Intelligent vehicle power control system and method
First Claim
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1. A power control device for a vehicle, comprising:
- at least one power input configured to receive a first electric current from a vehicle electrical system;
at least one power output configured to deliver a second electric current to one or more auxiliary systems;
at least one power switch configured to independently connect or disconnect the power output(s);
a plurality of sensors configured to generate data describing the vehicle electrical system;
a processor connected to the plurality of sensors and configured to interpret the data generated by the plurality of sensors, wherein the processor is further configured to control the power switch(es) based on the data generated by the plurality of sensors and further based on at least one threshold received via a communications interface.
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides a system and method for managing a vehicle electrical system providing power to auxiliary systems. The system comprises a power control device with the ability to control the power to multiple auxiliary systems. The device has one or more sensor inputs for reading the system voltage and other data. The device can be configured with preset voltage thresholds for turning individual accessories on or off at predetermined voltage levels, or otherwise entering shutdown procedures. The system may also comprise a computer that is running dedicated software for managing the system and reconfiguring the device behavior.
47 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A power control device for a vehicle, comprising:
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at least one power input configured to receive a first electric current from a vehicle electrical system; at least one power output configured to deliver a second electric current to one or more auxiliary systems; at least one power switch configured to independently connect or disconnect the power output(s); a plurality of sensors configured to generate data describing the vehicle electrical system; a processor connected to the plurality of sensors and configured to interpret the data generated by the plurality of sensors, wherein the processor is further configured to control the power switch(es) based on the data generated by the plurality of sensors and further based on at least one threshold received via a communications interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A power control system for a vehicle, comprising:
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a power control device connected to a vehicle electrical system; at least one auxiliary system connected to the vehicle electrical system via the power control device; wherein the power control device comprises; a processor; a plurality of sensors configured to measure at least one performance characteristic of the vehicle electrical system; at least one power switch corresponding to the at least one auxiliary system, wherein each power switch is configured to connect or disconnect an auxiliary system from the vehicle electrical system based on a determination of whether the at least one performance characteristic meets at least one threshold; and a communications interface, wherein the at least one threshold is received via the communications interface. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for managing power distribution in a vehicle electrical system connected to at least one auxiliary system, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) connecting the auxiliary system(s) to the vehicle electrical system by way of a power control device; (b) measuring at least one performance characteristic of the vehicle electrical system; (c) for each auxiliary system, determining at least one threshold with respect to the at least one performance characteristic; and (d) disconnecting an auxiliary system from the vehicle electrical system when the at least one performance characteristic meets the at least one threshold for the respective auxiliary system. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification