Temperature riser

Abstract

The temperature rise of the energy storage device prior to charging is performed efficiently while minimizing wasted power consumption. [Solution] The controller 5 that controls the heating of the energy storage device by an electric heater includes a power integration unit 5a that calculates the cumulative value of the power consumed by the electric heater when the energy storage device is heated, a power consumption determination unit 5b that compares the cumulative value with a predetermined value, and a heating control unit 5c that stops heating the energy storage device by the electric heater when the power consumption determination unit 5b determines that the cumulative value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and permits heating the energy storage device by the electric heater when the power consumption determination unit 5b determines that the cumulative value is less than the predetermined value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a temperature increasing device that increases the temperature of a charging device, and particularly to a temperature increasing device mounted on a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] It is known that the charging speed of a secondary battery is related to the temperature of the secondary battery. When the charging control device described in Patent Document 1 supplies power from a charging facility outside the vehicle to the battery of the vehicle for charging, the power supplied to the vehicle is used for charging the battery and heating the battery to increase the temperature of the battery, thereby shortening the charging time. When heating the battery, if the amount of power for temperature increase is controlled only by the battery temperature, the temperature increase becomes slow, and the battery temperature does not rise rapidly, so that the charging time may ultimately become long. Therefore, in the charging control device described in Patent Document 1, when the temperature increase rate of the battery at a predetermined time after the start of charging is less than a predetermined value, the power distribution rate to the heater that heats the battery is increased.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a technology that starts heating the battery by connecting a charging cable to the vehicle after the vehicle arrives at a predetermined charging facility. Therefore, the battery temperature at the start of charging is low, and the charging speed at the start of charging becomes slow.

[0005] To overcome these inconveniences, conventional methods have considered preheating the battery before charging begins. This type of technology is called preconditioning. However, preconditioning uses the battery's power to operate the heater while the vehicle is traveling to the charging station. Simply performing preconditioning can lead to insufficient power for driving, preventing the vehicle from reaching the charging station, thus affecting its operation. Conventionally, no technology has been known that can maintain vehicle operation while efficiently heating and charging the battery, indicating a significant need for developing new technologies for charging electric vehicle batteries.

[0006] The technology disclosed herein was developed against the background described above, and aims to provide a heating device that can efficiently raise the temperature of an energy storage device prior to charging while minimizing wasted power consumption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The technology disclosed herein, in order to achieve the above objective, is a heating device having an electric heater for heating and raising the temperature of a power storage device mounted on a vehicle, and for heating and raising the temperature of the power storage device by the electric heater before charging the power storage device by an external charging facility provided outside the vehicle, the device having a controller for controlling the heating of the power storage device by the electric heater, the controller comprising: a power integration unit for calculating the cumulative value of the power consumed by the electric heater when the power storage device is heated; a power consumption determination unit for comparing the cumulative value calculated by the power integration unit with a predetermined value; and a heating control unit for stopping the heating of the power storage device by the electric heater when the power consumption determination unit determines that the cumulative value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and for allowing the heating of the power storage device by the electric heater when the power consumption determination unit determines that the cumulative value is less than the predetermined value.

[0008] In the heating device disclosed herein, the controller further includes a selection unit that selects a manual heating mode in which the heating control of the energy storage device is performed based on manual operation by the occupant of the vehicle, and an automatic heating mode in which the heating control of the energy storage device is performed based on a detection signal that detects the state of the vehicle, and the predetermined value in the power consumption determination unit may include a first predetermined value when the manual heating mode is selected and a second predetermined value different from the first predetermined value when the automatic heating mode is selected.

[0009] In the heating apparatus disclosed herein, the second predetermined value may be greater than the first predetermined value.

[0010] The power integrating unit includes a first integrating unit that integrates the power consumed by the electric heater when the energy storage device is heated up when the manual heating mode is selected, and a second integrating unit that integrates the power consumed by the electric heater when the energy storage device is heated up when the automatic heating mode is selected. The power consumption determination unit may compare the integrated value calculated by the first integrating unit with the first predetermined value when the manual heating mode is selected, and compare the integrated value calculated by the second integrating unit with the second predetermined value when the automatic heating mode is selected.

[0011] The heating device disclosed herein further comprises a heat sensor for detecting the amount of energy consumed in heating the energy storage device, and the power integrating unit calculates the integrated value by integrating the amount of energy detected by the heat sensor, and if the amount of energy cannot be detected by the heat sensor, the integrated value may be calculated from the elapsed time from the start of heating the energy storage device and a predetermined amount of energy consumed per unit time.

[0012] The controller may further include a temperature-inhibiting unit that, after the temperature-inhibiting unit has stopped the temperature rise of the energy storage device, maintains the shutdown of the energy storage device and prohibits further temperature rise of the energy storage device until predetermined conditions are met.

[0013] The predetermined conditions may include a first condition for when the manual heating mode is selected, and a second condition different from the first condition for when the automatic heating mode is selected.

[0014] The first condition may include the vehicle's main switch being turned off, and the second condition may include the charging operation of the energy storage device by the external charging equipment being initiated.

[0015] The technology disclosed herein is a heating device having an electric heater for heating and raising the temperature of a power storage device mounted on a vehicle, and for heating and raising the temperature of the power storage device by the electric heater before charging the power storage device by an external charging facility provided outside the vehicle, the device having a controller for controlling the heating of the power storage device by the electric heater, the controller being characterized by having a selection unit for selecting a manual heating mode that performs heating control of the power storage device based on manual operation by the occupant of the vehicle and an automatic heating mode that performs heating control of the power storage device based on a detection signal that detects the state of the vehicle, and a heating prohibition unit that, after stopping the heating of the power storage device in the manual heating mode, maintains the power storage device stopped until a first condition is met and prohibits further heating of the power storage device, and after stopping the heating of the power storage device in the automatic heating mode, maintains the power storage device stopped until a second condition is met and prohibits further heating of the power storage device.

[0016] The first condition may include the vehicle's main switch being turned off, and the second condition may include the charging operation of the energy storage device by the external charging equipment being initiated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the technology disclosed herein, when an energy storage device is heated and raised using an electric heater, the cumulative value of the power consumed is calculated. If this cumulative value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the heating of the energy storage device by the electric heater is stopped. Conversely, if the cumulative value is less than the predetermined value, the heating of the energy storage device by the electric heater is permitted. Therefore, power is not consumed to raise the temperature of the energy storage device beyond the predetermined value, thus preventing wasted power consumption. Furthermore, if heating is stopped for any reason after it has started, and the cumulative value has not reached the predetermined value, heating can be restarted until the cumulative value reaches the predetermined value, thereby bringing the temperature of the energy storage device closer to the target temperature.

[0018] The first predetermined value, which is the upper limit of the cumulative value in manual heating mode, and the second predetermined value, which is the upper limit of the cumulative value in automatic heating mode, are different. This allows for more precise heating of the energy storage device in each heating mode. In particular, if the second predetermined value is set to a value greater than the first predetermined value, it enables repeated stopping and restarting of heating in automatic heating mode, which consumes power, i.e., repeatedly starts and stops the electric heater, thereby allowing the energy storage device to heat up sufficiently.

[0019] Furthermore, the comparison between the integrated power value in manual heating mode and a first predetermined value, and the comparison between the integrated power value in automatic heating mode and a second predetermined value, can be performed independently. In this case, one heating mode does not restrict the heating control in the other heating mode, so that heating control of the energy storage device can be performed in a manner suitable for each heating mode or in accordance with the heating requirements.

[0020] The amount of energy consumed for heating can be detected by heat sensors such as current sensors, voltage sensors, or heat flow meters, and in such cases, the integrated power can be calculated based on the detected energy. If it is not possible to determine the amount of energy, i.e., the integrated power, using such heat sensors, the integrated power can be calculated based on the elapsed time from the start of heating and the energy consumption, such as the power consumption per unit time specified in the specifications of the electric heater. As a result, the amount of electricity consumed for heating can be optimized regardless of whether or not heat sensors are used.

[0021] After the heating control unit stops the heating process, further heating is prohibited until predetermined conditions are met, thus avoiding unnecessary or excessive heating of the energy storage device.

[0022] The conditions for this are that the first condition in manual heating mode and the second condition in automatic heating mode are different from each other. In particular, by setting the first condition as the vehicle's main switch being turned off and the second condition as the start of charging operation by external charging equipment, it is possible to avoid or suppress excessive heating again and the resulting excessive power consumption.

[0023] Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein allows for both a manual heating mode and an automatic heating mode, and the conditions under which further heating can be performed in manual heating mode are different from those under which further heating can be performed in automatic heating mode. This prevents or suppresses unnecessary restriction of further heating in either heating mode, or excessive power consumption for heating.

[0024] In particular, for the manual heating mode, the condition for re-heating is that the main switch of the vehicle is turned off, so it is possible to prevent or suppress a situation where passengers repeatedly perform manual operations and consume excessive power. Also, in the automatic heating mode, the condition for re-heating is that charging has been performed, so heating will be carried out when there is sufficient power, and it is possible to avoid or suppress the impact on the vehicle's driving caused by heating.

[0025] Furthermore, the permission or prohibition of re-heating is carried out independently for each heating mode, so it is possible to prevent or suppress situations such as the re-heating in one of the heating modes being restricted, or conversely, the re-heating in one of the heating modes being excessively executed and consuming excessive power.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of a vehicle. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing the change in the temperature of the power storage device in the manual heating mode and the change in the temperature of the power storage device in the automatic heating mode. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the controller. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart for explaining a first control example executed by the controller. [Figure 5] It is a time chart showing an example of the change in the operating state of the main switch, the presence or absence of a heating request in the manual mode, the heating state, the on and off of the heating permission flag, the power integrated value, and the establishment and non-establishment of the power excess determination when the first control example is executed. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart for explaining a second control example executed by the controller. [Figure 7] It is a time chart showing an example of the change in the operating state of the main switch, the presence or absence of a heating request in the automatic mode, the charging state, the heating state, the on and off of the heating permission flag, the power integrated value, and the establishment and non-establishment of the power excess determination when the second control example is executed. [Figure 8] This flowchart illustrates a third control example performed by the controller. [Figure 9] This is a time chart showing an example of the changes in the operating state of the main switch, whether or not a heating request was made in manual mode, the heating status, the temperature of the energy storage device, the determination of heating completion, and the on / off state of the heating completion determination flag when the third control example is executed. [Figure 10] This flowchart illustrates a fourth control example performed by the controller. [Figure 11] This is a time chart showing an example of the changes in the operating state of the main switch, whether or not a temperature rise request was made in automatic mode, the status of charging, the temperature rise status, the temperature of the energy storage device, the determination of temperature rise completion, and the on / off state of the temperature rise completion determination flag when the fourth control example is executed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] Next, an example of the technology disclosed herein will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the technology disclosed herein (hereinafter referred to as the "Disclosed Technology") and do not limit the Disclosed Technology or the present invention.

[0028] (Vehicle configuration) An example of a vehicle 1 in the disclosed technology is schematically shown in Figure 1. Vehicle 1 is a so-called electric vehicle that includes an electric motor as a drive source 2. A power storage device 3 is mounted on vehicle 1 that supplies power to the drive source 2 and charges the power generated by the electric motor. Therefore, the power storage device 3 may be composed of a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery. Since the power storage device 3 has the characteristic that the charging speed differs depending on its temperature, an electric heater 4 is provided to heat the power storage device 3 to a temperature suitable for charging and raise its temperature (heat rise). The electric heater 4 is connected to the power storage device 3 and uses the power of the power storage device 3 to heat the power storage device 3.

[0029] A control device (controller) 5 is provided to control the temperature rise of the energy storage device 3 by the electric heater 4. The controller 5 is mainly composed of a microcomputer consisting of an arithmetic unit (CPU), memory elements (ROM, RAM, SRAM), and interfaces. Using the input data and pre-stored data, it performs calculations according to a pre-prepared program and outputs the result of the calculation as a control command signal. An example of the input data is the on / off signal of the main switch 6. The main switch 6 is a switch that activates the entire vehicle 1 when turned on and deactivates the entire vehicle 1 when turned off, and is sometimes called an ignition switch or ready switch. Note that the controller 5 can operate even when the main switch 6 is in the off state.

[0030] Additionally, a pilot control (CPLT) signal is input to the controller 5. The energy storage device 3 is charged by being connected to an external charging facility 7, such as one installed at a charging station, via a charging cable 8. When the charging cable 8 is connected to the vehicle 1, a CPLT signal to control charging is transmitted between the charging facility 7 and the vehicle 1. This CPLT signal is input to the controller 5.

[0031] Since the controller 5 is for controlling the temperature of the energy storage device 3, the detection signal from the temperature sensor 9, which detects the temperature of the energy storage device 3, and the detection signal from the ambient temperature sensor 10, which detects the ambient temperature, are input to the controller 5. Furthermore, the detection signal from the heat quantity sensor 11, which determines the amount of energy (heat) consumed by the electric heater 4 to raise the temperature of the energy storage device 3, is also input to the controller 5. Specifically, the heat quantity sensor 11 may be a current sensor 11a and a voltage sensor 11b that detect the current supplied from the energy storage device 3 to the electric heater 4. Alternatively, it may be a sensor that determines the power consumption from the rise in temperature of the energy storage device 3 and the heat capacity of the energy storage device 3 when the energy storage device 3 is heated by the electric heater 4.

[0032] The controller 5 has two modes for controlling the heating of the energy storage device 3: a manual heating mode (hereinafter referred to as manual mode) and an automatic heating mode (hereinafter referred to as automatic mode). In manual mode, heating is started by a passenger, such as the driver of the vehicle, and ends when predetermined termination conditions are met, such as when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches a target temperature. In automatic mode, heating is started based on a signal that detects the state of the vehicle 1, such as the position of the vehicle 1, and ends when predetermined termination conditions are met, such as when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches a target temperature. A signal from a selection switch 12 to select these control modes is input to the controller 5. The selection switch 12 may be a contact switch such as a push switch or a touch switch that appears as an icon on the touch panel 13. Figure 1 schematically shows a selection switch 12 that appears on the touch panel 13.

