Control device, program, and control method for rotating electric machines

Abstract

To provide a control device for a rotary electric machine capable of reducing noise that occurs due to flowing of a load current.SOLUTION: A control device 50 is applied to a system 10 including a high voltage storage battery 11, an inverter 30, and a rotary electric machine 20. The control device 50 is provided wit a switching power source having a switch to output a load current by switching control of the switch, and is configured to operate a plurality of control functions for controlling the rotary electric machine 20 with the load current supplied from the switching power source as a power source. The control device 50 restrains the control functions of the rotary electric machine 10 in the case where it is determined that a condition being in the middle of external charging control for charging the high voltage storage battery 11 from an external power source 210 provided outside the control system 10 or that a condition being in the middle of external power feeding control for feeding power from the high voltage storage battery 11 to an external power feeding object provided outside the control system 10 is established.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device for a rotating electrical machine applied to a system including a power storage unit, an inverter connected to the power storage unit, and a rotating electrical machine having an armature winding connected to the inverter. , Program and control method relates to.

Background Art

[0002] As a control device for this type of rotating electrical machine, there is known a device provided with a switching power supply that supplies power to a drive circuit of upper and lower arm switches included in an inverter. During external charging control from an external power source to the power storage unit, this control device intermittently operates the switching power supply. Thereby, noise generated due to the switching control of the switching power supply is reduced. As an example of such a technique, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 can be cited.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] During external charging control from an external power source to the power storage unit, there is concern that noise may occur due to the output of a load current from the switching power supply to the drive circuit. For example, when the switching power supply is intermittently operated, although the output of the load current stops during the operation stop period, there is concern that noise may occur due to the output of the load current during the operation period.

[0005] Note that the power supply target to which the load current of the switching power supply is supplied is not limited to the drive circuit of the switches included in the inverter, and the same problem occurs even for other electrical loads.

[0006] The main objective of the present invention is to provide a control device for a rotating electric machine that can reduce noise caused by the load current flowing through a switching power supply. , Program and control method The objective is to provide. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention The energy storage unit, An inverter connected to the aforementioned energy storage unit, A control device for a rotating electric machine, which is applied to a system comprising a rotating electric machine having an armature winding connected to the inverter, A switching power supply is provided which has a switch and outputs a load current by switching control of the switch, The control device is configured such that multiple control functions for controlling the rotating electric machine operate using the load current supplied from the switching power supply as the power source. The system includes a limiting unit that performs limiting processing to restrict at least some of the control functions when it is determined that the system is in the process of external charging, where the energy storage unit is charged from an external power source located outside the system, or when it is in the process of external power supply, where the energy storage unit is supplied with power to an external power supply target located outside the system.

[0008] The control device operates the control functions of the rotating electric machine using the load current supplied from the switching power supply as its power source. In this case, there is a concern that noise may be generated due to the load current flowing through the switching power supply.

[0009] Incidentally, during external charging control or external power supply control, it may not be necessary to continue the control functions used to control the rotating electric machine.

[0010] Therefore, according to the present invention, when it is determined that the condition of external charging control or external power supply control is being met, the control function of the rotating electric machine is restricted. In this case, the load current supplied from the switching power supply is reduced. This makes it possible to reduce noise generated due to the flow of load current. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Overall configuration diagram of the control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A diagram showing the control device and its peripheral configuration. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the configuration of the lower arm driver, etc. [Figure 4] A diagram illustrating an example of the process for stopping the operation of a microcontroller. [Figure 5] A flowchart showing the control process steps executed by a microcontroller. [Figure 6] A diagram illustrating the configuration of the control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] Overall configuration diagram of the control system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 8] A diagram showing the control device and its peripheral configuration. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] <First Embodiment> The following describes a first embodiment of the control device for a rotating electric machine according to this disclosure, with reference to the drawings. The control device for a rotating electric machine of this embodiment is installed in an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the control system 10 includes a high-voltage battery 11, a rotating electric machine 20, and an inverter 30. The high-voltage battery 11 is a rechargeable secondary battery and has a terminal voltage of, for example, 100V or more. The high-voltage battery 11 is, for example, a lithium-ion battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery.

[0014] The rotating electric machine 20 is an in-vehicle main machine, and its rotor is capable of power transmission with the driving wheels of the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the rotating electric machine 20 includes armature windings 21 for three phases that are star-connected as stator windings. The rotating electric machine 20 is, for example, a permanent magnet synchronous machine.

[0015] The inverter 30 is a power conversion circuit that converts DC power supplied from the high-voltage battery 11 into three-phase AC power by switching operation and supplies the converted AC power to the rotating electric machine 20. The inverter 30 includes series-connected bodies of upper arm switches SWH and lower arm switches SWL for three phases. In the present embodiment, each switch SWH, SWL is a voltage-controlled semiconductor switching element, and more specifically, an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor). Freewheel diodes, upper and lower arm diodes DH, DL, are connected in anti-parallel to the upper and lower arm switches SWH, SWL. Note that each switch of the inverter 30 may be, for example, an N-channel MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) instead of an IGBT.

[0016] The positive terminal of the high-voltage battery 11 is connected to the collector, which is the high-potential side terminal of each upper arm switch SWH, via a positive bus bar 31H such as a bus bar. The negative terminal of the high-voltage battery 11 is connected to the emitter, which is the low-potential side terminal of each lower arm switch SWL, via a negative bus bar 31L such as a bus bar. In each phase, the connection point of the upper arm switch SWH and the lower arm switch SWL is connected to the first end of the armature winding 21. The second ends of the armature windings 21 of each phase are connected to each other at the neutral point.

[0017] The positive busbar 31H and the negative busbar 31L are each provided with a power switch SMR (system main relay). When the power switch SMR is turned on, the high-voltage battery 11 and the inverter 30 are electrically connected, and when the power switch SMR is turned off, the connection between the high-voltage battery 11 and the inverter 30 is electrically disconnected. Each power switch SMR may be driven by a control device 50 provided in the control system 10, or by a higher-level ECU 42 (see Figure 2), which is a higher-level control device than the control device 50.

[0018] The inverter 30 is equipped with a smoothing capacitor 32. The smoothing capacitor 32 electrically connects the positive busbar 31H on the inverter 30 side of the power switch SMR, and the negative busbar 31L on the inverter 30 side of the power switch SMR. The smoothing capacitor 32 may be located inside or outside the inverter 30.

[0019] The control system 10 includes an angle sensor 40 and a current sensor 41. The angle sensor 40 outputs an angle signal corresponding to the electrical angle of the rotating electric machine 20. In this embodiment, the angle sensor 40 is a resolver. The current sensor 41 detects the current of at least two phases of the phase currents flowing through each armature winding 21 of the rotating electric machine 20 and outputs a current signal. The angle signal from the angle sensor 40 and the current signal from the current sensor 41 are input to the control device 50.

[0020] Next, we will describe the external charging-related configuration that makes up the control system 10.

[0021] The control system 10 includes an external charging mechanism 12. The external charging mechanism 12 includes an inlet 13 and a relay 14. The inlet 13 is connected via the relay 14 to the space between the high-voltage battery 11 and the inverter 30 in each busbar 31H, 31L, and to the neutral point of the armature winding 21 of each phase.

[0022] External charging is performed when the inlet 13 is electrically connected to the charging equipment 200. The charging equipment 200 includes an external power supply 210 and a connector 220. The connector 220 is configured to be connectable to the vehicle's inlet 13. The external power supply 210 is, for example, a DC power supply, but it may also be an AC power supply. In this case, an AC / DC converter is required.

[0023] The configuration of the control device 50 will be explained using Figure 2. The control device 50 is equipped with a microcontroller 51. The microcontroller 51 controls the drive of the rotating electric machine 20 for driving the vehicle, as well as external charging control and external power supply control. The microcontroller 51 is equipped with an AD converter for inputting the detected values ​​of each sensor 40, 41.

[0024] The drive control of the rotating electric machine 20 is a control for controlling the control amount (e.g., torque) of the rotating electric machine 20 to a commanded value, and is a switching control of each switch SWH, SWL on the inverter 30. For this drive control, the microcontroller 51 generates switching commands to alternately turn on each switch SWH, SWL. In other words, the microcontroller 51 implements the command generation function for each switch SWH, SWL. The switching command is either an on command or an off command.

[0025] External charging control is a control for charging the high-voltage battery 11 from the charging equipment 200 via the external charging mechanism 12 while the vehicle is stopped. External power supply control is a control for supplying power from the high-voltage battery 11 via the external charging mechanism 12 to an external power supply target located outside the control system 10 while the vehicle is stopped. When the external power supply target is electrical equipment in a building such as a residence, the external power supply control is also called V2H (Vehicle to Home). Furthermore, when the external power supply target is an external power source 210 as a grid power source, the external power supply control is also called V2G (Vehicle to Grid).

[0026] Although Figure 1 shows a configuration in which external charging / power supply can be performed with the neutral point of each phase's armature winding 21 electrically connected to the inlet 13 via relay 14, this configuration is not mandatory. In this embodiment, the case in which external charging control or external power supply control is performed with the positive bus 31H and negative bus 31L electrically connected to the inlet 13 via relay 14 will be described below.

[0027] The higher-level ECU 42 determines whether the vehicle is in a state where it can be externally charged / powered, and outputs a vehicle status signal Sga according to the result of that determination. A high level of the vehicle status signal Sga indicates that the vehicle is in a state where it can be externally charged / powered, and a low level indicates that the vehicle is in a normal state. Specifically, if the higher-level ECU 42 determines that the vehicle's vehicle-side connector 22 and the external connector 26 of the external charging device 25 are connected, it outputs a high-level vehicle status signal Sga, and if it determines that the vehicle-side connector 22 and the external connector 26 are not connected, it outputs a low-level vehicle status signal Sga.

[0028] The microcontroller 51 acquires the vehicle status signal Sga from the higher-level ECU 42. If the microcontroller 51 determines that the acquired vehicle status signal Sga is at a high level, it determines that external charging control or external power supply control is in progress. In this embodiment, the microcontroller 51 keeps the power switch SMR ON while external charging control or external power supply control is in progress. On the other hand, if the microcontroller 51 determines that the acquired vehicle status signal Sga is at a low level, it performs drive control of the rotating electric machine 20.

[0029] Incidentally, the microcontrollers in microcontroller 51 and the higher-level ECU 42 are equipped with processors (specifically, CPUs). The functions provided by each microcontroller can be provided by software recorded in a physical memory device and the computer that executes it, by software only, by hardware only, or by a combination of both. For example, if each microcontroller is provided by electronic circuits which are hardware, it can be provided by digital circuits including a large number of logic circuits, or by analog circuits. For example, each microcontroller executes a program stored in a non-transitory tangible storage medium which serves as its own memory. The program includes, for example, a program for processing as shown in Figure 5, which will be described later. When the program installed on each microcontroller is executed, the method corresponding to the program is executed. The memory is, for example, non-volatile memory. The program stored in the memory can be downloaded and updated via a communication network such as the Internet, for example, OTA (Over The Air).

[0030] The control device 50 includes an excitation amplifier 52, an angle interface circuit 53, and a current interface circuit 54. The microcontroller 51 generates a sinusoidal excitation signal and outputs it to the excitation amplifier 52. The excitation amplifier 52 amplifies the excitation signal input from the microcontroller 51 and supplies the amplified excitation signal to the resolver stator constituting the angle sensor 40. In the resolver stator of the angle sensor 40, the excitation signal is modulated according to the electrical angle of the rotating electric machine 20, and the modulated excitation signal is output as an angle signal. The angle signal output from the resolver stator is input to the angle interface circuit 53. The angle interface circuit 53 converts the angle signal into a signal that can be input to the microcontroller 51 and outputs the converted angle signal to the microcontroller 51. The microcontroller 51 calculates the electrical angle of the rotating electric machine 20 based on the angle signal from the angle interface circuit 53.

[0031] The current signal output from the current sensor 41 is input to the current interface circuit 54. The current interface circuit 54 converts the current signal into a signal that can be input to the microcontroller 51 and outputs the converted current signal to the microcontroller 51. The microcontroller 51 calculates the phase current based on the signal input from the current interface circuit 54. The excitation amplifier 52, angle interface circuit 53, and current interface circuit 54 are located in the low-voltage region of the control device 50.

[0032] The control device 50 is equipped with first to third power supplies 61 to 63. The first to third power supplies 61 to 63 are located in the low-voltage region of the control device 50. The control system 10 is equipped with a low-voltage storage battery 60. The low-voltage storage battery 60 is a storage battery with a lower output voltage (specifically, rated voltage) than the high-voltage storage battery 11, and is, for example, a lead-acid battery.

[0033] The first power supply 61 generates a first voltage V1 (e.g., 30V) by boosting the output voltage VB of the low-voltage storage battery 60. The first power supply 61 is connected to the excitation amplifier 52 via a first electrical path L1. In this case, the first voltage V1 of the first power supply 61 is supplied to the excitation amplifier 52. This enables the excitation amplifier 52 to supply an amplified excitation signal to the resolver stator. The excitation amplifier 52 corresponds to the "excitation signal generation unit". In this embodiment, the first power supply 61 is a boost chopper type switching power supply having a switch Q. Switch Q is a voltage-controlled semiconductor switch, specifically an N-channel MOSFET. The first power supply 61 sets the duty cycle of switch Q and controls the switching of switch Q based on the duty cycle in order to feed back the output voltage to the first voltage V1. The duty cycle is the ratio of the on period to one switching period of switch Q.

[0034] The second power supply 62 generates a second voltage V2 (e.g., 5V) by stepping down the output voltage VB of the low-voltage battery 60. The second power supply 62 is connected to the angle interface circuit 53 and the current interface circuit 54 via a second electrical path L2. In this case, the second voltage V2 of the second power supply 62 is supplied to the angle interface circuit 53 and the current interface circuit 54. This enables each interface circuit 53 and 54 to convert the signals output from each sensor 40 and 41 into signals that can be input to the microcontroller 51.

[0035] The third power supply 61 generates a third voltage V3 (for example, 1.5V) by stepping down the output voltage VB of the low-voltage battery 60. The third voltage V3 from the third power supply 61 is supplied to the microcontroller 51. This enables the microcontroller 51 to perform various control operations.

[0036] In this embodiment, the second and third power supplies 62 and 63 are composed of intermediate power supplies 62a and 63a and downstream power supplies 62b and 63b. The intermediate power supplies 62a and 63a of each power supply 62 and 63 are step-down chopper type switching power supplies having a switch Q. The intermediate power supply 62a of the second power supply 62 generates an intermediate voltage (e.g., 6V) by stepping down the output voltage VB of the low-voltage battery 60, and the intermediate power supply 63a of the third power supply 63 generates an intermediate voltage (e.g., 2.5V) by stepping down the output voltage VB of the low-voltage battery 60. The intermediate power supplies 62a and 63a of each power supply 62 and 63 set the duty cycle of the switch Q and perform switching control of the switch Q based on the duty cycle in order to feedback control the output voltage to the first and second voltages V2 and V3.

