System and method for monitoring remote battery charging

• US 9,725,000 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2015
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MCE Purkey's FE LLC
• Original Assignee: Purkey's Fleet Electric, Inc. (Mission Critical Electronics LLC)
• Inventors: Henningson, Dale B., Purkey, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US14/619,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20160121737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• 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 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/40 The network being an on-board power network, i.e. within a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system for monitoring and indicating remote battery charging comprises a sensor unit, a power source, at least one remote battery, and a wiring harness; wherein the sensor unit comprises an analog to digital converter (an “A/D Converter”) and a display means such as lights (e.g., LEDs) and/or a screen (e.g., LCD). In one method of use, the system for monitoring then monitors the power supply (the source) as well as the auxiliary charging system (e.g., the liftgate electrical system) and provides advanced warnings or signals when the system is not receiving sufficient power or is otherwise not functioning properly.

Claims

1. A system located on a vehicle for monitoring and indicating the battery status of the vehicle and for monitoring and indicating the battery status and charging status of a remotely located battery on the vehicle, comprising:

a sensor unit on the vehicle electrically coupled to a power source onboard the vehicle and at least one remote battery on the wherein the sensor unit comprises a housing, a voltage sensing means, a logic control means, and a component status indicator comprising LEDs or an LCD;

wherein the voltage sensing means measures the voltage of the power source and the at least one remote battery with current flowing;

wherein the voltage sensing means measures the voltage of the power source and the at least one remote battery without current flowing;

wherein the logic control means compares the voltage measured by the voltage sensing means with predetermined reference value and outputs a result to a user via the LEDs or LCD of the component status indicator, at least one of

(a) a battery condition;

(b) a condition of the cables;

(c) a blown fuse;

or

(d) an on/off status of a battery charger.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the voltage sensing means comprises an analog to digital converter.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic control means comprises a comparator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic control means comprises a microcontroller.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising the battery charger onboard the vehicle and a means for switching said battery charger on or off.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the means for switching the battery charger on or off comprises a relay controlled by the logic control means in response to voltage levels of the power source and the remote battery.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the battery charger comprises a DC-DC converter.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the power source is a tractor battery.

9. A system located on a vehicle for indicating power status and improving charging of remote batteries on the vehicle, comprising:

a sensor unit on the vehicle electrically coupled to a first power source on the vehicle, a second power source on the vehicle, and a battery charger onboard the vehicle;

the battery charger being further electrically coupled to a remote battery on the vehicle;

wherein the sensor unit comprises a component status indicator having one or more LEDs or an LCD, and a means for switching between power sources to optimally charge the remote battery of the vehicle based upon voltage levels of the first and second power sources; and

wherein via the LEDs or LCD, the component status indicator indicates to a user, based upon predetermined reference value of a logic control means, at least one of

(a) a battery condition;

(b) a condition of the cables;

(c) a blown fuse;

or

(d) an on/off status of a battery charger.

10. The system for indicating power status and improving charging of remote batteries of claim 9, wherein the means for switching between power sources comprises a battery charge controller comprising a microprocessor-based control module including a voltage comparator, a communications system, and electrical switching devices to selectively open and close electrical circuits to manage current flow to the remote batteries.

11. The system for indicating power status and improving charging of remote batteries of claim 9, wherein the battery charger comprises a DC-DC converter.

12. The system for indicating power status and improving charging of remote batteries of claim 9, wherein the sensor unit selectively reduces the battery charger based upon a predefined voltage value measured at an auxiliary pin.

13. The system for indicating power status and improving charging of remote batteries of claim 9, wherein the sensor unit selectively reduces or disables the battery charger based upon a predefined voltage value of the first or second power source or combination thereof.

14. The system for indicating power status and improving charging of remote batteries of claim 9, wherein the sensor unit disables the battery charger based upon a predefined voltage value measured at an auxiliary pin.