[0033] (Manual heating mode and automatic heating mode) Here, we will explain the manual mode and the automatic mode. The manual mode is a control mode in which the electric heater 4 is operated to raise the temperature when the vehicle 1 is running or when the main switch 6 mentioned above is in the ON state, in preparation for charging by the charging equipment 7, and the manual mode is selected by the selection switch 12. In this case, an example of the temperature change of the energy storage device 3 is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 is a graph in which the temperature of the energy storage device 3 is plotted on the vertical axis and time is plotted on the horizontal axis, with the line indicated by the symbol "M" showing the change in manual mode and the line indicated by the symbol "A" showing the change in automatic mode. When the manual mode is selected by the selection switch 12 at time t0, the electric heater 4 is energized and the heating of the energy storage device 3 begins, and the temperature of the energy storage device 3 gradually rises. The way in which the temperature rises is determined by the amount of heat generated by the electric heater 4, the thermal resistance between the electric heater 4 and the energy storage device 3, and the amount of heat dissipated from the energy storage device 3, which is affected by the ambient temperature.

[0034] The optimal temperature for charging the energy storage device 3 varies depending on the charging capacity of the charging equipment 7. For approximately 50kW, it is around T0°C; for 90kW, it is around T1(>T0)°C; and for 150kW, it is around T2(>T1)°C. If charging is not specifically planned, or if charging is planned but the capacity of the charging equipment 7 is unknown, the temperature is raised to a target temperature corresponding to the expected maximum capacity (e.g., T2°C). Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 2, at time t1 when the detected temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature, the power supply to the electric heater 4 is stopped, and the heating of the energy storage device 3 is halted. After that, the temperature of the energy storage device 3 gradually decreases due to natural heat dissipation. As a result, at time t2 when charging is performed, the temperature of the energy storage device 3 may be below the optimal temperature for charging. Therefore, the manual mode is a control mode that prioritizes the intention to raise the temperature, as indicated by manually operating the selection switch 12.

[0035] The automatic mode is a control mode that, provided that automatic mode is selected, performs a temperature increase of the energy storage device 3 based on the state of the vehicle 1. The state of the vehicle 1 is mainly the distance from the vehicle 1's current position to the charging equipment 7, or the time it will take to reach the charging equipment 7. The charging equipment 7 may be equipment at a location detected based on map data, or it may be equipment at a location set as a target point. Therefore, in automatic mode, temperature control is performed based on the current position of the vehicle 1 and the location of the charging equipment 7, and data obtained from the navigation system 14 is used. The navigation system 14 is a system that determines the positions of the vehicle 1 and the charging equipment 7 using GPS (Global Positioning System), and overlays the position information obtained from GPS onto pre-prepared map data to determine the map positions of the vehicle 1 and the charging equipment 7. Therefore, the navigation system 14 can determine the distance from the current position to the charging equipment 7, and the time or date it will take to reach the charging equipment 7 when traveling at a predetermined vehicle speed. In addition, the capacity of the charging equipment 7 can be obtained from the navigation system 14 by pre-storing it in the navigation system 14.

[0036] On the other hand, based on the difference between the current temperature of the energy storage device 3 and the target temperature, the time required to raise the temperature to the target temperature can be determined. From this time and the vehicle speed, the timing for starting the heating process, such as the time to start heating or the distance from the charging equipment 7, can be determined. Therefore, if the target charging equipment 7 is a 150kW facility, heating will start at time t3, as indicated by the symbol "A" in Figure 2. If it is a 90kW facility, heating will start at time t4, when the vehicle is closer to the charging equipment 7. In addition, even in automatic mode, heating will stop when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature.

[0037] Furthermore, the data pre-stored in the controller 5 is reference data for determining various states represented by the input data, such as predetermined values ​​for determining the amount of energy (electrical power) consumed by the electric heater 4.

[0038] (Controller configuration) The controller 5 uses input data and pre-stored data to control the heating of the energy storage device 3, such as starting or stopping the heating process, or prohibiting or allowing further heating. It is equipped with various functions for this control. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the controller 5 in the disclosed technology, and the controller 5 is equipped with a power integration unit 5a. The power integration unit 5a determines the amount of energy consumed by the electric heater 4 to heat up the energy storage device 3. Specifically, it calculates the power consumption based on the current value detected by the current sensor 11a and the voltage value detected by the voltage sensor 11b and integrates them. Alternatively, if the amount of energy cannot be determined from the current and voltage, it determines the amount of energy consumed to heat up the energy storage device 3 from the amount of energy consumed per unit time by the electric heater 4 and the time the electric heater 4 was energized, i.e., the heating time of the energy storage device 3. Note that the integration of the consumed amount of energy (or heat) may be performed by the first integration unit 5a1 in manual mode and by the second integration unit 5a2 in automatic mode.

[0039] A power consumption determination unit 5b is provided in the controller 5 to make a judgment about the amount of power accumulated by the power accumulation unit 5a. The power consumption determination unit 5b compares the amount of power accumulated by the power accumulation unit 5a with a predetermined value Wo and determines whether the accumulated amount of power is greater than or less than the predetermined value Wo. As described above, the accumulation of power consumption may be performed separately in manual mode and in automatic mode, so the predetermined value Wo that serves as the basis for determining power consumption may include a first predetermined value Wo1 used in manual mode and a second predetermined value Wo2 used in automatic mode.

[0040] The controller 5 includes a temperature control unit 5c that controls the stopping and allowing the heating process. The temperature control unit 5c stops the heating of the energy storage device 3 when the cumulative value of the power described above is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Wo. Conversely, if the cumulative value of the power is less than the predetermined value Wo, it allows the heating of the energy storage device 3. This stopping and allowing of heating can be done separately in manual mode and automatic mode. That is, in manual mode, the amount of power accumulated by the first integrating unit 5a1 is compared with a first predetermined value Wo1, and in automatic mode, the amount of power accumulated by the second integrating unit 5a2 is compared with a second predetermined value Wo2, and the heating process is stopped or allowed based on the result of this comparison. It is preferable that the second predetermined value Wo2 be a larger value than the first predetermined value Wo1. In automatic mode, the heating of the energy storage device 3 is likely to be stopped and restarted repeatedly according to the driving route information obtained by the navigation system 14, and it is thought that the power consumption required for this will be high. Therefore, in order to enable such power consumption, the second predetermined value Wo2 is set to a value greater than the first predetermined value Wo1 used in manual mode.

[0041] The controller 5 is further equipped with a temperature rise prevention unit 5d. The temperature rise prevention unit 5d maintains the stopped state after the temperature rise has been stopped and prohibits the temperature rise of the energy storage device 3 until predetermined conditions are met. Since the temperature rise of the energy storage device 3 can consume a large amount of power, the temperature rise prevention unit 5d restricts the temperature rise after the temperature rise has been stopped. The predetermined conditions for releasing the prohibition may include a first condition in manual mode and a second condition in automatic mode. The first condition may be, for example, the main switch 6 described above being turned off. This is to avoid or suppress random or excessive temperature rise based on the rider's intentions while driving or during a trip caused by turning on the main switch 6. The second condition may be that the charging operation of the energy storage device 3 by the charging equipment 7 has started. The start of this charging operation can be detected based on the CPLT signal. Since the automatic mode is executed when driving towards the charging equipment 7, the purpose of temperature rise is achieved when charging starts, so the start of charging may be the second condition.

