IP Library Granted Patent US 12691788
Granted Patent B2
US 12691788 · App. 19/044,763 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Control device

Inventors: Shinnosuke Sakata (Tokyo, JP); Hirofumi Yabe (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
B60L58/18B60L50/60B60R16/033H01M10/46H01M10/486B60L2240/545B60L2240/547H01M2220/20
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691788
App. No.
19/044,763
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control device for a vehicle includes auxiliary equipment, an auxiliary battery, at least one processor, and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor. The auxiliary battery is configured to store electric power to be supplied to the auxiliary equipment. The processor is configured to execute processing including: temporarily executing voltage determination for determining whether a voltage of the auxiliary battery is equal to or less than a threshold in a situation where an ignition of the vehicle is turned off; executing charging control for charging the auxiliary battery when it is determined in the voltage determination that the voltage is equal to or less than the threshold; and setting a determination timing at which the voltage determination is executed based on an operating state of the auxiliary equipment.

Claims (35)

1 . A control device for a vehicle, the control device comprising:

auxiliary equipment;

an auxiliary battery that is configured to store electric power to be supplied to the auxiliary equipment;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute processing including

temporarily executing voltage determination for determining whether a voltage of the auxiliary battery is equal to or less than a threshold in a situation where an ignition of the vehicle is turned off,

executing charging control for charging the auxiliary battery when it is determined in the voltage determination that the voltage is equal to or less than the threshold, and

setting a determination timing at which the voltage determination is executed based on an operating state of the auxiliary equipment.

2 . The control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute processing including

estimating a rate of decrease of the voltage based on the operating state of the auxiliary equipment, and

setting the determination timing for a first time of the voltage determination, which occurs after the ignition has been turned off, based on the voltage when the ignition is turned off and an estimated rate of decrease of the voltage.

3 . The control device according to claim 2 ,

wherein estimating the rate of decrease of the voltage is based on a temperature of the auxiliary battery in addition to the operating state of the auxiliary equipment.

4 . The control device according to claim 2 ,

wherein estimating the rate of decrease of the voltage is based on a degree of degradation of the auxiliary battery in addition to the operating state of the auxiliary equipment.

5 . The control device according to claim 3 ,

wherein estimating the rate of decrease of the voltage is based on a degree of degradation of the auxiliary battery in addition to the operating state of the auxiliary equipment.

6 . The control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute, when it is determined in the voltage determination that the voltage is greater than the threshold, processing including setting the determination timing for a next time of the voltage determination without executing the charging control.

7 . The control device according to claim 6 ,

wherein, when it is determined in the voltage determination that the voltage is greater than the threshold, the at least one processor is configured to execute processing including

identifying an actual rate of decrease of the voltage after the ignition has been turned off, and

setting the determination timing for a next time of the voltage determination based on the voltage at the voltage determination and the actual rate of the rate of decrease of the voltage.

8 . The control device according to claim 7 ,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute, when it is determined in the voltage determination that the voltage is greater than the threshold, processing including setting the determination timing for a next time of the voltage determination based on the voltage at the voltage determination and the estimated rate of decrease of the voltage when the estimated rate of decrease of the voltage is greater than the actual rate of decrease of the voltage.

9 . The control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute, when it is determined in the voltage determination that the voltage is equal to or less than the threshold, processing including outputting information relating to the operating state of the auxiliary equipment.

10 . The control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the vehicle comprises

a traveling motor,

a main battery that is configured to store electric power to be supplied to the traveling motor, and

a voltage conversion device provided between the main battery and the auxiliary battery, and

wherein, in the charging control, the at least one processor is configured to execute processing including supplying electric power from the main battery to the auxiliary battery via the voltage conversion device.