US 8,476,865 B2 · Control device and method for charge control

Abstract

A device controls charging a battery with power supplied from a power supply located outside of a vehicle through a charge cable. The device includes a first microcomputer and a second microcomputer. The first microcomputer is configured to turn on a charge mode signal upon detecting a change in a pilot signal output through the charge cable, and to turn off the charge mode signal when a charge completion signal output from the second microcomputer is turned off. The second microcomputer is configured to charge the battery through the charge cable when the charge mode signal is turned on, and to turn off the charge completion signal when the charging is complete. When the charge completion signal is turned on at the time of the first microcomputer turning off the charge mode signal due to sudden fluctuations, the charge mode signal is turned on again.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A device to control charging of a battery with power supplied from a power supply located outside a vehicle via a charge cable, the device comprising:

a first microcomputer configured to receive a signal that is transmitted from a signal generating unit in the charge cable and that is corresponding to a state of power supply from the outside power supply, configured to turn on a charge mode signal when the signal changes from an unchanging state lasting for a predetermined period of time, configured to turn off the charge mode signal upon detecting that a charge completion signal output from a second microcomputer is turned off, and configured to turn on again the charge mode signal when the first microcomputer turns off the charge mode signal before detecting that the charge completion signal is turned off;
and
the second microcomputer configured to charge the battery based on power supplied from the outside power supply via the charge cable upon detecting the charge mode signal that is turned on by the first microcomputer, and configured to turn off the charge completion signal when the charging is complete.

A method for controlling charging of a battery with power supplied from a power supply located outside a vehicle via a charge cable, the method comprising:

controlling a first microcomputer to receive a signal that is transmitted from a signal generating unit in the charge cable and that is corresponding to a state of power supply from the outside power supply, to turn on a charge mode signal when the signal changes from an unchanging state lasting for a predetermined period of time, to turn off the charge mode signal upon detecting that a charge completion signal output from a second microcomputer is turned off, and to turn on again the charge mode signal when the charge mode signal is turned off by the first microcomputer before detection that the charge completion signal is turned off;
and
controlling the second microcomputer to charge the battery based on power supplied from the outside power supply via the charge cable upon detection that the charge mode signal is turned on by the first microcomputer, and to turn off the charge completion signal when the charging is complete.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Control device and method for charge control

Life of this patent

Control device and method for charge control

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8