[0042] As described above, the manual mode and the automatic mode perform different control methods, such as using different power integrators or using different predetermined values ​​to determine power consumption. A selection unit 5e is provided in the controller 5 to select these control modes. Based on the signal input from the selection switch 12 mentioned above, the selection unit 5e selects either the manual mode or the automatic mode, and the controller 5 performs temperature rise control of the energy storage device 3 according to the selected control mode.

[0043] (First control example) Next, the temperature rise control performed by the controller 5 described above will be explained in detail. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of manual mode control. The routine shown in Figure 4 is executed repeatedly at predetermined short intervals. First, in step S1, it is determined whether the main switch 6 mentioned above is off or not. If the main switch 6 is off, the supply of power from the energy storage device 3 to the drive power source 2 and the heating of the energy storage device 3 by the electric heater 4 are stopped, and the navigation system 14 is also stopped.

[0044] If the result of the judgment in step S1 is "yes," the process proceeds to step S2, where the accumulated power value stored in SRAM or the like is reset to "0." In other words, the stored accumulated power value is cleared. Next, in step S3, it is determined whether the accumulated power value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this case, since manual mode is selected, the predetermined value is the first predetermined value Wo1 mentioned above. This first predetermined value Wo1 may be appropriately determined in the design depending on the charging capacity of the energy storage device 3 and the capacity of the electric heater 4. If the main switch 6 is turned off, the accumulated power value is cleared, so the result of the judgment in step S3 is "no." In this case, the process proceeds to step S4, where heating in manual mode during operation is permitted, and the routine in Figure 4 is terminated. Therefore, turning off the main switch 6 is the condition for permitting heating in manual mode, or in other words, the condition for lifting the prohibition on heating in manual mode.

[0045] On the other hand, if the main switch 6 is ON, such as when vehicle 1 is already running, and the result of the judgment in step S1 is "No", then the process proceeds to step S5 to determine whether manual mode is selected and whether there is a request for heating. A request for heating is, for example, when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 is lower than the target temperature, and the request for heating becomes "Yes" when manual mode is selected by the selection switch 12. If the result of the judgment in step S5 is "Yes", heating will be performed in manual mode, and in step S6, the power consumed by the electric heater 4 is accumulated. Since this accumulation is for heating control in manual mode, it will be performed by the first accumulating unit 5a1 mentioned above.

[0046] Next, the process proceeds to step S3, where it is determined whether the accumulated value obtained in this way is equal to or greater than the predetermined value Wo1. If it is immediately after the start of heating, the power consumption is still low, so the result of the judgment in step S3 is "no". In this case, as described above, the process proceeds to step S4, where heating in manual mode is permitted, and the heating of the energy storage device 3 by the electric heater 4 and its temperature increase continue. As the heating continues, the accumulated power value gradually increases. As a result, when the accumulated value reaches the predetermined value Wo1, the result of the judgment in step S3 becomes "yes". In this case, the process proceeds to step S7, where heating in manual mode during driving is stopped, and the routine shown in Figure 4 is temporarily terminated.

[0047] On the other hand, if the selection switch 12 is operated and manual mode is no longer selected while manual mode is in operation, or if the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature, resulting in "no" temperature rise request, the result of the judgment in step S5 will be "no". In this case, the process proceeds to step S8, where the value obtained in the previous step S6 (i.e., the previous value) is retained as the power integrated value. Subsequently, it is determined in step S3 whether the retained power integrated value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0048] In that case, if the result of the judgment in step S5 becomes "No" while the heating is still in progress, the previous value of the integrated power has not reached the predetermined value Wo1 (it is less than the predetermined value Wo1), so heating control in manual mode is permitted, and since manual mode is selected and there is a heating request, heating in manual mode is resumed.

[0049] Conversely, if the cumulative power value reaches a predetermined value Wo1 and the temperature rise control in manual mode is stopped in step S7, and the result of the judgment in step S5 is "no", then the previous value of the retained cumulative power value is already the predetermined value Wo1, so the result of the judgment in step S3 becomes "yes". In other words, the temperature rise in manual mode is kept stopped, and further temperature rise is prohibited. This state is maintained until the cumulative power value falls below the predetermined value Wo1, that is, until the main switch 6 is switched off and the result of the judgment in step S1 becomes "yes".

[0050] Therefore, according to the control shown in Figure 4, heating in manual mode is prohibited until the main switch 6 is turned off. Thus, the turning off of the main switch 6 is the "predetermined condition" in this disclosed technology, and this prohibition is controlled by the aforementioned heating prohibition unit 5d. Furthermore, according to the control shown in Figure 4, even if the energy storage device 3 is heated while driving prior to charging the energy storage device 3, the power consumed is limited to a predetermined value Wo1 or less. This makes it possible to avoid or suppress excessive or unnecessary power consumption for heating the energy storage device 3.

[0051] Figure 5 shows an example of the changes in the operating state of the main switch 6, the presence or absence of a request for heating in manual mode, the heating state, the on / off state of the heating permission flag, the cumulative power value, and the success / failure of a power overload determination when the control shown in Figure 4 is performed, as shown in Figure 5. When the main switch 6 is turned on at time t10 in Figure 5, the vehicle 1 enters an active state where it can be driven. Therefore, the cumulative power value is reset to zero. Also, the temperature of the energy storage device 3 is detected. Subsequently, at time t11, manual mode is selected by the selection switch 12, and if the temperature of the energy storage device 3 is lower than the target temperature, the request for heating in manual mode switches from "none" to "yes," and at the same time, the heating state and the heating permission flag indicating that state switch from off to on. As a result, power is supplied to the electric heater 4 and the electric heater 4 generates heat, so the heating of the energy storage device 3 begins. Therefore, the cumulative power value begins to increase.

[0052] Since the power supplied to the electric heater 4 is predetermined, the power accumulation value gradually increases according to the slope of the supplied power. When the power accumulation value reaches a predetermined value Wo1 in manual mode (at time t12), the power overload judgment switches from "no" to "yes". Consequently, the temperature rise permission flag switches to off, and the temperature rise state switches to "prohibited". In other words, the power supply to the electric heater 4 stops, and the temperature rise of the energy storage device 3 stops. In this case, although the manual mode request is "yes", the power accumulation value has reached the predetermined value Wo1 and the judgment to prohibit temperature rise has been made, so the energy storage device 3 does not rise. That is, no further power is consumed to raise the temperature of the energy storage device 3.

[0053] When vehicle 1 stops and the main switch 6 is turned off (at time t13), the operation related to the heating of the energy storage device 3 is reset to its original state. That is, the request for manual heating mode is switched to "none," and the heating state is switched to off. The power accumulation value is reset to zero, and therefore the power overload judgment is switched to "no." In this way, the prohibition on heating in manual mode is lifted.

