Motor vehicle power management system

• US 7,818,106 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Diedrich, Nathaniel W., Pilgrim, Michael, Goeppner, Andrew T., Vilkinofsky, John, Miller, Ross C., Dutter, Jason A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby; Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US11/279,716
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/29, 701/50, 701/101, 320128-132, 307/10.1, 307/10.3, 307/10.6, 307/10.7, 318/376
• US Class Current: 701/36
• 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: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0032 disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running

Abstract

A power management system for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The power management system can track one or more usage parameters to insure that electrical accessories or resources do not fully drain a battery and leave enough battery life to conduct at least one cold start. In some cases, the power management system can track one or more of the following usage parameters: the amount of time of one or more hands free telephone systems are used, the number of attempts to contact a computer, and/or the amount of time used to conduct wireless communications with a computer that is physically separate from the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of managing power in a motor vehicle comprising the steps of:

establishing a first predetermined usage parameter associated with a first resource;

establishing a first predetermined usage limit associated with the first resource;

tracking the usage of the first resource using the first predetermined usage parameter when the motor vehicle is in an off condition, the off condition being a condition where an engine of the motor vehicle is turned off and where an accessory switch of the motor vehicle is turned off;

preventing usage of the first resource when the first predetermined usage parameter exceeds the first predetermined usage limit;

wherein the first predetermined usage parameter is a number of attempts which have been made to connect with a specific computer that is physically separate from the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is in the off condition; and

wherein the first predetermined usage limit is a predetermined maximum number of attempts to connect with the specific computer that is physically separate from the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is in the off condition.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a period of time where repeated attempts are made to connect with the specific computer that is physically separate from the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is in the off condition; and

preventing additional attempts after the period of time has expired.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the period of time is less than 10 minutes.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the period of time is between 0 and 10 minutes.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the period of time is about 1 minute.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined maximum number of attempts is established over a time period.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined maximum number of attempts is less than 30 attempts per day.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined maximum number of attempts is between 2 and 15 attempts per day.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined maximum number of attempts is about 7 attempts per day.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined maximum number of attempts is less than 10 attempts per week.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined maximum number of attempts is less than 5 attempts per week.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined maximum number of attempts is about 2 attempts per week.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined usage parameter is related to an amount of current draw from a battery by the first resource.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first predetermined usage limit is related to an estimated power reserve to conduct a cold start.

15. A method of managing power in a motor vehicle comprising the steps of:

establishing a first predetermined usage parameter associated with a first resource;

establishing a first predetermined usage limit associated with the first resource;

tracking the usage of the first resource using the first predetermined usage parameter when the motor vehicle is in an off condition, the off condition being a condition where an engine of the motor vehicle is turned off and where an accessory switch of the motor vehicle is turned off;

resetting the first predetermined usage parameter when the motor vehicle is transitioned from the off condition to an on condition;

wherein the first predetermined usage parameter is a number of attempts which have been made to connect with a specific computer that is physically separate from the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is in the off condition; and

wherein the first predetermined usage limit is a predetermined maximum number of attempts to connect with the specific computer that is physically separate from the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is in the off condition.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a second predetermined usage parameter associated with a second resource;

tracking the usage of the second resource using the second usage parameter when the motor vehicle is in the off condition; and

establishing a second predetermined usage limit associated with the second resource.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the second predetermined usage parameter is an amount of time a hands free telephone has been used while the motor vehicle is in the off condition;

and

wherein the second predetermined usage limit is a predetermined maximum amount of time the hands free telephone may be used while the motor vehicle is in the off condition.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the second predetermined usage parameter is a duration of time a synchronize process has operated when the motor vehicle is in the off condition;

and

wherein the second predetermined usage limit is a predetermined duration of time the synchronize process may operate when the motor vehicle is in the off condition.

19. A method of managing power in a motor vehicle comprising the steps of:

establishing a first predetermined usage parameter associated with a first resource;

establishing a cumulative usage limit associated with the first resource;

sensing an on/off condition of the motor vehicle;

tracking the usage of the first resource using the first predetermined usage parameter when the motor vehicle is in an off condition,

restricting the use of the first resource after the first predetermined usage parameter exceeds the established cumulative usage limit;

wherein the first predetermined usage parameter is a number of attempts which have been made to connect with a specific computer that is physically separate from the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is in the off condition; and

wherein the cumulative usage limit is a predetermined maximum number of attempts to connect with the specific computer that is physically separate from the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is in the off condition.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the off condition is a condition where an engine of the motor vehicle is turned off.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the off condition is a condition where an accessory switch of the motor vehicle is turned off.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the cumulative usage limit is related to an estimated current draw for the first resource.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the cumulative usage limit is related to an estimated current draw from a battery that depletes a power reserve for the battery.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the power reserve is an estimated amount of power between a full power estimate and an estimated minimum level required for a cold start.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein a second predetermined usage parameter associated with a second resource is established.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the second predetermined usage parameter is related to an estimated current draw for the second resource.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the estimated current draw for the second resource is different than the estimated current draw for the first resource.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the usage of the first resource and the second resource is tracked.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the usage of the second resource is restricted when the cumulative usage limit is exceeded.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the usage of the second resource is not restricted when the cumulative usage limit is exceeded.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the second resource is associated with a vehicle assistance network.