TELEMATICS-BASED SYSTEM FOR PROTECTING AGAINST VEHICLE BATTERY DRAIN

• US 20140343831A1
• Filed: 05/20/2013
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Hosey, Eric T., Owens, Kevin W., Sine, Joshua M., McGarry, Daniel C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,393,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/113
• 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: F02N 11/0807 Remote means
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 19/00 Starting aids for combustion engines, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/063 Battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0809 Electrical loads
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2250/02 Battery voltage drop at start, e.g. drops causing ECU reset
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/2006 using prediction of future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/002 in which a reserve is maintained in an energy source by disconnecting non-critical loads, e.g. maintaining a reserve of charge in a vehicle battery for starting an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for detecting low vehicle battery charge and responding appropriately to prevent complete vehicle battery drainage. One method includes: monitoring the charge of the vehicle battery; determining, by a telematics unit, that the charge of the vehicle battery has reached a low battery charge threshold while the vehicle engine is off; and providing, by the telematics unit, a notification to a telematics subscriber that the vehicle battery has low charge. Another method includes: monitoring the charge of the vehicle battery; determining, by a telematics unit, that the charge of the vehicle battery has reached a low battery charge threshold while the vehicle engine is off; and in response to determining that the low battery charge threshold has been reached, disabling at least one load draining the vehicle battery.

Claims

1. A method for preventing discharge of a vehicle battery of a telematics-equipped vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring the charge of the vehicle battery;

determining, by a telematics unit, that the charge of the vehicle battery has reached a low battery charge threshold while the vehicle engine is off; and

providing, by the telematics unit, a notification to a telematics subscriber that the vehicle battery has low charge.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is provided via a cellular network to a mobile telephone of the subscriber from the telematics unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is provided via a human-machine interface (HMI) of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an option to the subscriber to disable at least one load draining the vehicle battery;

receiving a direction from the subscriber to disable the at least one load; and

disabling the at least one load.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an option to the subscriber to turn on the vehicle engine;

receiving a direction from the subscriber to turn on the vehicle engine; and

turning the vehicle engine on.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the low battery charge threshold has been reached, disabling at least one load draining the vehicle battery.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the charge of the vehicle battery has reached a further low battery charge threshold lower than the low battery charge threshold; and

in response to determining that the further low battery charge threshold has been reached, disabling at least one additional load draining the vehicle battery.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the low battery charge threshold has been reached, turning the vehicle engine on.

9. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

turning the vehicle engine off after a predetermined charge threshold is met or after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon for preventing discharge of a vehicle battery of a telematics-equipped vehicle, the processor-executable instructions, when executed by a processor, causing the following steps to be performed:

monitoring the charge of the vehicle battery;

determining that the charge of the vehicle battery has reached a low battery charge threshold while the vehicle engine is off; and

providing a notification to a telematics subscriber that the vehicle battery has low charge.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the notification is provided via a text message transmitted to a mobile telephone of the subscriber from the telematics unit.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the notification is provided via a human-machine interface (HMI) of the vehicle.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the steps further comprise:

providing an option to the subscriber to disable at least one load draining the vehicle battery;

receiving a direction from the subscriber to disable the at least one load; and

disabling the at least one load.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the steps further comprise:

providing an option to the subscriber to turn on the vehicle engine;

receiving a direction from the subscriber to turn on the vehicle engine; and

turning the vehicle engine on.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the steps further comprise:

in response to determining that the low battery charge threshold has been reached, disabling at least one load draining the vehicle battery.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the steps further comprise:

determining that the charge of the vehicle battery has reached a further low battery charge threshold lower than the low battery charge threshold; and

in response to determining that the further low battery charge threshold has been reached, disabling at least one additional load draining the vehicle battery.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the steps further comprise:

in response to determining that the low battery charge threshold has been reached, turning the vehicle engine on.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the steps further comprise:

turning the vehicle engine off after a predetermined charge threshold is met or after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

19. A method for preventing discharge of a vehicle battery of a telematics-equipped vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring the charge of the vehicle battery;

determining, by a telematics unit, that the charge of the vehicle battery has reached a low battery charge threshold while the vehicle engine is off; and

in response to determining that the low battery charge threshold has been reached, disabling at least one load draining the vehicle battery.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining that the charge of the vehicle battery has reached a further low battery charge threshold lower than the low battery charge threshold; and

in response to determining that the further low battery charge threshold has been reached, disabling at least one additional load draining the vehicle battery.