Vehicle, vehicle control system and vehicle control method

Abstract

Vehicle with: a first battery pack (10A) and a second battery pack (10B), each of the first battery pack (10A) and the second battery pack (10B) comprising a secondary battery, a battery sensor that detects a state of the secondary battery, and a first control device; a second control device provided separately from the first battery pack (10A) and the second battery pack (10B); a third control device provided separately from the first battery pack (10A) and the second battery pack (10B) and configured to relay communication between the first control device and the second control device; and a converter, attached to the third control device, wherein: the first battery pack (10A) is configured to output an upper current limit value indicating an upper limit of an output current of the secondary battery in the first battery pack (10A); the first control device is configured to use a detection value of the battery sensor in the first battery pack (10A) to obtain the upper current limit value; the second control device is configured to use an upper power limit value indicating an upper limit of an output power of the secondary batteries to control the output power of the secondary batteries; the converter is configured to convert the upper current limit value into the upper power limit value by multiplying a measured value of a voltage of the secondary battery in the first battery pack (10A) by the upper current limit value, the voltage being detected by the battery sensor; the vehicle is configured such that when the upper current limit value is input from the battery pack (10) to the third control device, the converter converts the upper current limit value into the upper power limit value, and the upper power limit value is output from the third control device to the second control device; and the third control device is configured to perform the conversion and output the upper power limit when the upper current limit is input from the first battery pack (10A), and to output the upper power limit without performing the conversion when the upper power limit is input from the second battery pack (10B).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONTechnical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle, a vehicle control system and a vehicle control method. State of the art

[0002] JP 2019-156007 A discloses a control device that controls the output power of a secondary battery using an upper power limit value (Wout) indicating an upper limit of the output power of the secondary battery mounted on a vehicle. Furthermore, US 2014 / 0111164 A1 discloses a battery control device having an internal resistance table describing the internal resistance value of individual cells according to their temperature and state of charge in conjunction with the respective charging or discharging time of the individual cells. Furthermore, DE 10 2018 127 530 A1 describes a method for calculating a maximum current and predicting a performance of a battery pack in a system, wherein the performance of the battery pack is predicted using the selected lower absolute value.Furthermore, JP 2014-58267 A discloses a vehicle power generation control system in which an MPU of a generation ECU receives load information about an operating state of the on-board device via a communication medium such as an on-board electrical system and calculates a power demand of a vehicle based on the load information. Furthermore, the MPU determines whether a charging initiation condition can be established based on an index value of a current remaining chargeable capacity of a battery and the calculated power demand value. As long as the calculated power demand value is larger but not relatively small, the charging initiation condition is established when the index value of the current remaining chargeable capacity of the battery is larger. Furthermore, the MPU controls an alternator until a charging stop condition is established, thus executing the charging of the battery to be performed by the alternator. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Electric vehicles (e.g., electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles) that use a secondary battery as a power source have become widespread in recent years. If the capacity or performance of the secondary battery decreases due to battery deterioration or the like, it is conceivable that the secondary battery attached to the electric vehicle be replaced.

[0004] The secondary battery is generally mounted on a vehicle in the form of a battery pack. The battery pack includes a secondary battery, a sensor that detects the state of the secondary battery (e.g., current, voltage, and temperature), and a control device. Hereinafter, the control device installed in the battery pack may be referred to as a "battery electronic control unit (ECU)," and the sensor installed in the battery pack may be referred to as a "battery sensor." Peripheral devices (e.g., a sensor and a control device) dedicated to the secondary battery are mounted on the battery pack. The battery pack is maintained so that the secondary battery and its peripheral devices can operate normally.Therefore, if the secondary battery mounted on the vehicle is replaced, it is considered preferable from the perspective of vehicle maintenance to replace not only the secondary battery but the entire battery pack mounted on the vehicle.

[0005] According to JP 2019-156007 A, there is a conventional control device mounted on a vehicle separately from a battery pack, which controls the output power of the secondary battery using an upper power limit value (hereinafter also referred to as a "power limit control device"). The power limit control device is configured to perform power-based output restriction. Power-based output restriction is an operation of controlling the output power of the secondary battery so that the output power of the secondary battery does not exceed the upper power limit value.Generally, a vehicle having a control device that performs power-based output restriction is equipped with a battery pack including a battery ECU that acquires an upper power limit value using a detection value from a battery sensor (hereinafter also referred to as a “power limit battery pack”).

[0006] On the other hand, a control device mounted on a vehicle separately from the battery pack is known, which controls the output current of the secondary battery using an upper current limit value indicating an upper limit of the output current of the secondary battery (hereinafter also referred to as a "current limit control device"). The current limit control device is configured to perform current-based output restriction. The current-based output restriction is an operation of controlling the output current of the secondary battery such that the output current of the secondary battery does not exceed an upper current limit value.Generally, a vehicle with a control device that performs current-based output restriction is equipped with a battery pack including a battery ECU that acquires an upper current limit value using a detection value from a battery sensor (hereinafter also referred to as a “current limit battery pack”).

[0007] Depending on the supply and demand situation (or storage condition) of the battery pack, the current-limiting battery pack may be more readily available than the power-limiting battery pack. However, with respect to prior art vehicles, it was not expected to use a current-limiting battery pack in combination with a power-limiting control device, so no research has been conducted on devices for using a current-limiting battery pack in combination with a power-limiting control device. Thus, it is difficult to apply a current-limiting battery pack to a vehicle equipped with a power-limiting control device.

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle, a vehicle control system, and a vehicle control method that can perform power-based output restriction on a secondary battery included in a current-limiting battery pack.

[0009] According to the invention, the object is achieved by a vehicle according to claim 1, a vehicle control system according to claim 4 and a vehicle control method according to claim 5. Further features and advantageous developments are shown in the subclaims.

[0010] A vehicle according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a battery pack having a first control device and a second control device provided separately from the battery pack. The battery pack further includes a secondary battery and a battery sensor that detects a state of the secondary battery. The first control device is configured to use a detection value of the battery sensor to obtain a current upper limit value indicative of an upper limit value of an output current of the secondary battery. The second control device is configured to use a power upper limit value indicative of an upper limit value of an output power of the secondary battery to control the output power of the secondary battery.The vehicle includes a converter that converts the upper current limit to the upper power limit by multiplying a measured voltage of the secondary battery by the upper current limit. The voltage is detected by the battery sensor.

[0011] The vehicle is equipped with a converter that converts the upper current limit into the upper power limit. The converter can easily and appropriately obtain the upper power limit corresponding to the upper current limit by multiplying the upper current limit obtained in the battery pack by the measured voltage. Thus, according to the above configuration, the second control device can appropriately perform power-based output restriction even if the current-limiting battery pack is employed. The second control device corresponds to the power-limiting control device described above.

[0012] In the above configuration, the vehicle may further include a third control device provided separately from the battery pack and configured to relay communication between the first control device and the second control device. The converter may be attached to the third control device. The battery pack may be configured to output the upper current limit value. The vehicle may be configured such that, when the upper current limit value is input from the battery pack to the third control device, the converter converts the upper current limit value into the upper power limit value, and the upper power limit value is output from the third control device to the second control device.

[0013] In the above configuration, the third control device provided separately from the battery pack includes the converter, and the converter converts the upper current limit value into the upper power limit value.

[0014] Thus, the converter can be mounted on the vehicle without changing the configurations of the battery pack (including the first control device) and the second control device.

[0015] In the above configuration, the third control device may be configured to perform the conversion and output the upper power limit when the upper power limit is input, and to output the upper power limit without performing the conversion when the upper power limit is input.

[0016] In the above configuration, if the vehicle is equipped with the current-limiting battery pack, the third control device performs the conversion based on the upper current limit value input from the current-limiting battery pack and outputs the upper power limit value. On the other hand, if the vehicle is equipped with the power-limiting battery pack, the third control device outputs the upper power limit value without performing the conversion based on the upper power limit value input from the power-limiting battery pack. Thus, according to the above configuration, the second control device can appropriately perform the power-based output restriction both in the case where the current-limiting battery pack is applied and in the case where the power-limiting battery pack is applied.

[0017] In the above configuration, each of the first control device, the second control device, and the third control device may be a microcomputer connected to an in-vehicle local area network (LAN). In the in-vehicle LAN, the first control device may be connected to the second control device via the third control device to communicate with the second control device via the third control device.

