vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle capable of inhibiting electric power from being wasted in a heating device after a travel system of a vehicle is stopped.SOLUTION: A vehicle 10 includes a battery 10, a heater 120, and an ECU 130. The heater 120 heats the battery 10. The ECU 130 controls the heater 120. The ECU 130 stops the heater 120 when a travel system of the vehicle 10 is stopped. The ECU 130 drives the heater 120 when receiving a heat-up command for increasing a temperature of the battery 10 from a user 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle equipped with an electricity storage device. [Background technology]

[0002] International Publication No. WO 2013 / 105152 (Patent Document 1) discloses a temperature adjustment device that adjusts the temperature of a battery in order to suppress a decrease in the output of the battery mounted on a vehicle. This temperature adjustment device intermittently executes battery temperature increase control so that the battery temperature falls within a temperature range between a target temperature and a lower limit temperature. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2013 / 105152 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A heating device for heating an on-board power storage device may be installed in a vehicle. In this case, it may be preferable to drive the heating device so that the temperature of the power storage device is within a predetermined range after the vehicle's driving system is stopped in order to suppress a decrease in the output of the power storage device. On the other hand, when the heating device is driven in this manner, the user's convenience is not impaired even if the output of the power storage device decreases when the user does not intend to drive the vehicle, so there is a possibility that power will be wasted in the heating device.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle that can suppress unnecessary consumption of power in a heating device after the vehicle's driving system is stopped. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle of the present disclosure includes a power storage device, a heating device, and a control device. The heating device heats the power storage device. The control device controls the heating device. The control device stops the heating device when a driving system of the vehicle is stopped, and drives the heating device when a temperature increase instruction for increasing the temperature of the power storage device is received from a user.

[0007] When the control device receives a temperature increase instruction from a user to increase the temperature of the power storage device, it is considered that there is a high possibility that the user will start driving the vehicle after the temperature increase instruction. On the other hand, when the control device does not receive a temperature increase instruction from the user, it is considered that this possibility is low. Therefore, by adopting the above configuration, when the control device does not receive a temperature increase instruction from the user after the vehicle's driving system is stopped, the control device will not drive the heating device in response to a temperature increase instruction. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which power is wasted in the heating device.

[0008] The vehicle may further include an alarm device. The alarm device is configured to issue an alarm to inquire of a user whether or not to increase the temperature of the power storage device. The control device may control the alarm device to issue an alarm when the temperature of the power storage device drops to a first threshold temperature, and may drive the heating device when a temperature increase instruction is received from the user in response to the alarm.

[0009] With the above configuration, the user can decide whether or not to issue a temperature increase command in response to the notification. If the control device does not receive a temperature increase command from the user who responded to the notification, the control device will not drive the heating device in response to the temperature increase command. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which power is wasted in the heating device after the vehicle's driving system is stopped.

[0010] When the temperature of the power storage device drops to a first threshold temperature, the control device may control the notification device to make a notification again if no instruction to increase temperature has been received from the user after a predetermined time has elapsed since the notification device made the notification.

[0011] With the above configuration, even if the user does not notice the notification or if the user does not have plans to start driving the vehicle at the time the notification is made, the notification is made again after a predetermined time has elapsed. Therefore, when the user starts driving the vehicle after issuing a temperature increase instruction in response to the notification made again, the temperature of the power storage device can be raised to the first threshold temperature before the vehicle starts running. As a result, the temperature of the power storage device can be raised to the first threshold temperature more quickly than when the heating device is driven immediately before the vehicle starts running after the temperature of the power storage device falls below the first threshold temperature. Therefore, the time that the user waits until the temperature of the power storage device rises to the first threshold temperature again after falling below the first threshold temperature can be shortened.

[0012] The control device may drive the heating device when the temperature of the power storage device drops to a second threshold temperature that is lower than the first threshold temperature.

[0013] With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the power storage device from excessively decreasing below the second threshold temperature, thereby making it possible to protect the power storage device from freezing and the like.

[0014] The control device may stop the heating device when the temperature of the power storage device increases to a third threshold temperature that is higher than the first threshold temperature.

[0015] With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the power storage device from rising to exceed the third threshold temperature, thereby making it possible to protect the power storage device from overheating.

[0016] The vehicle may further include an electric motor. The electric motor is configured to receive electric power output from the power storage device to generate driving force for running. The first threshold temperature may be a temperature at which the power storage device can output electric power that enables the electric motor to generate driving force for running.

[0017] With the above configuration, when the temperature of the power storage device is likely to drop to such an extent that the power storage device cannot output power that allows the electric motor to generate driving force for traveling, a notification is given to the user. Then, when the control device receives a temperature increase instruction from the user who responds to the notification, the control device drives the heating device. Thus, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the temperature of the power storage device has dropped to such an extent that the power storage device cannot output power that allows the electric motor to generate driving force for traveling. As a result, when the user starts driving the vehicle after the temperature increase instruction, the electric motor can generate driving force for traveling. Thus, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the user has to wait until the temperature of the power storage device rises to the first threshold temperature again after it has fallen below the first threshold temperature.