[0037] The downstream power supplies 62b and 63b of each power supply 62 and 63 are linear regulators such as series regulators and shunt regulators. The downstream power supply 62b of the second power supply 62 generates the second voltage V2 by stepping down the intermediate voltage of the intermediate power supply 62a. The downstream power supply 63b of the third power supply 63 generates the third voltage V3 by stepping down the intermediate voltage of the intermediate power supply 63a. Note that the second and third power supplies 62 and 63 may be configured without linear regulators.

[0038] The control device 50 includes an isolated power supply 70, an upper arm driver 71, and a lower arm driver 72. The isolated power supply 70 and the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72 are provided in the low-voltage and high-voltage regions, straddling the boundary between the low-voltage and high-voltage regions of the control device 50. In this embodiment, the upper arm drivers 71 are individually provided for each upper arm switch SWH, and the lower arm drivers 72 are individually provided for each lower arm switch SWL. Therefore, a total of six drivers 71 and 72 are provided. The isolated power supply 70 includes an upper arm isolated power supply provided individually for each of the three phase upper arm drivers 71, and a lower arm isolated power supply common to the three phase lower arm drivers 72. The lower arm isolated power supply may be individually provided for each of the three phase lower arm drivers 72.

[0039] Figure 3 shows the configuration of the isolated power supply 70, using a lower arm isolated power supply as an example. The isolated power supply 70 is a flyback type switching power supply. The isolated power supply 70 comprises a transformer 70a, a control switch 70b, a power supply control unit 70c, an output diode 70d, an output capacitor 70e, and an output voltage detection unit 70f. The control switch 70b is a voltage-controlled semiconductor switch, specifically an N-channel MOSFET.

[0040] Transformer 70a has an input winding and an output winding, each of which is magnetically coupled by a common core. The first end of the input winding of transformer 70a is connected to the positive terminal of the low-voltage battery 60, and the second end of the input terminal of transformer 70a is connected to the drain of the control switch 70b. The source of the control switch 70b is grounded in the low-voltage region. The first end of the output winding of transformer 70a is connected to the anode of the output diode 70d, and the second end of the output winding of transformer 70a is connected to the emitter of the lower arm switch SWL. The cathode of the output diode 70d and the second end of the output winding of transformer 70a are connected via an output capacitor 70e. The voltage across the output capacitor 70e is supplied to the lower arm driver 72 as the lower arm drive voltage VdL.

[0041] The output voltage detection unit 70f detects the voltage across the output capacitor 70e and transmits it to the power supply control unit 70c. The power supply control unit 70c switches the control switch 70b on and off to provide feedback control to bring the detected value from the output voltage detection unit 70f to a target value. Specifically, the power supply control unit 70c sets the duty cycle, which is the ratio of the on time in one switching cycle of the control switch 70b.

[0042] Next, the configuration of the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72, and the functions they have will be explained. The upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72 have a drive function to drive the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL, an off-hold function to keep the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL in the off state, a temperature detection function to detect the temperature of the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL, an abnormality detection function to detect overcurrent abnormalities in the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL, and a protection function to protect the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL in the event of an overcurrent abnormality. Here, the configuration and functions of the lower arm driver 72 will be explained in detail using Figure 3.

[0043] The lower arm driver 72 is configured to operate the drive function of the lower arm switch SWL. Specifically, the lower arm driver 72 comprises a lower arm drive unit 80 and a first isolation transmission unit 81. The lower arm drive unit 80 is located in the high-voltage region. The first isolation transmission unit 81 is located in both the low-voltage and high-voltage regions, straddling the boundary between the two regions. The first isolation transmission unit 81 electrically isolates the low-voltage and high-voltage regions while transmitting the switching command for the lower arm switch SWL between the microcontroller 51 and the lower arm drive unit 80.

[0044] In this embodiment, the first isolation transmission unit 81 includes a photocoupler 81a, an additional resistor 81b, and a constant voltage power supply 81c. The constant voltage power supply 81c is provided in the high-voltage region of the lower arm driver 72 and generates a constant voltage using the output voltage of the isolation power supply 70 as its power source. A switching command for the lower arm switch SWL is input from the microcontroller 51 to the low-voltage region side of the photocoupler 81a. The high-voltage region side of the photocoupler 81a is composed of a phototransistor. The collector of the phototransistor constituting the photocoupler 81a is connected to the constant voltage power supply 81c via the additional resistor 81b. The emitter of the phototransistor constituting the photocoupler 81a is connected to the emitter of the lower arm switch SWL. The lower arm drive unit 80 acquires the voltage on the collector side of the phototransistor constituting the photocoupler 81a as a switching command for the lower arm switch SWL. Based on the acquired switching command, the lower arm drive unit 80 turns the lower arm switch SWL on and off. The second and third insulating transmission sections 82 to 84, described later, have the same configuration as the first insulating transmission section 81.

[0045] The lower arm driver 72 includes a constant voltage power supply 90 for gate charging, a charging switch 91, a charging resistor 92, a discharge switch 93, and a discharge resistor 94. In this embodiment, a P-channel MOSFET is used as the charging switch 91, and an N-channel MOSFET is used as the discharge switch 93.

[0046] The gate of the lower arm switch SWL is connected to the constant voltage power supply 90 for gate charging via a charging switch 91 and a charging resistor 92. The emitter of the lower arm switch SWL is connected to the gate of the lower arm switch SWL via a discharge resistor 94 and a discharge switch 93. The gates of the charging switch 91 and the discharge switch 93 are connected to the lower arm drive unit 80. The constant voltage power supply 90 generates a constant voltage using the output voltage of the isolated power supply 70 as its power source.

[0047] If the lower arm drive unit 80 receives an ON switching command for the lower arm switch SWL, it turns on the charging switch 91 and turns off the discharge switch 93. This causes the gate voltage of the lower arm switch SWL to be above its threshold voltage, and the lower arm switch SWL is switched to the ON state. On the other hand, if the lower arm drive unit 80 receives an OFF switching command for the lower arm switch SWL, it turns off the charging switch 91 and turns on the discharge switch 93. This causes the gate voltage of the lower arm switch SWL to be below its threshold voltage, and the lower arm switch SWL is switched to the OFF state.

[0048] The lower arm driver 72 is configured to operate the off-hold function of the lower arm switch SWL. Specifically, the lower arm driver 72 includes a lower arm off-hold switch 95. The lower arm off-hold switch 95 is an N-channel MOSFET. The drain of the lower arm off-hold switch 95 is connected to the gate of the lower arm switch SWL, and the source of the lower arm off-hold switch 95 is connected to the emitter of the lower arm switch SWL. The gate of the lower arm off-hold switch 95 is connected to the lower arm drive unit 80.

[0049] The lower arm drive unit 80 turns off the lower arm off-holding switch 95 when the switching command for the lower arm switch SWL is an ON command, and turns on the lower arm off-holding switch 95 when the switching command for the lower arm switch SWL is an OFF command. When the lower arm off-holding switch 95 is turned on while the lower arm switch SWL is in OFF mode, the gate and emitter of the lower arm switch SWL are short-circuited. This suppresses the occurrence of self-turn-on of the lower arm switch SWL.

[0050] To provide supplementary information regarding the self-turn-on of the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL, charge is supplied to the gates of the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL via their parasitic capacitance, causing the gate voltage of the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL to exceed its threshold voltage Vth. In this case, self-turn-on may occur, a phenomenon in which the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL are mistakenly switched on even though it is desired to keep them off. Here, self-turn-on of the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL can also occur during external charging control or external power supply control. However, even during external charging control or external power supply control, the occurrence of self-turn-on is suppressed by turning on the off-holding switches of the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72.

