Electric Vehicle Battery Segmentation for External Feeding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of electric vehicles lack clear information on how much electricity to feed from their battery to external facilities, as existing systems do not provide a clear breakdown or notification of the available electricity for feeding.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle equipped with an electronic control unit that divides the stored electricity into amounts for traveling and feeding, and notifies the user of this information, allowing for external charging and feeding while ensuring the user understands how much electricity can be safely fed to external facilities, including facilities that demand electricity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the battery feeds electricity to external facilities, then external electricity demand is met, but the user lacks clear information on how much electricity should be fed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectricity feeding capabilityVSAvoidinformation on electricity amount for feeding
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the total stored electricity information into distinct components: electricity amount for traveling and electricity amount for feeding. This segmentation is achieved through the control unit that calculates and displays these separate values, allowing users to clearly understand how much electricity is available for external feeding without compromising travel requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If the vehicle provides detailed electricity information, then user understanding improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation clarity on electricity usageVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit performs multiple functions: it manages motor control, calculates stored electricity amount, determines electricity amount for traveling, calculates electricity amount for feeding, and displays this information to the user. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single control unit, the patent provides comprehensive electricity information without significantly increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3505390B1Vehicle to grid management system
Publication Date: 2023.07.26 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP3505390B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3505390B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3505390B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A vehicle (20) includes: a motor (32) providing driving force for the vehicle; an electricity storage device (36) configured to feed electricity to the motor (32) or be charged by the motor (32); and an electronic control unit (70) that controls the motor (32), wherein: the vehicle (20) is configured to perform an external charging of charging the electricity storage device (36) with electricity from an external power source and an external feeding of feeding electricity from the electricity storage device (36) to an outside of the vehicle; and the electronic control unit (70) is configured to divide an amount of electricity stored in the electricity storage device (36) into an amount of stored electricity for traveling (Sbt) and an amount of stored electricity for feeding (Sbs), and to notify of at least information related to the amount of stored electricity for feeding (Sbs).