IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,337,855
Granted Patent B2
US 12,337,855 · App. 17/506,334 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Vehicle power supply device and method for controlling vehicle power supply device

Inventor: Hirohito Ide (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
B60W50/029B60R16/0232B60R16/033B60W60/001H02J9/06
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 12,337,855
App. No.
17/506,334
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle power supply device acquires a state of a vehicle, controls a first switch disposed between an auxiliary power supply and a second load to be in a disconnected state in a case where the vehicle is in a predetermined state including ignition off, and controls the first switch to be in a connected state in a case where the vehicle is in a predetermined automatic driving state among automatic driving states including partial and conditional automatic driving.

Claims (45)

1. A vehicle power supply device comprising:

a main power supply;

a first load that is connected to the main power supply;

a second load that is connected in parallel with the first load, is connected to the main power supply, and has a function related to at least either one of traveling and stopping of a vehicle; and

an auxiliary power supply that is connected to the second load and is connected in parallel with the main power supply, wherein

the vehicle power supply device further comprises:

a first switch that is disposed between the auxiliary power supply and the second load; and

a control device that includes a processor and that controls the first switch, wherein

automatic driving of the vehicle includes a hands-on automatic driving mode in which automatic driving is performed in a state where an occupant of the vehicle holds a handle and a hands-off automatic driving mode in which driving is allowed in a state where hands of the occupant are off the handle and which is executed at a designated speed range and on an automobile exclusive road,

the control device has a function of acquiring a state of the vehicle, controls the first switch to be in a disconnected state in a case where the vehicle is in a predetermined state including ignition off,

the control device has a function of detecting whether the hands of the occupant of the vehicle are off the handle of the vehicle, and

the control device

controls the first switch to be in a connected state when the hands-off automatic driving mode is set and when the hands of the occupant are off the handle,

controls the first switch to be in the disconnected state when the hands-off automatic driving mode is set and when the hands of the occupant are not off the handle, and

controls the first switch to be in the disconnected state when the hands-on automatic driving mode is set.

2. The vehicle power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein

the control device specifies, based on a detection result of a contact sensor that detects contact of hands with the handle of the vehicle, whether the hands of the occupant are off the handle.

3. The vehicle power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein

the control device specifies, based on a detection result of a reaction force sensor that detects a reaction force to the handle of the vehicle, whether the hands of the occupant are off the handle.

4. The vehicle power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein

the control device specifies, based on an image capturing result of an image capturing unit that captures the occupant of the vehicle, whether the hands of the occupant are off the handle.

5. The vehicle power supply device according to claim 1 , wherein

the main power supply is connected to a second power supply capable of outputting a voltage higher than a voltage of the main power supply,

the auxiliary power supply is connected to the second power supply via a connection line from the main power supply to the second load, and

in a case where the vehicle is in a second predetermined automatic driving state among automatic driving states including partial and conditional automatic driving, the control device controls the second power supply such that a voltage of a connection line from a main power supply side including at least the main power supply and the second power supply to the second load exceeds a voltage of the auxiliary power supply.

6. The vehicle power supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising

a second switch that is disposed between the main power supply and the auxiliary power supply, wherein

the main power supply is connected to a second power supply capable of outputting a voltage higher than a voltage of the main power supply,

the auxiliary power supply is connected to the second power supply via the second switch, and

in a case where an abnormality occurs on a main power supply side rather than the second switch, the control device controls the second switch to be in a disconnected state and controls the first switch to be in a connected state regardless of whether the vehicle is in an automatic driving state.

7. The vehicle power supply device according to claim 6 , wherein

in a case where no abnormality occurs on the main power supply side rather than the second switch, the control device permits switching of the first switch to a connected state in a case where a voltage of a connection line from the main power supply side to the second load exceeds a voltage of the auxiliary power supply, and prohibits the switching of the first switch to the connected state in a case where the voltage of the connection line from the main power supply side to the second load does not exceed the voltage of the auxiliary power supply.

