Denso Corporation

Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Fuyuki Maehara

Tadatoshi Asada

Wakako Kanazawa

Toshinori Maruyama

Yasuhiro Takase

Hidetoshi Kato

Akira Shintai

Hiroshi Shibata

Hideto Okahara

Hirohide Sato

Hiroaki Ishikawa

Takatoshi Inokuchi

Kazuyuki Watanabe

Keiji Takahashi

Tadashi Uematsu

Takaaki Yamamoto

Hirohide Satoh

A power generation controlling device for vehicle includes a communication controlling circuit, a power generation voltage and excitation current controlling circuit, and a communication frame processing circuit. The communication controlling circuit communicates with an ECU using a communication frame. The power generation voltage and excitation current controlling circuit controls power generation based on power generation control information in the received communication frame. The communication frame processing circuit decodes contents of power generation control information (i.e., signal switching data) included in the communication frame based on a signal switching bit in the same communication frame. Two types of contents or more that are switched based on the signal switching bit are assigned to the power generation control information in the communication frame. The power generation voltage and excitation current controlling circuit controls power generation based on the power generation control information of which the contents are specified by the switching information.

Power generation controlling device for vehicles, which device has bi-directional communication function with external control unit

A control apparatus controls power generation of an electric generator and communicates with an external control apparatus. The control apparatus includes: a control circuit that controls the power generation of the electric generator according to a command signal transmitted from the external control apparatus; means for reseting the control circuit; and means for informing the external control apparatus of a power generation condition of the electric generator by transmitting a condition signal, the condition signal indicating both the power generation condition of the electric generator and information on whether a reset of the control circuit is made by the reseting means. With such a configuration, when the control circuit is reset due to, for example, noises, the control apparatus can reliably inform the external control apparatus of the reset of the control circuit.

Control apparatus for automotive alternator and automotive power generation system

A device for controlling vehicle power generation that controls duty cycle of an excitation winding in a vehicle power generator and controls an output voltage from the vehicle power generator to a predetermined value includes a power generation controlling circuit that, when the output voltage from the vehicle power generator is less than the predetermined value, gradually increases the value of a gradual excitation duty and gradually increases the excitation current, the gradual excitation duty being a limit value for increasing and decreasing an excitation drive duty intermittently controlling the electrification of the excitation winding, and in an opposite situation, gradually decreases a value of the excitation drive duty and gradually decreases the excitation current. The power generation controlling circuit changes the rate at which the value of the gradual excitation duty is decreased.

Device for controlling power generated in vehicle

The vehicle-use power generation control apparatus regulates an output voltage of a vehicle generator driven by a vehicle engine at a set value by on/off controlling an excitation current flowing through an excitation winding of the vehicle generator The vehicle-use power generation control apparatus includes a rotation detecting circuit detecting a rotational speed of the vehicle generator, and an excitation current control circuit reducing, when the rotation detecting circuit detects decrease of the rotational speed, the excitation current at a rate depending on a rate of the decrease of the rotational speed detected by the rotation detecting circuit.

Vehicle-use power generation control apparatus

The vehicle-generator control device for controlling an output voltage of a vehicle generator by on/off-controlling an excitation current flowing into an excitation winding of the vehicle generator, includes an excitation current detecting circuit detecting an excitation current flowing into the excitation winding, and a computation circuit having a first function of correcting the excitation current detected by the excitation current detecting circuit on the basis of a current flowing into an electrical load applied with the output voltage of the vehicle generator, and a second function of calculating an output current of the vehicle generator on the basis of the excitation current.

Vehicle-generator control device

A vehicle power generation control apparatus has a power supply circuit, a rotation detecting circuit, an exciting current detecting circuit, a torque detecting/maximum exciting current determining circuit, and an exciting current control circuit. The rotation detecting circuit detects a rotation speed of a generator (or vehicle alternator) and the exciting current detecting circuit detects an exciting current flowing through an exciting winding of the generator. The torque detecting/maximum exciting current determining circuit calculates a power generation torque of the generator based on the output voltage, the exciting current, the rotation speed, and calculates an inertia torque of the generator based on a change rate of the rotation speed. The exciting current control circuit suppresses the exciting current flowing through the exciting winding so that a change rate of a total sum of the generation torque and the inertia torque does not exceed a predetermined value, for example, during the idling condition.

Power generation control apparatus for vehicle

An electric power generation control system has an electric power generation amount determining section for determining an electric power generation request amount of a vehicle alternator by monitoring vehicle conditions, an electric power generation amount increase judgment section for judging presence/absence of an electric power generation amount increase request to the vehicle alternator based on change of the electric power generation request amount in passage of time, an idle state judgment section for judging whether or not a vehicle engine falls in idle operation state, and an electric power generation amount suppressing control section for suppressing an electric power generation amount of the vehicle alternator. In the idle operation state of the vehicle engine and the presence of the electric power generation amount increase request, the electric power generation amount suppressing control section halts the control of suppressing the electric power generation of the vehicle alternator.

