Power source control device, power source control method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recorded with power source control program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11894669-B2
Application number	US-202217650103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2022
Priority date	Apr 2, 2021
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

A power source control device that includes: a make-and-break relay configured to either make or break conduction between a first terminal of a load and a first electrode of a direct current power source; a dark current generation circuit configured to generate a dark current by lowering a voltage of the direct current power source, in a state in which a first terminal is connected to the first electrode of the direct current power source and a second terminal is connected to the first terminal of the load so as to be parallel to the make-and-break relay; and a bypass circuit configured to dissipate some of power supplied from an external charger by making conduction between a second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load in response to the direct current power source being charged by the external charger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power source control device comprising:
a make-and-break relay configured to either make or break conduction between a first terminal of a load and a first electrode of a direct current power source;
a dark current generation circuit configured to generate a dark current by lowering a voltage of the direct current power source, in a state in which a first terminal is connected to the first electrode of the direct current power source and a second terminal is connected to the first terminal of the load so as to be parallel to the make-and-break relay; and
a bypass circuit configured to dissipate some of power supplied from an external charger by making conduction between a second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load in response to the direct current power source being charged by the external charger.

2. The power source control device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to:
detect a potential difference between the second terminal and the first terminal of the dark current generation circuit,
detect a current between a second terminal of the load and the second electrode of the direct current power source, and
control the make-and-break relay so as to make or break conduction, and determine a state of the make-and-break relay based on the potential difference and the current that have been detected.

3. The power source control device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the make-and-break relay is in an open state in response to the detected potential difference being a predetermined threshold voltage or greater.

4. The power source control device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the make-and-break relay is stuck in a closed state in response to the detected potential difference being less than a predetermined threshold voltage and the detected current being a predetermined threshold current or greater.

5. The power source control device of claim 2 , wherein:
the bypass circuit includes a switch that makes or breaks conduction between the first terminal of the load and the second electrode of the direct current power source, and a resistor that dissipates some of the conducted power; and
the processor is configured to, in response to the detected potential difference being less than a predetermined threshold voltage and the detected current being less than a predetermined threshold current, make conduction between the second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load by turning on the switch.

6. The power source control device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that charging of the direct current power source is being performed by the external charger in response to the detected current being the predetermined threshold current or greater, in a state in which the bypass circuit is conducting between the second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load.

7. The power source control device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the make-and-break relay is in an open state in response to the detected current being less than the predetermined threshold current and the detected potential difference being the predetermined threshold voltage or greater, in a state in which the bypass circuit is conducting between the second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load.

8. The power source control device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the make-and-break relay is stuck in a closed state in response to the detected current being less than the predetermined threshold current and the detected potential difference being less than the predetermined threshold voltage, in a state in which the bypass circuit is conducting between the second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load.

9. The power source control device of claim 1 , wherein the make-and-break relay is installed to a vehicle.

10. A power source control method comprising:
by a processor,
detecting a potential difference between a second terminal and a first terminal of a dark current generation circuit, the dark current generation circuit being configured to generate a dark current by lowering a voltage of a direct current power source in a state in which the first terminal of the dark current generation circuit is connected to a first electrode of the direct current power source and the second terminal of the dark current generation circuit is connected to a first terminal of a load, so as to be parallel to a make-and-break relay configured to either make or break conduction between the first terminal of the load and the first electrode of the direct current power source;
detecting a current between a second terminal of the load and a second electrode of the direct current power source;
determining a state of the make-and-break relay based on the potential difference and the current;
setting a conductive state for a bypass circuit that is configured to dissipate some of power supplied from an external charger in a state of conduction between the second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load in response to the potential difference being less than a predetermined threshold voltage and the current being less than a predetermined threshold current; and
determining a state of the make-and-break relay and whether or not the direct current power source is being charged by the external charger based on the detected potential difference between the second terminal and the first terminal of the dark current generation circuit and the detected current between the second terminal of the load and the second electrode of the direct current power source in response to a conductive state being in place between the second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load due to the bypass circuit.

11. The power source control method of claim 10 , further comprising
determining that the make-and-break relay is in an open state in response to the detected potential difference being a predetermined threshold voltage or greater.

12. The power source control method of claim 10 , further comprising
determining that the make-and-break relay is stuck in a closed state in response to the detected potential difference being less than a predetermined threshold voltage and the detected current being a predetermined threshold current or greater.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recorded with a program executable by a computer to perform processing comprising:
determining a state of a make-and-break relay based on a potential difference between a first terminal and a second terminal of a dark current generation circuit and a current between a second terminal of a load and a second electrode of a direct current source, the dark current generation circuit generating a dark current by lowering a voltage of the direct current power source, in a state in which the first terminal of the dark current generation circuit is connected to the first electrode of the direct current power source and the second terminal of the dark current generation circuit is connected to the first terminal of the load, so as to be parallel to the make-and-break relay that is configured to either make or break conduction between the first terminal of the load and the first electrode of the direct current power source,
cont

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Denso Ten Ltd

Inventors

• Ota Yuichi
• Yamamoto Kazuki
• Takano Junya

Classifications

• H02J7/855 Primary

  with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery · CPC title

• H02J7/94

  in response to battery current · CPC title

• H02J7/865

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/80 Primary

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/663

  using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence) · CPC title