Server, vehicle communicating with the server, and control method of the server

• US 10,504,303 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2018
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Park, Jongpil, Park, Yunjoong
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US15/946,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20190139326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• 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: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3647 for determining the ability of a battery to perform a critical function, e.g. cranking
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/004 Indicating the operating range of the engine economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A vehicle includes a communication device communicating with a server. A battery supplies power to an electronic device. A battery manager monitors a state of charge (SoC) of the battery and generates a trigger signal based on the SoC of the battery. A controller is configured to control the communication device to send information about battery discharge to the server upon reception of the trigger signal, and to control the information about battery discharge to be sent again if it is determined that sending of the information about battery discharge is unavailable.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a communication device configured to communicate with a server;

a battery configured to supply power to an electronic device;

a battery manager configured to monitor a state of charge (SoC) of the battery and to generate a trigger signal based on the SoC of the battery, wherein the battery manager comprises a current detector configured to detect a current of the battery and a monitoring device configured to obtain a charge level corresponding to the detected current and to generate the trigger signal when the obtained charge level is a reference level; and

a controller configured to control the communication device to send information about battery discharge to the server upon reception of the trigger signal, to determine whether or not the information about battery discharge is sent in response to determining whether a response signal indicating reception of the information about battery discharge is received from the server, and to control the information about battery discharge to be sent again if it is determined that the information about battery discharge is not sent;

wherein the controller is configured to receive, from the server, an instruction to change a stored reference level to an obtained reference level and to change the stored reference level to the obtained reference level; and

wherein the monitoring device is configured to generate the trigger signal based on the changed reference level.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a starter configured to receive a command to turn on an ignition, wherein the monitoring device is configured to generate the trigger signal based on the stored reference level until the command to turn on the ignition is received and to generate the trigger signal based on the obtained reference level upon reception of the command to turn on the ignition.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a starter configured to receive a command to turn on an ignition and a command to turn off the ignition, wherein the controller is configured to, upon reception of the command to turn off the ignition after receiving the command to turn on the ignition, control the communication device to send SoC information of the battery to the server.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to send the information about battery discharge as many times as a predetermined number of times when communication with the communication device is unavailable.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to be woken up upon reception of the trigger signal, and to enter a sleep state after sending the information about battery discharge as many times as the predetermined number of times.

6. A vehicle comprising:

a communication device configured to communicate with a server;

a battery configured to supply power to an electronic device;

a battery manager configured to monitor a state of charge (SoC) of the battery and to generate a trigger signal based on the SoC of the battery; and

a controller configured to control the communication device to send information about battery discharge to the server upon reception of the trigger signal, to determine whether or not the information about battery discharge is sent in response to determining whether a response signal indicating reception of the information about battery discharge is received from the server, and to control the information about battery discharge to be sent again if it is determined that the information about battery discharge is not sent,

wherein the battery manager comprises;

a current detector configured to detect a current of the battery; and

a monitoring device configured to obtain a charge level corresponding to the detected current, to generate a first trigger signal when the obtained charge level is equal to a first reference level, and to generate a second trigger signal when the obtained charge level is equal to a second reference level, wherein the second reference level is lower than the first reference level.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to be woken up upon reception of the first trigger signal, to control the communication device to send information about caution of battery discharge as many times as a predetermined number of times, to be woken up upon reception of the second trigger signal, to control the communication device to send information about danger of battery discharge as many times as a predetermined number of times, and to enter to a sleep state after sending at least one of the information about caution of battery discharge and the information about danger of battery discharge as many times as a predetermined number of times.

8. A server comprising:

a storage medium;

a communication device configured to communicate with a vehicle and a terminal; and

a controller configured, upon reception of information about battery discharge from the vehicle, to;

control the storage medium to store the received information about battery discharge;

control the communication device to send notification information about battery discharge to the terminal;

wherein the controller is configured to check whether the information about battery discharge is stored in the storage medium upon reception of an ignition-off signal and information about a state of charge (SoC) of the battery from the vehicle, and to control the communication device to send notification information about battery discharge to the terminal if the information about battery discharge is not stored in the storage medium; and

wherein the storage medium is configured to store the information about battery discharge as a battery discharge history corresponding to a control command of the controller.

