System and method for deciding when accessories are engine driven and when they are alternatively driven
First Claim
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
- an engine module structured to interpret engine data indicative of operation of an engine;
an energy module structured to interpret energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in an energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device is coupled to an accessory motor and structured to selectively power the accessory motor; and
an interface unit module structured to control power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor to at least one accessory via an interface unit responsive to the engine data and the energy data, wherein the interface unit module is further structured to facilitate power transmission from only the accessory motor to the at least one accessory via the interface unit responsive to the engine data indicating a speed of the engine is at or above a speed threshold for the engine, and wherein the interface unit is situated as an intermediary between the at least one accessory and each of the engine and the accessory motor.
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Abstract
An apparatus includes an engine module, an energy module, and an interface module. The engine module is structured to interpret engine data indicative of operation of an engine. The energy module is structured to interpret energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in an energy storage device. The energy storage device is coupled to an accessory motor and structured to selectively power the accessory motor. The interface unit module is structured to control power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor to at least one accessory via an interface unit responsive to the engine data and the energy data.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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an engine module structured to interpret engine data indicative of operation of an engine; an energy module structured to interpret energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in an energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device is coupled to an accessory motor and structured to selectively power the accessory motor; and an interface unit module structured to control power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor to at least one accessory via an interface unit responsive to the engine data and the energy data, wherein the interface unit module is further structured to facilitate power transmission from only the accessory motor to the at least one accessory via the interface unit responsive to the engine data indicating a speed of the engine is at or above a speed threshold for the engine, and wherein the interface unit is situated as an intermediary between the at least one accessory and each of the engine and the accessory motor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system, comprising:
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an engine; an accessory motor coupled to an energy storage device; an interface unit coupled to each of the engine and the accessory motor, wherein the engine is not directly coupled to the accessory motor; at least one accessory coupled to the interface unit; and a controller communicably coupled to the engine, the accessory motor, the energy storage device, the interface unit, and the at least one accessory, wherein the controller is structured to; receive engine data indicative of operation of the engine; receive energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in the energy storage device; and selectively control power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor to the at least one accessory via the interface unit responsive to the engine data and the energy data; wherein the controller is further structured to facilitate power transmission from only the accessory motor to the at least one accessory via the interface unit responsive to the engine data indicating a speed of the engine is at or above a speed threshold for the engine. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method, comprising:
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providing an interface unit coupled to both an engine and an accessory motor in a vehicle; receiving, by a controller, engine data indicative of operation of the engine; receiving, by the controller, energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in an energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device is coupled to the accessory motor; and controlling, by the controller, power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor via the interface unit to at least one vehicle accessory responsive to the engine data and the energy data, the controlling including facilitating power transmission from only the accessory motor to the at least one vehicle accessory via the interface unit responsive to the engine data indicating a speed of the engine is at or above a speed threshold for the engine. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus, comprising:
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an engine module structured to interpret engine data indicative of operation of an engine; an energy module structured to interpret energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in an energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device is coupled to an accessory motor and structured to selectively power the accessory motor; and an interface unit module structured to control power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor to at least one accessory via an interface unit responsive to the engine data and the energy data, wherein the interface unit module is further structured to facilitate power transmission from both the accessory motor and the engine to the at least one accessory via the interface unit responsive to the engine data indicating a speed of the engine is below a speed threshold and the energy data indicating the amount of energy is at or above an energy threshold; and wherein the interface unit is situated as an intermediary between the at least one accessory and each of the engine and the accessory motor.
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19. An apparatus, comprising:
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an engine module structured to interpret engine data indicative of operation of an engine; an energy module structured to interpret energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in an energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device is coupled to an accessory motor and structured to selectively power the accessory motor; and an interface unit module structured to control power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor to at least one accessory via an interface unit responsive to the engine data and the energy data, wherein the interface unit module is structured to facilitate power transmission from only the accessory motor to the at least one accessory via the interface unit responsive to the engine data indicating the engine is in an OFF state and the energy data indicating the amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is at or above an energy threshold; and wherein the interface unit is situated as an intermediary between the at least one accessory and each of the engine and the accessory motor.
