Battery state of function prediction with warm/cold cranking recognition and self-correction

• US 10,288,029 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2017
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Esteve, Jose Antonio Canals, Fabregas, Antoni Ferre, Alari, David Gamez
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mo, Xiao En
• Application Number:
  US15/606,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20180340483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0814 comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0844 with means for restarting the engine directly after an engine stop request, e.g. caused by change of driver mind
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0862 characterised by the electrical power supply means, e.g. battery
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/108 for diagnosis of the starter or its components
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/06 said parameters being related to the power supply or driving circuits for the starter
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/062 Battery current
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/063 Battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2250/02 Battery voltage drop at start, e.g. drops causing ECU reset

Abstract

A system for a vehicle having an engine and a battery includes a memory and a controller. The memory has a first current expected to be provided by the battery for restarting the engine during a warm cranking event and a second current expected to be provided by the battery for restarting the engine during a cold cranking event. The controller to predict a first minimum voltage of the battery expected during the warm cranking event based on the first current and a second minimum voltage of the battery expected during the cold cranking event based on the second current.

Claims

1. A system for a vehicle having an engine and a battery, comprising:

a memory having a first current expected to be provided by the battery for restarting the engine during a warm cranking event and a second current expected to be provided by the battery for restarting the engine during a cold cranking event;

a controller to predict a first minimum voltage of the battery expected during the warm cranking event based on the first current and a second minimum voltage of the battery expected during the cold cranking event based on the second current;

wherein the controller further to detect a new cranking event as being the warm cranking event as a measured current provided by the battery during the new cranking event is closer to the first current than to the second current, generate a correction factor based on a difference between a measured voltage of the battery during the new cranking event and the first minimum voltage, and predict a third minimum voltage of the battery expected during a next warm cranking event based on the first current and the correction factor; and

wherein the controller further to enable the engine to be stopped ahead of a subsequent cranking event following the new cranking event when the second minimum voltage of the battery is greater than a minimum voltage threshold and to prevent the engine from being stopped ahead of the subsequent cranking event following the new cranking event when the second minimum voltage of the battery is less than the minimum voltage threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the controller further to detect a second new cranking event as being the cold cranking event as a measured current provided by the battery during the second new cranking event is closer to the second current than to the first current, generate a second correction factor based on a difference between a measured voltage of the battery during the second new cranking event and the second minimum voltage, and predict a fourth minimum voltage of the battery expected during a next cold cranking event based on the second current and the second correction factor.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the controller further to enable the engine to be stopped ahead of a subsequent cranking event following the second new cranking event when the fourth minimum voltage of the battery is greater than a minimum voltage threshold and to prevent the engine from being stopped ahead of the subsequent cranking event following the second new cranking event when the fourth minimum voltage of the battery is less than the minimum voltage threshold.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the memory includes a warm current profile having the first current and other currents provided by the battery during previous warm cranking events and a cold current profile having the second current and other currents provided by the battery during previous cold cranking events, wherein the first current is a maximum likelihood current of the warm current profile and the second current is a maximum likelihood current of the cold current profile.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein:

the controller further to store in the memory with the warm current profile a measured current provided by the battery during the warm cranking event, wherein the maximum likelihood current of the warm current profile is based on the currents of the warm current profile including the measured current provided by the battery during the warm cranking event; and

the controller further to store in the memory with the cold current profile a measured current provided by the battery during the cold cranking event, wherein the maximum likelihood current of the cold current profile is based on the currents of the cold current profile including the measured current provided by the battery during the cold cranking event.

