Control of power flow in battery cells of a vehicle

• US 9,673,653 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Loftus, Michael Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): RANKINE, TARIKH KANEM
• Application Number:
  US13/799,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 320136
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle includes a high voltage traction battery for providing propulsion energy to the vehicle. A battery control module controls the operation of the battery, and also commands cell balancing out of or between cells of the battery to maintain a relative equilibrium of charge across a plurality of the cells. The battery control module is in communication with an interactive display in the vehicle or a communication device outside of the vehicle. A user can define a time period in which the vehicle is to enter a hibernation mode. During the hibernation mode, the battery control module inhibits cell balancing in the battery. Upon expiration of the user-defined time period, the battery control module enables cell balancing.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a GPS;

a battery pack including a plurality of cells;

an electric machine configured to transform electrical power from the battery pack to motive power for the vehicle;

a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal from a key fob; and

at least one controller programmed to inhibit cell balancing for a user-defined time period that is initiated in response to receiving the wireless signal and initiated in response to receiving a location of the vehicle via the GPS.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to command cell balancing in response to an expiration of the user-defined time period.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the at least one controller is configured to command a transfer of electric energy between the cells to define the cell balancing.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the at least one controller is configured to command a depletion of electric energy of one of the plurality of cells out of the battery pack to define the cell balancing.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a key-ON event defines a termination of the user-defined time period such that the at least one controller is further programmed to enable cell balancing in response to the key-ON event.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a user interface in communication with the at least one controller, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to display a calendar for a user to select a start-date and end-date, the user-defined period defined by the start-date and end-date.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a user interface in communication with the at least one controller, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to display various times for a user to select a start-time and an end-time, the user-defined period defined by the start-time and the end-time.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver in communication with the at least one controller, wherein the user-defined period is defined by at least one of a date-range and a time-range received by the transceiver.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a mobile communication device in communication with the at least one controller and capable of receiving the user-defined period via wireless communication.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to subsequently receive an end-time of the user-defined time period from the key fob via the receiver.

11. A method of controlling cell-balancing functions in a vehicle having a high-voltage traction battery, the method comprising:

receiving a location of the vehicle via a GPS; and

inhibiting cell balancing within a high-voltage traction battery for a user-defined time period that initiates based upon the received location.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising subsequently enabling the cell balancing in response to an expiration of the user-defined time period.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a calendar on a user interface, wherein the user-defined period is defined by a start-date and an end-date selected by the user on the calendar of the user interface.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the user interface is mounted in the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the user interface is part of a mobile communication device capable of wirelessly communicating the start-date and the end-date to the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a plurality of times on a user interface, wherein the user-defined period is defined by a start-time and an end-time selected by the user on the user interface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user interface is mounted in the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the user interface is part of a mobile communication device capable of wirelessly communicating the start-time and the end-time to the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the user-defined time period of inhibiting cell balancing initiates based upon locational driving patterns.