In-vehicle charger

• US 9,235,940 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwanaga, Izumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US14/006,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.32, 340/5.64, 340/5.3, 320/101, 136/291
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/406 Power supply in the remote key
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

An in-vehicle charger includes a charger that charges a device to be charged including a wireless key of a keyless entry device, a controller connected to the charger, and a detection unit connected to the controller and that detects an installation state of the device to be charged relative to the charger. The controller turns on power supply to the charger and controls the keyless entry device to perform first communication verification when the installation state of the device to be charged relative to the charger is detected by the detection unit. The controller turns on the power supply to the charger when it is determined that the communication verification of the keyless entry device has been performed.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle charger comprising:

a charger that charges a device to be charged including a wireless key of a keyless entry device;

a controller connected to the charger; and

a detection unit connected to the controller and that detects an installation state of the device to be charged relative to the charger,

wherein the controller turns on power supply to the charger and controls the keyless entry device to perform first communication verification when the installation state of the device to be charged relative to the charger is detected by the detection unit; and

wherein the controller turns on the power supply to the charger when it is determined that the communication verification of the keyless entry device has been performed,

wherein the controller turns off the power supply to the charger when it is determined that the communication verification of the keyless entry device has not been performed,

wherein the controller controls the keyless entry device to perform second communication verification after turning off the power supply to the charger, and

wherein the controller issues an alert for an installation state of the wireless key relative to the charger when it is determined by the second communication verification of the keyless entry device that the communication verification of the keyless entry device has been performed.

2. The in-vehicle charger according to claim 1, wherein the controller issues the alert for the installation state of the wireless key relative to the charger part and then turns off the power supply to the charger.

3. The in-vehicle charger according to claim 1, wherein the alert for the installation state of the wireless key relative to the charger part is performed by a display unit connected to the controller.

4. An in-vehicle charger comprising:

a charger that charges a device to be charged including a wireless key of a keyless entry device;

a controller connected to the charger; and

a detection unit connected to the controller and that detects an installation state of the device to be charged relative to the charger,

wherein the controller turns on power supply to the charger and controls the keyless entry device to perform first communication verification when the installation state of the device to be charged relative to the charger is detected by the detection unit; and

wherein the controller turns on the power supply to the charger when it is determined that the communication verification of the keyless entry device has been performed,

wherein the controller turns off the power supply to the charger when it is determined that the communication verification of the keyless entry device has not been performed,

wherein the controller controls the keyless entry device to perform second communication verification after turning off the power supply to the charger, and

wherein the controller turns on the power supply to the charger and issues an alert for an operation failure of the keyless entry device when it is determined by the second communication verification of the keyless entry device that the communication verification of the keyless entry device has not been performed.

5. The in-vehicle charger according to claim 4, wherein the alert for the operation failure of the keyless entry device is performed by a display unit connected to the controller.