Control apparatus, power supply control apparatus, charge control method, charge control apparatus, and power supply apparatus for vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016016483-A1
Application number	US-201414775739-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 24, 2014
Priority date	Apr 3, 2013
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A control apparatus charging a storage battery is provided. A control apparatus controls charging from a power generator to a storage battery. A switch is provided on a first charge channel via which the power generator charges the storage battery, and a DCDC converter is provided on a second charge channel via which the power generator charges the storage battery. The DCDC converter steps up a voltage generated by the power generator, and applies the stepped-up voltage to the storage battery via an electric wire. A controller controls the switch and the DCDC converter such that, when a charge current value detected by an electric current detector becomes smaller than a predetermined value under a condition where the storage battery is being charged via the first charge channel, charging to the storage battery is switched to charging via the second charge channel.

First claim

1 . A control apparatus that controls charging from a power generator to a storage battery, comprising:
a first charge channel and a second charge channel via which the power generator charges the storage battery; a switch that is provided in the first charge channel; a voltage converter that is provided in the second charge channel, steps up a voltage generated by the power generator, and applies the stepped-up voltage to the storage battery; an electric current detector that detects a charge current to the storage battery; and a controller that controls the switch and the voltage step-up circuit so that, when a charge current value detected by the current detector becomes smaller than a predetermined value under a condition where the storage battery is being charged via the first charge channel, charging to the storage battery is switched to charging via the second charge channel.

2 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a value of current generated by the power generator is limited to be equal to or smaller than the predetermined value.

3 . A control apparatus that controls charging from a power generator to a storage battery, comprising:
a first charge channel and a second charge channel via which the power generator charges the storage battery; a switch that is provided in the first charge channel; a voltage converter that is provided in the second charge channel, steps up a voltage generated by the power generator, and applies the stepped-up voltage to the storage battery; a voltage detector that detects a voltage at each of two ends of an electric wire connected to the first charge channel and the second charge channel; and a controller that controls the switch and the voltage step-up circuit so that, when a calculation value calculated based on voltage values detected by the voltage detector becomes smaller than a predetermined value under a condition where the storage battery is being charged via the first charge channel, charging to the storage battery is switched to charging via the second charge channel.

4 . The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
a value of an electric current generated by the power generator has an upper limit, and the predetermined value is a calculation value calculated based on voltage values detected by the voltage detector when an electric current having the upper limit value flows through the electric wire.

5 . A power supply control apparatus that controls power supply from a power generator to a first storage battery, a second storage battery, and a load, and power supply from the first storage battery to the load, comprising:
a first switch that is provided on a power supply channel from the power generator to the first storage battery; a second switch that is provided on a power supply channel from the power generator to the second storage battery and the load; a voltage transformer that is provided between a connection node, which is between the first storage battery and the first switch, and the load, transforms an output voltage of the power generator or the first storage battery, and applies the transformed voltage to the load; an acquisitor that acquires first remaining capacity information and second remaining capacity information respectively indicating a remaining capacity of the first storage battery and a remaining capacity of the second storage battery; and a controller that controls turning ON/OFF of each of the first switch and the second switch and activation/deactivation of the voltage transformer, according to the remaining capacities indicated by the first remaining capacity information and the second remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor.

6 . The power supply control apparatus according to claim 5 , comprising
a determinator that determines whether or not the power generator is generating regenerative electric power, wherein the controller is configured to control turning ON/OFF of each of the first switch and the second switch and activation/deactivation of the voltage transformer, according to a result of a determination made by the determinator and the remaining capacities indicated by the first remaining capacity information and the second remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor.

7 . The power supply control apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the controller is configured to, in a case where the determinator determines that regenerative electric power is being generated, turn ON both the first switch and the second switch and deactivate the voltage transformer circuit when the remaining capacity indicated by the first remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor is smaller than a first predetermined value and the remaining capacity indicated by the second remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor is smaller than a second predetermined value.

8 . The power supply control apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the controller is configured to, in a case where the determination determines that regenerative electric power is being generated, turn ON the first switch, turn OFF the second switch, and activate the voltage transformer when the remaining capacity indicated by the first remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor is smaller than a first predetermined value and the remaining capacity indicated by the second remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor is equal to or greater than a second predetermined value.

9 . The power supply control apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the controller is configured to, in a case where the determinator determines that regenerative electric power is being generated, turn OFF the first switch, turn ON the second switch, and deactivate the voltage transformer when the remaining capacity indicated by the first remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value and the remaining capacity indicated by the second remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor is smaller than a second predetermined value.

10 . The power supply control apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the controller is configured to, in a case where the determinator determines that regenerative electric power is being generated, turn OFF both the first switch and the second switch and activate the voltage transformer when the remaining capacity indicated by the first remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value and the remaining capacity indicated by the second remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor is equal to or greater than a second predetermined value.

11 . The power supply control apparatus according to claim 6 , comprising
a driver for, in a case where the determinator determines that regenerative electric power is not being generated, driving the power generator when the remaining capacity indicated by the first remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor is smaller than a first predetermined value and the remaining capacity indicated by the second remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor is smaller than a second predetermined value, wherein the controller is configured to, in a case where the determinator determines that regenerative electric power is not being generated, turn ON both the first switch and the second switch and deactivate the voltage transformer when the remaining capacity indicated by the first remaining capacity information acquired by the acquisitor is smaller than a first predetermined value and the remaining capacity indicated by the second remaini

Assignees

• Autonetworks Technologies Ltd
• Sumitomo Wiring Systems
• Sumitomo Electric Industries

Inventors

• Yasunori Hiromichi
• Taniguchi Tomohiro

Classifications

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• H02J7/342

  The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68) · CPC title

• B60L2210/40

  DC to AC converters · CPC title

• B60L58/20

  having different nominal voltages · CPC title

• H02J7/1423

  with multiple batteries · CPC title