Patent ID: 8427103

Claim:
A charging device for an electric vehicle, which charges a storage device for supplying electric power to an electric motor for driving the electric vehicle, and includes a first charging circuit for charging electric power supplied from an external power source to said storage device via an on-board charger and a second charging circuit for charging electric power supplied from an external charger to said storage device without passing through said on-board charger, said charging device comprising: a first connection terminal connected to said first charging circuit, which establishes a connection with said external power source; a second connection terminal connected to said second charging circuit, which establishes a connection with said external charger and has a different shape to said first connection terminal and includes a signal terminal for supplying a signal and a power terminal for supplying the charging electric power from the external charger; and a charging system switching control circuit for charging said storage device, such that the charging system switching control circuit is configured so as to activate one of the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal based at least partially on a determination that the first connection terminal is connected to said external power source and the second connection terminal is connected to said external charger so as to charge the storage device from only one of said first charging circuit and said second charging circuit and preventing simultaneous charging from both said first charging circuit and said second charging circuit, wherein, when said external power source is connected to said first connection terminal and said external charger is connected to said second connection terminal, the charging system switching control circuit activates one of the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal based at least partially on the signal from the signal terminal.