Charging control device

Abstract

This prevents unauthorized third parties from ending external charging. [Solution] A charging control device used in an electric vehicle comprising a motor, a power storage device that exchanges power with the motor via a power line, a vehicle-side connection part that is attached to a charging line connected to the power line and can be attached to an external connection part that is connected to an external power source, and a communication line connected to an external power source via the vehicle-side connection part and the external connection part, which performs external charging, which is charging of the power storage device using power from an external power source when the vehicle-side connection part and the external connection part are connected, and when a request to stop external charging is received via the communication line during external charging, the external charging is stopped, the external charging is terminated when the vehicle user is authenticated as a legitimate user during the stop of external charging, and external charging is resumed when the user is not a legitimate user during the stop of external charging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a charging control device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of charging control device, there has been proposed one that performs external charging for charging a power storage device mounted on an electric vehicle using electric power from an external power source (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this device, a charging interruption switch, a charging flap switch, and a main controller are provided. When the charging flap switch changes from off to on while the charging interruption switch is on, the main controller is shifted from a sleep mode with reduced power consumption to a wake-up mode for fully executing charging control. [[ID=十三]]

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above-described charging control device, due to the operation of the charging switch by a third party who is not a regular user of the vehicle, external charging may be stopped at a timing unintended by the regular user, and thereafter, external charging may end without being able to be restarted.

[0005] The main object of the charging control device of the present disclosure is to suppress the termination of external charging by a third party who is not a regular user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The charging control device of the present disclosure has taken the following means to achieve the above main object.

[0007] The charging control device of this disclosure is used in an electric vehicle comprising a motor, a power storage device that exchanges power with the motor via a power line, a vehicle-side connection part that is attached to a charging line connected to the power line and is attached to an external connection part that is connected to an external power source, and a communication line that is connected to the external power source side via the vehicle-side connection part and the external connection part. The charging control device performs external charging, which is charging of the power storage device using power from the external power source, when the vehicle-side connection part and the external connection part are connected. The gist of the charging control device of this disclosure is that when a request to stop the external charging is received via the communication line during the external charging, the external charging is stopped, the external charging is terminated when the vehicle user is authenticated as a legitimate user during the suspension of the external charging, and the external charging is resumed when the user is not the legitimate user during the suspension of the external charging. With the above configuration, the charging control device of this disclosure can prevent a third party who is not a legitimate user from terminating the external charging. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an electric vehicle 20 equipped with the charging control device of this embodiment. [Figure 2] This flowchart shows an example of a processing routine executed by the charging ECU68. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an electric vehicle 20 equipped with the charging control device of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the electric vehicle 20 of this embodiment includes a motor 32, a power control unit (hereinafter referred to as "PCU") 34, a battery (energy storage device) 36, a system main relay SMR, charging relays DCR and ACR, vehicle-side inlets (vehicle-side connection parts) 54 and 66, a charging electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "charging ECU") 68, and a vehicle electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle ECU") 70.

[0010] The motor 32 is configured as a synchronous regenerative motor and comprises a rotor with embedded permanent magnets and a stator around which three-phase coils are wound. The rotor of this motor 32 is connected to a drive shaft 26 which is connected to the drive wheels 22a and 22b via a differential gear 24.

[0011] The PCU34 includes an inverter that drives the motor 32 and a boost converter that boosts the power from the power line 38 and supplies it to the inverter. The PCU34 is controlled by the vehicle ECU70.

[0012] The battery 36 is configured as, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery or a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery and is connected to the power line 38.

[0013] The system main relay SMR is mounted on the power line 38 and includes a positive-side relay SMRB provided on the positive busbar of the power line 38, a negative-side relay SMRG provided on the negative busbar of the power line 38, and a pre-charge circuit in which a pre-charge resistor R and a pre-charge relay SMRP are connected in series to bypass the negative-side relay SMRG. The system main relay SMR is controlled by the vehicle ECU 70.