9. The server of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to, upon reception of an ignition-on signal and SoC information of the battery from the vehicle, determine a charge amount of the battery corresponding to the received SoC information, and control the communication device to send the determined charge amount of the battery to the terminal.

10. The server of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine a charge level corresponding to the SoC information of the battery, and control the communication device to send notification information about battery discharge when the determined charge level is equal to or less than a reference level and the information about battery discharge is not stored in the storage medium.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to control sending of the notification information about battery discharge to be blocked when the determined charge level is equal to or less than the reference level and the information about battery discharge is stored in the storage medium.

12. The server of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to check whether the information about battery discharge is stored in the storage medium before an ignition-on signal is received from the vehicle.

13. The server of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to receive surrounding information of the vehicle, determine a reference level corresponding to the received surrounding information, change a stored reference level to the determined reference level when the determined reference level is different from the stored reference level, and control the communication device to send the determined reference level and a command to change reference level to the vehicle.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether an ignition-off signal and SoC information of the battery are received from the vehicle when a reference level of the battery of the vehicle is changed, determine a charge level corresponding to the SoC information of the battery when it is determined that the ignition-off signal and the SoC information of the battery are received from the vehicle, and control the communication device to send notification information about battery discharge to the terminal based on the battery discharge history when the determined charge level is equal to or less than the changed reference level.

15. The server of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to control the communication device to send notification information corresponding to caution of battery discharge to the terminal upon reception of information about the caution of battery discharge from the vehicle, and control the communication device to send notification information corresponding to danger of battery discharge to the terminal upon reception of information about the danger of battery discharge from the vehicle.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to enter to a sleep state after sending at least one of the information about caution of battery discharge and the information about danger of battery discharge.

17. A control method of a server in communication with a vehicle and a terminal, the method comprising:

receiving information about battery discharge from the vehicle;

storing the received information about battery discharge in a storage medium;

controlling a communication device to send notification information about battery discharge to the terminal;

upon reception of an ignition-off signal and state-of charge (SoC) information of the battery, determining a charge level corresponding to the SoC information of the battery;

checking whether the information about battery discharge is stored in the storage medium before an ignition-on signal is received from the vehicle when the determined charge level is equal to or less than a reference level; and

sending notification information about battery discharge to the terminal when the information about battery discharge is stored in the storage medium.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

blocking the notification information about battery discharge from being sent when there is a history of having received the information about battery discharge when the determined charge level is equal to or less than the reference level; and

deleting the information about battery discharge stored in the storage medium.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving surrounding information of the vehicle from the vehicle;

determining a reference level corresponding to the received surrounding information;

changing a stored reference level to the determined reference level when the determined reference level is different from the stored reference level; and

sending the determined reference level and an instruction to change reference level to the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining whether an ignition-off signal and the SoC information of the battery are received from the vehicle when a reference level of the battery of the vehicle is changed;

determining a charge level corresponding to SoC information of the battery when it is determined that an ignition-off signal and the SoC information of the battery are received;

checking whether the information about battery discharge is stored in the storage medium before an ignition-on signal is received from the vehicle when the determined charge level is equal to or less than the changed reference level;

blocking the notification information about battery discharge from being sent when the information about battery discharge is stored in the storage medium; and

sending the notification information about battery discharge to the terminal when the information about battery discharge is not stored in the storage medium.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining a charge amount of the battery corresponding to SoC information of the battery upon reception of an ignition-on signal and the SoC information of the battery from the vehicle when the information about battery discharge has been received and stored; and

sending the determined charge amount of the battery to the terminal.