Electrical load for a motor vehicle

• US 10,640,063 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mahle International GmbH (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Mahle International GmbH (MAHLE-STIFTUNG GmbH)
• Inventors: Binder, Tobias, Cramme, Markus, Krappel, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaplan, Hal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Inge, Joseph N
• Application Number:
  US15/747,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20180222409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 307 101
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• 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: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An electrical load, for example and electrical component and/or an electronic component, of a motor vehicle may include a first electrical system part and a second electrical system part for supplying the electrical load with electrical energy from a first vehicle electrical system and a second vehicle electrical system, respectively. The first vehicle electrical system part may be electrically coupled to a diode element for transferring an activation signal to an electrical energy supply unit provided in the second electrical system part. The electrical energy supply unit may be switched between an active state where a supply voltage is provided to the electrical load and an idle state where the supply voltage to the electrical load is suspended.

Claims

1. An electrical load of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a first electrical vehicle electrical system supply providing electrical energy from a first vehicle electrical system and a second vehicle electrical system supply providing electrical energy from a second vehicle electrical system;

a diode element electrically coupled to the first vehicle electrical system supply to transfer an activation signal from the first electrical vehicle electrical system supply to an electrical energy supply provided in the second electrical vehicle electrical system supply that draws electrical energy from the second vehicle electrical system;

wherein the electrical energy supply is switchable between an active state where the electrical energy supply provides a supply voltage from the second vehicle electrical system, and an idle state where a provision of the supply voltage is suspended; and

wherein the electrical energy supply is operable to switch from the idle state to the active state when the activation signal is received from the first vehicle electrical system supply.

2. The electrical load according to claim 1, wherein the diode element is a semiconductor diode.

3. The electrical load according to claim 2, wherein the semiconductor diode is arranged to extend from the first electrical vehicle electrical system supply to the second electrical vehicle electrical system supply.

4. The electrical load according to claim 1, further comprising a first controller disposed in the first electrical vehicle electrical system supply and electrically connected to the diode element, the first controller arranged to provide the activation signal and transfer the activation signal electrically to the diode element;

wherein the first controller is in communication connection with a bus system, and wherein the first controller provides the activation signal and transfers the activation signal electrically to the diode element in response to receiving a switch-on signal from the bus system.

5. The electrical load according to claim 4, further comprising an electrical switching element arranged in the first vehicle electrical system supply upstream of the diode element, wherein the electrical switching element is switchable by the first controller for providing the activation signal between a closed state where the first controller is electrically connected to the diode element, and an open state where an electrical connection of the first controller to the diode element is interrupted.

6. The electrical load according to claim 4, further comprising a second controller arranged in the second electrical vehicle electrical system supply, wherein the second controller is supplied with electrical energy from the electrical energy supply in the active state of the electrical energy supply and not in the idle state of the electrical energy supply.

7. The electrical load according to claim 6, wherein the second controller and the electrical energy supply are in a communicative connection with one another such that the electrical energy supply switches from the active state into the idle state in response to receiving an idle state signal.

8. The electrical load according to claim 6, further comprising a coupling device disposed between the first electrical vehicle electrical system supply and the second electrical vehicle electrical system supply, the coupling device structured and arranged to provide a galvanically separated connection between the second vehicle electrical system supply and the first vehicle electrical system supply for transmitting an idle state confirmation signal, and wherein the coupling device couples the second controller to the first controller.

9. The electrical load according to claim 8, wherein the coupling device includes at least one of an optocoupler and an electrical capacitor.

10. The electrical load according to claim 6, wherein the second controller is configured as a microcontroller.

11. The electrical load according to claim 4, wherein the first controller unit includes a communication unit for data transmission from and to the bus system.

12. The electrical load according to claim 4, wherein the first controller is configured as an integrated circuit.

13. The electrical load according to claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the electrical energy supply provides an electrical current in the idle state that is below a predetermined maximum value; and

the electrical energy supply provides the supply voltage in the idle state that is below a predetermined maximum value.

14. The electrical load according to claim 13, wherein at least one of:

the predetermined maximum value of the electrical current is 100 μ

a; and

the predetermined maximum value of the supply voltage is 0.01V.

15. The electrical load according to claim 1, further comprising a filter element arranged between the diode element and the electrical energy supply, wherein the filter element is configured as a low pass on the activation signal transferred via the diode element.

18. The electrical load according to claim 1, wherein the electrical energy supply comprises a MOSFET driver.

19. The electrical load according to claim 1, further comprising a coupling device disposed between the first electrical vehicle electrical system supply and the second electrical vehicle electrical system supply, the coupling device structured and arranged to provide a galvanically separated connection between the second vehicle electrical system supply and the first vehicle electrical system supply for transmitting an idle state confirmation signal.

20. The electrical load according to claim 4, wherein the bus system is a LIN bus system or a CAN bus system.

16. A motor vehicle, comprising at least one electrical load, the at least one electrical load including:

a first vehicle electrical system and a second vehicle electrical system;

a first electrical vehicle electrical system supply providing the at least one electrical load with electrical energy from the first vehicle electrical system;

a second vehicle electrical system supply providing the at least one electrical load with electrical energy from the second vehicle electrical system;

an electrical energy supply provided in the second electrical vehicle electrical system supply, wherein the electrical energy supply draws electrical energy from the second vehicle electrical system;

a diode element electrically coupled to the first vehicle electrical system supply to transfer an activation signal from the first electrical vehicle electrical system supply to the electrical energy supply;

wherein the electrical energy supply is switchable between an active state where the electrical energy supply unit provides a supply voltage to the at least one electrical load from the second vehicle electrical system, and an idle state where a provision of the supply voltage is suspended; and

wherein the electrical energy supply is operable to switch from the idle state to the active state when the activation signal is received from the first vehicle electrical system supply.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the at least one electrical load includes at least one of an electrical component and an electronic component.