[0051] The control system 10 includes a constant current source 100 and a temperature sensor 101 for temperature detection. The constant current source 100 generates a constant current using the output voltage of the isolated power supply 70 as its power source. The temperature sensor 101 includes a thermosensing diode, with the anode side of the thermosensing diode connected to the constant current source 100 and the cathode side of the thermosensing diode connected to the emitter of the lower arm switch SWL. The lower arm switch SWL, the lower arm diode DL, and the temperature sensor 101 are integrated as a semiconductor module. There is a correlation between the temperature of the lower arm switch SWL and the voltage drop across the thermosensing diode in the temperature sensor 101.

[0052] The lower arm drive unit 80 is configured to operate the temperature detection function of the lower arm switch SWL. Specifically, the lower arm drive unit 80 includes a first comparator 102 and a carrier generation unit 103. The voltage of the anode of the temperature-sensing diode in the temperature sensor 101 is applied to the non-inverting input terminal of the first comparator 102. The carrier signal from the carrier generation unit 103 is applied to the inverting input terminal of the first comparator 102. The carrier signal is, for example, a triangular wave signal. The first comparator 102 outputs the input signal of the non-inverting input terminal after pulse width modulation by comparing the magnitude of the input signal of the non-inverting input terminal with the carrier signal. As a result, the output signal of the first comparator 102 becomes a temperature signal Tp whose time ratio changes according to the input signal of the non-inverting input terminal, which is the ratio of the period of high level to one period of the carrier signal.

[0053] The lower arm driver 72 is equipped with a second insulating transmission unit 82. The second insulating transmission unit 82 is provided in both the low-voltage and high-voltage regions, straddling the boundary between the low-voltage and high-voltage regions. The second insulating transmission unit 82 transmits a temperature signal Tp between the lower arm drive unit 80 and the microcontroller 51 while electrically insulating the low-voltage and high-voltage regions.

[0054] The lower arm driver 72 is configured to detect the current flowing through the lower arm switch SWL. Specifically, the lower arm driver 72 includes a constant current source 110 for abnormality detection, a detection capacitor 111, and a detection diode 112. The constant current source 110 generates a constant current using the output voltage of the isolated power supply 70 as its power source. The constant current source 110 is connected to the first terminal of the detection capacitor 111. The emitter of the lower arm switch SWL is connected to the second terminal of the detection capacitor 111.

[0055] The anode of the detection diode 112 is connected to the first terminal of the detection capacitor 111. The cathode of the detection diode 112 is connected to the collector of the lower arm switch SWL. In other words, the detection diode 112 is connected such that the direction from the detection capacitor 111 towards the lower arm switch SWL is the forward direction.

[0056] A determination voltage Vjd, which is the voltage between the anode of the detection diode 112 and the emitter of the lower arm switch SWL, is applied to the detection capacitor 111. The determination voltage is Vjd = Vce + Vf, where Vce is the voltage between the collector and emitter of the lower arm switch SWL, and Vf is the forward voltage of the detection diode 112. This method of detecting current based on the determination voltage Vjd is called a desaturated detection method.

[0057] The lower arm drive unit 80 is configured to operate the abnormality detection function of the lower arm switch SWL. Specifically, the lower arm drive unit 80 includes a second comparator 113 and a constant voltage source 114 for abnormality detection. The first terminal of the detection capacitor 111 is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the second comparator 113. The inverting input terminal of the second comparator 113 is connected to the positive terminal of the constant voltage source 114. The negative terminal of the constant voltage source 114 is connected to the emitter of the lower arm switch SWL.

[0058] The constant voltage source 114 applies a voltage to the inverting input terminal of the second comparator 113 that is a predetermined voltage higher than the emitter of the lower arm switch SWL. The predetermined voltage of the constant voltage source 114 is set higher than the sum of the collector-emitter voltage Vce of the lower arm switch SWL when no overcurrent occurs in the lower arm switch SWL and the forward voltage Vf of the detection diode 112. In this case, if the determination voltage Vjd is less than the predetermined voltage, the second comparator 113 determines that no overcurrent occurs in the lower arm switch SWL and outputs a low-level abnormal signal FL. On the other hand, if the determination voltage Vjd is greater than or equal to the predetermined voltage, the second comparator 113 determines that an overcurrent occurs in the lower arm switch SWL and outputs a high-level abnormal signal FL.

[0059] The lower arm driver 72 is equipped with a third isolation transmission unit 83. The third isolation transmission unit 83 is located in both the low-voltage and high-voltage regions, straddling the boundary between the low-voltage and high-voltage regions. The third isolation transmission unit 83 electrically isolates the low-voltage and high-voltage regions while transmitting an abnormal signal FL between the lower arm drive unit 80 and the microcontroller 51.

[0060] The lower arm driver 72 is configured to operate the protection functions of the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL. Specifically, the lower arm driver 72 includes a soft-cut switch 96 and a soft-cut resistor 97. In this embodiment, an N-channel MOSFET is used as the soft-cut switch 96. The emitter of the lower arm switch SWL is connected to the gate of the lower arm switch SWL via the soft-cut resistor 97 and the soft-cut switch 96. The resistance value of the soft-cut resistor 97 is greater than the resistance value of the discharge resistor 94.

[0061] When the abnormal signal FL is at a high level, the lower arm drive unit 80 turns off the charge switch 91, the discharge switch 93, and the off-hold switch 95, and turns on the soft cutoff switch 96. This suppresses the surge voltage generated when the lower arm switch SWL is turned off, and the lower arm switch SWL is switched to the off state, thereby protecting the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL.

[0062] The configuration of the upper arm driver 71 is basically the same as that of the lower arm driver 72. Therefore, the upper arm driver 71, like the lower arm driver 72, has a drive function to drive the upper arm switch SWH, an off-hold function to keep the upper arm switch SWH in the off state, a temperature detection function to detect the temperature of the upper arm switch SWH, an abnormality detection function to detect an overcurrent abnormality of the upper arm switch SWH, and a protection function for the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL.

[0063] Here, the control device 50 is configured to operate various control functions of the rotating electric machine 20 using load current supplied from the first to third power supplies 61 to 63 and the isolated power supply 70 as its power source. Specifically, the angle detection function of the control device 50 operates when load current is supplied from the first power supply 61 to the excitation amplifier 52 and from the second power supply 62 to the angle interface circuit 53. The phase current detection function of the control device 50 operates when load current is supplied from the second power supply 62 to the current interface circuit 54. The command generation function of the microcontroller 51 operates when load current is supplied from the third power supply 63 to the microcontroller 51. The drive function, off-hold function, temperature detection function, abnormality detection function, and protection function of the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72 operate when load current is supplied from the isolated power supply 70 to the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72.

[0064] Incidentally, there is a concern that noise may be generated during external charging control or external power supply control due to the load current flowing through each of the switching power supplies 61, 62a, 63a, and 70.

[0065] In this regard, when external charging control or external power supply control is being performed, it may become unnecessary to continue some of the various control functions of the control device 50. Therefore, the control device 50 performs restriction processing to limit the various functions of the control device 50. The configuration for performing the restriction processing will be described below.

[0066] The control device 50 is equipped with first to fifth cutoff switches 121 to 125. The first and second cutoff switches 121 and 122 are driven by a microcontroller 51. The third to fifth cutoff switches 123 to 125 are driven by upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72. The first to fifth cutoff switches 121 to 125 are located in the electrical paths through which the load current of each power supply 61 to 63 and 70 flows. Specifically, the first cutoff switch 121 is located in the first electrical path L1. The second cutoff switch 122 is located in the second electrical path L2.

[0067] The third and fourth cutoff switches 123 and 124 are provided individually for the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72, respectively. Using the lower arm driver 72 as an example, as shown in Figure 3, the third cutoff switch 123 is provided in the third electrical path L3 that supplies current from the constant voltage power supply 81c of the first insulating transmission unit 81 to the photocoupler 81a. The fourth cutoff switch 124 is provided in the fourth electrical path L4 that supplies current from the constant current source 110 for abnormality detection to the detection capacitor 111.

[0068] The fifth cutoff switch 125 is provided individually for each temperature sensor 101 of the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL. To explain using the lower arm switch SWL as an example, as shown in Figure 3, the fifth cutoff switch 125 is provided in the fifth electrical path L5 that supplies current from the constant current source 100 for temperature detection to the temperature sensor 101.

[0069] The first to fifth interruption switches 121 to 125 are relays or semiconductor switching elements, which, when turned on, allow bidirectional current flow and when turned off, interrupt bidirectional current flow.

[0070] The microcontroller 51 transmits the vehicle status signal Sga obtained from the higher-level ECU 42 to the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72. Using the lower arm driver 72 as an example, as shown in Figure 3, the lower arm driver 72 includes a fourth isolation transmission unit 84. The fourth isolation transmission unit 84 is located in both the low-voltage and high-voltage regions, straddling the boundary between them. The fourth isolation transmission unit 84 electrically isolates the low-voltage and high-voltage regions while transmitting the vehicle status signal Sga between the lower arm drive unit 80 and the microcontroller 51. The lower arm drive unit 80 acquires the output signal of the fourth isolation transmission unit 84 as the vehicle status signal Sga. Based on the acquired vehicle status signal Sga, the lower arm drive unit 80 recognizes whether the vehicle is in a normal state or an externally charged state.

[0071] When the microcontroller 51 determines that the vehicle status signal Sga is at a high level, it performs a restriction process to limit the control functions of the control device 50 described above. In this embodiment, as a restriction process, the microcontroller 51 restricts the command generation function of each switch SWH, SWL, the angle detection function of the excitation amplifier 52 and angle interface circuit 53, the phase current detection function of the current interface circuit 54, and the functions of the upper and lower arm drivers 71, 72, excluding the off-hold function.

[0072] Specifically, when the microcontroller 51 acquires a Hi-level vehicle status signal Sga, it executes the following processing as a restriction process. That is, the microcontroller 51, • A process to stop generating switching commands for each switch SWH and SWL, • A process to stop the generation of the excitation signal, • The process of turning off the first circuit breaker switch 121 located in the first electrical path L1, • The process of turning off the second circuit breaker switch 122 located in the second electrical path L2, • The process of transmitting the high-level vehicle status signal Sga obtained from the upper ECU 42 to the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72, Execute this.

[0073] The generation of switching commands for each switch SWH and SWL is stopped, the command generation function for each switch SWH and SWL is stopped, and the generation of excitation signals is also stopped. As a result, the current consumption of the microcontroller 51 is reduced, and the load current supplied from the third power supply 63 to the microcontroller 51 is reduced. The microcontroller 51 may also perform other processing, such as the process of acquiring the vehicle status signal Sga. In this case, the control functions of the microcontroller 51 are limited.

[0074] When the generation of the excitation signal in the microcontroller 51 is stopped, the operation of the excitation amplifier 52 to amplify the excitation signal is stopped. Also, when the first cutoff switch 121 is turned off, the operation of the excitation amplifier 52 to amplify the excitation signal is stopped. When the second cutoff switch 122 is turned off, the operation of the angle interface circuit 53 is stopped. As a result, the angle detection function is stopped. In this case, the load current supplied from the first power supply 61 to the excitation amplifier 52 is reduced, and the load current supplied from the second power supply 62 to the angle interface circuit 53 is reduced.

[0075] When the second interruption switch 122, located in the second electrical path L2, is turned off, the operation of the current interface circuit 54 is stopped. As a result, the phase current detection function is stopped. In this case, the load current supplied from the second power supply 62 to the current interface circuit 54 is stopped.

[0076] When the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72 receive a high-level vehicle status signal Sga from the microcontroller 51, they continue the off-hold function while stopping the drive function, temperature detection function, abnormality detection function, and protection function. In this case, the load current supplied from the isolated power supply 70 is reduced. The following will explain this in detail using the lower arm driver 71 as an example.

[0077] When the lower arm driver 72 receives a high-level vehicle status signal Sga from the microcontroller 51, it turns on the off-hold switch 95 and turns off the charge switch 91, the discharge switch 93, and the soft-cut switch 96. The lower arm driver 72 also turns off the third-cut-off switch 123 and stops the supply of current from the constant-voltage power supply 81c of the first isolation transmission unit 81 to the photocoupler 81a. As a result, the off-hold function of the lower arm switch SWL is maintained while the drive function is stopped.

[0078] When the lower arm driver 72 receives a high-level vehicle status signal Sga from the microcontroller 51, it stops the operation of the second comparator 113 and stops the generation of a predetermined voltage by the constant voltage source 114 for abnormality detection. The lower arm driver 72 also turns off the fourth cutoff switch 124. As a result, the abnormality detection function and the protection function are disabled.

[0079] When the lower arm driver 72 receives a high-level vehicle status signal Sga from the microcontroller 51, it stops the operation of the first comparator 102 and stops the carrier signal generation by the carrier generation unit 103. The lower arm driver 72 also turns off the fifth cutoff switch 125. As a result, the temperature detection function is stopped.

[0080] Figure 4 shows an example of a configuration for stopping the operation of the first comparator 102. The first comparator 102 comprises an internal circuit 102a, a constant voltage power supply 102b, and a stop switch 102c. The positive terminal of the internal circuit 102a is connected to the constant voltage power supply 102b via the stop switch 102c, and the negative terminal of the internal circuit 102a is connected to the emitter of the lower arm switch SWL. The constant voltage power supply 102b generates a constant voltage using the output voltage of the isolated power supply 70 as its power source. The internal circuit 102a outputs a temperature signal Tp in accordance with a comparison of the magnitudes of the input signals at the non-inverting input terminal and the input signals at the inverting input terminal, as voltage is supplied from the constant voltage power supply 102b. The stop switch 102c is, for example, a semiconductor switching element, which allows bidirectional current flow when turned on and blocks bidirectional current flow when turned off. The lower arm driver 72 turns off the stop switch 102c when it receives a high-level vehicle status signal Sga from the microcontroller 51. This stops the operation of the first comparator 102. The configuration for stopping the operation of the second comparator 113 can be configured in the same way as the first comparator 102.

[0081] Figure 5 shows the control process performed by the microcontroller 51. This control is repeated at predetermined intervals.

[0082] In step S10, it is determined whether the vehicle status signal Sga input from the higher-level ECU 42 is at a high level. If the determination in step S10 is positive, the process proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if the determination in step S10 is negative, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0083] In step S11, as a limiting process, a high-level vehicle status signal Sga is transmitted to the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72. In this case, each arm driver 71 and 72 disables all functions of the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72 except for the off-hold function, as described above.

[0084] In step S12, as a limiting process, the command generation function, angle detection function, and current detection function are stopped. In this embodiment, the generation of switching commands for each switch SWH, SWL is stopped, the generation of excitation signals is stopped, and the first and second cutoff switches 121, 122 are turned off. In step S13, external charging control or external power supply control is performed. In this case, the power switch SMR is kept ON. Note that the processing in steps S11 and S12 corresponds to the "limiting section".

[0085] In step S14, the drive control of the rotating electric machine 20 is performed. In this case, the various control functions of the control device 50 are not restricted.

[0086] According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.

