1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric-powered vehicle, and particularly to an electric-powered vehicle chargeable by an external power supply.
2. Description of the Background Art
An electric-powered vehicle is mounted with a power storage device (such as secondary battery or capacitor for example) and travels by using driving force generated from electric power stored in the power storage device. The electric-powered vehicle includes, for example, electric vehicle, hybrid vehicle and fuel-cell vehicle.
In recent years, a technique has been proposed for charging a power storage device mounted on such electric-powered vehicles as described above by a commercial power supply having a high power generation efficiency. With this technique, increase in fuel consumption efficiency of the hybrid vehicle for example can be expected. In particular, attention is given to a technique for charging a power storage device mounted on an electric-powered vehicle by a commercial power supply providing electric power to each household (a power source of a relatively low voltage such as 100 V or 200 V, for example).
When a power storage device mounted on a vehicle is charged, generally a plug of a charge cable is connected to a connector provided to the vehicle. If the vehicle travels while the plug of the charge cable is still connected to the connector, various problems such as damage to the charge cable could occur.
Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 1-105301 for example discloses a vehicle including a device for detecting that a battery is being charged. When it is detected that supply of electric power to a travel control circuit is started and it is detected that the battery is being charged, the vehicle is disabled from traveling.
Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 1-105301 discloses that the device for detecting that the battery is being charged is a switch that is turned on when a connector of a charger and a connector used for supplying the electric power from an external power supply are connected. There is a possibility, however, that the switch fails. If the switch cannot be turned off, the vehicle is unable to travel regardless of the fact that the vehicle is not being charged. Accordingly, the convenience of the user could be deteriorated. Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 1-105301, however, does not disclose a specific method for avoiding the problem that the user cannot use the vehicle due to a malfunction of a detection system used for detecting the state of connection of the connector provided to the vehicle.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds