IP Library Granted Patent US 12697928
Granted Patent B2
US 12697928 · App. 18/700,364 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Vehicle wire harness protection device

Inventors: Hiroshi Nakano (Tokyo, JP); Nobuyasu Kanekawa (Tokyo, JP); Takao Fukuda (Hitachinaka, JP); Kentaro Jumonji (Hitachinaka, JP)
Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
B60R16/0207B60R16/03H02H5/04H02H6/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12697928
App. No.
18/700,364
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Included are: a current detection element which detects a current flowing through a wire harness which supplies power to in-vehicle equipment mounted on a vehicle; a standard temperature generation unit which obtains a standard temperature by using a predetermined value or a detection value of a predetermined temperature sensor among a plurality of temperature sensors mounted on the vehicle; a temperature estimation unit which estimates a temperature of the wire harness by using a current detection value and a standard temperature value; a shutoff determination unit which makes a shutoff determination on the basis of the estimated temperature; and a shutoff element which shuts off the current flowing through the wire harness on the basis of the determination made by the shutoff determination unit. This enables vehicle control without a dedicated temperature sensor.

Claims (55)

1 . A vehicle control device comprising:

a computer configured to:

detect a current flowing through a wire harness which supplies power to in-vehicle equipment mounted on a vehicle;

obtain a standard temperature by using a predetermined value or a detection value of a predetermined temperature sensor among a plurality of temperature sensors mounted on the vehicle according to a traveling state of the vehicle or an environment;

calculate an estimated temperature of the wire harness by using a current detection value of the current and a standard temperature value of the standard temperature;

make a shutoff determination on a basis of the estimated temperature; and

shut off the current flowing through the wire harness on a basis of the shutoff determination, wherein the standard temperature is acquired by switching between a temperature sensor, which is mounted on the vehicle and detects a temperature depending on an outside air temperature, and a temperature sensor, which detects a temperature of equipment mounted on the vehicle, according to the traveling state of the vehicle.

2 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined value is a fixed value.

3 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the standard temperature is acquired by switching to a specific temperature sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors mounted on the vehicle according to the traveling state of the vehicle.

4 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the standard temperature is calculated on a basis of a weighted average of a plurality of temperature sensor values obtained from the plurality of temperature sensors mounted on the vehicle according to the traveling state of the vehicle.

5 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the temperature sensor which is mounted on the vehicle and detects the outside air temperature is a temperature sensor which detects an intake air temperature of an engine, and

the temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the equipment mounted on the vehicle is a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of an engine.

6 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the temperature sensor which is mounted on the vehicle and detects the outside air temperature is a temperature sensor which detects an outside air temperature, and

the temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the equipment mounted on the vehicle is a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of a motor which drives the vehicle.

7 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the temperature sensor which is mounted on the vehicle and detects the outside air temperature is a temperature sensor which detects an outside air temperature, and

the temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the equipment mounted on the vehicle is a temperature sensor, which detects a high temperature, among a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of an engine and a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of a motor which drives the vehicle.

8 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the standard temperature is generated on a basis of a temperature detection value of the temperature sensor in a case where a detected temperature of the temperature sensor is lower than a predetermined value, and

a predetermined fixed value is set as the standard temperature in a case where the detected temperature of the temperature sensor is higher than the predetermined value.

9 . The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the standard temperature is generated on a basis of temperature detection values of the plurality of temperature sensors in a case where a difference between the temperature detection values of the plurality of temperature sensors is smaller than a predetermined value, and

a predetermined fixed value is set as the standard temperature in a case where the difference between the temperature detection values of the plurality of temperature sensors is larger than the predetermined value.

10 . A method performed by a computer, comprising:

detecting a current flowing through a wire harness which supplies power to in-vehicle equipment mounted on a vehicle;

obtaining a standard temperature by using a predetermined value or a detection value of a predetermined temperature sensor among a plurality of temperature sensors mounted on the vehicle according to a traveling state of the vehicle or an environment;

calculating an estimated temperature of the wire harness by using a current detection value of the current and a standard temperature value of the standard temperature;

making a shutoff determination on a basis of the estimated temperature; and

shutting off the current flowing through the wire harness on a basis of the shutoff determination, wherein the standard temperature is acquired by switching between a temperature sensor, which is mounted on the vehicle and detects a temperature depending on an outside air temperature, and a temperature sensor, which detects a temperature of equipment mounted on the vehicle, according to the traveling state of the vehicle.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the predetermined value is a fixed value.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the standard temperature is acquired by switching to a specific temperature sensor among the plurality of temperature sensors mounted on the vehicle according to the traveling state of the vehicle.

13 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the standard temperature is calculated on a basis of a weighted average of a plurality of temperature sensor values obtained from the plurality of temperature sensors mounted on the vehicle according to the traveling state of the vehicle.

14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein

the temperature sensor which is mounted on the vehicle and detects the outside air temperature is a temperature sensor which detects an intake air temperature of an engine, and

the temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the equipment mounted on the vehicle is a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of an engine.

15 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein

the temperature sensor which is mounted on the vehicle and detects the outside air temperature is a temperature sensor which detects an outside air temperature, and

the temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the equipment mounted on the vehicle is a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of a motor which drives the vehicle.

16 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein

the temperature sensor which is mounted on the vehicle and detects the outside air temperature is a temperature sensor which detects an outside air temperature, and

the temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the equipment mounted on the vehicle is a temperature sensor, which detects a high temperature, among a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of an engine and a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of a motor which drives the vehicle.

17 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein

the standard temperature is generated on a basis of a temperature detection value of the temperature sensor in a case where a detected temperature of the temperature sensor is lower than a predetermined value, and

a predetermined fixed value is set as the standard temperature in a case where the detected temperature of the temperature sensor is higher than the predetermined value.

18 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein

the standard temperature is generated on a basis of temperature detection values of the plurality of temperature sensors in a case where a difference between the temperature detection values of the plurality of temperature sensors is smaller than a predetermined value, and

a predetermined fixed value is set as the standard temperature in a case where the difference between the temperature detection values of the plurality of temperature sensors is larger than the predetermined value.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions, such that when executed, causes a computer to:

detect a current flowing through a wire harness which supplies power to in-vehicle equipment mounted on a vehicle;

obtain a standard temperature by using a predetermined value or a detection value of a predetermined temperature sensor among a plurality of temperature sensors mounted on the vehicle according to a traveling state of the vehicle or an environment;

calculate an estimated temperature of the wire harness by using a current detection value of the current and a standard temperature value of the standard temperature;

make a shutoff determination on a basis of the estimated temperature; and

shut off the current flowing through the wire harness on a basis of the shutoff determination, wherein the standard temperature is acquired by switching between a temperature sensor, which is mounted on the vehicle and detects a temperature depending on an outside air temperature, and a temperature sensor, which detects a temperature of equipment mounted on the vehicle, according to the traveling state of the vehicle.