[0018] In the above configuration, LAN is an abbreviation for "local area network." In the above configuration, each of the first to third control devices is a microcomputer. The microcomputer has a small size and high processing capacity, making it suitable as an in-vehicle control device. The third control device can receive the upper current limit value from the first control device via the in-vehicle LAN, convert the upper current limit value into the upper power limit value using the converter, and then transmit the upper power limit value to the second control device via the in-vehicle LAN. With the above configuration, each control device can properly perform the required calculation and communication. CAN (controller area network) or FlexRay can be adopted as the communication protocol of the in-vehicle LAN.

[0019] The third control device may also be used for purposes other than converting the upper limit (i.e., converting the upper current limit to the upper power limit). The third control device may be configured to manage information (e.g., collecting vehicle data). Furthermore, the third control device may act as a central gateway (CGW).

[0020] In the above configuration, the converter may be attached to the first control device. The first control device may be configured to convert the upper current limit value obtained using the detection value of the battery sensor into the upper power limit value with the converter and output the upper power limit value to the second control device if the first control device is connected to the second control device.

[0021] The converter may be incorporated into the first control device (i.e., within the battery pack). In this configuration, the upper current limit may be converted into the upper power limit within the battery pack, and the upper power limit may be output from the battery pack. Thus, the second control device can appropriately perform the power-based output restriction without adding the third control device.

[0022] In the above-mentioned configuration, the converter may be attached to the second control device. The battery pack may be configured to output the upper current limit. The second control device may be configured to convert the upper current limit input from the battery pack into the upper power limit with the converter and to control the output power of the secondary battery such that the output power of the secondary battery does not exceed the upper power limit.

[0023] With the above configuration, the second control device provided separately from the battery pack includes the converter, and the converter converts the upper current limit into the upper power limit. Therefore, the converter can be mounted on the vehicle without changing the configuration of the battery pack (which includes the first control device). Furthermore, the second control device can appropriately perform the power-based output restriction without adding the third control device.

[0024] In the above configuration, the secondary battery may be an assembled battery having a plurality of cells. The measured value of the secondary battery voltage used for multiplication may be one of an average cell voltage, a maximum cell voltage, a minimum cell voltage, and an inter-terminal voltage of the assembled battery.

[0025] In the configuration where the secondary battery is the assembled battery as described above, any one of the average cell voltage, the maximum cell voltage, the minimum cell voltage, and the inter-terminal voltage of the assembled battery is measured, and the measured value is used for multiplication. Accordingly, the upper power limit corresponding to the upper current limit can be easily and conveniently obtained. The average cell voltage is an average value of the voltages of the cells included in the assembled battery. The maximum cell voltage is the highest voltage value among the voltages of the cells included in the assembled battery. The minimum cell voltage is the lowest voltage value among the voltages of the cells included in the assembled battery.

[0026] The vehicle according to the above embodiment may be an electrically powered vehicle that runs using electric power stored in the secondary battery in the battery pack. The electrically powered vehicle includes an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid vehicle (HV), and a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV).

[0027] The vehicle may be a hybrid vehicle having a first motor generator, a second motor generator, and an engine. Electric power may be supplied from the secondary battery in the battery pack to both the first motor generator and the second motor generator. Both the engine and the first motor generator may be mechanically connected to drive wheels of the hybrid vehicle via a planetary gear train. The planetary gear train and the second motor generator may be configured such that a drive force output from the planetary gear train and a drive force output from the second motor generator are combined and transmitted to the drive wheels. The second control device may generate a control instruction for each of the first motor generator, the second motor generator, and the engine such that the output power of the secondary battery does not exceed the upper power limit.

[0028] A vehicle control system according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is configured such that a battery pack including a secondary battery is attached to the vehicle control system. The vehicle control system includes a control unit configured to control an output power of the secondary battery such that the output power of the secondary battery does not exceed an upper power limit when the battery pack is attached to the vehicle control system, and a conversion unit configured such that, upon input of an upper current limit value indicative of an upper limit value of an output current of the secondary battery from the battery pack, the conversion unit converts the upper current limit value into the upper power limit value by multiplying a measured value of a voltage of the secondary battery by the upper current limit value.

[0029] According to the above configuration, the upper power limit corresponding to the upper current limit is obtained by multiplying the upper current limit by the measured voltage. Therefore, even if the current-limiting battery pack is adopted, it is possible to appropriately perform power-based output restriction on the secondary battery included in the current-limiting battery pack.

[0030] A vehicle control method according to a third aspect of the present disclosure includes: obtaining, with a vehicle control system to which a battery pack including a secondary battery is attached, an upper current limit value indicative of an upper limit value of an output current of the secondary battery and a measured value of a voltage of the secondary battery from the battery pack; performing, with the vehicle control system, conversion of the upper current limit value into an upper power limit value indicative of an upper limit value of an output power of the secondary battery by multiplying the upper current limit value by the measured value of the voltage; and controlling the output power of the secondary battery using the upper power limit value with the vehicle control system.

[0031] Also, in the above vehicle control method, the upper power limit corresponding to the upper current limit is obtained by multiplying the upper current limit by the measured voltage. Therefore, even if the current limiting package is applied, it is possible to perform power-based output restriction on the secondary battery included in the current limiting battery package.

[0032] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle, a vehicle control system, and a vehicle control method that can perform power-based output restriction on a secondary battery included in a current-limiting battery pack. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0033] Features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like elements, and wherein: Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating a connection mode of control devices included in the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a map used for setting a target battery power in the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of a battery pack, an electronic control unit (ECU) of a gateway, and an ECU of a hybrid vehicle (HV) according to Fig. 1 illustrates; Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a first example of a vehicle control system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the vehicle control system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a modification example of the gateway ECU according to Fig. 4 illustrates; Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a modification example of the HV-ECU according to Fig. 4 illustrates; Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a first modification example of the vehicle control system according to Fig. 4 illustrates; and Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a second modification example of the vehicle control system according to Fig. 4 illustrates. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0034] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and repeated descriptions thereof are omitted. Hereinafter, an electronic control unit is also referred to as an "ECU."

[0035] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, a four-wheeled vehicle with a front-wheel drive (more specifically, a hybrid vehicle) is assumed to be used, but the number of wheels and the drive system can be changed as needed. For example, the drive system may be four-wheel drive.

[0036] With reference to Fig. 1, a vehicle 100 is equipped with a battery pack 10 including a battery ECU 13. Further, a motor ECU 23, an engine ECU 33, an HV ECU 50, and a gateway ECU 60 are mounted on the vehicle 100 separately from the battery pack. The motor ECU 23, the engine ECU 33, the HV ECU 50, and the gateway ECU 60 are located outside the battery pack 10. The battery ECU 13 is located inside the battery pack 10. In the present embodiment, the battery ECU 13, the HV ECU 50, and the gateway ECU 60 respectively correspond to examples of a "first control device," a "second control device," and a "third control device" according to the present disclosure.

[0037] The battery pack 10 includes a battery 11, a voltage sensor 12a, a current sensor 12b, a temperature sensor 12c, the battery ECU 13, and a system main relay (SMR) 14. The battery 11 functions as a secondary battery. In the present embodiment, an assembled battery including a plurality of electrically connected lithium-ion batteries is adopted as the battery 11. Each secondary battery constituting the assembled battery is also referred to as a "cell." In the present embodiment, each lithium-ion battery constituting the battery 11 corresponds to the "cell." The secondary battery included in the battery pack 10 is not limited to the lithium-ion battery and may be another secondary battery (for example, a nickel-metal hydride battery). An electrolyte solution secondary battery or an all-solid-state secondary battery may be used as the secondary battery.

[0038] The voltage sensor 12a detects the voltage of each cell of the battery 11. The current sensor 12b detects a current flowing through the battery 11 (the charging side takes a negative value). The temperature sensor 12c detects the temperature of each cell of the battery 11. The sensors output the detection results to the battery ECU 13. The current sensor 12b is provided in the current path of the battery 11. In the present embodiment, a voltage sensor 12a and a temperature sensor 12c are provided for each cell. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and one voltage sensor 12a and one temperature sensor 12c may be provided for each set of plural cells, or only one voltage sensor 12a and one temperature sensor 12c may be provided for an assembled battery. Hereinafter, the voltage sensor 12a, the current sensor 12b, and the temperature sensor 12c are collectively referred to as "battery sensor 12."In addition to the aforementioned sensor functions, the battery sensor 12 may be a battery management system (BMS) having a state of charge (SOC) estimation function, a state of health (SOH) estimation function, a cell voltage balancing function, a diagnostic function, and a communication function.

[0039] The SMR 14 is configured to switch connection and disconnection of power paths connecting external connection terminals T1 and T2 of the battery pack 10 and the battery 11. For example, an electromagnetic mechanical relay may be used as the SMR 14. In the present embodiment, a power control unit (PCU) 24 is connected to the external connection terminals T1 and T2 of the battery pack 10. The battery 11 is connected to the PCU 24 via the SMR 14. If the SMR 14 is in the closed state (connected state), power can be transmitted between the battery 11 and the PCU 24. Conversely, if the SMR 14 is in an open state (disconnected state), the power paths connecting the battery 11 and the PCU 24 are disconnected. In the present embodiment, the SMR 14 is controlled by the battery ECU 13.The battery ECU 13 controls the SMR 14 according to an instruction from the HV ECU 50. For example, the SMR 14 is in the closed state (connected state) if the vehicle 100 is running.

[0040] The vehicle 100 includes, as power sources for traveling, an engine 31, a first motor generator 21a (hereinafter referred to as "MG 21a"), and a second motor generator 21b (hereinafter referred to as "MG 21b"). The MG 21a and the MG 21b are motor generators that have both a function as a motor that outputs torque by receiving drive power and a function as a generator that generates electric power by receiving the torque. An alternating current (AC) motor (for example, a permanent magnet synchronous motor or an induction motor) is used as the MG 21a and the MG 21b. The MG 21a and the MG 21b are electrically connected to the battery 11 via the PCU 24. The MG 21a has a rotor shaft 42a, and the MG 21b has a rotor shaft 42b. The rotor shaft 42a corresponds to a rotating shaft of the MG 21a, and the rotor shaft 42b corresponds to a rotating shaft of the MG 21b.

[0041] The vehicle 100 further includes a planetary gear train 42. An output shaft 41 of the engine 31 and the rotor shaft 42a of the MG 21a are connected to the planetary gear train 42. The engine 31 is, for example, a spark-ignition internal combustion engine including a plurality of cylinders (for example, four cylinders). The engine 31 combusts fuel in each cylinder to generate driving force, and the generated driving force rotates a crankshaft (not shown) shared by all cylinders. The crankshaft of the engine 31 is connected to the output shaft 41 via a torsion damper (not shown). The output shaft 41 rotates in unison with rotation of the crankshaft. The engine 31 is not limited to a gasoline engine and may be a diesel engine.

[0042] The planetary gear mechanism 42 includes three rotating components: an input component, an output component, and a reaction force component. Specifically, the planetary gear mechanism 42 includes a sun gear, a ring gear arranged coaxially with the sun gear, a pinion gear meshing with the sun gear and the ring gear, and a carrier supporting the pinion gear so that the pinion gear can rotate and orbit. The carrier corresponds to the input component, the ring gear corresponds to the output component, and the sun gear corresponds to the reaction force component.

[0043] The engine 31 and the MG 21a are mechanically connected to each other via the planetary gear 42. The output shaft 41 of the engine 31 is connected to the carrier of the planetary gear 42. The rotor shaft 42a of the MG 21a is connected to the sun gear of the planetary gear 42. The torque output from the engine 31 is input to the carrier. The planetary gear 42 is configured to convert the torque output from the engine 31 to the output shaft 41 into a torque transmitted to the sun gear (ultimately, the MG 21a) and a torque transmitted to the ring gear. If the torque output from the engine 31 is output to the ring gear, a reaction torque generated by the MG 21a acts on the sun gear.

[0044] The planetary gear 42 and the MG 21b are configured such that the drive force output from the planetary gear 42 (i.e., a drive force output to the ring gear) and the drive force output from the MG 21b (i.e., a drive force output from the rotor shaft 42b) are combined and transmitted to the drive gears 45a and 45b. More specifically, an output gear (not shown) meshing with a driven gear 43 is attached to the ring gear of the planetary gear 42. A drive gear (not shown) attached to the rotor shaft 42b of the MG 21b is also meshed with the driven gear 43. The driven gear 43 connects the torque output from the MG 21b to the rotor shaft 42b with the torque output from the ring gear of the planetary gear 42.The thus combined drive torque is transmitted to a differential gear 44, and further transmitted by means of drive shafts 44a and 44b to the drive wheels 45a and 45b extending from the differential gear 44 to the right and to the left.

[0045] The MG 21a is provided with an engine sensor 22a that detects the state (e.g., current, voltage, temperature, and rotational speed) of the MG 21a. The MG 21b is provided with an engine sensor 22b that detects the state (e.g., current, voltage, temperature, and rotational speed) of the MG 21b. The engine sensors 22a and 22b output their detection results to the engine ECU 23. The engine 31 is provided with an engine sensor 32 that detects the state of the engine 31 (e.g., intake air amount, intake pressure, intake temperature, exhaust pressure, exhaust temperature, catalyst temperature, engine coolant temperature, and engine rotational speed). The engine sensor 32 outputs its detection result to the engine ECU 33.

[0046] The HV-ECU 50 is configured to output an instruction (control instruction) for controlling the engine 31 to the engine ECU 33. The engine ECU 33 is configured to control various actuators of the engine 31 (for example, a throttle valve, an ignition device, and an injector (not shown)) in accordance with the instruction from the HV-ECU 50. The HV-ECU 50 can perform engine control through the engine ECU 33.

[0047] The HV-ECU 50 is configured to output an instruction (control instruction) for controlling both the MG 21a and the MG 21b to the engine ECU 23. The engine ECU 23 is configured to generate current signals (e.g., signals indicating the magnitude and frequency of the current) that correspond to the target torque of both the MG 21a and the MG 21b in accordance with the instruction from the HV-ECU 50, and output the generated current signals to the PCU 24. The HV-ECU 50 can perform engine control through the engine ECU 23.

[0048] The PCU 24 includes, for example, two inverters corresponding to the MG 21a and the MG 21b, respectively, and a converter (not shown) arranged between each inverter and the battery 11. The PCU 24 is configured to supply electric power accumulated in the battery 11 to both the MG 21a and the MG 21b, and to supply electric power generated by both the MG 21a and the MG 21b to the battery 11. The PCU 24 is configured such that the states of the MG 21a and the MG 21b can be separately controlled, and, for example, the MG 21b can be in the power-operated state while the MG 21a is in the regenerative state (i.e., the power generation state). The PCU 24 is configured to be capable of supplying the electrical power generated by either the MG 21a or the MG 21b to the other.The MG 21a and the MG 21b are designed to be able to transmit and receive electrical power to and from each other.

[0049] The vehicle 100 is configured to perform hybrid vehicle (HV) driving and electric vehicle (EV) driving. HV driving is driving performed by operating the engine 31 and the MG 21b, with the engine 31 generating driving power for driving. EV driving is driving performed by operating the MG 21b with the engine 31 stopped. If the engine 31 is stopped, no combustion is performed in the cylinders. If combustion in the cylinders is stopped, the engine 31 does not generate combustion energy (the driving power for driving). The HV-ECU 50 is configured to switch between EV driving and HV driving depending on the situation.

[0050] Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating a connection mode of the control devices included in the vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment. Referring to Fig. 2 together with Fig. 1, the vehicle 100 includes an in-vehicle local area network (LAN) including a local bus B1 and a global bus B2. The control devices (e.g., the battery ECU 13, the engine ECU 23, and the engine ECU 33) mounted on the vehicle 100 are connected to the in-vehicle LAN. In the present embodiment, a control area network (CAN) is implemented as a communication protocol of the in-vehicle LAN. The local bus B1 and the global bus B2 are, for example, CAN buses. However, the communication protocol of the in-vehicle LAN is not limited to the CAN and may be any protocol such as FlexRay.

