Vehicle power supply apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11214241-B2
Application number	US-201916401814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2019
Priority date	Jun 25, 2018
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle power supply apparatus includes first and second power supply systems, first and second switches, first and second switch controllers, a generator motor controller, an engine controller, and an idling stop determination unit. The idling stop determination unit determines whether or not to inhibit an idling stop control on the basis of a current of an first electrical energy accumulator of the first power supply system, a current of a second electrical energy accumulator of the second power supply system, or a voltage of a generator motor of the second power supply system, or any combination thereof, while recognizing a third control signal to be transmitted to the generator motor, a first control signal to be transmitted to the first switch, and a second control signal to be transmitted to the second switch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle power supply apparatus to be mounted on a vehicle that includes an engine, the vehicle power supply apparatus comprising:
a first power supply system including a first electrical energy accumulator and an electric load coupled to the first electrical energy accumulator;
a second power supply system including a generator motor and a second electrical energy accumulator, the generator motor being coupled to the engine, and the second electrical energy accumulator being able to be coupled to the generator motor;
a first switch configured to be controlled to a first turn-on state and a first turn-off state, the first turn-on state including coupling the first power supply system and the second power supply system to each other, and the first turn-off state including isolating the first power supply system and the second power supply system from each other;
a second switch configured to be controlled to a second turn-on state and a second turn-off state, the second turn-on state including coupling the generator motor and the second electrical energy accumulator to each other, and the second turn-off state including isolating the generator motor and the second electrical energy accumulator from each other; and
a controller configured to:
transmit a first control signal to the first switch and to control the first switch to the first turn-on state and the first turn-off state;
transmit a second control signal to the second switch and to control the second switch to the second turn-on state and the second turn-off state;
transmit a third control signal to the generator motor and to control an operation state of the generator motor;
execute an idling stop control, the idling stop control including stopping the engine on a basis of a stop condition and restarting the engine on a basis of a start condition with use of the generator motor; and

determine whether or not to inhibit the idling stop control on a basis of a current of the first electrical energy accumulator, a current of the second electrical energy accumulator, or a voltage of the generator motor, or any combination thereof, while recognizing the third control signal to be transmitted to the generator motor, the first control signal to be transmitted to the first switch, and the second control signal to be transmitted to the second switch, wherein
the first control signal to be transmitted to the first switch includes a first turn-on signal and a first turn-off signal, the first turn-on signal controlling the first switch to the first turn-on state, and the first turn-off signal controlling the first switch to the first turn-off state,
the second control signal to be transmitted to the second switch includes a second turn-on signal and a second turn-off signal, the second turn-on signal controlling the second switch to the second turn-on state, and the second turn-off signal controlling the second switch to the second turn-off state,
the operation state of the generator motor includes a powering state, a power generation state, and a power generation suspended state, and
the third control signal to be transmitted to the generator motor includes a powering signal, a power generation signal, and a power generation suspension signal, the powering signal controlling the generator motor to the powering state, the power generation signal controlling the generator motor to the power generation state, and the power generation suspension signal controlling the generator motor to the power generation suspended state.

2. The vehicle power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller inhibits the idling stop control on a condition that a discharge current from the second electrical energy accumulator is greater than a first threshold,
with the power generation suspension signal transmitted to the generator motor, with the first turn-off signal transmitted to the first switch, and with the second turn-on signal transmitted to the second switch.

3. The vehicle power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller inhibits the idling stop control on a condition that an applied voltage to the generator motor is greater than a second threshold,
with the power generation suspension signal transmitted to the generator motor, with the first turn-off signal transmitted to the first switch, and with the second turn-off signal transmitted to the second switch.

4. The vehicle power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller inhibits the idling stop control on a condition that a charge current of the first electrical energy accumulator is greater than a third threshold,
with the power generation signal transmitted to the generator motor, with the first turn-off signal transmitted to the first switch, and with the second turn-on signal transmitted to the second switch.

5. The vehicle power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller inhibits the idling stop control on a condition that a charge current of the first electrical energy accumulator is greater than a fourth threshold,
with the power generation signal transmitted to the generator motor, with the first turn-off signal transmitted to the first switch, and with the second turn-off signal transmitted to the second switch.

6. The vehicle power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller inhibits the idling stop control on a condition that a discharge current from the first electrical energy accumulator is greater than a fifth threshold,
with the powering signal transmitted to the generator motor, with the first turn-off signal transmitted to the first switch, and with the second turn-on signal transmitted to the second switch.

7. The vehicle power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller inhibits the idling stop control on a condition that a discharge current from the first electrical energy accumulator is greater than a sixth threshold,
with the powering signal transmitted to the generator motor, with the first turn-off signal transmitted to the first switch, and with the second turn-off signal transmitted to the second switch.

8. The vehicle power supply apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the controller inhibits the idling stop control on a condition that an applied voltage to the generator motor is greater than a seventh threshold,
with the powering signal transmitted to the generator motor, with the first turn-off signal transmitted to the first switch, and with the second turn-off signal transmitted to the second switch.

9. The vehicle power supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller inhibits the idling stop control on a condition that an applied voltage to the generator motor is greater than a seventh threshold,
with the powering signal transmitted to the generator motor, with the first turn-off signal transmitted to the first switch, and with the second turn-off signal transmitted to the second switch.

10. A vehicle power supply apparatus to be mounted on a vehicle that includes an engine, the vehicle power supply apparatus comprising:
a first power supply system including a first electrical energy accumulator and an electric load coupled to the first electrical energy accumulator;
a second power supply system including a generator motor and a second electrical energy accumulator, the generator motor being coupled to the engine, and the second electrical energy accumulator being able to be coupled to the generator motor;
a first switch configured to be controlled to a first turn-on state and a first turn-off state, the first turn-on state including coupling the first power supply system and the second power supply

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Kinoshita Takahiro

Classifications

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• F02N2200/062

  Battery current · CPC title

• F02N11/0866

  comprising several power sources, e.g. battery and capacitor or two batteries · CPC title

• B60W20/00 Primary

  Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)} · CPC title

• B60W2710/06

  Combustion engines, Gas turbines · CPC title