Abstract: A cell control unit (20) individually controls cell capacities (SOC) of a first subset (Cf) of a set of cells (Cj) in a heat dissipating manner by using discharge resistors (Rj), a set of estimation elements (21, 31-33, S1-S6, S11-S16, S18-S19) estimates a degree of heat dissipation of the set of cells (Cj) in terms of a temperature rise (To(n)-To(0)) of a substrate (25) of the cell control unit (20), and a set of interruption elements (SWj, S17) interrupts controlling cell capacities (SOC) of a second subset (Cs) of the first subset of cells (Cf) determined in dependence on the estimated temperature rise (To(n)-To(0)).

Abstract: A driving-force distribution control apparatus for a vehicle includes a first motor adapted to drive one of front wheels and rear wheels, as main drive wheels; a second motor adapted to drive another of the front wheels and the rear wheels, as auxiliary drive wheels; an engine adapted to drive the main drive wheels; a battery connected electrically with the first motor and the second motor; an upper-limit output setting section configured to set an upper limit output of the battery in accordance with a charge state of the battery; and a driving-force distribution control section. This driving-force distribution control section is configured to control an output of the first motor and an output of the second motor in accordance with a running condition of the vehicle, to bring a steer characteristic of the vehicle closer to a neutral steer.

Abstract: A device to adjust the capacity of battery cells includes a controller that adjusts the cells to reduce the rate of heat generation in capacity adjustment. When capacity adjustment of cells that form battery set is performed, the capacity adjustment target cells are divided into multiple groups. When the capacity adjustment of the capacity adjustment target cells in one group comes to an end, the cells in the next group are adjusted. As a result, it is possible to reduce the rate of heat generation as compared with the case when capacity adjustment is performed for all of the capacity adjustment target cells at the same time.

Abstract: A regenerative braking system has a generator connected to at least one wheel set to apply regenerative brake torque to it by generating electricity, a regenerative braking control means controlling a regenerative braking amount, an actual wheel speed variation calculating means calculating an actual wheel speed variation between actual outer-wheel speed of an outer wheel of steerable wheels and actual inner-wheel speed of at least one wheel of front and rear wheel sets, a correspondent wheel speed variation calculating means calculating a correspondent wheel speed variation corresponding to an outer-to-inner wheel speed variation of the steerable wheels with road grip, a steer characteristic judging means judging strength of a steer characteristic based on the correspondent wheel speed variation and the actual wheel speed variation, and a regenerative braking amount compensating means compensating the amount to be more decreased as the steer characteristic becomes stronger.

Abstract: A regenerative braking control apparatus for a wheeled vehicle, includes: a regenerative braking unit arranged to produce a regenerative braking effort for the vehicle; and a control unit connected for signal communication to the regenerative braking unit, and configured to perform the following: measuring a wheel speed deviation defined as a difference between a speed of a front wheel set of the vehicle and a speed of a rear wheel set of the vehicle; and controlling the regenerative braking effort in accordance with the wheel speed deviation during cornering. The control unit is configured to control the regenerative braking effort to decrease with an increase in the wheel speed deviation during cornering braking, and configured to perform braking for the vehicle in accordance with an operation of slowdown request, prioritizing a regenerative braking effort for one of the front wheel set and the rear wheel set of the vehicle.

Abstract: In a battery pack which includes a plurality of parallel blocks, each of which comprises a plurality of cells connected in parallel, and which are themselves connected in series, the voltage of each parallel block of the battery pack before and after discharge or before and after charge of a predetermined amount of capacity is detected, and abnormality of the cells connected in parallel within each parallel block is determined based upon the amount of change of voltage of each parallel block.

Abstract: A battery pack of a series combination of cell units is connected with a motor drive control circuit to drive a traction motor for a vehicle. A current sensor senses a discharge/charge current of the battery pack, and a voltage detecting circuit senses a voltage between two separate points in the series combination of the battery pack. A memory section stores a reference voltage drop quantity representing a decrease in voltage during a predetermined time interval between the two separate points. An offset detecting section compares an actual voltage drop quantity sensed by the voltage detecting circuit, with the reference voltage drop quantity, thereby detects a non-discharge/charge-current state of the current sensor, and reserves an output of the current sensor, as an offset quantity upon the detection. A correcting section corrects a sensed value of the discharge/charge current with the reserved offset quantity.

Abstract: A driving-force distribution control apparatus for a vehicle includes a first motor adapted to drive one of front wheels and rear wheels, as main drive wheels; a second motor adapted to drive another of the front wheels and the rear wheels, as auxiliary drive wheels; an engine adapted to drive the main drive wheels; a battery connected electrically with the first motor and the second motor; an upper-limit output setting section configured to set an upper limit output of the battery in accordance with a charge state of the battery; and a driving-force distribution control section. This driving-force distribution control section is configured to control an output of the first motor and an output of the second motor in accordance with a running condition of the vehicle, to bring a steer characteristic of the vehicle closer to a neutral steer.

Abstract: A regenerative braking control apparatus for a wheeled vehicle, includes: a regenerative braking unit arranged to produce a regenerative braking effort for the vehicle; and a control unit connected for signal communication to the regenerative braking unit, and configured to perform the following: measuring a wheel speed deviation defined as a difference between a speed of a front wheel set of the vehicle and a speed of a rear wheel set of the vehicle; and controlling the regenerative braking effort in accordance with the wheel speed deviation during cornering. The control unit is configured to control the regenerative braking effort to decrease with an increase in the wheel speed deviation during cornering braking, and configured to perform braking for the vehicle in accordance with an operation of slowdown request, prioritizing a regenerative braking effort for one of the front wheel set and the rear wheel set of the vehicle.

