Fault detection and diagnostic system for automotive battery charging systems

• US 4,379,990 A
• Filed: 05/22/1980
• Issued: 04/12/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PEI 1991 Acquisition Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sievers, Kirk A., Mortonson, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hickey, R. J.
• Application Number:
  US06/152,225
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 322/28, 322/99, 324/158 MG, 324/73, 361/20, 361/21, 320/48, 320/64, 320/68
• US Class Current: 322/99
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/007 using microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/13 Fault detection

Abstract

An in situ self-diagnostic automotive alternator battery charging system is disclosed. Included are: a battery; voltage regulator sensing battery voltage and generating an excitation signal; and an alternator driven by a vehicle engine provide a rectified electrical signal to charge the battery in response to the excitation signal. Electronic circuit status detectors, variously coupled to the battery, voltage regulator and alternator, maintain a first logic state when a corresponding signal characteristic is within a predetermined range and a second logic state when the corresponding characteristic is outside the predetermined range. Combinatorial logic means respond to a logic state sequence from the detectors to identify predetermined sequences of the logic states resulting in the identification of faults in the charging system. The logic means also provides a warning to the operator of detection of a fault and a display of the location of the fault as occurring in one of the major components of the charging system.

Claims

1. An in situ self-diagnostic automotive alternator-battery charging system comprising:

a battery;

voltage regulator means sensing battery voltage and generating an excitation signal in response thereto;

alternator means coupled to said battery and said voltage regulator means, driven by a vehicle engine, providing a rectified electrical signal for charging said battery in response to said excitation signal;

a plurality of electronic circuit status detectors, each of said plurality maintaining a first logic state when a corresponding electrical signal characteristic is within a predetermined range and a second logic state when said electrical signal characteristic is outside said predetermined range, selected ones of said plurality being coupled to said battery, voltage regulator means and said alternator means with at least one of said electronic circuit status detectors including resettable timing means establishing time intervals for the detection of repetitive occurrences of pulse signals; and

logic means coupled to said plurality of circuit status detectors and responsive to the logic output states of said circuit status detectors, identifying predetermined sequences of logic states thereby to identify the occurrence of faults in said charging system.

2. The battery charging system of claim 1 wherein one of said electronic circuit status detectors includes means to detect the operation of said alternator and to produce logic signals corresponding to the operative and inoperative status of said alternator.

3. The battery charging system of claim 2 wherein said detector having means to detect the operation of said alternator further includes means to monitor phase signals from said alternator, the continued detection of which results in production of said alternator a logic signal indicative of alternator operation.

4. The battery charging system of claim 3 wherein said logic means further includes power supply means, responsive to logic signals from said status detector for detection of the operation of said alternator, for supplying power to operate said voltage regulator means only when said alternator means operation has been detected.

5. The battery charging system of claim 4 wherein said logic means further includes combinatorial logic circuits to identify the occurrence of predetermined sequences of said logic states.

6. The battery charging system of claim 5 wherein said logic means further includes sequence timing means, establishing a minimum time interval during which a predetermined sequence of logic states must be maintained, to confirm the identification of a fault.

7. The battery charging system of claim 6 wherein said logic means further includes display means, responsive to the termination of said minimum time interval of said sequence timing means, for warning the operator of the detection of a fault and providing additional signals indicative of the location of the detected fault in said battery charging system.

8. The battery charging system of claim 7 wherein said logic means further includes reset means operative after disruption of a confirmed sequence of logic states to reset said sequence timing means to re-establish the minimum time interval.

9. The battery charging system of claim 8 wherein said plurality of circuit status detectors and said logic means are made integral with the circuitry for said voltage regulator means.

10. An in situ self-diagnostic automotive alternator-battery charging system comprising:

a battery;

voltage regulator means sensing battery voltage and in response to an actuating signal, generating an excitation signal in response to the sensed battery voltage;

alternator means coupled to said voltage regulator means and selectively coupled to said battery, driven by a vehicle engine, providing a rectified electrical signal for charging said battery in response to said excitation signal;

an ignition switch for establishing coupling of said battery to said alternator means;

a plurality of electronic circuit status detectors powered by said automotive charging system, each of said plurality being coupled to said battery or alternator means by isolating transistors preventing the flow of electrical current through said detectors when said ignition switch is open,

each of said plurality of detectors maintaining a first logic state when a corresponding electrical signal characteristic is within a predetermined range and a second logic state when said electrical signal characteristic is outside said predetermined range, selected ones of said plurality being coupled to said battery, voltage regulator means and said alternator means;

one of said plurality of said electronic circuit status detectors being coupled to said alternator and including means to detect the operation of said alternator and producing logic signals corresponding to the operative and inoperative status of said alternator;

logic means coupled to said plurality of circuit status detectors and including power supply means, responsive to logic signals from said status detector for detection of the operation of said alternator, for supplying said actuating signal to said voltage regulator means when said alternator means operation has been detected,

said logic means being responsive to the logic output states of said circuit status detectors, identifying predetermined sequences of logic states thereby to identify the occurrence of faults in said charging system.

11. The battery charging system of claim 10 wherein at least one of said electronic circuit status detectors includes resettable timing means establishing time intervals for the detection of repetitive occurrences of pulse signals.

12. The battery charging system of claim 11 wherein said logic means further includes combinatorial logic circuits to identify the occurrence of predetermined sequences of said logic states.

