Charging apparatus and control method for charging apparatus
AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTomokazu Masuda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inlet is configured to connect with a connector of a charging cable. An ECU is configured to switch between (i) a charging permitted state in which external charging is permitted and (ii) a charging non-permitted state in which external charging is not permitted. When the connector is in connection to the inlet, the ECU selects the charging permitted state in which external charging is permitted, even if a connector connection signal indicative of a state of connection between the connector and the inlet indicates a partially-connected state in which the connection between the connector and the inlet is not latched.
Claims6
A charging apparatus for charging a vehicle-mounted power storage device with electric power supplied from an electric power source external to a vehicle through a charging cable, the charging apparatus comprising:
- an inlet configured to connect with a connector of the charging cable;
- and
- a control device configured to:
- switch between (i) a first state in which charging of the power storage device is permitted and (ii) a second state in which charging of the power storage device is not permitted;
- and
- receive a connection signal indicating whether or not a state of connection between the connector and the inlet is a partially-connected state in which the connection between the connector and the inlet is not latched, wherein
- when the connector is in connection to the inlet, the control device is configured to select the first state even if the connection signal indicates that the state of connection between the connector and the inlet is the partially-connected state.
A control method for a charging apparatus for charging a vehicle-mounted power storage device with electric power supplied from an electric power source external to a vehicle through a charging cable,
- the charging apparatus comprising:
- an inlet configured to connect with a connector of the charging cable;
- and
- a locking device configured to switch between (i) a locked state in which the connector connected to the inlet cannot be removed from the inlet and (ii) an unlocked state in which the connector connected to the inlet can be removed from the inlet,
- the control method comprising:
- determining whether a state of connection between the connector and the inlet is in a partially-connected state based on a connection signal indicative of the state of connection between the connector and the inlet;
- determining whether the locking device is in the locked state or in the unlocked state;
- not permitting charging of the power storage device when it is determined that the state of connection is in the partially-connected state and when it is determined that the locking device is in the unlocked state, the partially-connected state being a state in which the connection between the connector and the inlet is not latched;
- and
- permitting charging of the power storage device when it is determined that the state of connection is in the partially-connected state and when it is determined that the locking device is in the locked state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.