# US 11,993,180 B2 · In-vehicle solar charge control system, in-vehicle solar charge control method, and program

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- Number: US 11,993,180 B2
- Document ID: US11993180B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/644,863
- Filed: 2021-12-17
- Published: 2022-08-18
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2021-02-16
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Yuma Miyamoto; Kohki Ohkoshi; Masahiro Takahashi; Akinori Kawamura; Taisuke Hayashi; Takashi Fukai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993180B2

## CPC

- B60L 8/003: {Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems}
- B60L 53/20: characterised by converters located in the vehicle
- B60L 53/62: in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
- B60L 58/20: having different nominal voltages
- B60L 2210/10: DC to DC converters
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

An in-vehicle solar charge control system includes a path switching unit provided in parallel with the first DC-to-DC converter on an electrical circuit that connects a solar DC-to-DC converter and a first battery and through which electricity having output power flows, and a switching unit controller which switches the path switching unit between a first state in which the output power is supplied to the first battery without being input to the first DC-to-DC converter, and a second state in which the output power is allowed to be input to the first DC-to-DC converter that is switched to the first operating state by a converter control unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An in-vehicle solar charge control system comprising:
a solar panel mounted on a vehicle;
a solar DC-to-DC converter to which power generated by the solar panel is input;
a first DC-to-DC converter to which output power output by the solar DC-to-DC converter is to be input;
a converter control unit configured to switch the first DC-to-DC converter between a first operating state in which power is output while lowering a voltage when the output power is input, and a first stopped state in which power is not output;
a first battery which is chargeable with power output by the first DC-to-DC converter in the first operating state;
a path switching unit provided in parallel with the first DC-to-DC converter on an electrical circuit that connects the solar DC-to-DC converter and the first battery and through which electricity having the output power flows; and
a switching unit controller configured to switch the path switching unit between a first state in which the output power is supplied to the first battery without being input to the first DC-to-DC converter, and a second state in which the output power is allowed to be input to the first DC-to-DC converter that is switched to the first operating state by the converter control unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The in-vehicle solar charge control system according to claim 1, further comprising:
an electric energy acquisition unit configured to acquire electric energy of the output power,
wherein the switching unit controller is configured to switch the path switching unit to the first state and the converter control unit is configured to switch the first DC-to-DC converter to the first stopped state, when the electric energy of the output power acquired by the electric energy acquisition unit is equal to or lower than a threshold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The in-vehicle solar charge control system according to claim 2, further comprising:
a required electric energy acquisition unit configured to acquire required electric energy of the first battery as the threshold; and
a comparison unit configured to compare the electric energy of the output power acquired by the electric energy acquisition unit with the required electric energy acquired by the required electric energy acquisition unit, wherein:
the first battery is not overcharged when power equal to or less than the required electric energy is supplied to the first battery; and
the switching unit controller is configured to switch the path switching unit to the second state and the converter control unit is configured to switch the first DC-to-DC converter to the first operating state, when the comparison unit determines the electric energy of the output power is greater than the required electric energy.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The in-vehicle solar charge control system according to claim 3, further comprising:
a second DC-to-DC converter to which the output power is to be input, the second DC-to-DC converter being switched by the converter control unit between a second operating state in which power is output while increasing a voltage when the output power is input, and a second stopped state in which power is not output;
a second battery which is chargeable with power output by the second DC-to-DC converter in the second operating state; and
at least one auxiliary machine configured to be supplied with power from the first battery,
wherein the second DC-to-DC converter that is switched to the second operating state by the converter control unit is configured to, when a predetermined condition that the vehicle is stopped and a power generation amount of the output power is greater than the required electric energy is satisfied, output, to the second battery, power of surplus electric energy obtained by subtracting the required electric energy from the electric energy of the output power, and
the converter control unit is configured to switch the first DC-to-DC converter to the first stopped state and the second DC-to-DC converter to the second stopped state and the switching unit controller is configured to switch the path switching unit to the first state, when the predetermined condition is not satisfied.

### Claim 5

An in-vehicle solar charge control method executed by an in-vehicle solar charge control system, the in-vehicle solar charge control system including:
a solar panel mounted on a vehicle;
a solar DC-to-DC converter to which power generated by the solar panel is input;
a first DC-to-DC converter which is switched between a first operating state in which power is output while lowering a voltage when output power generated by the solar DC-to-DC converter is input, and a first stopped state in which power is not output;
a first battery which is chargeable with power output by the first DC-to-DC converter in the first operating state; and
a path switching unit provided in parallel with the first DC-to-DC converter on an electrical circuit that connects the solar DC-to-DC converter and the first battery and through which electricity having the output power flows, the path switching unit being configured to switch between a first state in which the output power is supplied to the first battery without being input to the first DC-to-DC converter, and a second state in which the output power is allowed to be input to the first DC-to-DC converter in the first operating state, the in-vehicle solar charge control method comprising:
determining whether or not electric energy of the output power is equal to or lower than a threshold; and
switching the path switching unit to the first state and switching the first DC-to-DC converter to the first stopped state, when the electric energy of the output power is equal to or lower than the threshold.

### Claim 6

A program used for an in-vehicle solar charge control system, the in-vehicle solar charge control system including:
a solar panel mounted on a vehicle;
a solar DC-to-DC converter to which power generated by the solar panel is input;
a first DC-to-DC converter which is switched between a first operating state in which power is output while lowering a voltage when output power generated by the solar DC-to-DC converter is input and a first stopped state in which power is not output;
a first battery which is chargeable with power output by the first DC-to-DC converter in the first operating state; and
a path switching unit provided in parallel with the first DC-to-DC converter on an electrical circuit that connects the solar DC-to-DC converter and the first battery and through which electricity having the output power flows, the path switching unit being configured to switch between a first state in which the output power is supplied to the first battery without being input to the first DC-to-DC converter, and a second state in which the output power is allowed to be input to the first DC-to-DC converter in the first operating state, the program causing the in-vehicle solar charge control system to execute:
determining whether or not electric energy of the output power is equal to or lower than a threshold; and
switching the path switching unit to the first state and switching the first DC-to-DC converter to the first stopped state, when the electric energy of the output power is equal to or lower than the threshold.