Patent ID: 11894669
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  B  G | IPC B  G  H

Claim 9:
10. A power source control method comprising:
by a processor,
detecting a potential difference between a second terminal and a first terminal of a dark current generation circuit, the dark current generation circuit being configured to generate a dark current by lowering a voltage of a direct current power source in a state in which the first terminal of the dark current generation circuit is connected to a first electrode of the direct current power source and the second terminal of the dark current generation circuit is connected to a first terminal of a load, so as to be parallel to a make-and-break relay configured to either make or break conduction between the first terminal of the load and the first electrode of the direct current power source;
detecting a current between a second terminal of the load and a second electrode of the direct current power source;
determining a state of the make-and-break relay based on the potential difference and the current;
setting a conductive state for a bypass circuit that is configured to dissipate some of power supplied from an external charger in a state of conduction between the second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load in response to the potential difference being less than a predetermined threshold voltage and the current being less than a predetermined threshold current; and
determining a state of the make-and-break relay and whether or not the direct current power source is being charged by the external charger based on the detected potential difference between the second terminal and the first terminal of the dark current generation circuit and the detected current between the second terminal of the load and the second electrode of the direct current power source in response to a conductive state being in place between the second electrode of the direct current power source and the first terminal of the load due to the bypass circuit.