Electronic control device

An electronic control device,

• applicable to a vehicle that includes a first relay means and a second relay means respectively switchable between a conductive state and an interrupted state for a conduction and an interruption of electric power between a high voltage battery and an inverter disposed in the vehicle for driving a power motor enabling a travel of the vehicle, wherein
• the first relay means is configured to be kept in the conductive state during a travel of the vehicle,
• the second relay means is configured to flow a restricted amount of electric current between the high voltage battery and the inverter when the first relay means is in the conductive state by a turning on of a start switch at a start-up time of the vehicle, and
• the inverter is provided with a smoothing capacitor (i) that is charged by a voltage supplied from the high voltage battery via the relays and (ii) that stabilizes a power supply voltage for the driving of the power motor, wherein
• the electronic control device comprises:
• a first arithmetic unit for controlling the first and second relay means, and
• the controlling of the first and second relay means is performed by outputting an inverter control signal to the inverter for the driving of the power motor, wherein
• (i) the controlling of the first and second relay means is further performed by switching the second relay means to the conductive state at the start-up time of the vehicle due to the turning on of the start switch, and
• (ii) the controlling of the first and second relay means thereafter is further performed by switching the first relay means to the conductive state in place of the second relay means and by keeping the first relay means in the conductive state;
• and
• a second arithmetic unit separately provided from the first arithmetic unit for controlling the travel of the vehicle in place of the first arithmetic unit at a first arithmetic unit abnormal time, and the controlling of the travel of the vehicle is performed (a) by outputting the inverter control signal to the inverter and (b) by outputting a relay control signal to the first relay means for bringing the first relay means to the conductive state,
• wherein
• when (i) the start switch of the vehicle is turned off at the first arithmetic unit abnormal time when the first arithmetic unit is abnormal, and (ii) thereafter the start switch of the vehicle is turned on, the second arithmetic unit (a) determines whether a voltage of the smoothing capacitor satisfies a connection condition of the first relay means, and (b) upon having a positive determination about a satisfaction of the connection condition, switches the first relay means to the conductive state by outputting the relay control signal to the first relay means, for enabling a control of the travel of the vehicle,
• the first group of the relay means include a positive electrode side relay provided at a position between a positive electrode of the high voltage battery and the inverter, and a negative electrode side relay provided at a position between a negative electrode of the high voltage battery and the inverter, and
• the second group of the relay means include the positive electrode side relay provided at a position between the positive electrode of the high voltage battery and the inverter, and a current limiting relay provided at a position between the negative electrode of the high voltage battery and the inverter to which a resistor is connected in series.

An electronic control device,

• applicable to a vehicle that includes a first relay means and a second relay means respectively switchable between a conductive state and an interrupted state for a conduction and an interruption of electric power between a high voltage battery and an inverter disposed in the vehicle for driving a power motor enabling a travel of the vehicle, wherein
• the first relay means is configured to be kept in the conductive state during a travel of the vehicle,
• the second relay means is configured to flow a restricted amount of electric current between the high voltage battery and the inverter when the first relay means is in the conductive state by a turning on of a start switch at a start-up time of the vehicle, and
• the inverter is provided with a smoothing capacitor (i) that is charged by a voltage supplied from the high voltage battery via the relays and (ii) that stabilizes a power supply voltage for the driving of the power motor, wherein
• the electronic control device comprises:
• a first arithmetic unit for controlling the first and second relay means, and
• the controlling of the first and second relay means is performed by outputting an inverter control signal to the inverter for the driving of the power motor, wherein
• (i) the controlling of the first and second relay means is further performed by switching the second relay means to the conductive state at the start-up time of the vehicle due to the turning on of the start switch, and
• (ii) the controlling of the first and second relay means thereafter is further performed by switching the first relay means to the conductive state in place of the second relay means and by keeping the first relay means in the conductive state;
• a second arithmetic unit separately provided from the first arithmetic unit for controlling the travel of the vehicle in place of the first arithmetic unit at a first arithmetic unit abnormal time, and the controlling of the travel of the vehicle is performed (a) by outputting the inverter control signal to the inverter and (b) by outputting a relay control signal to the first relay means for bringing the first relay means to the conductive state;
• and
• a discharger configured to perform a discharge process for discharging electric charge charged in the smoothing capacitor,
• wherein
• when (i) the start switch of the vehicle is turned off at the first arithmetic unit abnormal time when the first arithmetic unit is abnormal, and (ii) thereafter the start switch of the vehicle is turned on, the second arithmetic unit (a) determines whether a voltage of the smoothing capacitor satisfies a connection condition of the first relay means, and (b) upon having a positive determination about a satisfaction of the connection condition, switches the first relay means to the conductive state by outputting the relay control signal to the first relay means, for enabling a control of the travel of the vehicle,
• the discharger performs the discharge process and immediately discharges the electric charge of the smoothing capacitor when the start switch of the vehicle is turned off when the first arithmetic unit is normal, while refraining from performing the discharge process when the start switch of the vehicle is turned off when the first arithmetic unit is abnormal, and
• the second arithmetic unit is configured to determine whether or not it is in a situation that a high voltage part may possibly be exposed to an outside, and controls the discharger to perform the discharge process when it is determined that it is in the situation the high voltage part may possibly be exposed to the outside.