Programmable power control unit

• US 20050231042A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Havis, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chargeguard, Inc. (Havis, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kephart, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,211,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/141
• 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 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0032 disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running

Abstract

A programmable power system may be used to control the supply of power from a battery to protect the battery from accidental discharge and excessive wear. A programmable power control unit may be connected between a battery and one or more battery operated devices. Typically, the battery is installed in a vehicle (e.g., a motor vehicle, an airplane, or a watercraft) although the unit may be used with any battery powered system. The programmable power control unit may be used to control the supply of power from the battery to one or more auxiliary devices, such as, for example, a two-way CB and ham radio, an AM/FM radio, a music player, a PDA, a TV, a DVD player, a cellular phone, a radar device, a GPS device, a data terminal, a display, and a computer. The programmable power control unit automatically turns the devices on in response to a predetermined battery operating condition, and turns the devices off after a predetermined time period in response a non operating condition.

Claims

1. A programmable power control unit for connecting a device to a battery to supply power from the battery to the device, the unit comprising:

a first contact to connect to the battery;

a second contact to connect to the device;

a relay disposed between the first contact and the second contact to electrically connect the first contact to the second contact in response to a signal;

a voltage detector connected to the first contact to detect a voltage at the first contact; and

a processor to generate the signal to engage the relay if the voltage detected by the detector is above a predetermined level V1, to implement a timer function to count down a time period T1 when the detected voltage falls below V1 and the relay is engaged, to reset the timer if the detected voltage rises above V1 during a countdown, and to remove the signal to disengage the relay when the timer times out, and to remove the engage signal to disengage the relay if the detected voltage falls below a second predetermined voltage V2, wherein V2<

V1.

2. The unit of claim 1 further comprising:

a third contact to connect to the battery;

a high and low voltage detector to generate a high and low voltage detection signal in response to high voltage V3 and low voltage V4, wherein the processor is configured to generate the engage signal in response a detected voltage V3 or V4 to engage the relay.

3. The unit of claim 1 further comprising an output to generate a signal to cause a device connected to the output to initiate a shutdown protocol wherein the processor is configured to generate the output signal at a predetermined time period T2 before the expiration of the timer countdown.

4. The unit of claim 1 further comprising an input to connect to an external clock, wherein the processor generates an engage signal to engage the relay in response to a signal on the input.

5. The unit of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to implement a second timer function to count down a time period T2 when the detected voltage falls below a third predetermined voltage V3 and the relay is engaged, to discontinue the second timer if the detected voltage rises above V3 during the countdown, and to remove the engage signal to disengage the relay when the second timer times out, where and V2<

V3<

V1 and T2<

T1.

6. The unit of claim 1 further comprising an input to generate an override signal wherein the processor is configured to generate the signal to engage the relay in response to the override signal to implement a second timer function to count down a time period T2, and to discontinue the engage signal to disengage the relay when the second timer times out.

7. A programmable power control unit for connecting a device to a battery to supply power from the battery to the device, the unit comprising:

a first contact to connect to the battery;

a second contact to connect to the device;

a relay disposed between the first contact and the second contact to electrically connect the first contact to the second contact in response to a signal;

an engine sensor to detect operation of engine;

a voltage detector connected to the first contact to detect a voltage at the first contact; and

a processor to generate the signal to engage the relay when engine operation is detected, to implement a timer function when the detected voltage falls below V1 and the relay is engaged to count down a time period T1, to implement the timer function when no operation of the engine is detected, to reset the timer if the detected voltage rises above V1 during a countdown or engine operation is detected, and to remove the signal to disengage the relay when the timer times out, and to remove the signal to disengage the relay if the detected voltage falls below a second predetermined voltage V2, wherein V2<

V1.

8. The unit of claim 7 further comprising means for removing noise from the engine sensor causing the engine sensor to generate false indications of engine operation to the processor and preventing starting of the timer function.

9. The unit of claim 7 further comprising:

a third contact to connect to the battery; and

a high and low voltage detector to generate a high and low voltage detection signal in response to high voltage V3 and low voltage V4, wherein the processor is configured to generate the engage signal in response a detected voltage V3 or V4 to engage the relay.

10. The unit of claim 7 further comprising an output to generate a signal to cause a device connected to the output to initiate a shutdown protocol wherein the processor is configured to generate the output signal at a predetermined time period T2 before the expiration of the timer countdown.

11. The unit of claim 7 further comprising an input to connect to an external clock, wherein the processor generates an engage signal to engage the relay in response to a signal on the input.

12. The unit of claim 7 wherein the processor is configured to implement a second timer function to count down a time period T2 when the detected voltage falls below a third predetermined voltage V3 and the relay is engaged, to discontinue the second timer if the detected voltage rises above V3 during the countdown, and to remove the engage signal to disengage the relay when the second timer times out, where and V2<

V3<

V1 and T2<

T1.

13. The unit of claim 7 further comprising an input to generate an override signal wherein the processor is configured to generate the signal to engage the relay in response to the override signal to implement a second timer function to count down a time period T2, and to discontinue the engage signal to disengage the relay when the second timer times out.

14. A power control system comprising:

a battery;

a first contact to connect to the battery;

a second contact to connect to the device;

a relay disposed between the first contact and the second contact to electrically connect the first contact to the second contact in response to a signal;

a voltage detector connected to the first contact to detect a voltage at the first contact; and

a processor to generate the signal to engage the relay if the voltage detected by the detector is above a predetermined level V1, to implement a timer function to count down a time period T1 when the detected voltage falls below V1 and the relay is engaged, to reset the timer if the detected voltage rises above V1 during a countdown, and to remove the signal to disengage the relay when the timer times out, and to remove the engage signal to disengage the relay if the detected voltage falls below a second predetermined voltage V2, wherein V2<

V1.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

a third contact to connect to the battery; and

a high and low voltage detector to generate a high and low voltage detection signal in response to high voltage V3 and low voltage V4, wherein the processor is configured to generate the engage signal in response a detected voltage V3 or V4 to engage the relay.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising an output to generate a signal to cause a device connected to the output to initiate a shutdown protocol wherein the processor is configured to generate the output signal at a predetermined time period T2 before the expiration of the timer countdown.

17. The system of claim 14 further comprising an input to connect to an external clock, wherein the processor generates an engage signal to engage the relay in response to a signal on the input.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to implement a second timer function to count down a time period T2 when the detected voltage falls below a third predetermined voltage V3 and the relay is engaged, to discontinue the second timer if the detected voltage rises above V3 during the countdown, and to remove the engage signal to disengage the relay when the second timer times out, where and V2<

V3<

V1 and T2<

T1.

19. The system of claim 14 further comprising an input to generate an override signal wherein the processor is configured to generate the signal to engage the relay in response to the override signal to implement a second timer function to count down a time period T2, and to discontinue the engage signal to disengage the relay when the second timer times out.

20. The system of claim 14 further comprising an engine and an engine sensor to detect operation of the engine wherein the processor is configure to generate the signal to engage the relay when engine operation is detected, to implement the timer function when no operation of the engine is detected, to reset the timer if the detected voltage rises above V1 during a countdown or engine operation is detected, and to remove the signal to disengage the relay when the timer times out.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising means for removing noise from the engine sensor causing the engine sensor to generate false indications of engine operation to the processor and preventing starting of the timer function.