Mobile energy management system

• US 7,286,918 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cummins Power Generation Inc (Cummins Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cummins Power Generation Inc (Cummins Incorporated)
• Inventors: Priem, Dan G., Plahn, Paul H., Lovegren, Keith L., Koenig, David J, Haupt, Brian G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/263,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 363/35, 363/41, 363/17, 363/55, 363/98, 363/56.02, 320/101, 436/134, 436/167, 322/19, 322/28, 322/36, 322/45, 361/84, 361/90, 361/91.3, 361/79, 361/92, 307/38, 307/39
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A recreational vehicle includes a chassis having a living space, an electrical system for providing electrical power to the living space, an air conditioner for cooling the living space, a heater for heating the living space, and a plurality of appliances within the living space attached to the electrical system. The recreational vehicle also includes an engine for moving the recreational vehicle, a motor generator for supplying power to the recreational vehicle, a connector for connecting the electrical system of the recreational vehicle to an external power source, and a local area network system electrically connected to the air conditioner, the heater, the plurality of appliances, and the motor generator. The local area network manages the power provided to the to the electrical appliances. A display positioned within the living space shows data related to the air conditioner, the heater, the plurality of appliances, the motor generator and the engine.

Claims

1. A recreational vehicle comprising:

a chassis which includes a living space;

an electrical system for providing electrical power to the living space;

an air conditioner for cooling the living space;

a heater for heating the living space;

a plurality of appliances within the living space attached to the electrical system;

an engine for moving the recreational vehicle;

a motor generator for supplying power to the recreational vehicle;

a connector for connecting the electrical system of the recreational vehicle to an external power source; and

a local area network system electrically connected to the air conditioner, the heater, the plurality of appliances, and the motor generator, the local area network managing the power provided to the air conditioner, the heater, the plurality of appliances and for enabling the motor generator when available power through the connector drops below a threshold level, wherein the threshold level is based on automatically determined external power source line voltages and automatically determined phase angle differences between the external power source line voltages.

2. The recreational vehicle of claim 1 wherein the local area network system includes an information handling system.

3. The recreational vehicle of claim 2 wherein the information handling system includes a microcontroller.

4. The recreational vehicle of claim 2 wherein the information handling system includes a computer.

5. The recreational vehicle of claim 2 wherein the information handling system controls the time when the motor generator can operate.

6. The recreational vehicle of claim 2 wherein the information handling system controls the time when the motor generator can operate, wherein the motor generator is allowed to operate solely during a period including normal waking hours.

7. The recreational vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a display positioned within the living space, the display showing data related to the air conditioner, the heater, the plurality of appliances, the motor generator and the engine.

8. The recreational vehicle of claim 7 further comprising:

a plurality of tanks;

a plurality of level sensors for sensing the level in the plurality of tanks, the display also displaying the levels of the plurality of tanks.

9. The recreational vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:

a display positioned within the living space; and

a microprocessor for executing commands related to the air conditioner, the heater, the plurality of appliances, the motor generator and the engine.

10. The recreational vehicle of claim 9 wherein the microprocessor commands relate to a diagnostic test for the various components under control of the control system, said display used to show the results of the diagnostic test.

11. The recreational vehicle of claim 9 wherein the microprocessor commands include fetching error codes stored in memory associated with the motor generator and the engine.

12. A recreational vehicle comprising:

a chassis which includes a living space;

a plurality of devices associated with the recreational vehicle;

means for controlling at least one device of the plurality of devices in response to automatically determined line voltages and automatically determined chase angle differences between the line voltages associated with a power source external to the recreational vehicle; and

a display positioned within the living space and configured for displaying information related to the plurality of devices and information related to electrical power available from the power source external to the recreational vehicle, wherein the available power information is based on the automatically determined external power source line voltages and phase angle differences between the external power source line voltages.

13. The recreational vehicle of claim 12 wherein the plurality of devices includes a tank having a level, the display capable of displaying an indication of the level within the tank.

14. The recreational vehicle of claim 12 wherein the plurality of devices includes a plurality of devices that have an electrical load associated therewith, the display capable of displaying an indication of the load associated with one of the plurality of devices.

15. The recreational vehicle of claim 12 wherein the plurality of devices includes a plurality of devices that have an electrical load associated therewith, the display capable of displaying an indication of the load associated with the plurality of devices.

16. The recreational vehicle of claim 12 wherein the plurality of devices includes a plurality pf devices that produce electrical power, the display capable of displaying an indication of the electrical power available.

17. The recreational vehicle of claim 12 further comprising an engine for moving the recreational vehicle, wherein the engine includes a memory for storing information related to the engine, the display capable of displaying the engine information.

18. The recreational vehicle of claim 12 further comprising an engine for moving the recreational vehicle, wherein the recreational vehicle further comprises:

a microprocessor; and

memory accessible by the microprocessor, wherein diagnostics associated with the cngine are stored in the memory, the microprocessor capable of generating the engine diagnostic information.

19. The recreational vehicle of claim 12 further comprising:

a microprocessor; and

memory accessible by the microprocessor, wherein information related to the plurality of devices are stored in the memory, the microprocessor capable of generating the information.

20. The recreational vehicle of claim 19 wherein the display further compnses:

a main display area; and

a pop-up display area which is positioned over a selected portion of the main display area;

the pop-up display area capable of displaying information related to the plurality of devices.

21. The recreational vehicle of claim 20 wherein the pop-up display area displays information related to a fault found in at least one of the plurality of devices.

22. The recreational vehicle of claim 20 wherein the pop-up display area displays information related to an error condition found in at least one of the plurality of devices.

23. The recreational vehicle of claim 20 wherein the pop-up display area displays information related to a predetermined condition in at least one of the plurality of devices.

24. The recreational vehicle of claim 23 wherein the predetermined condition includes a ground open condition in AC shore power.

25. The recreational vehicle of claim 23 wherein the predetermined condition includes a neutral open condition in AC shore power.

26. The recreational vehicle of claim 23 wherein the predetermined condition includes a ground fault sense condition in AC shore power.

27. The recreational vehicle of claim 23 wherein the predetermined condition includes a switched polarity condition in AC shore power.

28. The recreational vehicle of claim 23 further comprising:

an inverter; and

an inverter interface, wherein the predetermined condition includes a fault signal produced by the inverter and passed over the inverter interface from the inverter.

29. The recreational vehicle of claim 20 wherein the pop-up display area displays information responsive to a signal from at least one of the plurality of devices.

30. The recreational vehicle of claim 20 wherein the main display is a video display.

31. The recreational vehicle of claim 20 wherein the main display is a video display directed at a space proximate the rear of the recreational vehicle.

32. The recreational vehicLe of claim 19 further comprising:

a set of commands stored in memory, the commands for testing a plurality of devices associated with the coach and which are in electrical communication with the microprocessor, the commands executable by the microprocessor to test the devices associated with the coach.

33. The recreational vehicle of claim 19 wherein the memory contains infonnation related to diagnostics for at least one of the plurality of devices.

34. The recreational vehicle of claim 19 wherein the microprocessor calculates miles per gallon for display on the display device.

35. The recreational vehicle of claim 19 wherein the microprocessor calculates miles to empty for display on the display device.

36. The recreational vehicle of claim 19 wherein the microprocessor calculates miles to destination for display on the display device.

37. The recreational vehicle of claim 19 wherein the memory stores conditions for display on the display device.