Vehicle charging device
View Patent ↗Provided is a vehicle charging device ( 170 ) that uses a power source ( 101 ) outside of a vehicle ( 160 ) to charge a battery ( 115 ) installed in the vehicle ( 160 ). A charger ( 114 ) charges the battery ( 115 ). A voltage measurement unit ( 111 ) measures the input voltage corresponding to the input current in the charger ( 114 ). A current measurement unit ( 112 ) measures the input current (Ic) in the charger ( 114 ). A control unit ( 113 ) changes the input currents (Ic) of the charger ( 114 ) into a plurality of values, and controls the input current (Ic) when the input voltage (Vc) has changed, according to the corresponding relationship between the input currents (Ic), when each has been changed, and the measured input voltages (Vc).
1. An in-vehicle charging apparatus installed in a vehicle and configured to charge a storage battery installed in the vehicle, using a power source that is connected to an electric device and that is provided outside the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a charger that receives a variable input current value flowing from the power source for charging the storage battery;
a measurement section that measures the input current value of the charger and an input voltage value on the side of the power source of the charger; and
a control section that controls the input current value of the charger, wherein:
the control section varies the input current value of the charger into a plurality of values, and calculates a correspondence between the input current values measured by the measurement section during the varying, and input voltage values corresponding to the respective input current values; and
the control section controls, when an input voltage value varies while the input current value measured by the measurement section remains the same during charge of the storage battery, the input current value of the charger so that the input current value of the charger corresponds to the input voltage value before the varying, based on the correspondence.
2. The in-vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control section controls the input current value of the charger by a single level so that the input current value of the charger corresponds to the input voltage value before the varying.
3. The in-vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control section calculates the correspondence between the input current values and the input voltage values measured by the measurement section, as a first-order approximation straight line, then finds, when the input voltage value varies while the input current value measured by the measurement section remains the same during charge of the storage battery, a control straight line that has the same slope as the first-order approximation straight line and that passes through the input current value measured by the measurement section and the input voltage value after the varying, and controls the input current value of the charger by a single level so that the input current value of the charger corresponds to the input voltage value before the varying on the control straight line.
4. The in-vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
the control section finds, when the input voltage value decreases while the input current value measured by the measurement section remains the same during charge of the storage battery, a control straight line that has the same slope as the first-order approximation straight line and that passes through the input current value measured by the measurement section and the input voltage value after the decrease, and performs a control that decreases the input current value of the charger by a single level so that the input current value of the charger corresponds to the input voltage value before the decrease on the control straight line; and
the control section finds, when the input voltage value increases while the input current value measured by the measurement section remains the same during charge of the storage battery, a control straight line that has the same slope as the first-order approximation straight line and that passes through the input current value measured by the measurement section and the input voltage value after the increase, and performs a control that increases the input current value of the charger by a single level so that the input current value of the charger corresponds to the input voltage value before the increase on the control straight line.
5. The in-vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control section finds the first-order approximation straight line, using a least-squares method.
6. The in-vehicle charging apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the control section finds, when an error in the least-squares method is larger than a threshold, a correspondence between input current values and input voltage values newly measured by the measurement section, as the first-order approximation straight line again.