than or equal to the second threshold time indicating that the battery of the first vehicle was recharged immediately following the end time.

6. The charging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect an exterior temperature of the charging device;

wherein the charging time setting unit is further configured to set the charging time in accordance with the exterior temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

7. The charging device according to claim 2, wherein

the charging time setting unit is further configured to disallow shortening of the charging time when the usage latency is less than or equal to the second threshold time indicating that the battery of the first vehicle was recharged immediately following the end time.

8. The charging device according to claim 2, wherein

the charging time setting unit is further configured to maintain the charging time when the usage latency is less than or equal to the second threshold time indicating that the battery of the first vehicle was recharged immediately following the end time.

9. The charging device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect an exterior temperature of the charging device;

wherein the charging time setting unit is further configured to set the charging time in accordance with the exterior temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

10. The charging device according to claim 3, further comprising

a temperature sensor configured to detect an exterior temperature of the charging device;

wherein the charging time setting unit is further configured to set the charging time in accordance with the exterior temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

11. The charging device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect an exterior temperature of the charging device;

wherein the charging time setting unit is further configured to set the charging time in accordance with the exterior temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

12. The charging device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect an exterior temperature of the charging device;

wherein the charging time setting unit is further configured to set the charging time in accordance with the exterior temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

13. The charging device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect an exterior temperature of the charging device;

wherein the charging time setting unit is further configured to set the charging time in accordance with the exterior temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

14. The charging device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to detect an exterior temperature of the charging device;

wherein the charging time setting unit is further configured to set the charging time in accordance with the exterior temperature detected by the temperature sensor.