Charging system, vehicle, and charging facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016207409-A1
Application number	US-201414912696-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 12, 2014
Priority date	Aug 19, 2013
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A charging system includes a vehicle, a charging/discharging connector, a detector, and an informing portion. The vehicle is equipped with an electric power storage device, and also includes an inlet for charging the electric power storage device. The charging/discharging connector is a connector that is attached to and detached from the inlet and that is connected to the inlet in a fully fitted state, in which charging can be performed, and a half-fitted state, in which charging is not allowed. The detector includes an electronic control unit for detecting whether a connecting state of the charging/discharging connector is the fully fitted state or the half-fitted state. The informing portion includes an indicator for informing a user of abnormal connection of the charging/discharging connector on the basis of a detection result of the electronic control unit when connection of the charging/discharging connector is the half-fitted state.

First claim

1 - 10 . (canceled)

11 . A charging system, comprising:
a vehicle to which an electric power storage device is installed, the vehicle being provided with a charging connection portion that charges the electric power storage device; a connector configured to:
(a) be attached to and detached from the charging connection portion, and
(b) be connected to the charging connection portion in either a fully fitted state and a half-fitted state, charging being able to be performed in the fully fitted state, and the charging being not allowed in the half-fitted state;
a detector configured to detect whether a connecting state of the connector is in the fully fitted state or the half-fitted state; and an informing portion configured to inform a user of abnormal connection of the connector based on a detection result of the detector when the connecting state of the connector is the half-fitted state, wherein the detector is provided in the vehicle, the detector is configured to detect the connecting state of the connector based on a first signal and a second signal, the first signal and the second signal are provided from the connector through the charging connection portion, and the detector is configured to activate the informing portion when either one of the first signal and the second signal indicates the half-fitted state.

12 . The charging system according to claim 11 , wherein
the first signal is a signal that:
(a) indicates presence or absence of the connection of the connector to the charging connection portion and
(b) is detected by both of the vehicle and a charging facility,
the second signal is a signal that:
(a) indicates whether the connecting state of the connector is the fully fitted state or the half-fitted state in addition to the presence or absence of the connection of the connector to the charging connection portion, and
(b) is detected by the vehicle but is not detected by the charging facility, and
the vehicle includes an electronic control unit, and the electronic control unit is configured to transmit a state of the second signal to the charging facility through communication after detecting the state of the second signal.

13 . The charging system according to claim 11 , wherein
the first signal includes a control pilot signal, and the second signal includes a proximity detection signal.

14 . The charging system according to claim 11 , wherein
the detector includes an electronic control unit that is arranged in the vehicle, the charging system further comprising:
a home energy management system configured to:
(a) communicate with the electronic control unit to obtain a state of the second signal, and
(b) control the informing portion based on the obtained state of the second signal, and
the home energy management system being included in a house.

15 . The charging system according to claim 11 , wherein
the connector includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a locking portion and an operating portion, the locking portion locks to prevent detachment of the connector from the charging connection portion, the operating portion is configured such that the user operates the locking portion, the charging connection portion includes a third terminal and a fourth terminal, the third terminal corresponds to the first terminal, the fourth terminal corresponds to the second terminal, the first signal goes through the first terminal and the third terminal, the operating portion also functions as a transmission switch that changes the second signal in such a manner that the second signal indicates the half-fitted state when the locking portion is operated to be unlocked from a properly locked state on the charging connection portion, and the second signal is transmitted to the charging connection portion side through the second terminal and the fourth terminal.

16 . The charging system according to claim 11 , wherein
the connector includes a charging/discharging connector that is connected to the charging connection portion in order to charge and discharge the electric power storage device.

17 . The charging system according to claim 11 , wherein
the informing portion includes an indicator that informs the user of the state of the connection of the connector by display.

18 . A vehicle comprising:
an electric power storage device; a charging connection portion configured to charge the electric power storage device from outside of the vehicle; and an electronic control unit configured to:
(a) detect whether a connecting state of a connector is a fully fitted state or a half-fitted state, when the connector is connected to the charging connection portion, charging being able to be performed in the fully fitted state, the charging being not allowed in the half-fitted state, and the connector being attachable to and detachable from the charging connection portion, and
(b) activate an informing portion that informs a user of abnormal connection of the connector when the connecting state of the connector is the half-fitted state, wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to detect the connecting state of the connector based on a first signal and a second signal, the first signal and the second signal are provided from the connector through the charging connection portion, and the electronic control unit is configured to activate the informing portion when either one of the first signal and the second signal indicates the half-fitted state.

19 . A charging facility for charging a vehicle,
the vehicle including: an electric power storage device; a charging connection portion configured to charge the electric power storage device from outside of the vehicle; and an electronic control unit configured to detect whether a connecting state of a connector is a fully fitted state or a half-fitted state, when a connector is connected to the charging connection portion, charging being able to be performed in the fully fitted state, the charging being not allowed in the half-fitted state, and the connector being attachable to and detachable from the charging connection portion, the electronic control unit being configured to detect the connecting state of the connector based on a first signal and a second signal, the first signal and the second signal being provided from the connector through the charging connection portion, the charging facility comprising:
a home energy management system that communicates with the electronic control unit to obtain the connecting state of the connector; and
an informing portion configured to:
(a) be controlled by the home energy management system, and
(b) inform a user of abnormal connection of the connector when the connecting state of the connector is the half-fitted state, wherein
the home energy management system is configured to activate the informing portion when either one of the first signal and the second signal indicates the half-fitted state.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ueo Daisuke

Classifications

• H02J7/685

  using connection detecting circuits (H02J7/68 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60L2270/20

  Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery · CPC title

• B60L2210/30

  AC to DC converters · CPC title

• Y04S10/126

  the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G] · CPC title

• B60L15/20

  for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed · CPC title