Telematics-based system for protecting against vehicle battery drain

• US 9,393,920 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Hosey, Eric T., Owens, Kevin W., Sine, Joshua M., McGarry, Daniel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAILEY, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US13/897,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20140343831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/22, 701/113, 701/33.4, 340/426.13, 340/438, 340/455, 340/989, 370/346, 370/349
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: F02N 11/0807 Remote means
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 19/00 Starting aids for combustion engines, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/063 Battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/0809 Electrical loads
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2250/02 Battery voltage drop at start, e.g. drops causing ECU reset
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/2006 using prediction of future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0032 disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running
• 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: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for detecting low vehicle battery charge and responding appropriately to prevent complete vehicle battery drainage. One method includes: monitoring the charge of the vehicle battery; determining, by a telematics unit, that the charge of the vehicle battery has reached a low battery charge threshold while the vehicle engine is off; and providing, by the telematics unit, a notification to a telematics subscriber that the vehicle battery has low charge. Another method includes: monitoring the charge of the vehicle battery; determining, by a telematics unit, that the charge of the vehicle battery has reached a low battery charge threshold while the vehicle engine is off; and in response to determining that the low battery charge threshold has been reached, disabling at least one load draining the vehicle battery.

Claims

1. A method for preventing discharge of a vehicle battery of a telematics-equipped vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring the charge of the vehicle battery;

first determining, by a telematics unit while a vehicle engine is off, that charge of the vehicle battery has reached a first low battery charge threshold;

first disabling, by the telematics unit in response to the first determining, at least a first load draining the vehicle battery;

second determining, by the telematics unit while the vehicle engine is off, after the first determining, that the charge of the vehicle battery has reached a second low battery charge threshold; and

second disabling, by the telematics unit in response to the second determining, at least a second load draining the vehicle battery wherein the first load is of lower priority than the second load.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the telematics unit in response to the first determining, a notification that the vehicle battery has low charge;

wherein the notification is issued by the telematics unit via a cellular network to a telematics subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the telematics unit in response to the first determining, a notification that the vehicle battery has low charge;

wherein the notification is presented to a vehicle occupant via a human-machine interface (HMI) of the telematics-equipped vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, in response to the first determining or the second determining, an option to a telematics subscriber to turn on the vehicle engine;

receiving a direction from the telematics subscriber to turn on the vehicle engine; and

turning the vehicle engine on.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

third determining, by the telematics unit after the second determining, that the vehicle engine is turned on; and

enabling, by the telematics unit in response to the third determining, both the first load and the second load.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first load includes at least one of the group consisting of:

an infotainment service an in-vehicle display, and a navigation unit; and

wherein the second load includes an emergency-related service.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon for preventing discharge of a vehicle battery of a telematics-equipped vehicle, the processor-executable instructions, when executed by a processor, facilitate:

monitoring the charge of the vehicle battery;

first determining, while a vehicle engine is off, that charge of the vehicle battery has reached a first low battery charge threshold;

first disabling, in response to the first determining, at least a first load draining the vehicle battery;

second determining, while the vehicle engine is off, after the first determining, that the charge of the vehicle battery has reached a second low batter,/charge threshold; and

second disabling, in response to the second determining, at least a second load draining the vehicle batter;

wherein the first load is of lower priority than the second load.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further facilitate:

providing, in response to the first determining, a notification that the vehicle battery has low charge;

wherein the notification is issued by a telematics unit of the telematics-equipped vehicle provided via a cellular network to a telematics subscriber.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further facilitate:

providing, in response to the first determining, a notification to that the vehicle battery has low charge;

wherein the notification is presented to a vehicle occupant via a human- machine interface (HMI) of the telematics-equipped vehicle.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further facilitate:

providing, in response to the first determining or the second determining, an option to the-a telematics subscriber to turn on the vehicle engine;

receiving a direction from the telematics subscriber to turn on the vehicle engine; and

turning the vehicle engine on.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the steps further comprise:

third determining, after the second determining, that the vehicle engine is turned on; and

enabling, in response to the third determining, both the first load and the second load.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the first load includes at least one of the group consisting of:

an infotainment service an in-vehicle display, and a navigation unit; and

wherein the at least one relatively higher priority load includes an emergency-related service.