BATTERY CHARGING METHOD FOR AN ELECTRIC GOLF CAR

• US 20080218122A1
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Motor Electronics Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Motor Electronics Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hirano, Hiroshi, Takano, Yukiyasu
• Application Number:
  US12/044,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20080218122A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/22 Microcars, e.g. golf cars
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• 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

A charger and a vehicle body battery are connected together via a connector. The vehicle body includes a first CPU that determines if the vehicle body battery is being charged or not. The charger includes a second CPU that transmits a charging signal to indicate that the vehicle body is being charged. The connector connects the first CPU and the second CPU. The battery is charged by the charger. The charging signal has a periodicity with a combination of ON signals and OFF signals. The first CPU disables travel of the vehicle body only while the periodicity of the charging signal is continued.

Claims

1. A method of charging a battery used in an electric golf car in which a charger and a vehicle body of the electric golf car are connected together with a connector, the vehicle body including a first CPU that determines if the battery positioned in the vehicle body is being charged and the charger including a second CPU that transmits a charging signal that indicates that the battery is being charged, the first CPU and the second CPU being connected together by a connection cable at the connector, the method comprising:

generating a periodicity in the charging signal such that the charging signal repeatedly alternates between an ON signal and an OFF signal, and

disabling movement of the vehicle body with the first CPU only if the periodicity of the charging signal is retained.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection cable is a communication cable for transferring digital data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the charger comprises a memory device that stores charging information of the battery, which information is used during battery charging.

4. An electric golf car and charger combination comprising a battery and a first CPU, a first portion of a connector coupled to the car, a second portion of the connector coupled to a charger, the changer comprising a second CPU and a memory location, the second CPU transmitting a periodic signal to the first CPU while the first portion of the connector and the second portion of the connector are joined, the first CPU preventing operation of the golf car while the periodic signal is transmitted from the second CPU to the first CPU.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein the first CPU allows operation of the golf car once the periodic signal is terminated.

6. The combination of claim 4, wherein data regarding battery charging is periodically transmitted to the first CPU.

7. The combination of claim 4, wherein data regarding battery charging is stored in the memory of the charger.