Abstract: A device to adjust capacity of battery cells includes a controller that adjusts the cells to reduce the rate of heat generation in capacity adjustment. When capacity adjustment of cells that form battery set is performed, the capacity adjustment target cells are divided into multiple groups; when the capacity adjustment of the capacity adjustment target cells in one group comes to an end, the cells in the next group are adjusted. As a result, it is possible to reduce the rate of heat generation as compared with the case when capacity adjustment is performed for all of the capacity adjustment target cells at the same time.

Abstract: A regenerative braking system has a generator connected to at least one wheel set to apply regenerative brake torque to it by generating electricity, a regenerative braking control means controlling a regenerative braking amount, an actual wheel speed variation calculating means calculating an actual wheel speed variation between actual outer-wheel speed of an outer wheel of steerable wheels and actual inner-wheel speed of at least one wheel of front and rear wheel sets, a correspondent wheel speed variation calculating means calculating a correspondent wheel speed variation corresponding to an outer-to-inner wheel speed variation of the steerable wheels with road grip, a steer characteristic judging means judging strength of a steer characteristic based on the correspondent wheel speed variation and the actual wheel speed variation, and a regenerative braking amount compensating means compensating the amount to be more decreased as the steer characteristic becomes stronger.

Abstract: A cell control unit (20) individually controls cell capacities (SOC) of a first subset (Cf) of a set of cells (Cj) in a heat dissipating manner by using discharge resistors (Rj), a set of estimation elements (21, 31-33, S1-S6, S11-S16, S18-S19) estimates a degree of heat dissipation of the set of cells (Cj) in terms of a temperature rise (To(n)-To(0)) of a substrate (25) of the cell control unit (20), and a set of interruption elements (SWj, S17) interrupts controlling cell capacities (SOC) of a second subset (Cs) of the first subset of cells (Cf) determined in dependence on the estimated temperature rise (To(n)-To(0)).

Abstract: A battery pack of a series combination of cell units is connected with a motor drive control circuit to drive a traction motor for a vehicle. A current sensor senses a discharge/charge current of the battery pack, and a voltage detecting circuit senses a voltage between two separate points in the series combination of the battery pack. A memory section stores a reference voltage drop quantity representing a decrease in voltage during a predetermined time interval between the two separate points. An offset detecting section compares an actual voltage drop quantity sensed by the voltage detecting circuit, with the reference voltage drop quantity, thereby detects a non-discharge/charge-current state of the current sensor, and reserves an output of the current sensor, as an offset quantity upon the detection. A correcting section corrects a sensed value of the discharge/charge current with the reserved offset quantity.

Abstract: In a battery pack which includes a plurality of parallel blocks, each of which comprises a plurality of cells connected in parallel, and which are themselves connected in series, the voltage of each parallel block of the battery pack before and after discharge or before and after charge of a predetermined amount of capacity is detected, and abnormality of the cells connected in parallel within each parallel block is determined based upon the amount of change of voltage of each parallel block.

Abstract: Cell controllers provided to control modules each constituted of a plurality of cells each calculate deterioration factors indicating the extents to which the cells under its control have become depleted and detect the deterioration factor of the cell in the most advanced state of depletion. The cell controller provided at the uppermost stage transmits the detected deterioration factor to the cell controller at the next stage. The subsequent cell controllers connected at the stages succeeding the uppermost stage each compare the deterioration factor detected therein and the deterioration factor transmitted from the cell controller at the proceedings stage and transmits the deterioration factor with the smaller value to the cell controller at the next stage. The cell controller at the lowermost stage, too, executes the processing described above and transmits the deterioration factor with the smaller value to a battery controller.

Abstract: Cell controllers provided to control modules each constituted of a plurality of cells each calculate deterioration factors indicating the extents to which the cells under its control have become depleted and detect the deterioration factor of the cell in the most advanced state of depletion. The cell controller provided at the uppermost stage transmits the detected deterioration factor to the cell controller at the next stage. The subsequent cell controllers connected at the stages succeeding the uppermost stage each compare the deterioration factor detected therein and the deterioration factor transmitted from the cell controller at the proceedings stage and transmits the deterioration factor with the smaller value to the cell controller at the next stage. The cell controller at the lowermost stage, too, executes the processing described above and transmits the deterioration factor with the smaller value to a battery controller.

Abstract: A battery pack diagnostic apparatus that performs diagnosis on a plurality of cells constituting a battery pack measures the current flowing through the battery pack and starts a cell voltage measurement at the terminals of each cell when the absolute value of the measured current flowing through the battery pack has sustained a level equal to or lower than a predetermined value over a specific length of time. By detecting a faulty cell based upon the measured cell voltage value at individual cells thus obtained, a cell failure occurring while the battery pack is used in a normal state such as while the vehicle is in a running state can be detected reliably.

Abstract: A battery pack diagnostic apparatus that performs diagnosis on a plurality of cells constituting a battery pack measures the current flowing through the battery pack and starts a cell voltage measurement at the terminals of each cell when the absolute value of the measured current flowing through the battery pack has sustained a level equal to or lower than a predetermined value over a specific length of time. By detecting a faulty cell based upon the measured cell voltage value at individual cells thus obtained, a cell failure occurring while the battery pack is used in a normal state such as while the vehicle is in a running state can be detected reliably.