CHARGING CONTROL DEVICE, METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20100164439A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Ido, Yusaku
• Application Number:
  US12/645,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20100164439A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/155
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

This invention aims to more appropriately perform reserved charging of a battery, which is a power source of a vehicle. A necessary capacity calculation unit obtains a necessary capacity, which is a necessary capacity of the battery, based on at least one of an average traveling distance of the vehicle and an average consuming amount of the battery for a predetermined time. A charging time calculation unit obtains a time necessary for charging from a currently remaining amount of the battery to the necessary capacity as a charging time. A reserved time setting unit sets a charging start time of the battery between a current time and a time in which the charging time is subtracted from a use start time set by a user, and sets a time the charging time elapsed from the charging start time as a charging end time. A charging control unit controls to charge the battery from the set charging start time to the charging end time. The present invention can be applied to a charging control device of an electrical vehicle.

Claims

1. A charging control device for controlling charging of a battery, which is a power source of a vehicle,

the charging control device comprising:

a necessary capacity calculation unit for obtaining a necessary capacity, which is a necessary capacity of the battery, based on at least one of an average value of a traveling distance of the vehicle and an average value of a consuming amount of the battery for a predetermined time;

a charging time calculation unit for obtaining a time necessary for charging from a currently remaining amount of the battery to the necessary capacity as a charging time;

a reserved time setting unit for setting a charging start time of the battery between a current time and a time in which the charging time is subtracted from a set time set by a user, and setting a time the charging time elapsed from the charging start time as a charging end time; and

a charging control unit for controlling to charge the battery from the set charging start time to the charging end time.

2. The charging control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a setting unit for setting a charging mode indicating a method of reserved charging of the battery according to a command from the user;

wherein

the charging time calculation unit obtains a time necessary for charging from the currently remaining amount of the battery to the necessary capacity as the charging time when the charging mode is set to a first mode, and obtains a time necessary for charging from the currently remaining amount of the battery to a capacity at full charge as the charging time when the charging mode is set to a second mode.

3. The charging control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a setting unit for setting a charging mode indicating a method of reserved charging of the battery according to a command from the user;

wherein

the charging time calculation unit obtains a time necessary for charging from the currently remaining amount of the battery to the necessary capacity as the charging time when the charging mode is set to a first mode, and obtains a time chargeable within a range of a charge fee set by the user when the charging mode is set to a second mode.

4. The charging control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a setting unit for setting ON or OFF of a time zone setting for performing charging preferentially in a predetermined time zone according to a command from the user;

wherein

the reserved time setting unit sets the charging start time and the charging end time so that charging is complete within a range of a time zone chargeable period if a length of the time zone chargeable period, which is a period included in a period from the current time to the set time of the time zone, is greater than or equal to the charging time when the time zone setting is turned ON.

5. A charging control method of a device for controlling charging of a battery, which is a power source of a vehicle,

the method comprising the steps of:

calculating and obtaining a necessary capacity, which is a necessary capacity of the battery, based on at least one of an average value of a traveling distance of the vehicle and an average value of a consuming amount of the battery for a predetermined time;

calculating and obtaining a time necessary for charging from a currently remaining amount of the battery to the necessary capacity as a charging time;

setting a charging start time of the battery between a current time and a time in which the charging time is subtracted from a set time set by a user, and setting a time the charging time elapsed from the charging start time as a charging end time; and

controlling to charge the battery from the set charging start time to the charging end time.

6. A program for causing a computer to execute the processes of:

calculating and obtaining a necessary capacity, which is a necessary capacity of the battery, based on at least one of an average value of a traveling distance of the vehicle and an average value of a consuming amount of the battery for a predetermined time;

calculating and obtaining a time necessary for charging from a currently remaining amount of the battery to the necessary capacity as a charging time;

setting a charging start time of the battery between a current time and a time in which the charging time is subtracted from a set time set by a user, and setting a time the charging time elapsed from the charging start time as a charging end time; and

controlling to charge the battery from the set charging start time to the charging end time.