Charging system, vehicle, and charging facility

• US 9,889,758 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueo, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Tat, Binh
• Application Number:
  US14/912,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20160207409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 320106-115
• 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 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/20 Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 : using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/7072 : 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charging system includes a vehicle, a charging/discharging connector, a detector, and an informing portion. The vehicle is equipped with an electric power storage device, and also includes an inlet for charging the electric power storage device. The charging/discharging connector is a connector that is attached to and detached from the inlet and that is connected to the inlet in a fully fitted state, in which charging can be performed, and a half-fitted state, in which charging is not allowed. The detector includes an electronic control unit for detecting whether a connecting state of the charging/discharging connector is the fully fitted state or the half-fitted state. The informing portion includes an indicator for informing a user of abnormal connection of the charging/discharging connector on the basis of a detection result of the electronic control unit when connection of the charging/discharging connector is the half-fitted state.

Claims

1. A charging system, comprising:

a vehicle to which an electric power storage device is installed, the vehicle being provided with a charging connection portion that charges the electric power storage device in a charging operation, the vehicle including an electronic control unit;

a connector configured to;

(a) be attached to and detached from the charging connection portion, and

(b) be connected to the charging connection portion in either a fully fitted state and a half-fitted state, the charging operation being able to be performed in the fully fitted state, and the charging operation being not allowed in the half-fitted state;

a detector configured to detect whether a connecting state of the connector is in the fully fitted state or the half-fitted state; and

an informing portion configured to inform a user of abnormal connection of the connector based on a detection result of the detector when the connecting state of the connector is the half-fitted state, wherein

the detector is provided in the vehicle,

the detector is configured to detect the connecting state of the connector based on a first signal and a second signal, the first signal and the second signal are provided from the connector through the charging connection portion,

the first signal being configured to;

indicate presence or absence of the connection of the connector to the charging connection portion, and

be detected by both of the vehicle and a charging facility,

the second signal being configured to;

indicate whether the connecting state of the connector is the fully fitted state or the half-fitted state in addition to indicating the presence or absence of the connection of the connector to the charging connection portion, and

be detected by the vehicle but not detected by the charging facility,

the detector is configured to activate the informing portion when either one of the first signal and the second signal indicates the half-fitted state, and

the electronic control unit is configured to transmit a state of the second signal to the charging facility through communication after detecting the state of the second signal.

2. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein

the first signal includes a control pilot signal, and

the second signal includes a proximity detection signal.

3. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein

the detector includes an electronic control unit that is arranged in the vehicle, the charging system further comprising:

a home energy management system configured to;

(a) communicate with the electronic control unit to obtain a state of the second signal, and

(b) control the informing portion based on the obtained state of the second signal, and

the home energy management system being included in a house.

4. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein

the connector includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a locking portion and an operating portion, the locking portion locks to prevent detachment of the connector from the charging connection portion, the operating portion is configured such that the user operates the locking portion,

the charging connection portion includes a third terminal and a fourth terminal, the third terminal corresponds to the first terminal, the fourth terminal corresponds to the second terminal,

the first signal goes through the first terminal and the third terminal,

the operating portion also functions as a transmission switch that changes the second signal in such a manner that the second signal indicates the half-fitted state when the locking portion is operated to be unlocked from a properly locked state on the charging connection portion, and

the second signal is transmitted to the charging connection portion side through the second terminal and the fourth terminal.

5. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein

the connector includes a charging/discharging connector that is connected to the charging connection portion in order to charge and discharge the electric power storage device.

6. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein

the informing portion includes an indicator that informs the user of the state of the connection of the connector by display.

7. A vehicle comprising:

an electric power storage device;

a charging connection portion configured to charge the electric power storage device from outside of the vehicle; and

an electronic control unit configured to;

(a) detect whether a connecting state of a connector is a fully fitted state or a half-fitted state, when the connector is connected to the charging connection portion, charging being able to be performed in the fully fitted state, the charging being not allowed in the half-fitted state, and the connector being attachable to and detachable from the charging connection portion, and

(b) activate an informing portion that informs a user of abnormal connection of the connector when the connecting state of the connector is the half-fitted state, wherein

the electronic control unit is configured to detect the connecting state of the connector based on a first signal and a second signal, the first signal and the second signal are provided from the connector through the charging connection portion, and

the electronic control unit is configured to activate the informing portion when either one of the first signal and the second signal indicates the half-fitted state.

8. A charging facility for charging a vehicle,

the vehicle including:

an electric power storage device;

a charging connection portion configured to charge the electric power storage device from outside of the vehicle; and

an electronic control unit configured to detect whether a connecting state of a connector is a fully fitted state or a half-fitted state, when a connector is connected to the charging connection portion, charging being able to be performed in the fully fitted state, the charging being not allowed in the half-fitted state, and the connector being attachable to and detachable from the charging connection portion, the electronic control unit being configured to detect the connecting state of the connector based on a first signal and a second signal, the first signal and the second signal being provided from the connector through the charging connection portion,

the charging facility comprising;

a home energy management system that communicates with the electronic control unit to obtain the connecting state of the connector; and

an informing portion configured to;

(a) be controlled by the home energy management system, and

(b) inform a user of abnormal connection of the connector when the connecting state of the connector is the half-fitted state, wherein

the home energy management system is configured to activate the informing portion when either one of the first signal and the second signal indicates the half-fitted state.