CHARGE UTILIZATION CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110166725A1
• Filed: 01/10/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Booth, Lewis, Crombez, Dale Scott, Gabor, Daniel A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,473 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/11 using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A charge utilization control system for an electric vehicle includes a controller, an electric motor connected to the controller, a battery connected to the electric motor and an internal combustion engine connected to the controller. The controller is adapted to minimize electric charge stored in the battery as the electric vehicle approaches a charging destination for the battery.

Claims

1. A charge utilization control system for an electric vehicle, comprising:

a controller;

an electric motor connected to said controller;

a battery connected to said electric motor;

an internal combustion engine connected to said controller; and

wherein said controller is adapted to minimize electric charge stored in said battery as the electric vehicle approaches a charging destination for said battery.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a user interface connected to said controller.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said user interface comprises a physical button.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said user interface comprises a virtual button.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said user interface comprises a programmable control for said controller.

6. The system of claim 2 further comprising a touch screen connected to said controller and wherein said user interface comprises a virtual button provided on said touch screen.

7. The system of claim 2 further comprising a positioning system connected to said controller and wherein said user interface comprises a programmable control connected to said positioning system or said controller.

8. The system of claim 2 further comprising a vehicle location system connected to said controller and wherein said user interface comprises a charging destination learn button connected to said vehicle location system or said controller.

9. A system of claim 1 further comprising a vehicle location system connected to said controller and wherein said controller is programmed to learn a charging destination.

10. An electric vehicle, comprising:

a chassis;

a first axle and a second axle carried by said chassis;

a first pair of wheels and a second pair of wheels carried by said first axle and said second axle, respectively;

at least one electric motor drivingly engaging at least one of said axles;

an internal combustion engine providing power indirectly or directly to at least one of said axles;

a battery connected to said electric motor;

at least one controller connected to said internal combustion engine and said electric motor; and

wherein said at least one controller is adapted to minimize electric charge stored in said battery and at least reduce operation of said internal combustion engine as said electric vehicle approaches a charging destination for said battery.

11. The electric vehicle of claim 10 further comprising a user interface connected to said controller.

12. The electric vehicle of claim 11 wherein said user interface comprises a physical button.

13. The electric vehicle of claim 11 wherein said user interface comprises a virtual button.

14. The electric vehicle of claim 11 wherein said user interface comprises a programmable control for said controller.

15. The electric vehicle of claim 11 further comprising a touch screen connected to said controller and wherein said user interface comprises a virtual button provided on said touch screen.

16. The electric vehicle of claim 11 further comprising a positioning system connected to said controller and said user interface comprises a programmable control connected to said positioning system or said controller.

17. The electric vehicle of claim 11 further comprising a vehicle location system connected to said controller and wherein said user interface comprises a charging destination learn button connected to said vehicle location system or said controller.

18. The electric vehicle of claim 10 further comprising a vehicle location system connected to said controller and wherein said controller is programmed to learn a charging destination.

19. A charge utilization control method for an electric vehicle, comprising:

charging a battery of said electric vehicle;

operating said electric vehicle;

approaching a charging destination;

operating an electric motor of said electric vehicle to minimize a battery charge remaining in said battery;

at least reducing operation of an internal combustion engine of said electric vehicle; and

arriving at said charging destination.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said operating an electric motor of said electric vehicle comprises connecting a controller to said electric motor, connecting a user interface to said controller and manually activating said user interface.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said manually activating said user interface comprises connecting a physical button to said controller and depressing said physical button.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said manually activating said user interface comprises connecting a touch screen having a virtual button to said controller and touching said virtual button.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein said operating an electric motor of said electric vehicle comprises connecting a controller to said electric motor, connecting a user interface comprising a positioning system having a programmable control to said controller and programming an approach to said charging destination into said positioning system using said programmable control.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein said operating an electric motor of said electric vehicle comprises connecting a controller to said electric motor, connecting a vehicle location system to said controller and having said vehicle location system or controller learn at least one charge destination for said electric.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said operating an electric motor of said electric vehicle further comprises a user interface having a charging destination learning button connected to said vehicle location system or said controller and having said vehicle location system or controller learn at least one charge destination for said electric vehicle using said charging destination learn button.