Electric power supply controller for vehicle

• US 9,372,216 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kanayama, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): TISSOT, ADAM D
• Application Number:
  US14/488,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20150088354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 320/109, 180/65.29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/02 Measuring real or complex resistance, reactance, impedance, or other two-pole characteristics derived therefrom, e.g. time constant by measuring phase angle only G01R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/69 of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of plugs; of sockets, e.g. wall sockets or power sockets in appliances
• 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

Abstract

A restart section in an electric powered vehicle restarts a controller from a sleep mode, when a voltage higher than a restart voltage is supplied for over a response time. In a charge mode, a stand controller provides a connection check function by using a normal CPLT (Control Pilot signal) method. In a normal CPLT method, an output terminal is supplied with DC voltage that exceeds the restart voltage. In a non-charge mode, the stand controller uses a monitor signal which will not cause a restart of the controller to provide a connection check function. The monitor signal for the non-charge mode has a voltage that is lower than the restart voltage and/or a pulse width that is shorter than the response time. As a result, it is possible to reduce power consumption.

Claims

1. An electric power supply controller for a vehicle, which charges from a charging device to a battery on a vehicle, the controller comprising:

a single signal line disposed in a connection device which electrically connects the charging device and the battery, and an impedance on the single signal line being changed corresponding to a connection state and a non-connection state of the connection device;

a first connection check section which determines the connection state or the non-connection state by monitoring the impedance on the single signal line while supplying a predetermined first monitor signal to the single signal line;

a second connection check section which determines the connection state or the non-connection state by monitoring the impedance on the single signal line while supplying a second monitor signal with less electric power than the first monitor signal to the single signal line; and

a choosing section which chooses one of the first connection check section and the second connection check section;

wherein

the second monitor signal has a voltage lower than a voltage of the first monitor signal;

the first monitor signal has a voltage which is larger than a predetermined restart voltage by which a controller on the electric powered vehicle is restarted, and

the second monitor signal has a voltage which is smaller than the restart voltage.

2. The electric power supply controller in claim 1, wherein

the choosing section choses the first connection check section in a charge mode for charging from the charging device to the vehicle, and wherein

the choosing section choses the second connection check section in a non-charge mode for not charging from the charging device to the vehicle.

3. The electric power supply controller in claim 1, wherein

the second monitor signal has a pulse width which is shorter than a continuous time period of the first monitor signal.

4. The electric power supply controller in claim 3, wherein

the first monitor signal has a continuous time period which is longer than a predetermined response time by which a controller on the electric powered vehicle is restarted, and wherein

the pulse width of the second monitor signal is shorter than the response time.

5. The electric power supply controller in claim 3, wherein

the second connection check section intermittently supplies the second monitor signal, and further comprising:

a holding section which holds a previous determined result during an idle time period following after a supplying time period of the second monitor signal.

6. The electric power supply controller in claim 1, wherein

the first connection check section and the second connection check section observe the impedance of the single signal line by observing a voltage which appears on the single signal line given by the first monitor signal or the second monitor signal.

7. The electric power supply controller in claim 1, wherein

the first connection check section and the second connection check section have an abnormality determining section which determines an abnormality of a circuit based on the first monitor signal and the second monitor signal.

8. The electric power supply controller in claim 7, further comprising

an anti-abnormality measure section which performs a measure against the abnormality if the abnormality is determined in the abnormality determining section.

9. The electric power supply controller in claim 1, further comprising

a signal setting section which sets up an electrical property of the first monitor signal and the second monitor signal so that the first monitor signal has a predetermined electrical property by which the controller on the electric powered vehicle is restarted, and the second monitor signal does not have the predetermined electrical property.

10. An electric power supply controller for a vehicle, which charges from a charging device to a battery on a vehicle, the controller comprising:

a single signal line disposed in a connection device which electrically connects the charging device and the battery, and an impedance on the single signal line being changed corresponding to a connection state and a non-connection state of the connection device;

a first connection check section which determines the connection state or the non-connection state by monitoring the impedance on the single signal line while supplying a predetermined first monitor signal to the single signal line;

a second connection check section which determines the connection state or the non-connection state by monitoring the impedance on the single signal line while supplying a second monitor signal with less electric power than the first monitor signal to the single signal line; and

a choosing section which chooses one of the first connection check section and the second connection check section;

wherein

the second monitor signal has a pulse width which is shorter than a continuous time period of the first monitor signal;

the first monitor signal has a continuous time period which is longer than a predetermined response time by which a controller on the electric powered vehicle is restarted, and

the pulse width of the second monitor signal is shorter than the response time.

11. The electric power supply controller in claim 10, wherein

the choosing section choses the first connection check section in a charge mode for charging from the charging device to the vehicle, and wherein

the choosing section choses the second connection check section in a non-charge mode for not charging from the charging device to the vehicle.

12. The electric power supply controller in claim 10, wherein

the second monitor signal has a voltage lower than a voltage of the first monitor signal.

13. The electric power supply controller in claim 10, wherein

the second connection check section intermittently supplies the second monitor signal, and further comprising:

a holding section which holds a previous determined result during an idle time period following after a supplying time period of the second monitor signal.

14. The electric power supply controller in claim 10, wherein

the first connection check section and the second connection check section observe the impedance of the single signal line by observing a voltage which appears on the single signal line given by the first monitor signal or the second monitor signal.

15. The electric power supply controller in claim 10, wherein

the first connection check section and the second connection check section have an abnormality determining section which determines an abnormality of a circuit based on the first monitor signal and the second monitor signal.

16. The electric power supply controller in claim 15, further comprising

an anti-abnormality measure section which performs a measure against the abnormality if the abnormality is determined in the abnormality determining section.

17. The electric power supply controller in claim 10, further comprising

a signal setting section which sets up an electrical property of the first monitor signal and the second monitor signal so that the first monitor signal has a predetermined electrical property by which the controller on the electric powered vehicle is restarted, and the second monitor signal does not have the predetermined electrical property.

18. An electric power supply controller for a vehicle, which charges from a charging device to a battery on a vehicle, the controller comprising:

a single signal line disposed in a connection device which electrically connects the charging device and the battery, and an impedance on the single signal line being changed corresponding to a connection state and a non-connection state of the connection device;

a first connection check section which determines the connection state or the non-connection state by monitoring the impedance on the single signal line while supplying a predetermined first monitor signal to the single signal line;

a second connection check section which determines the connection state or the non-connection state by monitoring the impedance on the single signal line while supplying a second monitor signal with less electric power than the first monitor signal to the single signal line; and

a choosing section which chooses one of the first connection check section and the second connection check section;

wherein

the second monitor signal has a pulse width which is shorter than a continuous time period of the first monitor signal; and

the second connection check section intermittently supplies the second monitor signal, and further comprising;

a holding section which holds a previous determined result during an idle time period following after a supplying time period of the second monitor signal.

19. The electric power supply controller in claim 18, wherein

the choosing section choses the first connection check section in a charge mode for charging from the charging device to the vehicle, and wherein

the choosing section choses the second connection check section in a non-charge mode for not charging from the charging device to the vehicle.

20. The electric power supply controller in claim 18, further comprising

a signal setting section which sets up an electrical property of the first monitor signal and the second monitor signal so that the first monitor signal has a predetermined electrical property by which the controller on the electric powered vehicle is restarted, and the second monitor signal does not have the predetermined electrical property.