Vehicle charging device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle charging device that can appropriately determine when to stop charging even if a momentary interruption occurs in communication between the charging station and the vehicle. [Solution] During external charging, in which the battery 2 mounted on the vehicle 1 is charged from the charging stand 102 via the harness 104 by connecting the charging gun 101 to the vehicle 1, the ECU 5 monitors the communication between the charging stand 102 and the vehicle 1 via the harness 104, and controls the external charging to stop if a predetermined number of momentary interruptions occur in this communication within a predetermined time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle charging device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that when an abnormality occurs in the charging of an in-vehicle power storage device using a charging contact portion, the charging control is switched based on a control signal transmitted and received via a control signal contact portion. Further, Patent Document 1 describes that when an abnormality occurs in the charging of a battery, the user of the vehicle is notified that the charging has not been completed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 does not describe the processing when a communication interruption occurs between the charging stand and the vehicle, and there is a problem that appropriate processing cannot be performed in such a case.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle charging device that can appropriately determine the interruption of charging even when a communication interruption occurs between the charging stand and the vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a vehicle charging device for externally charging a battery mounted on a vehicle via a harness from a charging station, comprising a control unit that monitors communication between the charging station and the vehicle via the harness, and controls the device to stop the external charging if a predetermined number of momentary interruptions occur in the communication within a predetermined time period during the external charging. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] Thus, according to the present invention, even if a momentary interruption occurs in communication between the charging station and the vehicle, it is possible to appropriately determine whether to stop charging. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle charging device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a time chart showing the relationship between the determination time and the occurrence of momentary power interruptions in a vehicle charging device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure for instantaneous interruption control processing of a vehicle charging device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] A vehicle charging device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle charging device that externally charges a battery mounted on a vehicle via a harness from a charging station, and is configured to include a control unit that monitors communication between the charging station and the vehicle via the harness and controls the device to stop external charging if a predetermined number of momentary interruptions occur in communication within a predetermined time period during external charging.

[0010] As a result, the vehicle charging device according to one embodiment of the present invention can appropriately determine whether to stop charging even if a momentary interruption occurs in communication between the charging station and the vehicle. [Examples]

[0011] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a vehicle charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0012] In Figure 1, a vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle charging device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a battery 2, a notification unit 3, a communication unit 4, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 5 as a control unit.

[0013] Battery 2 is composed of a secondary battery, such as a lithium-ion battery. Battery 2 is connected to a motor (not shown) and supplies power to drive the motor, and is also charged by the motor's generated power (regenerative power). Battery 2 is equipped with a battery state sensor (not shown), which detects the charge / discharge current, voltage, and battery temperature of Battery 2 and outputs them to the ECU 5.

[0014] Furthermore, the battery 2 is charged by power supplied from an external charging station 102 or a household outlet 103, by connecting the charging gun 101 to a charging connector (not shown) provided on the vehicle 1.

[0015] The ECU 5 controls the charging of the battery 2 by communicating with a control device (not shown) located between the charging stand 102 or the household outlet 103 and the charging gun 101, via a harness 104 that connects the charging gun 101 to the charging stand 102 or the household outlet 103. CAN (Controller Area Network) or PLC (Power Line Communications) is used for communication with the charging stand 102 or the control device.

[0016] The notification unit 3 consists of display devices and lamps installed on the meter, an information display, a display device for the navigation system, etc., and notifies the user of various information.

[0017] The communication unit 4 connects to the mobile communication network and communicates with a server device, a personal computer, a smartphone, etc. via the mobile communication network. Further, the communication unit 4 communicates with a smartphone, etc. by short-range wireless communication.

[0018] The ECU 5 is composed of a computer unit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an input port, and an output port.

[0019] In the ROM of the computer unit, a program for making the computer unit function as the ECU 5 is stored together with various constants, various maps, etc. That is, when the CPU executes the program stored in the ROM using the RAM as a work area, the computer unit functions as the ECU 5 in this embodiment.

[0020] Various sensors including the aforementioned battery state sensor are connected to the input port of the ECU 5. Various control targets including the aforementioned notification unit 3 are connected to the output port of the ECU 5.

[0021] In this embodiment, when the charging gun 101 is connected to the charging connector of the vehicle 1 and the battery 2 is being charged by the power from, for example, the charging stand 102, the ECU 5 monitors the communication with the charging stand 102 via the harness 104, and if there are more than a predetermined number of momentary disconnections within a predetermined determination time in the communication with the charging stand 102, the charging from the charging stand 102 is stopped.

[0022] A momentary disconnection means that the communication is instantaneously disconnected. If the communication is restored within an extremely short time after the communication is disconnected, the ECU 5 determines that it is a momentary disconnection. The determination time and the predetermined number are a combination of the time when it can be determined that there is an abnormality in the charging gun 101, the charging stand 102, and the harness 104 and the number of occurrences of momentary disconnections, and are obtained and set by experiments, etc.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the ECU 5 counts the number of momentary power interruptions that occur between time t1, when a momentary power interruption occurs, and time t2, when the judgment time has elapsed. If the number of momentary power interruptions exceeds a predetermined threshold, the ECU 5 stops charging from the charging station 102.

[0024] If the ECU5 does not experience a predetermined number of momentary power interruptions within the judgment time, it will continue charging from the charging station 102.

[0025] If the ECU5 detects that a predetermined number of momentary interruptions occur in communication with the charging station 102 within a predetermined judgment time, causing charging from the charging station 102 to be stopped, the notification unit 3 will notify the user. The notification should include information such as that charging has been stopped due to a momentary interruption, and that there may be a problem with the charging gun 101 or harness 104.

