# US 7,610,954 B2 · Cooling system, control method of the same, and motor vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,954 B2 - Document ID: US7610954B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/594,550 - Filed: 2005-04-05 - Published: 2007-08-09 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2004-04-07 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Ikuo Ando; Osamu Harada; Yukio Kobayashi; Katsuhiko Yamaguchi; Kazuhiro Ichimoto; Takahiro Nishigaki; Daigo Ando; Mamoru Tomatsuri; Keiko Hasegawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610954B2 ## CPC - F01P 11/14: Indicating devices; Other safety devices - B60K 6/445: Differential gearing distribution type - F01P 7/048: {using electrical drives} - B60K 1/02: comprising more than one electric motor - B60L 2240/425: Temperature - B60W 2510/087: Temperature - F01P 7/026: {Thermostatic control} - F01P 7/165: {characterised by systems with two or more loops} - F01P 2003/187: {arranged in series} - F01P 2031/00: Fail safe - F01P 2050/24: Hybrid vehicles - F01P 2050/30: Circuit boards - F01P 2060/14: Condenser - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - F01P: COOLING OF MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; COOLING OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES (arrangements in connection with cooling of propulsion units in vehicles B60K11/00; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials C09K5/00; {cooling of gas-turbine engines F02C7/12}; heat exchange in general, radiators F28) - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN 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 - 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 The technique of the invention determines whether input data for driving and controlling a cooling fan have any abnormality (steps S100 and S110), sets an actual drive level F* of the cooling fan to a high level (Hi) in the event of detection of any abnormality (step S130), and controls a fan motor to drive the cooling fan at the set drive level F* (step S140). This arrangement effectively prevents a temperature rise to an abnormally high level in any of an engine and motors even in the event of any abnormality arising in the input data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cooling system that cools down multiple different heat generators, said cooling system comprising: multiple cooling circuits that adopt one identical heat exchange medium or multiple different heat exchange media to cool down the multiple different heat generators; a heat exchange module that uses outside air to cool down the identical heat exchange medium or the multiple different heat exchange media of said multiple cooling circuits; an outside air supply regulation module that regulates a supply of the outside air used by said heat exchange module to cool down the identical heat exchange medium or the multiple different heat exchange media; and a control module that drives and controls said outside air supply regulation module in response to control signals input from communication related to cooling down the multiple heat generators in a normal state with no abnormality in communication related to cooling down the multiple heat generators, while driving and controlling said outside air supply regulation module to increase the supply of the outside air in an abnormal state with an abnormality in communication related to cooling down the multiple heat generators, wherein, when there is no abnormality, the control module includes cooling level logic, the cooling level logic receives a plurality of cooling need levels from said control signals, and wherein the cooling level logic controls said outside air supply regulation module based on a maximum cooling need level of the plurality of cooling need levels. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A cooling system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said control module drives and controls said outside air supply regulation module to supply the outside air at a maximum supply capacity of said outside air supply regulation module in the abnormal state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A cooling system in accordance with claim 1, said cooling system further comprising: temperature measurement units that respectively measure temperatures of the identical heat exchange medium or the multiple different heat exchange media used in said multiple cooling circuits, wherein the control signals input from said multiple cooling circuits are based on the temperatures measured by said temperature measurement units. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A cooling system in accordance with claim 1, said cooling system further comprising: working state detection units that respectively detect working states of said multiple different heat generators, wherein the control signals input from said multiple cooling circuits are based on the working states detected by said working state detection units. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A cooling system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said outside air supply regulation module comprises a cooling fan. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A cooling system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the identical heat exchange medium or the multiple different heat exchange media include at least one of water and a coolant. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A cooling system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said heat exchange module comprises a radiator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A cooling system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said multiple different heat generators include at least one of an internal combustion engine, a motor, a generator, and an inverter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A cooling system in accordance with claim 1, said cooling system further comprising: a heat generator control unit that controls at least one of the multiple different heat generators, wherein said control module detects the abnormal state in the event of failed data transmission to and from said heat generator control unit or in the event of failed communication with said heat generator control unit. ### Claim 10 A motor vehicle with multiple different heat generators mounted thereon, said motor vehicle comprising: multiple cooling circuits that adopt one identical heat exchange medium or multiple different heat exchange media to cool down the multiple different heat generators; a heat exchange module that uses outside air to cool down the identical heat exchange medium or the multiple different heat exchange media of said multiple cooling circuits; an outside air supply regulation module that regulates a supply of the outside air used by said heat exchange module to cool down the identical heat exchange medium or the multiple different heat exchange media; and a control module that drives and controls said outside air supply regulation module in response to control signals input from communication related to cooling down the multiple heat generators in a normal state with no abnormality in communication related to cooling down the multiple heat generators, while driving and controlling said outside air supply regulation module to increase the supply of the outside air in an abnormal state with an abnormality in communication related to cooling down the multiple heat generators, wherein, when there is no abnormality, the control module includes cooling level logic, the cooling level logic receives a plurality of cooling need levels from said control signals, and wherein the cooling level logic controls said outside air supply regulation module based on a maximum cooling need level of the plurality of cooling need levels. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 10, wherein said control module drives and controls said outside air supply regulation module to supply the outside air at a maximum supply capacity of said outside air supply regulation module in the abnormal state. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 10, said motor vehicle further comprising: temperature measurement units that respectively measure temperatures of the identical heat exchange medium or the multiple different heat exchange media used in said multiple cooling circuits, wherein the control signals input from said multiple cooling circuits are based on the temperatures measured by said temperature measurement units. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 10, said motor vehicle further comprising: working state detection units that respectively detect working states of said multiple different heat generators, wherein the control signals input from said multiple cooling circuits are based on the working states detected by said working state detection units. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 10, wherein said outside air supply regulation module comprises a cooling fan, the identical heat exchange medium or the multiple different heat exchange media include at least one of water and a coolant, and said heat exchange module comprises a radiator. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 10, wherein said multiple different heat generators include at least one of an internal combustion engine, a motor, a generator, and an inverter. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) A motor vehicle in accordance with claim 10, said motor vehicle further comprising: a heat generator control unit that controls at least one of the multiple different heat generators, wherein said control module detects the abnormal state in the event of failed data transmission to and from said heat generator control unit or in the event of failed communication with said heat generator control unit. ### Claim 17 A control method of a cooling system that cools down multiple different heat generators, said cooling system comprising: multiple cooling circuits that adopt one identical heat exchange medium or multiple different heat exchange media to cool down the multiple different heat generators; a heat exchange module that uses outside air to cool down the identical heat exchange medium or the multiple different heat exchange media of said multiple cooling circuits; and an outside air supply regulation module that regulates a supply of the outside air used by said heat exchange module to cool down the identical heat exchange medium or the multiple different heat exchange media, said control method comprising the steps of: driving and controlling said outside air supply regulation module in response to control signals input from communication related to cooling down the multiple heat generators in a normal state with no abnormality in communication related to cooling down the multiple heat generators, while driving and controlling said outside air supply regulation module to increase the supply of the outside air in an abnormal state with an abnormality in communication related to cooling down the multiple heat generators, wherein, when there is no abnormality, the control module includes cooling level logic, the cooling level logic receives a plurality of cooling need levels from said control signals, and wherein the cooling level logic controls said outside air supply regulation module based on a maximum cooling need level of the plurality of cooling need levels. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A control method of a cooling system in accordance with claim 17, said control method comprising the step of: driving and controlling said outside air supply regulation module to supply the outside air at a maximum supply capacity of said outside air supply regulation module in the abnormal state.