Battery Charge Management System

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a battery charging management system. A hybrid electric vehicle has one or more controllers, a voltage-current sensor, and a battery, the controller being configured to generate and respond to an electrical power signal conveying vehicle operating and starting conditions and other parameters and data. The components are also capable of detecting vehicle and battery conditions including open circuit voltage (OCV), current, differential current (DFC), and near zero current (NZC). The controller is also configured to generate a predicted battery state of charge (SoC) by combining OCV, current, DFC, NZC, and other parameters calibrated according to their respective amplitudes and noise calibration factors, enabling the controller to charge and discharge the battery according to the predicted SoC. The controller may also compare the OCV with a predetermined battery performance array that associates the OCV amplitude with one or more of the battery SoC, battery cell voltage and internal resistance, temperature, and accumulated charge and discharge cycles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for controlling and estimating the state of charge of a battery in a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Electric vehicles, plug-in vehicles, battery vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have a powertrain that includes, among other components, an internal combustion engine, an electric machine (or motor / generator), and a battery that are connected to one or more controllers, current sensors, and voltage sensors, and switch components that connect and disconnect the battery from other vehicle components. These components are configured to estimate the battery's state of charge (SoC) using various current integration techniques that may be undesirably affected by noise in current signals having zero or near-zero amplitudes. HEVs may benefit from more accurate SoC estimation capabilities, which may further improve the battery's service life, durability, and performance, and may in turn enable improved battery SoC monitoring, regulation, and control. Summary of the invention

[0003] A vehicle and operating method according to the present disclosure includes various components and systems, including a powertrain having a battery or other power storage device connected to at least one controller, a voltage sensor and a current sensor, and a switch assembly capable of connecting or disconnecting the battery from other vehicle components. Plug-in electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) include a high voltage electric traction battery that is controlled and managed by a controller, which may include a battery energy control module (BECM). The BECM is configured to manage the charging and discharging of the battery and monitor, estimate, and communicate the SoC capacity of the battery.

[0004] According to the present invention, a vehicle is provided, the vehicle including a controller connected to a battery and configured to perform the following operations in response to a power signal: detecting an open circuit voltage (OCV), a current, a differential current (DFC) and a near zero current (NZC); generating a predicted state of charge (SoC) by a combination of the OCV, current, DFC and NZC, the OCV, current, DFC and NZC being calibrated according to their respective amplitudes and using a noise calibration factor (NCF); and charging and discharging the battery according to the predicted SOC.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is also configured to: compare the open circuit voltage with a predetermined battery performance array, wherein the predetermined battery performance array associates the magnitude of the open circuit voltage with one or more of a battery state of charge, a battery cell voltage, a battery cell internal resistance, a temperature, and an accumulated charge-discharge cycle; predict the state of charge by a combination including a calibrated open circuit voltage determined according to the associated performance array, and eliminate noise by the noise calibration factor.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller is further configured to generate the predicted state of charge by a combination of an initial state of charge and a sum of an integrated current per unit time calibrated according to the noise calibration factor.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle also includes a switch contactor and a voltage-current sensor, which are connected to the battery and are configured to detect and transmit the open circuit voltage when the power signal establishes at least one of the following conditions: (a) a vehicle starting condition when the switch contactor is disconnected, (b) a constant non-zero current, and (c) a constant zero current.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to: generate a state of charge for the open circuit voltage (OCV) and a state of charge for a unit time current (CT), calibrate the state of charge for the open circuit voltage using an OCV factor, and calibrate the state of charge for the unit time current using a CT factor, so that the OCV factor and the CT factor: (a) are selected from the noise calibration factor, (b) sum to 100% and (c) are adjusted according to the amplitudes of the current, the differential current and the near-zero current; generate the predicted state of charge by combining and calibrating the state of charge for the open circuit voltage and the state of charge for the unit time current.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the controller is configured to generate the OCV factor as 100% and the CT factor as 0 when the power signal identifies a vehicle start condition, so that the predicted state of charge of the battery is established by a calibrated open circuit voltage.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to: when the power signal identifies a non-started vehicle operating condition, generate the OCV factor and the CT factor to be both less than 100% and non-zero, so that the predicted state of charge of the battery is established by the sum of the calibrated state of charge for the open circuit voltage and the calibrated state of charge for the current per unit time.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to adjust the OCV factor and the CT factor by comparing a previously predicted state of charge with a new predicted state of charge, wherein the new predicted state of charge is established during a startup condition through a predetermined battery performance array, wherein the predetermined battery performance array associates a new detected open circuit voltage with one or more of a battery state of charge, a battery cell voltage, a battery cell internal resistance, a temperature, and an accumulated charge-discharge cycle.