[0018] The control device may activate the heating device when the destination of the vehicle is specified by the user. When an operation to specify a destination of a user is performed, it is considered that there is a high possibility that the user will start driving the vehicle after the operation. Therefore, the control device operates the heating device as if it had received a temperature increase instruction. As a result, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user.

[0019] The vehicle may further include a power receiving unit. The power receiving unit is configured to receive power from an external power source provided outside the vehicle. When the control device receives a temperature increase instruction from a user, the heating device may operate by receiving power supplied from the external power source through the power receiving unit.

[0020] With the above configuration, the operating power is supplied from the external power source to the heating device through the power receiving unit. Therefore, unlike the case where the heating device operates using the power stored in the power storage device, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the power stored in the power storage device.

[0021] When a scheduled departure time of the vehicle is set, the control device may drive the heating device after the driving system of the vehicle is stopped and before the scheduled departure time arrives.

[0022] With the above configuration, after the vehicle's driving system is stopped, the heating device is automatically driven before the scheduled departure time arrives. As a result, even if no notification is given or the user does not give a temperature increase instruction in response to the notification, the heating device is automatically driven according to the scheduled departure time. This improves user convenience. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to avoid a situation in which power is wasted in a heating device after a vehicle's driving system is stopped. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a timing diagram illustrating an example of a change in battery temperature when the ECU intermittently drives a heater. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on an HMI device of a user terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a timing chart for illustrating a mode of control by the ECU according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a process associated with temperature adjustment of a battery. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters and their description will not be repeated.

[0026] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment. Vehicle 10 is an electrically powered vehicle that runs using electric power from a battery 100 (described later), and in this embodiment, is an electric vehicle (EV). Vehicle 10 is not limited to an EV as long as it can run on electric power. Vehicle 10 may be, for example, a hybrid vehicle (HV) further equipped with an internal combustion engine (not shown), or a fuel cell vehicle (FCV), etc.

[0027] The vehicle 10 is configured to be capable of performing external charging for charging the battery 100 with an external power supply 205 provided outside the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 may be configured to perform timer charging for automatically completing external charging by a scheduled departure time preset by a user.

[0028] The vehicle 10 includes a battery 100, an SMR 105, a charging device 114, a DC / DC converter 116, an auxiliary battery 119, a PCU (Power Control Unit) 117, and a motor 135. The vehicle 10 further includes a heater 120, a temperature sensor 125, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 130, an inlet 112, a communication device 140, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) device 150, and a start switch 160.

[0029] Battery 100 is a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery or a nickel metal hydride battery. A power storage element such as an electric double layer capacitor may be adopted as a power storage device instead of battery 100. Battery 100 is a high voltage battery (for example, about 200 V) for storing power for traveling. Battery 100 is electrically connected to charging device 114, DC / DC converter 116, and PCU 117 via SMR 105.

[0030] The charging device 114 is provided between the battery 100 and the inlet 112. When the charging device 114 is connected to the external power source 205 by connecting the connector 212 to the inlet 112, upon receiving a drive command from the ECU 130, the charging device 114 converts AC power supplied from the external power source 205 into charging power (DC power) for the battery 100. The converted DC power is output to the power line 155. The charging device 114 is configured to include, for example, an insulating AC / DC converter. A voltage sensor (not shown) that detects the voltage of the power line 154 (the voltage input from the external power source 205) is provided on the input side of the charging device 114.

[0031] DC / DC converter 116 is configured to step down the power output from battery 100 (for example, to 12 V) and output the power to power line 118. An auxiliary battery 119 and a heater 120 are connected to power line 118. DC / DC converter 116 is also capable of stepping down the power received via power line 155 and outputting the power to power line 118 while power is being supplied to battery 100 from external power source 205 (during external charging).

[0032] The PCU 117 converts the DC power supplied from the battery 100 into AC power. The PCU 117 includes, for example, an inverter and a converter. The PCU 117 is controlled by a control signal from the ECU .

[0033] The motor 135 is, for example, a permanent magnet type synchronous motor having a rotor in which a permanent magnet is embedded. The motor 135 generates a driving force for the vehicle 10 to run by rotating upon receiving electric power output from the battery 100 via the PCU 117. This causes the vehicle 10 to run. The driving force for running generated by the motor 135 may be affected by temperature changes in the battery 100. Specifically, as the temperature of the battery 100 decreases, the electric power output from the battery 100 to the PCU 117 decreases. As a result, the electric power supplied to the motor 135 also decreases, and the motor 135 may not be able to generate a driving force for the vehicle 10 to run.

[0034] The heater 120 is provided near the battery 100 and heats the battery 100. The heater 120 includes, for example, a resistance circuit and a switch (neither of which are shown). The switch is used to switch the electrical connection state between the power line 118 and the resistance circuit between a conducting state and a non-conducting state.

