JP7467010B2 - Control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a control device installed in a vehicle that can supply power to electrical equipment outside the vehicle cabin while the vehicle is stopped or parked.

Recently, hybrid vehicles equipped with two power sources, an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, have become popular.

A series-type hybrid vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below) generates electricity by driving a power-generating motor generator using an internal combustion engine, stores the generated electricity in a power storage device, i.e., a battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery or a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery and/or a capacitor, and supplies it to a driving motor generator. The driving motor generator then rotates the drive wheels of the vehicle to drive it.

Not only the power generation motor generator, but also the driving motor generator can generate electricity through regenerative braking and store the generated electricity in a power storage device. If the power storage device is already full of charge, the power obtained through regenerative braking is supplied to the power generation motor generator, which is operated as an electric motor to rotate and drive the internal combustion engine, thereby consuming surplus electricity.

There have also been attempts to use the large-capacity power storage devices installed in hybrid vehicles to provide the ability to power household electrical appliances and other electrical devices (see, for example, Patent Document 2 below). That is, an inverter is built in that converts the DC power supplied from the power storage device to a voltage and frequency equivalent to household AC power, and a socket that serves as a connection terminal is provided inside the vehicle, and a cord (with a plug at the end) can be connected to this to supply AC power to electrical devices outside the vehicle. This type of power supply function is thought to be useful during outdoor leisure activities and in the event of a disaster.

JP 2019-131035 A JP 2013-056646 A

Power is supplied to electrical equipment outside the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped or parked. If the driver attempts to start the vehicle without disconnecting and removing the cord connected to the connection terminal, the vehicle will start moving, dragging the cord and electrical equipment with it.

The present invention aims to easily realize a fail-safe in a vehicle equipped with a power supply function that supplies power to external electrical equipment, which prevents the vehicle from starting unless the cord for connecting the target electrical equipment is removed.

In the present invention, a control device is implemented in a vehicle that is provided with a power supply connection terminal inside the vehicle cabin and is capable of supplying power to electrical equipment outside the vehicle cabin via a cord connected to the connection terminal while the vehicle is stopped or parked.After the vehicle is stopped or parked and transitions to a mode in which power can be supplied to electrical equipment outside the vehicle cabin, the control device performs control to prohibit the vehicle from restarting and running unless it detects that the vehicle windows and/or doors have been closed, and after transitioning to a mode in which power can be supplied to electrical equipment outside the vehicle cabin, the control device performs control to automatically close the vehicle windows when an operation is performed to exit the mode or when the driver performs an operation to restart the vehicle after transitioning to the mode in which power can be supplied to electrical equipment outside the vehicle cabin .

According to the present invention, in a vehicle equipped with a power supply function for an external electrical device, a fail-safe can be easily realized that prevents the vehicle from starting unless the cord for connecting the target electrical device is removed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which power is supplied from a vehicle to an external electrical device in an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a series type hybrid vehicle and a control device according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of a process executed by the control device according to the embodiment in accordance with a program.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle in this embodiment is a hybrid vehicle equipped with two power sources, an electric motor 4 and an internal combustion engine 1, and is equipped with a large-capacity storage device 3 capable of storing a large amount of electric charge. This storage device 3 is then used to supply power to household electrical appliances and other electrical devices 9.

As shown in FIG. 1, an accessory outlet 52 is provided in the vehicle interior as a connection terminal into which a cord 91 for connecting various electrical devices 9 can be inserted and removed. The outlet 52 is located, for example, in the luggage or trunk of the vehicle, on the dashboard or center console, near the feet of the driver or passenger seat, or in the center of the vehicle interior facing the rear seat.

When supplying power to an electrical device 9 located outside the vehicle, the vehicle is stopped or parked, and a predetermined operation such as pressing a selection button 53 provided in the cockpit a predetermined number of times (one or more times) is performed to switch to a mode in which power can be supplied to the electrical device 9. Then, the vehicle window or door (including a back door, rear gate, trunk panel, or other device for opening and closing a luggage or trunk room) 7 is opened, and the cord 91 connected to the target electrical device 9 is pulled into the vehicle interior from there, and the plug at the end of the cord 91 is connected to the outlet 52. This allows power, typically household AC power (100V, 50Hz or 60Hz), to be supplied from the outlet 52 through the cord 91 to the electrical device 9.

Figure 2 shows a schematic configuration of the main systems of the hybrid vehicle of this embodiment. This hybrid vehicle is equipped with an internal combustion engine 1, a power generation motor generator 2 that is driven by the internal combustion engine 1 to generate electricity, a power storage device 3 that stores the electricity generated by the power generation motor generator 2, and a traction motor generator 4 that receives power from the power generation motor generator 2 and/or the power storage device 3 to drive the drive wheels 62 of the vehicle.

The vehicle of this embodiment is a series hybrid electric vehicle that uses the internal combustion engine 1 only for generating electricity, and the driving force for driving is supplied to the driving wheels 62 of the vehicle exclusively from the driving motor generator 4. The internal combustion engine 1 and the driving wheels 62 are mechanically separated, and no rotational driving force is transmitted between them. In other words, the internal combustion engine 1 can rotate and stop completely independently of the driving motor generator 4 and the driving wheels 62. Therefore, during operation of the vehicle with the ignition switch (power switch or ignition key) turned ON, even if the driver depresses the accelerator pedal to allow the vehicle to run, if the storage device 3 has stored a sufficient charge and the brake booster 15 has stored a sufficient negative pressure, the internal combustion engine 1 may not be fired, i.e., it may not be operated with the combustion of fuel.

The crankshaft, which is the rotating shaft of the internal combustion engine 1, is mechanically connected to the rotating shaft of the power generation motor generator 2 via a gear mechanism. The rotational driving force output by the internal combustion engine 1 is input to the power generation motor generator 2, which generates electricity. The generated electricity is charged to the power storage device 3 and/or supplied to the traveling motor generator 4. The power generation motor generator 2 also functions as a motor for motoring, which generates a rotational driving force to rotate and drive the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine 1. For example, the power generation motor generator 2 performs motoring (cranking) in preparation for starting the stopped internal combustion engine 1.

The traveling motor generator 4 generates driving force for the vehicle to travel, and inputs the driving force to the driving wheels 62 via the reduction gear 61. The traveling motor generator 4 also generates electricity by rotating in conjunction with the driving wheels 62, and recovers the kinetic energy of the vehicle as electrical energy. The electricity generated by this regenerative braking is charged to the power storage device 3.

However, if the electric charge has already been stored to the full capacity of the power storage device 3 and further charging is difficult, the electric power generated by the traveling motor generator 4 is supplied to the power generation motor generator 2, which is operated as an electric motor to rotate and drive the internal combustion engine 1. This consumes excess electric power while maintaining the braking performance of the vehicle. Also, since the rotation of the internal combustion engine 1 is maintained at this time, a fuel cut can be performed to temporarily stop the fuel supply to the cylinders 11 of the internal combustion engine 1.

The generator inverter 21 converts the AC power generated by the power generation motor generator 2 into DC power. Then, the DC power is input to the storage device 3 or the drive inverter 41. When the power generation motor generator 2 is operated as an electric motor, the generator inverter 21 converts the DC power supplied from the storage device 3 and/or the drive inverter 41 into AC power and inputs it to the power generation motor generator 2.

The drive inverter 41 converts the DC power supplied from the storage device 3 and/or the generator inverter 21 into AC power and inputs it to the traveling motor generator 4. The drive inverter 41 also converts the AC power generated by the traveling motor generator 4 when performing regenerative braking of the vehicle into DC power and inputs it to the storage device 3 or the generator inverter 21. The generator inverter 21 and the drive inverter 41 form part of the PCU (Power Control Unit).

The power storage device 3 is a battery and/or a capacitor, etc. The battery is a high-voltage secondary battery with a high energy density, such as a lithium-ion secondary battery or a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery. The power storage device 3 charges and stores the electric power generated by each of the power generation motor generator 2 and the traveling motor generator 4. The power storage device 3 also discharges the electric power required to operate each of the power generation motor generator 2 and the traveling motor generator 4 as electric motors, and supplies the necessary electric power to the motor generators 2 and 4.

As already mentioned, the vehicle of this embodiment has a function of supplying power to an external electrical device 9. To this end, as shown in FIG. 2, an inverter 51 is incorporated that converts DC power supplied from the on-board power storage device 3 into a voltage and frequency equivalent to household AC power. In particular, the inverter 51 is a known device that can select whether the frequency of the AC power it outputs is 50 Hz or 60 Hz. The voltage and current output by this inverter 51 are applied to an outlet 52 installed inside the vehicle cabin.

The ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 0, which is a control device that controls the internal combustion engine 1, the power generation motor generator 2, the driving motor generator 4, the storage device 3, the inverters 21, 41, 51, etc., is a microcomputer system having a processor, memory, an input interface, an output interface, etc. The ECU0 is made up of multiple ECUs, namely, an EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) ECU01 that controls the internal combustion engine 1, a generator ECU02 that controls the power generating motor generator 2 and the generator inverter 21, a BMS (Battery Management System) ECU03 that controls the power storage device 3, a drive ECU04 that controls the driving motor generator 4 and the drive inverter 41, and an HV (Hybrid Vehicle) ECU00 that is a higher-level controller that oversees these controls, all of which are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via an electric communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network).