[0012] According to the present invention, a vehicle is provided, the vehicle including a controller, the controller being configured to: adjust the state of charge (SoC) of a battery connected to a voltage-current sensor, and perform the following operations in response to a power signal: detect an open circuit voltage (OCV), a current, a differential current (DFC), and a near zero current (NZC) by the sensor, and adjust the SoC according to the OCV, DFC, and NZC based on their respective amplitudes and calibrated using an NCF.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is also configured to: compare the OCV with a predetermined battery performance array, which associates the magnitude of the OCV with one or more of battery SoC, battery cell voltage, battery cell internal resistance, temperature, and accumulated charge-discharge cycles; predict the SoC by a combination including a calibrated OCV determined based on the associated performance array, and eliminate noise through NCF.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller is further configured to generate a predicted SoC by a combination including an initial SoC and a sum of unit time integrated currents calibrated according to the NCF.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle also includes a switch contactor connected to the voltage-current sensor and the battery, and the switch contactor is configured to detect and transmit OCV when the power signal establishes at least one of (a) a vehicle starting condition when the switch contactor is disconnected, (b) a constant non-zero current, and (c) a constant zero current.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to: generate a SoC for OCV (OCV-SoC) and a SoC for unit time current (CT) (CT-SoC), calibrate the OCV-SoC using an OCV factor, and calibrate the CT-SoC using a CT factor, so that the factors (a) are selected from the NCF, (b) sum to 100% and (c) are adjusted according to the magnitude of the current, DFC and NZC; generate a predicted SoC by combining and calibrating the OCV-SoC and CT-SoC.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to generate an OCV factor of 100% and a CT factor of 0 when the power signal identifies at least one of (a) a vehicle starting condition, (b) a constant non-zero current, and (c) a constant zero current, so that the predicted SoC of the battery is established by the calibrated OCV.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to: when the power signal identifies a non-starting vehicle operating condition, generate the OCV factor and the CT factor as both less than 100% and non-zero, so that the predicted SoC of the battery is established by the sum of the calibrated OCV-SoC and the calibrated CT-SoC.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to adjust the OCV factor and the CT factor by comparing a previously predicted SoC with a new predicted SoC, wherein the new predicted SoC is established during a startup condition through a predetermined battery performance array, wherein the predetermined battery performance array associates the newly detected OCV with one or more of the battery SoC, battery cell voltage, battery cell internal resistance, temperature, and accumulated charge-discharge cycles.

[0020] According to the present invention, a method for controlling a vehicle is provided, the method comprising performing the following operations in response to an electric power signal: detecting an open circuit voltage (OCV), a current, a differential current (DFC) and a near zero current (NZC) by a controller connected to a battery; generating a predicted state of charge (SoC) by the controller through the OCV, DFC and NZC, the OCV, DFC and NZC being calibrated according to their respective amplitudes and using an NCF; and adjusting the SoC of the battery according to the predicted SoC.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method also includes: the controller performing the following operations: comparing the open circuit voltage with a predetermined battery performance array, wherein the predetermined battery performance array associates the amplitude of the open circuit voltage with one or more of the battery state of charge, battery cell voltage, battery cell internal resistance, temperature, and accumulated charge-discharge cycles; predicting the state of charge by a combination including a calibrated open circuit voltage determined according to the associated performance array, and eliminating noise by the noise control factor.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method also includes: the controller performs the following operations: generating a state of charge for the open circuit voltage and a state of charge for a current per unit time (CT), calibrating the state of charge for the open circuit voltage using an OCV factor, and calibrating the state of charge for the current per unit time using a CT factor, so that the OCV factor and the CT factor: (a) are selected from the noise control factors, (b) sum to 100% and (c) are adjusted according to the amplitudes of the current, the differential current and the near-zero current; generating the predicted state of charge by combining and calibrating the state of charge for the open circuit voltage and the state of charge for the current per unit time.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method also includes: when the power signal identifies at least one of a vehicle starting condition, a constant non-zero current and a constant zero current, the controller generates the OCV factor as 100% and the CT factor as 0, so that the predicted SoC of the battery is established by the calibrated OCV.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method also includes: when the power signal identifies a non-started vehicle operating condition, the controller generates the OCV factor and the CT factor to be both less than 100% and non-zero, so that the predicted state of charge of the battery is established by the sum of the calibrated state of charge for the open circuit voltage and the calibrated state of charge for the current per unit time.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method also includes: the controller adjusting the OCV factor and the CT factor by comparing a previously predicted state of charge with a new predicted state of charge, wherein the new predicted state of charge is established during a startup condition through a predetermined battery performance array, wherein the predetermined battery performance array associates the new detected open circuit voltage with one or more of the battery state of charge, battery cell voltage, battery cell internal resistance, temperature, and accumulated charge-discharge cycles.

[0026] Two main methods are commonly used to estimate the SoC of HEV high voltage batteries, which typically contain lithium-ion chemistry. One method includes the integration of the ampere-hours of the charge and discharge currents, using a sensor to detect the battery current. However, at low or near zero current or during zero current conditions, the current integration method may be affected by signal noise, resulting in inaccurate results.

[0027] Another method includes a battery open circuit voltage (OCV) method that utilizes the no-load voltage of the battery and is particularly useful for HEV lithium-ion battery applications. In a variation, during certain conditions such as constant current (I) 245, the OCV method may also utilize the terminal voltage of the battery combined with the detected current and internal resistance of the battery to determine the OCV. When the battery is charging or discharging under load conditions, the OCV method may not be preferred and may not be accurate. During certain vehicle operating conditions where the battery current is constant or near constant and / or zero and close to zero, the subject matter of the present disclosure minimizes and / or prevents errors accumulated in SoC estimates due to current integration, which is affected by low current noise, which can be minimized and / or prevented.

[0028] In one configuration of the present disclosure, a vehicle or HEV includes, among other components, at least one controller connected to a battery. The controller is configured to respond to a power signal that may be indicative of an operating condition of the vehicle and may detect one or more of various vehicle parameters and conditions, including OCV, current, differential current (DFC), and near zero current (NZC). The controller is also configured to generate a predicted SoC from a combination of such parameters and conditions, such as OCV, current, DFC, and NZC.

[0029] Such parameters are calibrated according to their respective magnitudes and according to one or more predetermined or calibrated noise calibration factors (NCFs) selected to adjust and calibrate the parameters according to instantaneous vehicle operating conditions. The HEV or vehicle and the controller are also configured to charge and discharge the battery according to the predicted SoC. This arrangement also contemplates that the controller is also configured to compare the OCV with a predetermined battery performance array that associates the OCV magnitude with one or more of the battery SoC, battery cell voltage, battery cell internal resistance, temperature, and accumulated charge-discharge cycles. Such a controller can then predict the SoC by a combination including a calibrated OCV that is determined according to the associated performance array and the noise can thereby be excluded by the calibration factor.

[0030] In a variation, the present disclosure also includes: the controller is also configured to generate a predicted SoC by including a combination of an initial SoC and a sum of the integrated current per unit time calibrated according to the NCF. The vehicle may also include various switch components configured to open and close battery circuit contacts to connect or disconnect the battery and other vehicle components. For exemplary purposes, such components may include switch contactors, voltage sensors and current sensors, and combined voltage-current sensors, which are connected to the battery and are configured to detect and transmit OCV when the power signal is generated and encoded by the controller and / or sensor and the power signal establishes a specific vehicle operating condition, such as at least one of the following conditions: (a) a start-up condition when the switch contactor is open and disconnected, (b) a constant non-zero current condition, and / or (c) a constant zero current.

[0031] In other arrangements, the present disclosure contemplates that the controller is configured to generate SoCs for various vehicle and battery conditions, including, for example, SoCs for OCV and SoCs for unit time current (CT). Each SoC may be calibrated such that the OCV-SoC is calibrated using the OCV factor and the CT-SoC is calibrated using the CT factor. Each calibration factor may be selected from the NCF and the combined sum is 100%. In addition, the calibration factors are adjusted according to the magnitude of the detected current, DFC, and NZC. In addition, the controller generates a predicted SoC by combining and calibrating the OCV-SoC and CT-SoC.

[0032] The present disclosure includes other adaptive variations, wherein the controller is configured to: during vehicle conditions when the power signal identifies a start-up condition, a constant non-zero current, and / or a constant zero current condition, generate the OCV factor as 100% and generate the CT factor as 0, so that the predicted SoC of the battery is established by the calibrated OCV without being affected by the noise of the current time integral of the near-zero current or zero current. During other vehicle conditions when the power signal identifies a non-start-up vehicle operating condition, the controller is configured to generate the OCV factor and the CT factor as both less than 100% and non-zero, and so that the sum of the OCV factor and the CT factor is 100%. In addition, the predicted SoC of the battery is generated by the controller and is established by the sum of the calibrated OCV-SoC and the calibrated CT-SoC.

[0033] In a modified arrangement, the controller adjusts the OCV factor and the CT factor by comparing a previously predicted SoC to a new SoC established during a start-up condition, a constant non-zero current condition, and / or a constant zero current condition. The new SoC is determined by a predetermined battery performance array that relates the new corresponding OCV to one or more of the battery SoC, battery cell voltage, battery cell internal resistance, temperature, and accumulated charge-discharge cycles of the predetermined battery performance array.

[0034] The present disclosure contemplates a method for controlling a vehicle and adjusting the SoC of a battery according to a predicted SoC in response to an electric power signal. The method includes: detecting OCV, current, DFC, and NZC by a controller, and also generating a predicted SoC by the controller using OCV, DFC, and NZC calibrated according to their respective amplitudes and using NCF. The method also implements: comparing the OCV with a predetermined battery performance array, and associating the amplitude of the OCV with one or more of the battery SoC, battery cell voltage, battery cell internal resistance, temperature, and accumulated charge-discharge cycles. As with other arrangements, the method predicts the SoC by including a combination of calibrated OCVs determined according to an associated performance array, and attenuating and / or excluding noise by a calibration factor.

[0035] The method may further include: generating, by the controller, an SoC for OCV and an SoC for CT, calibrating the OCV-SoC using an OCV factor, and calibrating the CT-SoC using a CT factor. Here, the factors may also be selected from the NCF, the combined sum is 100%, and are adjusted according to the magnitude of the current, DFC, and NZC, so that the controller generates the predicted SoC by combining and calibrating the OCV-SoC and CT-SoC.

[0036] A variation of the method of vehicle control may also include: when the power signal identifies at least one of (a) a vehicle start-up condition, (b) a constant non-zero current condition, and / or (c) a constant zero current condition, generating, by the controller, an OCV factor of 100% and a CT factor of 0, such that a predicted SoC of the battery is established by a calibrated OCV. As previously described in the configuration, the method includes: when the power signal identifies a non-start-up vehicle operating condition, generating, by the controller, an OCV factor and a CT factor both less than 100% and non-zero, such that a predicted SoC of the battery is established by a sum of a calibrated OCV-SoC and a calibrated CT-SoC. The method also contemplates: adjusting, by the controller, the OCV factor and the CT factor by comparing a previous predicted SoC with a SoC established from a new SoC during a start-up condition, a constant non-zero current condition, and / or a constant zero current condition, the new SoC being determined by a predetermined battery performance array that associates the new OCV with one or more of a battery SoC, a battery cell voltage, a battery cell internal resistance, a temperature, and an accumulated charge-discharge cycle.

[0037] The present disclosure relating to the implementation and configuration of these vehicles and operating methods describes several exemplary arrangements of embodiments of the present disclosure with fewer variations in technical details, and further describes several exemplary arrangements of embodiments of the present disclosure in more detail in the following specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying illustrations and drawings and the claims.

[0038] This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed technology, nor is it intended to be used to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The features, functions, capabilities, and advantages discussed herein may be implemented individually in various exemplary embodiments, or may be combined in other exemplary configurations as further described in other parts of this document, and may also be understood by those skilled in the relevant art with reference to the following description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] A more complete understanding of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims when considering the following drawings, wherein the same reference numerals and similar reference numerals indicate similar, related and / or identical elements throughout the drawings. The drawings and their annotations are provided to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure without limiting the breadth, scope, scale or applicability of the present disclosure. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and the drawings may be schematic diagrams intended to describe the present disclosure to those skilled in the relevant art.

[0040] Figure 1 is a diagram of a hybrid electric vehicle and its systems, components, sensors, and methods of operation;

[0041] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 Other aspects and capabilities of the vehicles, systems, and methods of the present invention, wherein certain components and features are added, removed, modified, and rearranged. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] As required, specific embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, which may be implemented in various alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to utilize the present invention in various forms.