[0051] The battery ECU 13, the engine ECU 23, and the engine ECU 33 are connected to the local bus B1. Although not shown, a plurality of control devices are connected to the global bus B2. The control devices connected to the global bus B2 include, for example, a human-machine interface (HMI) control device. Examples of the HMI control device include a control device that controls a navigation system or an instrument panel. The global bus B2 is connected to another global bus via a central gateway (CGW), which is not shown.

[0052] The HV-ECU 50 is connected to the global bus B2. The HV-ECU 50 is configured to perform CAN communication with each control device connected to the global bus B2. The HV-ECU 50 is connected to the local bus B1 via the gateway ECU 60. The gateway ECU 60 is configured to relay communication between the HV-ECU 50 and each control device (for example, the battery ECU 13, the motor ECU 23, and the engine ECU 33) connected to the local bus B1. The HV-ECU 50 is configured to mutually perform CAN communication with each control device connected to the local bus B1 via the gateway ECU 60.The gateway ECU 60 may be configured to collect and store data related to the vehicle 100 (for example, various pieces of information acquired by the in-vehicle sensors and the IWin, IWout, Win, Wout, and control instructions S described below). M1 , S M2 , and S E ). Furthermore, the gateway ECU 60 may have a firewall function. The gateway ECU 60 may be configured to detect unauthorized communication in cooperation with at least one of the firewall function and an error detection function of the CAN communication.

[0053] In the present embodiment, a microcomputer is used as the battery ECU 13, the motor ECU 23, the engine ECU 33, the HV ECU 50, and the gateway ECU 60. The battery ECU 13 includes a processing device 13a, a random access memory (RAM) 13b, a storage device 13c, and a communication interface (I / F) 13d. The engine ECU 23 includes a processing device 23a, a RAM 23b, a storage device 23c, and a communication I / F 23d. The engine ECU 33 includes a processing device 33a, a RAM 33b, a storage device 33c, and a communication I / F 33d. The HV-ECU 50 includes a processing device 50a, a RAM 50b, a storage device 50c, and a communication I / F 50d. The gateway ECU 60 includes a processing device 60a, a RAM 60b, a storage device 60c, and a communication I / F 60d.A central processing unit (CPU), for example, can be used as the processing devices. Each communication I / F includes a CAN controller. Each RAM acts as a working memory that temporarily stores data processed by the processing device. Each storage device is configured to be capable of storing stored information. Each storage device includes, for example, a read-only memory (ROM) and a rewritable non-volatile memory. Each storage device stores, in addition to a program, information used in the program (e.g., a map, a mathematical expression, and various parameters). Various controls of the vehicle 100 are performed if the processing devices execute the programs stored in the storage devices.However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and various controls may be performed by dedicated hardware (electronic circuit). The number of processing devices included in each ECU is not limited, and each ECU may include a plurality of processing devices.

[0054] Again with reference to Fig. 1, charge / discharge control of the battery 11 is described below. Hereinafter, the input power of the battery 11 and the output power of the battery 11 are collectively referred to as "battery power." The HV-ECU 50 determines a target battery power using the SOC of the battery 11. Subsequently, the HV-ECU 50 controls charge / discharge of the battery 11 so that the battery power becomes closer to the target battery power. However, such charge / discharge control of the battery 11 is limited by an input / output restriction described later. Hereinafter, the target battery power on the charge side (input side) may be referred to as "target input power," and the target battery power on the discharge side (output side) may be referred to as "target output power."In the present embodiment, the power on the discharge side is represented by a positive value (+), and the power on the charge side is represented by a negative value (-). However, when comparing the power magnitude, the absolute value is used regardless of the positive or negative sign (+ / -). That is, the closer the value is to zero, the smaller the power magnitude is. If an upper limit and a lower limit are set for the power, the upper limit is located on the side where the absolute value of the power is large, and the lower limit is located on the side where the absolute value of the power is small. The power exceeding the upper limit on the positive side means that the power on the positive side becomes larger than the upper limit (i.e., the power moves away from zero toward the positive side).The power exceeding the upper limit on the negative side means that the power on the negative side becomes greater than the upper limit (that is, the power moves away from zero to the negative side). The SOC indicates the remaining charge amount, and the ratio of the current charge amount to the charge amount in the fully charged state is represented, for example, by a range between 0% and 100%. As the SOC measurement method, a well-known method such as a current integration method or an open-circuit voltage (OCV) estimation method can be used.

[0055] Fig. Figure 3 shows a diagram illustrating an example of a map used for determining the target battery power. In Fig. 3, a reference value C0 indicates a control mean value of the SOC, a power value P Aindicates a maximum value of the target input power, and a power value P B indicates a maximum value of the target output power. With reference to Fig. 3 together with Fig. 1, according to this map, if the SOC of the battery 11 is the reference value C0 and the battery 11 is neither charged nor discharged, the target battery power is "0". In the area where the SOC of the battery 11 is lower than the reference value C0 (over-discharge area), the target input power becomes larger with the smaller SOC of the battery 11 until the target input power reaches the maximum value (power value P A ). In contrast, in an area where the SOC of the battery 11 is greater than the reference value C0 (overcharge area), the target output power becomes larger with larger SOC of the battery 11 until the target output power reaches the maximum value (power value P B ). The HV-ECU 50 determines the target battery power in accordance with the map according to Fig. 3, and charges and discharges the battery 11 so that the battery power comes closer to the determined target battery power, thereby bringing the SOC of the battery 11 closer to the reference value C0. The reference value C0 of the SOC may be a fixed value, or may be variable depending on the situation of the vehicle 100.

[0056] The HV-ECU 50 is configured to perform input restriction and output restriction of the battery 11. The HV-ECU 50 sets a first upper power limit (hereinafter referred to as "Win") indicating an upper limit of the input power of the battery 11 and a second upper power limit (hereinafter referred to as "Wout") indicating an upper limit of the output power of the battery 11, and controls the battery power such that the battery power does not exceed the set Win and Wout. The HV-ECU 50 adjusts the battery power by controlling the engine 31 and the PCU 24. If Win or Wout is smaller (i.e., closer to zero) than the target battery power, the battery power is controlled to Win or Wout, respectively, instead of the target battery power. In the present embodiment, Wout corresponds to an example of the "upper power limit" according to the present disclosure.

[0057] The battery ECU 13 is configured to use a detection value of the battery sensor 12 to obtain a first upper current limit value (hereinafter also referred to as "IWin") indicating an upper limit of the input current of the battery 11. The battery ECU 13 is also configured to use a detection value of the battery sensor 12 to obtain a second upper current limit value (hereinafter also referred to as "IWout") indicating an upper limit of the output current of the battery 11. That is, the battery pack 10 corresponds to a current limit battery pack. On the other hand, the HV ECU 50 is configured to use Win to control the input power of the battery 11. The HV ECU 50 is configured to perform power-based input restriction (i.e., an operation of controlling the input power of the battery 11 so that the input power of the battery 11 does not exceed Win).Furthermore, the HV-ECU 50 is configured to use Wout to control the output power of the battery 11. The HV-ECU 50 is configured to perform power-based output restriction (i.e., an operation of controlling the output power of the battery 11 so that the output power of the battery 11 does not exceed Wout). That is, the HV-ECU 50 corresponds to a power limitation control device. In the present embodiment, IWout corresponds to an example of the "upper current limit" according to the present disclosure.

[0058] As described above, the vehicle 100 includes the current-limiting battery pack (i.e., the battery pack 10) and the power-limiting control device (i.e., the HV-ECU 50). In the vehicle 100, the current-limiting battery pack is used in combination with the power-limiting control device. IWin and IWout are output from the battery pack 10, and IWin and IWout are converted into Win and Wout, respectively, by the gateway ECU 60 interposed between the battery pack 10 and the HV-ECU 50. Thereby, Win and Wout are input to the HV-ECU 50. With this configuration, the HV-ECU 50 can appropriately perform power-based input restriction and power-based output restriction on the battery 11 included in the battery pack 10.