Electric power generation control system

An apparatus for controlling power generation of a generator has a voltage detector and a power controller. The voltage detector detects a voltage of electric power generated in the generator. When receiving a first power control signal, the power controller controls the generator to maintain the detected voltage at a first target value. When receiving a second power control signal, the power controller controls the generator such that the power controller suppresses the power generation of the generator based on a difference between a value of the detected voltage and a second target value lower than the first target value so as to maintain the detected voltage at a predetermined value lower than the first target value. Therefore, even when the power generation is suppressed, pulsation of the generated electric power can be appropriately restrained.

Apparatus of controlling power generation of a generator

A control apparatus for a vehicle generator includes a switch, a regulator, a fault condition detector, and a PWM signal generator. The switch is selectively turned on and off so as to intermittently excite the generator. The regulator controls on/off operation of the switch so as to bring an output of the generator into agreement with a target value. The fault condition detector detects a fault condition of the generator. The PWM signal generator generates and outputs a PWM signal that has a duty determined as a function of a duty of the on/off operation of the switch and a frequency determined based on if the fault condition of the generator is detected by the fault condition detector. Consequently, the control apparatus can inform an external control apparatus of the duty of the on/off operation of the switch and the fault condition of the generator with the single PWM signal.

Control apparatus for automotive alternator having capability to accurately detect temperature of alternator

A generator control apparatus, for controlling electrical generation operation of a vehicle alternator, has a LAN circuit and a dedicated communication circuit, respectively communicating with an external control apparatus (e.g., engine ECU) via a LAN and via a dedicated signal line. When a selection signal is transmitted from the external control apparatus, designating a specific signal to be transmitted to or from the generator control apparatus, communication of that signal is performed via the dedicated signal line, enabling TDM communication of plural signals via the LAN concurrent with direct communication of a specific signal via the dedicated signal line.

Control apparatus for electrical generator apparatus of motor vehicle

A control apparatus such as an ECU, that controls the generator of a vehicle, measures the engine rotation speed and generator rotation speed while the engine is idling, and calculates and stores the ratio of the speed values. Thereafter when the vehicle is being driven and the current value of generator rotation speed is required, it is calculated based on the stored ratio value and the currently measured speed of the engine. The processing load on the ECU is thereby reduced, since generator rotation speed measurement processing is performed only in the idling condition.

Control apparatus for electrical generator of motor vehicle

A generator control system of a vehicle generator includes a switching element which turns on or off field current, a field current detecting circuit, a calculating circuit which calculates an average value of the field current when the switching element turns on according to an amount of the detected field current, and a switch control circuit which cyclically controls the switching element according to the average value and a limit value of the field current.

Vehicle generator control system

An apparatus is provided for detecting a malfunction in an on-vehicle charging system provided with a generator driven by an engine and a battery connected with the generator via a charging line. The apparatus comprises a first control unit controlling a generated condition of the generator and including a first voltage detector detecting a voltage generated by the generator and a second control unit including a second voltage detector detecting a voltage across the battery. The apparatus further comprises a communication device communicating, in the form of digital signals, via a communication line between the first and second control units, information about both the generated voltage and the battery voltage and a malfunction determination unit determining whether or not a malfunction occurs in the charging system on the basis of the communicated information.

Malfunction detecting apparatus for on-vehicle charging system

An apparatus for controlling an on-vehicle generator is provided. The apparatus comprises a switching element, current detecting unit, setting unit and driving unit. The switching unit turns on/off an exciting current to an exciting winding of the generator, the switching element being driven responsively to a driving signal having an adjustable duty ratio. The setting unit sets the duty ratio based on (i) a difference between an output voltage of the generator and a target voltage value and (ii) a condition in which an electric load is disconnected from the generator, wherein the duty ratio is allowed to lower than a minimum value of the duty ratio depending on a generated state of the generator. The minimum value allows the exciting current to flow at a lower limit detectable by the current detecting unit, The driving unit drives the switching element based on the driving signal.

Method and apparatus for controlling on-vehicle generator

A vehicle generating system includes a generator for a vehicle, a voltage regulator that supplies field current to the field coil at a variable duty ratio, a field current sensor that detects field current amount, a signal transmitting circuit that transmits a signal representing the detected field current amount and the duty ratio and an electronically controlling unit that receives the signal representing the detected field current amount and the duty ratio and controls the engine according to one of the detected field current amount and the duty ratio.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Fuyuki Maehara