[0043] As will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, the various features, components, and processes shown and described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings may be combined with the features, components, and processes shown in one or more other accompanying drawings to form embodiments that may not be explicitly shown or described but should be obvious to those skilled in the art and within the knowledge of those skilled in the art. The combination of features shown here is a representative embodiment for many typical applications. However, various combinations and modifications of features consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure may be expected to be used in specific applications or implementations, and should easily fall within the scope of the knowledge, skills, and abilities of those skilled in the art working in the relevant technical field.

[0044] Referring now to the various drawings and illustrations and Figure 1 and Figure 2 , and refer specifically to Figure 1, showing a schematic diagram of an electric vehicle, a battery vehicle, a plug-in vehicle, and / or a HEV 100, and showing representative relationships between the components of the HEV 100. The physical arrangement and orientation of the components within the vehicle 100 may vary. The vehicle 100 includes a driveline 105 having a powertrain 110, which includes one or more of an internal combustion engine (ICE) 115 and / or an electric motor (or electric motor / generator / starter (M / G)) 120 that generates power and torque to propel the vehicle 100. The engine 115 is an engine or fuel cell driven by gasoline, diesel, biofuel, natural gas, or an alternative fuel, and the engine or fuel cell generates output torque in addition to generating other forms of electricity, vacuum, pressure, and hydraulic power through the front engine accessories and accessory devices (FEAD) described elsewhere herein. The engine 115 is connected to the electric motor (or M / G) 120 using a disconnect clutch 125. The engine 115 generates power and associated engine output torque that is transferred to the M / G 120 when the disconnect clutch 125 is at least partially engaged.

[0045] The M / G 120 may be any of a variety of types of electric machines, for example, the M / G 120 may be a permanent magnet synchronous motor, a generator, and an engine starter. For example, when the disconnect clutch 125 is at least partially engaged, power and torque may be transferred from the engine 115 to the M / G 120 to enable the M / G 120 to operate as a generator and to other components of the vehicle 100. Similarly, in a vehicle including or not including an independent engine starter 135, the M / G 120 may operate as a starter for the engine 115 to transfer power and torque to the engine 115 via the disconnect clutch drive shaft 130 to start the engine 115, with the disconnect clutch 125 partially or fully engaged.

[0046] Additionally, in a "hybrid electric mode" or "electric assist mode," the M / G 120 can assist the engine 115 by delivering additional power and torque to rotate the drive shafts 130 and 140. Additionally, the M / G 120 can operate in an electric-only mode, in which the engine 115 is disconnected and stopped by the disconnect clutch 125, enabling the M / G 120 to deliver positive or negative torque to the M / G drive shaft 140. While in generator mode, the M / G 120 can also be commanded to generate negative torque and, thus, generate electricity for charging the battery and powering the vehicle electrical system, while the engine 115 generates propulsion power for the vehicle 100. As described in more detail below, the M / G 120 can also achieve regenerative braking by converting rotational energy from the decelerating powertrain 110 and / or wheels 154 into electrical energy for storage in one or more batteries 175, 180.

[0047] The disconnect clutch 125 can be disengaged to enable the engine 115 to be stopped or run alone for driving engine accessories, while the M / G 120 generates drive power and torque to propel the vehicle 100 via the M / G drive shaft 140, the torque converter drive shaft 145, and the transmission output drive shaft 150. In other arrangements, both the engine 115 and the M / G 120 can operate with the disconnect clutch 125 fully or partially engaged to propel the vehicle 100 in coordination through the drive shafts 130, 140, 150, the differential 152, and the wheels 154. The differential 152 can transmit approximately equal torque to each wheel 154 and accommodate slight speed differences to enable the vehicle to turn and maneuver. Different types of differentials or similar devices can be used to distribute equal and / or unequal torque from the powertrain 110 to the wheels 154 of rear-wheel drive vehicles, front-wheel drive vehicles, and all-wheel drive vehicles. In some vehicles, the differential torque distribution may be controlled and varied to enable a desired operating mode or condition in which each vehicle wheel 154 receives a different torque.

[0048] For a powertrain 110 that includes multiple, inline or otherwise connected M / G 120 configurations, the drive shaft 130 for the engine 115 and the M / G 120 may be a single, continuous through shaft that is part of and integrated with the M / G drive shaft 140 , or may be a separate, independent drive shaft 130 that may be configured to rotate independently of the M / G drive shaft 140 . Figure 1The schematic diagram of FIG. 1 also contemplates alternative configurations having more than one engine 115 and / or M / G 120 that may be offset from the drive shafts 130 and 140, wherein one or more engines 115 and / or M / G 120 are disposed in series and / or parallel at other locations of the driveline 105 (such as between or as part of the torque converter and transmission, axially offset from the drive shaft, and / or at other locations within other devices). Other variations are also contemplated without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0049] The transmission 105 and the drivetrain 110 also include a torque converter (TC) 155 that connects the engine 115 and the M / G 120 of the drivetrain 110 to the transmission 160 and / or connects the engine 115 and the M / G 120 of the drivetrain 110 to the transmission 160. The transmission 160 may be an automatic and / or manual transmission or gearbox 160 with multiple step ratios and / or multiple variable torque-multiplier-ratios with multiple selectable gears. The TC 155 may also include a bypass clutch and a clutch lock 157 that may also function as a launch clutch to enable further control and regulation of the power and torque transmitted from the drivetrain 110 to other components of the vehicle 100. In some variations, the transmission 160 may include the TC 155 and the bypass clutch 157 integrated with the transmission or gearbox 160.