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20. An apparatus, comprising:
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an engine module structured to interpret engine data indicative of operation of an engine; an energy module structured to interpret energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in an energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device is coupled to an accessory motor and structured to selectively power the accessory motor; and an interface unit module structured to control power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor to at least one accessory via an interface unit responsive to the engine data and the energy data, wherein the interface unit module is structured to cease power transmission from both the accessory motor and the engine to the at least one accessory via the interface unit responsive to the engine data indicating the engine is in an OFF state and the energy data indicating the amount of energy in the energy storage device is below an energy threshold; and wherein the interface unit is situated as an intermediary between the at least one accessory and each of the engine and the accessory motor.
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21. An apparatus, comprising:
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an engine module structured to interpret engine data indicative of operation of an engine; an energy module structured to interpret energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in an energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device is coupled to an accessory motor and structured to selectively power the accessory motor; and an interface unit module structured to control power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor to at least one accessory via an interface unit responsive to the engine data and the energy data, wherein the interface unit module is structured to facilitate power transmission from the engine to the accessory motor via the interface unit to charge the energy storage device responsive to the energy data indicating the amount of energy in the energy storage device is at or below a discharge threshold, and wherein the interface unit module is further structured to continue power transmission from the engine to the interface unit to the accessory motor until the energy data indicates the amount of energy in the energy storage device is at or above a charge threshold; and wherein the interface unit is situated as an intermediary between the at least one accessory and each of the engine and the accessory motor.
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22. An apparatus, comprising:
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an engine module structured to interpret engine data indicative of operation of an engine; an energy module structured to interpret energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in an energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device is coupled to an accessory motor and structured to selectively power the accessory motor; and an interface unit module structured to control power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor to at least one accessory via an interface unit responsive to the engine data and the energy data, wherein the interface unit module is structured to facilitate power transmission from the accessory motor to the engine and to at least one accessory responsive to the engine data indicating the engine is transitioning from an OFF state to an ON state; and wherein the interface unit is situated as an intermediary between the at least one accessory and each of the engine and the accessory motor.
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23. A system, comprising:
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an engine; an accessory motor coupled to an energy storage device; an interface unit coupled to each of the engine and the accessory motor, wherein the engine is not directly coupled to the accessory motor; at least one accessory coupled to the interface unit; and a controller communicably coupled to the engine, the accessory motor, the energy storage device, the interface unit, and the at least one accessory, wherein the controller is structured to; receive engine data indicative of operation of the engine; receive energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in the energy storage device; and selectively control power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor to the at least one accessory via the interface unit responsive to the engine data and the energy data; wherein the controller is further structured to facilitate power transmission from both the accessory motor and the engine to the at least one accessory via the interface unit responsive to the engine data indicating a speed of the engine is below a speed threshold and the energy data indicating the amount of energy is at or above an energy threshold.
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24. A system, comprising:
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an engine; an accessory motor coupled to an energy storage device; an interface unit coupled to each of the engine and the accessory motor, wherein the engine is not directly coupled to the accessory motor; at least one accessory coupled to the interface unit; and a controller communicably coupled to the engine, the accessory motor, the energy storage device, the interface unit, and the at least one accessory, wherein the controller is structured to; receive engine data indicative of operation of the engine; receive energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in the energy storage device; and selectively control power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor to the at least one accessory via the interface unit responsive to the engine data and the energy data; wherein the controller is further structured to receive priority data and prioritize each accessory in the at least one accessory based on the priority data, wherein the controller is structured to facilitate power transmission to each accessory in a prioritized order defined by the priority data and responsive to the energy data and the engine data.
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25. A method, comprising:
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providing an interface unit coupled to both an engine and an accessory motor in a vehicle; receiving, by a controller, engine data indicative of operation of the engine; receiving, by the controller, energy data indicative of an amount of energy stored in an energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device is coupled to the accessory motor; and controlling, by the controller, power transmission from at least one of the engine and the accessory motor via the interface unit to at least one vehicle accessory responsive to the engine data and the energy data, the controlling including facilitating cessation of power transmission from both the accessory motor and the engine to the at least one vehicle accessory via the interface unit responsive to the engine data indicating the engine is in an OFF state and the energy data indicating the amount of energy in the energy storage device is below an energy threshold.
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Specification