Vehicle power generating apparatus
First Claim
1. A vehicle power generating apparatus comprising an electric power generator that is drivable by an engine of a vehicle for supplying electric power for an electric load and for charging a battery, a generated voltage control device for controlling power generation by controlling exciting current of said power generator to maintain generated voltage to a predetermined level, and an external control device disposed apart from said generated voltage control device for transmitting a predetermined signal to said generated voltage control device, wherein:
- said external control device includes transmitting means for transmitting a binary pulse train signal of a limited length that includes a data pulse signal which is essentially composed of a predetermined number of binary pulse signals and which indicates a vehicle condition signal related to a predetermined vehicle condition; and
said generated voltage control device comprises receiving means for receiving said binary pulse train signal and for demodulating said data pulse signal to said vehicle condition signal, holding means for holding one of said data pulse signal and said vehicle condition signal at least until a next time said binary pulse train signal is received, and exciting current control means for controlling said exciting current based on one of said vehicle condition signal held by said holding means and said vehicle condition signal obtained by demodulating said data pulse signal held by said holding means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
To provide a vehicle power generating apparatus capable of transmitting plural kinds of control signals from an external control device to a generated voltage control unit provided in a generator for power generation control while curbing increases in the size of apparatus or wiring required and without degrading the noise reduction characteristics, a generated voltage control device is normally disposed integrally with a generator for maintaining the generated voltage at a predetermined target level. For transmission of a vehicle condition signal from an external control device to the generated voltage control device, the vehicle condition signal is converted into a binary pulse train signal before being transmitted. The generated voltage control device holds the binary pulse train signal received or a vehicle condition signal decoded from the binary pulse signal until the next reception. Thereby, complicated power generation control can be achieved with a small amount of communications.
42 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A vehicle power generating apparatus comprising an electric power generator that is drivable by an engine of a vehicle for supplying electric power for an electric load and for charging a battery, a generated voltage control device for controlling power generation by controlling exciting current of said power generator to maintain generated voltage to a predetermined level, and an external control device disposed apart from said generated voltage control device for transmitting a predetermined signal to said generated voltage control device, wherein:
-
said external control device includes transmitting means for transmitting a binary pulse train signal of a limited length that includes a data pulse signal which is essentially composed of a predetermined number of binary pulse signals and which indicates a vehicle condition signal related to a predetermined vehicle condition; and said generated voltage control device comprises receiving means for receiving said binary pulse train signal and for demodulating said data pulse signal to said vehicle condition signal, holding means for holding one of said data pulse signal and said vehicle condition signal at least until a next time said binary pulse train signal is received, and exciting current control means for controlling said exciting current based on one of said vehicle condition signal held by said holding means and said vehicle condition signal obtained by demodulating said data pulse signal held by said holding means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
Specification