[0050] The powertrain 110 and / or drive train 105 also includes one or more current and voltage sensors 165, switching devices 170 (such as contactors), a battery performance data array (BPDA) 173, and batteries 175 and 180. Such voltage and current sensors 165 may be separate devices and / or may be combined as dual-function sensors 165. The switching devices may be any suitable electromechanical and / or solid-state switching devices 170 (such as contactors that may be switched between an open or disconnected configuration and a closed or connected configuration to connect and disconnect one or more terminals of the battery 175 from other components of the HEV 100).

[0051] One or more of such batteries may be a higher voltage DC battery 175 operating in the range of about 48 volts to 600 volts (sometimes about 140 volts to 300 volts or more or less) and used to store electrical energy and power the M / G 120, other vehicle components and accessories. Other batteries may be low voltage DC batteries 180 operating in the range of about 6 volts to 24 volts (or more or less) and used to store electrical energy and power the starter 135 for starting the engine 115 and power other vehicle components and accessories.

[0052] like Figure 1 As depicted, the battery 175 and the battery 180 are connected to the engine 115, the M / G 120, and the vehicle 100, respectively, through various mechanical and electrical interfaces and vehicle controllers (as described elsewhere herein). The high voltage M / G battery 175 is also connected to the M / G 120 through one or more of a motor control module (MCM), a battery energy control module (BCM or BECM), and / or a power electronics module 185, which is configured to condition the direct current (DC) power provided by the high voltage (HV) battery 175 to the M / G 120. The MCM / BCM / BECM 185 is also configured to condition, invert, and transform the DC battery power into the three-phase alternating current (AC) power typically required to drive the motor (or M / G 120). The MCM / BCM / BECM 185 is also configured to utilize energy generated by the M / G 120 and / or FEAD components to charge one or more batteries 175 and 180 and to power other vehicle components as needed.

[0053] The vehicle 100 may also include one or more brakes 190 connected to the wheels 154 and a brake system control module (BSCM) 195. The brakes 190 and BSCM 195 may be used to mechanically and / or electrically decelerate the wheels 154, and may be used to implement regenerative braking that captures deceleration energy from the wheels 154, and may be capable of charging the HV battery 175, other batteries 180, and other energy storage components in cooperation with the MCM / BECM 185 and possibly other controllers, the M / G 120, and other components.

[0054] Continue to refer to Figure 1, the vehicle 100 also includes one or more controllers and computing modules and systems that enable various vehicle capabilities. For example, the vehicle 100 may include a vehicle system controller (VSC) 200 and a vehicle computing system (VCS) and controller 205 that communicate with the MCM / BECM 185, BSCM 195, other controllers, and vehicle networks (such as a controller area network (CAN) 210 and a larger vehicle control system and other vehicle networks including other microprocessor-based controllers described elsewhere herein). The CAN 210 may include a network controller in addition to controllers, sensors, actuators, and communication links between vehicle systems and components.

[0055] Although the MCM / BECM 185, BSCM 195, VSC 200, and VCS 205 are shown herein as discrete, independent controllers for purposes of example, the MCM / BECM 185, BSCM 195, VSC 200, and VCS 205 may control, be controlled by, transmit signals to and from, and communicate with other controllers and other sensors, actuators, annunciators, and components as part of a larger vehicle and control system and internal and external networks. The capabilities and configurations described in conjunction with any particular microprocessor-based controller contemplated herein may also be implemented in one or more other controllers and distributed among more than one controller, such that multiple controllers are able to independently, cooperatively, in combination, and synergistically implement any such capabilities and configurations. Accordingly, the phrase "controller" or "the controllers" is intended to refer to such controllers in both the singular and the plural, independently, collectively, and in various suitable coordinated and distributed combinations.

[0056] In addition, communication through the network and CAN 210 is intended to include responding, sharing, sending and receiving commands, signals, data, control logic and information between the controller and sensors, actuators, controls, and vehicle systems and components. The controller communicates with one or more controller-based input / output (I / O) interfaces, which can be implemented as a single integrated interface that enables transmission of raw data and signals, and / or signal conditioning, processing and / or conversion, short circuit protection, circuit isolation, and similar capabilities. Optionally, one or more dedicated hardware or firmware devices, controllers, and systems on a chip can be used to pre-condition and pre-process specific signals during communication and before and after transmission of the specific signal.

[0057] In further illustration, the MCM / BECM 185, BSCM 195, VSC 200, VCS 205, CAN 210, and other controllers may include one or more microprocessors or central processing units (CPUs) that communicate with various types of computer-readable storage devices or media. The computer-readable storage devices or media may include volatile and non-volatile memory in read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and non-volatile or keep-alive memory (NVRAM or KAM). NVRAM or KAM is a persistent or non-volatile memory that can be used to store various commands, executable control logic and instructions, as well as code, data, constants, and variables required to operate the vehicle and systems when the vehicle, systems, controllers, and CPUs are not powered or powered off. Computer readable storage devices or media may be implemented using any of a variety of known storage devices such as PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory), EPROM (Electrically Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), flash memory, or any other electrical, magnetic, optical, or combination storage device capable of storing data.

[0058] Follow again Figure 1 , the vehicle 100 may also include a VCS 205 which is a SYNC vehicle computing system manufactured by Ford Motor Company (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,080,668). The vehicle 100 may also include a powertrain control unit / module (PCU / PCM) 215 connected to the VSC 200 or another controller, and connected to the CAN 210, the engine 115, the M / G 120, and the TC 155 to control each powertrain component. The transmission control unit may also be connected to the VSC 200 and other controllers via the CAN 210, to the transmission 160, and optionally to the TC 155 to achieve operational control. An engine control module (ECM) (or engine control unit (ECU)) or energy management system (EMS) 220 may also be included, which communicates with the CAN 210 and is connected to the VSC 200 and the engine 115 in cooperation with the PCU 215 and other controllers.

[0059] In this arrangement, the VSC 200 and VCS 205 cooperatively manage and control vehicle components and other controllers, sensors and actuators. For example, the controller can transmit control commands, logic and instructions, as well as codes, data, information and signals to and / or from the engine 115, the disconnect clutch 125, the M / G 120, the TC 155, the transmission 160, the battery 175 and 180, the MCM 185, the BSCM 195 and other components and systems. Even if not shown in the drawings, the controller can also control and communicate with other vehicle components known to those skilled in the art. Figure 1 The embodiment of the vehicle 100 in FIG. 1 also depicts exemplary sensors and actuators in communication with the vehicle network and the CAN 210 , which may send and receive signals to and from the VSC 200 , the VCS 205 , and other controllers.

[0060] For example, various other vehicle functions, actuators, and components may be controlled by controllers within the vehicle systems and components, and may receive signals from other controllers, sensors, and actuators, which, for purposes of illustration and not limitation, may include an alternator (or generator), M / G 120, a high voltage battery 175, and a low voltage battery 180, various sensors for regenerative braking, battery charging or discharging (including sensors 165 to determine maximum charge, state of charge, discharge power limit, charge power limit, temperature, voltage, current), and other components.

[0061] If included Figure 1 , Figure 2As depicted in various figures of the and other figures, such control logic, executable instructions, signals and data may also include vehicle power signals (PS) 225, control or command signals (CS) 230 received from and sent to vehicle controllers, components and systems, and other signals (OS) 235. Such signals and commands may be generated by and transmitted from any vehicle controller, sensor, actuator, component and system. Other such controllers, sensors, actuators and components may also receive such signals and respond to such signals. Any or all of these signals may be raw analog signals or raw digital signals, or pre-conditioned signals, pre-processed signals, combined signals and / or derived signals generated in response to other signals and having information embedded therein. PS 225, CS 230 and OS 235 can be generated and / or encoded by a controller and / or sensor, and can include various specific signals and digital data and information embedded in such signals. For purposes of illustration and not limitation, the specific signals include current, voltage, time-differential current, time-integrated current, battery state of charge, and various limit signals (as described in more detail elsewhere in this document).

[0062] The communication and operation of the described signals and commands (225, 230 and 235), control instructions and logic, and data and information through various contemplated controllers, sensors, actuators and other vehicle components may be as described above. Figure 1 The diagram is schematically represented and can be seen by Figure 2 , or similar diagrams illustrated in and other parts of this article. Such flowcharts and diagrams show exemplary commands, control processes, control logic and instructions, and operational strategies (which may include real-time, event-driven, interrupt-driven, multi-tasking, multi-threading, and combinations thereof) that can be implemented using one or more computing technologies, communication technologies, and processing technologies. The steps and functions shown can be executed, transmitted, and completed in the order depicted, in parallel, repeatedly, and in a modified order, and can be combined with other processes and omitted in some cases. Commands, control logic, and instructions can be executed in one or more of the microprocessor-based controllers described, and can be primarily implemented as hardware, software, virtualized hardware, firmware, virtualized firmware, and combinations thereof.

[0063] Continue to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2During operation of the vehicle 100, the HEV 100 includes a controller (such as any of the controllers described elsewhere herein that is connected to the battery 175). The controller is configured to respond to the PS 225 and / or the CS 230 and the OS 235, and detect various vehicle parameters and conditions (such as an open circuit voltage (OCV) 240, a current (I) 245, a differential current (DFC) 250, and a near zero current (NZC) 255). Using these parameters and conditions, the controller also generates a predicted state of charge (SoC) 260 from a combination of the detected OCV 240, current 245, DFC 250, and NZC 255, which are calibrated according to their respective magnitudes and using a noise calibration factor (NCF) 265. The controller then uses the predicted SoC 260 to condition, charge, and discharge the battery 175.

[0064] More specifically, such a controller typically utilizes one or more of the voltage sensors 165 to detect a new OCV 240 of the battery 175 when a switching device (such as a contactor 170) is opened and disconnects the battery 175 from other components of the HEV 100. In HEVs 100 that include an HV battery 175 that utilizes a lithium-ion chemistry, it has been discovered that the OCV 240 can be used to predict a corresponding actual SoC 260 and / or predicted SoC 260. In an adaptive variation of this capability, the controller may also utilize a sensor that detects the terminal voltage of the battery 175 and combines the current (I) 245 and the internal resistance of the battery 175 to detect the new OCV 240 under certain conditions and circumstances (such as during periods when the current (I) 245 is constant at zero).

[0065] Utilizing the newly detected OCV 240, the controller may also utilize the battery performance data array (BPDA) 173 to predict a new SoC 260 by comparing the newly detected OCV 240 to one or more data elements and parameters contained in the BPDA 173, which, for purposes of example and not limitation, may include a previously predicted SoC 260 and / or historical SoC 260, historical OCV and / or predetermined OCV (corresponding generally and / or linearly to expected, known, or experimentally determined battery and cell state of charge (SoC)), cell internal resistance, cell voltage, temperature, accumulated charge-discharge cycles, and other performance parameters and data elements associated with the particular battery 175. It has been observed that when the battery 175 is not connected, the OCV 240 is a preferred indicator of the predicted SoC 260 of the battery 175, before the battery 175 is subjected to operating load conditions, and possibly also after the battery 175 has sufficiently relaxed and stabilized electrochemically and thermally from the effects of previous charging and discharging, and the OCV 240 can enable accurate prediction of the SoC 260 during one or more of the following conditions: (a) a start-up condition of the HEV 100, (b) a constant non-zero current condition, and / or (c) a constant zero current condition.