[0026] Furthermore, the ECU 5 may be configured to send notifications to personal computers, smartphones, etc., via the communication unit 4. The notification content should include information such as that charging has been stopped due to a momentary power interruption, or that there may be a problem with the charging gun 101 or harness 104.

[0027] The momentary interruption control process by the vehicle charging device according to this embodiment, configured as described above, will be explained with reference to Figure 3. The momentary interruption control process described below is started when the ECU 5 starts operating and is executed at a predetermined time interval.

[0028] In step S1, the ECU 5 determines whether or not the battery 2 is being charged externally.

[0029] If it is determined that external charging is in progress, ECU5 executes the process in step S2. If it is determined that external charging is not in progress, ECU5 terminates the momentary interruption control process.

[0030] In step S2, the ECU5 monitors the level value of the signal to be monitored and turns on the initial interruption detection when an interruption occurs. After executing the process in step S2, the ECU5 executes the process in step S3.

[0031] In step S3, the ECU5 determines whether the initial power interruption detection is enabled. The initial power interruption detection is enabled if the power interruption that occurred is the initial power interruption. A predetermined time measurement is started when the initial power interruption occurs. If the initial momentary interruption detection is determined to be ON, the ECU5 executes the process in step S4. If the initial momentary interruption detection is determined to be OFF, the ECU5 executes the process in step S1.

[0032] In step S4, the ECU5 determines whether or not the judgment time has not elapsed since the first momentary power interruption occurred.

[0033] If it is determined that the judgment time has not elapsed, ECU5 executes the process in step S5. If it is determined that the judgment time has not elapsed, ECU5 executes the process in step S11.

[0034] In step S5, the ECU5 determines whether or not a momentary power interruption occurred. If it is determined that a momentary power interruption has occurred, ECU5 executes the process in step S6. If it is determined that no momentary power interruption has occurred, ECU5 executes the process in step S4.

[0035] In step S6, ECU5 increments the number of momentary interruptions by 1. After executing the process in step S6, ECU5 executes the process in step S7.

[0036] In step S7, the ECU 5 determines whether the number of momentary interruptions is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold number.

[0037] If the ECU5 determines that the number of momentary interruptions is greater than or equal to the threshold, it executes the process in step S8. If the ECU5 determines that the number of momentary interruptions is not greater than or equal to the threshold, it executes the process in step S4.

[0038] In step S8, the ECU5 determines that an abnormality has occurred. After executing the process in step S8, the ECU5 executes the process in step S9.

[0039] In step S9, ECU5 stops charging. After executing the process in step S9, ECU5 executes the process in step S10.

[0040] In step S10, the ECU 5 notifies the user via the notification unit 3. The notification should include information such as that charging has been stopped due to a momentary power interruption, and that there may be a problem with the charging gun 101 or harness 104. The communication unit 4 may also be used to send notifications to personal computers or smartphones. After executing the process in step S10, the ECU 5 terminates the momentary power interruption control process.

[0041] In step S11, ECU5 clears the initial momentary interruption detection by turning it off. After executing the process in step S11, ECU5 executes the process in step S12.

[0042] In step S12, ECU5 clears the number of momentary interruptions to zero. After executing the process in step S12, ECU5 executes the process in step S2.

[0043] Thus, in this embodiment, the ECU 5 monitors communication via the harness 104 while the battery 2 is being charged from an external source, and if a predetermined number of momentary interruptions occur in the communication via the harness 104 within a predetermined judgment time, it stops the external charging.

[0044] This allows the system to control the external charging process so that if a predetermined number of momentary interruptions occur in communication via the charging harness 104 within a predetermined time period during external charging, the external charging process is stopped. Therefore, when a momentary interruption occurs in communication between the charging station 102 and the vehicle 1, the system can appropriately determine whether to stop charging.

[0045] Furthermore, if a momentary interruption occurs in communication via harness 104 while the battery 2 is being charged externally, ECU 5 will continue external charging if the number of interruptions within a predetermined time is less than a predetermined number.

[0046] As a result, even if a momentary interruption occurs in communication via the charging harness 104 during external charging, if the interruption is less than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time, external charging will continue. Therefore, in the case of a temporary interruption, charging can be continued and charged as much as possible.

[0047] Furthermore, if the ECU 5 experiences more than a predetermined number of momentary interruptions in communication via the harness 104 within a predetermined judgment time, causing it to stop charging from the outside, the notification unit 3 will notify the user.

[0048] This allows the system to control the external charging process and notify the user if a predetermined number of momentary interruptions occur in communication via the charging harness 104 within a predetermined time period during external charging, thereby informing the user of the reason why charging is not possible.

[0049] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the ECU 5 performs various judgments and calculations based on various sensor information. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and various judgments and calculations may be performed by an external device such as an external server based on detection information from various sensors transmitted from the communication unit 4, and the judgment and calculation results may be received by the communication unit 4, and various controls may be performed using the received judgment and calculation results.

[0050] While embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. All such modifications and equivalents are intended to be included in the following claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1 vehicle 2 batteries 3 Notification section 4. Communications Department 5 ECU (control unit) 101 Cordless Gun 102 Charging Stand 103 Household electrical outlets 104 Harness

Claims

1. A vehicle charging device that externally charges a battery mounted on a vehicle via a harness from a charging station, A vehicle charging device comprising a control unit that monitors communication between the charging station and the vehicle via the harness, and controls the device to stop the external charging if the communication is interrupted more than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time during the external charging.

2. The vehicle charging device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the vehicle to continue external charging even if a momentary interruption occurs in the communication during external charging, as long as the number of momentary interruptions within the predetermined time is less than the predetermined number.

3. It is equipped with a notification unit that notifies the user of various information, The vehicle charging device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the notification unit to notify the user if the external charging is stopped due to a predetermined number of momentary interruptions in the communication within a predetermined time period during the external charging.

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