# US 2012/0074900 A1 · Vehicle charging system and vehicle charging method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2012/0074900 A1 - Document ID: US20120074900A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/050,580 - Filed: 2011-03-17 - Published: 2012-03-29 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-27 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Mamoru TAKIKITA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120074900A1 ## CPC - B60L 53/20: characterised by converters located in the vehicle - B60L 58/20: having different nominal voltages - H02J 4/25: for transfer of electric power between AC and DC networks, e.g. for supplying the DC section within a load from an AC mains system - H02J 7/02: for charging batteries from AC mains by converters - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - 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 - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A vehicle charging system (1) includes: a connection cable (2) for supplying power from the external power source (12) such as a commercial power source; the drive battery (8); an auxiliary battery (9); and a drive battery charging device (3). The drive battery charging device (3) includes a power source circuit (7) connected to the external power source (12), the drive battery (8), and the auxiliary battery (9). Power from at least one of the external power source (12), the drive battery (8), and the auxiliary battery (9) is supplied to the control section (4). Operation of the control section (4) becomes possible with the supplied power. Accordingly, under control of the control section (4), a charge section (10) charges the drive battery (8) and the auxiliary battery (9) using power from the external power source (12). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle charging system, comprising: a drive battery for supplying power to a running motor of a vehicle; an auxiliary battery for supplying power to auxiliary equipment of the vehicle; and a drive battery charging device for charging the drive battery by receiving power from an external power source, wherein: the drive battery charging device comprises: a control section; and a power source circuit for supplying power to the control section; and the power source circuit comprises: power conversion means which is connected to a plurality of power sources including the external power source, and supplies power from at least one of the plurality of power sources to the control section; and switching means for switching ON/OFF of connection between each of the plurality of power sources and the power conversion means. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of power sources comprise the external power source, the auxiliary battery, and the drive battery. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of power sources comprise the drive battery and the external power source. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of power sources comprise the auxiliary battery and the external power source. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A vehicle charging system according to claim 1, wherein the switching means performs the switching under a state in which the external power source has a highest priority. ### Claim 6 A vehicle charging method for charging a charging system disposed in a vehicle, wherein the charging system includes: a drive battery for supplying power to a running motor of the vehicle; an auxiliary battery for supplying power to auxiliary equipment of the vehicle; and a drive battery charging device for charging the drive battery by receiving power from an external power source, wherein the drive battery charging device includes: a control section; and a power source circuit for supplying power to the control section, the vehicle charging method comprising: connecting the power source circuit to a plurality of power sources including the external power source; detecting an effective power source among the plurality of power sources; switching connection between each of the plurality of power sources and the control section so that the detected effective power source has a highest priority; supplying power from the effective power source to the control section; and charging the drive battery by a use of the power from the external power source under control of the control section.