Charging control device

• US 9,373,968 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Misayo, Iida, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tat, Binh
• Application Number:
  US13/984,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20130320934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 320160-165
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00041 in response to measured battery parameters, e.g. voltage, current or temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

In a charging control device, a determining unit individually determines whether a charging path and a vehicle are in a connected state or non-connected state based on a current value detected by a current detecting means. The state of connection with the vehicle is detected not by an exclusive sensor as it is done in the prior art but by using a current detection result by the current detecting means. Hence the cost for detecting the state of connection with the vehicle can be reduced.

Claims

1. A charging control device, comprising:

a plurality of current detecting means that is configured to detect respective current supplied to a plurality of vehicles individually via a plurality of charging paths;

a determining means that is configured to determine individually whether each charging path and a corresponding vehicle are in a connected state or non-connected state based on a current value detected by a corresponding current detecting means; and

a control means that is configured to control opening/closing of each charging path individually according to a corresponding determination result by the determining means, wherein

each of the plurality of charging paths comprises a breaker or a switch, for opening and closing a corresponding charging path, and

the plurality of current detecting means are configured to be connected to the plurality of vehicles via the plurality of charging paths, respectively.

2. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein

the determining means is configured to periodically determine a state of the charging path determined to be in the non-connected state.

3. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein

the control means is configured to control opening/closing of each charging path according to a corresponding determination result by the determining means and a charging schedule to charge the plurality of vehicles, and

the control means is also configured, when a current value of a charging path of each vehicle, detected by a corresponding current detecting means when the charging path to the vehicle is closed according to the charging schedule, is below a reference value, to determine that the charging of the vehicle is ended.

4. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein

the determining means is configured, when a current value of a charging path detected by each current detecting means becomes below the reference value while the charging path is closed, to determine that the charging path and a corresponding vehicle have entered the non-connected state.

5. The charging control device according to claim 4, wherein

the determining means is configured to determine the end of charging and the non-connected state of the corresponding vehicle according to a characteristic exhibited when the current value of the charging path drops below the reference value.

6. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein

the determining means is configured to determine that charging of each vehicle has ended when a current value of a charging path detected by a corresponding current detecting means becomes below the reference value while the charging path is closed.

7. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein

the control means is configured, according to determination results by the determining means and a charging schedule to charge the plurality of vehicles:

to open a charging path corresponding to a determination result by the determining means when the determination result is the non-connected state; and

also to close the charging path when the determination result is the connected state, and

the determining means is configured;

to periodically perform the state determination with respect to all or part, determined to be in the non-connected state, of the plurality of charging paths when latitude from a current value detected by each corresponding current detecting means to a predetermined upper limit value is a threshold or more; and

also

when a charging path to each vehicle is opened according to the charging schedule when the latitude is below the threshold, to perform the state determination with respect to the charging path.

8. The charging control device according to claim 1, further comprising a power measuring means that is configured to measure power to be consumed besides charging of the plurality of vehicles, wherein

the determining means is configured:

to periodically perform the state determination with respect to all or part, determined to be in the non-connected state, of the plurality of charging paths; and

also

to decrease a cycle of the periodic state determination when the power measured by the power measuring means exceeds a predetermined value.

9. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein

the control means is configured to control opening/closing of each charging path according to a corresponding determination result by the determining means and a charging schedule to charge the plurality of vehicles, and

the determining means is configured:

to periodically perform the state determination with respect to all or part, determined to be in the non-connected state, of the plurality of charging paths; and

also

to decrease a cycle of the periodic state determination in a time block including a garaging time of each vehicle according to the charging schedule.

10. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein

each charging path is constituted by a main electric path connected to a power system and a branch electric path branched from the main electric path,

the charging control device comprises a main current detecting means that is configured to detect current which flows to the main electric path, and

the determining means is configured:

to allow each of the plurality of current detecting means to detect current and determine whether a corresponding charging path and a corresponding vehicle are in a connected state or a non-connected state individually when the current value detected by the main current detecting means is a predetermined upper limit value or more; and

also

not to allow each of the plurality of current detecting means to detect current when the current value detected by the main current detecting means is below the upper limit value.

11. The charging control device according to claim 10, wherein

the control means is configured to open at least one of the plurality of charging paths when the current value detected by the main current detecting means exceeds the upper limit value as a result of closure of all or part, determined to be in the connected state by the determining means, of the plurality of charging paths.

12. The charging control device according to claim 10, wherein

the determining means is configured to allow each of the plurality of current detecting means to detect only current that flows to all or part, not already determined to be in the connected state, of the plurality of charging paths, when the current value detected by the main current detecting means is the upper limit value or more.

13. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein

each charging path is constituted by a main electric path connected to a power system and a branch electric path branched from the main electric path,

the charging control device comprises a main current detecting means that is configured to detect current that flows to the main electric path, and

the determining means is configured:

to allow each of the plurality of current detecting means to detect current and determine whether a corresponding charging path and a corresponding vehicle are in a connected state or a non-connected state individually when the current value, detected by the main current detecting means, has changed to exceed a predetermined value; and

also

not to allow each of the plurality of current detecting means to detect current when the current value, detected by the main current detecting means, has not changed to exceed the predetermined value.

14. The charging control device according to claim 13, wherein

the determining means is configured to allow each of the plurality of current detecting means to detect only current that flows to all or part, already determined to be in the connected state, of the plurality of charging paths, when the change to exceed the predetermined value is generated by a decrease in the current value detected by the main current detecting means.

15. The charging control device according to claim 13, wherein

the determining means is configured to allow each of the plurality of current detecting means to detect only current that flows to all or part, already determined to be in the non-connected state, of the plurality of charging paths, when the change to exceed the predetermined value is generated by an increase in the current value detected by the main current detecting means.

16. The charging control device according to claim 13, wherein

the determining means is configured to allow each of the plurality of current detecting means to detect only current that flows to all or part, already determined to be in the non-connected state, of the plurality of charging paths, when the change to exceed the predetermined value is generated by an increase in the current value detected by the main current detecting means and a current value detected by a corresponding current detecting means is an upper limit value or more.

17. The charging control device according to claim 13, wherein

the determining means is configured to allow each of the plurality of the current detecting means to detect current that flows to a corresponding charging path, when a period, in which a change to exceed the predetermined value is not generated in the current value detected by the main current detecting means, continues for a predetermined time or more.

18. The charging control device according to claim 10, wherein

the determining means is configured to more increase a current detection cycle of the main current detecting means as a difference between the current value detected by the main current detecting means and the predetermined upper limit value becomes greater.

19. The charging control device according to claim 1, wherein

the control means is configured to close all the plurality of charging paths while the determining means is determining whether the connected state or the non-connected state is established, and to open all the plurality of charging paths immediately after power recovery.

20. The charging control device according to claim 19, wherein

the control means is configured to sequentially close the plurality of charging paths after opening all the plurality of charging paths immediately after power recovery, and

the determining means is configured to sequentially detect current of each charging path which is closed by the control means.