Vehicle battery system providing battery back-up and opportunity charging

• US 5,488,283 A
• Filed: 09/28/1993
• Issued: 01/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Globe-Union Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Richard J., Wruck, William J., Dougherty, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAPPI, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US08/128,453
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 320/1, 320/6, 320/8, 320/15, 320/19, 307/65, 307/66, 307/10.1, 307/10.7
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/19 Switching between serial connection and parallel connection of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0413 Large-sized flat cells or batteries for motive or stationary systems with plate-like electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0445 Multimode batteries, e.g. containing auxiliary cells or electrodes switchable in parallel or series connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/122 Multimode batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/543 Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5016 Multimode utilisation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery system for a vehicle includes a main battery for energizing the vehicle SLI circuits and an auxiliary battery for energizing the vehicle EHC system, the battery system providing back-up of the auxiliary battery by the main battery under certain conditions and back-up of the main battery by the auxiliary battery under certain other conditions, and the battery system providing opportunity charging of the auxiliary battery once the vehicle engine is running whereby the auxiliary battery shares the charging current with the main battery with the auxiliary battery being gradually connected to the source of charging current for the main battery by increasing the duty cycle of the drive circuit that connects the auxiliary battery to the source of charging current while monitoring the state of charge of the main battery and decreasing the duty cycle of the drive circuit to protect the main battery state of charge. In other embodiments, separate sources of charging current are provided for the auxiliary battery.

Claims

1. In a power supply system for a motor vehicle including a first storage battery for supplying electrical power to a primary load of the vehicle, said primary load including at least the starter motor and the ignition circuit Of the vehicle, the improvement comprising:

a second storage battery for supplying electrical power to an electrically heated catalytic converter system of the vehicle;

first switching means for connecting said electrically heated catalytic converter system to said second storage battery;

second switching means for connecting said second storage battery in parallel with said first storage battery;

and control means including means responsive to operation of an ignition switch of the vehicle to cause said first switching means to operate and connect said catalytic converter system to said second storage battery, and said control means including inhibit means for preventing said second switching means from connecting said second storage battery in parallel with said first storage battery when said catalytic converter system is connected to said second storage battery by said first switching means.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said control means includes monitoring means for monitoring at least one parameter indicative of the state of charge of one of said storage batteries to enable said second storage battery to be connected in circuit with said first storage battery as a function of said one parameter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said first storage battery includes a battery housing, said second storage battery being located within said battery housing.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said control means is located within said battery housing.

7. A power supply system according to claim 1, including a source of charging current for supplying charging current to said first storage battery, and means for connecting said second storage battery to said source of charging current to supply charging current to said second storage battery as a function of the state of charge of said first storage battery.

8. A power supply system according to claim 1, including a first source of charging current for supplying charging current to said first storage battery, and a second source of charging current for supplying charging current to said second storage battery.

10. The power supply system of claim 8, wherein said control means causes said first switching means to disconnect said catalytic converter system from said auxiliary storage battery prior to connecting said auxiliary storage battery in parallel with said main storage battery.

3. In a power supply system for a motor vehicle including a first storage battery for supplying electrical power to a primary load of the vehicle, the improvement comprising:

a second storage battery for supplying electrical power to a secondary load of the vehicle;

first switching means for connecting said secondary load to said second storage battery;

second switching means for connecting said second storage battery in parallel with said first storage battery;

and control means including inhibit means for preventing said second switching means from connecting said second storage battery in parallel with said first storage battery when said secondary load is connected to said second storage battery, said control means including override means for overriding said inhibit means as a function of a parameter indicative of the state of charge of one of said storage batteries to enable said second switching means to connect said second storage battery in parallel with said first storage battery while said secondary load is connected to said second storage battery.

4. In a power supply system for a motor vehicle including a first storage battery for supplying electrical power to a primary load of the vehicle, the improvement comprising;

a second storage battery for supplying electrical power to a secondary load of the vehicle;

first switching means for connecting said secondary load to said second storage battery;

second switching means for connecting said second storage battery in parallel with said first storage battery;

and control means including inhibit means for preventing said second switching means from connecting said second storage battery in parallel with said first storage battery when said secondary load is connected to said second storage battery, said control means including first monitoring circuit means for monitoring the state of charge of said second storage battery, enabling means responsive to said first monitoring means for connecting said second storage battery in parallel with said first storage battery when the state of charge of said second storage battery is less than a preselected value, and second monitoring circuit means for monitoring the state of charge of said first storage battery, said inhibit means overriding said enabling means to prevent said second switching means from connecting said first storage battery in parallel with said second storage when the state of charge of said first storage battery is less than a preselected value.

9. In a power supply system for a motor vehicle including a main storage battery for supplying electrical power to a primary load of the vehicle, said primary load including at least the starter motor and the ignition circuit of the vehicle, the improvement comprising:

an auxiliary storage battery for supplying electrical power to an electrically heated catalytic converter system of the vehicle;

first switching means for connecting said catalytic converter system to said auxiliary storage battery;

second switching means for connecting said auxiliary storage battery in parallel with said main battery;

and control means including a load switch control circuit responsive to operation of an ignition switch of the vehicle to cause said first switching means to operate and connect said auxiliary storage battery to said catalytic converter system during starting of the engine of the vehicle, said control means including monitoring means for monitoring the state of charge of said main storage battery and for preventing operation of said load switch control circuit when the state of charge of said main storage battery is less than a given value, and back-up control circuit means responsive to said monitoring means for controlling said second switching means to connect said auxiliary storage battery to said primary load to enable said auxiliary storage battery to supply electrical power to said primary load of the vehicle, whereby said auxiliary storage battery serves as a back-up power source for said main storage battery.

