Vehicle electronic systems with battery management functions

• US 8,111,038 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2010
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: O2 Micro Incorporated
• Inventors: Zhang, Wei, Tang, Ruichao, Wang, Shaolan
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US12/886,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20110006731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electronic system in a vehicle includes a motor, a charger, a battery pack, and a bus. The motor drives wheels and propellers of the vehicle. The charger generates charging power according to a control signal. The battery pack coupled to the charger and the motor is operable for generating the control signal based upon a status of each cell of multiple cells in the battery pack, for receiving the charging power via a charging path when the vehicle is stalled, and for powering the motor via a discharging path when the vehicle is started. The bus coupled to the charger and the battery pack is operable for transmitting the control signal from the battery pack to the charger.

Claims

1. An electronic system in a vehicle, said electronic system comprising:

a motor for driving wheels and propellers of said vehicle;

a charger operable for generating charging power according to a control signal, wherein said charger comprises a charge control module operable for generating an authentication signal indicating a maximum charging voltage and a maximum charging current of said charger;

a battery pack coupled to said charger and said motor, and operable for receiving said authentication signal, for generating said control signal based upon a status of each cell of a plurality of cells in said battery pack, for receiving said charging power via a charging path when said vehicle is stalled, and for powering said motor via a discharging path when said vehicle is started; and

a bus coupled to said charger and said battery pack, and operable for transmitting said control signal from said battery pack to said charger.

2. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery pack further comprises:

an electric control unit operable for generating said control signal if said authentication signal indicates said charger is suitable for charging said battery pack, and for generating a termination signal to terminate an operation of said charger if said authentication signal indicates said charger is unsuitable for charging said battery pack.

3. The electronic system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said bus transmits said authentication signal from said charger to said battery pack and transmits said termination signal from said battery pack to said charger.

4. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said charger further comprises:

a converter operable for converting input power to said charging power according to a pulse signal;

a processor coupled to said converter and operable for receiving a reference voltage associated with a charging voltage of said charging power and a reference current associated with a charging current of said charging power from said control signal; and

a pulse signal generator coupled to said converter and said processor, and operable for generating said pulse signal to adjust said charging power according to said reference voltage and said reference current.

5. The electronic system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pulse signal generator further comprises:

a first error amplifier coupled to a node and operable for receiving a first sense signal indicating said charging voltage and for adjusting a node voltage at said node based on a comparison of said charging voltage to said reference voltage; and

a second error amplifier coupled to said node and operable for receiving a second sense signal indicating said charging current and for adjusting said node voltage based on a comparison of said charging current to said reference current,

wherein said pulse signal is generated according to said node voltage.

6. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an instrument control unit coupled to said bus and operable for receiving status data indicating a status of said battery pack and for displaying said status on a panel of an instrument in said vehicle.

7. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle control unit coupled to said bus and a user interface, and operable for interacting with a user via said user interface to generate control commands to control said battery pack and said charger.

8. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a motor driver processing unit coupled to said bus and said motor, and operable for performing an operation selected from a group consisting of starting and stopping said motor, selecting a rotation direction of said motor, regulating a rotation speed of said motor, regulating a torque, and protecting said motor against overloads and faults.

12. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery pack further comprises:

a plurality of cell modules for providing a plurality of status signals, wherein each of said cell modules comprises a number of cells and provides a status signal which indicates a status of each cell of said number of cells; and

an electric control unit coupled to said cell modules and operable for generating said control signal according to said status signals.

13. The electronic system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said charger comprises:

a supply module operable for providing a supply voltage to power said electric control unit when said vehicle is stalled.

14. The electronic system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

a direct current (DC) to DC converter coupled to said battery pack and operable for converting a battery voltage of said battery pack to a first driving voltage to power said electric control unit when said vehicle is started.

15. The electronic system as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

an accumulator charged by said first driving voltage when said vehicle is started and operable for providing a second driving voltage to power a component of said vehicle when said vehicle is stalled.

16. The electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bus works in accordance with a protocol selected from a group consisting of:

a controller area network (CAN) protocol, a vehicle area network (VAN) protocol, a local interconnect network (LIN) protocol, and a FlexRay protocol.

9. A method for controlling a vehicle, said method comprising:

generating a control signal based upon a status of each cell of a plurality of cells in a battery pack;

generating charging power by a charger according to said control signal to charge said battery pack when said vehicle is stalled;

powering a motor in said vehicle by said battery pack when said vehicle is started;

transmitting said control signal from said battery pack to said charger via a bus in said vehicle;

receiving an authentication signal indicating a maximum charging voltage and a maximum charging current of said charger;

generating said control signal if said authentication signal indicates said charger is suitable for charging said battery pack; and

generating a termination signal to terminate an operation of said charger if said authentication signal indicates said charger is unsuitable for charging said battery pack.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a reference voltage associated with a charging voltage of said charging power and a reference current associated with a charging current of said charging power from said control signal;

generating a pulse signal according to said reference voltage and said reference current; and

converting input power to said charging power according to said pulse signal.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

adjusting a node voltage at a node based on a comparison of said charging voltage to said reference voltage;

adjusting said node voltage based on a comparison of said charging current to said reference current; and

generating said pulse signal according to said node voltage.

17. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of status signals from a plurality of cell modules respectively by an electric control unit, wherein each of said cell modules comprises a respective number of cells, and wherein each of said status signals indicates a status of each cell of said number of cells; and

generating said control signal by said electric control unit according to said status signals.

18. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

providing a supply voltage by said charger to power said electric control unit when said vehicle is stalled; and

converting a battery voltage from said battery pack to a driving voltage to power said electric control unit when said vehicle is started.