Patent ID: 7570027
Filing Date: 2009-08-04
Classification: H02J,H02P,Y02T

Abstract:
1. An electric power generation control apparatus to be connected to an external controller equipped with a vehicle interface circuit configured to generate and output a control signal, the external controller may be of any one circuit type of different circuit types, comprising: a control signal receiving circuit configured to receive the control signal corresponding to the circuit type of the external controller through a receiving terminal and that generates a start instruction signal from the control signal; an electric power supply circuit configured to initiate its operation when the control signal receiving circuit receives the control signal transferred from the external controller; and an electric power generation control circuit configured to control an electric power generation in a vehicle alternator based on the electric power supplied by the electric power supply circuit; wherein the vehicle interface circuit incorporated in the external controller is made of one of a pull-up circuit and a pull-down circuit, and the vehicle interface circuit generates a power switch-on signal as the control signal and transfers the power switch-on signal to the electric power generation control apparatus, and the control signal receiving circuit detects the power switch-on signal transferred from one of the pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit incorporated in the external controller based on a voltage potential at the receiving terminal.