[0035] When the switch is in a closed state (energized state), power is supplied to the resistance circuit via the power line 118, and the resistance circuit generates heat. In this case, the heater 120 heats the battery 100. On the other hand, when the switch is in an open state (non-energized state), power is not supplied to the resistance circuit, and the heater 120 does not heat the battery 100. In the example of FIG. 1, the heater 120 is connected to the auxiliary battery 119, and therefore can operate by receiving power from the auxiliary battery 119. Also, unlike the case of FIG. 1, when the heater 120 is connected to the battery 100 instead of the auxiliary battery 119, it can also operate by receiving power from the battery 100.

[0036] The temperature sensor 125 detects the temperature of the battery 100 and outputs the detected value to the ECU 130 .

[0037] The ECU 130 incorporates a central processing unit (CPU) 131 and a memory 132. The CPU 131 executes various calculations according to information stored in the memory 132 and information from each sensor (for example, the temperature sensor 125). The memory 132 includes a read only memory (ROM) 133 and a random access memory (RAM) 134. The ROM 133 stores a program executed by the CPU 131. The RAM 134 temporarily stores data referenced by the CPU 131, etc. The control of the ECU 130 is realized by software processing, but may also be realized by hardware.

[0038] The ECU 130 controls the SMR 105, the charging device 114, the DC / DC converter 116, the PCU 117, the heater 120, the communication device 140, and the HMI device 150. The ECU 130 controls the heater 120 in accordance with, for example, a detection value of a temperature sensor 125. The inlet 112 is configured to be connectable to a connector 212 of the charging cable 55.

[0039] The charging cable 55 includes a plug 210 and a CCID (Charging Circuit Interrupt Device) box 330. The plug 210 is configured to be electrically connected to the external power source 205. The CCID box 330 includes a relay 332.

[0040] In a state where plug 210 is connected to external power source 205 and connector 212 is connected to inlet 112 (hereinafter also referred to as the "plugged-in state" of vehicle 10), ECU 130 executes (starts) external charging of vehicle 10 by driving charging device 114 when relay 332 is closed. Note that while vehicle 10 is in the plugged-in state, a voltage is applied to power line 154, so ECU 130 determines whether vehicle 10 is in the plugged-in state according to a detection value (voltage of power line 154) of a voltage sensor on the input side of charging device 114.

[0041] The communication device 140 is an interface for wireless communication with a user terminal 700 (described later). The communication device 140 transmits information transmitted from the ECU 130 to the user terminal 700, and transmits information received from the user terminal 700 to the ECU 130.

[0042] The HMI device 150 includes a display with a touch panel, a speaker, and the like. The HMI device 150 provides various information to the user 200 of the vehicle 10 and receives operations (inputs) from the user 200. The HMI device 150 can also function as a car navigation device, for example. Specifically, when the destination of the vehicle 10 is specified by the user 200, the HMI device 150 displays the travel time and distance from the current location of the vehicle 10 to the destination, and the like.

[0043] The start switch 160 receives an operation to start and stop the traveling system of the vehicle 10 by the user. Specifically, when the start switch 160 is turned on, a Ready-ON signal is output from the start switch 160 to the ECU 130. When the ECU 130 receives the Ready-ON signal, it switches the traveling system of the vehicle 10 from a stopped state to an activated state. On the other hand, when a Ready-OFF operation is performed, a Ready-OFF signal is output from the start switch 160 to the ECU 130. When the ECU 130 receives the Ready-OFF signal, it switches the traveling system of the vehicle 10 from an activated state to a stopped state, and stops devices such as the heater 120 in conjunction with the stopping of the traveling system.

[0044] The user terminal 700 is a communication terminal (for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a wearable terminal) carried by the user 200. The user terminal 700 includes a control device 710, an HMI device 720, and a communication device 730.

[0045] The HMI device 720 includes a display with a touch panel and a speaker. When an application is installed, the HMI device 720 provides various information to the user 200 and receives operations (inputs) from the user 200. As an example, the HMI device 720 can function as a car navigation device, similar to the HMI device 150.

[0046] The communication device 730 is an interface for wirelessly communicating with the vehicle 10. The control device 710 has a built-in CPU and memory (neither shown). The control device 710 controls each device of the user terminal 700 (the HMI device 720 and the communication device 730) according to information stored in the memory and information input to the HMI device 720.

[0047] When the temperature of the battery 100 decreases, the output power of the battery 100 decreases. Therefore, for example, after the heater 120 is stopped due to the stop of the driving system of the vehicle 10, it seems preferable to keep the temperature of the battery 100 within a predetermined range in order to suppress a decrease in the output of the battery 100. Therefore, in the following comparative example, after the heater 120 is stopped due to the stop of the driving system of the vehicle 10, the heater 120 operates intermittently to keep the temperature of the battery 100 within a predetermined range.