11. In a power supply system for a motor vehicle including a main storage battery for supplying electrical power to a primary load of the vehicle, the improvement comprising:

an auxiliary storage battery for supplying electrical power to a secondary load of the vehicle;

first switching means for connecting said secondary load to said auxiliary storage battery;

second switching means;

and control means for controlling said second switching means to connect said auxiliary storage battery to said primary load to enable said auxiliary storage battery to supply electrical power to said primary load of the vehicle, whereby said auxiliary storage battery serves as a back-up power source for said main storage battery, and wherein said second switching means connects said auxiliary storage battery in parallel with said main storage battery whereby said main storage battery serves as a back-up power source for said auxiliary storage battery whenever the state of charge of said auxiliary battery decreases below a given level while said secondary load is connected to said auxiliary storage battery.

12. The power supply system of claim 11 wherein said control means includes monitoring means coupled to said main storage battery for monitoring the state of charge of said main storage battery, and enabling means responsive to said monitoring means for enabling said second switching means to connect said auxiliary storage battery in parallel with said main storage battery only when the state of charge of said main storage battery is above a predetermined level.

13. A power supply system for a motor vehicle for supplying electrical power to a primary load and a secondary load of the vehicle, comprising:

a first storage battery for supplying electrical power to the primary load;

a source of charging current connected to said first storage battery for supplying charging current to said first storage battery;

a second storage battery;

first switching means for connecting said secondary load to said second storage battery for supplying electrical power to the secondary load;

second switching means for connecting said second storage battery to said source of charging current;

and control means for controlling said first and second switching means to prevent the connection of said second storage battery to said source of charging current while said secondary load is connected to said second storage battery, said second switching means comprising at least one solid state switching device, drive circuit means for providing a drive signal for said switching device, and a relay having a pair of contacts connected in circuit with said solid state switching device, said relay being operated independently of said switching means.

14. A power supply system for a motor vehicle comprising:

a main storage battery for supplying electrical power to a load,

an auxiliary storage battery for supplying electrical power to said load,

a source of charging current connected to said main storage battery for supplying charging current to said main storage battery,

switching means enabled in response to a predetermined condition for connecting said auxiliary storage battery to said source of charging current to supply charging current to said auxiliary storage battery from said source of charging current, and

control means for controlling said switching means to supply charging current to said auxiliary storage battery as a function of at least one parameter of said main storage battery, said control means including drive circuit means for producing a drive signal for said switching means for establishing the duty cycle for said switching means, and monitoring means for monitoring said one parameter of said main storage battery and controlling said drive circuit means to vary the duty cycle of said switching means, and said control means varying the duty cycle of said switching in predetermined increments during successive intervals of time with increase in the state of charge of said main battery, and wherein the change in the charging current being supplied to said auxiliary storage battery during each increment of time is correlated with a voltage transfer function;

V=Vmax (0.9) (1x), where Vmax is the maximum charge condition for the main storage battery, and x is the duty cycle of the switching means.

15. The power supply system of claim 14, wherein said control means causes the duty cycle of said switching means to be decreased whenever the state of charge of said main storage battery decreases during any one of said intervals of time.

16. A power supply system for a motor vehicle comprising:

a main storage battery for supplying electrical power to a primary load, said primary load including at least the starter motor and the ignition circuit of the vehicle,

an auxiliary storage battery for supplying electrical power to an electrically heated catalytic converter system,

a source of charging current connected to said main storage battery for supplying charging current to said main storage battery,

first switching means for connecting said auxiliary storage battery to said catalytic converter system,

second switching means for connecting said auxiliary storage battery to said source of charging current whereby charging current is supplied to said auxiliary storage battery from said source of charging current, and

control means for controlling said second switching means to vary the amount of charging current supplied to said auxiliary storage battery as a function of at least one parameter of said main storage battery, said control means including drive circuit means for producing a pulse modulated drive signal for said second switching means to establish the duty cycle for said second switching means, and timing means for controlling said drive circuit means for increasing the pulse width of said drive signal in successive intervals of time to thereby increase the amount of charging current supplied to said auxiliary storage battery during said successive intervals of time.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said control means includes monitoring means for providing a control output when the state of charge of said main storage battery is less than a predetermined value and means responsive to said control output for overriding said timing means to decrease the duty cycle and therefore the rate of charge of said auxiliary storage battery in correspondence with the decrease in state of charge of said main storage battery.

18. The power supply system of claim 16, wherein said control means includes means for enabling said second switching means only when said main storage battery has reached an acceptable level of charge, whereby the level of charge delivery to said auxiliary storage battery is dependent on the charging voltage of said main storage battery.

19. The power supply system of claim 16, wherein said control means includes means for enabling said second switching means while said main storage battery has a first state of charge, whereby said auxiliary storage battery receives charging current from said source of charging current only after said main storage battery has assumed a predetermined state of charge, thereby protecting the charge of said main storage battery.

20. The power supply system of claim 16, wherein said control means includes monitoring means for providing a control output when a voltage level of said main storage battery is less than a predetermined value and means responsive to said control output to cause said second switching means to disconnect said auxiliary storage battery from said source of charging current.