[0014] The charging relay DCR is installed on the charging line 50. One end of the charging line 50 is connected to the PCU 34 side (motor 32 side) from the system main relay SMR of the power line 38, and the other end is connected to the vehicle side inlet 54. The charging relay DCR has a positive side relay DCRB provided on the positive side line of the charging line 50, and a negative side relay SMRG provided on the negative side line of the charging line 50. The charging relay DCR is controlled by the vehicle ECU 70.

[0015] The vehicle-side inlet 54 is configured to connect to the external connector (external connection part) 154 of the external power supply unit 120 at charging points such as home or charging stations. The vehicle-side inlet 54 is connected to the charging line 50 and the communication line 60 which is connected to the charging ECU 68. The vehicle-side inlet 54 has a locking mechanism 56 that locks the connection with the external connector 154 when the external connector 154 is connected. The locking mechanism 56 is controlled by the charging ECU 68.

[0016] Here, we will interrupt the explanation of the electric vehicle 20 and explain the external power supply unit 120 and the external connector 154. The external power supply unit 120 has a power supply circuit that supplies DC power to the external charging line 150 and an electronic control unit for the stand (hereinafter referred to as "stand ECU") 120a. The stand ECU 120a is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, it is equipped with ROM, RAM, flash memory, input / output ports, and communication ports. The stand ECU 120a controls the power supply circuit. When the external connector 154 is connected to the vehicle-side inlet 54, it connects the external charging line 150 to the charging line 50, and also connects the external communication line 160 to the communication line 60. The external connector 154 has a stop switch 154a that can be pressed by the user. When the stop switch 154a is pressed, it sends a stop request signal to the external communication line 160 requesting the cessation of charging the battery 36 using power from the external power supply unit 120 (hereinafter simply referred to as "external charging").

[0017] Returning to the description of the electric vehicle 20, the charging relay ACR is mounted on the charging line 64. One end of the charging line 64 is connected to the PCU 34 side (motor 32 side) of the system main relay SMR of the power line 38, and the other end is connected to the vehicle-side inlet 66. The charging relay ACR has a positive-side relay ACRB provided on the positive-side line of the charging line 64, and a negative-side relay SMRG provided on the negative-side line of the charging line 64. The charging relay ACR is controlled by the vehicle ECU 70. The vehicle-side inlet 66 is configured to be connectable to the external connector of an external power supply unit (not shown) that converts AC power to DC power and supplies it at the charging point. The vehicle-side inlet 66 is connected to the charging ECU 68 via the communication line 67.

[0018] The charging ECU 68 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, it is equipped with ROM, RAM, flash memory, input / output ports, and communication ports. The output port of the charging ECU 68 outputs a control signal to the lock mechanism 54a attached to the vehicle-side inlet 54. The charging ECU 68 communicates with the external power supply unit 120 by connecting a communication line 60 connected to the communication port to an external communication line 160. The charging ECU 68 exchanges data such as user information with a smartphone 170 within a predetermined distance from the vehicle. User information includes certificate information (e.g., My Number Card, driver's license, health insurance card information) and biometric information (facial recognition and fingerprint recognition information). The charging ECU 68 stores information of the legitimate user of the electric vehicle 20.

[0019] The charging ECU 68 performs user authentication processing. In user authentication processing, the charging ECU 68 determines whether the user information entered from the smartphone 170 matches the stored information of a legitimate user. If the entered user information matches the stored information of a legitimate user, the charging ECU 68 determines that the user with the smartphone 170 is a legitimate user. If the entered user information does not match the stored information of a legitimate user, the charging ECU 68 determines that the user with the smartphone 170 is a third party and not a legitimate user.