8. A method for controlling a vehicle power supply device including:

a main power supply;

a first load that is connected to the main power supply;

a second load that is connected in parallel with the first load, is connected to the main power supply, and has a function related to at least either one of traveling and stopping of a vehicle; and

an auxiliary power supply that is connected to the second load and is connected in parallel with the main power supply,

automatic driving, of the vehicle, including: a hands-on automatic driving mode in which automatic driving is performed in a state where an occupant of the vehicle holds a handle; and a hands-off automatic driving mode in which driving is allowed in a state where hands of the occupant are off the handle and which is executed at a designated speed range and on an automobile exclusive road,

the method comprising:

acquiring a state of the vehicle;

controlling a first switch disposed between the auxiliary power supply and the second load to be in a disconnected state in a case where the vehicle is in a predetermined state including ignition off;

detecting whether the hands of the occupant of the vehicle are off the handle of the vehicle;

controlling the first switch to be in a connected state when the hands-off automatic driving mode is set and when the hands of the occupant are off the handle;

controlling the first switch to be in the disconnected state when the hands-off automatic driving mode is set and when the hands of the occupant are not off the handle, and

controlling the first switch to be in the disconnected state when the hands-on automatic driving mode is set.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 20, 2021
From: IDE, HIROHITO
To: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 057854/0093 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-189755 · Nov 13, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220153285A1 · May 19, 2022
References Cited (63)
US 9643620B2 · Odate · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 10800411B2 · Kinoshita · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 11697409B2 · Inoue · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11699917B2 · Kozuki · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20100082198A1 · Arai · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20100228417A1 · Lee · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20150120124A1 · Bartels · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20160039428A1 · Odate · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160257270A1 · Teramoto · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170341528A1 · Kinoshita · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170349048A1 · Nakayama · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180157256A1 · Oniwa · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180370524A1 · Kinoshita · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190047560A1 · Kinoshita · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190260225A1 · Hida · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190337475A1 · Kawamura · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200003843A1 · Kinoshita · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200216079A1 · Mahajan · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200238832A1 · Nakayama · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200259363A1 · Fukae · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200298710A1 · Masaki · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200313457A1 · Kozuki · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210024097A1 · Jardine · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210078572A1 · Kim · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210094568A1 · Nakanishi · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210320506A1 · Morita · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220024396A1 · Rapp · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220080956A1 · Seeland · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220219688A1 · Ito · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220234607A1 · Hata · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220281473A1 · LaBarbera · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220306019A1 · Yoshimi · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220396291A1 · Kerschbaum · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20230072786A1 · Morita · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230347926A1 · Hayakawa · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20240034408A1 · Suzuki · 2024 [cited by examiner]
CN 102361332A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
CN 107482761A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 110235328A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
CN 115606069A · 2023 [cited by applicant]
DE 102016103917A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
EP 3616971A1 · 2020 [cited by examiner]
EP 3616974A1 · 2020 [cited by examiner]
JP 2010110192A · 2010 [cited by examiner]
JP 2016164015A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017218013 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019030116A · 2019 [cited by examiner]
JP 2019146305A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019151272A · 2019 [cited by examiner]
JP 2020123380A · 2020 [cited by examiner]
JP 2021180550A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2017191818A1 · 2017 [cited by examiner]
WO WO2018211033A1 · 2018 [cited by examiner]
EP-3616971-A1 machine translation (Year: 2020). [cited by examiner]
EP-3616974-A1 machine translation (Year: 2020). [cited by examiner]
JP-2010110192-A machine translation (Year: 2010). [cited by examiner]
JP-2019030116-A machine translation (Year: 2019). [cited by examiner]
JP-2019151272-A machine translation (Year: 2019). [cited by examiner]
JP-2020123380-A machine translation (Year: 2020). [cited by examiner]
WO-2017191818-A1 machine translation (Year: 2017). [cited by examiner]
WO-2018211033-A1 machine translation (Year: 2018). [cited by examiner]
Chinese Office Action dated Dec. 14, 2023, Chinese Application No. 202111337590.A, English translation included, 16 pages. [cited by applicant]
Japanese Office Action dated Oct. 3, 2023, Japanese Application No. JP 2020-189755, English translation included, 9 pages. [cited by applicant]