Method and system for keyless machine operation

• US 7,970,518 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Bernardi, John Jay, Ehrenhardt, Kevin Dee
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/313,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/50, 701 52- 53, 307/9.1, 307/85, 307/40.F, 307 18- 23, 307/109, 307/38, 307/80, 290/40.B, 290/40.C, 363 34- 35, 318/139, 320/127
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources

Abstract

The keyless power system has an ignition system including an ignition switch having an “OFF” position and one or more electrical components associated with a work machine. The keyless power system also has one or more alternate power sources configured to provide electrical power to the one or more electrical components. The keyless power system also has a controller configured to determine a power-level requirement of the one or more electrical components and activate at least one of the one or more alternate power sources to at least partially satisfy the power-level requirement based on whether the ignition switch is in the “OFF” position.

Claims

1. A power system for a truck, comprising:

an ignition system including an ignition switch having an “

OFF”

position at which an ignition key is removable from the ignition switch;

one or more electrical components associated with the truck;

one or more alternate power sources configured to provide electrical power to the one or more electrical components; and

a controller configured to;

determine a power-level requirement of the one or more electrical components, with the ignition switch in the “

OFF”

position and the ignition key removed from the ignition switch, and activate at least one of the one or more alternate power sources to satisfy the power-level requirement, with the ignition switch in the “

OFF”

position and the ignition key removed from the ignition switch, wherein the controller is further configured to shut-down at least one of the one or more alternate power sources based on the power-level requirement of the one or more electrical components.

2. The power system of claim 1, wherein activation of the at least one of the one or more alternate power sources is further based on an operator request.

3. The power system of claim 2, wherein the operator request includes at least one of a manual input and an automatic mode input.

4. The power system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the availability of the one or more alternate power sources to provide electrical power to the one or more electrical components.

5. The power system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to activate the one or more alternate power sources based on a hierarchy.

6. The power system of claim 1, wherein the one or more electrical components includes at least one of an HVAC system, a refrigerator, a light, and a cooling system component.

7. The power system of claim 1, wherein the one or more alternate power sources includes at least one of a battery, an auxiliary power unit, and a connector configured to receive power from external power source.