[0087] When the vehicle status signal Sga is determined to be at a high level, the control function of the rotating electric machine 20 of the control device 50 is restricted. In this case, the load current supplied from each power supply 61, 62, and 70 to the excitation amplifier 52, angle interface circuit 53, current interface circuit 54, and upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72 is reduced. As a result, for example, the power generated by each power supply 61, 62, and 70 is reduced, and noise generated in conjunction with the switching control of the switching power supply can be reduced. Also, for example, as the load current is reduced, the current flowing through parts of the control device 50 other than the switching power supply is reduced, so the generation of magnetic flux, which is a cause of noise generation, can be suppressed. As a result, noise generated due to the flow of load current from each power supply 61, 62, and 70 can be reduced.

[0088] During external charging control or external power supply control, the rotating electric machine 20 is not driven, making it unnecessary to continue the angle detection function that detects the electrical angle of the rotating electric machine 20. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the angle detection function is stopped when the vehicle status signal Sga is determined to be at a high level. This allows for accurate reduction of the load current supplied from the first power supply 61 to the excitation amplifier 52, and thus allows for accurate reduction of noise generated due to the load current.

[0089] When the vehicle status signal Sga is determined to be at a high level, all control functions of the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72 except for the off-hold function are stopped. In this case, the off-hold function is maintained, which prevents the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL from being unintentionally turned on during external charging control or external power supply control. In addition to the off-hold function, the following functions of the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72 are stopped: the drive function that drives the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL, the temperature detection function that detects the temperature of the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL, the abnormality detection function that detects overcurrent abnormalities in the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL, and the protection function that protects the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL in the event of an overcurrent abnormality. This reduces the load current supplied from the isolated power supply 70 to the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72. As a result, it is possible to reduce noise caused by the load current flowing through the isolated power supply 70 while suppressing the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL from being unintentionally turned on during external charging control or external power supply control.

[0090] When the vehicle status signal Sga is determined to be at a high level, the first to fifth cutoff switches 121 to 125 are turned off. This cuts off the current flowing through the power supply paths of the excitation amplifier 52, angle interface circuit 53, current interface circuit 54, and upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72. This allows for an accurate reduction in the load current supplied from each power supply 61, 62, and 70 to the excitation amplifier 52, angle interface circuit 53, current interface circuit 54, and upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72.

[0091] <Modified form of the first embodiment> External charging / power supply may be performed with the neutral point of each phase's armature winding 21 electrically connected to the inlet 13 via relay 14. In this case, the microcontroller 51 performs switching control of each switch SWH, SWL. This switching control is performed, for example, to boost the output voltage of the external power supply 210 and supply it to the high-voltage storage battery 11, or to lower the voltage of the smoothing capacitor 32 and supply power to the external power supply target. In other words, the microcontroller 51 is configured to have a transformer function that generates switching commands to boost the voltage of the charging power input from the external power supply 210 via the neutral point during external charging control, or to lower the voltage of the supply power supplied to the power supply target via the neutral point during external power supply control. Therefore, in this embodiment, the microcontroller 51 continues to perform control functions for executing switching control during external charging control or external power supply control, while limiting other control functions. Specifically, the microcontroller 51 does not perform the process in step S11 of Figure 5, but only executes the process of stopping the angle detection function in step S12. In this case, the phase current detection function, the voltage transformation function, and the various control functions of the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72 are continued.

[0092] According to this embodiment, when the vehicle status signal Sga is at a high level, the phase current detection function, the voltage transformation function of the microcontroller 51, and the various control functions of the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72 are continued. This enables switching control to transform the input and output voltages of the inverter 30. On the other hand, by stopping the angle detection function, the load currents of the first and second power supplies 61 and 62 are reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce noise caused by the flow of load current while performing switching control to transform the input and output voltages of the inverter 30 during external charging control or external power supply control.

[0093] The microcontroller 51 is not the only component that generates the excitation signal input to the excitation amplifier 52. A separate signal generation circuit may be provided for generating the excitation signal, in addition to the microcontroller 51. In this case, the microcontroller 51 may stop the angle detection function by stopping the operation of the signal generation circuit in step S12 of Figure 5.

[0094] <Second Embodiment> The second embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment, with reference to the drawings.

[0095] During external charging control or external power supply control, the rotating electric machine 20 is not driven, so it is unnecessary to continue the operation of the microcontroller 51. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the vehicle status signal Sga is at a high level, the operation of the microcontroller 51 is stopped as a limiting process. In this embodiment, when the vehicle status signal Sga is at a high level, the operation of the microcontroller 51 is stopped by resetting the microcontroller 51. The reset of the microcontroller 51 can be performed by setting the voltage level of the reset terminal of the microcontroller 51 to a low level.

[0096] Figure 6 shows an example of a configuration for resetting the microcontroller 51. The control device 50 is equipped with a reset circuit 43 (corresponding to the "limiting unit"). The reset circuit 43 is a circuit that outputs a reset signal Sgb to the reset terminal Tr of the microcontroller 51. The reset signal Sgb is a signal that transmits the intention to reset the microcontroller 51 when it is low level, and transmits the intention to release the reset of the microcontroller 51 when it is high level. In Figure 6, components identical to those shown in Figure 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals for convenience.

[0097] The reset circuit 43 includes a constant voltage power supply 43a, a reset resistor 43b, and a reset switch 43c. The constant voltage power supply 43a is connected to the first terminal of the reset resistor 43b, and the second terminal of the reset resistor 43b is connected to the high-potential terminal of the reset switch 43c. The low-potential terminal of the reset switch 43c is grounded. The reset switch 43c is, for example, a semiconductor switching element, and is turned on when the vehicle status signal Sga of the higher-level ECU 42 is at a high level, and turned off when the vehicle status signal Sga is at a low level. The reset terminal Tr of the microcontroller 51 receives the voltage between the reset resistor 43b and the reset switch 43c as a reset signal Sgb. When a low-level reset signal Sgb is input to the reset terminal Tr of the microcontroller 51, the microcontroller 51 is reset. On the other hand, when a high-level reset signal Sgb is input to the reset terminal Tr of the microcontroller 51, the reset of the microcontroller 51 is released. Furthermore, it is also possible to configure the system so that the vehicle status signal Sga of the higher-level ECU 42 is directly input to the reset terminal Tr of the microcontroller 51, and the microcontroller 51 is reset according to the voltage level of the vehicle status signal Sga.

[0098] According to this embodiment, when the vehicle status signal Sga is determined to be at a high level, the microcontroller 51 is reset and its operation is stopped. This makes it possible to accurately reduce the load current supplied from the third power supply 63 to the microcontroller 51, and to accurately reduce the noise generated as a result of the load current flowing.

[0099] <Third Embodiment> The control device 50 is not limited to being applied to a one-motor control system, but may also be applied to a two-motor control system. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the two-motor control system comprises a set of a first rotating electric machine 20a and a first inverter 30a, and a set of a second rotating electric machine 20b and a second inverter 30b. The rotors of the first rotating electric machine 20a and the second rotating electric machine 20b are connected to the crankshaft of the drive wheels or the engine acting as the vehicle's main engine via a power split mechanism. The first rotating electric machine 20a is connected to the first inverter 30a and serves as a starter to impart initial rotation to the engine's crankshaft, or as a generator to supply power to vehicle-mounted equipment, etc. On the other hand, the second rotating electric machine 20b is connected to the second inverter 30b and serves as the vehicle's main engine, etc. In Figure 7, components identical to those shown in Figure 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals for convenience.

[0100] The relay 14 of the external charging mechanism 12 is connected to the second inverter 30b side of one of the armature windings 21 of the second rotating electric machine 20b and to the negative bus of the second inverter 30b. The neutral points of the armature windings 21 of each phase of the first rotating electric machine 20a and the neutral points of the armature windings 21 of each phase of the second rotating electric machine 20b are connected via a connecting wire 33. A connecting switch 34 is provided on the connecting wire 33. The connecting switch 34 is a relay or a semiconductor switching element, which allows bidirectional current flow when turned on and blocks bidirectional current flow when turned off. The connecting switch 34 is driven, for example, by a control device 50 or a higher-level ECU 42.