[0059] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of the battery pack 10, the gateway ECU 60, and the HV ECU 50. S1 to S3 in Fig. 4 indicate first to third steps, which are described later below. With reference to Fig. 4 together with Fig. 2, in the present embodiment, the battery 11 included in the battery pack 10 is an assembled battery including a plurality of cells 111. Each cell 111 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery. Each cell 111 includes a positive electrode terminal 111a, a negative electrode terminal 111b, and a battery case 111c. The voltage between the positive electrode terminal 111a and the negative electrode terminal 111b corresponds to a cell voltage Vs. In the battery 11, the positive electrode terminal 111a of one cell 111 and the negative electrode terminal 111b of another cell 111 adjacent to the one cell 111 are electrically connected to each other by a bus bar 112 having conductivity. The cells 111 are connected to each other in series. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and any connection mode may be applied to the assembled battery.

[0060] The battery pack 10 includes, in addition to the battery 11, the battery sensor 12, the battery ECU 13, and the SMR 14. Signals output from the battery sensor 12 to the battery ECU 13 (hereinafter also referred to as "battery sensor signals") include a voltage signal VB output from the voltage sensor 12a, a current signal IB output from the current sensor 12b, and a temperature signal TB output from the temperature sensor 12c. The voltage signal VB indicates a measured value of the voltage of each cell 111 (cell voltage Vs). The current signal IB indicates a measured value of the current flowing through the battery 11 (the charging side takes a negative value). The temperature signal TB indicates a measured value of the temperature of each cell 111.

[0061] The battery ECU 13 repeatedly acquires the latest battery sensor signals. The interval at which the battery ECU 13 acquires the battery sensor signals (hereinafter also referred to as a "sampling cycle") may be a fixed value or may be variable. In the present embodiment, the sampling cycle is 8 ms. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the sampling cycle may be variable within a predetermined range (for example, a range from 1 ms to 1 s). Hereinafter, the number of times the battery ECU 13 acquires the battery sensor signals per unit time may be referred to as a "sampling rate." There is a tendency that the higher the sampling rate, the higher the accuracy of acquiring Win and Wout (i.e., conversion accuracy) by the conversion process described later.

[0062] The battery ECU 13 includes an IWin calculation unit 131 and an IWout calculation unit 132. The IWin calculation unit 131 is configured to use the detection value of the battery sensor 12 (i.e., the battery sensor signals) to obtain IWin. A known method can be used as the calculation method of IWin. The IWin calculation unit 131 can determine IWin such that the charging current limitation is performed to protect the battery 11. For example, IWin can be determined to suppress overcharging, Li deposition, a high deterioration rate, and battery overheating in the battery 11. The IWout calculation unit 132 is configured to use the detection value of the battery sensor 12 (i.e., the battery sensor signals) to obtain IWout. A known method can be used as the calculation method of IWout.The IWout calculation unit 132 may determine IWout such that discharge current limitation is performed to protect the battery 11. For example, IWout may be determined to suppress over-discharge, Li deposition, a high deterioration rate, and battery overheating in the battery 11. In the battery ECU 13, for example, the IWin calculation unit 131 and the IWout calculation unit 132 are implemented by the processing device 13a according to FIG. Fig. 2 and the program executed by the processing device 13a. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the IWin calculation unit 131 and the IWout calculation unit 132 may be implemented by dedicated hardware (an electronic circuit).

[0063] The battery pack 10 outputs an IWin calculated by the IWin calculation unit 131, an IWout calculated by the IWout calculation unit 132, and the signals acquired from the battery sensor 12 (ie, the battery sensor signals) to the gateway ECU 60. These pieces of information are output from the battery ECU 13 included in the battery pack 10 to the gateway ECU 60 provided outside the battery pack 10. According to Fig. 2, the battery ECU 13 and the gateway ECU 60 exchange information through CAN communication.

[0064] The gateway ECU 60 includes a Win conversion unit 61 and a Wout conversion unit 62, which are described below. In the gateway ECU 60, for example, the Win conversion unit 61 and the Wout conversion unit 62 are implemented by the processing device 60a according to Fig. 2 and the program executed by the processing device 60a. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the Win conversion unit 61 and the Wout conversion unit 62 may be implemented by dedicated hardware (an electronic circuit).

[0065] The Win conversion unit 61 converts IWin to Win using the following expression (1). The expression (1) is stored in the storage device 60c in advance ( Fig. 2). Win=IWin×VBs

[0066] In expression (1), VBs represents a measured value of the voltage of the battery 11 detected by the battery sensor 12. In this embodiment, the average cell voltage (for example, the average value of the voltages of all the cells 111 constituting the battery) is assumed as VBs. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. Instead of the average cell voltage, the maximum cell voltage (i.e., the highest voltage value among the voltages of the cells 111), the minimum cell voltage (i.e., the lowest voltage value among the voltages of the cells 111), or the inter-terminal voltage of the assembled battery (i.e., the voltage applied between the external connection terminals T1 and T2 when the SMR 14 is in the closed state) may be assumed as VBs. The Win conversion unit 61 can obtain VBs using the battery sensor signals (specifically, the voltage signal VB).The Win conversion unit 61 converts IWin into Win by multiplying IWin by VBs in accordance with the above expression (1).

[0067] The Wout conversion unit 62 converts IWout to Wout using the following expression (2). VBs in the expression (2) is the same as VBs in the expression (1). The expression (2) is stored in the storage device 60c in advance ( Fig. 2). Wout=IWout×VBs

[0068] The Wout conversion unit 62 can obtain VBs (i.e., the measured value of the voltage of the battery 11 detected by the battery sensor 12) using the battery sensor signals (specifically, the voltage signal VB). The Wout conversion unit 62 converts IWout to Wout by multiplying IWout by VBs in accordance with the above expression (2). The Wout conversion unit 62 according to the present embodiment corresponds to an example of a "converter" according to the present disclosure.

[0069] If IWin, IWout, and the battery sensor signals from the battery pack 10 are input to the gateway ECU 60, the Win conversion unit 61 and the Wout conversion unit 62 of the gateway ECU 60 convert IWin and IWout into Win and Wout, respectively. Subsequently, Win, Wout, and the battery sensor signals are output from the gateway ECU 60 to the HV-ECU 50. The gateway ECU 60 sequentially acquires IWin, IWout, and VBs from the battery pack 10 in real time, calculates Win and Wout, and transmits Win and Wout to the HV-ECU 50. Win and Wout are sequentially updated from the gateway ECU 60 to the HV-ECU 50 using the latest IWin, IWout, and VBs (i.e., real-time values). According to Fig. 2, the gateway ECU 60 and the HV ECU 50 exchange information through CAN communication.

[0070] The HV-ECU 50 includes a control unit 51, which is described below. In the HV-ECU 50, the control unit 51 is implemented, for example, by the processing device 50a according to Fig. 2 and the program executed by the processing device 50a. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the control unit 51 may be implemented by dedicated hardware (an electronic circuit).

[0071] The control unit 51 is configured to use Win to control the input power of the battery 11. Furthermore, the control unit 51 is configured to use Wout to control the output power of the battery 11. In the present embodiment, the control unit 51 creates control instructions S M1 , S M2 and S E for the MG 21a, the MG 21b and the machine 31 according to Fig. 1 such that the input power and the output power of the battery 11 do not exceed Win and Wout, respectively. The control unit 51 issues control instructions S M1 and S M2 for the MG 21a and the MG 21b to the engine ECU 23 and outputs the control instruction S E for the engine 31 to the engine ECU 33. The control instructions S issued by the HV-ECU 50 M1 and S M2 are sent by the gateway ECU 60 to the engine ECU 23. The engine ECU 23 controls the PCU 24 ( Fig. 1) in accordance with the received control instructions S M1 and S M2 . The control instruction S issued by the HV-ECU 50 E is sent by the gateway ECU 60 to the engine ECU 33. The engine ECU 33 controls the engine 31 in accordance with the received control instruction S E . The MG 21a, the MG 21b and the machine 31 are each controlled in accordance with the control instructions S M1, S M2 and S E controlled such that the input power and output power of the battery 11 do not exceed Win and Wout. The HV-ECU 50 can adjust the input power and output power of the battery 11 by controlling the engine 31 and the PCU 24. The HV-ECU 50 successively obtains Win and Wout from the gateway ECU 60 in real time, creates the control instructions S M1 , S M2 and S E using the latest Win and Wout (i.e. real-time values), and transmits the control instructions S M1 , S M2 and S E to the engine ECU 23 and the machine ECU 33.

