Variable wakeup of a high-voltage charger based on low-voltage system parameters

• US 10,086,709 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Roberts, Daniel Paul, Mansur, William Najib, Malone, Mark Douglas, Dalrymple, Beth Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Omar, Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US15/182,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20170355268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/18 by enquiring driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/10 using propulsion power supplied by engine-driven generators, e.g. generators driven by combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/91 Battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 : Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 : Assembly or relative location of components

Abstract

A method of operating a vehicular system includes charging, by a controller and via an electric vehicle charge station, a low-voltage battery when a module powered by the low-voltage battery is awake and an SOC of the low-voltage battery is less than a threshold; and in response to the SOC exceeding the threshold, commanding by the controller the module to enter a sleep mode for a sleep duration defined by a power usage of the module such that as the power usage changes, the sleep duration changes.

Claims

1. A vehicle method comprising:

by a controller,

charging via an electric vehicle charge station a low-voltage battery when a module, powered by the low-voltage battery, is awake; and

in response to an SOC of the low-voltage battery exceeding a threshold, commanding the module to enter a sleep mode for a duration defined by an average power draw of the module while awake.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration increases as the average current draw of the module increases.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration is further defined by a profile of a current of the low-voltage battery indicative of a customer driving habit that includes electronic power steering usage, air conditioning usage, and seat heater usage.

4. The method of claim 1 further including adjusting the duration based on a battery parameter.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the battery parameter is a temperature, an age, or a capacity of the low-voltage battery.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the battery parameter is a self-discharge rate or an internal impedance of the low-voltage battery.

7. A vehicle comprising:

a module powered by a low-voltage battery; and

a controller configured to, while coupled with a charge station, route current to the low-voltage battery after expiration of a time period that has a duration defined by a change in current of the low-voltage battery associated with operation of the module and a parameter associated with the low-voltage battery.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the parameter is a temperature, an age, or a capacity of the low-voltage battery.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the duration decreases as the temperature of the low-voltage battery increases.

10. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the parameter is a self-discharge rate or an internal impedance of the low-voltage battery.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the duration decreases as the internal impedance increases.

12. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the duration is further defined by a profile of a current of the low-voltage battery indicative of a customer driving habit that includes a desired interior temperature of the vehicle, and seat heater usage.

13. A vehicle comprising:

a controller configured to, while coupled with a charge station, route current from the charge station to a low-voltage battery in response to (i) an SOC of the low-voltage battery being below a threshold and (ii) an expiration of a sleep duration that is defined by a change in current of the low-voltage battery and a parameter associated with the low-voltage battery.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the parameter is a capacity of the low-voltage battery.

15. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the parameter is an internal impedance of the low-voltage battery.

16. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the sleep duration is further defined by a profile of a current of the low-voltage battery indicative of a customer driving habit that includes a desired temperature of an interior of the vehicle, and seat heater usage.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the parameter is a temperature, an age, or a capacity of the low-voltage battery.

18. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the parameter is a self-discharge rate or an internal impedance of the low-voltage battery.

19. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the sleep duration decreases as the low-voltage battery current increases.