Short circuit wake-up system and method for automotive battery while in key-off position
First Claim
1. An automotive battery system to be implemented in an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- a first battery configured to supply electrical power to an electrical system of the automotive vehicle when coupled to the electrical system;
a first switch electrically coupled between the first battery and the electrical system, wherein the first switch is configured to electrically couple or decouple the first battery to or from the electrical system;
a wake-up control unit electrically coupled to a first terminal of the first battery, wherein the wake-up control unit is configured to, while the automotive vehicle is in a key-off position;
receive a voltage at the first terminal of the first battery;
determine an instantaneous rate of voltage change based on the voltage at the first terminal during a hibernation mode;
determine whether a short circuit is expected to be present in the automotive battery system based on whether the instantaneous rate of voltage change is greater than a predetermined threshold voltage value; and
provide an activation signal upon determining that the short circuit is expected to be present; and
a battery control unit communicatively coupled to the first switch and the wake-up control unit, wherein the battery control unit is configured to;
enter the hibernation mode upon receiving a key-off indication;
determine a current measured at the first terminal of the first battery upon waking up from the hibernation mode upon receiving the activation signal;
determine whether the short circuit is actually present in the automotive battery system based on whether the current measured at the first terminal is greater than a predetermined threshold current value; and
instruct the first switch to decouple the first battery from the electrical system upon determining that the short circuit condition is actually present.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present disclosure includes an automotive battery system including a first battery that couples to an electrical system. Additionally, the first battery includes a first battery chemistry. Further, the automotive battery system includes a second battery coupled in parallel with the first battery and couples to the electrical system. Furthermore, the automotive battery system includes a first switch coupled to a positive terminal of the second battery, which electrically couples or decouples the second battery to or from the electrical system. Moreover, the automotive battery system includes a battery control unit that detects a short circuit condition of the first battery, the second battery, or both and decouples the second battery from the electrical system by opening the first switch upon detecting the short circuit condition.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An automotive battery system to be implemented in an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- a first battery configured to supply electrical power to an electrical system of the automotive vehicle when coupled to the electrical system;
a first switch electrically coupled between the first battery and the electrical system, wherein the first switch is configured to electrically couple or decouple the first battery to or from the electrical system; a wake-up control unit electrically coupled to a first terminal of the first battery, wherein the wake-up control unit is configured to, while the automotive vehicle is in a key-off position; receive a voltage at the first terminal of the first battery; determine an instantaneous rate of voltage change based on the voltage at the first terminal during a hibernation mode; determine whether a short circuit is expected to be present in the automotive battery system based on whether the instantaneous rate of voltage change is greater than a predetermined threshold voltage value; and provide an activation signal upon determining that the short circuit is expected to be present; and a battery control unit communicatively coupled to the first switch and the wake-up control unit, wherein the battery control unit is configured to; enter the hibernation mode upon receiving a key-off indication; determine a current measured at the first terminal of the first battery upon waking up from the hibernation mode upon receiving the activation signal; determine whether the short circuit is actually present in the automotive battery system based on whether the current measured at the first terminal is greater than a predetermined threshold current value; and instruct the first switch to decouple the first battery from the electrical system upon determining that the short circuit condition is actually present. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- a first battery configured to supply electrical power to an electrical system of the automotive vehicle when coupled to the electrical system;
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13. A method for operating a short circuit detection and protection system of an automotive battery system in an automotive vehicle, comprising:
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powering down vehicle system electronics except for a wake-up control unit when the automotive vehicle transitions from a key-on position to a key-off position; and while the automotive vehicle is in the key-off position; entering a hibernation mode of short circuit detection electronics upon receiving a key-off indication; comparing, using the wake-up control unit, an instantaneous rate of voltage change based on a voltage output from a battery module to a predetermined threshold voltage value during the hibernation mode; providing, using the wake-up control unit, a wake-up signal to short circuit detection electronics when a short circuit is expected to be present based on whether the instantaneous rate of voltage change is greater than the predetermined threshold voltage value; determining, using the short circuit detection electronics, upon waking up from the hibernation mode once receiving the wake-up signal whether a short circuit condition exists based on whether a current output from the battery module is greater than a predetermined threshold current value; and instructing a switch electrically coupled between an individual battery within the battery module and a terminal of the battery module when the short circuit detection electronics determines that the short circuit condition exists. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A battery module for use in a vehicle, comprising:
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a housing; a first terminal and a second terminal coupled to the housing; a first switch disposed in the housing, wherein the first switch is electrically coupled to the second terminal; a first battery disposed in the housing, wherein the first battery is electrically coupled between the first terminal and the switch; a battery control unit communicatively coupled to the switch, wherein the battery control unit is configured to control operation of the first battery, a second battery, and the switch upon waking up from the hibernation mode once receiving a wake-up signal from the wake-up control unit, wherein the battery control unit is configured to enter a hibernation mode upon receiving a key-off indication, and wherein the battery control unit is configured to determine whether a short circuit condition exists based on whether a current at the first terminal is greater than a predetermined threshold current value upon receiving the wake-up signal; a wake-up control unit electrically coupled to the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein the wake-up control unit is configured to, while the vehicle is in a key-off position; determine whether a short circuit is expected to be present in the automotive battery system based on whether an instantaneous rate of voltage change of a voltage at the first terminal is greater than a predetermined threshold voltage value during the hibernation mode; and provide the wake-up signal to the battery control unit upon determining that the short circuit is expected to be present to wake-up the battery control unit from the hibernation mode; and a capacitor bank disposed within the housing and electrically coupled to the battery control unit and the switch, wherein the capacitor bank is configured to provide power used to operate the battery control unit and the switch while the vehicle is in the key-off position after the wake-up control unit provides the wake-up signal to the battery control unit. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification