VEHICLE

• US 20100222952A1
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Katsuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/54 related to batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 : Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 : Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A vehicle includes a plurality of batteries, a vehicle load (motor generators, inverters, boost converters, connection units, and system main relays) configured to be able to select at least one of the plurality of batteries as an electric power supply source, and for generating drive force by receiving electric power from the electric power supply source, and a control unit for controlling the vehicle load such that the vehicle load receives the electric power from the electric power supply source in response to a selection instruction for selecting the electric power supply source. The selection instruction is input by a user. That is, the user can select a battery to be used for traveling of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of power storage devices each configured to be chargeable and dischargeable by a power supply external to said vehicle, and for storing electric power for generating drive force of said vehicle;

a vehicle load configured to be able to select at least one of said plurality of power storage devices as a supply source of said electric power, and for generating said drive force by receiving said electric power from said supply source;

an input unit for receiving a selection instruction for selecting said supply source from a user; and

a control unit for controlling said vehicle load such that said vehicle load receives said electric power from said supply source in response to said selection instruction input to said input unit.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said control unit calculates a residual capacity value of each of said plurality of power storage devices based on at least one of an input/output current and an interterminal voltage of the corresponding power storage device, and

said vehicle further comprises a display unit for displaying said residual capacity value calculated by said control unit to said user.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said control unit calculates an allowed traveling distance of said vehicle corresponding to each of said plurality of power storage devices, based on said residual capacity value of each of said plurality of power storage devices at present, and a traveling distance of said vehicle and a reduction amount of said residual capacity value obtained when said vehicle traveled in the past using the corresponding power storage device, and

said display unit further displays said allowed traveling distance.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising:

a present location recognition device for recognizing a present location of said vehicle; and

a map information output unit for outputting map information, wherein

said input unit further receives information of a destination of said vehicle from said user,

said control unit calculates a predicted traveling distance from said present location to said destination based on said present location recognized by said present location recognition device, the information of said destination input to said input unit, and said map information from said map information output unit, and determines a candidate for said supply source from among said plurality of power storage devices based on calculated said predicted traveling distance and said allowed traveling distance, and

said display unit performs display processing for informing said user of said candidate determined by said control unit.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said plurality of power storage devices are first and second power storage devices, and

a power storage capacity of said first power storage device is smaller than a power storage capacity of said second power storage device.