Power-supply control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9308820-B2
Application number	US-201313771903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2013
Priority date	Feb 20, 2012
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

An electric power is surely supplied to a load even if an abnormality is generated in a switching control circuit, which controls a switching part that switches electric connection between a power supply and the load of a vehicle. The switching control circuit controls a state of a contact of a keep relay that switches the electric connection between the power supply and the load. A monitor circuit monitors existence or non-existence of the abnormality of the switching control circuit. When detecting the abnormality of the switching control circuit, the monitor circuit transmits a reset signal in order to reset a state of the switching control circuit. When receiving the reset signal from the monitor circuit, an abnormal-time connection circuit transmits a connection signal to a coil of the keep relay to bring a movable contact into contact with a contact. For example, the present invention can be applied to a power-supply control device for the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power-supply control device that controls supply of an electric power from a power supply of a vehicle to a load of the vehicle by controlling a switching part, the switching part switching electric connection between the power supply and the load, the switching part becoming a first state in which the power supply is electrically connected to the load when a first control signal is transmitted, the switching part becoming a second state in which the power supply is electrically disconnected from the load when a second control signal is transmitted, the switching part being able to retain the state even if the supply of the control signal is stopped, the power-supply control device comprising:
a switching control circuit that transmits the first control signal and the second control signal to the switching part to control the state of the switching part;
a monitor circuit that monitors existence or non-existence of an abnormality of the switching control circuit, and transmits a reset signal to the switching control circuit in order to reset the state of the switching control circuit when detecting the abnormality of the switching control circuit; and
an abnormal-time connection circuit that transmits a third control signal to the switching part in order to set the switching part to the first state when the monitor circuit transmits the reset signal to the switching control circuit,
wherein the reset signal is a pulsed signal, and
wherein the abnormal-time connection circuit transmits the third control signal to the switching part after a plurality of pulsed reset signals are transmitted.

2. The power-supply control device according to claim 1 , further comprising an electric-power supply monitor circuit that is connected between the switching part and the load, and transmits a signal, which indicates existence or non-existence of the electric power supplied from the power supply to the load, to the switching control circuit while the switching control circuit transmits a fourth control signal.

3. The power-supply control device according to claim 1 , further comprising an automatic stopping circuit that is connected between the switching part and the load, and stops the third control signal output from the abnormal-time connection circuit using a voltage or a current, which is supplied from the switching part to the load.

4. The power-supply control device according to claim 1 , further comprising the switching part.

5. The power-supply control device according to claim 1 , wherein the switching part includes a relay that can retain a state of a contact even if the transmission of the control signal is stopped,
wherein the first state is a state in which the relay electrically connects the power supply to the load, and
wherein the second state is a state in which the relay electrically disconnects the power supply from the load.

6. The power-supply control device according to claim 5 , wherein the switching control circuit includes:
a connection circuit that is connected to the power supply, and supplies the electric power from the power supply to the relay as the first control signal when a fifth control signal is transmitted;
a disconnection circuit that is connected to the power supply, and supplies the electric power from the power supply to the relay as the second control signal when a sixth control signal is transmitted; and
a control part that controls the state of the relay by transmitting the fifth control signal to the connection circuit or transmitting the sixth control signal to the disconnection circuit.

7. The power-supply control device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the sixth control signal is a pulsed signal, and
wherein the disconnection circuit transmits the second control signal to the relay after the plurality of pulsed sixth control signals are transmitted.

8. The power-supply control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the switching circuit includes a keep relay that becomes the first state when the first control signal or the third control signal is transmitted to a connection-side coil, is able to retain the first state even if the transmission of the first control signal or the third control signal is stopped, becomes the second state when the second control signal is transmitted to a disconnection-side coil, and is able to retain the second state even if the transmission of the second control signal is stopped,
wherein the first state is a state in which the keep relay electrically connects the power supply to the load, and
wherein the second state is a state in which the keep relay electrically disconnects the power supply from the load.

9. The power-supply control device according to claim 8 , wherein the keep relay becomes the first state when the control signal is simultaneously transmitted to the connection-side coil and the disconnection-side coil.

10. The power-supply control device according to claim 2 , further comprising an automatic stopping circuit that is connected between the switching part and the load, and stops the third control signal output from the abnormal-time connection circuit using a voltage or a current, which is supplied from the switching part to the load.

11. The power-supply control device according to claim 10 , further comprising the switching part.

12. The power-supply control device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the switching part includes a relay that can retain a state of a contact even if the transmission of the control signal is stopped,
wherein the first state is a state in which the relay electrically connects the power supply to the load, and
wherein the second state is a state in which the relay electrically disconnects the power supply from the load.

13. The power-supply control device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the switching part includes a relay that can retain a state of a contact even if the transmission of the control signal is stopped,
wherein the first state is a state in which the relay electrically connects the power supply to the load, and
wherein the second state is a state in which the relay electrically disconnects the power supply from the load.

14. The power-supply control device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the switching circuit includes a keep relay that becomes the first state when the first control signal or the third control signal is transmitted to a connection-side coil, is able to retain the first state even if the transmission of the first control signal or the third control signal is stopped, becomes the second state when the second control signal is transmitted to a disconnection-side coil, and is able to retain the second state even if the transmission of the second control signal is stopped,
wherein the first state is a state in which the keep relay electrically connects the power supply to the load, and
wherein the second state is a state in which the keep relay electrically disconnects the power supply from the load.

Assignees

• Aragai Takashi
• Ukai Yusuke
• Miyazaki Hirohito
• Omron Automotive Electronics

Inventors

• Aragai Takashi
• Ukai Yusuke
• Miyazaki Hirohito

Classifications

• B60R16/03 Primary

  for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} · CPC title

• B60L1/00 Primary

  Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00) · CPC title