Determining a fuel quantity to charge a vehicle battery

• US 10,439,427 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Huebner, Annette Lynn, Buttolo, Pietro, Young, Brent, Dionise, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trischler, John T
• Application Number:
  US15/667,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20190039475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A computer is programmed to upon determining that a battery charge level of a battery of a vehicle is below a first threshold, determine a first fuel quantity for an engine to charge the battery to a second threshold; and actuate a vehicle component according to the first fuel quantity. The computer may transmit a message specifying a second fuel quantity that is a sum of a preset fuel quantity and the first fuel quantity. The computer may, upon determining that an ambient temperature is below a temperature threshold, provide an instruction to the engine to charge the battery to the second threshold.

Claims

1. A computer comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:

upon determining that a battery charge level of a battery of a vehicle is below a first threshold, determine a first fuel quantity for an engine to charge the battery to a second threshold;

identify a refueling location at which to obtain fuel according to the first fuel quantity;

navigate the vehicle to the identified refueling location using propulsion, steering, and braking;

request a preset fuel quantity from the refueling location in response to the battery charge level being above the first threshold; and

request a second fuel quantity from the refueling location in response to the battery charge level being below the first threshold.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

3. The computer of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include to transmit a message specifying the second fuel quantity, wherein the second fuel quantity is a sum of the preset fuel quantity and the first fuel quantity.

4. The computer of claim 3, wherein the instructions further include to, upon determining that the battery charge level is below the first threshold and that an ambient temperature is below a temperature threshold, provide an instruction to the engine to charge the battery to the second threshold.

5. The computer of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include to, upon determining that the battery charge level is below the first threshold and that an ambient temperature is below a temperature threshold, provide an instruction to the engine to charge the battery to the second threshold.

6. The computer of claim 5, wherein the instruction for the engine to charge the battery to the second threshold includes a specified time to begin charging.

7. The computer of claim 6, wherein the specified time is at night.

8. The computer of claim 7, wherein the specified time is a duration after sunset.

9. A method comprising:

upon determining that a battery charge level of a battery of a vehicle is below a first threshold, determining a first fuel quantity for an engine to charge the battery to a second threshold;

identifying a refueling location at which to obtain fuel according to the first fuel quantity;

navigating the vehicle to the identified refueling location using propulsion, steering, and braking;

requesting a preset fuel quantity from the refueling location in response to the battery charge level being above the first threshold; and

requesting a second fuel quantity from the refueling location in response to the battery charge level being below the first threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting a message specifying the second fuel quantity, wherein the second fuel quantity is a sum of the preset fuel quantity and the first fuel quantity.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, upon determining that the battery charge level is below the first threshold and that an ambient temperature is below a temperature threshold, providing an instruction to the engine to charge the battery to the second threshold.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising, upon determining that the battery charge level is below the first threshold and that an ambient temperature is below a temperature threshold, providing an instruction to the engine to charge the battery to the second threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the instruction for the engine to charge the battery to the second threshold includes a specified time to begin charging.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the specified time is at night.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the specified time is a duration after sunset.