[0048] Fig. 2 is a timing diagram illustrating an example of transition of the temperature of the battery 100 when the ECU intermittently drives the heater 120. With reference to Fig. 2, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the vertical axis indicates the battery temperature TB and the operation / stop of the heater 120. In the example of Fig. 2, the vehicle 10 is in a plugged-in state between time t0 and time t7.

[0049] At time t0, the driving system of the vehicle 10 is stopped, and the heater 120 is in a stopped state. Between time t0 and time t1, the battery temperature TB drops due to natural heat radiation from the battery 100 (line 405).

[0050] At time t1, when the battery temperature TB (the detection value of the temperature sensor 125) falls to the threshold temperature TH1, the ECU drives the heater 120 to prevent the battery temperature TB from falling below the threshold temperature TH1. Specifically, the ECU controls the resistance circuit of the heater 120 to a conducting state by switching the switch of the heater 120 from an open state to a closed state. This causes the heater 120 to operate from time t1 to time t2 (line 410). As a result, the battery temperature TB rises.

[0051] Here, the threshold temperature TH1 is appropriately determined in advance as a temperature at which the battery 100 can output electric power that enables the motor 135 to generate driving force for the vehicle 10 to run. As the battery temperature TB drops, the output power from the battery 100 decreases, and the electric power input to the motor 135 may also decrease. As a result, the driving force for running generated by the motor 135 may decrease. Therefore, if the battery temperature TB falls below the threshold temperature TH1, when the user 200 subsequently attempts to start driving the vehicle 10, the vehicle 10 may not be able to run with the driving force generated by the motor 135.

[0052] As a result, when the battery temperature TB is below the threshold temperature TH1, the user 200 may wait until the battery temperature TB rises to the threshold temperature TH1 again even when the user 200 has a plan to start driving the vehicle 10. Therefore, the ECU of the comparative example drives the heater 120 at time t1 to prevent the battery temperature TB from falling below the threshold temperature TH1.

[0053] At time t2, when the battery temperature TB rises to a threshold temperature TH2, the ECU stops the heater 120 to prevent overheating of the battery 100. As a result, between time t2 and time t3, the battery temperature TB drops due to natural heat dissipation from the battery 100. Here, the threshold temperature TH2 is appropriately determined in advance through experiments or the like in order to prevent overheating of the battery 100.

[0054] At time t3, when the battery temperature TB drops to the threshold temperature TH1, the ECU drives the heater 120 in the same manner as at time t1. Then, at time t4, the ECU stops the heater 120 in the same manner as at time t2. At times t5 and t6, the ECU executes controls similar to those at times t1 and t2, respectively. Thus, in the comparative example of FIG. 2, the ECU intermittently drives the heater 120 to keep the battery temperature TB within a predetermined range ΔTR (line 410). The predetermined range ΔTR is a range that the battery temperature TB can be in when the vehicle 10 can travel using the travel driving force generated by the motor 135 under conditions for preventing the battery 100 from overheating.

[0055] At time t7, connector 212 of charging cable 55 is pulled out from inlet 112 of vehicle 10, and user 200 starts driving vehicle 10 (vehicle 10 starts traveling).

[0056] Incidentally, when the user 200 does not intend to drive the vehicle 10, convenience for the user 200 is not impaired even if the battery temperature TB is not always kept within the predetermined range ΔTR so that the vehicle 10 can immediately run using the driving force generated by the motor 135. Furthermore, unless the battery temperature TB drops to a level that causes the battery 100 to freeze (unless the vehicle 10 is used in an extremely low-temperature environment), the battery 100 will not freeze even if the battery temperature TB temporarily drops below the threshold temperature TH1.

[0057] Therefore, when the heater 120 is repeatedly started (driven) and stopped as in the comparative example of FIG. 2, the repeated starting and stopping of the heater 120 may result in unnecessary consumption of power.

[0058] In this embodiment, therefore, a method of control by the ECU 130 for solving the above problem is shown. Specifically, the ECU 130 stops the heater 120 when the driving system of the vehicle 10 is stopped, and drives the heater 120 when a temperature increase instruction for increasing the temperature of the battery 100 is received from the user 200.

[0059] As described above, the driving force generated by the motor 135 may be affected by a drop in the battery temperature TB. Therefore, when the ECU 130 receives an instruction to increase the temperature of the battery 100 from the user 200, it is considered that the user 200 does not want the driving force to be reduced due to a drop in the battery temperature TB. Therefore, it is considered that the user 200 is highly likely to start driving the vehicle 10. On the other hand, when the ECU 130 does not receive an instruction to increase the temperature from the user, it is considered that this is unlikely.

[0060] In this embodiment, if the ECU 130 does not receive a temperature increase instruction from the user 200 after the vehicle 10's running system is stopped, the heater 120 does not start operating in response to the temperature increase instruction. Therefore, when it is considered that the user 200 is unlikely to start driving the vehicle 10 after the vehicle 10's running system is stopped, the heater 120 is maintained in a stopped state, thereby reducing power consumption. Specifically, it is possible to avoid a situation in which power is wasted due to repeated starting and stopping of the heater 120 as in the comparative example (FIG. 2).