As shown in FIG. 3, when the vehicle is currently stopped or parked (step S1) and a predetermined operation by a person using the vehicle (such as pressing the selection button 53 a predetermined number of times) is received (step S2), the ECU 0 of this embodiment transitions to a mode capable of supplying power to the electrical appliances 9 (step S3). During this power supply mode, the DC power stored in the power storage device 3 is converted by the inverter 51 into AC power for household use, which is output and applied to the outlet 52. During periods other than the power supply mode, no voltage is applied from the inverter 51 to the outlet 52, in other words, the current flow between the power storage device 3 and the outlet 52 is cut off, and the power stored in the power storage device 3 is not consumed by the inverter 51 and the outlet 52.

When the vehicle enters the power supply mode, it is possible that the cord 91 of the electrical device 9 outside the vehicle cabin will be connected to the outlet 52 inside the vehicle cabin. If the driver subsequently attempts to start the vehicle without first disconnecting the cord 91 from the outlet 52 and removing it, there is a risk that the vehicle will start moving while dragging the cord 91 and electrical device 9 along with it.

Therefore, in this embodiment, after switching to the power supply mode, the ECU 0 performs control to prohibit the vehicle from starting and running (step S5) until it detects that the window and/or door 7 is closed (step S4), even if the driver performs an operation to start the vehicle.

The cord 91 connected to the electrical device 9 outside the vehicle compartment is pulled into the vehicle compartment after the vehicle window or door 7 is opened. If the open window or door 7 is then closed again, the cord 91 can be considered to have been disconnected from the outlet 52 inside the vehicle compartment and removed. This is because the window or door 7 cannot be closed with the cord 91 still connected to the outlet 52 (otherwise the cord 91 will get pinched). If it is detected that the window and/or door 7 has been closed, the vehicle is permitted to restart and travel (step S6).

In step S4, the fact that the window or door 7 is closed is detected via a switch or sensor 71 that is already equipped on the vehicle (has existed before the filing of this patent application). Specific examples of the switch or sensor 71 include a limit switch (which comes into contact with the closed window glass) that detects when the window glass has been raised to a position where it abuts or is very close to the window frame, an encoder that detects the amount of rotation of the motor that moves the window glass up and down or the amount of displacement of the window glass, i.e., the current position, in a known power window system, and a door courtesy switch that detects when the door 7 is closed.

In step S4, the condition of step S4 may be determined to be satisfied (true) when all windows and doors 7 of the vehicle are closed, or the condition of step S4 may be determined to be satisfied when a specific part of the windows and/or doors 7 are closed. Which windows and/or windows 7 are targeted can be determined based on the positional relationship between the windows and/or doors 7 and the outlet 52.

As an example, if an outlet 52 is provided in the luggage or trunk of a vehicle, when connecting the cord 91 of an electrical device 9 to this outlet 52, there is a high probability that the vehicle's back door, rear gate, trunk panel, etc. 7 will be opened. Based on this, when the fact that the vehicle's back door, rear gate, trunk panel, etc. 7 is closed is detected via a switch or sensor 71, it is considered that the condition of step S4 is satisfied, and the vehicle is permitted to start and run.

Alternatively, if the outlet 52 is provided on the dashboard or center console, or in the center of the passenger compartment facing the rear seat, it is difficult to predict through which window or door 7 opening the cord 91 will be wired. Therefore, in principle, it is preferable to determine that the condition of step S4 is met when all windows and doors 7 are closed. However, windows and/or doors 7 on the driver's side (on the right side as seen from the driver seated in the driver's seat in the case of a vehicle made for use in Japan) may be excluded from the determination of step S4. This is because if the window or door 7 beside the driver's seat is opened and the cord 91 is wired through there, the driver would naturally notice its presence.

Note that if all windows and doors 7 are closed when the vehicle enters the power supply mode in step S3, and the driver or passenger performs an operation to exit the power supply mode without any of the windows or doors 7 being opened thereafter (without detecting that they have been opened via the switch or sensor 71), or if the driver performs an operation to restart the vehicle, it may be assumed that the cord 91 of the electrical device 9 outside the vehicle compartment has never been connected to the outlet 52 inside the vehicle compartment, and the vehicle may be permitted to start and run.

In addition, in relation to steps S4 to S6, when the driver or passenger performs an operation to exit the power supply mode or when the driver performs an operation to restart the vehicle, a known power window system may automatically execute control to close the vehicle window. Then, if an event occurs that suggests that the cord 91 has been caught before the window is fully closed, for example, if the limit switch 71 cannot detect that the window glass is still in contact with or very close to the window frame even after a certain period of time has passed, or if the current position of the window glass detected via the encoder 71 does not change for a certain period of time or more, the vehicle may be prohibited from starting and running, and may be allowed to start and run only if the window is fully closed without the cord 91 being caught.

To prevent the cord 91 from getting pinched, it is also preferable to provide an optional adapter that can be attached to and detached from the window frame and through which the cord 91 can be passed. The adapter is placed between the window frame and the edge of the window glass to form the minimum necessary gap between the window frame and the window glass.

Known power window systems are equipped with an anti-pinch function that automatically lowers the window glass a predetermined amount when it detects via a switch or sensor 71 that an object has been caught between the window frame and the window glass. During power supply mode, it is conceivable that the amount of lowering of the window glass caused by this anti-pinch function would be less than under normal circumstances. This is useful for reducing the gap between the window frame and the window glass when the cord 91 is being wired, and for preventing outside air from entering the vehicle interior. During power supply mode, the anti-pinch function may be canceled.

The control to prohibit the vehicle from starting and running referred to in step S5 may, for example, involve restricting the shift lever or selector lever via a known lock mechanism 8 to prohibit the driver from manually shifting it from a non-driving range (such as P range) to a driving range (D range, R range, etc.), as well as not responding to the driver's operation and not transitioning to the READY state, not applying electricity to the driving motor generator 4, not engaging the clutch of the drive system so that driving force is not input to the drive wheels 62, etc.

When control is being implemented to prohibit the vehicle from starting and traveling, it is also preferable to notify the passengers, including the driver, of this in a manner that appeals to their visual or auditory senses. For example, a warning light installed in the cockpit may be turned on or flashed, a warning may be displayed on the display screen, or a warning sound or voice may be output from a buzzer or speaker.

In this embodiment, the control device 0 is implemented in a vehicle that is provided with a power supply connection terminal 52 inside the vehicle cabin and is capable of supplying power to electrical equipment 9 outside the vehicle cabin via a cord 91 connected to the connection terminal 52 while the vehicle is stopped or parked. After the vehicle is stopped or parked and transitions to a mode in which power can be supplied to electrical equipment 9 outside the vehicle cabin, the control device 0 is configured to perform control to prohibit the vehicle from restarting or traveling unless it detects that the vehicle windows and/or doors 7 are closed.

According to this embodiment, after the transition to the power supply mode, a fail-safe can be realized that prevents the vehicle from starting if the cord 91 for connecting the electrical device 9 is not removed from the outlet 52. Moreover, by utilizing switches or sensors 71 that are already provided in known vehicles, such as a limit switch that detects that the window glass is closed, an encoder that detects the current position of the window glass, and a door courtesy switch that detects that the door 7 is closed, there is no need to add new hardware (for example, a switch or sensor that detects whether the plug is inserted into the outlet 52) to the vehicle, and safety can be improved without increasing costs.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above in detail. For example, the connection terminal provided in the vehicle cabin is not limited to a household power outlet 52, but may be a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port or an accessory socket (cigarette lighter socket), etc. Furthermore, the power supplied to the electrical device 9 is not limited to household AC power of 100V, 50Hz or 60Hz.

The present invention can also be applied to hybrid vehicles other than series hybrid vehicles, as well as electric vehicles and other vehicles that do not fall under the category of hybrid vehicles.

In addition, the specific configuration of each part and the processing content can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

0...Control unit (ECU)
3...Electricity storage device 51...Inverter 52...Connection terminal (outlet)
53... Operation button for switching to power supply mode 7... Window or door 71... Switch or sensor for detecting that a window or door is closed 8... Mechanism for locking a shift lever or a selector lever 9... Electrical equipment 91... Outlet

Claims (1)

The vehicle is provided with a power supply connection terminal inside the vehicle cabin, and is capable of supplying power to an electrical device outside the vehicle cabin via a cord connected to the power supply terminal while the vehicle is stopped or parked.
After the vehicle is stopped or parked and transitions to a mode in which power can be supplied to electrical devices outside the vehicle cabin , control is implemented to prohibit the vehicle from restarting or traveling unless it is detected that a window or door of the vehicle is closed;
and a control device that automatically controls the vehicle windows to close when, after the vehicle has switched to a mode capable of supplying power to electrical equipment outside the vehicle cabin, an operation is performed to exit the mode or when the driver attempts to restart the vehicle .

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