Power management device for electric vehicles

Abstract

This power supply management device for an electric vehicle includes a contactor that electrically connects or disconnects a driving battery and an auxiliary machine battery, the device comprising: a state management unit provided with a state determination section that determines an ignition ON or an auto ACC, and an information acquisition section that acquires open / close information of an open / close member; and a connection management unit provided with a connection determination section that determines the connectability of the contactor on the basis of a determination result of the state determination section and acquisition information of the information acquisition section. If the information acquisition section acquires open information of the open / close member, the connection determination section determines that connection is not possible. If the connection determination section determines that connection is possible, the contactor electrically connects the driving battery to the auxiliary machine battery; and if the connection determination section determines that connection is not possible, the contactor electrically disconnects the driving battery from the auxiliary machine battery.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power management device for an electric vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a power supply control device that includes a relay that electrically connects a high-power battery and a low-power battery, a power switch, and a controller that controls the on / off of the relay. In this power supply control device, when the power position is in a second position (this position is called auto ACC), the relay is on and power is supplied from the high-power battery to the low-power battery via the relay. Also, when the power position is in a third position (this position is called ignition on), the relay is on and power is supplied from the high-power battery to the low-power battery via the relay. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 220340 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By the way, when the auto ACC or ignition is on, the high-voltage battery and the low-voltage battery are electrically connected (a so-called high-voltage state), but since this is difficult to see from outside the vehicle, there is a risk that someone may mistakenly try to access dangerous objects such as parts through which high-voltage current flows.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of at least one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a power supply management device for an electric vehicle that can make the electric vehicle safer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a power supply management device for an electric vehicle is provided with a contactor that electrically connects or disconnects an auxiliary battery and a drive battery, and includes: a state management unit having a state determination unit that determines whether the ignition is on or auto ACC, and an information acquisition unit that acquires open / closed information of an opening / closing member; and a connection management unit having a connection determination unit that determines whether the contactor can be connected based on the determination result of the state determination unit and the information acquired by the information acquisition unit, wherein the connection determination unit determines that connection is not possible when the information acquisition unit acquires open information of the opening / closing member, and the contactor electrically connects the auxiliary battery and the drive battery when the connection determination unit determines that connection is possible, and electrically disconnects the auxiliary battery and the drive battery when the connection determination unit determines that connection is not possible.

[0007] According to the configuration of (1) above, the drive battery and the auxiliary battery are electrically disconnected when the opening / closing member is opened, which reduces the risk of electric shock or getting caught in a rotating body even if a person accidentally accesses dangerous objects such as components through which high voltage current flows, thereby making the electric vehicle safer.

[0008] (2) In some embodiments, the configuration of (1) above includes a display management unit to which a display is connected, and the display management unit causes the display to display information indicating that the opening / closing member is open when the connection determination unit determines that connection is not possible.

[0009] According to the configuration of (2) above, the user can see from the indicator that the reason for the electrical disconnection between the drive battery and the auxiliary battery is that the opening and closing member is open.

[0010] (3) In some embodiments, in the configuration of (1) or (2) above, a DC-DC converter is provided that enables power supply from the drive battery to the auxiliary battery when the connection determination unit determines that connection is possible.

[0011] According to the configuration (3) above, when the drive battery and the auxiliary battery are electrically connected, it becomes possible to supply power from the drive battery to the auxiliary battery.

[0012] (4) In some embodiments, in any one of the configurations (1) to (3) above, the opening and closing member is an engine hood.

[0013] According to the configuration (4) above, when the engine hood is opened, the drive battery and the auxiliary battery are electrically disconnected, so that even if a rotating device such as a cooling fan that runs on power supplied from the drive battery is installed in the engine compartment, the risk of being caught in the rotating body can be reduced.

[0014] (5) In some embodiments, in any one of the configurations (1) to (4) above, the opening and closing member is a tailgate.

[0015] According to the configuration (5) above, the drive battery and the auxiliary battery are electrically disconnected when the tailgate is opened, so that even if the auxiliary battery is installed under the floor of the luggage compartment and is accessible from the luggage compartment, the risk of electric shock from the high voltage current supplied from the drive battery to the auxiliary battery can be reduced.

[0016] (6) In some embodiments, in any one of the configurations (1) to (5) above, the opening and closing member is a rear door.

