AUTOMOTIVE BATTERY CIRCUIT FAULT DETECTION
First Claim
1. In a vehicle having an electrical system including a ground circuit that provides an operative connection from the electrical system to an electrical ground and an electric power generator driven by an engine of the vehicle, said generator arranged to selectively provide electric power to an electrical load of the vehicle and to selectively charge a battery of the vehicle, a fault detection system for detecting at least one of an open circuit or high resistance fault in the ground circuit, said fault detection system comprising:
- a controller that controls a voltage output of the generator so as to at least one of restrict or suspend charging of the battery or increase or start charging of the battery by the generator for a designated test period; and
determining means for determining at least one of a current discharge from the battery during the test period or a charging current into the battery during the test period;
wherein if the determined current discharge from the battery during the test period or the determined charging current into the battery during the test period is less than a given threshold, then at least one of an open circuit or high resistance fault is deemed to be detected in the ground circuit.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a vehicle having an electrical system including a ground circuit that provides an operative connection from the electrical system to an electrical ground and an electric power generator driven by an engine of the vehicle, the generator arranged to selectively provide electric power to an electrical load of the vehicle and to selectively charge a battery of the vehicle, a fault detection system is provided for detecting an open circuit or high resistance fault in the ground circuit. The fault detection system includes: a controller that controls a voltage output of the generator so as to at least one of restrict or suspend charging or increase or start charging of the battery by the generator for a designated test period; and, determining means for determining a current discharge from or charging current into the battery during the test period, wherein if the determined current discharge or charging current is less than a given threshold, then an open circuit or high resistance fault is deemed to be detected in the ground circuit.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. In a vehicle having an electrical system including a ground circuit that provides an operative connection from the electrical system to an electrical ground and an electric power generator driven by an engine of the vehicle, said generator arranged to selectively provide electric power to an electrical load of the vehicle and to selectively charge a battery of the vehicle, a fault detection system for detecting at least one of an open circuit or high resistance fault in the ground circuit, said fault detection system comprising:
-
a controller that controls a voltage output of the generator so as to at least one of restrict or suspend charging of the battery or increase or start charging of the battery by the generator for a designated test period; and determining means for determining at least one of a current discharge from the battery during the test period or a charging current into the battery during the test period; wherein if the determined current discharge from the battery during the test period or the determined charging current into the battery during the test period is less than a given threshold, then at least one of an open circuit or high resistance fault is deemed to be detected in the ground circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. In a vehicle having an electrical system including a ground circuit that provides an operative connection from the electrical system to an electrical ground and an electric power generator driven by an engine of the vehicle, said generator arranged to selectively provide electric power to an electrical load of the vehicle and to selectively charge a battery of the vehicle, a method for detecting at least one of an open circuit fault or a high resistance fault in the ground circuit, said method comprising:
-
(a) controlling a voltage output of the generator so as to at least one of restrict or suspend charging or increase or start charging of the battery by the generator for a designated test period; and (b) determining at least one of a current discharge from the battery during the test period or a charging current into the battery during the test period, wherein if the determined current discharge or charging current is less than a given threshold, then at least one of an open circuit or high resistance fault is deemed to be detected in the ground circuit. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification