Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11097625-B2
Application number	US-201916689961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2019
Priority date	Feb 5, 2019
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle includes a battery, an electric power acquirer, a power supply unit, first and second relays, and a controller. The first relay connects and disconnects the battery to and from a power supply line. The second relay connects and disconnects the electric power acquirer to and from the power supply line. The controller executes a first switching control including switching the second relay to a connected state with the first relay kept in a connected state. In the switching of the second relay to the connected state in the first switching control, the controller reduces a difference between a potential of the second relay on the side on which the electric power acquirer is disposed and a potential of the second relay on the side on which the battery is disposed, using electric power inputted from the electric power acquirer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a battery configured to accumulate electric power for travel of a vehicle;
an electric power acquirer configured to acquire charging electric power from outside;
a power supply unit able to provide a power supply from the battery to a device other than a traveling motor;
a first relay configured to connect the battery to a power supply line or to disconnect the battery from the power supply line;
a second relay configured to connect the electric power acquirer to the power supply line or to disconnect the electric power acquirer from the power supply line; and
a controller able to execute a first switching control, the first switching control including switching the second relay to a connected state with the first relay kept in a connected state,
wherein, in the switching of the second relay to the connected state in the first switching control, the controller is configured to reduce a difference between a potential of the second relay on a side on which the electric power acquirer is disposed and a potential of the second relay on a side on which the battery is disposed, using electric power inputted from the electric power acquirer,
wherein the power supply unit is coupled to the first relay at a location of the power supply line located between the first relay and the second relay,
wherein in the first switching control, the controller further performs processing of increasing a load coupled to the power supply line to reduce the potential of the second relay on the side on which the battery is disposed, and
wherein the controller switches between execution and non-execution of the processing of increasing the load to reduce the potential of the second relay on the side on which the battery is disposed on a basis of chargeable electric power of the battery.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, in the first switching control, the controller measures the difference between the potential of the second relay on the side on which the battery is disposed and the potential of the second relay on the side on which the electric power acquirer is disposed, and
wherein, on a condition that the difference measured falls within a predetermined range, the controller switches the second relay to the connected state.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein, before switching the second relay to the connected state, the controller determines whether or not the power supply unit is in use, and
wherein, on a condition that the power supply unit is in use, the controller switches the second relay in accordance with the first switching control, while on a condition that the power supply unit is out of use, the controller switches the second relay in accordance with a second switching control.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the electric power acquirer includes a power receiving coil configured to acquire electric power non-contact from a power transmitting coil of ground facilities,
wherein the vehicle further includes a charging controller configured to make a first excitation request of the ground facilities to perform lower excitation of the power transmitting coil than is performed during transmission of charging electric power, to make a determination as to alignment of the power transmitting coil and the power receiving coil, and
wherein the controller makes, in the first switching control, a second excitation request of the ground facilities to perform excitation that is higher than is performed on the first excitation request and lower than is performed during the transmission of charging electric power.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, before switching the second relay to the connected state, the controller determines whether or not the power supply unit is in use, and
wherein, on a condition that the power supply unit is in use, the controller switches the second relay in accordance with the first switching control, while on a condition that the power supply unit is out of use, the controller switches the second relay in accordance with a second switching control.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electric power acquirer includes a power receiving coil configured to acquire electric power non-contact from a power transmitting coil of ground facilities,
wherein the vehicle further includes a charging controller configured to make a first excitation request of the ground facilities to perform lower excitation of the power transmitting coil than is performed during transmission of charging electric power, to make a determination as to alignment of the power transmitting coil and the power receiving coil, and
wherein the controller makes, in the first switching control, a second excitation request of the ground facilities to perform excitation that is higher than is performed on the first excitation request and lower than is performed during the transmission of charging electric power.

7. A vehicle, comprising:
a battery configured to accumulate electric power for travel of a vehicle;
an electric power acquirer configured to acquire charging electric power from outside;
a power supply unit able to provide a power supply from the battery to a device other than a traveling motor;
a first relay configured to connect the battery to a power supply line or to disconnect the battery from the power supply line;
a second relay configured to connect the electric power acquirer to the power supply line or to disconnect the electric power acquirer from the power supply line; and
a controller able to execute a switching control, the switching control including switching the second relay to a connected state with the first relay kept in a connected state,
wherein, in the switching of the second relay to the connected state in the switching control, the controller is configured to reduce a difference between a potential of the second relay on a side on which the electric power acquirer is disposed and a potential of the second relay on a side on which the battery is disposed, using electric power inputted from the electric power acquirer,
wherein, in the switching control, the controller measures the difference between the potential of the second relay on the side on which the battery is disposed and the potential of the second relay on the side on which the electric power acquirer is disposed, and
wherein, on a condition that the difference measured falls within a predetermined range, the controller switches the second relay to the connected state.

8. A vehicle, comprising:
a battery configured to accumulate electric power for travel of a vehicle;
an electric power acquirer configured to acquire charging electric power from outside;
a power supply unit able to provide a power supply from the battery to a device other than a traveling motor;
a first relay configured to connect the battery to a power supply line or to disconnect the battery from the power supply line;
a second relay configured to connect the electric power acquirer to the power supply line or to disconnect the electric power acquirer from the power supply line; and
a controller able to execute a switching control, the switching control including switching the second relay to a connected state with the first relay kept in a connected state,
wherein, in the switching of the second relay to the connected state in the switching control, the controller is configured to reduce a difference between a potential of the second relay on a side on which the electric power acquirer is disposed and a potential of the second relay on a side on which the battery is disposed, using electric power inputted from the electric power acquirer,
wherein, before switching the second relay to the

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Moriya Fumiyuki
• Totsuka Yuta
• Takagi Hidehiro

Classifications

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• H02J7/933

  the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters · CPC title

• H02J50/90

  involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment · CPC title

• B60L53/122 Primary

  Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil · CPC title

• H02J50/10 Primary

  using inductive coupling · CPC title