IP Library › Granted Patent US 12706473
Granted Patent B2
US 12706473 · App. 18/128,712 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Charger control apparatus, charger control method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

Inventors: Hiromi Suzuki (Tokyo, JP); Yasuhiro Sasaki (Tokyo, JP); Hideyuki Ishiuji (Tokyo, JP); Satoshi Tanaka (Tokyo, JP); Miho Kubota (Tokyo, JP); Yoshihiko Yonehara (Tokyo, JP); Yutaka Okano (Tokyo, JP); Sayaka Ishimoto (Tokyo, JP); Noriyuki Nakayama (Tokyo, JP); Keiko Yamaguchi (Tokyo, JP); Yusuke Shinozaki (Tokyo, JP); Shota Ito (Tokyo, JP); Takashi Kuroha (Tokyo, JP); Asuka Matsuba (Tokyo, JP); Megumi Eto (Tokyo, JP); Yuuki Tanaka (Tokyo, JP); Yoshikazu Kawashima (Tokyo, JP); Tsutomu Oono (Tokyo, JP); Nariyoshi Kotake (Tokyo, JP); Kuniyoshi Nakada (Tokyo, JP); Katsuhiko Ishida (Tokyo, JP); Koji Kitahara (Tokyo, JP); Akira Miyahara (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
H02J7/94B60L53/67H02J7/40H02J7/52
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 12706473
App. No.
18/128,712
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A charger control apparatus includes a total current acquisition unit and a setting unit to control a plurality of chargers connected in parallel with each other and supplied with a current from a common wiring line. An upper limit value of a current flowing through the wiring line is described as a first upper limit value. The total current acquisition unit acquires a total value of a current flowing through the plurality of chargers. The setting unit sets, for each of the plurality of chargers, a second upper limit value being an upper limit value of a current flowing through the charger by using the first upper limit value. When a difference between the total value and the first upper limit value satisfies a reference, the setting unit updates the second upper limit value for each of the plurality of chargers by distributing the difference according to a first rule.

Claims (42)

1 . A charger control apparatus comprising:

at least one memory configured to store instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising:

acquiring a total value of a current flowing through a plurality of chargers connected in parallel with each other;

acquiring, for each of the plurality of chargers, current information indicating magnitude of a current flowing through the charger;

setting, for each of the plurality of chargers, a second upper limit value being an upper limit value of a current flowing through the charger by using a first upper limit value being an upper limit value of a current being set with respect to a wiring line that supplies a current to the plurality of chargers; and

updating a plurality of the second upper limit values by distributing a difference between the total value and the first upper limit value to the plurality of chargers according to a first rule when the difference between the total value and the first upper limit value satisfies a reference, wherein

updating the plurality of the second upper limit values comprises, when there is the charger in which a value indicated by the current information is smaller than the second upper limit value and a difference thereof satisfies a reference,

reducing the second upper limit value of the charger, and

updating the second upper limit value of another charger by distributing a difference between the second upper limit value of the charger before and after an update to the another charger according to a second rule.

2 . The charger control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the first rule is equal distribution.

3 . The charger control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the second rule is equal distribution.

4 . The charger control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise

computing the total value by using a plurality of pieces of the current information.

5 . The charger control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise

repeatedly acquiring the total value, and

repeatedly updating the plurality of second upper limit values.

6 . The charger control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise,

when an operation of at least one available charger starts in a state where some of the chargers are available, updating the plurality of second upper limit values.

7 . The charger control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of chargers charge a secondary battery serving as a power source of an electric vehicle.

8 . The charger control apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising

the plurality of chargers.

9 . A charger control method comprising,

by a computer:

acquiring a total value of a current flowing through a plurality of chargers connected in parallel with each other;

acquiring, for each of the plurality of chargers, current information indicating magnitude of a current flowing through the charger;

setting, for each of the plurality of chargers, a second upper limit value being an upper limit value of a current flowing through the charger by using a first upper limit value being an upper limit value of a current being set with respect to a wiring line that supplies a current to the plurality of chargers; and

updating a plurality of the second upper limit values by distributing a difference between the total value and the first upper limit value to the plurality of chargers according to a first rule when the difference between the total value and the first upper limit value satisfies a reference, wherein

updating the plurality of the second upper limit values comprises, when there is the charger in which a value indicated by the current information is smaller than the second upper limit value and a difference thereof satisfies a reference,

reducing the second upper limit value of the charger, and

updating the second upper limit value of another charger by distributing a difference between the second upper limit value of the charger before and after an update to the another charger according to a second rule.

10 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform operations, the operations comprising:

acquiring a total value of a current flowing through a plurality of chargers connected in parallel with each other;

acquiring, for each of the plurality of chargers, current information indicating magnitude of a current flowing through the charger;

setting, for each of the plurality of chargers, a second upper limit value being an upper limit value of a current flowing through the charger by using a first upper limit value being an upper limit value of a current being set with respect to a wiring line that supplies a current to the plurality of chargers; and

updating a plurality of the second upper limit values by distributing a difference between the total value and the first upper limit value to the plurality of chargers according to a first rule when the difference between the total value and the first upper limit value satisfies a reference, wherein

updating the plurality of the second upper limit values comprises, when there is the charger in which a value indicated by the current information is smaller than the second upper limit value and a difference thereof satisfies a reference,

reducing the second upper limit value of the charger, and

updating the second upper limit value of another charger by distributing a difference between the second upper limit value of the charger before and after an update to the another charger according to a second rule.