13. The battery charging system of claim 12 wherein said logic means further includes sequence timing means, establishing a minimum time interval during which a predetermined sequence of logic states must be maintained, to confirm the identification of a fault.

14. The battery charging system of claim 13 wherein said logic means further includes display means, responsive to the termination of said minimum time interval of said sequence timing means, for warning the operator of the detection of a fault and providing additional signals indicative of the location of the detected fault in said battery charging system.

15. The battery charging system of claim 14 wherein said logic means further includes reset means operative after disruption of a confirmed sequence of logic states to reset said sequence timing means to re-establish the minimum time interval.

16. The battery charging system of claim 15 wherein said alternator means further includes an indicator lamp connected to said ignition switch and said logic power supply means, the illumination of said indicator lamp causing the establishment of initial excitation current for said alternator means through said power supply means.

17. The battery charging system of claim 16 wherein said display means further includes means to cause illumination of said indicator lamp to warn the operator of the detection of a fault in the system.

18. The battery charging system of claim 17 wherein one of said electronic circuit status detectors detects a voltage exceeding a predetermined maximum range and said high voltage detector further includes protection means for interrupting the excitation signal supplied by said voltage regulator means to said alternator means when said voltage exceeding a maximum range is detected.

19. The battery charging system of claim 18 wherein said high voltage detector further includes latching means to disable said automobile system by continued interruption of said excitation signal until said ignition switch is opened.

20. The battery charging system of claim 19 wherein said plurality of circuit status detectors and said logic means are made integral with the circuitry for said voltage regulator means.

21. An in situ fault diagnostic apparatus for attachment to and permanent integration with an automotive alternator, voltage regulator, and battery system comprising:

a plurality of electronic circuit status detectors each of said plurality maintaining a first logic state when a corresponding electrical signal characteristic is within a predetermined range and a second logic state when said electrical signal characteristic is outside said predetermined range, selected ones of said plurality being coupled to said battery, voltage regulator means and said alternator means with at least one of said electronic circuit status detectors including resettable timing means establishing time intervals for the detection of repetitive occurrences of pulse signals; and

logic means coupled to said plurality of circuit status detectors and responsive to the logic output states of said circuit status detectors, identifying the occurrence of predetermined sequences of said logic states, thereby to identify the occurrence of faults in the charging system.

22. The fault diagnostic apparatus of claim 21 wherein one of said electronic circuit status detectors includes means to detect the operation of said alternator and to produce logic signals corresponding to the operative and inoperative status of said alternator.

23. The fault diagnostic apparatus of claim 22 wherein said detector having means to detect operation of said alternator further includes means to monitor phase signals from said alternator, the continued detection of which results in the production of a logic signal indicative of alternator operation.

24. The fault diagnostic apparatus of claim 23 wherein said logic means further includes power supply means, responsive to logic signals from said status detector for detection of the operation of said alternator, for supplying power to operate said voltage regulator means only when said alternator means operation has been detected.

25. The fault diagnostic apparatus of claim 24 wherein said logic means further includes combinatorial logic circuits to identify the occurrence of predetermined sequences of logic states.

26. The fault diagnostic apparatus of claim 25 wherein said logic means further includes sequence timing means, establishing a minimum time interval during which a predetermined sequence of logic states must be maintained, to confirm the identification of a fault.

27. The fault diagnostic apparatus of claim 26 wherein said logic means further includes display means, responsive to the termination of said minimum time interval of said sequence timing means, for warning the operator of the detection of a fault and providing additional signals indicative of the location of the detected fault in said automotive system.

28. The fault diagnostic apparatus of claim 27 wherein said logic means further includes reset means operative after disruption of a confirmed sequence of logic states to reset said sequence timing means to re-establish the minimum time interval.

29. The fault diagnostic apparatus of claim 28 wherein said plurality of circuit status detectors and said logic means are made integral with the circuitry for said voltage regulator means.

30. The method of electronically diagnosing faults in the performance of an automotive alternator, voltage regulator, and battery system comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of electronic circuit status detectors at preselected positions in said system to monitor predetermined electrical signal characteristics;

supplying in situ power to said electronic status detectors from said automotive system;

establishing normal operating ranges for said predetermined electrical signal characteristics such that each of said circuit status detectors maintains a first logic state when said corresponding signal characteristic is within said operating range and a second logic state when said signal characteristic is outside said operating range, including selecting one of said plurality of electronic circuit status detectors and establishing time intervals for detecting the regular occurrence of pulse signals; and

monitoring said logic states of said plurality of circuit status detectors for predetermined sequences of said logic states, thereby to identify the occurrence of faults in the system.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of establishing normal operating ranges further includes the step of selecting one of said plurality of electronic circuit status detectors for detecting the operation of said alternator.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the step of detecting includes the steps of testing for the continued reoccurrence of phase signals from said alternator and generating a signal indicative of the operation of said alternator upon said reoccurrence.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein after the step of generating a signal is included the step of supplying power to establish operation of said voltage regulator.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the step of monitoring said logic states includes the step of comparing the duration of a logic state sequence with a predetermined time interval to confirm the detection of a fault.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the step of monitoring said logic states further includes the steps of classifying said logic state sequences as to location of the detected fault and displaying an indication of said classification.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein after the step of displaying is included the step of terminating the display of an indication of said classification upon disruption of the duration of said logic state sequence.