Power system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12459453-B2
Application number	US-202318336233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2023
Priority date	Jun 28, 2022
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A power system includes a central unit, a zone unit capable of communicating with the central unit, and a downstream electric wire configured to electrically connect a predetermined downstream unit to the zone unit. A central processor of the central unit executes processing including transmitting electric wire characteristic data stored in a central storage device to the zone unit at a predetermined timing. A zone processor of the zone unit executes processing including writing the electric wire characteristic data transmitted from the central unit into a zone storage device in response to reception of the electric wire characteristic data, and determining whether to turn a semiconductor switch coupled to the downstream electric wire to an OFF state, based on the electric wire characteristic data written into the zone storage device and the current detected by a current sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A power system comprising:
a central unit; a zone unit capable of communicating with the central unit; and a downstream electric wire configured to electrically connect a predetermined downstream unit to the zone unit, wherein the zone unit comprises
one or more zone processors,
one or more zone memories coupled to the one or more zone processors,
a zone storage device that is electrically writable nonvolatile,
a semiconductor switch capable of electrically connecting the downstream electric wire, which is coupled to the downstream unit, to a power supply, and
a current sensor configured to detect a current flowing to the downstream electric wire through the semiconductor switch,
wherein the central unit comprises
one or more central processors,
one or more central memories coupled to the one or more central processors, and
a central storage device in which electric wire characteristic data indicating a characteristic of the downstream electric wire is stored in advance,
wherein the one or more central processors execute processing including transmitting the electric wire characteristic data stored in the central storage device to the zone unit at a predetermined timing, and wherein the zone processor executes processing including
writing the electric wire characteristic data transmitted from the central unit into the zone storage device in response to reception of the electric wire characteristic data transmitted from the central unit, and
calculating a temperature estimation value that is an estimation value of a temperature of the downstream electric wire, based on the electric wire characteristic data written into the zone storage device and the current detected by the current sensor,
turning the semiconductor switch to an OFF state when the temperature estimation value exceeds a predetermined temperature threshold, and
turning the semiconductor switch to the OFF state, even when the temperature estimation value is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature threshold, if a downstream OFF command, which is a command for interrupting the electric power to the downstream unit corresponding to the semiconductor switch, is received from the central unit.

2 . The power system according to claim 1 , wherein the central processor executes processing including
acquiring the electric wire characteristic data written into the zone storage device by performing communication with the zone unit when a specific condition is satisfied, determining whether the electric wire characteristic data acquired from the zone unit coincides with the electric wire characteristic data stored in the central storage device, and making a notification about a writing error of the electric wire characteristic data when the electric wire characteristic data acquired from the zone unit does not coincide with the electric wire characteristic data stored in the central storage device.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Nissan Motor
• Honda Motor Co Ltd
• Mitsubishi Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kinoshita Takahiro
• Shirasawa Ryo

Classifications

• H02J7/975

  in response to temperature · CPC title

• H02J7/94

  in response to battery current · CPC title

• B60R16/033

  characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries (for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36) · CPC title

• H02H6/005

  using digital thermal images · CPC title

• B60R16/0238

  Electrical distribution centers · CPC title