Patent ID: 9090238
Filing Date: 2015-07-28
Classification: B60T,G01K

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for diagnosing a temperature detection unit, mounted in a vehicle provided with a power conversion circuit including a switching element, a control unit configured to operate the switching element to control a torque of a main rotating machine electrically connected to the power conversion circuit to a demanded torque, the temperature detection unit being configured to detect a temperature of the switching element, the apparatus comprising: a current supply increasing unit configured to operate the switching element to increase a current supply to the switching element; an estimation unit configured to estimate a detection temperature of the temperature detection unit when the current supply to the switching element is increased by the current supply increasing unit under an assumption that temperature detection unit is operating normally; a range calculation unit configured to calculate an acceptable range of the estimate of the detection temperature defined by an upper limit side threshold higher than the estimated detection temperature by a first predefined value and a lower limit side threshold lower than the estimated detection temperature by a second predefined value; a diagnostic unit configured to, when it is determined that the detection temperature of the temperature detection unit is out of the acceptable range of the estimate of the detection temperature at a time the detection temperature is estimated by the estimation unit, determine that an abnormality is present in the temperature detection unit; and a permission unit configured to permit the current supply increasing unit to increase the current supply only when a braking torque is being applied to the vehicle by a braking unit.