Vehicle charging system and vehicle charging method with first and second charging operations

• US 9,618,954 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hidaka, Tatsuo, Kanie, Naoki, Matsuda, Kazuhiko, Masuda, Tomokazu, Shamoto, Sumikazu, Machida, Kiyohito
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lindsay, Bernard G
• Application Number:
  US14/349,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/14 by input of vehicle departure time
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

In response to connection of a vehicle with an external power supply, a plug ECU (PLG-ECU) performs a first charging operation of controlling a charger using a target value which is set to a state of charge lower than a predetermined full state of charge, until the state of charge of a power storage device reaches the target value. After the state of charge reaches the target value, the PLG-ECU stops charging of the power storage device, and restarts charging of the power storage device so that the state of charge reaches the predetermined full state of charge at a scheduled time to end charging which is specified through the use of an input unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle charging system for controlling charging of a power storage device mounted in a vehicle, the vehicle charging system comprising:

a charger configured to convert electric power from an external power supply into charging electric power for the power storage device;

an input unit configured to specify a scheduled time to end charging the power storage device; and

a controller for controlling the charger so that a state of charge of the power storage device reaches a predetermined full state of charge, the controller including a processor programmed to;

in response to connection of the vehicle with the external power supply, perform a first charging operation of controlling the charger based on a target value that is set to a state of charge lower than the predetermined full state of charge until the state of charge reaches the target value, the target value being determined in advance based on predicted power consumption;

after the state of charge reaches the target value, stop charging of the power storage device, and restart charging of the power storage device to perform a second charging operation of controlling the charger so that the state of charge reaches the predetermined full state of charge at the scheduled time to end charging; and

change the target value in accordance with a learned value of the state of charge at a time when travel of the vehicle is completed, the target value increasing as the learned value of the state of charge increases such that a charging period of during the second charging operation is shorter, wherein

a duration of the second charging operation depends on a correction value associated with at least a battery temperature and a degradation of the power storage device.

2. The vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller sets a scheduled time to start the second charging operation based on the scheduled time to end charging and based on a charging period necessary for the state of charge to increase from the target value to the predetermined full state of charge, and restarts charging of the power storage device when the scheduled time to start the second charging operation is reached.

3. The vehicle charging system according to claim 2, wherein

in a case where the state of charge is higher than the target value at a time when the external power supply and the vehicle are connected to each other, the controller does not perform the first charging operation but performs the second charging operation.

4. The vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein

in a case where the state of charge is higher than the target value at a time when the external power supply and the vehicle are connected to each other, the controller does not perform the first charging operation but performs the second charging operation.

5. The vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein

in a case where a total charging period necessary for the state of charge to reach the predetermined full state of charge is longer than a chargeable period from a present time to the scheduled time to end charging, at a time when the external power supply and the vehicle are connected to each other, the controller does not perform the first and second charging operations but controls the charger so that the state of charge reaches the predetermined full state of charge.

6. A vehicle charging method for controlling charging of a power storage device mounted in a vehicle, the vehicle including:

(A) a charger configured to be capable of converting electric power from an external power supply into charging electric power for the power storage device; and

(B) an input unit for specifying a scheduled time to end charging the power storage device, the vehicle charging method comprising the steps of;

performing, in response to connection of the vehicle with the external power supply, a first charging operation of controlling the charger based on a target value that is set to a state of charge lower than a predetermined full state of charge, until the state of charge reaches the target value, the target value being determined in advance based on predicted power consumption;

after the state of charge reaches the target value, stopping charging of the power storage device, and restarting charging of the power storage device for performing a second charging operation of controlling the charger so that the state of charge reaches the predetermined full state of charge at the scheduled time to end charging; and

changing the target value in accordance with a learned value of the state of charge at a time when travel of the vehicle is completed, the target value increasing as the learned value of the state of charge increases such that a charging period of during the second charging operation is shorter, wherein

a duration of the second charging operation depends on a correction value associated with at least a battery temperature and a degradation of the power storage device.