Battery monitoring system for a vehicle and a method thereof

• US 10,168,364 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wipro Limited
• Original Assignee: Wipro Limited
• Inventors: Chakrabarty, Rudranil
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Inge, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US15/413,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20180149681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 307 91
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/006 to power outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/14 to electric lighting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/033 characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0866 comprising several power sources, e.g. battery and capacitor or two batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/165 Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3828 using current integration
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/002 in which a reserve is maintained in an energy source by disconnecting non-critical loads, e.g. maintaining a reserve of charge in a vehicle battery for starting an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• 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 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a battery source monitoring system for a vehicle. The system comprises at least one current sensor configured to detect current flow from one or more accessory devices connected to an auxiliary battery source. The control unit on detecting vehicle ignition OFF condition, is configured to determine ON condition of one or more accessory devices and switch power source of the one or more accessory devices in ON condition from primary battery source to auxiliary battery source. The control unit then compares current flow received from current sensor with a predetermined threshold. When current flow detected by current sensor surpasses predetermined threshold, the control unit disconnects one or more accessory devices from auxiliary battery source and primary battery source, and switch power source of one or more accessory devices from auxiliary battery source to the primary battery source, thereby monitoring battery source of vehicle.

Claims

1. A battery source monitoring system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a plurality of switching circuits, each switching circuit with a two-way current line to enable switching of one or more accessory devices between a primary battery source and an auxiliary battery source;

at least one current sensor configured to detect current consumption of the one or more accessory devices connected to an auxiliary battery source; and

a control unit, interfaced to the plurality of switching circuits, the primary battery source, the auxiliary battery source, the at least one current sensor and an ignition sensor, on detecting vehicle ignition OFF condition, is configured to;

determine ON condition of the one or more accessory devices;

switch power source of the one or more accessory devices in ON condition from the primary battery source to the auxiliary battery source;

comparing current consumption of each accessory device with a predetermined threshold; and

when the current consumption of a first accessory device surpasses the predetermined threshold, control the plurality of switching circuits to;

disconnect the first accessory device from the auxiliary battery source by switching power source of the first accessory device from the auxiliary battery source to the primary battery source; and

selectively power the remaining accessory devices and the at least one current sensor by the auxiliary battery source simultaneously, thereby monitoring the battery source of the vehicle.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one current sensor is powered by the auxiliary battery source.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more accessory devices are powered by the primary battery source at vehicle ignition ON condition.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a user interface to receive user preferences for deactivating the one or more accessory devices during the vehicle ignition OFF condition.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the one or more de-activated accessory devices are preferred by the user to be in OFF condition during vehicle ignition OFF condition.

6. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the user interface is configured to notify a user about the current flow to the one or more de-activated accessory devices connected to the auxiliary battery source.

7. A method for monitoring a battery source of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining, by a control unit, ON condition of one or more accessory devices when vehicle ignition is in OFF condition;

switching, by the control unit, power source of the one or more accessory devices in ON condition from a primary battery source to an auxiliary battery source, wherein switching of the one or more accessory devices between the primary battery source and the auxiliary battery source is performed using a plurality of switching circuits, each switching circuit with a two-way current line;

receiving, by the control unit, current consumption of the one or more accessory devices connected to the auxiliary battery source from at least one current sensor;

comparing, by the control unit, the current consumption of each accessory device with a predetermined threshold; and

controlling the plurality of switching circuits, by the control unit, when the current consumption of a first accessory device surpasses the predetermined threshold, wherein controlling the plurality of switching circuits comprises;

disconnecting the first accessory devices from the auxiliary battery source by switching power source of the first accessory device from the auxiliary battery source to the primary battery source; and

selectively powering the remaining accessory devices and the at least one current sensor by the auxiliary battery source simultaneously, thereby monitoring the battery source of the vehicle.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one current sensor is powered by the auxiliary power source.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising receiving, by a user interface, user preferences for deactivating one or more accessory devices during the vehicle ignition OFF condition.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising powering the one or more de-activated accessory devices by the primary battery source at vehicle ignition ON condition.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising providing a notification on the user interface about the current flow to the one or more de-activated accessory devices connected to the auxiliary battery source.

12. A control unit for monitoring a battery source of a vehicle, comprising:

a processing unit; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processing unit, wherein the memory stores processor instructions, which, on execution, causes the processing unit to;

determine ON condition of one or more accessory devices when vehicle ignition is in OFF condition;

switch power source of the one or more accessory devices in ON condition from a primary battery source to an auxiliary battery source, wherein switching of the one or more accessory devices between the primary battery source and the auxiliary battery source is performed using a plurality of switching circuits, each switching circuit with a two-way current line;

receive current consumption of the one or more accessory devices connected to the auxiliary battery source from at least one current sensor;

compare the current consumption of each accessory device with a predetermined threshold; and

control the plurality of switching circuits, by the control unit, when the current consumption of a first accessory device surpasses the predetermined threshold, wherein controlling the plurality of switching circuits is to;

disconnect the first accessory device from the auxiliary battery source by switching power source of the first accessory device from the auxiliary battery source to the primary battery source; and

selectively power the remaining accessory devices and the at least one current sensor by the auxiliary battery source simultaneously, thereby monitoring the battery source of the vehicle.

13. The control unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the one or more accessory devices are powered by the primary battery source at vehicle ignition ON condition.