6. A vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a battery;

a memory having a first current expected to be provided by the battery for restarting the engine during a warm cranking event and a second current expected to be provided by the battery for restarting the engine during a cold cranking event;

a controller to predict a first minimum voltage of the battery expected during the warm cranking event based on the first current and a second minimum voltage of the battery expected during the cold cranking event based on the second current;

wherein the controller further to detect a new cranking event as being the cold cranking event as a measured current provided by the battery during the new cranking event is closer to the second current than to the first current, generate a correction factor based on a difference between a measured voltage of the battery during the new cranking event and the second minimum voltage, and predict a fourth minimum voltage of the battery expected during a next cold cranking event based on the second current and the correction factor; and

wherein the controller further to enable the engine to be stopped ahead of a subsequent cranking event following the new cranking event when the fourth minimum voltage of the battery is greater than a minimum voltage threshold and to prevent the engine from being stopped ahead of the subsequent cranking event following the new cranking event when the fourth minimum voltage of the battery is less than the minimum voltage threshold.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein:

the controller further to detect a second new cranking event as being the warm cranking event as a measured current provided by the battery during the second new cranking event is closer to the first current than to the second current, generate a second correction factor based on a difference between a measured voltage of the battery during the second new cranking event and the first minimum voltage, and predict a third minimum voltage of the battery expected during a next warm cranking event based on the first current and the second correction factor.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 wherein:

the controller further to enable the engine to be stopped ahead of a subsequent cranking event following the second new cranking event when the second minimum voltage of the battery is greater than a minimum voltage threshold and to prevent the engine from being stopped ahead of the subsequent cranking event following the second new cranking event when the second minimum voltage of the battery is less than the minimum voltage threshold.

9. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein:

the memory includes a warm current profile having the first current and other currents provided by the battery during previous warm cranking events and a cold current profile having the second current and other currents provided by the battery during previous cold cranking events, wherein the first current is a maximum likelihood current of the warm current profile and the second current is a maximum likelihood current of the cold current profile.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein:

the controller further to store in the memory with the warm current profile a measured current provided by the battery during the warm cranking event, wherein the maximum likelihood current of the warm current profile is based on the currents of the warm current profile including the measured current provided by the battery during the warm cranking event; and

the controller further to store in the memory with the cold current profile a measured current provided by the battery during the cold cranking event, wherein the maximum likelihood current of the cold current profile is based on the currents of the cold current profile including the measured current provided by the battery during the cold cranking event.

11. A method for a vehicle having an engine and a battery, comprising:

storing in a memory a first current expected to be provided by the battery for restarting the engine during a warm cranking event and a second current expected to be provided by the battery for restarting the engine during a cold cranking event;

predicting a first minimum voltage of the battery expected during the warm cranking event based on the first current and a second minimum voltage of the battery expected during the cold cranking event based on the second current;

detecting a new cranking event as being the warm cranking event as a measured current provided by the battery during the new cranking event is closer to the first current than to the second current

generating a correction factor based on a difference between a measured voltage of the battery during the new cranking event and the first minimum voltage;

predicting a third minimum voltage of the battery expected during a next warm cranking event based on the first current and the correction factor;

enabling the engine to be stopped ahead of a subsequent cranking event following the new cranking event when the second minimum voltage of the battery is greater than a minimum voltage threshold; and

preventing the engine from being stopped ahead of the subsequent cranking event following the new cranking event when the second minimum voltage of the battery is less than the minimum voltage threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

detecting a second new cranking event as being the cold cranking event as a measured current provided by the battery during the second new cranking event is closer to the second current than to the first current;

generating a second correction factor based on a difference between a measured voltage of the battery during the second new cranking event and the second minimum voltage;

predicting a fourth minimum voltage of the battery expected during a next cold cranking event based on the second current and the second correction factor;

enabling the engine to be stopped ahead of a subsequent cranking event following the second new cranking event when the fourth minimum voltage of the battery is greater than a minimum voltage threshold; and

preventing the engine from being stopped ahead of the subsequent cranking event following the second new cranking event when the fourth minimum voltage of the battery is less than the minimum voltage threshold.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

storing in the memory a warm current profile having the first current and other currents provided by the battery during previous warm cranking events and a cold current profile having the second current and other currents provided by the battery during previous cold cranking events; and

wherein the first current is a maximum likelihood current of the warm current profile and the second current is a maximum likelihood current of the cold current profile.