Motor vehicle and method

• US 9,776,618 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2013
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Webasto SE (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Original Assignee: Webasto SE (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Inventors: Kogler, Rupert
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Assistant Examiner(s): KERRIGAN, MICHAEL V
• Application Number:
  US14/428,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20150224982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 16/00 Arrangements in connection with power supply of propulsion units in vehicles from forces of nature, e.g. sun or wind electric propulsion with power supply from forces of nature, e.g. sun or wind B60L8/00; marine propulsion by wind motors driving water-engaging propulsive elements B63H13/00; wind motors specially adapted for installation on vehicles F03D9/32
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2016/003 solar power driven
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/665 Light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/50 by future state prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• 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: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1415 with a generator driven by a prime mover other than the motor of a vehicle
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/90 Energy harvesting concepts as power supply for auxiliaries' energy consumption, e.g. photovoltaic sun-roof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 : Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A motor vehicle comprises an assembly for charging an energy store, which assembly has: an element for converting radiation energy into electrical energy, a further element for providing electrical energy, the energy store, a control device which is coupled to the conversion element, to the further element and to the energy store, in order to control the charging of the energy store by the conversion element and the further element, as a function of prediction data which comprises weather data, and as a function of a predefined value of the state of charge of the energy store.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle having an assembly for charging an energy store, which assembly comprises:

a combustion engine configured to be operated independently of charging the energy store,

one element for providing electrical energy to the energy store, the element being a conversion element for converting radiation energy into electrical energy,

a further element for providing electrical energy to the energy store, the further element being a generator being able to be coupled to the combustion engine,

the energy store, and

a control device which is coupled to the conversion element, to the generator and to the energy store, in order to control the charging of the energy store by the conversion element and the generator, as a function of prediction data which comprises weather data, and as a function of a predefined value of the state of charge of the energy store; and

wherein the prediction data further comprises a user profile determined on a basis of an actual historical use of the motor vehicle and is regularly adapted to an actual use of the motor vehicle, the user profile having at least one of a predicted stationary time of the motor vehicle, and

wherein the charging of the energy store is performed solely by the conversion element during the predicted stationary time of the motor vehicle if the energy which is made available by the conversion element during the predicted stationary time is determined to be sufficient to start the engine after the predicted stationary time.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the assembly comprises at least one interface for receiving the prediction data, which interface is coupled to the control device.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the element for converting radiation energy into electrical energy comprises a photovoltaic module.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the generator comprises a generator which is mechanically coupled to an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the energy store is electrically coupled to a starter of the internal combustion engine, in order to provide electric current for the starter for starting the internal combustion engine.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the energy store comprises an accumulator.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to determine the user profile on the basis of actual historical use of the motor vehicle and is regularly adapted to the actual historical use of the motor vehicle.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the charging of the energy store is not performed by the generator even on a journey outside the predicted stationary time if the energy which is made available by the conversion element during the predicted stationary time is determined to be sufficient to start the engine of the motor vehicle after the predicted stationary time.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the charging of the energy store during the predicted stationary time of the motor vehicle is performed by the conversion element and by the generator if the energy which is made available by the conversion element during the day is determined to be insufficient to start the engine of the motor vehicle after the predicted stationary time.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the user profile determined on a basis of an actual historical use of the motor vehicle having at least one of a predicted travel period of the motor vehicle and a predicted location during a parked state of the motor vehicle.

11. A method for charging an energy store of a motor vehicle, comprising:

determining an actual value of the state of charge of the energy store,

determining prediction data which comprises weather data,

determining an estimate of the quantity of energy which is provided in a predefined time period by one element for providing electrical energy to the energy store, the element being a conversion element for converting radiation energy into electrical energy in order to charge the energy store, wherein the conversion element is mechanically coupled to the motor vehicle, as a function of the prediction data,

determining an estimate of a value of the state of charge of the energy store after charging with the estimated quantity of energy,

charging the energy store by means of the conversion element if the estimated state of charge is higher than or equal to a predefined value of the state of charge, and

wherein the step of determining prediction data further comprises determining a user profile on the basis of an actual historical use of the motor vehicle and regular adaptation to the actual use of the motor vehicle, the user profile having a predicted stationary time of the motor vehicle,

wherein the step of determining prediction data further comprises determining before the start of a journey whether the energy which is made available by the conversion element during the day is sufficient to charge the energy store at least to such an extent that there may still be enough energy available to it after the predicted stationary time in order to start an engine of the motor vehicle, and

wherein the charging of the energy store is performed solely by the conversion element during the predicted stationary time of the motor vehicle if the energy which is made available by the conversion element during the predicted stationary time is determined to be sufficient to start the engine of the motor vehicle after the predicted stationary time.

12. The method according to claim 11, comprising:

charging the energy store by means of a further element for providing electrical energy, the further element being a generator being able to be coupled to the combustion engine of the motor vehicle in order to charge the energy store, if the estimated value of the state of charge is lower than the predefined value of the state of charge.

13. The method according to claim 11 comprising:

charging the energy store by a generator which is mechanically coupled to an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle if the estimated value of the state of charge is lower than the predefined value of the state of charge.

14. The method according to claim 11, comprising:

charging the energy store exclusively by means of the conversion element if the estimated value of the state of charge is higher than or equal to the predefined value of the state of charge.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the prediction data further comprises at least one of solar radiation, temperature, and location.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the predefined time period is predefined as a function of the determined user profile.

17. The method for charging an energy store of a motor vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising determining the user profile on the basis of actual historical use of the motor vehicle and is regularly adapting to the actual historical use of the motor vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the motor vehicle comprises a further element for providing electrical energy to the energy store, the further element being a generator being able to be coupled to the combustion engine of the motor vehicle in order to charge the energy store, and wherein the charging of the energy store is not performed by the generator even on a journey outside the predicted stationary time if the energy which is made available by the conversion element during the predicted stationary time is determined to be sufficient to start the engine of the motor vehicle after the predicted stationary time.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the motor vehicle comprises a further element for providing electrical energy to the energy store, the further element being a generator being able to be coupled to the combustion engine of the motor vehicle in order to charge the energy store, and wherein the charging of the energy store during the predicted stationary time of the motor vehicle is performed by the conversion element and by the generator if the energy which is made available by the conversion element during the predicted stationary time is determined to be insufficient to start the engine of the motor vehicle after the predicted stationary time.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of determining a user profile on the basis of an actual historical use of the motor vehicle and regular adaptation to the actual use of the motor vehicle, the user profile having at least one of a predicted travel period of the motor vehicle and a predicted location during a parked state of the motor vehicle.

21. A method for charging an energy store of a motor vehicle, comprising:

determining an actual value of the state of charge of the energy store,

determining prediction data which comprises weather data,

determining an estimate of the quantity of energy which is provided in a predefined time period by one element for providing electrical energy to the energy store, the element being a conversion element for converting radiation energy into electrical energy in order to charge the energy store, wherein the conversion element is mechanically coupled to the motor vehicle, as a function of the prediction data,

determining an estimate of a value of the state of charge of the energy store after charging with the estimated quantity of energy,

charging the energy store by means of the conversion element if the estimated state of charge is higher than or equal to a predefined value of the state of charge, and

wherein the step of determining prediction data further comprises determining a historical user profile using at least a predicted stationary time of the motor vehicle.