Method and apparatus for preventing deep discharging of auxiliary battery in association with reprogramming of ECU

• US 10,052,964 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Park, Dae Ro, Cho, Jae Hoon, Park, Hyun Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/076,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20170197521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320108, 320109, 701 1, 701 33
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/40 related to technical updates when adding new parts or software
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A battery control method includes: receiving a reprogramming request from a diagnostic device located outside of a vehicle to reprogram software of one or more electronic control units (ECUs) of the vehicle; performing reprogramming of the one or more ECUs or recharging of an auxiliary battery according to a number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed and whether or not a state of charge (SOC) of the auxiliary battery exceeds a critical value varied depending on the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed; and sending a signal informing of the reprogramming or a warning signal associated with the recharging to the diagnostic device.

Claims

1. A battery control method of a recharging/discharging controller comprising:

receiving a reprogramming request from a diagnostic device located outside of a vehicle to reprogram software of one or more electronic control units (ECUs) of the vehicle;

determining a number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed and whether or not a state of charge (SOC) of an auxiliary battery exceeds a critical value varied depending on the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed;

based on the determining step, performing reprogramming of the one or more ECUs or recharging of the auxiliary battery; and

sending a signal informing of the reprogramming or a warning signal associated with the recharging to the diagnostic device.

2. The battery control method according to claim 1, wherein the reprogramming of the one or more ECUs or recharging of the auxiliary battery comprises:

performing reprogramming of two or more ECUs when the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed is two or more, and the SOC of the auxiliary battery is greater than or equal to a first critical value; and

performing recharging of the auxiliary battery and sending the warning signal informing of impossibility of reprogramming to the diagnostic device when the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed is two or more, and the SOC of the auxiliary battery is less than the first critical value.

3. The battery control method according to claim 2, wherein the reprogramming of the one or more ECUs or recharging of the auxiliary battery further comprises:

performing reprogramming of one ECU when the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed is one, and the SOC of the auxiliary battery is greater than or equal to a second critical value less than the first critical value; and

performing recharging of the auxiliary battery and sending the warning signal informing of impossibility of reprogramming to the diagnostic device when the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed is one, and the SOC of the auxiliary battery is less than the second critical value.

4. The battery control method according to claim 3, wherein the reprogramming of the one or more ECUs or recharging of the auxiliary battery further comprises:

receiving the SOC of the auxiliary battery from an auxiliary battery sensor by the recharging/discharging controller.

5. The battery control method according to claim 4, wherein the reprogramming of the one or more ECUs or recharging of the auxiliary battery further comprises:

comparing the received SOC of the auxiliary battery with the first critical value and the second critical value by the recharging/discharging controller.

6. The battery control method according to claim 5, wherein the receiving of the reprogramming request comprises:

receiving an ECU reprogramming request from the diagnostic device by the recharging/discharging controller via vehicle communication.

7. The battery control method according to claim 6, further comprising:

receiving the SOC of the auxiliary battery from the auxiliary battery sensor by the recharging/discharging controller at intervals of a first period; and

comparing the received SOC of the auxiliary battery with the first critical value and the second critical value at intervals of a second period.

8. The battery control method according to claim 7, wherein the reprogramming of the one or more ECUs or recharging of the auxiliary battery further comprises:

activating a main battery relay and a low voltage DC-DC converter when the recharging/discharging controller performs the recharging of the auxiliary battery.

9. The battery control method according to claim 8, wherein the reprogramming of the one or more ECUs or recharging of the auxiliary battery further comprises:

stopping the recharging of the auxiliary battery performed under the condition that the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed is two or more, and the SOC of the auxiliary battery is less than the first critical value, when the SOC of the auxiliary battery varies to be greater than or equal to the first critical value, and then, reprogramming the two or more ECUs.

10. The battery control method according to claim 9, wherein the reprogramming of the one or more ECUs or recharging of the auxiliary battery further comprises:

stopping the recharging of the auxiliary battery performed under the condition that the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed is one, and the SOC of the auxiliary battery is less than the second critical value, when the SOC of the auxiliary battery varies to be greater than or equal to the second critical value, and then, reprogramming the ECU.

11. A recharging/discharging controller comprising:

a communication unit receiving a reprogramming request from a diagnostic device located outside of a vehicle to reprogram software of one or more electronic control units (ECUs); and

a control unit determining a number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed and whether or not a state of charge (SOC) of an auxiliary, battery exceeds a critical value varied depending on the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed, and based on the determination, performing reprogramming of the one or more ECUs or recharging of the auxiliary battery,

wherein the communication unit sends a signal informing of the reprogramming or a warning signal associated with the recharging to the diagnostic device.

12. The recharging/discharging controller according to claim 11, wherein:

the control unit performs reprogramming of two or more ECUs when the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed is two or more, and the SOC of the auxiliary battery is greater than or equal to a first critical value; and

the control unit performs recharging of the auxiliary battery and controls the communication unit to send the warning signal informing of impossibility of reprogramming to the diagnostic device when the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed is two or more, and the SOC of the auxiliary battery is less than the first critical value.

13. The recharging/discharging controller according to claim 12, wherein:

the control unit performs reprogramming of one ECU when the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed is one, and the SOC of the auxiliary battery is greater than or equal to a second critical value less than the first critical value; and

the control unit performs recharging of the auxiliary battery and controls the communication unit to send the warning signal informing of impossibility of reprogramming to the diagnostic device when the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed is one, and the SOC of the auxiliary battery is less than the second critical value.

14. The recharging/discharging controller according to claim 13, wherein the communication unit receives the SOC of the auxiliary battery from an auxiliary battery sensor.

15. The recharging/discharging controller according to claim 14, wherein the control unit compares the received SOC of the auxiliary battery with the first critical value and the second critical value.

16. The recharging/discharging controller according to claim 15, wherein the communication unit receives an ECU reprogramming request from the diagnostic device via vehicle communication.

17. The recharging/discharging controller according to claim 16, wherein:

the communication unit receives the SOC of the auxiliary battery from the auxiliary battery sensor at intervals of a first period; and

the control unit compares the received SOC of the auxiliary battery with the first critical value and the second critical value at intervals of a second period.

18. The recharging/discharging controller according to claim 17, wherein the control unit activates a main battery relay and a low voltage DC-DC converter when the recharging/discharging controller performs the recharging of the auxiliary battery.

19. The recharging/discharging controller according to claim 18, wherein the control unit stops the recharging of the auxiliary battery performed under the condition that the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed is two or more, and the SOC of the auxiliary battery is less than the first critical value, when the SOC of the auxiliary battery varies to be greater than or equal to the first critical value, and then, performs the reprogramming of the two or more ECUs.

20. The recharging/discharging controller according to claim 19, wherein the control unit stops the recharging of the auxiliary battery performed under the condition that the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed is one, and the SOC of the auxiliary battery is less than the second critical value, when the SOC of the auxiliary battery varies to be greater than or equal to the second critical value, and then, performs the reprogramming of the ECU.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for performing a battery control method, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that receive a reprogramming request from a diagnostic device located outside of a vehicle to reprogram software of one or more electronic control units (ECUs) of the vehicle;

program instructions that determine a number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed and whether or not a state of charge (SOC) of an auxiliary battery exceeds a critical value varied depending on the number of the ECUs to be reprogrammed;

program instructions that perform reprogramming of the one or more ECUs or recharging of the auxiliary battery according to the determination; and

program instructions that send a signal informing of the reprogramming or a warning signal associated with the recharging to the diagnostic device.