[0066] Detected current (I) 245 and NZC 255 are also detected by the controller using the current sensor 165 and / or the combined voltage-current sensor 165. During nominal operation of the HEV 100, such current I 245 and NZC 255 are typically detected and used as an additional method of estimating the predicted SoC 260 over time, since during charging and discharging, the instantaneous SoC 260 of the battery 175 and / or the predicted SoC 260 are adjusted based on the initial SoC 260 plus the integral and / or integrated current with respect to time. When the detected current (I) 245 is low (such as, for example, less than or equal to about 0.5 amps or greater or less), during coasting, creeping, and low speeds of the HEV 100, the current (I) sensor 165 may be affected by inherent measurement bias or noise, which may result in less accuracy than the desired accuracy of the actual current measured. Therefore, the detected I 245 may require calibration to achieve accurate prediction of SoC 260. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the initial SoC 260 may be stored by the controller during previous operations, and may also be determined by other methods, including the example of a lithium-ion battery 175 where at least one of (a) a pre-operational startup condition OCV 240, (b) a constant non-zero current condition, and / or (c) a constant zero current condition is detected and used to predict SoC 260 as the initial SoC.

[0067] The current (I) 245 may preferably be calibrated using an adaptively selected and adjusted NCF 265, which may be fixed when the HEV 100 is manufactured and / or may be adjusted during real-time operation or during service and maintenance operations in response to changes in the performance of the HEV 100. For example, one such NCF 265 may be used to determine whether the detected current (I) 245 may be affected by measurement bias or noise of the sensor 165. Such an NCF 265 may include a bias-noise constant current NCF 265 (CC-NCF), for example, the CC-NCF may be adjusted and / or calibrated to approximately 0.3 amps / second. Such an NCF 265 may be used by the controller to detect current (I) conditions that may be affected by inherent bias / noise. Similarly, the current (I) 245 may be differentiated with respect to time to generate the DFC 250 in real time, and also detect instances of the current (I) 245 that may be close to a constant current (such as a CC-NCF 265 where the magnitude of the DFC 250 is less than approximately 0.3 amps / second or greater or less). In this example, when calibrated by the CC-NCF 265, it may be determined that the current (I) 245 is affected by the inherent bias / noise in the sensor 165 and the bias / noise inherent in other physical properties of the components of the HEV 100, which may result in measurement errors and detection errors. However, once calibrated using the CC-NCF 265, the DFC 250 is adjusted to zero to reflect a constant current and / or close to a constant current (I) 245. In this example, the differential of the detected substantially constant current (I) 245 will be virtually zero and / or close to zero based on the inherent measurement sensor bias / noise. In other words, while DFC 250 for a constant and / or near-constant current (I) 245 should be zero due to such inherent measurement bias or noise, the measured DFC 250 may not be zero and may instead reflect a varying sensed current due to such bias and noise.

[0068] In a further example, another deviation noise zero current NCF 265 (ZC-NCF) may be calibrated to about 0.5 amps and may be used to further compare to the magnitude of the detected current (I) 245 and may be used to calibrate the magnitude of the detected current (I) 245 to determine whether the current (I) 245 is close to zero and is essentially and / or may actually be zero (if there is no inherent measurement sensor noise). In addition, the ZC-NCF 265 may be used to generate NZC 255 in response to such conditions, which may be a Boolean true / false or zero or one calibration value that calibrates the detected current (I) 245 to zero under appropriate conditions, so that these NCFs 265 are used to attenuate and / or exclude noise from the predicted SoC 260. The controller is also configured to generate the predicted SoC 260 by summing the initial SoC 260 and / or the initial predicted SoC 260 with the integrated current per unit time calibrated according to the NCF 265.

[0069] In other variations of the present disclosure, the switch contactor 170 and the voltage-current sensor 165 are connected to the battery 175 and are configured to detect and transmit the OCV 240 when the switch contactor is open and when the PS 225 is received and the PS 255 indicates and / or establishes at least one of (a) a vehicle start condition, (b) a constant non-zero current condition, and / or (c) a constant zero current condition. In a further arrangement, the controller is configured to generate a predicted SoC 260 component (OCV-SoC) corresponding to the OCV 240 and another SoC 260 component (CT-SoC) corresponding to the current per unit time (I) 245 (CT). These SoC components are combined to generate the predicted SoC 260. In this arrangement, the controller calibrates the OCV-SoC using the OCV factor 265 and calibrates the CT-SoC using the CT factor 265 to adjust each SoC component when the SoC components are combined to generate the predicted SoC 260 to minimize or eliminate noise and bias, and to improve the accuracy of the predicted SoC 260.

[0070] The OCV factor and CT factor may be additional NCFs 265 used to improve the accuracy of and calibrate the SoC components that are combined to generate the predicted SoC 260. In one adaptive variation, the OCV factor and CT factor may be selected from a set of predetermined NCFs 265 and / or adjusted in response to the performance and operating conditions of the vehicle 100 and the PS 225. The OCV factor and CT factor in combination may also be configured to sum to one hundred percent and be used in any desired arrangement to calibrate the respective SoC 260 components to minimize and / or eliminate noise and bias from each SoC component.

[0071] These NCF 265 (OCV factor and CT factor) are also predetermined and / or adjusted based on the magnitude of the current (I) 245, DFC 250, and NZC 255. For example, if the DFC 250 does not exceed the CC-NCF 265 (establishing a constant current 245), and the I 245 does not exceed the ZC-NCF 265 (establishing an actual current 245 that is likely to be zero), then the CT factor may be adjusted to zero and the OCV factor may be adjusted to 100% or 1.0. This variation may be appropriate when the PS 225 is coded by the controller and / or otherwise establishes and / or identifies one or more or at least one of (a) a start-up pre-operational vehicle condition, (b) a constant non-zero current condition, and / or (c) a constant zero current condition. This example enables calibrating the predicted SoC 260 to exclude bias and noise from the SoC component determined by the low sensed current (I) 245 and instead utilize the SoC component from the sensed OCV 240 , which improves the accuracy of the predicted SoC 260 .

