Electronic control apparatus for electrically-driven vehicle

• US 9,533,579 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nomura, Syunsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOLDMAN, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US14/536,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20150221145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29.1, 701/29.2, 180/65.265
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0053 relating to fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/32 for controlling the temperature of fuel cells, e.g. by controlling the electric load
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

An electronic control apparatus controls am electrically-driven vehicle, which has no engine but has only a motor supplied with electric power from an electric power supply source. The electronic control apparatus has a self-diagnosis function for storing an abnormality code corresponding to a diagnosis object when abnormality of the diagnosis object is detected. The electronic control apparatus checks whether the motor and the electric power supply source are operating normally when a power control switch is turned on under a state that the abnormality code is stored in a memory. The electronic control apparatus checks whether abnormality is detected again in the diagnosis object, the abnormality code of which has already been stored, when the motor and the electric power supply source are operating normally. The electronic control unit erases the abnormality code when no abnormality is detected again.

Claims

1. An electronic control apparatus for controlling an electrically-driven vehicle, which has, as a drive power source for vehicle travel, a motor supplied with electric power from an electric power supply source without an engine, and having a self-diagnosis function for storing an abnormality code corresponding to a diagnosis object in the vehicle when abnormality of the diagnosis object is detected, the electronic control apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing the abnormality code indicative of the abnormality of the diagnosis object; and

a processor, the processor is configured to

check whether the motor and the electric power supply source are both operating normally when a power control switch is turned on to supply electric power from the electric power supply source under a state that the abnormality code is stored in the memory;

responsive to determining that both the motor and the electric power supply source are operating normally,

check whether abnormality is detected again in the diagnosis object, the abnormality code of which has already been stored in the memory;

responsive to determining that no abnormality is detected again, erase the abnormality code stored in the memory,

responsive to determining that at least one of the motor and the electric power supply source are not operating normally,

(i) repeatedly execute said check as to whether the motor and the electric power supply source are both operating normally until the motor and the electric power supply source are both determined to be operating normally, and (ii) do not execute the check of whether the abnormality is detected again in the diagnosis object, the abnormality code of which has already been stored in the memory;

the electric power supply source is a battery, which is chargeable and dischargeable,

whether the motor is operating normally is checked based on either one of a temperature of the motor, and a temperature rise of the motor after the power control switch is turned on, and

whether the electric power supply source which is the battery is operating normally is checked based on one of a temperature of the battery, a temperature rise of the battery after the power control switch is turned on, and an integration value of electric charging and discharging amount of the battery.

2. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1,

the processor is further configured to erase the abnormality code stored in the memory when it is determined that no abnormality is detected again during a period, in which the power control switch is turned on a predetermined number of times.

3. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, the vehicle is an electric vehicle.

4. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1,

the vehicle is a fuel cell vehicle having a fuel cell.

5. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 4, the processor is further configured to check whether the fuel cell is operating normally based on either one of a temperature of the fuel cell, a temperature rise of the fuel cell after the power control switch is turned on, and an integration value of a discharge quantity of the fuel cell.

6. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1,

the processor is further configured to check whether the motor is operating normally based on one of (i) a parameter of the motor, wherein the parameter is a torque demand value to the motor, and (ii) an integration value of power generated by regenerative braking of the motor.

7. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1,

the processor is a microcomputer in an electronic control unit of the electrically-driven vehicle.

8. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor is further configured to determine that the motor is operating normally when respective predetermined threshold values are exceeded by both of;

the temperature of the motor, and the temperature rise of the motor.

9. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor is further configured to determine that the battery is operating normally when respective predetermined threshold values are exceeded by all of;

the temperature of the motor, the temperature rise of the motor, the temperature of the battery, the temperature rise of the battery, and the integration value of electric charging and discharging amount of the battery.

10. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor is further configured to determine that the battery is operating normally when respective predetermined threshold values are exceeded by all of;

the temperature of the battery, the temperature rise of the battery, and the integration value of electric charging and discharging amount of the battery.

11. The electronic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

initialize, responsive to the power control switch being turned on to supply electric power from the electric power supply source, a motor operation flag and a battery operation flag;

after initializing the motor operation flag and the battery operation flag;

when the motor is operating normally based on the either one of the temperature of the motor, and the temperature rise of the motor after the power control switch is turned on, set the motor operation flag to indicate operating normally; and

when the electric power supply source which is the battery is operating normally based on the one of the temperature of the battery, the temperature rise of the battery after the power control switch is turned on, and the integration value of electric charging and discharging amount of the battery, set the battery operation flag to indicate that the electric power supply source is operating normally;

wherein the check as to whether the motor and the electric power supply source are operating normally is based on the motor operation flag and the battery operation flag.