[0072] As described above, the vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment includes the battery pack 10 including the battery ECU 13, as well as the HV-ECU 50 and the gateway ECU 60 provided separately from the battery pack 10. The gateway ECU 60 is configured to relay communication between the battery ECU 13 and the HV-ECU 50. The gateway ECU 60 includes the Win conversion unit 61 and the Wout conversion unit 62. The Win conversion unit 61 converts IWin to Win by multiplying VBs (i.e., the measured value of the voltage of the battery 11 detected by the battery sensor 12) by Iwin. The Wout conversion unit 62 converts IWout to Wout by multiplying VBs by IWout. The battery ECU 13 is configured to use the detection value of the battery sensor 12 to obtain IWin (ie, the upper current limit value indicating the upper limit of the input current of the battery 11) and IWout (ie,the upper current limit value indicating the upper limit of the output current of the battery 11). The battery pack 10 is configured to output IWin and IWout. If IWin and IWout are input from the battery pack 10 to the gateway ECU 60, the Win conversion unit 61 and the Wout conversion unit 62 of the gateway ECU 60 convert IWin and IWout into Win and Wout, respectively, and the gateway ECU 60 outputs Win and Wout to the HV ECU 50. The HV ECU 50 is configured to control the input power of the battery 11 using Win (i.e., the upper power limit value indicating the upper limit of the input power of the battery 11). Further, the HV-ECU 50 is configured to control the output power of the battery 11 using Wout (ie, the upper power limit value indicating the upper limit of the output power of the battery 11).

[0073] Since the vehicle 100 includes the Win conversion unit 61 and the Wout conversion unit 62, IWin and IWout output from the current-limiting battery pack (for example, the battery pack 10) can be converted into Win and Wout, respectively. Thus, the HV ECU 50 can appropriately perform power-based input restriction and power-based output restriction using Win and Wout.

[0074] The control parts included in the vehicle 100 can be modularized into predetermined units to form a vehicle control system.

[0075] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a first example of the vehicle control system. Referring to Fig. 5, a vehicle control system 201 includes the MGs 21a and 21b, the motor sensors 22a and 22b, the motor ECU 23, the PCU 24, the engine 31, the engine sensor 32, the engine ECU 33, the planetary gear 42, the HV ECU 50, and the gateway ECU 60, which are modularized. The vehicle control system 201 is configured such that the battery pack 10 ( Fig. 4) can be attached.

[0076] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the vehicle control system. Referring to Fig. 6, a vehicle control system 202 is configured by modularizing the control parts of the vehicle control system 201, excluding the engine control parts (ie, the engine 31, the engine sensor 32, and the engine ECU 33). The vehicle control system 202 is configured such that the battery pack 10 ( Fig. 4) and the machine control parts can be attached.

[0077] The modularized vehicle control system can be treated as a single component. Modularization of the control components as described above facilitates vehicle manufacturing. Modularization also allows parts to be shared between different vehicle models.

[0078] The vehicle control systems 201 and 202 each include the HV ECU 50 and the gateway ECU 60. If the battery pack 10 ( Fig. 4) When attached to each of the vehicle control systems 201 and 202, the HV-ECU 50 controls the input power of the battery 11 such that the input power of the battery 11 does not exceed Win, and controls the output power of the battery 11 such that the output power of the battery 11 does not exceed Wout. In the vehicle control system 201, 202, the HV-ECU 50 corresponds to an example of the "control unit" according to the present disclosure. If IWin is input from the battery pack 10, the gateway ECU 60 converts IWin to Win by multiplying IWin by the measured value of the voltage of the battery 11 detected by the battery sensor 12. Further, if IWout is input from the battery pack 10, the gateway ECU 60 converts IWout to Wout by multiplying IWout by the measured value of the voltage of the battery 11 detected by the battery sensor 12.In the vehicle control system 201, 202, the gateway ECU 60 corresponds to an example of the “conversion unit” according to the present disclosure.

[0079] The vehicle control system 201, 202 to which the battery pack 10 is attached can control the output power of the battery 11 by the vehicle control method including the first to third steps described below.

[0080] In the first step (for example S1 in Fig. 4) the vehicle control system 201, 202 obtains IWout and VBs (ie the measured value of the voltage of the battery 11) from the battery pack 10. In the second step (for example, S2 according to Fig. 4) the vehicle control system 201, 202 converts IWout into Wout by multiplying IWout by VBs. In the third step (for example, S3 according to Fig. 4) the vehicle control system 201, 202 controls the output power of the battery 11 using Wout.

[0081] In addition, the vehicle control system 201, 202 to which the battery pack 10 is attached can control the input power of the battery 11 by the vehicle control method including the fourth to sixth steps described below.

[0082] In the fourth step, the vehicle control system 201, 202 obtains IWin and VBs (i.e., the measured value of the voltage of the battery 11) from the battery pack 10. In the fifth step, the vehicle control system 201, 202 converts IWin to Win by multiplying IWin by VBs. In the sixth step, the vehicle control system 201, 202 controls the input power of the battery 11 using Win.

[0083] According to the above vehicle control method, the vehicle control systems 201 and 202 can perform the performance-based input restriction and the performance-based output restriction using Win and Wout.

[0084] In the above-described embodiment, if the current-limiting battery pack is connected to the power-limiting control device, the gateway ECU 60 is used such that the power-based input restriction and the power-based output restriction are performed on the secondary battery included in the current-limiting battery pack. That is, according to the above-described embodiment, the gateway ECU 60 is used, which is configured to be connectable to the current-limiting battery pack and which cannot be connected to the power-limiting battery pack. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the gateway ECU 60X according to Fig. 7 may be applied instead of the gateway ECU 60 applied to the above-described embodiment. Fig. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a modification example of the gateway ECU 60 according to Fig. 4 illustrates.

[0085] With reference to Fig. 7, the gateway ECU 60X includes a connector C21 for connecting a battery pack 10A to the gateway ECU 60X, and a connector C22 for connecting a battery pack 10B to the gateway ECU 60X. The battery pack 10A is a current-limiting battery pack that includes a connector C11 for external connection and outputs the IWin, IWout, and battery sensor signals to the connector C11. The battery pack 10B is a power-limiting battery pack that includes a connector C12 for external connection and outputs the Win, Wout, and battery sensor signals to the connector C12. The HV-ECU 50 is connected to an output terminal C3 of the gateway ECU 60X via a signal line.

[0086] If connector C11 of battery pack 10A is connected to connector C21 of gateway ECU 60X, IWin, IWout, and the battery sensor signals from battery pack 10A are input to connector C21. Subsequently, Win conversion unit 61 and Wout conversion unit 62 of gateway ECU 60X convert IWin and IWout into Win and Wout, respectively, and Win, Wout, and the battery sensor signals are output from output terminal C3. Thus, Win, Wout, and the battery sensor signals are output from gateway ECU 60X to HV-ECU 50.

[0087] On the other hand, if connector C12 of battery pack 10B is connected to connector C22 of gateway ECU 60X, Win, Wout, and the battery sensor signals from battery pack 10B are input to connector C22. The gateway ECU 60X outputs Win, Wout, and the battery sensor signals input to connector C22 to output terminal C3 as they are. That is, the above conversion is not performed. Thus, Win, Wout, and the battery sensor signals are output from gateway ECU 60X to HV-ECU 50.

[0088] As described above, if IWin and IWout are input, the gateway ECU 60X according to this modification example performs the conversion in accordance with the above expressions (1) and (2) to output Win and Wout, respectively. If Win and Wout are input, the gateway ECU 60X outputs Win and Wout without performing the above conversion. In a vehicle including the gateway ECU 60X, Win and Wout are output from the gateway ECU 60X both when using the battery pack 10A and when using the power limiting battery pack 10B. Thus, in such a vehicle, the HV ECU 50 can perform the power-based input restriction and the power-based output restriction both when using the battery pack 10A and when using the power limiting battery pack 10B.

