Patent ID: 7368893
Filing Date: 2008-05-06
Classification: H02J,H02P,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A voltage control apparatus for installation on a motor vehicle, said motor vehicle incorporating an electric generator that is driven by an engine of said vehicle and a battery which is charged by a current supplied from said electric generator, said voltage control apparatus comprising a voltage control circuit for maintaining an output voltage of said electric generator or a terminal voltage of said battery at a regulated voltage, and said voltage control apparatus being coupled to receive an external signal that is transmitted from an external control apparatus for designating that said regulated voltage is to be made lower than a predetermined first regulated value; wherein said voltage control apparatus comprises: an engine starting judgement circuit for detecting occurrence of an engine starting interval; an external signal judgement circuit for detecting when said external signal is being received from said external control apparatus; and a regulated voltage changeover circuit responsive to respective output signals from said engine starting judgement circuit and said external signal judgement circuit, for changing said regulated voltage from said first regulated value to a second regulated value that is lower than said first regulated value, when said external signal judgement circuit detects that said external signal is being received and said engine starting judgement circuit does not detect said engine starting interval, and for changing said regulated voltage to a third regulated value that is lower than said second regulated value, when said external signal judgement circuit detects that said external signal is being received and said engine starting judgement circuit concurrently detects occurrence of said engine starting interval.