Dark current cutoff system and method for vehicle junction box

• US 8,738,227 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2012
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Young Kug, Cheon, Wang Seong
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH-STEWART, DEMETRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/605,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20130297147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/22 Standstill, e.g. zero speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0238 Electrical distribution centers
• 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 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/002 in which a reserve is maintained in an energy source by disconnecting non-critical loads, e.g. maintaining a reserve of charge in a vehicle battery for starting an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Disclosed is a dark current cutoff system and method for a vehicle junction. In particular, a controller is configured to monitor signal input through a CAN communication module to determine when other modules in the vehicle are in a sleep mode, cut off battery power to a load device by turning off a switching element when the controller determines that the other modules in the vehicle are in sleep mode, and forcibly maintains an off state of the switching element for a set period time after the power has been cut, regardless of signal input through the CAN communication module.

Claims

1. A dark current cutoff method for a vehicle junction box, the dark current cutoff method comprising:

monitoring, by a controller of the junction box, signal input through a controller area network (CAN) communication module to determine when other modules in the vehicle enter a sleep mode;

cutting off battery power to a load device by turning off a switching element by the controller once the controller determines that the other modules in the vehicle are in the sleep mode;

ignoring, by the controller, all CAN signals input through the CAN communication module for a preset period of time immediately after the step of cutting off battery power to the load device; and

forcibly maintaining, by the controller of the junction box, the off state of the switching element for the preset period of time after the step of cutting off battery power to the load device, regardless of signal input through the CAN communication module; and

after elapse of the preset period of time, again monitoring, by the controller of the junction box, signal input through the CAN communication module, so that the controller continuously maintains a power cut state while the other modules are in the sleep mode.

2. A dark current cutoff system for a vehicle junction box,

the dark current cutoff system comprising:

a controller area network (CAN) communication module of the junction box configured to perform CAN communication with other modules in a vehicle;

a controller of the junction box configured to monitor signal input through the CAN communication module and output a control signal that cuts off battery power to a load device once the controller determines that the other modules in the vehicle are in a sleep mode; and

a switching element configured to cut off the battery power to the load device in response to a control signal from the controller,

wherein the controller ignores all CAN signals input through the CAN communication module for a preset period of time immediately after cutting off the battery power to the load device, and forcibly maintains an off state of the switching element for the preset period of time after the power has been cut, regardless of signal input through the CAN communication module; and

after elapse of the preset period of time, the controller of the junction box again monitors signal input through the CAN communication module, so that the controller continuously maintains a power cut state while the other modules are in the sleep mode.

3. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a controller, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that monitor signal input through a controller area network (CAN) communication module to determine when other modules in the vehicle enter a sleep mode;

program instructions that cut off battery power to a load device by turning off a switching element by the controller once the controller determines that the other modules in the vehicle are in the sleep mode;

program instructions that ignore all CAN signals input through the CAN communication module for a preset period of time immediately after the battery power is cut off to the load device; and

program instructions that forcibly maintain the off state of the switching element for the preset period of time after the power the battery power is cut off to the load device, regardless of signal input through the CAN communication module; and

program instructions that again monitor, after elapse of the preset period of time, signal input through the CAN communication module, so as to continuously maintain a power cut state while the other modules are in the sleep mode.