Detecting an impedance abnormality in a charging path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12441194-B2
Application number	US-202218081891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2022
Priority date	Feb 8, 2022
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle configured such that an on-board battery is chargeable by receiving electric power from a power supply outside the vehicle includes an inlet, a voltage sensor that detects an input voltage that is a voltage input from the power supply to the inlet, and a control device configured to execute a detection process when connected to the inlet. The detection process includes a first process that suspends charging when a difference between the input voltage before a start of the charging and the input voltage after the start of the charging is equal to or larger than a threshold value, and a second process that stops the charging when a difference between the input voltage during suspension of the charging in the first process and the input voltage after resumption of the charging is equal to or larger than the threshold value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle configured such that an on-board battery is chargeable by receiving electric power supplied from a power supply outside the vehicle via a charging cable, the vehicle comprising:
an inlet to which a connector of the charging cable is connectable;
a voltage sensor configured to detect an input voltage that is a voltage input from the power supply to the inlet; and
an electronic control unit configured to execute a detection process in a state in which the connector is connected to the inlet, wherein the detection process includes:
acquiring a first voltage that is the input voltage before a start of a charging;
starting the charging after acquiring the first voltage;
acquiring a second voltage that is the input voltage after the start of the charging;
calculating a first difference between the first voltage and the second voltage, and when the first difference is equal to or larger than a threshold value, suspending the charging;
acquiring a third voltage that is the input voltage during the suspension of the charging;
resuming the charging after acquiring the third voltage;
acquiring a fourth voltage that is the input voltage after the resumption of the charging;
calculating a second difference between the third voltage and the fourth voltage, and when the second difference is equal to or larger than the threshold value, stopping the charging;
determining an impedance abnormality in a charging path has occurred when the second difference is equal to or larger than the threshold value; and
when the second difference is smaller than the threshold value, determining that the first difference is equal to or larger than the threshold value is due to a decrease in the system voltage,
wherein the threshold value is prestored based on a rated current of the charging cable and is dynamic based on a rated current provided by the power supply, a map is prestored to indicate a relationship between the threshold value and the rated current, the threshold value is set based on checking the rated current against the map.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
tentatively detect the impedance abnormality in the charging path from the power supply to the inlet when the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is equal to or larger than the threshold value.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to continue the charging when the difference between the third voltage and the fourth voltage is smaller than the threshold value.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the voltage sensor detects the third voltage and the fourth voltage a plurality of times; and
the electronic control unit is configured to confirm the impedance abnormality in the charging path when the difference between the third voltage and the fourth voltage is equal to or larger than the threshold value consecutively the plurality of times.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
acquire the second voltage within a predetermined period after acquisition of the first voltage; and
acquire the fourth voltage within the predetermined period after acquisition of the third voltage.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to set the threshold value based on a rated current of the charging cable.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a current sensor configured to detect an input current that is a current input from the power supply to the inlet, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to set the threshold value based on the input current.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the electronic control unit is configured to compare the rated current of the charging cable with a preset threshold current; and
the electronic control unit is configured not to execute the detection process when the rated current is equal to or larger than the preset threshold current.

9. A vehicle configured such that an on-board battery is chargeable by receiving electric power supplied from a power supply outside the vehicle via a charging cable, the vehicle comprising:
an inlet to which a connector of the charging cable is connectable;
a voltage sensor configured to detect an input voltage that is a voltage input from the power supply to the inlet; and
an electronic control unit configured to execute a detection process in a state in which the connector is connected to the inlet, wherein the detection process includes:
acquiring a first voltage that is the input voltage before a start of a charging;
starting the charging after acquiring the first voltage;
acquiring a second voltage that is the input voltage after the start of the charging;
calculating a first difference between the first voltage and the second voltage, and when the first difference is equal to or larger than a threshold value, suspending the charging;
acquiring a third voltage that is the input voltage during the suspension of the charging;
resuming the charging after acquiring the third voltage;
acquiring a fourth voltage that is the input voltage after the resumption of the charging;
calculating a second difference between the third voltage and the fourth voltage, and when the second difference is equal to or larger than the threshold value, stopping the charging;
determining an impedance abnormality in a charging path has occurred when the second difference is equal to or larger than the threshold value; and
when the second difference is smaller than the threshold value, determining that the first difference is equal to or larger than the threshold value is due to a decrease in the system voltage,
wherein the threshold value is prestored based on a rated current of the charging cable and is dynamic based on a rated current provided by the power supply, a map is prestored to indicate a relationship between the threshold value and the rated current, the threshold value is set based on checking the rated current against the map.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Niwa Yamato
• Minamii Toshihiko
• Ando Toru
• Shimizu Yu
• Miyazaki Toshiki

Classifications

• B60L53/18

  Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L53/16

  Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T90/12

  Electric charging stations · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title