[0020] The vehicle ECU 70 is configured as a microprocessor centered around a CPU, and in addition to the CPU, it is equipped with ROM, RAM, flash memory, input / output ports, and communication ports. Signals from various sensors necessary for controlling the motor 32, system main relay SMR, charging relay DCR, and ACR are input to the vehicle ECU 70 via its input ports. Control signals to the PCU 34, drive signals to the system main relay SMR, drive signals to the charging relay DCR, and drive signals to the charging relay ACR are output from the vehicle ECU 70 via its output ports. The vehicle ECU 70 exchanges various information, such as stop request signals from the stop switch 154a, via the communication line 60 connected to the charging ECU 68.

[0021] In the electric vehicle 20 of this configured embodiment, when the vehicle-side inlet 54 and the external-side connector 154 are connected while the vehicle is stopped at a charging point with the system off, a connection signal is transmitted from a connection sensor (not shown) to the vehicle ECU 70 via the communication line 60 and the charging ECU 68. The charging ECU 68 detects the connection between the vehicle-side inlet 54 and the external-side connector 154 and controls the lock mechanism 56 to lock the connection between the vehicle-side inlet 54 and the external-side connector 154. Subsequently, when the user instructs external charging to charge the battery 36 using power from the external power supply 120 by operating the external power supply 120, the charging ECU 68 transmits an external charging start instruction to the vehicle ECU 70 via communication. Upon receiving the external charging start instruction, the vehicle ECU 70 first turns on the system main relay SMR and the charging relay DCR. The vehicle ECU 70 then transmits a current command Ic* for external charging to the charging ECU 68, and to the stand ECU 120a via the communication line 60 and the external communication line 160. The stand ECU 120a controls the power supply circuit so that the output current Ic to the external charging line 150 matches the current command Ic*, thereby performing external charging. When the battery 36's state of charge (SOC) reaches a predetermined Sch (for example, around 80% to 95%), the vehicle ECU 70 transmits an external charging termination command to the stand ECU 120a. Upon receiving this command, the stand ECU 120a shuts down the power supply circuit. In this way, external charging is terminated. After that, the vehicle ECU 70 turns off the system main relay SMR and the charging relay DCR, and transmits a lock release signal to the charging ECU 68. Upon receiving the lock release signal, the charging ECU 68 controls the lock mechanism 56 so that the connection between the vehicle-side inlet 54 and the external-side connector 154 is released.

[0022] Next, the operation of the electric vehicle 20 of the embodiment thus configured will be described, particularly the operation when the stop switch 154a attached to the external connector 154 is pressed. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing routine executed by the charging ECU 68. This routine is executed when the stop switch 154a is pressed during external charging and a stop request for external charging is received via the communication line 60.

[0023] When this routine is executed, the charging ECU 68 executes a stop process for stopping external charging (S100). In the stop process, the charging ECU 68 sets the current command Ic* to the value 0, transmits the set current command Ic* to the stand ECU 120a via the communication line 60 and the external communication line 160, and transmits a stop command for external charging to the vehicle ECU 70. The stand ECU 120a that has received the current command Ic* controls the power supply circuit so that the output current Ic to the external charging line 150 becomes the current command Ic*. The vehicle ECU 70 that has received the stop command for external charging turns off the system main relay SMR and the charging relay DCR.

[0024] Subsequently, the charging ECU 68 starts measuring the elapsed time tstop since the external charging was stopped (S110). Then, the charging ECU 68 determines whether the elapsed time tstop has passed the threshold value tsref (S120). The threshold value tsref is a threshold value for determining whether to resume the stopped external charging.

