Vehicle power supply control using serial communication

• US 10,585,411 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2018
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Norton, Alan Peter, Zlotnik, Ronald Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Sun, Pinping
• Application Number:
  US15/889,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20190243322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2231 Master slave
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2637 Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling a vehicle power supply using serial communication. An example vehicle power system includes a host controller configured to supply a slave controller with a first voltage. The vehicle power system also includes the slave controller. The slave controller is configured to determine a received voltage, determine a difference between the received voltage and a nominal operating voltage, and transmit the difference to the host controller. The host controller is then configured to modify the first voltage based on the difference.

Claims

1. A vehicle power system comprising:

a host controller configured to supply a slave controller with a first voltage, wherein the slave controller is a first slave controller of a plurality of slave controllers; and

wherein each of the plurality of slave controllers are configured to;

determine a respective received voltage;

determine a respective difference between the respective received voltage and a respective nominal operating voltage; and

transmit the respective difference to the host controller;

wherein each respective received voltage is greater than the respective nominal operating voltage; and

wherein the host controller is further configured to;

receive a plurality of respective differences from the plurality of slave controllers;

determine a lowest respective difference; and

reduce the first voltage by the lowest respective difference.

2. The vehicle power system of claim 1, wherein the slave controller is positioned remotely from the host controller, and wherein the host controller is further configured to provide the slave controller with a switched power supply.

3. The vehicle power system of claim 1, wherein the first voltage is less than a maximum output voltage of the host controller.

4. The vehicle power system of claim 1, wherein the slave controller comprises analog circuitry configured to determine the respective received voltage.

5. The vehicle power system of claim 1, wherein the slave controller is further configured to transmit the respective difference to the host controller via a serial communication protocol.

6. A method comprising:

supplying, by a host controller of a vehicle, a slave controller with a first voltage, wherein the slave controller is a first slave controller of a plurality of slave controllers;

determining, for each of the plurality of slave controllers, a respective received voltage;

determining a respective difference between the respective received voltage and a respective nominal operating voltage of the plurality of slave controllers, wherein each respective received voltage is greater than the respective nominal operating voltage;

transmitting the respective difference to the host controller;

receiving, by the host controller, a plurality of respective differences from the plurality of slave controllers;

determining a lowest respective difference; and

reducing the first voltage by the lowest respective difference.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the slave controller is positioned remotely from the host controller, the method further comprising:

providing the slave controller with a switched power supply.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first voltage is less than a maximum output voltage of the host controller.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the slave controller comprises analog circuitry configured to determine the respective received voltage.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting the respective difference to the host controller comprises transmitting the respective difference via a serial communication protocol.