Charge control device, vehicle control device, vehicle, charge control method and vehicle control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016046292-A1
Application number	US-201314778676-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2013
Priority date	Apr 1, 2013
Publication date	Feb 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A charge control device for a battery is mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle comprises an engine, a generator driven with power of the engine, the battery configured to be chargeable with electric power generated by the generator, and auxiliary machinery operated with electric power of the battery. The charge control device comprises: a load condition detector that is configured to detect a load condition of the auxiliary machinery; and a charge controller that is configured to control charging into the battery, based on the load condition of the auxiliary machinery, wherein in response to detection of a state change from a state in which a magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery is smaller than a predetermined threshold value to a state in which a magnitude of the load is larger than the predetermined threshold value, the charge controller controls a generated voltage by the generator based on the magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery prior to the state change during a time period until a specified time has elapsed after the detection of the state change, and the charge controller controls a generated voltage by the generator based on a magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery detected by the load condition detector during a time period after elapse of the specified time.

First claim

1 . A charge control device for a battery mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an engine, a generator driven with power of the engine, the battery configured to be chargeable with electric power generated by the generator, and auxiliary machinery operated with electric power of the battery, the charge control device comprising:
a load condition detector that is configured to detect a load condition of the auxiliary machinery; and a charge controller that is configured to control charging into the battery, based on the load condition of the auxiliary machinery, wherein in response to detection of a state change from a state in which a magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery is smaller than a predetermined threshold value to a state in which a magnitude of the load is larger than the predetermined threshold value,
the charge controller controls a generated voltage by the generator based on the magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery prior to the state change during a time period until a specified time has elapsed after the detection of the state change, and
the charge controller controls a generated voltage by the generator based on a magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery detected by the load condition detector during a time period after elapse of the specified time.

2 . The charge control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle includes a starter configured to start the engine, and the threshold value is a value that is larger than current consumption of the auxiliary machinery in an idle reduction state of the engine but is smaller than current consumption of the starter.

3 . The charge control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the charge controller uses an observed value of electric current of the auxiliary machinery to obtain a calculated value of electric current of the auxiliary machinery for controlling the generated voltage by the generator, and when obtaining the calculated value of electric current of the auxiliary machinery, the charge controller performs a smoothing process that reduces a variation in the calculated value of electric current of the auxiliary machinery to be smaller than a variation in the observed value of electric current of the auxiliary machinery.

4 . A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an engine, a generator driven with power of the engine, a battery configured to be chargeable with electric power generated by the generator, and auxiliary machinery operated with electric power of the battery, the vehicle control device comprising
the charge control device according to claim 1 ; an idle reduction controller that is configured to perform idle reduction control of the engine; and an SOC detector that is configured to detect a state of charge (SOC) of the battery, wherein the charge control device further comprises
an idle reduction capacity setter that is configured to set, during running of the vehicle, a capacity for idle reduction in an available SOC range of the battery, based on the load of the auxiliary machinery, wherein the capacity for idle reduction is expected to be used in a stop and start period from an engine stop to an engine restart by the idle reduction control; and
a remaining capacity controller that is configured to control an amount of power generation by the generator so as to avoid a remaining capacity in the available SOC range, which corresponds to the SOC detected by the SOC detector, from becoming smaller than the capacity for idle reduction during running of the vehicle.

5 . A vehicle, comprising
an engine; a battery that is configured to be chargeable with electric power generated by a generator that is driven with power of the engine; auxiliary machinery that is operated with electric power of the battery; and the vehicle control device according to claim 4 .

6 . A charge control method for a battery mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an engine, a generator driven with power of the engine, the battery configured to be chargeable with electric power generated by the generator, and auxiliary machinery operated with electric power of the battery, the charge control method comprising the steps of:
(a) detecting magnitude of a load of the auxiliary machinery; (b) determining whether there is a state change from a state in which a magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery is smaller than a predetermined threshold value to a state in which a magnitude of the load is larger than the predetermined threshold value; and (c) controlling charging into the battery based on the magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery, wherein in response to detection of the state change from the state in which a magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery is smaller than the predetermined threshold value to the state in which a magnitude of the load is larger than the predetermined threshold value in the step (b),
in the step (c), a generated voltage by the generator is controlled based on the magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery prior to the state change during a time period until a specified time has elapsed after the detection of the state change, while
a generated voltage by the generator is controlled based on the detected magnitude of the load of the auxiliary machinery during a time period after elapse of the specified time.

7 . A vehicle control method of controlling a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an engine, a generator driven with power of the engine, a battery configured to be chargeable with electric power generated by the generator, and auxiliary machinery operated with electric power of the battery,
in addition to the steps of the charge control method according to claim 6 , the vehicle control method comprising the steps of: (d) performing idle reduction control; (e) detecting a state of charge (SOC) of the battery; (f) measuring a current value of electric current flowing through the auxiliary machinery; (g) obtaining a calculated value of electric current of the auxiliary machinery by performing a smoothing process that reduces a variation in calculated value of electric current of the auxiliary machinery to be smaller than a variation in observed value of electric current of the auxiliary machinery; and (h) setting, during running of the vehicle, a capacity for idle reduction in an available SOC range of the battery, based on a current value corrected in the step (g), wherein the capacity for idle reduction is expected to be used in a stop and start period from an engine stop to an engine restart by the idle reduction control, wherein in the step (c), an amount of power generation by the generator is further controlled so as to avoid a remaining capacity in the available SOC range, which corresponds to the SOC detected in the step (e), from becoming smaller than the capacity for idle reduction during running of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Miyashita Michihiro

Classifications

• B60W2510/244

  Charge state · CPC title

• B60W10/26

  for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors · CPC title

• B60W2710/065

  Idle condition · CPC title

• B60W2710/244

  Charge state · CPC title

• B60W10/30

  including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps · CPC title