# US 12,009,691 B2 · Controller and control method for power supply circuit, and memory medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,009,691 B2 - Document ID: US12009691B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/186,118 - Filed: 2021-02-26 - Published: 2021-10-28 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-24 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hisato Nishida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12009691B2 ## CPC - H02H 9/001: {limiting speed of change of electric quantities, e.g. soft switching on or off (progressive control of electronic switches for eliminating interferences H03K17/16)} - H02J 9/06: with automatic change-over {, e.g. UPS systems} - B60L 3/0023: {Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train} - H02J 3/14: by switching loads on to, or off from, the networks, e.g. progressively balanced loading - H02J 7/663: {using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence)} - B60L 2270/20: Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery - H02H 3/044: {Checking correct functioning of protective arrangements, e.g. by simulating a fault (for differential current circuit breakers H02H3/335)} - H02J 7/855: {with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery} - Y02B 70/30: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level - Y02B 70/3225: Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving - Y04S 20/222: Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving - Y04S 20/248: UPS systems or standby or emergency generators - H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - 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 - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract A controller for a power supply circuit, a control method for a power supply circuit, and a memory medium are provided. In a case in which a monitored value starts decreasing from when a second relay is de-energized, the controller measures elapsed time from when the monitored value starts decreasing to when the monitored value starts increasing. It is determined that a third relay has deteriorated when a determination condition, which includes a condition that the elapsed time is greater than or equal to a specified reference value, is met. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A controller for a power supply circuit, wherein the power supply circuit includes a battery and relays, the relays include a first relay that is connected to and located between a load and one of a positive electrode or a negative electrode of the battery, a second relay that is connected to and located between the load and the other one of the positive electrode or the negative electrode of the battery, the second relay being connected in series with a resistor, and a third relay that is connected in parallel with the second relay and the resistor, and the controller is configured to execute a process that obtains, as a monitored value, a voltage of power supplied to the load from the power supply circuit, a sequence process that is executed when power starts being supplied to the load, the sequence process energizing the first relay, the second relay, and the third relay in that order, and then de-energizing the second relay, a process that measures, in a case in which the monitored value starts decreasing from when the second relay is de-energized while the first relay and the third relay are energized by execution of the sequence process, elapsed time from when the monitored value starts decreasing to when the monitored value starts increasing, a process that determines that the third relay has deteriorated when a determination condition, which includes a condition that the elapsed time is greater than or equal to a specified reference value, is met, and a process that increments a counter if the elapsed time is greater than a stored value of elapsed time and overwrites the stored value of elapsed time with the elapsed time, wherein the determination condition requires the counter to be greater than or equal to a specified reference count. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The controller for a power supply circuit according to claim 1, wherein the determination condition includes the condition that the elapsed time is greater than or equal to the reference value, and a condition that the determination that the elapsed time is greater than or equal to the reference value has been made a specified number of times or more, successively. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The controller for a power supply circuit according to claim 1, wherein the determination condition includes the condition that the elapsed time is greater than or equal to the reference value, and a condition that the elapsed time is increasing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The controller for a power supply circuit according to claim 1, wherein the third relay includes a contact portion, the contact portion of the third relay is open at the time the monitored value starts decreasing when the second relay is de-energized. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The controller for a power supply circuit according to claim 4, wherein the monitored value, which has been decreasing, starts increasing when the contact portion of the third relay closes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The controller for a power supply circuit according to claim 5, wherein the contact portion of the third relay includes a movable contact and a fixed contact, the third relay is energized to make the movable contact of the third relay contacts the fixed contact of the third relay, an activation delay of the third relay from when the third relay is energized to when the movable contact of the third relay contacts the fixed contact of the third relay extends the elapsed time. ### Claim 7 A control method for a power supply circuit, wherein the power supply circuit includes a battery and relays, the relays include a first relay that is connected to and located between a load and one of a positive electrode or a negative electrode of the battery, a second relay that is connected to and located between the load and the other one of the positive electrode or the negative electrode of the battery, the second relay being connected in series with a resistor, and a third relay that is connected in parallel with the second relay and the resistor, and the control method comprises: obtaining, as a monitored value, a voltage of power supplied to the load from the power supply circuit; executing a sequence process when the power starts being supplied to the load, the sequence process energizing the first relay, the second relay, and the third relay in that order, and then de-energizing the second relay; measuring, in a case in which the monitored value starts decreasing from when the second relay is de-energized while the first relay and the third relay are energized by execution of the sequence process, elapsed time from when the monitored value starts decreasing to when the monitored value starts increasing; determining that the third relay has deteriorated when a determination condition, which includes a condition that the elapsed time is greater than or equal to a specified reference value, is met; and incrementing a counter if the elapsed time is greater than a stored value of elapsed time and overwriting the stored value of elapsed time with the elapsed time, wherein the determination condition requires the counter to be greater than or equal to a specified reference count. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The control method for a power supply circuit according to claim 7, wherein the third relay includes a contact portion, the contact portion of the third relay is open at the time the monitored value starts decreasing when the second relay is de-energized. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The control method for a power supply circuit according to claim 8, wherein the monitored value, which has been decreasing, starts increasing when the contact portion of the third relay closes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The control method for a power supply circuit according to claim 9, wherein the contact portion of the third relay includes a movable contact and a fixed contact, the third relay is energized to make the movable contact of the third relay contacts the fixed contact of the third relay, an activation delay of the third relay from when the third relay is energized to when the movable contact of the third relay contacts the fixed contact of the third relay extends the elapsed time. ### Claim 11 A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a program that causes a processor to execute a control process for a power supply circuit, wherein the power supply circuit includes a battery and relays, the relays include a first relay that is connected to and located between a load and one of a positive electrode or a negative electrode of the battery, a second relay that is connected to and located between the load and the other one of the positive electrode or the negative electrode of the battery, the second relay being connected in series with a resistor, and a third relay that is connected in parallel with the second relay and the resistor, and the control process includes: obtaining, as a monitored value, a voltage of power supplied to the load from the power supply circuit; executing a sequence process when the power starts being supplied to the load, the sequence process energizing the first relay, the second relay, and the third relay in that order, and then de-energizing the second relay; measuring, in a case in which the monitored value starts decreasing from when the second relay is de-energized while the first relay and the third relay are energized by execution of the sequence process, elapsed time from when the monitored value starts decreasing to when the monitored value starts increasing; and determining that the third relay has deteriorated when a determination condition, which includes a condition that the elapsed time is greater than or equal to a specified reference value, is met, wherein incrementing a counter if the elapsed time is greater than a stored value of elapsed time and overwriting the stored value of elapsed time with the elapsed time, and wherein the determination condition requires the counter to be greater than or equal to a specified reference count. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the third relay includes a contact portion, the contact portion of the third relay is open at the time the monitored value starts decreasing when the second relay is de-energized. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the monitored value, which has been decreasing, starts increasing when the contact portion of the third relay closes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the contact portion of the third relay includes a movable contact and a fixed contact, the third relay is energized to make the movable contact of the third relay contacts the fixed contact of the third relay, an activation delay of the third relay from when the third relay is energized to when the movable contact of the third relay contacts the fixed contact of the third relay extends the elapsed time.