[0017] According to the configuration (6) above, the auxiliary battery and the drive battery are electrically disconnected when the rear door is opened, so that even if the drive battery is installed under the rear seat and is accessible from the rear seat, the risk of electric shock from the high voltage current supplied from the drive battery to external devices can be reduced. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, when the opening / closing member is opened, the auxiliary battery and the drive battery are electrically disconnected, thereby making the electric vehicle safer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a power supply management device for an electrically powered vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an outline of the operation of the power supply management device for an electrically powered vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a power supply management device for an electrically powered vehicle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing an outline of the operation of a power supply management device for an electrically powered vehicle according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of components described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0021] [Embodiment 1] [Power Management Device Configuration] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply management device 1A for an electrically powered vehicle according to the first embodiment. The power management device 1A for an electric vehicle according to the first embodiment is used in electric vehicles such as electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, etc. The plug-in hybrid vehicle is externally chargeable and externally powered, and is equipped with the power management device 1A for an electric vehicle according to the first embodiment.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vehicle is equipped with a contactor 7 that electrically connects or disconnects the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5. A DC-DC converter 9 is provided between the contactor 7 and the auxiliary battery 5. The DC-DC converter 9 converts the voltage of the drive battery 3 into a voltage that can be supplied to the auxiliary battery 5, and is activated when the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5 are electrically connected by the contactor 7, and is stopped when the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5 are electrically disconnected by the contactor 7.

[0023] The power supply management device 1A for an electric vehicle includes a state management unit 11 and a connection management unit 13. The state management unit 11 and the connection management unit 13 each include a processor (not shown) including an arithmetic unit, registers for storing instructions and information, and peripheral circuits, memories (not shown) such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input interface (not shown). An auxiliary battery 5 is connected to the state management unit 11 and the connection management unit 13, and power is constantly supplied from the auxiliary battery 5 to the state management unit 11 and the connection management unit 13.

[0024] The state management unit 11 includes a state determination unit 15 that determines whether the ignition is on or auto ACC, and an information acquisition unit 17 that acquires information about the opening and closing of the opening and closing members. The ignition is on when the ignition power is on. For example, pressing the power switch twice turns it on, and pressing it again turns it off. The auto ACC is a state in which the accessory power is automatically on. For example, the auto ACC is turned on when the door is unlocked using the keyless operation key system, and is turned off when a predetermined time has elapsed since the door was locked using the keyless operation key system. Examples of the opening and closing members include the front doors, the engine hood 51, the tailgate 53, and the rear doors 55. In this embodiment, the engine hood 51, the tailgate 53, and the rear doors 55 are particularly targeted. The tailgate 53 also includes a trunk lid.

[0025] The connection management unit 13 includes a connection determination unit 19 that determines whether the contactor 7 can be connected based on the determination result of the state determination unit 15 and the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 17. The connection determination unit 19 determines that the connection is possible when the state determination unit 15 determines that the ignition is on or the auto ACC and the information acquisition unit 17 acquires information that the opening / closing member is closed, whereas the connection determination unit 19 determines that the connection is impossible when the information acquisition unit 17 acquires information that the opening / closing member is open. The connection determination unit 19 according to the present embodiment determines that the connection is impossible when the information acquisition unit 17 acquires information that at least one of the engine hood 51, the tailgate 53, and the rear door 55 is open, but does not determine that the connection is impossible even when the information acquisition unit 17 acquires information that the front door is open. The reason for determining that the connection is impossible when the information acquisition unit 17 acquires information that the engine hood 51 is open is because opening the engine hood 51 is considered to be a sign of access to a rotating body such as a cooling fan installed in the engine compartment. The reason for determining that the connection is impossible when the information acquisition unit 17 acquires information that the tailgate 53 is open is because opening the tailgate 53 is considered to be a sign of access to the auxiliary battery 5 installed in the luggage compartment. The reason why connection is determined to be impossible when information indicating that the rear door 55 is open is that the opening of the rear door 55 is considered to be a sign of an attempt to access the drive battery 3 installed in the rear seat.

[0026] If the connection determination unit 19 determines that connection is possible, it outputs a connection request to the contactor 7, but if it determines that connection is not possible, it outputs a disconnection request to the contactor 7. As a result, the contactor 7 electrically connects the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5 when the connection determination unit 19 determines that connection is possible, but electrically disconnects the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5 when the connection determination unit 19 determines that connection is not possible.

[0027] [Power management device 1A operation] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of the operation of the power supply management device 1A for an electrically powered vehicle according to the first embodiment. In the power supply management device 1A of the electric vehicle according to the first embodiment, power is constantly supplied from the auxiliary battery 5 to the state management unit 11 and the connection management unit 13. As a result, in the state management unit 11, the state determination unit 15 monitors the ignition or auto ACC, and the information acquisition unit 17 acquires open / close information of the open / close member. Meanwhile, in the connection management unit 13, the connection determination unit 19 determines whether the contactor 7 can be connected.

[0028] When the ignition is turned on or the auto ACC is turned on, the connection determination unit 19 determines whether or not the contactor 7 can be connected based on the determination result of the state determination unit 15 and the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 17. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 , if the determination result of the state determination unit 15 is that the ignition is on or the auto ACC is on (step S11: Yes) and the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 17 is all closed (step S13: Yes), the connection determination unit 19 determines that the connection is possible and outputs a connection request to the contactor 7 (step S15). When the connection request is input to the contactor 7, the contactor 7 electrically connects the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5. This activates the DC-DC converter 9, and the power charged in the drive battery 3 is voltage-converted by the DC-DC converter 9 and supplied to the auxiliary battery 5. This charges the auxiliary battery 5.

[0029] On the other hand, even if the state determination unit 15 determines that the ignition is on or the auto ACC is on (step S11: Yes), if at least one of the pieces of information acquired by the information acquisition unit 17 is open (step S13: No), the connection determination unit 19 determines that connection is not possible, and outputs a disconnection request to the contactor 7 (step S17). When the disconnection request is input to the contactor 7, the contactor 7 electrically disconnects the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5. This stops the DC-DC converter 9.

[0030] On the other hand, when the ignition and the auto ACC are turned off, the state determination unit 15 determines that the ignition and the auto ACC are turned off (step S19: No), the connection determination unit 19 determines that connection is not possible, and the connection determination unit 19 outputs a disconnection request to the contactor 7 (step S17). When the disconnection request is input to the contactor 7, the contactor 7 electrically disconnects the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5. This stops the DC-DC converter 9.

[0031] [effect] According to the power supply management device 1A for an electric vehicle according to the first embodiment, the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5 are electrically disconnected when the open / close member is opened, thereby reducing the risk of electric shock or getting caught in a rotating body even if a person accidentally accesses dangerous objects such as components through which high-voltage current flows, thereby making the electric vehicle safer.

[0032] For example, if the opening / closing member is an engine hood 51, opening the engine hood 51 electrically disconnects the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5, thereby reducing the risk of getting caught in a rotating body even if a rotating device such as a cooling fan that runs on power supplied from the drive battery 3 is installed in the engine room.

[0033] For example, if the opening / closing member is a tailgate 53, opening the tailgate 53 electrically disconnects the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5. Therefore, even if the auxiliary battery 5 is installed under the floor of the luggage compartment and is accessible from the luggage compartment, the risk of electric shock from the high-voltage current supplied from the drive battery 3 to the auxiliary battery 5 can be reduced.

[0034] For example, if the opening / closing member is the rear door 55, opening the rear door 55 electrically disconnects the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5. Therefore, even if the drive battery 3 is installed under the rear seat and is accessible from the rear seat, the risk of electric shock from the high voltage current supplied from the drive battery 3 to external devices can be reduced.

[0035] [Embodiment 2] [Power Management Device Configuration] 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic diagram of a power supply management device 1B for an electric vehicle according to embodiment 2. The configurations of the state management unit 11 and the connection determination unit 19 of the connection management unit 13 of the power supply management device 1B for an electric vehicle according to embodiment 2 are the same as those of the state management unit 11 and the connection determination unit 19 of the connection management unit 13 of the power supply management device 1B for an electric vehicle according to embodiment 1.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3 , the connection management unit 13 includes a connection impossibility reason identification unit 23. The connection impossibility reason identification unit 23 identifies the reason when the connection determination unit 19 determines that connection is not possible. For example, when the connection determination unit 19 determines that connection is not possible, the connection impossibility reason identification unit 23 identifies the reason for the connection impossibility of the connection determination unit 19 based on the determination result of the state determination unit 15 and the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 17. For example, when the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 17 indicates that an opening / closing member is open, the connection impossibility reason identification unit 23 identifies the reason for the connection impossibility as "open opening / closing member." When the information acquisition unit 17 acquires opening information of at least one of the engine hood 51, the tailgate 53, and the rear door 55, the connection impossibility reason identification unit according to this embodiment also identifies the open opening / closing member. That is, it identifies the reason as either "open engine hood 51," "open tailgate 53," or "open rear door 55."

[0037] The connection failure reason identification unit 23 according to this embodiment counts the number of times the connection determination unit 19 has failed a connection, and identifies the reason for the failure when the number of times reaches or exceeds a predetermined number.

[0038] The power supply management device 1B for an electric vehicle according to this embodiment includes a display management unit 25 in addition to the state management unit 11 and the connection management unit 13. The display management unit 25 is configured by a processor (not shown) that includes an arithmetic unit, registers that store instructions and information, and peripheral circuits, etc., memories (not shown) such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), and an input interface (not shown). An auxiliary battery 5 is connected to the display management unit 25, and power is supplied to the display management unit 25 from the auxiliary battery 5.

[0039] A display 27 is connected to the display management unit 25, and a connection impossibility reason display unit 29 is provided. The display 27 is, for example, a multi-information display 33 provided in the meter 31, and the connection impossibility reason display unit 29 displays the reason for connection impossibility identified by the connection impossibility reason identification unit 23 on the display 27. In this embodiment, for example, if the reason for connection impossibility is "the engine hood 51 is open," the display 27 displays a message saying, "The accessory battery has not been charged for a while. Please close the hood." Similarly, if the reason for connection impossibility is "the tailgate 53 is open," the display 27 displays a message saying, "The accessory battery has not been charged for a while. Please close the tailgate.", and if the reason for connection impossibility is "the rear door 55 is open," the display 27 displays a message saying, "The accessory battery has not been charged for a while. Please close the rear door."

[0040] [Power management device 1B operation] 4 is a flowchart showing an outline of the operation of the power supply management device 1B of the electric vehicle according to embodiment 2. The operation of the state management unit 11 and the connection determination unit 19 of the connection management unit 13 of the power supply management device 1B of the electric vehicle according to embodiment 2 is the same as the operation of the state management unit 11 and the connection determination unit 19 of the connection management unit 13 of the power supply management device 1A of the electric vehicle according to embodiment 1.

[0041] 4, when the connection determination unit 19 determines that connection is not possible (step S31; Yes), the number of times this has occurred is counted by the connection impossibility reason identification unit 23 (step S33). Then, when the number of times reaches or exceeds a predetermined number (step S35: Yes), the connection impossibility reason identification unit 23 identifies the reason for the last connection impossibility (steps S37, S39). For example, when the connection impossibility reason identification unit 23 identifies the reason for connection impossibility as the engine hood being open (step S37: Yes), the connection impossibility reason display unit 29 displays message A ("The auxiliary equipment battery has not been charged for a while. Please close the hood.") on the display 27 (step S41). Similarly, if the reason for connection inability is identified as "tailgate 53 is open" (step S39: Yes), connection inability reason display unit 29 displays message B ("The auxiliary battery has not been charged for a while. Please close the tailgate.") on display 27 (step S43), and if the reason for connection inability is identified as "rear door 55 is open" (step S39: No), connection inability reason display unit 29 displays message C ("The auxiliary battery has not been charged for a while. Please close the rear door.") on display 27 (S45).

[0042] [effect] According to the power supply management device 1B for an electric vehicle of embodiment 2, when the connection determination unit 19 determines that connection is not possible, the display 27 displays information that the open / close member is open. Therefore, by looking at the display 27, the user can see that the reason for the electrical disconnection between the drive battery 3 and the auxiliary battery 5 is that the open / close member is open. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1A,1B Power management device 3 Drive battery 5 Auxiliary battery 7 Contactor 9 DC-DC converter 11. State Management Unit 13 Connection Management Unit 15 Status determination unit 17 Information acquisition department 19 Connection determination unit 23 Connection failure reason identification part 25 Display Management Unit 27 Display 29 Connection failure reason display section 31 meters 33 Multi-information display 51 Engine hood (opening and closing parts) 53 Tailgate (opening and closing member) 55 Rear door (opening and closing member)

Claims

1. A power supply management device for an electric vehicle equipped with a contactor that electrically connects or disconnects a drive battery and an auxiliary battery, a state management unit including a state determination unit that determines whether the ignition is on or auto ACC, and an information acquisition unit that acquires open / close information of the opening / closing member; a connection management unit provided with a connection determination unit that determines whether the contactor can be connected based on the determination result of the state determination unit and the information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a display management unit connected to the display; Equipped with the connection determination unit determines that connection is not possible when the information acquisition unit acquires open information of the opening / closing member, the contactor electrically connects the drive battery and the auxiliary battery when the connection determination unit determines that connection is possible, and electrically disconnects the drive battery and the auxiliary battery when the connection determination unit determines that connection is not possible; the connection management unit is provided with a connection impossibility reason identification unit that, when the connection determination unit determines that connection is not possible, identifies a reason why the connection determination unit determined that connection is not possible based on the determination result of the status determination unit and the information acquired by the information acquisition unit; the display management unit is provided with a connection impossibility reason display unit that displays, on the display device, the reason for connection impossibility identified by the impossibility reason identification unit when the connection determination unit determines that connection is impossible; Power management device for electric vehicles.

2. The reason for the inability to connect includes a fact that the auxiliary battery has not been charged for a while, and an operation to resolve the reason for the inability to connect. The power supply management device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1 .

3. a DC-DC converter that enables power supply from the drive battery to the auxiliary battery when the connection determination unit determines that connection is possible; The power supply management device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The power supply management device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the opening / closing member is an engine hood.

5. The power supply management device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the opening / closing member is a tailgate.

6. The power supply management device for an electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the opening / closing member is a rear door.

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