Charge monitoring apparatus

• US 8,463,472 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US12/635,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20100145568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• 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

A charge monitoring apparatus is mountable on or connectable to a vehicle which uses electrical power supplied from a battery on the vehicle for traveling. The charge monitoring apparatus includes a vehicle ID holding portion that holds vehicle-side identification information which is uniquely allocated to each specific vehicle, a power-line communicating portion that performs a power line communication with an extravehicular apparatus through a power supply line which supplies the electric power from the external power supply equipment to the battery, a vehicle-side information storing portion that stores information produced in the vehicle, and a communication controlling portion that, in the power line communication, transmits the vehicle-side identification information held in the vehicle ID holding portion to the extravehicular apparatus, and if predetermined condition is satisfied, the communication controlling portion transmits the information stored in the vehicle-side information storing portion to the extravehicular apparatus.

Claims

1. A charge monitoring apparatus that is mountable on or connectable to a vehicle which uses electrical power supplied from a battery on the vehicle for traveling, the charge monitoring apparatus monitoring a supply of the electrical power to the battery from an external power supply equipment which is disposed separately from the vehicle, the charge monitoring apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle ID holding portion that holds vehicle-side identification information which is uniquely allocated to each specific vehicle;

a power-line communicating portion that performs a power line communication with an extravehicular apparatus through a power supply line which supplies the electric power from the external power supply equipment to the battery, the extravehicular apparatus connected to the external power supply equipment;

a vehicle-side information storing portion that stores information indicating a driving situation of the vehicle which is produced in the vehicle; and

a communication controlling portion that, in the power line communication, transmits the vehicle-side identification information held in the vehicle ID holding portion to the extravehicular apparatus, and if predetermined condition is satisfied, the communication controlling portion transmits the information stored in the vehicle-side information storing portion to the extravehicular apparatus,

wherein the information stored in the vehicle-side information storing portion includes a vehicle speed and a number of revolutions of an engine of the vehicle.

2. The charge monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an information update controlling portion that, in the power line communication, receives information sent from the extravehicular apparatus via the power-line communicating portion, and updates a content of the information stored in the vehicle-side information storing portion, by using the received information.

3. The charge monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the power line communication, the communication controlling portion receives connection destination identification information indicating the extravehicular apparatus from the extravehicular apparatus via the power supply line, and compares the connection destination identification information with pre-registered information preliminary registered in the vehicle, and only in a case of coincidence between the connection destination identification information and the pre-registered information, the communication controlling portion transmits information stored in the vehicle-side information storing portion to the extravehicular apparatus.

4. The charge monitoring apparatus that is mountable on or connectable to a vehicle which uses electrical power supplied from a battery on the vehicle for traveling, the charge monitoring apparatus monitoring a supply of the electrical power to the battery from an external power supply equipment which is disposed separately from the vehicle, the charge monitoring apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle ID holding portion that holds vehicle-side identification information which is uniquely allocated to each specific vehicle;

a power-line communicating portion that performs a power line communication with an extravehicular apparatus through a power supply line which supplies the electric power from the external power supply equipment to the battery, the extravehicular apparatus connected to the external power supply equipment;

a vehicle-side information storing portion that stores information produced in the vehicle; and

a communication controlling portion that, in the power line communication, transmits the vehicle-side identification information held in the vehicle ID holding portion to the extravehicular apparatus, and if predetermined condition is satisfied, the communication controlling portion transmits the information stored in the vehicle-side information storing portion to the extravehicular apparatus,

wherein the information stored in the vehicle-side information storing portion includes at least one of traffic information and history information of traveling route of the vehicle.

5. A charge monitoring apparatus that is connectable through a power supply line to a vehicle which uses electrical power supplied from a battery on the vehicle for traveling, the charge monitoring apparatus being connected to an external power supply equipment which is disposed separately from the vehicle, in order to monitor a supply of the electrical power from the external power supply equipment to the battery, the charge monitoring apparatus, comprising:

a power supply ID holding portion that holds power supply-side identification information which is uniquely allocated to a specific external power supply equipment;

a power-line communicating portion that performs a power line communication with a communication portion on the vehicle through a power supply line which supplies the electric power from the external power supply equipment to the battery; and

a power supply-side reception controlling portion that, in the power line communication, transmits the power supply-side identification information held in the power supply ID holding portion to the vehicle, receives information transmitted from the vehicle via the power supply line, and stores the received information in a power supply-side storing portion.

6. The charge monitoring apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a map information holding portion that successively obtains latest map information; and

a power supply-side transmission controlling portion that, in the power line communication, transmits the latest map information held in the map information holding portion to the vehicle via the power supply line.