Charge control device

Abstract

To provide a charge control device capable of precisely estimating temperature of an inlet.SOLUTION: A charge control device comprises a processor that calculates a temperature change of an inlet. The processor writes temperature information about the inlet in a memory when a power supply of the processor is turned off, and calculates the temperature change of the inlet using the temperature information about the inlet read from the memory when the power supply of the processor is turned on.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charge control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a technology for controlling authentication when the connector is repeatedly inserted and removed during charging. The technology proposed in Patent Document 1 records that the connector was removed during charging and charging was interrupted, and by detecting that the connector has been inserted again based on this record, charging is started without re-executing authentication. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5727102 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology proposed in Patent Document 1, charging is resumed immediately when the connector is reinserted, but the temperature information at the time the connector was unplugged is not retained. Therefore, when the connector is repeatedly plugged into and unplugged from the inlet, the temperature rise before the connector was unplugged is not taken into account, and the inlet temperature cannot be accurately estimated.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and has an object to provide a charging control device that can accurately estimate the temperature of an inlet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The charging control device of the present disclosure includes a processor that calculates the temperature change of an inlet, and when the processor is powered off, the processor writes temperature information of the inlet to a memory, and when the processor is powered on, calculates the temperature change of the inlet using the temperature information of the inlet read from the memory. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the temperature of the inlet can be accurately estimated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a charging control device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of normal temperature monitoring by the charge control device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a method of detecting an abnormality in normal temperature monitoring by the charge control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of interrupted temperature monitoring by the charge control device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for detecting an abnormality in interrupted temperature monitoring by the charge control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of the charge control method 1 executed by the charge control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the charge control method 2 executed by the charge control device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A charging control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that components in the following embodiments include those that are replaceable and easy for a person skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] (Charging control device) A charge control device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 5. The charge control device according to the embodiment is mounted on, for example, a vehicle capable of storing electric power. Examples of such vehicles include a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and a battery electric vehicle (BEV).

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the charge control device 1 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a battery 13, and an inlet .

[0012] The control unit 11 is an electronic control unit (ECU) whose main components are a microcomputer including, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The control unit 11 realizes functions that meet a predetermined purpose by controlling each component through the execution of various programs.

[0013] The control unit 11 calculates the temperature change of the inlet 14. Then, the control unit 11 detects an abnormality in the inlet 14 based on the temperature change of the inlet 14. The control unit 11 calculates the temperature of the inlet 14 at predetermined time intervals, for example, as shown in FIG. 2. Note that "0" and "T0" shown in the boxes in the figure indicate the temperature of the inlet 14. Then, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a temperature rise ΔT over 5 minutes is equal to or greater than a certain level, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, and determines that an abnormality exists in the inlet 14 if the temperature rise ΔT is equal to or greater than a certain level.

[0014] Furthermore, when the charging gun is removed from the inlet 14, the power of the control unit 11 is turned off, and the control unit 11 writes the temperature information of the inlet 14 (see FIG. 2) to the memory unit 12 when the power of the control unit 11 is turned off (just before it is turned off). Next, when the charging gun is reconnected to the inlet 14 and the power of the control unit 11 is turned on again, the control unit 11 reads the immediately preceding temperature information of the inlet 14 from the memory unit 12. Next, the control unit 11 calculates the temperature change of the inlet 14 using the temperature information of the inlet 14 read from the memory unit 12. Then, the control unit 11 detects an abnormality in the inlet 14 based on the temperature change of the inlet 14.

[0015] The control unit 11 calculates the temperature of the inlet 14 at predetermined time intervals, for example, as shown in Fig. 4. When charging is resumed after an interruption of charging, the control unit 11 reads the temperature information of the inlet 14 before the interruption of charging (see Fig. 4). The control unit 11 then determines whether or not a temperature rise ΔT over 5 minutes is equal to or greater than a certain level, taking into account the interruption of charging, for example, as shown in Fig. 5, and determines that there is an abnormality in the inlet 14 if the temperature rise ΔT is equal to or greater than the certain level. Note that, as shown in the figure, the trend of the temperature change of the inlet 14 changes before and after the interruption of charging, and the temperature rise of the inlet 14 becomes gentler after charging is resumed.

[0016] The storage unit 12 is realized by a non-volatile memory such as an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. In the storage unit 12, for example, temperature information of the inlet 14 calculated by the control unit 11, an abnormality flag when the control unit 11 detects an abnormality, etc. are recorded.

[0017] The battery 13 is an electricity storage device that stores electric power supplied from an external source.

[0018] The inlet 14 is for charging the battery 13 by connecting a connector (hereinafter referred to as a "charging gun") of a power supply unit (ground unit).

[0019] In the charge control device according to the embodiment described above, the temperature information of the inlet 14 when the control unit 11 is powered off is stored in the storage unit 12. As a result, even if the charging gun is repeatedly inserted and removed from the inlet 14, the temperature change of the inlet 14 can be calculated using the temperature information before the charging gun is removed from the inlet 14 (for example, temperature information during a transitional period when the temperature rises rapidly). As a result, the temperature of the inlet 14 can be accurately estimated, and an abnormality can be determined with high precision.

[0020] (Charging control method 1) A first aspect of the charge control method executed by the charge control device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0021] First, when the charging gun is connected to the inlet 14 (step S1), the power supply of the control unit 11 is turned ON (step S2). Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a predetermined time has passed since the power supply of the control unit 11 was previously turned OFF (step S3). This "predetermined time" is a time during which the tendency of the temperature change of the inlet 14 changes before and after the interruption of charging, as shown in Fig. 5, for example, and can be obtained in advance by experiments, simulations, etc.

[0022] In step S3, if it is determined that a predetermined time has not elapsed (is less than the predetermined time) since the previous power OFF (No in step S3), control unit 11 reads out the immediately preceding temperature information of inlet 14 from memory unit 12 (step S4). Next, control unit 11 starts charging (step S5) and calculates the temperature change of inlet 14 during charging (step S6).

[0023] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not an abnormality in the inlet 14 has been detected based on the calculated temperature change of the inlet 14 (step S7). If it is determined in step S7 that an abnormality in the inlet 14 has been detected (Yes in step S7), the control unit 11 writes an abnormality flag indicating that fact in the storage unit 12 (step S8).

[0024] Then, when charging is completed (step S9) and the charging gun is removed from the inlet 14 (step S10), the control unit 11 writes the temperature information of the inlet 14 to the storage unit 12 (step S11). Then, the control unit 11 turns off the power of the control unit 11 (step S12), and this process is completed.

[0025] If it is determined in step S3 that a predetermined time has elapsed (is equal to or longer than the predetermined time) since the previous power OFF (Yes in step S3), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S5. If it is determined in step S7 that no abnormality in the inlet 14 has been detected (No in step S7), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S9.

[0026] Previously, when charging was interrupted, the power to the control unit that monitors the inlet temperature was also turned off and the inlet temperature information was erased. Therefore, if the inlet was inserted and removed in a short period of time, the transitional period of the inlet temperature change was overlooked and the inlet overheating abnormality could not be detected.

[0027] On the other hand, in this embodiment, when the power supply of the control unit 11 is turned off, the immediately preceding temperature information of the inlet 14 is written to the memory unit 12, and at the next time charging (when charging is resumed), the temperature information of the inlet 14 stored in the memory unit 12 is read and the temperature change of the inlet 14 is calculated. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the temperature of the inlet 14 and perform an abnormality determination with high precision.

[0028] (Charging control method 2) A second aspect of the charge control method executed by the charge control device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0029] First, when the charging gun is connected to the inlet 14 (step S21), the power supply of the control unit 11 is turned ON (step S22). Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a predetermined time has passed since the power supply of the control unit 11 was previously turned OFF (step S23). This "predetermined time" is a time during which the tendency of the temperature change of the inlet 14 changes before and after the interruption of charging, as shown in Fig. 5, for example, and can be obtained in advance by experiment, simulation, etc.

[0030] In step S23, when it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed (is less than the predetermined time) since the previous power OFF (No in step S23), the control unit 11 reads information on the abnormality flag (hereinafter referred to as "abnormality flag information") from the storage unit 12 (step S24). Next, the control unit 11 determines whether the abnormality flag is ON or not based on the abnormality flag information (step S25).

[0031] If it is determined in step S25 that the abnormality flag is not ON (No in step S25), the control unit 11 starts charging (step S26). Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not an abnormality in the inlet 14 has been detected based on, for example, a temperature change in the inlet 14 (step S27). If it is determined in step S27 that an abnormality in the inlet 14 has been detected (Yes in step S27), the control unit 11 writes an abnormality flag indicating that fact in the storage unit 12 (step S28).

[0032] Subsequently, when charging is completed (step S29) and the charging gun is removed from the inlet 14 (step S30), the control unit 11 turns off the power supply to the control unit 11 (step S31), and this process is completed.

[0033] Here, if it is determined in step S23 that a predetermined time has elapsed (is equal to or longer than the predetermined time) since the previous power OFF (Yes in step S23), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S25. If it is determined in step S25 that the abnormality flag is ON (Yes in step S25), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S30. If it is determined in step S27 that no abnormality in the inlet 14 has been detected (No in step S27), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S29.

[0034] Previously, if charging was retried immediately after an inlet overheating abnormality was detected, there was a possibility that the inlet overheating would not be detected, and the inlet could not be protected. Furthermore, when charging was interrupted, the power to the control unit that monitors the inlet temperature was also turned off, and the inlet abnormality flag was also cleared.

[0035] On the other hand, in this embodiment, when an overheating abnormality of the inlet 14 is detected, an abnormality flag is written to the storage unit 12, and at the next charging time, the abnormality flag of the inlet 14 stored in the storage unit 12 is read to determine an abnormality of the inlet 14. Then, if the abnormality flag is ON, it is determined that the current charging is also abnormal, and power control / charging stop, etc. are performed. This makes it possible to protect the inlet 14 without overlooking the overheating abnormality of the inlet 14 during the previous charging.

[0036] Further advantages and modifications may readily occur to those skilled in the art. Thus, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1. Charging control device 11 Control section 12 Storage section 13 Battery 14 Inlet

Claims

[Claim 1] Equipped with a processor that calculates the temperature change of the inlet, The processor, writing temperature information of the inlet to a memory when the processor is powered off; When the power supply of the processor is turned on, a temperature change of the inlet is calculated using the temperature information of the inlet read from the memory. Charging control device.

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