[0025] The charging ECU 68 executes the user authentication process described above if the elapsed time tstop has not exceeded the threshold tsref (S130). The charging ECU 68 then determines whether the user holding the smartphone 170 is a legitimate user in the user authentication process (S140). If the charging ECU 68 determines in S140 that the user holding the smartphone 170 is a third party and not a legitimate user, it returns to S120 and repeats steps S120 to S140 until the elapsed time tstop exceeds the threshold tsref in S120, or until the user authentication process in S140 determines that the user holding the smartphone 170 is a legitimate user. The reason why steps S120 to S140 are repeated in S140 until the user authentication process determines that the user with the smartphone 170 is a legitimate user, when the elapsed time tstop has not exceeded the threshold tsref, is to prevent a situation where the user with the smartphone 170, i.e., the user who pressed the stop switch 154a, is a legitimate user but is incorrectly authenticated in the user authentication process and therefore not judged as a legitimate user, thus preventing charging from resuming. When the charging ECU 68 determines in S140 that the user is a legitimate user, it determines that the user who pressed the stop switch 154a is a legitimate user and executes a charging termination process to terminate external charging (S150). In the charging termination process, the charging ECU 68 controls the lock mechanism 56 so that the lock between the vehicle-side inlet 54 and the external-side connector 154 is released and the connection is disconnected, and then the system is shut down. Through this process, external charging can be terminated when the user who pressed the stop switch 154a is a legitimate user.

[0026] When the elapsed time tstop exceeds the threshold tsref in S120, the system determines that the user who pressed the stop switch 154a is not a legitimate user and executes a charging restart process to resume external charging (S170), terminating this routine. In the charging restart process, the charging ECU 68 transmits a current command Ic* for external charging to the stand ECU 120a via the communication line 60 and the external communication line 160, and also transmits a command to resume external charging to the vehicle ECU 70. Upon receiving the current command Ic*, the stand ECU 120a controls the power supply circuit so that the output current Ic to the external charging line 150 becomes the current command Ic*. Upon receiving the command to resume external charging, the vehicle ECU 70 turns on the system main relay SMR and the charging relay DCR. Through this process, external charging is resumed when the user who pressed the stop switch 154a is not a legitimate user, thus preventing unauthorized third parties from stopping external charging.

[0027] According to the electric vehicle 20 of this embodiment described above, when a request to stop external charging is received via the communication line 60 during external charging, external charging is stopped; when the user is authenticated as a legitimate user during the suspension of external charging, external charging is terminated; and when the user is not a legitimate user during the suspension of external charging, external charging is resumed. This prevents a third party who is not a legitimate user from terminating external charging.

[0028] In the embodiment described above, if the user is not the authorized user while external charging is stopped, the charging restart process may be executed before the elapsed time tstop exceeds the threshold tsref. This allows external charging to be quickly restarted if a third party who is not the authorized user presses the stop switch 154a.

[0029] In the embodiment described above, the processing routine shown in Figure 2 may be used for external charging via the vehicle-side inlet 66. In this case, the vehicle-side inlet 66 only needs to be equipped with a locking mechanism similar to the locking mechanism 56.

[0030] In the embodiment described above, the processing routine illustrated in Figure 2 may be executed collaboratively by multiple electronic control units, or it may be executed by the vehicle ECU 70.

[0031] While embodiments for implementing this disclosure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and can of course be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of this disclosure. [Industrial applicability]

[0032] This disclosure can be used in industries such as the manufacturing of charging control devices. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 20 Electric vehicle, 32 Motor, 36 Battery, 38 Power line, 50, 64 Charging line, 54, 66 Vehicle-side inlet, 60 Communication line, 68 Charging electronic control unit (Charging ECU), 70 Electronic control unit (EVECU), 120 External power supply, 150 External charging line, 154 External connector, 160 External communication line.

Claims

[Claim 1] A charging control device used in an electric vehicle comprising a motor, a power storage device that exchanges power with the motor via a power line, a vehicle-side connection part that is attached to a charging line connected to the power line and is attached to an external connection part that is connected to an external power source, and a communication line connected to the external power source via the vehicle-side connection part and the external connection part, wherein when the vehicle-side connection part and the external connection part are connected, the device performs external charging, which is charging of the power storage device using power from the external power source, If a request to stop the external charging is received via the communication line during the external charging, the external charging will be stopped. If the vehicle user is authenticated as a legitimate user during the suspension of the external charging, the external charging will be terminated. If the user is not a legitimate user during the suspension of the external charging, the external charging will be resumed. Charging control device.

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