# US 10,246,124 B2 · Power supply device and electric power steering device including power supply device

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- Number: US 10,246,124 B2
- Document ID: US10246124B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/410,077
- Filed: 2017-01-19
- Published: 2017-07-27
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2016-01-21
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Takashi Tsujioka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246124B2

## CPC

- B62D 5/0463: {calculating assisting torque from the motor based on driver input}
- B62D 5/046: {Controlling the motor}
- B62D 5/0481: {monitoring the steering system, e.g. failures}
- H02J 7/865: {Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence)}
- H02P 6/17: and for generating speed information
- H02P 7/03: for controlling the direction of rotation of DC motors
- H02M 1/0093: {wherein the output is created by adding a regulated voltage to or subtracting it from an unregulated input}
- H02M 3/06: using resistors or capacitors, e.g. potential divider
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P)

## Abstract

An electric power steering device includes a main power supply unit capable of supplying power to a load; an auxiliary power supply unit connected to the main power supply unit and capable of supplying charged power to the load; a boosting circuit capable of boosting a voltage supplied from the main power supply unit and applying a resulting voltage to the auxiliary power supply unit; a circuit switching unit interposed between the main power supply unit and the load and closing one of a first connection circuit extending from the main power supply unit to the load and a second connection circuit extending from the main power supply unit to the load via the auxiliary power supply unit; and a controller performing switching control on the circuit switching unit so as to close the second connection circuit if the magnitude of power required by the load exceeds a first threshold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power supply device comprising:
a main power supply unit that is capable of supplying power to a load;
an auxiliary power supply unit that is connected to the main power supply unit and is capable of supplying charged power to the load;
a booster that is connected to the main power supply unit in parallel to the auxiliary power supply unit and is capable of boosting a voltage supplied from the main power supply unit and applying a resulting boosted voltage to the auxiliary power supply unit;
a circuit switching unit that is interposed between the main power supply unit and the load and closes one of a first connection circuit and a second connection circuit, the first connection circuit extending from the main power supply unit to the load, the second connection circuit extending from the main power supply unit to the load via the auxiliary power supply unit; and
a controller that performs switching control on the circuit switching unit;
a first open/close unit that is interposed between the booster and the auxiliary power supply unit, and opens or closes a first contact provided on a path extending from the booster to the auxiliary power supply unit; and
a second open/close unit that is interposed between the circuit switching unit and the auxiliary power supply unit, and opens or closes a second contact provided on a path extending from the circuit switching unit to the auxiliary power supply unit, wherein
the controller obtains information regarding a magnitude of power required by the load and, in a case where the magnitude of the power required by the load and indicated by the obtained information exceeds a predetermined first threshold, performs switching control on the circuit switching unit so as to close the second connection circuit and controls the second open/close unit to close the second contact, and
the controller controls the first open/close unit so as to close the first contact in a case where a magnitude of the charged power of the auxiliary power supply unit is smaller than a predetermined second threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An electric power steering device to be mounted in a vehicle, the electric power steering device comprising:
The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein
the power supply device supplies power to a steering assist motor included in the electric power steering device, and
the controller obtains the magnitude of the power required by the load on the basis of at least one of a steering torque of a steering member of the vehicle and a vehicle speed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the second connection circuit extends from the main power supply unit to the load in parallel to the first connection circuit via the auxiliary power supply unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The power supply device according to claim 3, wherein, in the case where the magnitude of the power required by the load and indicated by the obtained information exceeds the predetermined first threshold, the controller closes the second connection circuit and opens the first connection circuit such that the power required by the load is supplied by combining an electromotive force of the main power supply unit and the electromotive force of the auxiliary power supply unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein, the controller closes the first contact to charge the auxiliary power supply unit.

### Claim 6

A power supply device comprising:
a main power supply that is capable of supplying power to a load;
an auxiliary power supply that is connected to the main power supply and is capable of supplying charged power to the load;
a booster circuit that is connected to the main power supply in parallel to the auxiliary power supply and is capable of boosting a voltage supplied from the main power supply and applying a resulting boosted voltage to the auxiliary power supply;
a circuit switching circuit that is interposed between the main power supply and the load and closes one of a first connection circuit and a second connection circuit, the first connection circuit extending from the main power supply to the load, the second connection circuit extending from the main power supply to the load via the auxiliary power supply; and
a control circuit that performs switching control on the circuit switching circuit;
a first open/close circuit that is interposed between the booster circuit and the auxiliary power supply, and opens or closes a first contact provided on a path extending from the booster circuit to the auxiliary power supply; and
a second open/close circuit that is interposed between the circuit switching circuit and the auxiliary power supply, and opens or closes a second contact provided on a path extending from the circuit switching circuit to the auxiliary power supply, wherein
the control circuit obtains information regarding a magnitude of power required by the load and, in a case where the magnitude of the power required by the load and indicated by the obtained information exceeds a predetermined first threshold, performs switching control on the circuit switching circuit so as to close the second connection circuit and controls the second open/close circuit to close the second contact, and
the control circuit controls the first open/close circuit so as to close the first contact in a case where a magnitude of the charged power of the auxiliary power supply is smaller than a predetermined second threshold.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

An electric power steering device to be mounted in a vehicle, the electric power steering device comprising:
the power supply device according to claim 6, wherein
the power supply device supplies power to a steering assist motor included in the electric power steering device, and
the control circuit obtains the magnitude of the power required by the load on the basis of at least one of a steering torque of a steering member of the vehicle and a vehicle speed.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The power supply device according to claim 6, wherein the second connection circuit extends from the main power supply to the load in parallel to the first connection circuit via the auxiliary power supply.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The power supply device according to claim 8, wherein, in the case where the magnitude of the power required by the load and indicated by the obtained information exceeds the predetermined first threshold, the control circuit closes the second connection circuit and opens the first connection circuit such that the power required by the load is supplied by combining an electromotive force of the main power supply and the electromotive force of the auxiliary power supply.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The power supply device according to claim 6, wherein, the control circuit closes the contact to charge the auxiliary power supply.