Electric vehicle torque-o-meter

• US 6,175,303 B1
• Filed: 04/22/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Theofanopoulos, John, Hansen, Erik J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US09/298,238
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 340/455, 340/438, 340/439, 340/441, 340/459, 340/461, 340/462, 340/636, 324/435, 324/433, 324/429, 324/427, 324/428, 324/431, 320/48, 701/22
• US Class Current: 340/455
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• 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: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for monitoring usage of a electric vehicle'"'"'s battery which offsets the display when the vehicle is in an on condition. A battery energy measuring device is provided which measures the conditions indicative of the maximum available current of the battery and generates a charge signal indicative of the conditions indicative of the maximum available current of the battery. A display is provided which is responsive to the charge signal for displaying the maximum available current of the battery. An offset device is provided which is responsive to the keyswitch to provide a keyswitch signal to the battery energy measuring device representative of the on and off condition of the keyswitch. The battery energy measuring device offsets the charge signal when the keyswitch is in an on condition such that the display displays the on and off condition of the keyswitch.

Claims

1. In an electric vehicle having a battery for supplying energy to a motor, a system for monitoring a usage of an available current of said battery, said system comprising:

a battery energy measuring device in electrical communication with said battery, said battery energy measuring device adapted to measure conditions indicative of said available current of said battery, said battery energy measuring device adapted to generate a charge signal indicative of said available current of said battery;

a display responsive to said charge signal for displaying said available current of said battery;

a keyswitch in electrical communication with said battery, said keyswitch having on and off conditions for respectively enabling and disabling a supply of energy from said battery to said motor; and

an offset responsive to said keyswitch adapted to provide a keyswitch signal to said display representative of said on and said off conditions, said display responsive to said keyswitch signal by offsetting said charge signal when said keyswitch is in said on condition such that said display displays said on and said off conditions of said keyswitch.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery energy measuring device is adapted to provide a negative charge signal responsive to charging of said battery.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said electric vehicle has a braking system, said braking system adapted to charge said battery when said braking system is actuated, said battery energy measuring device adapted to provide said negative charge signal responsive to actuation of said braking system.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display has a sweeping needle responsive to said charging signal and said keyswitch signal, said display beginning with a −

10% mark and ending with a 100% mark.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a 0% mark positioned between said −

10% and said 100% mark, said needle positioned at said 0% mark when said keyswitch is in an on condition and said vehicle is in a non-moving condition.

6. An electric vehicle having a battery supplying energy to a motor, a system for monitoring a usage of an available current of said battery, said electric vehicle comprising:

a battery;

a motor in electrical communication with said battery;

a battery energy measuring device in electrical communication with said battery, said battery energy measuring device adapted to measure conditions indicative of said available current of said battery, said battery energy measuring device adapted to generate a charge signal indicative of said available current of said battery;

a display responsive to said charge signal for displaying said available current of said battery;

a keyswitch in electrical communication with said battery energy measuring device, said keyswitch having on and off conditions for respectively enabling and disabling a supply of energy from said battery to said motor; and

an offset device in electrical communication with said battery energy measuring device, said battery energy measuring device responsive to said keyswitch to cause said offset device to emit a keyswitch signal to said display representative of said on and said off conditions, said keyswitch signal adapted to offset said charge signal when said keyswitch is in said on condition such that said display displays said on and said off conditions of said keyswitch.

7. An electric vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein said battery energy measuring device is adapted to measure a voltage of said battery.

8. An electric vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein said battery energy measuring device measures a current draw by said motor from said battery, said battery energy measuring device adapted to combine said voltage and said current draw to generate said charge signal.

9. An electric vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein said display has a sweeping needle responsive to said charging signal, said display beginning with a −

10% mark and ending with a 100% mark and having increments of 10% therebetween.

10. In an electric vehicle having a battery for supplying energy to a motor, a method for monitoring a usage of an available current of said battery, said method comprising the steps of:

a. generating a charge signal representative of a maximum available current of said battery;

b. generating a keyswtich signal when said keyswitch is in an on condition;

c. offsetting said charge signal in a direction opposite to said offset signal when said battery is being charged;

d. displaying said charge signal combined with said keyswitch signal on a display for a vehicle operator.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said charge is caused by a braking action on said vehicle.