[0054] Subsequently, at time t14, the main switch 6 is turned on, and then at time t15, the selection switch 12 selects manual mode. As before, the request for heating in manual mode becomes "yes," the heating state turns on, and the heating permission flag turns on. Consequently, the heating of the energy storage device 3 by the electric heater 4 begins, and the accumulated power value gradually increases from "0." At time t16, while the energy storage device 3 is heating, the selection of manual mode by the selection switch 12 is canceled, that is, the heating in manual mode is turned off. At this point, the request for manual mode switches to "no," and the heating state and heating permission flag turn off. Since the accumulated power value has not reached the predetermined value Wo1, the power overload judgment remains "no." In this case, the heating state is not "prohibited," so if there is a request for heating in manual mode, the heating of the energy storage device 3 by the electric heater 4 will be performed. Furthermore, power consumption is calculated by adding the new power consumption to the previously calculated value. Then, when the main switch 6 is turned off at time t17, the power consumption value is reset to zero.

[0055] (Second control example) In the automatic temperature rise control according to the disclosed technology, the temperature rise of the energy storage device 3 in automatic mode is stopped or prohibited when the integrated power value reaches a predetermined value, and this stop or prohibition is released on the condition that charging of the energy storage device 3 is performed. An example of this automatic temperature rise control will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 6. The routine shown in Figure 6 is executed repeatedly at predetermined short intervals, and first, in step S11, it is determined whether or not charging is being performed by supplying power from the charging equipment 7 to the vehicle 1. This charging is performed by connecting a charging plug (not shown) provided at the end of the charging cable 8 to an inlet (not shown) of the vehicle 1, and is sometimes referred to as "plug-in charging". Note that the occurrence of charging can be detected by the CPLT signal mentioned above.

[0056] If the result of the judgment in step S11 is "yes," the process proceeds to step S12, where the accumulated power value stored in the SRAM or similar is reset to "0." In other words, the stored accumulated power value is cleared. Next, in step S13, it is determined whether the accumulated power value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this case, since automatic mode is selected, the predetermined value is the second predetermined value Wo2 mentioned above. This second predetermined value Wo2 is a value greater than the first predetermined value Wo1 in manual mode mentioned above, and can be set as appropriate in the design. When the charging cable 8 is connected to the vehicle 1 and charging begins, the accumulated power value is cleared, so the result of the judgment in step S13 is "no." In this case, the process proceeds to step S14, where heating by automatic mode during driving is permitted, and the routine in Figure 6 is terminated. Therefore, starting charging using the external charging equipment 7 is a condition for permitting heating by automatic mode, or in other words, a condition for lifting the prohibition on heating in automatic mode.

[0057] On the other hand, if the result of the judgment in step S1 is "no" because vehicle 1 is already running or charging is not being performed using the charging equipment 7, the process proceeds to step S15 to determine whether automatic mode is selected and whether there is a request for temperature increase. A request for temperature increase is, for example, when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 is lower than the target temperature, and the request for temperature increase becomes "yes" when automatic mode is selected by the selection switch 12. If the result of the judgment in step S15 is "yes", temperature increase will be performed in automatic mode, and in step S16, the power consumed by the electric heater 4 is accumulated. Since this accumulation is temperature increase control in automatic mode, it will be performed by the second accumulating unit 5a2 described above.

[0058] Next, the process proceeds to step S13, where it is determined whether the accumulated value obtained in this way is equal to or greater than the predetermined value Wo2. If it is immediately after the start of heating, the power consumption is still low, so the result of the judgment in step S13 is "no". In this case, as described above, the process proceeds to step S14, where heating in automatic mode is permitted, and the heating of the energy storage device 3 by the electric heater 4 and the resulting temperature increase continue. As the heating continues, the accumulated power value gradually increases. As a result, when the accumulated value reaches the predetermined value Wo2, the result of the judgment in step S13 becomes "yes". In this case, the process proceeds to step S17, where heating in automatic mode during driving is stopped, and the routine shown in Figure 6 is temporarily terminated.

[0059] On the other hand, if the automatic mode continues and the selection switch 12 is operated so that the automatic mode is no longer selected, or if the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature, resulting in "no" temperature rise request, the result of the judgment in step S15 will be "no". In this case, the process proceeds to step S18, where the value obtained in the previous step S16 (i.e., the previous value) is retained as the power integrated value. Subsequently, in step S13, it is determined whether the retained power integrated value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0060] In that case, if the result of the judgment in step S15 is "No" while the heating is still in progress, it means that the previous value of the integrated power has not reached the predetermined value Wo2 (it is less than the predetermined value Wo2), ​​so heating control in automatic mode is permitted, and because automatic mode is selected and there is a request for heating, heating in automatic mode is resumed.

[0061] Conversely, if the cumulative power value reaches a predetermined value Wo2 and the automatic heating control is stopped in step S17, and the result of the judgment in step S15 is "No", then the previous value of the retained cumulative power value has already reached the predetermined value Wo2, so the result of the judgment in step S13 becomes "Yes". In other words, the heating in automatic mode is kept stopped, and further heating is prohibited. This state is maintained until the cumulative power value falls below the predetermined value Wo2, that is, until charging of the energy storage device 3 using the charging equipment 7 begins, and the result of the judgment in step S11 becomes "Yes".

[0062] Therefore, according to the control shown in Figure 6, heating in automatic mode is prohibited until charging of the energy storage device 3 using the charging equipment 7 begins. Thus, the start of charging of the energy storage device 3 using the charging equipment 7 is the "predetermined condition" in this disclosed technology, and this prohibition is performed by the aforementioned heating prohibition unit 5d. Furthermore, according to the control shown in Figure 6, even if the energy storage device 3 is heated while driving prior to charging, the power consumed is limited to a predetermined value Wo2 or less. This makes it possible to avoid or suppress excessive or unnecessary power consumption for heating the energy storage device 3.

[0063] Figure 7 shows an example of the changes in the operating state of the main switch 6, the presence or absence of a request for heating in automatic mode, the status of charging, the heating state, the on / off state of the heating permission flag, the cumulative power value, and the success / failure of a power overload determination when the control shown in Figure 6 is performed. In Figure 7, when the main switch 6 is turned on at time t20, the vehicle 1 enters an active state where it can be driven. Therefore, the cumulative power value is reset to zero. The temperature of the energy storage device 3 is also detected. Subsequently, at time t21, the automatic mode is selected by the selection switch 12, and if the temperature of the energy storage device 3 is lower than the target temperature, and furthermore, when the vehicle 1 reaches a predetermined distance from the destination where the charging equipment 7 is located, the request for heating in automatic mode switches from "none" to "yes," and at the same time, the heating state and the heating permission flag indicating that state switch from off to on. As a result, power is supplied to the electric heater 4 and the electric heater 4 generates heat, so the heating of the energy storage device 3 begins. Therefore, the cumulative power value begins to increase.

