System, method, and apparatus for preserving vehicle battery

• US 10,343,629 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Makke, Omar, Kadry, Haysam M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dhillon, Jagdeep S
• Application Number:
  US15/277,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20180086290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 307 101, 307 102, 307 91, 307 66, 307 64, 307 82, 701 36, 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• 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 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/241 whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00

Abstract

Embodiments include a vehicle power distribution unit comprising a plurality of connection paths respectively connecting a plurality of electric loads to a vehicle battery, and a power saving module configured to receive a key fob input indicating user selection of one of a plurality of vehicle power modes, and disconnect a subset of the plurality of electric loads from the vehicle battery based on specifications associated with the selected vehicle power mode. Other embodiments include a vehicle system comprising a power distribution unit including a plurality of connection paths respectively connecting a plurality of electric loads to a vehicle battery; a key fob configured to enable user selection of one of a plurality of vehicle power modes; and a power saving module configured to disconnect a subset of the plurality of electric loads from the vehicle battery based on specifications associated with the selected power mode.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a power distribution unit (PDU) including switches between electric loads and a battery; and

a power saving module configured to;

receive a selection for a vehicle power mode from a key fob;

disconnect a first set of the electric loads, via the PDU, when the selection is a first power mode; and

disconnect a second set of the electric loads, via the PDU, when the selection is a second power mode.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein each of the switches is operatively coupled to the power saving module to enable selective disconnection of the electric loads from the battery based on the selection for the vehicle power mode.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the power saving module disconnects one or more of the electric loads to turn off the one or more of the electric loads.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first power mode is different than the second power mode and the first set of the electric loads is different than the second set of the electric loads.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power saving module includes memory for storing which of the electric loads correspond with each of a plurality of vehicle power modes.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of vehicle power modes corresponds with a unique key fob input sequence that is stored in the memory.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vehicle power modes includes a vacation mode, a storage mode, and a shipping mode.

8. A vehicle comprising:

a battery;

electrical loads;

a power distribution unit including switches between the electric loads and the battery;

a communication module configured to receive a selection of a vehicle power mode from a key fob, the communication module being one of the electric loads; and

a power saving module configured to disconnect the communication module from the battery, via the power distribution unit, responsive to the communication module receiving the selection.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the selection includes entry of a unique input sequence assigned to the vehicle power mode.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the unique input sequence is stored in memory of the power saving module in association with the vehicle power mode.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the power saving module is included in the power distribution unit.

12. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein each of the switches is operatively coupled to the power saving module to enable selective disconnection and connection of the electric loads from the vehicle battery.

13. A method for a vehicle, comprising:

receiving, via a communication module, a selection of a vehicle power mode from a key fob;

disconnecting, via a power distribution unit, a first subset of electric loads of the vehicle from a battery when the selection is a first power mode; and

disconnecting, via the power distribution unit, a second subset of electric loads of the vehicle from the battery when the selection is a second power mode.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein one or more electric loads of the vehicle are disconnected via the power distribution unit to turn off the one or more electric loads.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising, upon receiving the selection, retrieving, from memory, the one or more electric loads associated with the selection.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein each of a plurality of vehicle power modes corresponds with a unique input sequence of the key fob, and further comprising, in response to receiving an input sequence from the key fob, identifying which of the vehicle power modes corresponds with the input sequence.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first power mode is different than the second power mode and the first subset of electric loads is different than the second subset of electric loads.