IP Library Granted Patent US 12686348
Granted Patent B2
US 12686348 · App. 18/187,081 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Electric power supply device, control method, and non-transitory storage medium

Inventors: Akira Umemoto (Nagakute, JP); Shinichi Inoue (Okazaki, JP); Shoya Shimosaka (Kobe, JP); Yukihiko Murakami (Toyota, JP)
Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA; SUBARU CORPORATION; DENSO TEN Limited
B60R16/033B60R16/005B60W40/08B60W2040/0881
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12686348
App. No.
18/187,081
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electric power supply device installed in a vehicle includes a relay provided between a high-voltage battery and one or more pieces of in-vehicle equipment, and a processor. The processor is configured to, based on a state of a main switch configured to operate a traveling system of the vehicle, switch on or off of the relay, and is configured to control electric power supply from the high-voltage battery to the one or more pieces of in-vehicle equipment. The processor is configured to supply electric power from the high-voltage battery to particular in-vehicle equipment during maintaining the relay on when the main switch is turned off during the relay being on and the one or more pieces of in-vehicle equipment include the particular in-vehicle equipment. The particular in-vehicle equipment is configured to operate after the main switch is turned off.

Claims (25)

1 . An electric power supply device installed in a vehicle, comprising:

a relay disposed between a high-voltage battery and one or more pieces of in-vehicle equipment; and

a processor configured to:

switch the relay on or off based on a state of a main switch configured to operate a traveling system of the vehicle;

control an electric power supply from the high-voltage battery to the one or more pieces of in-vehicle equipment; and

when the main switch is turned off while the relay is in an on state and the one or more pieces of in-vehicle equipment include a particular in-vehicle equipment configured to operate after the main switch is turned off, supply electric power from the high-voltage battery to the particular in-vehicle equipment while maintaining the relay in the on state.

2 . The electric power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, when a predetermined operation with respect to the vehicle is performed while the relay is in an off state and the particular in-vehicle equipment is present, turn the relay on to supply electric power to the particular in-vehicle equipment and maintain the relay in the on state even if the main switch is subsequently turned on.

3 . The electric power supply device according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined operation is an external operation performed on the vehicle, and the predetermined operation includes an operation of unlocking a vehicle door using an electronic key, and an operation of opening the vehicle door via a door handle.

4 . The electric power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to turn the relay off after electric power has been supplied from the high-voltage battery to the particular in-vehicle equipment for a predetermined time.

5 . The electric power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the particular in-vehicle equipment is present while the main switch is in an on state.

6 . The electric power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the particular in-vehicle equipment is present based on whether a request to supply electric power from the high-voltage battery to the particular in-vehicle equipment has been made.

7 . The electric power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the particular in-vehicle equipment is configured to operate when an occupant exits the vehicle.

8 . The electric power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the particular in-vehicle equipment is configured to operate when an occupant enters the vehicle.

9 . The electric power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the particular in-vehicle equipment is is configured to operate when an occupant exits and enters the vehicle.

10 . The electric power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the particular in-vehicle equipment includes electronic outer mirrors.

11 . A control method executed by a computer of an electric power supply device installed in a vehicle, the control method comprising:

determining a state of a main switch configured to operate a traveling system of the vehicle;

switching a relay, disposed between a high-voltage battery and one or more pieces of in-vehicle equipment, on or off based on the state of the main switch;

when the main switch is turned off while the relay is in an on state, determining whether a particular in-vehicle equipment configured to operate after the main switch is turned off is present among the one or more pieces of in-vehicle equipment; and

when the particular in-vehicle equipment is present, supplying electric power from the high-voltage battery to the particular in-vehicle equipment while maintaining the relay in the on state.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer of an electric power supply device installed in a vehicle, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a state of a main switch configured to operate a traveling system of the vehicle;

switching a relay, disposed between a high-voltage battery and one or more pieces of in-vehicle equipment, on or off based on the state of the main switch;

when the main switch is turned off while the relay is in an on state, determining whether a particular in-vehicle equipment configured to operate after the main switch is turned off is present among the one or more pieces of in-vehicle equipment; and

when the particular in-vehicle equipment is present, supplying electric power from the high-voltage battery to the particular in-vehicle equipment while maintaining the relay in the on state.