[0064] Since the power supplied to the electric heater 4 is predetermined, the power accumulation value gradually increases according to the slope of the supplied power. When the power accumulation value reaches a predetermined value Wo2 in automatic mode (at t22), the power overload judgment switches from "no" to "yes". Consequently, the temperature rise permission flag switches to off, and the temperature rise state switches to "prohibited". In other words, the power supply to the electric heater 4 stops, and the temperature rise of the energy storage device 3 stops. In this case, although the automatic mode request is "yes", the power accumulation value has reached the predetermined value Wo2 and the judgment to prohibit temperature rise has been made, so the energy storage device 3 does not rise. That is, no further power is consumed to raise the temperature of the energy storage device 3.

[0065] When vehicle 1 stops and the main switch 6 is turned off (at time t23), the operation related to the temperature rise control of the energy storage device 3 is reset to its original state. That is, the request for automatic temperature rise mode is switched to "none," and the temperature rise state is switched off. However, since charging using the charging equipment 7 has not started, the power overload determination remains "yes," and the accumulated power value is maintained at the same value as the previous value, the predetermined value Wo2. This situation occurs, for example, when vehicle 1 approaches a destination with charging equipment 7 and temperature rise begins, but then stops vehicle 1 before reaching the destination, making a so-called detour.

[0066] Subsequently, at time t24, the main switch 6 is turned on in order to start vehicle 1, and then at time t25, the automatic mode is selected by the selection switch 12. As before, the request for heating in automatic mode becomes "yes," but since the power accumulation value has already reached the predetermined value Wo2 and the power overload judgment is "yes," the heating state becomes "prohibited." In other words, heating in automatic mode is prohibited. In this case as well, the power accumulation value is maintained at the previous value. Subsequently, at time t26, the selection switch 12 is manually operated and the request for heating in automatic mode is canceled. The heating state is switched to an appropriate default state such as off, but other operating states are maintained.

[0067] At time t27, for example, vehicle 1 arrives at a destination with charging equipment 7 and the main switch 6 is switched off. In this case, the condition for lifting the ban on heating in automatic mode is not met, so the accumulated power value is maintained at the previous value, and the power overload judgment remains "yes". When vehicle 1 stops and the main switch 6 is switched off, and the charging cable 8 is connected to vehicle 1 and charging begins (at time t28), the flag indicating the status of charging is switched from off to on. Accordingly, the power overload judgment is switched to "no", and the accumulated power value is reset to zero. In other words, the ban on heating in automatic mode is lifted, and heating control can be performed again. Then, at time t29, when charging is completed and the charging cable 8 is removed from vehicle 1, the flag indicating the status of charging is switched off. Note that the removal of the charging cable 8 from vehicle 1 can be detected by the CPLT signal mentioned above.

[0068] (Third control example) As explained with reference to Figure 2 above, the heating of the energy storage device 3 by the electric heater 4 is completed when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches a predetermined target temperature. However, there are cases where the heating of the energy storage device 3 needs to be heated again, such as when the selection switch 12 is operated again after the heating is completed, or when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 falls below the target temperature. In such cases, the present invention controls the system to stop or prohibit further heating until predetermined conditions are met, and then enables further heating once those conditions are met. An example of this control is described below.

[0069] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control in manual mode, and the routine shown here is repeatedly executed by the controller 5 at predetermined short intervals. First, in step S21, it is determined whether the main switch 6 mentioned above is off or not. If the main switch 6 is off, the supply of power from the energy storage device 3 to the drive power source 2 and the heating of the energy storage device 3 by the electric heater 4 are stopped, and the navigation system 14 is also stopped.

[0070] If the result of the judgment in step S21 is "yes", the process proceeds to step S22, where the temperature rise completion determination flag is set to off. In the control example described here, the temperature rise completion determination is made when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature, so the temperature rise completion flag is set to on when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature. Next, in step S23, it is determined whether the temperature rise completion determination flag in manual mode is on or off. If the main switch 6 is off, the temperature rise completion determination flag is off, so the result of the judgment in step S23 is "no". In this case, the process proceeds to step S24, where manual mode temperature rise during operation is permitted, and the routine in Figure 8 is terminated. Therefore, the main switch 6 being off is the condition for permitting manual mode temperature rise, or in other words, the condition for lifting the prohibition on manual mode temperature rise.

[0071] On the other hand, if the main switch 6 is ON, such as when vehicle 1 is already in motion, and the result of the determination in step S21 is "No", then the process proceeds to step S25 to determine whether manual mode is selected and whether manual temperature control is being performed while the vehicle is in motion. This determination can be made based on the fact that manual mode is selected by the selection switch 12 and that power is being supplied to the electric heater 4.

[0072] Next, if the result of the judgment in step S25 is "yes", then in step S26, it is determined whether or not the determination of completion of the heating process has been made. In normal control, the heating of the energy storage device 3 by the electric heater 4 is completed when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature, so the determination of completion of the heating process is made when the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature. Therefore, immediately after the main switch 6 is turned on, or immediately after manual mode is selected after the main switch 6 is turned on, the heating of the energy storage device 3 has not yet started, so its temperature is low, and therefore the result of the judgment in step S26 is "no".

[0073] In that case, the process proceeds to step S27, where the temperature rise completion determination flag is kept at its previous value. That is, if the state of the temperature rise completion determination flag immediately before was off, it remains off; conversely, if the state of the temperature rise completion determination flag immediately before was on, it remains on. Also, if the result of the judgment in step S25 is "no" because temperature rise in manual mode has not been performed, the process proceeds to step S27, where the temperature rise completion determination flag is kept at its previous value. After that, the process proceeds to step S23 as described above, where it is determined whether the temperature rise completion determination flag is on or off. If temperature rise in manual mode has not been performed, or if it has been performed but the temperature of the energy storage device 3 has not yet reached the target temperature, the temperature rise completion determination flag is set to off, and that state is maintained in step S27. Therefore, the result of the judgment in step S23 is "no," and temperature rise in manual mode is permitted or continued.

[0074] On the other hand, if the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature as a result of heating in manual mode, the determination of heating completion is made and the result of the judgment in step S26 becomes "yes". In that case, the process proceeds to step S28 and the heating completion determination flag is set to ON. Next, the process proceeds to step S23 to determine whether the heating completion determination flag is ON or OFF. Therefore, in this case, the result of the judgment in step S23 is "yes", so in step S29, heating in manual mode is kept stopped and further heating is prohibited. This state is maintained until the main switch 6 is turned OFF and the heating completion determination flag is switched OFF in step S22.

[0075] Therefore, according to the control shown in Figure 8, heating in manual mode is prohibited until the main switch 6 is turned off. Thus, the turning off of the main switch 6 is a "predetermined condition" in the disclosed technology, and this prohibition is controlled by the aforementioned heating prohibition unit 5d. Furthermore, according to the control shown in Figure 8, even if the energy storage device 3 is heated during driving prior to charging the energy storage device 3, once it has reached the target temperature, heating will not be performed again until the main switch 6 is turned off and the so-called trip has ended. This makes it possible to avoid or suppress excessive or unnecessary power consumption in heating the energy storage device 3.

[0076] Figure 9 shows an example of the changes in the operation state of the main switch 6, the presence or absence of a request for heating in manual mode, the heating state, the temperature of the energy storage device 3, the determination of heating completion, and the on / off state of the heating completion determination flag when the control shown in Figure 8 is performed. In Figure 9, when the main switch 6 is turned on at time t30, the vehicle 1 enters an active state where it can be driven. The temperature of the energy storage device 3 is detected. Subsequently, at time t31, manual mode is selected by the selection switch 12, and if the temperature of the energy storage device 3 is lower than the target temperature, the request for heating in manual mode switches from "none" to "yes," and the heating state also switches from off to on. As a result, power is supplied to the electric heater 4, and the electric heater 4 generates heat, so the heating of the energy storage device 3 begins. Therefore, the temperature of the energy storage device 3 gradually rises. When the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches a predetermined target temperature (at time t32), the heating state is completed, the heating completion determination is made, and the heating completion determination flag is set to ON.

[0077] If the selection switch 12 is operated at time t33 and there is no longer a request for heating in manual mode, the heating state will return to a predetermined state (default state) where heating is not being performed. However, at this point, the main switch 6 is ON, so the heating completion determination flag remains ON. Therefore, even if the selection switch 12 is operated again at time t34 and heating in manual mode is selected, resulting in a request for heating, the heating state will return to the completed state. In other words, heating control in manual mode is prohibited, and power is not supplied to the electric heater 4, nor is the energy storage device 3 heated.

[0078] Then, when vehicle 1 stops and the main switch 6 is turned off (at time t35), the operations related to the heating of the energy storage device 3 are reset to their original state. That is, the request for manual heating mode is switched to "none," the heating state is switched to off, and the heating completion judgment flag is set to off. In this way, the prohibition on heating in manual mode is lifted.

[0079] (Fourth control example) In the automatic temperature rise control according to the disclosed technology, the temperature rise of the energy storage device 3 in automatic mode is stopped or prohibited when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature, and this stop or prohibition is released on the condition that charging of the energy storage device 3 is performed. An example of this automatic temperature rise control will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 10. The routine shown in Figure 10 is repeatedly executed by the controller 5 at predetermined short intervals. First, in step S31, it is determined whether or not charging has been performed by supplying power from the charging equipment 7 to the vehicle 1. This charging is performed by connecting a charging plug (not shown) provided at the end of the charging cable 8 to an inlet (not shown) of the vehicle 1, and is sometimes referred to as "plug-in charging". Note that the occurrence of charging can be detected by the CPLT signal mentioned above.

[0080] If the result of the judgment in step S31 is "yes", the process proceeds to step S32, where the temperature rise completion determination flag is set to off. In the control example described here, the temperature rise completion determination is made when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature, so the temperature rise completion flag is set to on when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature. Next, in step S33, it is determined whether the temperature rise completion determination flag in automatic mode is on or off. If charging using the charging equipment 7 has started, the temperature rise completion determination flag is off, so the result of the judgment in step S33 is "no". In this case, the process proceeds to step S34, where temperature rise by automatic mode during driving is permitted, and the routine in Figure 10 is terminated. Therefore, the start of charging using the charging equipment 7 is the condition for permitting temperature rise by automatic mode, or in other words, the condition for lifting the prohibition on temperature rise in automatic mode.

[0081] On the other hand, if the result of the judgment in step S31 is "No" because vehicle 1 is already in motion and charging has not taken place, the process proceeds to step S35 to determine whether automatic mode is selected and whether automatic temperature control is being performed during driving. This determination can be made based on the fact that automatic mode is selected by the selection switch 12 and that power is being supplied to the electric heater 4.

[0082] If the result of the judgment in step S35 is "yes", the process proceeds to step S36 to determine whether the determination of completion of heating has been made. In normal control, heating of the energy storage device 3 by the electric heater 4 is completed when the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature, so the determination of completion of heating is made when the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature. In addition, heating in automatic mode is started when the vehicle 1 approaches the destination where the charging equipment 7 is located. Therefore, even if the main switch 6 is on, if heating has not started because the vehicle 1 has not approached the destination, or if sufficient time has not elapsed since heating started, the temperature of the energy storage device 3 will be low, and therefore the result of the judgment in step S36 will be "no".

[0083] In that case, the process proceeds to step S37, where the temperature rise completion determination flag is retained at its previous value. That is, if the state of the temperature rise completion determination flag immediately before was off, it remains off; conversely, if the state of the temperature rise completion determination flag immediately before was on, it remains on. Also, if the result of the judgment in step S35 is "no" because temperature rise in automatic mode has not been performed, the process proceeds to step S37, where the temperature rise completion determination flag is retained at its previous value. After that, the process proceeds to step S33 as described above, where it is determined whether the temperature rise completion determination flag is on or off. If temperature rise in manual mode has not been performed, or if it has been performed but the temperature of the energy storage device 3 has not yet reached the target temperature, the temperature rise completion determination flag is set to off, and that state is retained in step S37. Therefore, the result of the judgment in step S33 is "no," and temperature rise in automatic mode is permitted or continued.

[0084] On the other hand, if the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches the target temperature as a result of heating in automatic mode, the determination of heating completion is made and the result of the judgment in step S36 is "yes". In that case, the process proceeds to step S38 and the heating completion determination flag is set to ON. Next, the process proceeds to step S33 to determine whether the heating completion determination flag is ON or OFF. Therefore, in this case, the result of the judgment in step S33 is "yes", so heating in automatic mode is kept stopped in step S39 and further heating is prohibited. This state is maintained until charging starts and the heating completion determination flag is switched OFF in step S32.

[0085] Therefore, according to the control shown in Figure 10, heating in automatic mode is prohibited until charging using the charging equipment 7 is started. Thus, the start of charging using the charging equipment 7 is the "predetermined condition" in this disclosed technology, and this prohibition is performed by the aforementioned heating prohibition unit 5d. Furthermore, according to the control shown in Figure 10, even if the energy storage device 3 is heated during driving prior to charging the energy storage device 3, once it has reached the target temperature, it will not be heated again until charging using the charging equipment 7 is started. This prevents or suppresses excessive or unnecessary power consumption for heating the energy storage device 3.

[0086] Figure 11 shows a time chart illustrating an example of the operation state of the main switch 6, the presence or absence of a request for heating in automatic mode, the status of charging, the heating state, the temperature of the energy storage device 3, the determination of heating completion, and the on / off state of the heating completion determination flag when the control shown in Figure 10 is performed. In Figure 11, when the main switch 6 is turned on at time t40, the vehicle 1 enters an active state where it can be driven. The temperature of the energy storage device 3 is detected. Subsequently, at time t41, the automatic mode is selected by the selection switch 12, and if the temperature of the energy storage device 3 is lower than the target temperature, and furthermore, when the vehicle 1 reaches a predetermined distance from the destination where the charging equipment 7 is located, the request for heating in automatic mode switches from "none" to "yes," and the heating state switches from off to on. As a result, power is supplied to the electric heater 4, and the electric heater 4 generates heat, so the heating of the energy storage device 3 begins. Therefore, the temperature of the energy storage device 3 gradually rises. When the temperature of the energy storage device 3 reaches a predetermined target temperature (at time t42), the heating state is completed, the heating completion determination is made, and the heating completion determination flag is set to ON.

[0087] When vehicle 1 stops and the main switch 6 is turned off (at time t43), the operation related to the temperature rise control of the energy storage device 3 is reset to its original state. That is, the request for automatic temperature rise mode is switched to "none," and the temperature rise state is switched to a predetermined default state such as off. However, since charging using the charging equipment 7 has not started, the temperature rise completion determination flag remains on. This situation occurs, for example, when vehicle 1 approaches a destination with charging equipment 7 and temperature rise begins, but then stops vehicle 1 before reaching the destination, making a so-called detour.

[0088] Subsequently, at time t44, the main switch 6 is turned on in order for vehicle 1 to start, and then at time t45, the automatic mode is selected by the selection switch 12. As before, the request for heating in automatic mode becomes "yes," but because the heating completion judgment flag is on, the heating state becomes "forbidden." In other words, heating in automatic mode is prohibited. Subsequently, at time t46, the selection switch 12 is manually operated and the request for heating in automatic mode is canceled. The heating state is switched to an appropriate default state such as off, but the heating completion judgment flag remains on.

[0089] At time t47, for example, vehicle 1 arrives at a destination with charging equipment 7 and the main switch 6 is switched off. In this case, the condition for lifting the ban on heating in automatic mode is not met, so the heating completion determination flag remains on. When vehicle 1 stops and the main switch 6 is switched off, and the charging cable 8 is connected to vehicle 1 and charging begins (at time t48), the flag indicating the status of charging is switched from off to on. Consequently, the heating completion determination flag is switched off. In other words, the ban on heating in automatic mode is lifted, and heating control can be performed again. Then, at time t49, when charging is completed and the charging cable 8 is removed from vehicle 1, the flag indicating that charging is being performed is switched off. Note that the removal of the charging cable 8 from vehicle 1 can be detected by the CPLT signal mentioned above.

[0090] It should be noted that the disclosed technology is not limited to the specific examples described above. The vehicle can be any vehicle equipped with an energy storage device that is preferably heated by a heater. In addition to electric vehicles (BEVs) that use a motor as a driving force source, plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) equipped with both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine as driving force sources may also be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0091] 1 vehicle 2. Power source 3. Energy storage device 4 Electric heater 5 Controllers 5a1 First Calculation Department 5a2 Second Cost Estimation Department 5a Power Integration Department 5b Power consumption judgment section 5c Temperature Control Unit 5d Heating Prohibition Area 5e Selection Section 6 Main switch 7 Charging equipment 8 charging cables 9. Temperature sensor 10. Outdoor temperature sensor 11. Heat sensor 11a Current Sensor 11b Voltage sensor 12 selector switches 13 Touch panel 14 Navigation System Wo specified value Wo1 1st predetermined value Wo2 2nd predetermined value

Claims

1. A heating device having an electric heater for heating and raising the temperature of a power storage device mounted on a vehicle, wherein the electric heater heats and raises the temperature of the power storage device before charging the power storage device by an external charging facility located outside the vehicle, It has a controller that controls the temperature rise of the energy storage device by the electric heater, The aforementioned controller, A power integrating unit that calculates the cumulative value of the power consumed by the electric heater when the energy storage device is heated up, A power consumption determination unit compares the integrated power value calculated by the aforementioned power integration unit with a predetermined value, A heating control unit which, when the power consumption determination unit determines that the cumulative value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, stops heating the energy storage device by the electric heater, and when the power consumption determination unit determines that the cumulative value is less than the predetermined value, permits heating the energy storage device by the electric heater. It is equipped with A heating device characterized by the following features.

2. A heating device according to claim 1, The controller further includes a selection unit that selects between a manual heating mode, which performs heating control of the energy storage device based on manual operation by the vehicle occupant, and an automatic heating mode, which performs heating control of the energy storage device based on a detection signal that detects the state of the vehicle. The predetermined value in the power consumption determination unit includes a first predetermined value when the manual heating mode is selected, and a second predetermined value different from the first predetermined value when the automatic heating mode is selected. A heating device characterized by the following features.

3. A heating device according to claim 2, The second predetermined value is a value greater than the first predetermined value. A heating device characterized by the following features.

4. A heating device according to claim 2, The power integrating unit includes a first integrating unit that integrates the power consumed by the electric heater when the energy storage device is heated up when the manual heating mode is selected, and a second integrating unit that integrates the power consumed by the electric heater when the energy storage device is heated up when the automatic heating mode is selected. The power consumption determination unit compares the integrated value accumulated by the first integration unit with the first predetermined value when the manual heating mode is selected, and compares the integrated value accumulated by the second integration unit with the second predetermined value when the automatic heating mode is selected. A heating device characterized by the following features.

5. A heating device according to claim 1, The energy storage device is further equipped with a heat sensor that detects the amount of energy consumed when the temperature rises, The power integrating unit calculates the integrated value by integrating the amount of energy detected by the heat sensor. If the heat sensor cannot detect an amount of energy, it calculates the integrated value from the elapsed time since the start of the heating of the energy storage device and a predetermined amount of energy consumed per unit time. A heating device characterized by the following features.

6. A heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The controller further includes a temperature-inhibiting unit that, after the temperature-inhibiting unit has stopped the temperature rise of the energy storage device, maintains the shutdown of the energy storage device and prohibits further temperature rise of the energy storage device until predetermined conditions are met. A heating device characterized by the following features.

7. A heating device according to claim 6, referencing claim 2, The predetermined conditions mentioned above include a first condition when the manual heating mode is selected, and a second condition different from the first condition when the automatic heating mode is selected. A heating device characterized by the following features.

8. A heating device according to claim 7, The first condition includes the vehicle's main switch being turned off, The second condition includes the commencement of the charging operation of the energy storage device by the external charging equipment. A heating device characterized by the following features.

9. A heating device having an electric heater for heating and raising the temperature of a power storage device mounted on a vehicle, wherein the electric heater heats and raises the temperature of the power storage device before charging the power storage device by an external charging facility located outside the vehicle, It has a controller that controls the temperature rise of the energy storage device by the electric heater, The aforementioned controller, A selection unit that selects between a manual heating mode, which performs heating control of the energy storage device based on manual operation by the occupant of the vehicle, and an automatic heating mode, which performs heating control of the energy storage device based on a detection signal that detects the state of the vehicle. A heating prevention unit that, after stopping the heating of the energy storage device in the manual heating mode, maintains the shutdown of the energy storage device until a first condition is met, thereby prohibiting further heating of the energy storage device, and after stopping the heating of the energy storage device in the automatic heating mode, maintains the shutdown of the energy storage device until a second condition is met, thereby prohibiting further heating of the energy storage device. It is equipped with A heating device characterized by the following features.

10. A heating device according to claim 9, The first condition includes the vehicle's main switch being turned off, The second condition includes the commencement of the charging operation of the energy storage device by the external charging equipment. A heating device characterized by the following features.

11. A heating device according to claim 9 or 10, The aforementioned heating prohibition unit further permits heating again in the automatic heating mode if the first condition is not met and the second condition is met, and permits heating in the manual heating mode if the second condition is not met and the first condition is met. A heating device characterized by the following features.

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