SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POWERING A POWER CONSUMING VEHICLE ACCESSORY DURING AN OFF STATE OF THE VEHICLE

• US 20080271937A1
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gonzales, Philip Michael, Lee, Josephine S., To, Viet Quoc, Patel, Bijal, King, Kimberley
• Application Number:
  US11/742,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20080271937A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/20 the prime-movers consisting of electric motors and internal combustion engines, e.g. HEVs
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/04 fed by the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/24 including control of energy storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• 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

Abstract

A hybrid battery system of an automotive vehicle provides power to various features without running an internal combustion engine.

Claims

1. A system for powering a power consuming vehicle accessory of a hybrid electric vehicle having a vehicle on state and a vehicle off state, the system comprising:

at least one of a mechanical power plant and a chemical power plant to move the vehicle;

a traction battery, having a state of charge, to power the power consuming vehicle accessory during the vehicle off state;

an electric motor to operatively couple the at least one power plant and traction battery; and

a traction battery controller electrically connected with the traction battery to periodically monitor the state of charge of the traction battery during the vehicle off state and to enable the traction battery to power the power consuming vehicle accessory, if the state of charge of the traction battery is greater than a minimum state of charge of the traction battery necessary to start the at least one power plant, in response to a command signal received during the vehicle off state.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the power consuming vehicle accessory includes a climate control feature.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the climate control feature comprises an electric heater.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the climate control feature comprises an air conditioning compressor.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a switch wherein the switch is closed to enable the traction battery to power the power consuming vehicle accessory.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a token associated with a user of the vehicle to generate, in response to user input, the command signal to enable the traction battery to power the power consuming vehicle accessory during the vehicle off state.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the token is a key fob.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle further includes a steering wheel and wherein the power consuming vehicle accessory comprises a heating element in the steering wheel.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle further includes a seat and wherein the power consuming vehicle accessory comprises a heating element in the seat.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the traction battery controller further disables the traction battery from powering the power consuming vehicle accessory if the state of charge of the traction battery is less than the minimum state of charge of the traction battery necessary to start the at least one power plant.

11. A method for powering a power consuming vehicle accessory of a hybrid electric vehicle having a vehicle on state, a vehicle off state, and a traction battery, the method comprising:

during the vehicle off state

receiving a command signal to enable the traction battery to power the power consuming vehicle accessory;

determining whether a current state of charge of the traction battery is greater than a predetermined state of charge; and

enabling the traction battery to power the power consuming vehicle accessory if the current state of charge is greater than the predetermined state of charge thereby powering the power consuming vehicle accessory.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the vehicle further includes a switch and wherein the step of enabling the traction battery to power the power consuming vehicle accessory includes closing the switch.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the command signal to enable the traction battery to power the power consuming vehicle accessory is generated remote from the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the command signal to enable the traction battery to power the power consuming vehicle accessory is generated in response to user input.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the command signal to enable the traction battery to power the power consuming vehicle accessory is generated after a predetermined period of time following the user input.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined period of time is selected by the user.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of enabling the traction battery to power the power consuming vehicle accessory includes electrically connecting the traction battery and power consuming vehicle accessory.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising disabling the traction battery from powering the power consuming vehicle accessory if the current state of charge is less than the predetermined state of charge.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the vehicle includes a power plant and wherein the predetermined state of charge is a minimum state of charge necessary to start the power plant.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the power plant is an internal combustion engine.