[0101] As shown in Figure 8, the control device 50 includes a first microcontroller 51a that generates switching commands for each switch SWH and SWL of the first inverter 30a, and a second microcontroller 51b that generates switching commands for each switch SWH and SWL of the second inverter 30b. In Figure 8, components identical to those shown in Figure 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals for convenience.

[0102] In this embodiment, during external charging control, the first rotating electric machine 20a and the first inverter 30a are used as a boost circuit to increase the output voltage of the external power supply 210. In this case, the first microcontroller 51a generates a switching command for the first inverter 30a in order to boost the output voltage of the external power supply 210 and supply it to the high-voltage storage battery 11. In external power supply control, the first rotating electric machine 20a and the first inverter 30a can also be used as a step-down circuit to lower the voltage of the smoothing capacitor 32 and supply power to the external power supply target. During external charging control or external power supply control, if the first microcontroller 51a generates a switching command to perform boost control or step-down control, the voltage transformation function of the first microcontroller 51a is continued.

[0103] The reset signal Sgb from the reset circuit 43 is input to the reset terminal Tr of the second microcontroller 51b. In this case, the second microcontroller 51b is reset when the reset signal Sgb is at a low level. This stops the operation of the second microcontroller 51b. On the other hand, since the reset signal Sgb is not input to the first microcontroller 51a, the voltage transformation function of the first microcontroller 51a continues.

[0104] According to this embodiment, in the two-motor control system, when the vehicle status signal Sga is at a high level, the operation of the second microcontroller 51b is stopped, and the load current supplied from the third power supply 63 to the second microcontroller 51b is reduced. In this case, the load current supplied from the third power supply 63 to each microcontroller 51a, 51b can be reduced compared to when the drive control of each rotating electric machine 20a, 20b is in operation. Furthermore, since the voltage transformation function of the first microcontroller 51a is continued, switching control for transforming the input and output voltages of the first inverter 30a can be performed when the vehicle status signal Sga is at a high level. As a result, it is possible to reduce noise caused by the flow of load current while continuing switching control for transforming the input and output voltages of the inverter 30 during external charging control or external power supply control.

[0105] <Other Embodiments> Furthermore, each of the above embodiments may be implemented with the following modifications.

[0106] During external charging control or external power supply control, any one of the processes described in the first, second, and third embodiments may be executed. Specifically, any one of the following may be executed by the microcontroller 51 or the reset circuit 43: a process to stop generating switching commands for each switch SWH, SWL; a process to stop generating an excitation signal; a process to turn off the first cutoff switch 121 provided in the first electrical path L1; a process to turn off the second cutoff switch 122 provided in the second electrical path L2; a process to transmit a Hi-level vehicle status signal Sga obtained from the higher-level ECU 42 to the upper and lower arm drivers 71, 72; or a microcontroller 51 reset process.

[0107] In this embodiment, among the angle detection function, phase current detection function, command generation function, and control functions of the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72, the function that receives the largest load current from the switching power supply is designated as the specified function, and processing during external charging control or external power supply control is performed so as to reduce the current consumption of the specified function.

[0108] For example, if the specific function is the command generation function of the microcontroller 51, then during external charging control or external power supply control, the microcontroller 51 will stop generating switching commands, or the reset circuit 43 will stop the operation of the microcontroller 51. This reduces the current consumption of the command generation function of the microcontroller 51. In addition, considering the magnitude of the load current supplied from the switching power supply as each control function continues, the angle detection function and the various control functions of the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72 may be designated as specific functions.

[0109] According to this embodiment, when the vehicle status signal Sga is determined to be at a high level, the current consumption of the command generation function of the microcontroller 51 is reduced. In this case, the third power supply 63 reduces the duty cycle of switch Q, which is set when feedback-controlling the output voltage to the third voltage V3. This reduces the load current of the third power supply 63. Here, since the command generation function of the microcontroller 51 is the control function for which the largest load current among multiple control functions is supplied from the switching power supply, reducing the current consumption of the command generation function allows for an accurate reduction in the load current supplied from the third power supply 63 to the microcontroller 51.

[0110] During external charging control or external power supply control, at least two of the above processes may be executed.

[0111] When the upper and lower arm drivers 71 and 72 acquire a Hi-level vehicle status signal Sga, instead of stopping the drive function, temperature detection function, abnormality detection function, and protection function, they may stop one, two, or three of the drive function, temperature detection function, abnormality detection function, and protection function.

[0112] Instead of employing a desaturation detection method to detect the current flowing through the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL, a sense current proportional to the current flowing between the collector and emitter of the upper and lower arm switches SWH and SWL may be detected.

[0113] The low-voltage and high-voltage energy storage sections are not limited to batteries; for example, they may be capacitors (electric double-layer capacitors).

[0114] The mobile device on which the control device is installed is not limited to a vehicle; it may also be, for example, an aircraft or a ship.

[0115] The control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor by one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor configured by one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium.

[0116] The following describes the characteristic configurations extracted from each of the embodiments described above. [Configuration 1] Energy storage unit (11), The inverter (30) connected to the aforementioned energy storage unit, In a control device (50) for a rotating electric machine applied to a system (10) comprising a rotating electric machine (20) having an armature winding (21) connected to the inverter, The system includes a switching power supply (61-63, 70) which has a switch (Q, 70b) and outputs load current by switching control of the switch, The control device is configured such that multiple control functions for controlling the rotating electric machine operate using the load current supplied from the switching power supply as the power source. A control device (50) for a rotating electric machine, which includes a limiting unit that performs limiting processing to limit at least a portion of the multiple control functions when it is determined that the system is in the process of performing external charging control to charge the energy storage unit from an external power source (210) located outside the system, or that it is in the process of performing external power supply control to supply power from the energy storage unit to an external power supply target located outside the system. [Configuration 2] Among the multiple control functions, the control function that receives the largest load current from the switching power supply is designated as the specified function. The control device for a rotating electric machine according to Configuration 1, wherein the limiting unit determines that the condition of external charging control or external power supply control is met, and as a limiting process, performs a process to reduce the current consumption of the specific function. [Configuration 3] The multiple control functions include an angle detection function for detecting the electrical angle of the rotating electric machine, The control device for a rotating electric machine according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the limiting unit determines that the condition of external charging control or external power supply control has been met, and as a limiting process, performs a process to stop the angle detection function. [Structure 4] The system includes an excitation signal generation unit (52) that generates an AC excitation signal when a load current is supplied from the switching power supply, The system includes an angle sensor (40) that modulates the excitation signal according to the electrical angle of the rotating electric machine and outputs the modulated excitation signal as an angle signal. The angle detection function is a function that detects the electrical angle of the rotating electric machine based on the angle signal of the angle sensor. The control device for a rotating electric machine according to configuration 3, wherein the limiting unit performs a process to stop the angle detection function, which is a process to stop the excitation signal generation unit from generating the excitation signal. [Composition 5] The inverter is equipped with a microcontroller (51) that generates switching commands for the upper and lower arm switches (SWH, SWL), The microcontroller has a command generation function as a control function that generates the switching command to drive the rotating electric machine, The control device for a rotating electric machine according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the limiting unit (43) determines that the condition of external charging control or external power supply control has been met, and as a limiting process, it performs a process to stop the command generation function of the microcontroller. [Composition 6] The inverter is equipped with drive circuits (71, 72) for the upper and lower arm switches (SWH, SWL), The aforementioned drive circuit has the following control function: The aforementioned drive circuit provides a drive function to turn the upper and lower arm switch on and off, The drive circuit has an off-holding function that keeps the upper and lower arm switches in the off state, The control device for a rotating electric machine according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the limiting unit determines that the condition of external charging control or external power supply control has been met, and as the limiting process, performs a process to stop the control functions of the drive circuit other than the off-holding function. [Composition 7] The electrical paths (L1~L5) through which the load current of the aforementioned switching power supply flows, The electrical path includes the following: The control device for a rotating electric machine according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the limiting unit determines that the condition of external charging control or external power supply control has been met, and as a limiting process, turns off the cutoff switch. [Structure 8] The system includes an external charging mechanism (12) that allows the connection of the external power supply or the externally powered object to the neutral point of the armature winding of each phase. The inverter is equipped with a microcontroller (51) that generates switching commands for the upper and lower arm switches (SWH, SWL), The microcontroller has the following control functions: A drive function that generates the switching command to drive the rotating electric machine, The system includes a voltage transformer function that generates a switching command to increase the voltage of the charging power input from an external power source via the neutral point during the external charging control, or to decrease the voltage of the power supplied to the powered object via the neutral point during the external power supply control. The control device for a rotating electric machine according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the limiting unit determines that the condition of external charging control or external power supply control has been met, and as a limiting process, performs a process to stop the drive function while continuing the voltage transformation function. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 10...Control system, 11...High-voltage battery, 20...Rotating electric machine, 21...Armature winding, 30...Inverter, 50...Control device, 51...Microcontroller, 52...Excitation amplifier, 53...Angle interface circuit, 54...Current interface circuit, 61-63...1st-3rd power supply, 71,72...Upper and lower arm drivers, 210...External power supply.

