Power generation shutdown alert

• US 10,109,176 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2014
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wright, Robert, Ortmann, Walter Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Tun, Nay
• Application Number:
  US14/189,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20150243151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,701 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/143 Alarm means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18054 at stand still, e.g. engine in idling state hill holding B60W30/18118
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/14 Toxic gas alarms G08B21/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 : Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, communicating an alert to a location remote from a vehicle in response to disabling a Power Generation mode of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

controlling a vehicle in a Power Generation mode by commanding an engine and an electric machine of the vehicle to generate and supply power to an electrical accessory separate from the vehicle, and controlling the vehicle includes communicating an alert to a location remote from the vehicle in response to disabling the Power Generation mode of the vehicle.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV).

3. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising controlling the vehicle in the Power Generation mode only if the vehicle is in park.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the disabling step is performed in response to a detected carbon monoxide level exceeding a threshold carbon monoxide level.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the disabling step is performed in response to exceeding predefined energy usage limits of the vehicle.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising entering energy usage limits for limiting a total amount of energy consumed by the engine and the electric machine during the Power Generation mode.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising performing a series of periodic system checks to monitor a total energy usage of the engine and the electric machine of the vehicle during the Power Generation mode.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the disabling step is performed in response to at least one of the following occurring:

exceeding a fuel consumption limit;

exceeding an energy consumption limit;

exceeding a time usage limit;

or

detecting a vehicle failure mode.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communicating step includes sending the alert to a computing device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the power generated during the Power Generation mode is supplied to a power point located on the vehicle which the electrical accessory is connectable to.

11. A vehicle control method, comprising:

operating a vehicle in a Power Generation mode by controlling an engine and an electric machine of the vehicle to supply power to an electrical accessory separate from the vehicle;

monitoring a total fuel consumption of the engine and a total energy consumption of the electric machine, wherein the total energy consumption is the amount of energy the electric machine consumes from a battery when powering the electrical accessory;

disabling the Power Generation mode if a fuel consumption limit or an energy consumption limit has been exceeded; and

communicating an alert to a location remote from the vehicle in response to disabling the Power Generation mode.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, comprising disabling the Power Generation mode if a detected carbon monoxide level exceeds a threshold carbon monoxide level.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the alert includes a phone call, a text message or an email sent to a computing device located remotely from the vehicle.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the communicating step includes wirelessly sending the alert to a computing device over a cellular network.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, comprising:

monitoring a total time usage associated with the Power Generation mode; and

disabling the Power Generation mode if a time usage limit has been exceeded.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, comprising:

monitoring the vehicle for any failure modes associated with the engine or the electric machine; and

disabling the Power Generation mode if the failure mode has been detected.

17. A vehicle system, comprising:

an engine;

an electric machine;

a control unit in communication with said engine and said electric machine and configured to control said engine and said electric machine in a Power Generation mode in which power is generated and supplied to an electrical accessory separate from the vehicle system; and

an alert system that provides remote notification of shutdown of said Power Generation mode.

18. The vehicle system as recited in claim 17, comprising a driver interface that provides selection of various vehicle operating modes including said Power Generation mode.

19. The vehicle system as recited in claim 17, wherein said alert system includes a communication system that comprises a transceiver.

20. The vehicle system as recited in claim 17, comprising a carbon monoxide detection system that includes a sensor that measures ambient levels of carbon monoxide in the area of said system.

21. The vehicle system as recited in claim 17, wherein said alert system provides said remote notification in the form of an alert communicated to a computing device.

22. The vehicle system as recited in claim 17, comprising a power point mounted to a wall of the vehicle system, said electrical accessory connectable to a power outlet of said power point.