[0061] The temperature increase instruction from user 200 may be made in response to a notification to user 200. The manner of notification will be described in detail below.

[0062] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the HMI device 720 of the user terminal 700. A screen 735 is an example of a notification mode performed when the ECU 130 inquires of the user 200 whether or not to increase the temperature of the battery 100. The screen 735 is displayed, for example, when the battery temperature TB drops to a threshold temperature TH1.

[0063] 3, screen 735 includes a message 736 and buttons 745 and 746. Message 736 displays "The battery temperature is dropping. When starting to drive the vehicle, please instruct the battery to start heating up."

[0064] The screen 735 is displayed according to the following procedure. When the battery temperature TB drops to the threshold temperature TH1, the ECU 130 of the vehicle 10 controls the communication device 140 (notification device) to transmit a command to the user terminal 700 to notify the user 200 of the inquiry. The communication device 140 transmits the command to the user terminal 700 to notify the user 200 of the inquiry. When the communication device 730 of the user terminal 700 receives the command, the control device 710 controls the HMI device 720 to display the screen 735. As a result, the screen 735 is displayed on the HMI device 720 of the user terminal 700.

[0065] Buttons 745 and 746 are operated by user 200 to determine whether or not to issue a temperature increase instruction for battery 100. If button 745 is touched when screen 735 is displayed, it is considered that there is a high possibility that user 200 will start driving vehicle 10 after the touch operation.

[0066] When the button 745 is operated by the user 200, an instruction to increase the temperature of the battery 100 is transmitted to the communication device 140 of the vehicle 10 by the communication device 730 of the user terminal 700. In this case, the ECU 130 of the vehicle 10 drives the heater 120.

[0067] This prevents the battery temperature TB from falling below the threshold temperature TH1 when the user 200 plans to start driving the vehicle 10. Therefore, when the user 200 starts driving the vehicle 10 after issuing a temperature increase instruction, the motor 135 can generate driving force for the vehicle 10. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user 200 from having to wait until the battery temperature TB rises back to the threshold temperature TH1 after falling below the threshold temperature TH1.

[0068] On the other hand, when the button 746 is touched while the screen 735 is displayed, it is considered that the user 200 is unlikely to start driving the vehicle 10.

[0069] When the button 746 is operated by the user 200, information indicating that the user 200 does not yet wish to start heating the battery 100 is transmitted to the communication device 140 of the vehicle 10 by the communication device 730 of the user terminal 700. In this case, it is considered that the convenience of the user 200 is not impaired even if the battery temperature TB temporarily falls below the threshold temperature TH1, unless the battery temperature TB drops excessively to the extent that the battery 100 freezes. Therefore, the ECU 130 does not drive the heater 120 in response to a heating instruction. As a result, the heater 120 is maintained in a stopped state, thereby making it possible to suppress power consumption.

[0070] Also, if there is no user operation (touch operation of buttons 745, 746) within a predetermined time (e.g., 5 minutes) after screen 735 is displayed on HMI device 720, it is considered that the user 200 is unlikely to start driving vehicle 10. Therefore, even in this case, ECU 130 does not drive heater 120 in response to a temperature increase instruction, since it does not consider that the temperature increase instruction has been received.

[0071] Fig. 4 is a timing diagram for explaining the aspect of control by ECU 130 according to the present embodiment. With reference to Fig. 4, the horizontal axis indicates time. The vertical axis indicates temperature TB of battery 100, whether or not notification is given to user 200, and operation / stop of heater 120. In the case of Fig. 4, vehicle 10 is in a plugged-in state between time t01 and time t51. Time t01 corresponds to time t0 in the comparative example (Fig. 2).

[0072] At time t01, the driving system of the vehicle 10 is stopped, and the heater 120 is in a stopped state. Between time t0 and time t1, the battery temperature TB drops due to natural heat radiation from the battery 100 (line 505).

[0073] At time t11, when the battery temperature TB drops to the threshold temperature TH1, the ECU 130 controls the communication device 140 to make a notification (first notification) to inquire of the user 200 whether to start increasing the temperature of the heater 120 (line 507). The time that has elapsed since the notification is made is counted by the ECU 130. In this embodiment, a screen 735 (FIG. 3) is displayed on the HMI device 720 of the user terminal 700 until the counted time from time t11 reaches a predetermined time ΔTA. The length of the time ΔTA is appropriately determined in advance so as to be a length necessary for making a notification to the user 200. Note that time t11 corresponds to time t1 in the comparative example (FIG. 2).

[0074] 4, it is assumed that the user 200 does not have a plan to start driving the vehicle 10 at time t11. Therefore, the user 200 presses the button 746 on the screen 735 based on the judgment that it is not necessary to start the operation of the heater 120. Therefore, the ECU 130 does not drive the heater 120 in response to a temperature increase instruction (line 510).

[0075] At time t21, when a predetermined time ΔT has elapsed since the screen 735 was displayed at time t11 (since the first notification was made), the ECU 130 controls the communication device 140 to make a notification (second notification) to inquire again of the user 200 about whether or not to start raising the temperature of the battery 100. Specifically, the ECU 130 controls the communication device 140 to transmit, to the user terminal 700, a command to display the screen 735 again on the HMI device 720 for the predetermined time ΔTA from time t21, as in the case where the first notification was made. As a result, the screen 735 is displayed again on the HMI device 720 of the user terminal 700. The length of the time ΔT is, for example, about 2 to 3 hours.

[0076] In this embodiment, as described above, the second notification may be made after the first notification. Therefore, even if the user 200 does not notice the first notification or if the user 200 does not have a plan to start driving the vehicle at the time the first notification is made, the second notification is made again.

[0077] Therefore, if the user 200 starts driving the vehicle 10 after issuing a temperature increase instruction in response to the second notification, the battery temperature TB can be increased to or above the threshold temperature TH1 before the vehicle 10 starts to drive (before the vehicle 10 starts to travel).

[0078] If the second notification is not given, the user 200 will not be given another opportunity to decide whether or not to issue a temperature increase command for the battery 100. If the user 200 attempts to start driving the vehicle 10 after the battery temperature TB falls below the threshold temperature TH1, if the heater 120 starts to be driven immediately before the vehicle 10 starts to run (immediately after the start switch 160 is turned on), the battery 100 cannot immediately output electric power that enables the motor 135 to generate driving force for running. Therefore, the user 200 will wait until the battery temperature TB reaches the threshold temperature TH1.

[0079] In contrast, in the present embodiment, an instruction to increase the temperature of the battery 100 can be issued in response to the second notification, so that a situation can be realized in which the battery temperature TB rises to the threshold temperature TH1 more quickly than in the case where the second notification is not issued. As a result, the time that the user 200 waits until the battery temperature TB rises to the threshold temperature TH1 again after falling below the threshold temperature TH1 can be shortened.

[0080] 4, it is assumed that the user 200 has no plans to drive the vehicle 10 even at time t21. Therefore, the user 200 presses the button 746 on the screen 735 based on the determination that it is not necessary to start heating the battery 100 yet. Therefore, the ECU 130 does not drive the heater 120 in response to the heating instruction.

[0081] At time t31, when a predetermined time ΔT has elapsed since the screen 735 was displayed at time t21 (since the second notification was made), the ECU 130 controls the communication device 140 to make a notification (third notification) to inquire again of the user 200 about whether or not to start raising the temperature of the battery 100. As a result, the screen 735 is displayed again on the HMI device 720 for the predetermined time ΔTA from time t31.

[0082] Assume that the user 200 plans to drive the vehicle 10 at time t31. Therefore, the user 200 presses the button 745 on the screen 735 based on the judgment that it is preferable to start the operation of the heater 120. Therefore, the ECU 130 drives the heater 120 so that the motor 135 can generate driving force for running the vehicle 10. Specifically, the ECU 130 drives the heater 120 to raise the battery temperature TB to a temperature equal to or higher than the threshold temperature TH1. As a result, the battery temperature TB rises.

[0083] 4, the heater 120 operates by receiving power supplied from the external power source 205 while the vehicle 10 is in a plugged-in state. More specifically, the heater 120 operates when power is supplied from the external power source 205 to the power line 118 via the inlet 112, the charging device 114, the power line 155, and the DC / DC converter 116. During operation of the heater 120, power is also supplied to the auxiliary battery 119 unless the auxiliary battery 119 is fully charged. As a result, unlike when the heater 120 operates by receiving power from the auxiliary battery 119, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the power stored in the auxiliary battery 119 (for example, the auxiliary battery 119 running out).

[0084] 2, when the heater 120 is connected to the battery 100 instead of the auxiliary battery 119, while the external power source 205 supplies operating power to the heater 120, power is also supplied to the battery 100 unless the battery 100 is fully charged. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in the power stored in the battery 100 (for example, the battery 100 running out), unlike when the heater 120 operates using power from the battery 100.

[0085] When the battery temperature TB reaches the threshold temperature TH2 at time t41, the ECU 130 stops the heater 120 to protect the battery 100 from overheating. As a result, the battery temperature TB drops during the period from time t41 to time t51.

[0086] At time t51, ECU 130 stops charging device 114 and DC / DC converter 116, thereby terminating the power supply from external power supply 205 to heater 120. Then, connector 212 of charging cable 55 is pulled out from inlet 112 of vehicle 10, and user 200 starts driving vehicle 10 (vehicle 10 starts traveling).

[0087] Here, the threshold temperature TH3 will be described. The threshold temperature TH3 is used by the ECU 130 to determine that the battery 100 is about to freeze, and is set to a suitable value through experiments or the like. When the battery temperature TB drops to the threshold temperature TH3, the ECU 130 drives the heater 120 even if an instruction to increase the temperature of the battery 100 is not issued in response to a notification (such as the first, second, or third notification) to the user 200. As a result, it is possible to prevent the battery temperature TB from dropping too far below the threshold temperature TH3, and therefore it is possible to protect the battery 100 from freezing or the like.

[0088] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of processing associated with temperature adjustment of the battery 100. The processing of the flowchart in Fig. 5 is executed when the vehicle 10 is in a plugged-in state when the heater 120 is stopped as a result of the stopping of the driving system of the vehicle 10.

[0089] 5, ECU 130 determines whether battery temperature TB is less than threshold temperature TH3 (step S105). If battery temperature TB is less than threshold temperature TH3 (YES in step S105), ECU 130 drives heater 120 to prevent battery 100 from freezing (step S110), and then proceeds to step S145. On the other hand, if battery temperature TB is equal to or greater than threshold temperature TH3 (NO in step S105), ECU 130 proceeds to step S115.

[0090] In step S115, the ECU 130 judges whether the battery temperature TB is less than the threshold temperature TH1. If the battery temperature TB is equal to or higher than the threshold temperature TH1 (NO in step S115), the ECU 130 judges that the heater 120 does not need to be driven, and moves the process to RETURN. On the other hand, if the battery temperature TB is less than the threshold temperature TH1 (YES in step S115), the ECU 130 controls the communication device 140 to make a notification to inquire of the user 200 whether to start raising the battery temperature TB (step S125). As a result, the screen 735 (FIG. 3) is displayed on the HMI device 720 of the user terminal 700. Then, the ECU 130 starts counting the elapsed time since the notification was made (step S127), and proceeds to the process of step S130.

[0091] In step S130, ECU 130 determines whether or not a temperature increase instruction has been received from user 200 (whether button 745 has been touched) before the count time reaches time ΔTA. If ECU 130 has received a temperature increase instruction (YES in step S130), ECU 130 cancels the notification in step S125, initializes the count time (step S132), and drives heater 120 (step S140). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S145. On the other hand, if ECU 130 has not received a temperature increase instruction from user 200 before the count time reaches time ΔTA (NO in step S130), ECU 130 cancels the notification in step S125 and proceeds to step S135.

[0092] In step S135, ECU 130 determines whether or not the count time has reached a predetermined time ΔT. If the count time has reached the predetermined time ΔT (YES in step S135), ECU 130 initializes the count time (step S137) and transitions to RETURN. On the other hand, if the count time is less than the predetermined time ΔT (NO in step S135), ECU 130 returns the process to step S130.

[0093] In step S145, ECU 130 determines whether battery temperature TB is equal to or higher than threshold temperature TH2. If battery temperature TB is lower than threshold temperature TH2 (NO in step S145), battery 100 is not overheated, and ECU 130 continues driving heater 120. On the other hand, if battery temperature TB is equal to or higher than threshold temperature TH2 (YES in step S145), ECU 130 stops heater 120 to protect heater 120 from overheating (step S150), and then transitions to RETURN. After transitioning to RETURN, the process returns to step S105.

[0094] As described above, in the present embodiment, the ECU 130 stops the heater 120 when the driving system of the vehicle 10 is stopped, and drives the heater 120 when a temperature increase command for increasing the temperature of the battery 100 is received.

[0095] Here, when the ECU 130 receives a temperature increase instruction from the user 200, it is considered that there is a high possibility that the user 200 will start driving the vehicle 10 after the temperature increase instruction. On the other hand, when the ECU 130 does not receive a temperature increase instruction from the user 200, it is considered that this possibility is low. Therefore, when the ECU 130 does not receive a temperature increase instruction from the user 200 after the vehicle 10 running system is stopped, the heater 120 is not driven by the temperature increase instruction. Therefore, when it is considered that there is a low possibility that the user 200 will start driving the vehicle 10 after the vehicle 10 running system is stopped, the heater 120 is maintained in a stopped state except when the battery temperature TB has dropped to a level below the threshold temperature TH3.

[0096] Therefore, in this embodiment, unlike the comparative example (FIG. 2), it is possible to avoid a situation in which power is wasted due to repeated starting and stopping of heater 120 after the driving system of vehicle 10 is stopped.

[0097] [Variation 1] The instruction to increase the temperature of the battery 100 from the user 200 after the driving system of the vehicle 10 is stopped is not limited to the touch operation of the button 745 on the screen 735. The instruction to increase the temperature of the battery 100 may be given by, for example, a user operation (destination designation operation) for designating the destination of the vehicle 10 through the HMI device 150 or 720 having a car navigation function.

[0098] When the user 200 performs a destination designation operation after the driving system of the vehicle 10 is stopped, it is considered that there is a high possibility that the user 200 will start driving the vehicle after the operation. Therefore, when the ECU 130 receives a signal indicating that a destination designation operation has been performed from the HMI device 150 or 720, the ECU 130 may drive the heater 120 as having received a temperature increase instruction from the user 200.

[0099] As a result, ECU 130 executes control similar to that performed when a touch operation is performed on button 745. This can improve convenience for user 200.

