Electric-powered vehicle chargeable by external power supply

• US 7,791,217 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2008
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamaga, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US12/230,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20090057041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/453 Shutter or cover plate opened by engagement of counterpart
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An open/close detection unit detects whether a lid covering a charge connector is closed or opened, and outputs the result of detection to a vehicle control unit. A connection detection unit receives a first signal and detects whether a plug and the charge connector are connected or not based on the voltage of the first signal. The vehicle control unit determines, based on the result of detection by the connection detection unit and information about an external power supply indicated by a second signal, whether the first signal is normal. When the first signal is abnormal, the vehicle control unit determines, based on the result of detection by the open/close detection unit, whether the lid is closed. When the lid is closed, the vehicle control unit controls the vehicle state to be in the travel-enabled state.

Claims

1. An electric-powered vehicle chargeable by an external power supply, comprising:

a power storage device storing electric power used for generating driving force for said electric-powered vehicle;

a charge connector used for connecting, to said electric-powered vehicle, a cable transmitting electric power from said external power supply to charge said power storage device;

a lid configured to be opened and closed, and cover said charge connector when said lid is in a closed state;

a first detection unit detecting whether or not said charge connector and said cable are connected to each other;

a second detection unit detecting whether said lid is in the closed state or an opened state; and

a vehicle control unit controlling said electric-powered vehicle into a travel-enabled state when said first detection unit detects that said charge connector and said cable are disconnected from each other and said second detection unit detects the closed state of said lid, wherein

in a case where result of detection by said first detection unit is abnormal, said vehicle control unit controls said electric-powered vehicle into said travel-enabled state when said second detection unit detects the closed state of said lid, and

said vehicle control unit controls said electric-powered vehicle into a travel-disabled state in a case where said result of detection by said first detection unit is normal, where said first detection unit detects that said charge connector and said cable are connected to each other and where said second detection unit detects the opened state of said lid.

2. The electric-powered vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit giving notification that said result of detection by said first detection unit is abnormal, in response to a notification instruction from said vehicle control unit.

3. The electric-powered vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said vehicle control unit sends said notification instruction to said notification unit in response to an instruction to activate said vehicle, in the case where said result of detection by said first detection unit is abnormal.

4. An electric-powered vehicle chargeable by an external power supply, comprising:

a power storage device storing electric power used for generating driving force for said electric-powered vehicle;

a charge connector used for connecting, to said electric-powered vehicle, a cable transmitting electric power from said external power supply to charge said power storage device;

a lid configured to be opened and closed, and cover said charge connector when said lid is in a closed state;

a first detection unit detecting whether or not said charge connector and said cable are connected to each other;

a second detection unit detecting whether said lid is in the closed state or an opened state; and

a vehicle control unit controlling said electric-powered vehicle into a travel-enabled state when said first detection unit detects that said charge connector and said cable are disconnected from each other and said second detection unit detects the closed state of said lid, wherein

in a case where result of detection by said first detection unit is abnormal, said vehicle control unit controls said electric-powered vehicle into said travel-enabled state when said second detection unit detects the closed state of said lid, and

said vehicle control unit controls said electric-powered vehicle into a travel-disabled state in the case where said result of detection by said first detection unit is abnormal and said second detection unit detects the opened state of said lid.

5. The electric-powered vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising a notification unit giving notification that said result of detection by said first detection unit is abnormal, in response to a notification instruction from said vehicle control unit.

6. The electric-powered vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

said vehicle control unit sends said notification instruction to said notification unit in response to an instruction to activate said vehicle, in the case where said result of detection by said first detection unit is abnormal.

7. An electric-powered vehicle chargeable by an external power supply, comprising:

a power storage device storing electric power used for generating driving force for said electric-powered vehicle;

a charge connector used for connecting, to said electric-powered vehicle, a cable transmitting electric power from said external power supply to charge said power storage device;

a lid configured to be opened and closed, and cover said charge connector when said lid is in a closed state;

a closed state keeping unit keeping said lid in the closed state;

a first detection unit detecting whether or not said charge connector and said cable are connected to each other;

a second detection unit detecting whether said lid is in the closed state or an opened state; and

a vehicle control unit controlling said electric-powered vehicle into a travel-enabled state when said first detection unit detects that said charge connector and said cable are disconnected from each other and said closed state keeping unit keeps said lid in the closed state, wherein

in a case where result of detection by said first detection unit is abnormal, said vehicle control unit controls said electric-powered vehicle into said travel-enabled state when said closed state keeping unit keeps said lid in the closed state, and

said vehicle control unit controls said electric-powered vehicle into a travel-disabled state in a case where said result of detection by said first detection unit is normal, where said first detection unit detects that said charge connector and said cable are connected to each other and where said second detection unit detects the opened state of said lid.

8. The electric-powered vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

said vehicle control unit controls said electric-powered vehicle into said travel-disabled state in the case where said result of detection by said first detection unit is abnormal and said second detection unit detects the opened state of said lid.