Method and device for controlling electric consumers in a motor vehicle

• US 6,301,528 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2000
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Bertram, Torsten, Baumann, Torsten, Maier-Landgrebe, Rolf, Schmucker, Clemens
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/622,281
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/22, 701/36, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 700/286, 180/65.1
• US Class Current: 701/1
• 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: B60T 2260/08 Coordination of integrated systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2260/09 Complex systems; Conjoint control of two or more vehicle active control systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles

Abstract

A method and an arrangement for controlling electrical consumers in a vehicle are suggested with a control structure being provided for the consumers, the control structure including at least a higher-ranking consumer management which receives requests from the consumers with respect to the consumer power individually or as sums. The control structure further includes a coordinator for the vehicle electrical system and the power generation thereof, the coordinator receiving the sum of the requested electric consumer power from the consumer management. The coordinator of the vehicle electrical system adjusts the requested electric power via orders to the vehicle electrical system components and the consumer management takes the generated electrical power via control of the consumers.

Claims

1. A method for controlling electrical consumers in a vehicle having a control structure for the consumers, a source of consumer power and a vehicle electrical system, the control structure including at least a higher-ranking consumer management which receives requests from the consumers with respect to the consumer power individually or combined as sums, the control structure further including a coordinator for the vehicle electrical system and for the power generation thereof, the method comprising the steps of:

causing the coordinator to receive the sum of the requested electric consumer power from the consumer management;

causing the coordinator of the vehicle electrical system to adjust the requested electric power via orders to the vehicle electrical system components; and

,

causing the consumer management to take the generated electrical power via control of the consumers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumers request from the consumer management the electric power as peak power, rated power and lowest power which is necessary for a purposeful operation of the consumer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein groups of consumers are assembled and each group is allocated to a consumer coordinator which combines the individual requests of the consumers and outputs them to the consumer management.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the consumer coordinators each form the sums of the requested powers and fix the priorities of the consumers according to an input.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the consumer coordinators allocate the electric power, which is allocated by the consumer management to the assigned consumers via control of the consumers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, for an excess of electrical power, the consumer management distributes the electric power to the coordinators in order to extinguish the excess.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer management receives separate requests for peak power and rated power, sums the peak power and determines the realizability thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, for a non-realizable peak power request, the power is allocated to consumers of higher priority and the rated power request is correspondingly corrected.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer management is subordinated to a vehicle electric system management as a component, the vehicle electric system management coordinating generator, battery, drive train and consumer management with respect to the generation and the distribution of electric power.

10. An arrangement for controlling electrical consumers in a vehicle, the arrangement comprising:

a control structure for the consumers with at least a higher-ranking consumer management which receives requests with respect to consumer power from the consumers, the requests being individually or combined as sums;

a coordinator for a vehicle electric system and the power generation thereof;

said coordinator receiving the sum of the requested electrical consumer power from the consumer management;

said coordinator of the vehicle electric system adjusting the requested electric power via orders to the vehicle electric system components; and

,

the consumer management taking the generated electric power by controlling the consumers.