[0089] In the example in Fig. 7, the gateway ECU 60X separately includes the input terminal for a current-limiting battery pack (connector C21) and the input terminal for a power-limiting battery pack (connector C22). However, the gateway ECU may be configured to be connectable to both the current-limiting battery pack and the power-limiting battery pack in a different form. For example, the gateway ECU may include an input terminal to which both the current-limiting battery pack and the power-limiting battery pack can be connected. The gateway ECU may be configured to detect, in an initial operation when the battery pack is connected to the input terminal, whether the battery pack is the current-limiting battery pack or the power-limiting battery pack.If the battery pack connected to the input terminal is the current limiting battery pack, the gateway ECU may activate a conversion logic (for example, the Win conversion unit 61 and the Wout conversion unit 62 according to . Fig. 7) to convert the IWin and IWout input into Win and Wout, respectively, and output Win and Wout to the output terminal. On the other hand, if the battery pack connected to the input terminal is the power limiting battery pack, the gateway ECU can directly output the Win and Wout input to the output terminal without activating the conversion logic.

[0090] In the above-described embodiment, the number of upper power limit values required for the output restriction of the battery 11 is one. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the output restriction may be performed using a plurality of upper power limit values. For example, an HV-ECU 50X according to Fig. 8 may be used instead of the HV-ECU 50 used in the above embodiment. Fig. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a modification example of the HV-ECU 50 according to Fig. 4 illustrates.

[0091] With reference to Fig. 8 together with Fig. 4, the hardware configuration of the HV-ECU 50X is the same as the configuration of the HV-ECU 50 according to Fig. 2. However, the HV-ECU 50X includes a protection unit 53 in addition to the control unit 51. In the HV-ECU 50X, for example, the control unit 51 and the protection unit 53 are controlled by the processing device 50A according to Fig. 2 and the program executed by the processing device 50A. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control unit 51 and the protection unit 53 may be implemented by dedicated hardware (an electronic circuit).

[0092] For example, Win, Wout and the battery sensor signals are sent to the HV-ECU 50X from the Gateway-ECU 60 according to Fig. 4. The protection unit 53 uses a map M to obtain a third upper power limit value (hereinafter also referred to as "GWin") indicating the upper limit of the input power of the battery 11, and a fourth upper power limit value (hereinafter also referred to as "GWout") indicating the upper limit of the output power of the battery 11. GWin is a protection value for Win, and if Win is an abnormal value (specifically, an excessively large value), GWin limits the input power of the battery 11 instead of Win. GWout is a protection value for Wout, and if Wout is an abnormal value (specifically, an excessively large value), GWout limits the output power of the battery 11 instead of Wout.

[0093] The map M is information indicating the relationship between the temperature of the battery 11 and both GWin and GWout, and is stored in the storage device 50c ( Fig. 2) pre-stored. A line L11 in map M indicates the relationship between the temperature of battery 11 and GWin. A line L12 in map M indicates the relationship between the temperature of battery 11 and GWout.

[0094] The protection unit 53 refers to the map M to obtain GWin and GWout according to the current temperature of the battery 11. Subsequently, the protection unit 53 outputs the smaller of Win and Gwin to the control unit 51, and outputs the smaller of Wout and GWout to the control unit 51. For example, if the temperature of the battery 11 and Win are in a state P11 in the map M, Win is output to the control unit 51, and if the temperature of the battery 11 and Win are in a state P12 in the map M, GWin (line L11) is output to the control unit 51. Hereinafter, the situation where Win exceeds GWin (for example, the situation where the state P12 is established) may be referred to as "Win with protection."If the temperature of the battery 11 and Wout are in a state P21 in the map M, Wout is output to the control unit 51, and if the temperature of the battery 11 and Wout are in a state P22 in the map M, GWout (line L12) is output to the control unit 51. Hereinafter, the situation in which Wout exceeds GWout (for example, the situation in which the state P22 is established) may be referred to as "Wout with protection."

[0095] The temperature of the battery 11 used to obtain GWin and GWout is a measured value of the temperature of the battery 11, for example, obtained by the temperature sensor 12c according to Fig. 4. For example, any of the average cell temperature, the maximum cell temperature, and the minimum cell temperature may be used as the temperature of the battery 11.

[0096] In addition to the upper power limit, the battery sensor signals are also output from the protection unit 53 to the control unit 51. The control unit 51 controls the input power and the output power of the battery 11 using the upper power limit received from the protection unit 53. Specifically, the control unit 51 creates the control instructions S M1 , S M2 for the MG 21a, MG 21b and the control instruction S E for machine 31 according to Fig. 1, so that the input power and output power of the battery 11 do not exceed the upper power limits. The control unit 51 controls the input power of the battery 11 such that the input power of the battery 11 does not exceed the smaller of Win and GWin. As a result, the input power of the battery 11 does not exceed Win or GWin. The control unit 51 controls the output power of the battery 11 such that the output power of the battery 11 does not exceed the smaller of Wout and GWout. As a result, the output power of the battery 11 does not exceed Wout or GWout.

[0097] The protection unit 53 can store Win with protection and Wout with protection in the storage device 50c ( Fig. 2) and, based on the recorded data, determine the conformity / non-conformity of the battery pack installed in the vehicle (for example, the battery pack 10 according to Fig. 4). For example, the protection unit 53 may determine that the battery pack is non-compliant if the frequency of "Win with protection" and / or the frequency of "Wout with protection" exceeds a predetermined value. Additionally, the protection unit 53 may determine that the battery pack is non-compliant if the duration of the "Win with protection" state persists and / or the duration of the "Wout with protection" state persists exceeds a predetermined value.

[0098] The HV-ECU 50X can store the determination result of conformity / non-conformity of the battery pack in the storage device 50c ( Fig. 2). Additionally, the HV-ECU 50X can notify a user of the non-conformity if it determines that the battery pack is non-compliant. This notification may prompt the user to replace the battery pack. The user notification process is optional, and the notification may be performed through a display (e.g., displaying characters or images) on a display device, a sound (including a voice) from a loudspeaker, or illumination (including flashing) of a predetermined light.

[0099] Win, Wout may exceed GWin, GWout due to insufficient accuracy of converting IWin, IWout to Win, Wout, respectively. Thus, if Win exceeds GWin and / or if Wout exceeds GWout, the HV-ECU 50X may send a predetermined signal to the battery ECU 13 according to Fig. 4 to increase the sampling rate of the battery ECU 13 (and therefore the number of battery sensor signal data transmitted from the battery ECU 13 to the gateway ECU 60 per unit time).

[0100] According to the modification example according to Fig. 8 it is possible to protect the battery 11 with GWin and GWout if for any reason Win or Wout assume excessively large values.

[0101] According to the embodiment described above, the gateway ECU 60 includes the Win conversion unit 61 and the Wout conversion unit 62. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and another ECU may have these functions.

[0102] Fig. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a first modification example of the vehicle control system according to Fig. 4. With reference to Fig. 9, the vehicle control system according to the first modification example is the same as the vehicle control system according to Fig. 4, except that an HV-ECU 50Y is used instead of the HV-ECU 50, and the gateway ECU 60 is omitted. The hardware configuration of the HV-ECU 50Y is the same as the configuration of the HV-ECU 50 according to Fig. 2. However, the HV-ECU 50Y includes a Win conversion unit 521 and a Wout conversion unit 522 in addition to the control unit 51. The Win conversion unit 521 and the Wout conversion unit 522 each have the same functions as the Win conversion unit 61 and the Wout conversion unit 62 ( Fig. 4) described above. In the HV-ECU 50Y, for example, the control unit 51, the Win conversion unit 521, and the Wout conversion unit 522 are implemented by the processing device 50a and the program executed by the processing device 50a. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the control unit 51, the Win conversion unit 521, and the Wout conversion unit 522 may be implemented by dedicated hardware (an electronic circuit).

[0103] The battery pack 10 outputs IWin, IWout, and the battery sensor signals to the HV-ECU 50Y. The Win conversion unit 521 and the Wout conversion unit 522 of the HV-ECU 50Y convert IWin and IWout input from the battery pack 10 into Win and Wout, respectively. Win and Wout are input from the Win conversion unit 521 and the Wout conversion unit 522, respectively, to the control unit 51. The control unit 51 creates the control instructions S M1 , S M2 and S E for the MG 21a, the MG 21b and the machine 31 according to Fig. 1, and issues the control instructions S M1 and S M2 to the engine ECU 23 and issues the control instruction S E to the engine ECU 33 so that the input power and output power of the battery 11 do not exceed Win and Wout, respectively.

