Method for controlling a power flow

• US 20060287775A1
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Wolf, Jurgen, Bechtold, Karl
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

A method for controlling power sources or energy sinks on an energy accumulator, in particular for a motor vehicle, is disclosed. Conventional systems for power supply to the motor vehicle modules are often excessively used, in particular in utility vehicles when an optimal availability is required. The present method includes measuring parameters characterizing the charge of the accumulator, and transmitting the results of a measurement to a control unit and in generating control signals for the energy sinks or the power sources by a control unit. The method makes it possible to eliminate a frequent cause of a low availability in motor vehicles.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method for controlling energy sources or energy sinks on an energy accumulator, in particular in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring at least one parameter which characterizes the state of charge of the energy accumulator,

transmitting the parameter which characterizes the state of charge of the energy accumulator to a control unit,

generating by the control unit at least one control signal as a function of the parameter which is characteristic of the state of charge of the energy accumulator, which control signal controls energy sinks or energy sources which are connected directly or indirectly to the energy accumulator, in terms of the power which they consume from the energy accumulator or the power which they emit to the energy accumulator, and

calculating by the control unit the energy consumption of energy sinks on a planned route in advance.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the control unit generates the control signal in a manner to control the energy sources or energy sinks, in that the energy accumulator has a positive energy balance in a defined time unit, or a positive power balance.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the controller calls up measurements and/or characteristic variables of the electrical characteristics of the energy accumulator (1) and/or

generator currents and/or

acid levels of the energy accumulator and/or

the engine rotation speed and/or

the engine temperature and/or

the energy accumulator temperature and/or

the ambient temperature and/or

the dynamic system characteristic, in particular of the energy accumulator, and/or

ignition data for engine ignition and/or

injection system data and/or

data relating to the motronic system, and/or

data from systems which are related to the motronic system, and/or

engine operating data, and/or

data relating to continuous loads and/or

data from long-term loads, and/or

data from short-term loads, and/or

data from charging voltages and/or

GPS data, and/or

data from route planners, and/or

data from wap-log systems, and/or

data from systems which are related to wap-log systems, and generates the control signal completely or partially as a function of this data.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein a data mask carries out prioritization, filtering and normalization of different data formats.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein a future time profile of the state of charge of the energy accumulator is signaled to a user, in particular being indicated on a display or signaled acoustically.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein the control unit is connected to actuators by means of which engine parameters can be adapted.

26. The method according to claim 20, wherein the control unit is connected to actuators, by means of which the power consumption of infotainment elements or of internal or external vehicle illumination can be controlled.

27. An apparatus for controlling energy sources and energy sinks comprising:

means for measuring at least one parameter which characterizes the state of charge of the energy accumulator,

means for transmitting the parameter which characterizes the state of charge of the energy accumulator to a control unit,

means for generating by the control unit at least one control signal as a function of the parameter which is characteristic of the state of charge of the energy accumulator, which control signal controls energy sinks or energy sources which are connected directly or indirectly to the energy accumulator, in terms of the power which they consume from the energy accumulator or the power which they emit to the energy accumulator, and

means for calculating by the control unit the energy consumption of energy sinks on a planned route in advance,

wherein the control unit is a component of a combination instrument which also comprises a major part of the vehicle instrumentation and the control unit is designed in such a way that it calculates the energy consumption of energy sinks on a planned route in advance.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the control unit has a remote data transmission module.

29. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the control unit has an engine management module.

30. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the control unit has a battery management module.

31. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the control unit has a temperature module.

32. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the control unit has a data input module.

33. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the control unit has a filter.

34. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the control unit has a memory.

35. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the control unit has a logic module.

36. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the control unit has a wire-free load controller.

37. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the control unit has a wire-based load controller.