# US 2019/0168614 A1 · Vehicle controller and electric vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168614 A1 - Document ID: US20190168614A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/201,348 - Filed: 2018-11-27 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-04 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba; Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba; Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation - Inventors: Hiroaki Otani; Tomoyuki Makino - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168614A1 ## CPC - G01K 1/026: {arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing} - B60L 3/00: Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption (methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00) - B60L 3/0023: {Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train} - B60L 5/18: using bow-type collectors in contact with trolley wire - B60L 9/00: Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle (electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53) - G01K 3/005: {Circuits arrangements for indicating a predetermined temperature (fire detection G08B17/00)} - H02P 29/0243: {the fault being a broken phase} - H02P 29/027: {the fault being an over-current} - H05K 5/0247: {Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring} - B60L 2200/26: Rail vehicles - B60L 2210/40: DC to AC converters - H02P 27/06: using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence) - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - 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 - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract According to one embodiment, a vehicle controller includes an electric power converter, a plurality of first electric power transmission members, a temperature sensor, and a first controller. The electric power converter converts input electric power and outputs the converted electric power. The plurality of first electric power transmission members transmit the input electric power and are connected in parallel to the electric power converter. The temperature sensor is connected to at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members. The first controller determines that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members is disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor changes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle controller, comprising: an electric power converter converting input electric power and outputting the converted electric power; a plurality of first electric power transmission members transmitting the input electric power and connected in parallel to the electric power converter; a temperature sensor connected to at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members; and a first controller determining that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor changes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle controller according to claim 1, further comprising: a current detector detecting a current value of a current flowing through the plurality of first electric power transmission members, and a storage storing a current value detected by the current detector and a predetermined first temperature threshold value, wherein when a current value stored in the storage is the same regardless of the elapse of time, the first controller determines that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor has changed by the first temperature threshold value or more from a temperature detected immediately before. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is connected to one first electric power transmission member of the plurality of first electric power transmission members and is not connected to the other first electric power transmission members. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is connected to each of the plurality of first electric power transmission members. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the first controller stops conversion of the electric power by the electric power converter when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle controller according to claim 1, wherein the first controller lowers an upper limit value of the electric power converted per unit time by the electric power converter when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle controller according to claim 1, further comprising: a warning unit capable of warning an operator, wherein the first controller warns the operator using the warning unit when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle controller according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage storing a predetermined second temperature threshold value, wherein the first controller determines that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds the second temperature threshold value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An electric vehicle, comprising: the vehicle controller according to claim 1. ### Claim 10 A vehicle controller, comprising: an electric power converter converting input electric power and outputting the converted electric power; a plurality of first electric power transmission members transmitting the converted electric power and connected in parallel to the electric power converter; a temperature sensor connected to at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members; and a first controller determining that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor changes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle controller according to claim 10, further comprising: a current detector detecting a current value of a current flowing through the plurality of first electric power transmission members, and a storage storing a current value detected by the current detector and a predetermined first temperature threshold value, wherein when a current value stored in the storage is the same regardless of the elapse of time, the first controller determines that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor has changed by the first temperature threshold value or more from a temperature detected immediately before. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The vehicle controller according to claim 10, wherein the temperature sensor is connected to one first electric power transmission member of the plurality of first electric power transmission members and is not connected to the other first electric power transmission members. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The vehicle controller according to claim 10, wherein the temperature sensor is connected to each of the plurality of first electric power transmission members. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The vehicle controller according to claim 10, wherein the first controller stops conversion of the electric power by the electric power converter when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The vehicle controller according to claim 10, wherein the first controller lowers an upper limit value of the electric power converted per unit time by the electric power converter when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The vehicle controller according to claim 10, further comprising: a warning unit capable of warning an operator, wherein the first controller warns the operator using the warning unit when it is determined that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The vehicle controller according to claim 10, further comprising: a storage storing a predetermined second temperature threshold value, wherein the first controller determines that at least one of the plurality of first electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds the second temperature threshold value. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) An electric vehicle, comprising: the vehicle controller according to claim 10. ### Claim 19 An electric vehicle, comprising: an electric power converter converting input electric power and outputting the converted electric power; a plurality of first electric power transmission members transmitting the input electric power and connected in parallel to the electric power converter; a plurality of second electric power transmission members respectively connected to portions of the plurality of first electric power transmission members different from portions thereof connected to the electric power converter; a temperature sensor connected to at least one of the plurality of second electric power transmission members; and a vehicle controller which determines whether or not at least one of the plurality of second electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor changes. ### Claim 20 An electric vehicle, comprising: an electric power converter converting input electric power and outputting the converted electric power; a plurality of first electric power transmission members transmitting the converted electric power and connected in parallel to the electric power converter; a plurality of second electric power transmission members respectively connected to portions of the plurality of first electric power transmission members different from portions thereof connected to the electric power converter; a temperature sensor connected to at least one of the plurality of second electric power transmission members; and a vehicle controller which determines whether or not at least one of the plurality of second electric power transmission members has been disconnected when a temperature detected by the temperature sensor changes.