Vehicle battery heating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11318862-B2
Application number	US-201916675029-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2019
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle battery heating apparatus is to be mounted in a vehicle that travels with electricity from a battery. The apparatus includes a battery, a heater, a sensor, a controller, and a memory. The battery is mountable in the vehicle to allow the vehicle to travel. The heater heats the battery. The sensor obtains a temperature of the battery. The controller heats the battery with the heater. The memory stores heating target temperatures for respective remaining capacities of the battery. The controller obtains a remaining capacity of the battery, obtains a target temperature from the memory in accordance with the obtained remaining capacity, and sets a target temperature for heating the battery which is not on charge while the vehicle is stopped to the obtained target temperature. The heater heats the battery to the set target temperature.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle battery heating apparatus to be mounted in a vehicle that travels with electricity from a battery, the apparatus comprising:
a battery mountable in the vehicle to allow the vehicle to travel;
a heater configured to heat the battery;
a sensor configured to obtain a temperature of the battery;
a controller configured to heat the battery with the heater; and
a memory configured to store information indicating a relationship between heating target temperatures and remaining capacities of the battery, wherein
the controller is configured to
obtain a remaining capacity of the battery,
obtain a target temperature from the memory in accordance with the obtained remaining capacity based on the information, and
set a target temperature for heating the battery which is not on charge while the vehicle is stopped to the obtained target temperature, and

the heater is configured to heat the battery to the set target temperature, wherein
the information includes a first information and a second information, the first information indicates that the target temperature when the remaining capacity is lower than a first remaining capacity threshold is a first target temperature, and the second information indicates that the target temperature when the remaining capacity is equal to or higher than the first remaining capacity threshold is a second target temperature which is higher than the first target temperature, and
the controller is configured to
execute a first heating process to heat the battery to the first target temperature using the heater, when the vehicle is stopped, the battery is not on charge, the obtained remaining capacity is lower than the first remaining capacity threshold, and the obtained temperature is lower than the first target temperature, and
execute a second heating process to heat the battery to the second target temperature using the heater, when the vehicle is stopped, the battery is not on charge, the obtained remaining capacity is equal to or higher than the first remaining capacity threshold, and the obtained temperature is lower than the second target temperature.

2. The vehicle battery heating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a degradation sensor configured to determine a degradation state of the battery, wherein
the information includes a third information and a fourth information, the third information indicates that the target temperature when the remaining capacity is lower than the first remaining capacity threshold is a third target temperature which is higher than the first target temperature, and the fourth information indicates that the target temperature when the remaining capacity is equal to or higher than the first remaining capacity threshold is a fourth target temperature which is higher than the second target temperature, and
the controller is configured to
obtain the degradation state of the battery,
execute the first heating process, when the battery is not degraded, the vehicle is stopped, the battery is not on charge, the obtained remaining capacity is lower than the first remaining capacity threshold, and the obtained temperature is lower than the first target temperature,
execute the second heating process, when the battery is not degraded, the vehicle is stopped, the battery is not on charge, the obtained remaining capacity is equal to or higher than the first remaining capacity threshold, and the obtained temperature is lower than the second target temperature,
execute a third process to heat the battery to the third target temperature using the heater, when the battery is degraded, the vehicle is stopped, the battery is not on charge, the obtained remaining capacity is lower than the first remaining capacity threshold, and the obtained temperature is lower than the third target temperature, and
execute a fourth heating process to heat the battery to the fourth target temperature using the heater, when the battery is degraded, the vehicle is stopped, the battery is not on charge, the obtained remaining capacity is equal to or higher than the first remaining capacity threshold, and the obtained temperature is lower than the fourth target temperature.

3. The vehicle battery heating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a degradation sensor configured to determine a degradation state of the battery, wherein
the information includes a third information and a fourth information, the third information indicates that the target temperature when the remaining capacity is lower than a second remaining capacity threshold is a third target temperature which is higher than the first target temperature, and the fourth information indicates that the target temperature when the remaining capacity is equal to or higher than the second remaining capacity threshold is a fourth target temperature which is higher than the second target temperature, wherein the second remaining capacity threshold is lower than the first remaining capacity threshold, and
the controller is configured to
obtain the degradation state of the battery,
execute the first heating process, when the battery is not degraded, the vehicle is stopped, the battery is not on charge, the obtained remaining capacity is lower than the first remaining capacity threshold, and the obtained temperature is lower than the first target temperature,
execute the second heating process, when the battery is not degraded, the vehicle is stopped, the battery is not on charge, the obtained remaining capacity is equal to or higher than the first remaining capacity threshold, and the obtained temperature is lower than the second target temperature,
execute a third process to heat the battery to the third target temperature using the heater, when the battery is degraded, the vehicle is stopped, the battery is not on charge, the obtained remaining capacity is lower than the second remaining capacity threshold, and the obtained temperature is lower than the third target temperature, and
execute a fourth heating process to heat the battery to the fourth target temperature using the heater, when the battery is degraded, the vehicle is stopped, the battery is not on charge, the obtained raining capacity is equal to or higher than the second remaining capacity threshold, and the obtained temperature is lower than the fourth target temperature.

4. The vehicle battery heating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the information includes a third information and a fourth information, the third information indicates that the target temperature when the remaining capacity is lower than the first remaining capacity threshold is a third target temperature which is higher than the first target temperature, and the fourth information indicates that the target temperature when the remaining capacity is equal to or higher than the first remaining capacity threshold is a fourth target temperature which is higher than the second target temperature, and the controller is configured to
obtain a travel history of the vehicle,
obtain an average output of the battery during the vehicle traveling based on the obtained travel history,
execute the first heating process, when the obtained average output is lower than an output threshold, the vehicle is stopped, the battery is not on charge, the obtained remaining capacity is lower than the first remaining capacity threshold, and the obtained temperature is lower than the first target temperature,
execute the second heating process, when the obtained average output is lower than the output threshold, the vehicle is stopped, the battery is not on charge, the obtained remaining capacity is equal to or higher than the first remaining capacity threshold, and the obtained temperature is lower than the second target temperature,
execute a t

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• UEDA Hatsuhisa
• Naruke Toshiaki
• Suzuki Norio
• Kono Takashi
• Nagashima Wataru
• Tachimoto Kazuya
• Furuta Kazuki
• Nanbu Kohei

Classifications

• H01M10/486

  for measuring temperature · CPC title

• B60L58/13

  Maintaining the SoC within a determined range · CPC title

• B60L2240/545

  Temperature · CPC title

• B60L2250/18

  by enquiring driving style · CPC title

• B60L2240/622

  by satellite navigation · CPC title