System and method for supervising battery for vehicle

Abstract

A system for supervising a battery that supplies power to an electrical unit includes a control part that is supplied with power from the battery and executes a predetermined process when abnormal discharge of the battery occurs; an activation part that detects current consumed in the battery when the electrical unit and the control part are in a sleep mode and activates the control part when the activation part detects abnormal discharge that occurs when an amount of the current consumed in the battery exceeds a given threshold value.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the following accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electrical system of a vehicle to which a system for supervising a vehicle-use battery is applied in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an abnormal discharge detection process executed by a supervisory ECU shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an abnormal position identifying process executed by the supervisory ECU;

FIG. 4 shows electrical units and currents respectively consumed therein;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a second example of the abnormal position identifying process executed by the supervisory ECU;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a third example of the abnormal position identifying process executed by the supervisory ECU;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an abnormal position identifying process executed by an ECU built in an electrical unit;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a fourth example of the abnormal position identifying process executed by the supervisory ECU;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a fifth example of the abnormal position identifying process executed by the supervisory ECU;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a post-abnormality-detection process executed by the supervisory ECU;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a second example of the post-abnormality-detection process executed by the supervisory ECU;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a post-abnormality-detection process executed by the ECU built in the electrical unit;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a power supply shutoff process executed by the supervisory ECU;

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of another electrical system to which the system for supervising the vehicle-use battery is applied in accordance with another embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the power supply shutoff process executed by the supervisory ECU;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of a third embodiment of the power supply shutoff process executed by the supervisory ECU;

FIG. 17 is a block diagram of yet another electrical system to which the system for supervising the vehicle-use battery is applied in accordance with yet another embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a flowchart of an abnormal discharge detection process executed in the electrical system shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a block diagram of a further electrical system to which the system for supervising the vehicle-use battery is applied in accordance with a further embodiment; and

FIG. 20 is a block diagram of a still further electrical system to which the system for supervising the vehicle-use battery is applied in accordance with a still further embodiment.

Claims

1. A system for supervising a battery that supplies power to an electrical unit, comprising: a control part that is supplied with power from the battery and executes a predetermined process when abnormal discharge of the battery occurs; andan activation part that detects current consumed in the battery when the electrical unit and the control part are in a sleep mode and activates the control part when the activation part detects abnormal discharge that occurs when an amount of the current consumed in the battery exceeds a given threshold value.

2. A system for supervising a battery that supplies power to an electrical unit, comprising a control part that is supplied with power from the battery and executes a predetermined process when abnormal discharge of the battery occurs, the control part including a detecting portion that detects current consumed in the battery when the electrical unit is in a sleep mode,the control part operating at a given frequency when abnormal discharge occurs in which an amount of the current consumed in the battery exceeds a given threshold value and operating at a lowered frequency when no abnormal discharge occurs.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a switch that selectively connects the battery and the electrical unit, wherein the control part controls the switch to disconnect the battery from the electrical unit when the abnormal discharge is detected.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the battery supplies multiple electrical units with power; andthe control part identifies a faulty one of the multiple electrical units in which abnormal discharge occurs on the basis of the amount of the current consumed when the abnormal discharge is detected.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the battery supplies multiple electrical units with power; andthe control part identifies a faulty one of the multiple electrical units in which abnormal discharge occurs on the basis of at least a condition of the battery and states of the multiple electrical units.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the battery supplies multiple electrical units with power; andthe control part identifies a faulty one of the multiple electrical units in which abnormal discharge occurs by activating a function of detecting abnormal discharge provided in the multiple electrical units.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control part sends first information about the abnormal discharge to a supervisory center through a communication unit when the abnormal discharge is detected and receives second information indicative of a faulty one of multiple electrical units to which the battery supplies power, the faulty one of the multiple electrical units being presumed by the supervisory center on the basis of the first information.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control part activates the faulty one of the multiple electrical units presumed and confirms occurrence of the abnormal discharge.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control part saves data in the electrical unit when the abnormal discharge is detected.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control part stops supplying power to electrical units except for an electrical unit involved in a security of the vehicle after saving of data is completed or stops supplying power to at least a faulty one of the electrical units.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control part stores information about the abnormal discharge in a memory when the abnormal discharge is detected.

12. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control part controls the switch to connect the battery to the electrical unit so that the electrical unit is supplied with power again when a predetermined condition is met.

13. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control part informs a user of occurrence of the abnormal discharge when the abnormal discharge is detected, and controls the switch to shut off a power supply to the electrical unit in response to a shutoff request from the user.

14. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control part determines whether a power supply to the electrical unit should be shut off on the basis of the amount of the current consumed in the abnormal discharge and a remaining capacity of the battery when the abnormal discharge is detected.

15. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the activation part includes a power supply circuit that supplies power to the control part when the abnormal discharge is detected.

16. A method for supervising a battery that supplies power to an electrical unit mounted on a vehicle, comprising the steps of: detecting current consumed in the battery when the electrical unit and a control part that is supplied with power from the battery and executes a predetermined process when abnormal discharge of the battery occurs are in a sleep mode; andactivating the control part when abnormal discharge in which an amount of the current consumed in the battery exceeds a given threshold value takes place.

17. A method for supervising a battery that supplies power to an electrical unit, comprising the steps of: detecting current consumed in the battery when the electrical unit is in a sleep mode;operating a control part, which is supplied with power from the battery and executes a predetermined process when abnormal discharge of the battery occurs, at a given frequency when abnormal discharge occurs in which an amount of the current consumed in the battery exceeds a given threshold value; andoperating the control part at a lowered frequency when no abnormal discharge occurs.