Vehicle battery control systems and method

• US 10,400,733 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Chen, Hanyang B, Irby, Michael J
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Hieu T
• Application Number:
  US15/613,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20180347535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/192 Power-up or power-down of the driveline, e.g. start up of a cold engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/91 Battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0825 related to prevention of engine restart failure, e.g. disabling automatic stop at low battery state
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/101 for preventing engine starter actuation or engagement
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/108 for diagnosis of the starter or its components
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/061 Battery state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/062 Battery current
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/064 Battery temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/304 with other systems inside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

System and method are disclosed for detecting and refreshing an aged battery in a vehicle with a start-stop system. An example vehicle includes an engine configured to operate in a start-stop mode and a power management system. The power management system is configured for determining that a charge acceptance value of a battery is below a threshold, responsively disabling the start-stop mode and displaying a message via a display, refreshing the battery and enabling the start-stop mode after refreshing the battery.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine configured to operate in a start-stop mode; and

a power management system for;

determining that a charge acceptance value of a battery is below a threshold;

responsively disabling the start-stop mode and displaying a message via a display;

refreshing the battery; and

enabling the start-stop mode after refreshing the battery.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the charge acceptance value comprises a charging current for the battery.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the threshold is based on a size and temperature of the battery.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein determining that the charge acceptance value of the battery is below the threshold comprises:

determining the charge acceptance value of the battery at a plurality of points in time; and

determining that the charge acceptance value of the battery at each point in time is below the threshold.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the plurality of points in time occur over two or more days.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the message comprises an indication that the battery will be refreshed.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein refreshing the battery comprises the power management system entering a refresh mode, wherein the refresh mode comprises charging the battery with a first voltage, wherein the first voltage is greater than a second voltage used to charge the battery when not in the refresh mode.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the first voltage is 15% greater than a battery float charge voltage.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the refresh mode further comprises:

supplying the first voltage to the battery for a time period; and

determining that the charge acceptance value of the battery is above the threshold,

wherein enabling the start-stop mode after refreshing the battery comprises enabling the start-stop mode responsive to determining that the charge acceptance value of the battery is above the threshold.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein refreshing the battery comprises the power management system entering a refresh mode that spans a plurality of vehicle on-off cycles.

11. A method comprising:

determining, by a power management system of a vehicle, that a charge acceptance value of a battery of the vehicle is below a threshold;

responsively disabling a start-stop mode of an engine of the vehicle and displaying a message via a display;

refreshing the battery; and

enabling the start-stop mode after refreshing the battery.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the charge acceptance value comprises a charging current for the battery.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the threshold is based on a size and a temperature of the battery.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining that the charge acceptance value of the battery is below the threshold comprises:

determining the charge acceptance value of the battery at a plurality of points in time; and

determining that the charge acceptance value of the battery at each point in time is below the threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of points in time occur over two or more days.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the message comprises an indication that the battery will be refreshed.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein refreshing the battery comprises the power management system entering a refresh mode, wherein the refresh mode comprises charging the battery with a first voltage, wherein the first voltage is at least 15% greater than a float charge voltage used to charge the battery when not in the refresh mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the refresh mode further comprises:

supplying the first voltage to the battery for a time period; and

determining that the charge acceptance value of the battery is above the threshold,

wherein enabling the start-stop mode after refreshing the battery comprises enabling the start-stop mode responsive to determining that the charge acceptance value of the battery is above the threshold.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein refreshing the battery comprises the power management system entering a refresh mode that spans a plurality of vehicle on-off cycles.