# US 9,434,257 B2 · Power supply connector, vehicle and control method for vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,434,257 B2 - Document ID: US9434257B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/241,523 - Filed: 2012-08-29 - Published: 2014-08-21 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-30 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Shigeki Kinomura; Tetsuhiro Ishikawa; Takahide Iida; Takafumi Nishimuta - Inventors: Shigeki Kinomura; Tetsuhiro Ishikawa; Takahide Iida; Takafumi Nishimuta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434257B2 ## CPC - B60L 1/006: {to power outlets} - B60L 3/0069: {relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current} - B60L 3/04: Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H) - B60L 50/16: with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion - B60L 50/61: by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles - B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles - B60L 53/18: Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles - B60L 53/63: in response to network capacity - B60L 53/65: involving identification of vehicles or their battery types - B60L 55/00: Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements - B60L 2210/10: DC to DC converters - B60L 2210/30: AC to DC converters - B60L 2210/40: DC to AC converters - Y02E 60/00: Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - 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 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - Y02T 90/167: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV] - Y04S 10/126: the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G] - Y04S 30/14: Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing - 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 - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - 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 power supply connector (410) is used to supply electric power from a hybrid vehicle (100) equipped with an engine (160) and a motor generator (130, 135) to a device outside of the vehicle (100). When the power supply connector (410) is connected to an inlet (220) of the vehicle (100), the power supply connector (410) outputs a signal for performing a power supply operation while allowing operation of the engine (160) to an ECU (300) of the vehicle (100). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power supply connector that is used at the time when electric power from a vehicle is supplied to a device outside of the vehicle via a connecting portion provided on the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes: an engine; a rotating electrical machine driven by the engine to generate electric power; and a controller that controls a power supply operation to the device outside of the vehicle, the power supply connector comprising: a power transfer unit that transfers electric power from the vehicle; and a signal output unit that outputs a signal to the controller when the power supply connector is connected to the connecting portion, said signal causing the vehicle to perform the power supply operation while allowing operation of the engine. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power supply connector according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle further includes an electrical storage device, and the controller supplies the device outside of the vehicle with at least one of electric power from the electrical storage device and the electric power generated by the rotating electrical machine. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The power supply connector according to claim 2, wherein the signal output unit outputs a signal for prohibiting the operation of the engine to the controller, when the vehicle is caused to perform the power supply operation using only the electric power from the electrical storage device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The power supply connector according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle is able to charge the electrical storage device with electric power outside of the vehicle via a charging cable connected to the connecting portion, the controller recognizes that a charging connector of the charging cable is connected when the charging connector is connected to the connecting portion and a first resistor provided in the charging connector is coupled to a signal path, said signal path receives a signal indicating that the charging connector is connected, the signal output unit includes a second resistor having a resistance value different from a resistance value of the first resistor, the second resistor is coupled to the signal path when the power supply connector is connected to the connecting portion, and the controller switches between the power supply operation and a charging operation based on a potential of the signal path. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The power supply connector according to claim 4, wherein respective resistance values of two resistors that constitute the first resistor are different from respective resistance values of two resistors that constitute the second resistor, and the sum of the respective resistance values of the two resistors that constitute the first resistor is substantially equal to the sum of the respective resistance values of the two resistors that constitute the second resistor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The power supply connector according to claim 4, wherein the controller further determines whether to allow the operation of the engine based on the potential of the signal path. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The power supply connector according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle is able to charge the electrical storage device with electric power outside of the vehicle via a charging cable connected to the connecting portion, the controller performs a charging operation based on a pilot signal output from the charging cable, and the signal output unit outputs a signal for performing the power supply operation to the controller via a signal path through which the pilot signal is transmitted. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The power supply connector according to claim 7, wherein the signal output unit further outputs a signal, indicating whether to allow the operation of the engine, to the controller via the signal path through which the pilot signal is transmitted. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The power supply connector according to claim 1, wherein the signal output unit uses power line communication to output a signal for performing the power supply operation to the controller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The power supply connector according to claim 1, further comprising: an output portion that allows a power supply plug of an external electrical device to be connected and that transfers electric power supplied from the vehicle to the electrical device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The power supply connector according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle further includes an electrical storage device, the vehicle is able to charge the electrical storage device with electric power outside of the vehicle via a charging cable having a charging connector connected to the connecting portion, the power supply connector is also used as the charging connector, the power supply connector further includes an operating portion, operated by a user, in order to switch between the power supply operation and a charging operation in the vehicle, and the signal output unit outputs any one of a signal for performing the power supply operation and a signal for performing the charging operation to the controller, based on a state of the operating portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The power supply connector according to claim 1, wherein the power supply connector is connected to one end of a cable and transfers electric power, supplied from the vehicle, to an external electrical device via the cable. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The power supply connector according to claim 1, wherein the signal output unit is supplied with a power supply voltage from the vehicle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The power supply connector according to claim 13, wherein the power supply voltage is supplied via a signal path through which the controller receives a signal for detecting whether the power supply connector is connected. ### Claim 15 A vehicle that is able to supply electric power to an external device, comprising: a connecting portion that connects a power supply connector for transferring electric power to the external device; an engine; a rotating electrical machine that is driven by the engine to generate electric power; and a controller that controls a power supply operation to the external device, wherein the controller supplies the electric power, generated by the rotating electrical machine, to the external device via the connecting portion, when a signal from the power supply connector allows the power supply operation with operation of the engine. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The vehicle according to claim 15, further comprising: an electrical storage device, wherein the controller supplies the external device with at least one of electric power from the electrical storage device and the electric power generated by the rotating electrical machine. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15, 16) The vehicle according to claim 15 or 16, further comprising: a power conversion device that converts alternating-current power, generated by the rotating electrical machine, to direct-current power. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the controller determines whether the operation of the engine is required based on a state of the vehicle, and the controller supplies the electric power, generated by the rotating electrical machine, to the external device via the connecting portion, when the operation of the engine is required. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The vehicle according to claim 15, further comprising: an operating member that is operated by a user and that sets a shift range, wherein the controller allows the power supply operation with the operation of the engine, when the shift range is set at a predetermined range, and the controller prohibits the power supply operation with the operation of the engine, when the shift range is set at a range other than the predetermined range. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the predetermined range includes a parking range. ### Claim 21 A control method for a vehicle, which is used to supply electric power from the vehicle to a device outside of the vehicle via a power supply connector connected to a connecting portion provided on the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes an engine and a rotating electrical machine that is driven by the engine to generate electric power, the control method comprising: receiving a signal output from the power supply connector when the power supply connector is connected to the connecting portion; generating electric power with the use of the rotating electrical machine driven by the engine based on the signal; and supplying the electric power generated by the rotating electrical machine to the device outside of the vehicle via the power supply connector.