[0104] In the vehicle control system according to the first modification example, the HV-ECU 50Y, which is provided separately from the battery pack 10, includes a converter (ie, the Win conversion unit 521 and the Wout conversion unit 522), and the converter converts IWin and IWout into Win and Wout, respectively. Thus, the converter can be mounted on the vehicle without changing the configuration of the battery pack. Furthermore, the HV-ECU 50Y can implement the power-based input restriction and the power-based output restriction without adding the above-described gateway ECU 60 ( Fig. 4) carry out appropriately.

[0105] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a second modification example of the vehicle control system according to Fig. 4. With reference to Fig. 10, the vehicle control system according to the second modification example is the same as the vehicle control system according to Fig. 4, except that a battery pack 10X (with a battery ECU 13X) is used instead of the battery pack 10 (with the battery ECU 13), and the gateway ECU 60 is omitted. The hardware configuration of the battery ECU 13X included in the battery pack 10X is the same as the configuration of the battery ECU 13 according to Fig. 2. However, in addition to the IWin calculation unit 131 and the IWout calculation unit 132, the battery ECU 13X includes a Win conversion unit 133 and a Wout conversion unit 134. The Win conversion unit 133 and the Wout conversion unit 134 each have the same functions as the Win conversion unit 61 and the Wout conversion unit 62 ( Fig. 4) as described above. In the battery ECU 13X, for example, the IWin calculation unit 131, the IWout calculation unit 132, the Win conversion unit 133, and the Wout conversion unit 134 are implemented by the processing device 13a according to Fig. 2 and the program executed by the processing device 13a. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the IWin calculation unit 131, the IWout calculation unit 132, the Win conversion unit 133, and the Wout conversion unit 134 may be implemented by dedicated hardware (an electronic circuit).

[0106] The Win conversion unit 133 and the Wout conversion unit 134 of the battery ECU 13X receive IWin and IWout from the IWin calculation unit 131 and the IWout calculation unit 132, respectively, and convert IWin and IWout into Win and Wout, respectively. The battery pack 10X outputs Win, Wout, and the battery sensor signals to the HV-ECU 50. The control unit 51 of the HV-ECU 50 generates the control instructions S, respectively. M1 , S M2 and S E for the MG 21a, the MG 21b and the machine 31 according to Fig. 1, and issues the control instructions S M1 and S M2to the engine ECU 23 and issues the control instruction S E to the engine ECU 33 so that the input power and output power of the battery 11 do not exceed Win and Wout, respectively.

[0107] In the vehicle control system according to the second modification example, the converter (ie, the Win conversion unit 133 and the Wout conversion unit 134) is installed in the battery ECU 13X (ie, within the battery pack 10X). With this configuration, IWin and IWout are converted into Win and Wout within the battery pack 10X, respectively, so that Win and Wout can be output from the battery pack 10X.

[0108] In the above-described embodiment and each modification example, the input restriction of the secondary battery is performed in accordance with the output restriction of the secondary battery, but the method of input restriction of the secondary battery may be changed as needed. For example, the upper power limit of the secondary battery on the input side may be calculated by a calculation method different from that of the upper power limit of the secondary battery on the output side.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment and each modification example, the battery ECU 13, the motor ECU 23 and the engine ECU 33 are connected to a local bus B1 (see Fig. 2). However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the engine ECU 23 and the engine ECU 33 may be connected to the global bus B2.

[0110] The configuration of the vehicle is not limited to the configuration according to Fig. 1. Although in Fig. 1, the vehicle is not limited to the hybrid vehicle and may be, for example, an electric vehicle in which no engine is mounted. Further, the vehicle may be a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) configured such that the secondary battery in the battery pack can be charged using electric power supplied from outside the vehicle. Further, the HV-ECU 50 may be configured to directly control the SMR 14, bypassing the battery ECU 13. The battery 11 (secondary battery) included in the battery pack 10 is not limited to the assembled battery and may be a single battery.

Claims

[1] Vehicle, with: a first battery pack (10A) and a second battery pack (10B), each of the first battery pack (10A) and the second battery pack (10B) comprising a secondary battery, a battery sensor that detects a state of the secondary battery, and a first control device; a second control device provided separately from the first battery pack (10A) and the second battery pack (10B); a third control device provided separately from the first battery pack (10A) and the second battery pack (10B) and configured to relay communication between the first control device and the second control device; and a converter, attached to the third control device, wherein: the first battery pack (10A) is configured to output an upper current limit value indicating an upper limit of an output current of the secondary battery in the first battery pack (10A); the first control device is configured to use a detection value of the battery sensor in the first battery pack (10A) to obtain the upper current limit value; the second control device is configured to use an upper power limit value indicating an upper limit of an output power of the secondary batteries to control the output power of the secondary batteries; the converter is configured to convert the upper current limit value into the upper power limit value by multiplying a measured value of a voltage of the secondary battery in the first battery pack (10A) by the upper current limit value, the voltage being detected by the battery sensor; the vehicle is configured such that when the upper current limit value is input from the battery pack (10) to the third control device, the converter converts the upper current limit value into the upper power limit value, and the upper power limit value is output from the third control device to the second control device; and the third control device is configured to perform the conversion and output the upper power limit when the upper current limit is input from the first battery pack (10A), and to output the upper power limit without performing the conversion when the upper power limit is input from the second battery pack (10B). [2] Vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each of the first control device, the second control device and the third control device is a microcomputer connected to an in-vehicle local area network; and in the in-vehicle local area network, the first control device is connected to the second control device via the third control device in order to communicate with the second control device via the third control device. [3] A vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the secondary battery is a composite battery having a plurality of cells; and the measured value of the voltage of the secondary battery used for the multiplication is one of an average cell voltage, a maximum cell voltage, a minimum cell voltage and an inter-terminal voltage of the assembled battery. [4] A vehicle control system arranged such that a first battery pack (10A) and a second battery pack (10B), each of the first battery pack (10A) and the second battery pack (10B) comprising a secondary battery, a battery sensor that detects a state of the secondary battery, and a first control device, are mounted on the vehicle control system, the vehicle control system comprising: a second control device provided separately from the first battery pack (10A) and the second battery pack (10B) and having a control unit configured to control an output power of the secondary batteries such that the output power of the secondary batteries does not exceed an upper power limit if the battery packs (10A, 10B) are attached to the vehicle control system; and a conversion unit mounted on a third control device provided separately from the first battery pack (10A) and the second battery pack (10B) and configured to relay communication between the first control device and the second control device, and configured such that, upon input of an upper current limit value indicating an upper limit value of an output current of the secondary battery in the first battery pack (10A) from the first battery pack (10A), the conversion unit converts the upper current limit value into the upper power limit value by multiplying a measured value of a voltage of the secondary battery in the first battery pack (10A) by the upper current limit value, wherein when the upper current limit value is input from the first battery pack (10A) to the third control device, the converter performs the conversion of the upper current limit value into the upper power limit value, and the upper power limit value is output from the third control device to the second control device; and the third control device is configured to perform the conversion and output the upper power limit when the upper current limit is input from the first battery pack (10A), and to output the upper power limit without performing the conversion when the upper power limit is input from the second battery pack (10B). [5] Vehicle tax procedure, with: Erlangen, comprising a vehicle control system to which a first battery pack (10A) and a second battery pack (10B) are attached, each of the first battery pack (10A) and the second battery pack (10B) comprising a secondary battery, a battery sensor that detects a state of the secondary battery, and a first control device, an upper current limit value indicating an upper limit of an output current of the secondary battery and a measured value of a voltage of the secondary battery from the first battery pack (10A); Carrying out, with a third control device provided separately from the first battery pack (10A) and the second battery pack (10B) and configured to relay communication between the first control device and the second control device, a conversion of the upper current limit value into an upper power limit value indicating an upper limit value of an output power of the secondary battery of the first battery pack (10A) by multiplying the upper current limit value by the measured value of the voltage; and Controlling, with the second control device provided separately from the first battery pack (10A) and the second battery pack (10B), the output power of the secondary battery using the upper power limit value, wherein when the upper current limit value is input from the first battery pack (10A) to the third control device, the converter performs the conversion of the upper current limit value into the upper power limit value, and the upper power limit value is output from the third control device to the second control device; and the third control device is configured to perform the conversion and output the upper power limit when the upper current limit is input from the first battery pack (10A), and to output the upper power limit without performing the conversion when the upper power limit is input from the second battery pack (10B).

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