Claims

1. Energy storage unit (11) and The inverter (30) connected to the energy storage unit, A rotating electric machine (20) having an armature winding (21) connected to the inverter, A microcontroller (51) that generates switching commands for the upper and lower arm switches (SWH, SWL) of the inverter, In a control device (50) for a rotating electric machine applied to a system (10) comprising the following: The system includes a switching power supply (61-63, 70) which has switches (Q, 70b) and outputs load current by switching control of the switches, The control device is configured such that multiple control functions for controlling the rotating electric machine operate using the load current supplied from the switching power supply as the power source. The microcontroller has a command generation function as a control function that generates the switching command to drive the rotating electric machine, A control device for a rotating electric machine, comprising a limiting unit that performs a limiting process to stop the operation of the microcontroller when it is determined that the system is in the process of external charging, where the energy storage unit is being charged from an external power source (210) located outside the system, or that the system is in the process of external power supply, where the energy storage unit is being supplied with power to an externally powered object located outside the system.

2. The control device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 1, wherein the control function among the plurality of control functions for which the largest load current is supplied from the switching power supply is the command generation function.

3. A power storage unit (11) and The inverter (30) connected to the energy storage unit, A rotating electric machine (20) having an armature winding (21) connected to the inverter, In a control device (50) for a rotating electric machine applied to a system (10) comprising the following: The system includes a switching power supply (61-63, 70) which has switches (Q, 70b) and outputs load current by switching control of the switches, The control device is configured such that multiple control functions for controlling the rotating electric machine operate using the load current supplied from the switching power supply as the power source. The multiple control functions include an angle detection function for detecting the electrical angle of the rotating electric machine, A control device for a rotating electric machine, comprising a limiting unit that performs a limiting process to stop the angle detection function when it is determined that the system is in the process of external charging control, where the energy storage unit is charged from an external power source (210) located outside the system, or that the system is in the process of external power supply control, where the energy storage unit is supplied with power to an external power supply target located outside the system.

4. The system includes an excitation signal generation unit (52) that generates an AC excitation signal when a load current is supplied from the switching power supply, The system includes an angle sensor (40) that modulates the excitation signal according to the electrical angle of the rotating electric machine and outputs the modulated excitation signal as an angle signal. The angle detection function is a function that detects the electrical angle of the rotating electric machine based on the angle signal of the angle sensor. The control device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 3, wherein the limiting unit performs a process to stop the angle detection function, which is a process to stop the excitation signal generation unit from generating the excitation signal.

5. Energy storage unit (11) and The inverter (30) connected to the energy storage unit, A rotating electric machine (20) having an armature winding (21) connected to the inverter, A microcontroller (51) that generates switching commands for the upper and lower arm switches (SWH, SWL) of the inverter, In a program for a control device (50) applied to a system (10) comprising the following: The control device has switches (Q, 70b) and includes switching power supplies (61-63, 70) that output load current by switching control of the switches. The control device is configured such that a plurality of control functions for controlling the rotating electric machine are operated when a load current is supplied from the switching power supply. The microcontroller has a command generation function as a control function that generates the switching command to drive the rotating electric machine, A program that causes a computer (51) to execute a restriction process to stop the operation of the microcontroller when it determines that it is in the process of controlling external charging, where the energy storage unit is being charged from an external power supply (210) located outside the system, or that it is in the process of controlling external power supply, where the energy storage unit is being supplied with power to an externally powered object located outside the system.

6. A power storage unit (11) and The inverter (30) connected to the energy storage unit, A rotating electric machine (20) having an armature winding (21) connected to the inverter, In a program for a control device (50) applied to a system (10) comprising the following: The control device has switches (Q, 70b) and includes switching power supplies (61-63, 70) that output load current by switching control of the switches. The control device is configured such that multiple control functions for controlling the rotating electric machine operate using the load current supplied from the switching power supply as the power source. The multiple control functions include an angle detection function for detecting the electrical angle of the rotating electric machine, A program that causes a computer (51) to execute a restriction process to stop the angle detection function when it determines that the following conditions are met: that the system is in the process of controlling external charging from an external power source (210) located outside the system, or that the system is in the process of controlling external power supply from the energy storage unit to an external power supply target located outside the system.

7. A power storage unit (11) and The inverter (30) connected to the energy storage unit, A rotating electric machine (20) having an armature winding (21) connected to the inverter, A microcontroller (51) that generates switching commands for the upper and lower arm switches (SWH, SWL) of the inverter, In a control method for a control device (50) applied to a system (10) comprising the following: The control device has switches (Q, 70b) and includes switching power supplies (61-63, 70) that output load current by switching control of the switches. The control device is configured such that a plurality of control functions for controlling the rotating electric machine are operated when a load current is supplied from the switching power supply. The microcontroller has a command generation function as a control function that generates the switching command to drive the rotating electric machine, A control method that causes a computer (51) to execute a restriction process to stop the operation of the microcontroller when it determines that it is in the process of performing external charging control, in which it is charging the energy storage unit from an external power supply (210) located outside the system, or that it is in the process of performing external power supply control, in which it is supplying power from the energy storage unit to an external power supply target located outside the system.

8. A power storage unit (11) and The inverter (30) connected to the energy storage unit, A rotating electric machine (20) having an armature winding (21) connected to the inverter, In a control method for a control device (50) applied to a system (10) comprising the following: The control device has switches (Q, 70b) and includes switching power supplies (61-63, 70) that output load current by switching control of the switches. The control device is configured such that multiple control functions for controlling the rotating electric machine operate using the load current supplied from the switching power supply as the power source. The multiple control functions include an angle detection function for detecting the electrical angle of the rotating electric machine, A control method that causes a computer (51) to execute a restriction process to stop the angle detection function when it determines that the system is in the process of controlling external charging, where the energy storage unit is charged from an external power source (210) located outside the system, or that it is in the process of controlling external power supply, where the energy storage unit is supplied with power to an external power supply target located outside the system.

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