Electric vehicle

• US 10,439,451 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2019
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Amari, Yusaku, Nakagawa, Tomoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): McDaniel, Tynese V
• Application Number:
  US16/262,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20190165620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 250 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

An electric vehicle includes a charging circuit and a control device. The control device is configured to set a charging current value by increasing the charging current value over time while a voltage of a battery of the charging circuit increases so that a load resistance value of the charging circuit is constant in a constant-resistance charging mode, at the time of continuing charging of the battery. The control device is configured to initiate the constant-resistance charging mode based on a determination by the control device that an SOC of the battery or the voltage of the battery is at or above a predetermined threshold value, or based on an input from a user. The control device is configured to initiate a constant-power control charging mode in which charging power of the charging circuit is constant.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising:

a charging circuit including at least

a reception coil configured to receive, by wireless power transmission, AC power transmitted from an electrical transmission circuit outside of the vehicle, and

a battery which is charged with power obtained by rectifying the AC power received by the reception coil; and

a control device including;

a battery voltage detecting unit configured to detect voltage of the battery, and

a charging current value setting unit configured to set charging current value at which to charge the battery, in accordance with the voltage of the battery detected by the battery voltage detecting unit;

wherein the control device is configured to set the charging current value by increasing the charging current value over time while the voltage of the battery increases so that a load resistance value of the charging circuit is constant in a constant-resistance charging mode, at the time of continuing charging of the battery, the control device being configured to initiate the constant-resistance charging mode based on a determination by the control device that a state of charge (SOC) of the battery or the voltage of the battery is at or above a predetermined threshold value, or based on an input from a user, and

wherein the control device is configured to initiate a constant-power control charging mode in which charging power of the charging circuit is constant when charging the battery based on a determination by the control device that the SOC of the battery or the voltage of the battery is below the predetermined threshold value,

wherein the control device sets the charging current value where the load resistance value of the charging circuit is constant when charging the battery, in a case where the SOC of the battery or voltage of the battery is at or above the predetermined threshold value, and

in a case where the SOC of the battery or voltage of the battery is below the predetermined threshold value, makes notification that the user is relegated selection between

setting the charging current value where the load resistance value of the charging circuit is constant, and

performing settings such that the charging power of the charging circuit is constant.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the control device sets the charging current value so that the load resistance value of the charging circuit is a value where charging efficiency to the charging circuit is maximal.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the control device

determines whether or not the charging current value is greater than a chargeable current upper limit value permitted for charging the battery,

performs charging at the chargeable current upper limit value in a case where the charging current value is greater than the chargeable current upper limit value, and

performs charging at the charging current value in a case where the charging current value is not greater than the chargeable current upper limit value.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the control device

obtains information regarding transmitted power from an electrical transmission circuit side, and

in a case where a charging power as to the transmitted power is below a charging efficiency setting lower limit value, stops the charging.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 4,

wherein at the time of stopping the charging, the control device makes notification of the possibility that the positions of a power supply coil in the electrical transmission circuit and the reception coil may be displaced.

6. An electric vehicle comprising:

a charging circuit comprising;

a reception coil configured to receive wirelessly AC power transmitted from an electrical transmission circuit outside of the electric vehicle; and

a battery configured to be charged with power obtained by rectifying the AC power received by the reception coil; and

a control apparatus comprising;

a battery voltage detector configured to detect voltage of the battery; and

a charging current value setting device configured to set a charging current value at which the battery is charged in accordance with the voltage of the battery detected by the battery voltage detector, and configured to set the charging current value in a constant resistance charging mode by increasing the charging current value over time while the voltage of the battery increases so that a load resistance value of the charging circuit is constant in a period during which the battery is being charged, the control apparatus being configured to initiate the constant-resistance charging mode based on a determination by the control apparatus that a state of charge of the battery or the voltage of the battery is at or above a predetermined threshold value, or based on an input from a user,

wherein the control apparatus is configured to initiate a constant-power control charging mode in which charging power of the charging circuit is constant when charging the battery based on a determination by the control apparatus that the state of charge of the battery or the voltage of the battery is below the predetermined threshold value,

wherein the control apparatus

sets the charging current value where the load resistance value of the charging circuit is constant when charging the battery, in a case where the state of charge of the battery or voltage of the battery is at or above the predetermined threshold value, and

in a case where the state of charge of the battery or voltage of the battery is below the predetermined threshold value, makes notification that the user is relegated selection between

setting the charging current value where the load resistance value of the charging circuit is constant, and

performing settings such that charging power of the charging circuit is constant.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the control apparatus sets the charging current value so that the load resistance value of the charging circuit is a value where charging efficiency to the charging circuit is maximal.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the control apparatus

determines whether or not the charging current value is greater than a chargeable current upper limit value permitted for charging the battery,

performs charging at the chargeable current upper limit value in a case where the charging current value is greater than the chargeable current upper limit value, and

performs charging at the charging current value in a case where the charging current value is not greater than the chargeable current upper limit value.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the control apparatus

obtains information regarding transmitted power from an electrical transmission circuit side, and

in a case where a charging power as to the transmitted power is below a charging efficiency setting lower limit value, stops charging.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 9,

wherein at a time of stopping the charging, the control apparatus makes notification of a possibility that positions of a power supply coil in the electrical transmission circuit and the reception coil may be displaced.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the control apparatus sets the charging current value where the load resistance value of the charging circuit is constant when charging the battery, in a case where the user selects neither setting the charging current value where the load resistance value of the charging circuit is constant nor performing settings such that charging power of the charging circuit is constant.

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the control apparatus sets the charging current value so that the load resistance value of the charging circuit is a value where charging efficiency to the charging circuit is equal to or greater than a charging efficiency setting lower limit value.