Method and apparatus to control electric power consumption

• US 8,547,055 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mack, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US11/685,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,393 Days
• Field of Search: 320/135, 320/136, 320/104
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/28 including control of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/28 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

A system and method for controlling the electrical power consumption of an accessory device. A power transmission unit is adapted to generate electrical power. The system comprises a first controller, a current sensor and a second controller. The first controller is adapted to control the operation of the accessory device. The current sensor is configured to measure an amount of current being charged and discharged to and from the battery and generate a signal that corresponds to the measured amount of current charged and discharged to and from the battery. The second controller is configured to receive the signal from the current sensor and generate flag signal in response to detecting that current is being charged to the battery. The first controller is further adapted to control the accessory device to consume increased power from the electrical power generated by the power transmission unit in response to the flag signal.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the electrical power consumption of an accessory device having first and second portions in a vehicle having an engine, a battery, and a power transmission unit adapted to generate electrical power, the method comprising:

determining an amount of current that is being charged and discharged to and from the battery; and

operating the accessory device in response to determining that current is being charged to the battery such that accessory device consumes increased power from the electrical power generated by the power transmission unit.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an on/off status of the engine and increasing the operation the accessory device in response to determining that the amount of current being discharged from the battery is less than a predetermined amount of current and the on/off status of the engine is in an on state such that the accessory device consumes increased power from the electrical power generated by the power transmission unit.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising inhibiting the operation of the accessory device in response to determining that the amount of current being discharged from the battery is greater than a predetermined amount of current.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a state of charge of the battery and operating the accessory device in response detecting that the state of charge of the battery is greater than a predetermined threshold such that the accessory device consumes increased power from the battery.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the electrical power generated by the power transmission unit over a high voltage bus to the first portion of the accessory device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising stepping down the electrical power generated by the power transmission unit over the high voltage bus to produce stepped down electrical power.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising delivering the stepped-down electrical power over a low voltage bus to a low voltage battery and the second portion of the accessory device.

8. A method for controlling the electrical power consumption of an accessory device in a vehicle having an engine, a battery, and an power transmission unit adapted to generate electrical power, the method comprising:

determining whether power is being delivered to and from the battery; and

operating the accessory device in response to determining that power is delivered to the battery such that the accessory device consumes increased power from the electrical power generated by the power transmission unit.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising inhibiting the operation of the accessory device in response to determining that the battery delivers power.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a state of charge of the battery and operating the accessory device in response detecting that the state of charge of the battery is greater than a predetermined threshold such that the accessory device consumes increased power from power stored on the battery.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising delivering the electrical power generated by the power transmission unit over a high voltage bus to the first portion of the accessory device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising stepping down the electrical power generated by the power transmission unit over the high voltage bus to produce stepped down electrical power.

13. A device for controlling a first controller to control an accessory device to consume power in a vehicle having an engine, a battery, and a power transmission unit that generates electrical power, the device comprising:

a second controller configured to;

determine an amount of current that is being charged to the battery or discharged from the battery; and

control the first controller to enable the accessory device to consume the electrical power generated from the power transmission unit in response to determining that current is being charged to the battery.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the second controller is configured to control the first controller to enable the accessory device to consume the electrical power generated from the power transmission unit and not from the battery in response to determining that current is being charged to the battery.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein the second controller is configured to determine an on/off status for the engine.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the second controller is further configured to control the first controller to enable the accessory device to consume the electrical power generated from the power transmission unit in response to determining that the amount of current being discharged from the battery is less than a predetermined current amount and that the on/off status for the engine is in an on state.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the second controller is further configured to control the first controller to reduce operation of the accessory device in response to determining that the amount of current being discharged from the battery is greater than the predetermined current amount.

18. The device of claim 13 wherein the second controller is further configured to determine a state of charge of the battery and to compare the state of charge to a predetermined threshold.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein the second controller is further configured to control the first controller to enable the accessory device to consume electrical power from the battery in response to determining that the state of charge is greater than the predetermined threshold.