ONBOARD BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20130154358A1
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kai, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,260,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0232 for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/033 characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36

Abstract

When a low charge state where the charge remaining amount of a battery that supplies power to onboard equipment is at or below a predetermined amount or an abnormal state of the battery is detected, the detection is notified to a server through a communication section. The state notified to the server is recorded in a storage section. When a portable terminal inquires of the server, the state of the battery recorded in the storage section is transmitted to the portable terminal. The portable terminal displays information as to the state of the battery received from the server.

Claims

1. An onboard battery management system comprising:

a vehicle including a generating unit, a battery charged with power generated by the generating unit, an onboard equipment operating with power supplied from the battery, and a notifying unit providing a notification of a state of the battery;

a portable terminal capable of operating the onboard equipment; and

a server wirelessly communicating with the notifying unit and the portable terminal,

wherein the notifying unit includes a monitoring unit detecting a low charge state of the battery where a charge remaining amount of the battery is at or below a predetermined amount or an abnormal state of the battery,

when the low charge state or the abnormal state is detected by the monitoring unit, the notifying unit notifies the server of the detection of the low charge state or the abnormal state, and

the portable terminal inquiries of the server about the state of the battery notified to the server by the notifying unit.

2. The onboard battery management system according to claim 1, wherein the generating unit generates the power using at least one of light, heat, and an electromagnetic wave.

3. The onboard battery management system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle further includes a driving battery that supplies power to a power source for driving the vehicle, and

the battery charged with the power generated by the generating unit differs from the driving battery and has a maximum charging capacity smaller than that of the driving battery.

4. The onboard battery management system according to claim 3, wherein the notifying unit provides the notification of the low charge state by use of power output from the driving battery.

5. The onboard battery management system according to claim 1, wherein when the battery is shifted from the low charge state to a normal state by being charged, the notifying unit notifies the server of the shift to the normal state.

6. The onboard battery management system according to claim 3, wherein the notifying unit is supplied power from the battery, and the notifying unit switches a power source from the battery to the driving battery when notifying the server of the low charge state.

7. An onboard battery management system comprising:

a vehicle including a generating means, a battery charged with power generated by the generating means, an onboard equipment operating with power supplied from the battery, and a notifying means for providing a notification of a state of the battery;

a portable terminal capable of operating the onboard equipment; and

a server wirelessly communicating with the notifying means and the portable terminal,

wherein the notifying means includes a monitoring means for detecting a low charge state of the battery where a charge remaining amount of the battery is at or below a predetermined amount or an abnormal state of the battery,

when the low charge state or the abnormal state is detected by the monitoring means, the notifying means notifies the server of the detection of the low charge state or the abnormal state, and

the portable terminal inquiries of the server about the state of the battery notified to the server by the notifying means.

8. The onboard battery management system according to claim 7, wherein the generating means generates the power using at least one of light, heat, and an electromagnetic wave.

9. The onboard battery management system according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle further includes a driving battery that supplies power to a power source for driving the vehicle, and

the battery charged with the power generated by the generating means differs from the driving battery and has a maximum charging capacity smaller than that of the driving battery.

10. The onboard battery management system according to claim 9, wherein the notifying means provides the notification of the low charge state by use of power output from the driving battery.

11. The onboard battery management system according to claim 7, wherein when the battery is shifted from the low charge state to a normal state by being charged, the notifying means notifies the server of the shift to the normal state.

12. The onboard battery management system according to claim 9, wherein the notifying means is supplied power from the battery, and the notifying means switches a power source from the battery to the driving battery when notifying the server of the low charge state.

13. An onboard battery management apparatus for a vehicle including a generator, a battery charged with power generated by the generator, an onboard equipment operating with power supplied from the battery, the apparatus comprising:

a notifying unit wirelessly communicating with a server and providing a notification of a state of the battery to the server;

wherein the notifying unit includes a monitoring unit detecting a low charge state of the battery where a charge remaining amount of the battery is at or below a predetermined amount or an abnormal state of the battery,

when the low charge state or the abnormal state is detected by the monitoring unit, the notifying unit notifies the server of the detection of the low charge state or the abnormal state.

14. The onboard battery management apparatus according claim 13, wherein the generating unit generates the power using at least one of light, heat, and an electromagnetic wave.

15. The onboard battery management apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the vehicle further includes a driving battery that supplies power to a power source for driving the vehicle, and

the battery charged with the power generated by the generator differs from the driving battery and has a maximum charging capacity smaller than that of the driving battery.

16. The onboard battery management apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the notifying unit provides the notification of the low charge state by use of power output from the driving battery.

17. The onboard battery management apparatus according to claim 13, wherein when the battery is shifted from the low charge state to a normal state by being charged, the notifying unit notifies the server of the shift to the normal state.

18. The onboard battery management apparatus according claim 15, wherein the notifying unit is supplied power from the battery, and the notifying unit switches a power source from the battery to the driving battery when notifying the server of the low charge state.

19. An onboard battery management method for a vehicle including a generating unit, a battery charged with power generated by the generating unit, an onboard equipment operating with power supplied from the battery, and a notifying unit providing a notification of a state of the battery, wherein the onboard equipment is capable of receiving an operational instruction from a portable terminal and the notifying unit is capable of wirelessly communicating with a sever, the method comprising:

detecting, by the notifying unit, a low charge state of the battery where a charge remaining amount of the battery is at or below a predetermined amount or an abnormal state of the battery and notifying the server of the detection of the low charge state or the abnormal state;

storing, by the server, the notified low charge state or abnormal state information to a storage device; and

wirelessly accessing, by the portable terminal, to the server and inquiring the state of the battery stored to the storage device.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the generating unit generates the power using at least one of light, heat, and an electromagnetic wave.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the vehicle further includes a driving battery that supplies power to a power source for driving the vehicle, and

the battery charged with the power generated by the generating unit differs from the driving battery and has a maximum charging capacity smaller than that of the driving battery.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the notifying step uses power output from the driving battery.

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

when the battery is shifted from the low charge state to a normal state by being charged, notifying, by the notifying unit, the server of the shift to the normal state.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the notifying unit is supplied power from the battery, and the method further comprising:

switching, by the notifying unit, a power source from the battery to the driving battery when notifying the server of the low charge state.

25. A vehicle comprising:

a driving battery supplying power to a power source for driving the vehicle;

a generating unit;

a battery different from the driving battery and charged with power generated by the generating unit;

an onboard equipment operating with power supplied from the battery; and

a notifying unit notifying a battery management server of a state of the battery by wireless communications,

wherein the generating unit generates the power by use of at least one of light, heat, and an electromagnetic wave,

the battery has a maximum charging capacity smaller than a maximum charging capacity of the driving battery,

the notifying unit includes a monitoring unit detecting a low charge state of the battery where a charge remaining amount of the battery is at or below a predetermined amount or an abnormal state of the battery, and

when the low charge state or the abnormal state is detected by the monitoring unit, the notifying unit notifies the battery management server of the detection of the low charge state or the abnormal state by wireless communications.

26. A battery management server capable of carrying out wireless communications with a vehicle, the vehicle including a generating unit, a battery charged with power generated by the generating unit, an onboard equipment operating with power supplied from the battery, and a notifying unit providing a notification of a state of the battery, the battery management server comprising:

a receiving unit receiving the notification indicating that the battery is in a low charge state where a charge remaining amount of the battery is at or below a predetermined amount or in an abnormal state from the vehicle;

a storage unit storing a content of the received notification;

an accepting unit accepting an inquiry about the state of the battery from a portable terminal, the portable terminal being capable of operating the onboard equipment; and

a transmitting unit transmitting a reply to the inquiry to the portable terminal.