Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Serially connected batteries or cells – With discharge of cells or batteries
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-01
2003-06-24
Tso, Edward H. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Serially connected batteries or cells
With discharge of cells or batteries
C320S119000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06583602
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a multiple-output power supply apparatus for a vehicle. In addition, this invention relates to a method of controlling a multiple-output power supply apparatus for a vehicle. Furthermore, this invention relates to an apparatus for controlling a vehicular power generator or a vehicular alternator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese patent application publication number P2000-354334A discloses a method of charging a combination battery which has cells coupled together in series. The combination battery has a negative terminal, a first positive terminal, and a second positive terminal. The negative terminal leads from the negative end of the series of the cells. The second positive terminal leads from the positive end of the series of the cells. The first positive terminal is connected with an intermediate tap (a junction) between neighboring two among the cells. Therefore, a voltage (a first output voltage) at the first positive terminal is lower than a voltage (a second output voltage) at the second positive terminal. A first load is connected between the negative terminal of the combination battery and the first positive terminal thereof. Thus, the first load is driven by the first output voltage. A second load is connected between the negative terminal of the combination battery and the second positive terminal thereof. Thus, the second load is driven by the second output voltage. A first power generator acts to charge all the cells in the combination battery. A second power generator acts to charge the cell between the negative terminal of the combination battery and the first positive terminal thereof. A DC—DC converter fed with power from the first power generator is used in correctively or supplementally charging the cell between the negative terminal of the combination battery and the first positive terminal thereof. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce differences in conditions among the cells in the combination battery. The reduction of the differences results in a longer life of the combination battery. The DC—DC converter can be fed with power from the combination battery.
Japanese patent application publication number 10-257682 discloses an apparatus for controlling a combination battery which has cells coupled together in series. The apparatus in Japanese application 10-257682 includes voltage control circuits and DC—DC converters. The voltage control circuits are connected with the cells, respectively. In addition, the voltage control circuits are connected with the DC—DC converters, respectively. The DC—DC converters are connected with the cells, respectively. The DC—DC converters are coupled to each other so that power can be transmitted thereamong. The voltage control circuits activate and deactivate the DC—DC converters in response to the voltages across the cells, respectively. When one of the cells becomes close to an overcharged state and hence the voltage thereacross exceeds a reference level, the voltage control circuit connected with the cell in question activates the related DC—DC converter by using power in the cell in question. The power is transmitted from the activated DC—DC converter to the other DC—DC converters before charging the cells connected with the other DC—DC converters. As a result, power is transmitted from the cell in question to the other cells. In such a way, the voltage control circuits and the DC—DC converters operate to equalize the charging states of the cells.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of this invention to provide an improved multiple-output power supply apparatus for a vehicle.
It is a second object of this invention to provide an improved method of controlling a multiple-output power supply apparatus for a vehicle.
It is a third object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for controlling a vehicular power generator (a vehicular alternator).
A first aspect of this invention provides a multiple-output power supply apparatus for a vehicle. The apparatus comprises a lower battery block for feeding low-voltage power to a low-voltage load, the lower battery block including cells; at least one higher battery block connected in series with the lower battery block and cooperating with the lower battery block to feed high-voltage power to a high-voltage load, the higher battery block including cells; power generator means for feeding power to a combination of the lower battery block and the higher battery block; a DC—DC converter for transmitting power from the higher battery block to the lower battery block; and controller means for detecting an electric parameter of the lower battery block which relates to an average per-cell voltage in the lower battery block, for detecting an electric parameter of the higher battery block which relates to an average per-cell voltage in the higher battery block, for comparing the detected electric parameter of the lower battery block and the detected electric parameter of the higher battery block, and for controlling the DC—DC converter to equalize the average per-cell voltage in the lower battery block and the average per-cell voltage in the higher battery block in response to a result of said comparing.
A second aspect of this invention is based on the first aspect thereof, and provides a multiple-output power supply apparatus further comprising a first cell equalizing circuit (a first cell voltage (SOC) balancer circuit) connected with the cells in the lower battery block and equalizing voltages across the cells in the lower battery block; and a second cell equalizing circuit (a second cell voltage (SOC) balancer circuit) connected with the cells in the higher battery block and equalizing voltages across the cells in the higher battery block.
A third aspect of this invention provides a method of controlling the multiple-output power supply apparatus of the second aspect thereof. The method comprises the steps of waiting until operation of the first cell equalizing circuit and operation of the second cell equalizing circuit are completed; and operating the DC—DC converter under a condition that operation of the first cell equalizing circuit and operation of the second cell equalizing circuit have been completed.
A fourth aspect of this invention provides a method of controlling the multiple-output power supply apparatus of the first aspect thereof. The method comprises the steps of detecting a first general parameter relating to one of (1) a SOC (state of charge) of the lower battery block, (2) the average per-cell voltage in the lower battery block, and (3) a current fed from the lower battery block to the low-voltage load; detecting a second general parameter relating to one of (1) a SOC of the higher battery block, (2) the average per-cell voltage in the higher battery block, and (3) a current fed from the higher battery block to the high-voltage load; operating the DC—DC converter in cases where the detected first general parameter is smaller than the detected second general parameter by greater than a first threshold value; and maintaining operation of the DC—DC converter during a prescribed time interval after a difference between the detected first general parameter and the detected second general parameter becomes less than the first threshold value, or maintaining operation of the DC—DC converter until the difference between the detected first general parameter and the detected second general parameter becomes less than a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value.
A fifth aspect of this invention provides a method of controlling the multiple-output power supply apparatus of the first aspect thereof. The method comprises the steps of detecting a first general parameter relating to one of (1) a SOC of the lower battery block, (2) the average per-cell voltage in the lower battery block, and (3) a current fed from the lower battery block to the low-voltage load; detecting a second general parameter relating to one of (1) a SOC of the higher battery blo
Imai Atsushi
Nagata Tetsuya
Yoshida Hideji
Denso Corporation
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Tso Edward H.
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