Vehicle battery drainage avoidance

• US 10,173,547 B1
• Filed: 12/02/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
• Inventors: Denson, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/367,960
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage

Abstract

A system for drainage avoidance includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive an indication to power on. A wake up voltage is increased after a power on signal is received. The processor is configured to perform a boot sequence, determine whether the boot sequence completed successfully, and in the event the boot sequence completed successfully, provide a reset indication to reset the wake up voltage.

Claims

1. A system for drainage avoidance, comprising:

an interface configured to receive an indication to power on, wherein a wake up voltage threshold is increased after a power on signal is received; and

a processor configured to;

perform a boot sequence;

determine whether the boot sequence completed successfully; and

in the event the boot sequence completed successfully;

provide a reset indication to reset the wake up voltage threshold;

monitor a vehicle battery voltage, wherein monitoring the vehicle battery voltage comprises determining a time averaged voltage value and comparing the time averaged voltage value with a battery level threshold voltage; and

in the event it is determined that the time averaged voltage value is less than the battery level threshold voltage during monitoring the vehicle battery voltage;

provide an increase indication to increase the wake up voltage threshold; and

shut down the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, in the event the boot sequence does not complete successfully, the reset indication to reset the wake up voltage threshold is not provided.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wake up voltage threshold is increased using a hardware circuit after the power on signal is received.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wake up voltage threshold is increased using a processor indication after the power on signal is received.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the wake up voltage threshold is increased from a prior wake up voltage threshold.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein, in the event the prior wake up voltage threshold comprises a maximum wake up voltage threshold, the wake up voltage threshold is not increased.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein increasing the wake up voltage threshold comprises providing a change value indication to change a value of a digital potentiometer.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein increasing the wake up voltage threshold comprises providing an increase value indication to increase the value of the wake up voltage threshold by 0.5 V.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to wait for a predetermined period of time after receiving the indication to power on before determining whether the boot sequence completed successfully.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein determining whether the boot sequence completed successfully comprises determining whether a specific code step has been reached.

11. A method for drainage avoidance, comprising:

receiving an indication to power on, wherein a wake up voltage threshold is increased after the power on signal is received;

performing, using a processor, a boot sequence;

determining whether the boot sequence completed successfully; and

in the event the boot sequence completed successfully,

providing a reset indication to reset the wake up voltage threshold;

monitoring a vehicle battery voltage, wherein monitoring the vehicle battery voltage comprises determining a time averaged voltage value and comparing the time averaged voltage value with a battery level threshold voltage; and

in the event it is determined that the time averaged voltage value is less than the battery level threshold voltage during monitoring the vehicle battery voltage;

providing an increase indication to increase the wake up voltage threshold; and

shutting down the system.

12. A computer program product for drainage avoidance, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving an indication to power on, wherein a wake up voltage threshold is increased after the power on signal is received;

performing a boot sequence;

determining whether the boot sequence completed successfully; and

in the event the boot sequence completed successfully,

providing a reset indication to reset the wake up voltage threshold;

monitoring a vehicle battery voltage, wherein monitoring the vehicle battery voltage comprises determining a time averaged voltage value and comparing the time averaged voltage value with a battery level threshold voltage; and

in the event it is determined that the time averaged voltage value is less than the battery level threshold voltage during monitoring the vehicle battery voltage;

providing an increase indication to increase the wake up voltage threshold; and

shutting down the system.