[0100] [Variation 2] Even if ECU 130 has not received a temperature increase instruction from user 200, when the scheduled departure time of vehicle 10 has been set, ECU 130 may automatically start driving heater 120 before the scheduled departure time arrives after the driving system of vehicle 10 is stopped (for example, a predetermined time before the scheduled departure time, such as 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time).

[0101] As an example, when timer charging is performed to complete external charging by the scheduled departure time, the ECU 130 may start driving the heater 120 between the completion of timer charging after the driving system of the vehicle 10 is stopped and the scheduled departure time. As a result, even if a touch operation on the button 745 or a destination designation operation is not performed, the heater 120 automatically starts operating before the vehicle 10 starts to travel. Therefore, when the user 200 starts driving immediately after the scheduled departure time, the vehicle 10 can travel by the driving force generated by the motor 135. As a result, the user 200 does not necessarily need to perform these operations to increase the temperature of the battery 100, and the convenience of the user 200 can be improved.

[0102] [Other variations] The notification for the inquiry to the user 200 may be performed by outputting a voice from the HMI device 150 or 720. Then, the ECU 130 may determine the presence or absence of an instruction to increase the temperature of the battery 100 by performing voice recognition on a response from the user 200 to the voice inquiry. Specifically, the ECU 130 may determine, according to a known voice recognition technique, whether or not an utterance (voice operation) indicating the presence of an instruction to increase the temperature has been made within a time ΔTA (FIG. 3) from the time the inquiry was made. This allows the user 200 to issue an instruction to increase the temperature of the battery 100 in a hands-free state, thereby further improving the convenience for the user 200.

[0103] 4, the number of times the notification is given to the user 200 is three, but the number is not limited to three. That is, as long as the battery temperature TB does not fall below the threshold temperature TH3, the notification may be given N times (at time intervals of time ΔT) after the battery temperature TB has dropped to the threshold temperature TH1, where N is a natural number.

[0104] 2 may be displayed on the HMI device 150 of the vehicle 10 instead of the HMI device 720 of the user terminal 700. When the screen 735 is displayed on the HMI device 150, the HMI device 150 corresponds to a notification device configured to provide a notification to inquire of the user 200 whether or not to increase the battery temperature TB.

[0105] Furthermore, if vehicle 10 is a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) equipped with an inlet, threshold temperature TH1 may be a temperature at which battery 100 can output a driving force for running when vehicle 10 can run only by the driving force generated by motor 135. As a result, when user 200 starts driving vehicle 10 after a warm-up instruction for battery 100 is issued in response to a notification, vehicle 10 can run only by the driving force generated by motor 135 without needing to start the internal combustion engine.

[0106] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 10 vehicle, 100 battery, 112 inlet, 114 charging device, 120 heater, 125 temperature sensor, 135 motor, 140, 730 communication device, 150, 720 HMI device, 160 start switch, 200 user, 205 external power supply, 700 user terminal, 710 control device, 735 screen, 736 message.

Claims

1. A vehicle, A power storage device; A heating device that heats the power storage device; A control device for controlling the heating device; a notification device configured to provide a notification to inquire of a user whether or not to increase the temperature of the power storage device, The control device includes: When the vehicle running system is stopped, the heating device is stopped; When a temperature increase instruction for increasing the temperature of the power storage device is received from a user, the heating device is driven; The control device includes: controlling the notification device to perform the notification when the temperature of the power storage device drops to a first threshold temperature; When the temperature increase instruction is received from a user who responds to the notification, the heating device is driven; The control device drives the heating device when the temperature of the power storage device drops to a second threshold temperature that is lower than the first threshold temperature.

2. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls the notification device to make the notification again when the temperature of the power storage device drops to the first threshold temperature and a temperature increase instruction has not been received from the user after a predetermined time has elapsed since the notification device made the notification.

3. 3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device stops the heating device when the temperature of the power storage device rises to a third threshold temperature that is higher than the first threshold temperature.

4. Further, an electric motor configured to receive electric power output from the power storage device and generate a driving force for traveling, 4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first threshold temperature is a temperature at which the power storage device can output electric power that enables the electric motor to generate the driving force for traveling.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control device drives the heating device when a destination of the vehicle is specified by a user.

6. A vehicle, A power storage device; A heating device that heats the power storage device; A control device for controlling the heating device, The control device includes: When the vehicle running system is stopped, the heating device is stopped; When a temperature increase instruction for increasing the temperature of the power storage device is received from a user, the heating device is driven; A vehicle, wherein the control device drives the heating device when a destination of the vehicle is specified by a user.

7. a power receiving unit configured to receive power from an external power source provided outside the vehicle; The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein when the control device receives the temperature increase instruction from a user, the heating device receives power supplied from the external power source via the power receiving unit and operates.

8. 8. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, when a scheduled departure time of the vehicle is set, the control device drives the heating device after a driving system of the vehicle is stopped and before the scheduled departure time arrives.

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