An ECU of a vehicle performs diagnosis processing for diagnosing whether or not a charge relay has stuck after end of charging of a power storage. When the diagnosis processing has not normally ended, the ECU requests connection again of a connector to a charge port for performing re-diagnosis processing for diagnosing again whether or not the charge relay has stuck. When the connector and the charge port are connected to each other again, the ECU determines whether or not it has received a charging start signal from a DC power feed facility. When the ECU has received the charging start signal, it does not perform re-diagnosis processing.

A safety input device for use in a single-wire safety system comprises a fast-switching architecture that allows a safety signal to propagate through the safety device to downstream devices with negligible delay. Rather than placing the signal processor in-line between the signal input and output terminals of the safety device, an electronic switch is placed between the input and output terminals. A signal processor in parallel with the switch monitors the incoming signal and closes the switch if the safety signal is absent, effectively shorting the input and output terminals and allowing the incoming safety signal to pass substantially instantaneously. Loss of the safety signal at the input terminal is immediately reflected by the loss of safety signal output at the output terminal, eliminating processing delay between loss of the safety signal at the input terminal and cessation of the output signal at the output terminal.

A weld detection apparatus is mounted on a vehicle and measures first and second voltages of a first capacitor. The first voltage is measured when the first capacitor is charged while connected in series to a power supply and a ground of a vehicle body while switches that connect the power supply to a load circuit are controlled to be in a first state. The second voltage is measured at a predetermined timing, when the first capacitor is charged while connected in series to the power supply and the ground of the vehicle body while the switches are controlled to be in a second state different from the first state. The apparatus performs a weld detection process to decide which of the switches is welded in an ON-state when a difference between the first and second voltages is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value.

A method is disclosed for testing a latching magnet of a switch including a switching contact, formed from contact elements mechanically separated from one another for opening the switching contact; an electronic trip unit, to monitor current flowing via the contact elements and to perform a test for a current-dependent trip condition; an electrical energy store, forming a circuit with the winding of the latching magnet, the circuit being closed for a first closing time when the trip condition of the trip unit is met; and an actuator, actuable by closing off the circuit and configured to separate the contact elements. For test purposes, the circuit is closed for a second closing time, which is so short that separation of the contact elements by the actuator does not take place. A test is then performed to ascertain whether there is a current flowing via the winding of the latching magnet.

A plurality of driving circuits drive a plurality of contactors for connecting the battery pack and an external apparatus, respectively, based on a supply voltage. A processing circuitry control the plurality of driving circuits to sequentially close the plurality of contactors in a predetermined order, and check the supply voltage before closing each of the contactors.

An abnormality detection device for a grid interconnection relay to detect an abnormality of the grid interconnection relay upon switching to grid independent operation, and includes an abnormality detector to execute commercial power system voltage determination of determining whether or not there is a commercial power system voltage, and first voltage determination to be executed if it is determined that there is no commercial power system voltage through the commercial power system voltage determination, of causing the power conditioner to chronologically alternately output monitor voltages having different values in a state where a contact of the grid interconnection relay is controlled to open and executing abnormality determination as to the grid interconnection relay according to whether or not each of the monitor voltages is followed by difference between a voltage of the power conditioner and voltage of the commercial power system with respect to corresponding one of the monitor voltages.

Provided is a method and device for obtaining internal side and external side insulation resistances of a relay. The method includes: controlling an insulation resistance obtaining circuit to output an AC signal; when both a main relay and a pre-charge relay are switched off, obtaining a first phase shift of the AC signal between two sampling points according to first collected electrical signals; obtaining an internal side insulation resistance of the main relay according to the first collected electrical signals and the first phase shift; controlling the pre-charge relay to be switched on; when the main relay is switched off and the pre-charge relay is switched on, obtaining a second phase shift of the AC signal between the two sampling points according to second collected electrical signals; and obtaining an external side insulation resistance of the main relay according to the second collected electrical signals and the second phase shift.

A system and method are disclosed for monitoring at least one relay contact. The system may include an emitter adapted for communication with a relay contact and configured to emit a signal, and a receiver adapted for communication with the relay contact and configured to detect a signal emitted by the emitter. The system may further include a controller adapted for communication with the emitter and receiver, and configured to determine an open or closed state of the relay contact. The controller may control the emitter to emit a signal, may determine a closed state of the relay contact if the receiver detects the signal, and may determine an open state of the relay contact if the receiver fails to detect the signal.

An abnormality diagnostic for a MOSFET switch element in a rechargeable battery pack for determining a short circuit abnormality (fusion) in a MOSFET switch element that causes a charge current to flow in. An on/off controller turns off a MOSFET causing a charge current to flow into a battery module, a start-of-charge instruction unit transmits to a charger an instruction signal to start a charging operation, and a short circuit abnormality diagnostic unit determines, based on a current sensor output, whether current is flowing through the MOSFET due to the charging operation to diagnose a short circuit abnormality in the MOSFET. After diagnosis of the MOSFET, a diagnosis of a short circuit abnormality in a MOSFET that causes a discharge current to flow out of the battery module is performed, and then a diagnosis of a short circuit abnormality in a charge relay is performed.

An electrical circuit includes a contact with a pair of switchable electrodes, the contact configured to cycle through make and break transitions while conducting current. The electrical circuit further includes an arc suppressor, at least one sensor, and a controller circuit. The arc suppressor is coupled across the pair of switchable electrodes and is to extinguish an arc formed across the pair of switchable electrodes during the make and break transitions of the contact. The at least one sensor is coupled to the pair of switchable electrodes and is configured to generate sensor data. The controller circuit includes a plurality of registers and is configured to detect a fault condition associated with the contact based on the sensor data. The controller circuit further sequences contact opening of the contact based on the detected fault condition and a timing value stored in at least one register of the plurality of registers.