# US 11,993,215 B2 · Drive device

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- Number: US 11,993,215 B2
- Document ID: US11993215B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/458,986
- Filed: 2021-08-27
- Published: 2022-03-03
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2020-09-02
- Assignees: Denso Corporation
- Applicants: Denso Corporation
- Inventors: Yusuke Takahashi; Akito Ito; Kotaro Tanaka; Keisuke Atsumi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993215B2

## CPC

- B60R 16/023: for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
- B60L 3/0038: {relating to sensors}
- B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors}
- B60L 3/0084: {relating to control modules}
- B60L 15/2054: {by controlling transmissions or clutches}
- B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
- B60L 2240/12: Speed
- B60L 2240/421: Speed
- B60L 2240/48: related to transmissions
- Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- 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
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A drive device includes: a control storage unit of a current value of a control signal indicating a drive state of each of loads; a drive unit of the switches according to the current value; an acquisition unit of a current drive state of each load; a determination storage unit of a transition determination value; and a determination unit that compares a correlated drive state of each load correlated with the current value with the transition determination value, and determines that the current value is abnormal when the correlated drive state and the transition determination value satisfy a predetermined corresponding relationship.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A drive device that drives a plurality of loads by controlling a plurality of semiconductor switches corresponding to the loads, the drive device comprising:
a control storage unit that stores a current value of a control signal including a signal indicating a drive state of each of the loads;
a drive unit that controls the plurality of semiconductor switches according to the current value of the control signal;
an acquisition unit that acquires a current drive state indicating the drive state of each of the loads at a present time;
a determination storage unit that stores a transition determination value for determining whether the current value of the control signal stored in the control storage unit is abnormal, the transition determination value being correlated with a driving transition from the current drive state; and
a determination unit that compares a correlated drive state of each of the loads correlated with the current value of the control signal stored in the control storage unit with the transition determination value, and determines that the current value of the control signal is abnormal when the correlated drive state and the transition determination value satisfy a predetermined corresponding relationship,
wherein
the drive unit outputs a drive signal corresponding to the control signal to the plurality of semiconductor switches and controls a vehicle;
the control storage unit stores a previous value of the control signal in addition to the current value of the control signal; and
the drive unit controls the plurality of semiconductor switches according to the previous value when the determination unit determines that the current value of the control signal is abnormal.

### Claim 2

A drive device that drives a plurality of loads by controlling a plurality of semiconductor switches corresponding to the loads, the drive device comprising:
a control storage unit that stores a current value of a control signal including a signal indicating a drive state of each of the loads;
a drive unit that controls the plurality of semiconductor switches according to the current value of the control signal;
an acquisition unit that acquires a current drive state indicating the drive state of each of the loads at a present time;
a determination storage unit that stores a transition determination value for determining whether the current value of the control signal stored in the control storage unit is abnormal, the transition determination value being correlated with a driving transition from the current drive state;
a determination unit that compares a correlated drive state of each of the loads correlated with the current value of the control signal stored in the control storage unit with the transition determination value, and determines that the current value of the control signal is abnormal when the correlated drive state and the transition determination value satisfy a predetermined corresponding relationship; and
a power supply unit that switches a power supply state for the plurality of loads, wherein:
the power supply unit sets the power supply state to be a power feed state when the determination unit determines that the current value of the control signal is not abnormal, and sets the power supply state to be a cut-off state when the determination unit determines that the current value of the control signal is abnormal; and
the drive unit outputs a drive signal corresponding to the control signal to the plurality of semiconductor switches and controls a vehicle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The drive device according to claim 1, wherein:
the determination storage unit stores, as the transition determination value, a prohibition determination value indicating prohibition of the driving transition from the current drive state; and
when the correlated drive state is included in the prohibition determination value, the determination unit determines that the predetermined corresponding relationship is satisfied, and the current value of the control signal is abnormal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The drive device according to claim 1, wherein:
the determination storage unit stores, as the transition determination value, a permission determination value indicating permission of the driving transition from the current drive state; and
when the correlated drive state is not included in the permission determination value, the determination unit determines that the predetermined corresponding relationship is satisfied, and the current value of the control signal is abnormal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The drive device according to claim 1, wherein:
the determination unit compares the transition determination value with the current value of the control signal stored as the correlated drive state in the control storage unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The drive device according to claim 1, wherein:
the determination unit compares the transition determination value with the current drive state acquired by the acquisition unit as the correlated drive state.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The drive device according to claim 1, wherein:
the determination storage unit stores the current value of the control signal and the transition determination value in association with each other; and
the determination unit acquires the transition determination value associated with the control signal from the determination storage unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The drive device according to claim 1, wherein:
the determination storage unit stores the current drive state and the transition determination value in association with each other; and
the determination unit acquires the transition determination value associated with the current drive state acquired by the acquisition unit from the determination storage unit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The drive device according to claim 1, wherein:
the drive device drives the plurality of loads mounted on the vehicle;
the acquisition unit acquires a current vehicle state of the vehicle in addition to the current drive state; and
the determination storage unit stores, as the transition determination value, a value for determining whether the current value of the control signal stored in the control storage unit is abnormal, the value being correlated with driving transition from the current drive state and the current vehicle state.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The drive device according to claim 2, wherein:
the control storage unit stores a previous value of the control signal in addition to the current value of the control signal; and
the drive unit controls the plurality of semiconductor switches according to the previous value when the determination unit determines that the current value of the control signal is abnormal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The drive device according to claim 2, wherein:
the determination storage unit stores, as the transition determination value, a prohibition determination value indicating prohibition of the driving transition from the current drive state; and
when the correlated drive state is included in the prohibition determination value, the determination unit determines that the predetermined corresponding relationship is satisfied, and the current value of the control signal is abnormal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The drive device according to claim 2, wherein:
the determination storage unit stores, as the transition determination value, a permission determination value indicating permission of the driving transition from the current drive state; and
when the correlated drive state is not included in the permission determination value, the determination unit determines that the predetermined corresponding relationship is satisfied, and the current value of the control signal is abnormal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 2)

The drive device according to claim 2, wherein:
the determination unit compares the transition determination value with the current value of the control signal stored as the correlated drive state in the control storage unit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 2)

The drive device according to claim 2, wherein:
the determination unit compares the transition determination value with the current drive state acquired by the acquisition unit as the correlated drive state.

### Claim 15 (depends on 2)

The drive device according to claim 2, wherein:
the determination storage unit stores the current value of the control signal and the transition determination value in association with each other; and
the determination unit acquires the transition determination value associated with the control signal from the determination storage unit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 2)

The drive device according to claim 2, wherein:
the determination storage unit stores the current drive state and the transition determination value in association with each other; and
the determination unit acquires the transition determination value associated with the current drive state acquired by the acquisition unit from the determination storage unit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 2)

The drive device according to claim 2, wherein:
the drive device drives the plurality of loads mounted on the vehicle;
the acquisition unit acquires a current vehicle state of the vehicle in addition to the current drive state; and
the determination storage unit stores, as the transition determination value, a value for determining whether the current value of the control signal stored in the control storage unit is abnormal, the value being correlated with driving transition from the current drive state and the current vehicle state.