[0072] In another example, if the DFC 250 does not exceed the CC-NCF 265 (establishing the calibrated constant current 245), but the current (I) 245 exceeds the ZC-NCF 265 (determining that there may be a calibrated non-zero constant current 245, which may be affected by measurement bias), the CT factor may be adjusted to be non-zero and less than the OCV factor, such that, for example, the OCV factor may be adjusted / recalibrated to approximately 75% or 0.75, while the CT factor is adjusted / recalibrated to approximately 25% or 0.25. This particular correction may be preferred when the PS 225 identifies a non-start vehicle operating condition (such as when the HEV 100 is coasting or moving slowly) so that the detected current (I) 245 is close to constant. This variation enables the predicted SoC 260 to be calibrated such that the SoC component from the detected OCV 240 is amplified and the potentially noisy SoC component predicted by the detected current (I) 245 is reduced, which reduces or attenuates the possible effects of noise or bias when such SoC components are combined to generate the predicted SoC 260, thereby improving the accuracy of the predicted SoC 260.

[0073] Additional examples include arrangements where the DFC 250 exceeds the CC-NCF 265 (creating a possibly non-constant, varying current 245) and the current (I) 245 is not tested against the ZC-NCF 265 (because the current 245 is varying and not zero). Here, the CT factor may be adjusted to be non-zero and greater than the OCV factor. For this continuing example, the OCV factor may also be adjusted to be non-zero and perhaps about 10% or 0.10, while the CT factor may be adjusted to be non-zero and approximately 90% or 0.90. This variation enables the predicted SoC 260 to be calibrated such that the SoC component from the possibly noisy or less accurate detected OCV 240 is reduced, while the possibly more accurate SoC component predicted by the detected current (I) 245 is amplified. This arrangement may be preferred during nominal vehicle operating conditions when the PS 225 again identifies a non-start vehicle operating condition where the detected current (I) 245 is higher than the current (I) 245 in other examples. Furthermore, under various varying operating conditions of the HEV 100 , possible effects of noise or bias may be reduced or attenuated during generation of the predicted SoC 260 through the combined components, which also improves the accuracy of the predicted SoC 260 .

[0074] The present disclosure also contemplates other operating methods, which can be described by a person skilled in the relevant art with reference to the various drawings (specifically including Figure 2During operation, one or more of the controllers described elsewhere herein (eg, but not limited to, the BECM 185 ) are included in the HEV 100 and are configured to respond to the PS 225 at step 300 .

[0075] In addition to the other elements already described, the PS 225 may also include signals, data and commands for detecting various HEV 100 performance characteristics, parameters and conditions, including, for example, vehicle start pre-operation, constant non-zero current, constant zero current, and non-start operation conditions. At step 305, the controller may also detect the power-on condition of the BECM 185 simultaneously with and / or as part of detecting / receiving the PS 225. At step 310, the controller detects the current (I) 245 and / or the near zero current (NZC) 255 in response to the PS 225, the near zero current (NZC) 255 also being detected as explained in other parts of this document. In addition, at step 315, the controller is configured to detect the OCV 240, and at step 320, the controller is configured to determine and / or predict the SoC 260 or the OCV-SoC component 260 by utilizing the BPDA 173.

[0076] At step 325, one or more of the controllers also detects and / or generates the DFC 250. Using these parameters and vehicle conditions, at any of these steps (and possibly also next at step 330), the controller receives and / or calibrates the CC-NCF 265 and begins testing for a constant current 245 condition. More specifically, also at step 330, the controller tests whether the magnitude of the DFC 250 is below the CC-NCF 265, wherein if the magnitude of the DFC 250 is below the CC-NCF 265, then it is determined that a constant current 245 exists, and thus it should also be determined whether such a constant current is at or near zero. As already described, if the DFC 250 exceeds the calibrated CC-NCF 265 (establishing a constant current 245), then control proceeds to step 335, and the NZC 255 may be calibrated (e.g., the NZC 255 is calibrated to zero or false), which indicates that a constant current condition does not exist.

[0077] Conversely, if the DFC 250 is below the CC-NCF 265 (constant current 245 is established), then at step 340, the NZC 255 may be calibrated differently, for example, the NZC 255 may be calibrated to non-zero, one or true, or another suitable calibration value. If a constant current condition is established and the NZC 255 is true or non-zero, then at step 345, the controller may also be configured to test whether a near-zero current condition and / or a zero current condition exists, such that the magnitude of the detected current (I) 245 is compared to the calibrated ZC-NCF 265. If the magnitude of the detected I 245 does not exceed the ZC-NCF 265, a zero current condition is established and control passes to step 350, where the controller is configured to reduce or eliminate noise or deviation in the detected current (I), and the controller is also configured to: calibrate the OCV factor 265 to a maximum value (such as, 100% or 1.0 as previously explained) and calibrate the CT factor to a minimum value (such as, zero).

[0078] If the controller does not detect a constant current (I) 245 condition at step 330 and the NZC 255 is calibrated to zero at step 335, control may pass to step 355 such that the controller is configured to adjust / calibrate the OCV factor 265 and the CT factor 265 to be non-zero, and preferably calibrate the OCV factor 265 to be less than the CT factor 265, such that noise and / or bias from the OCV-SoC 260 component is minimized, and the CT-SoC 260 component is amplified in predicting the SoC 260. In another comparative example, if a non-zero current condition is detected at step 345, then at step 360, the controller is configured to again adjust / calibrate the OCV factor 265 and the CT factor 265 to be non-zero, and preferably calibrate the OCV factor 265 to be greater than the CT factor 265, such that noise and / or bias from the CT-SoC 260 component is minimized, and the OCV-SoC 260 component is amplified in predicting the SoC 260. In both examples, noise and / or bias in the measured and detected OCV 240 and current (I) 245 are reduced and / or eliminated, which can improve the accuracy of the predicted SoC 260 .

[0079] In each of these examples, the controller is further configured to further calibrate and adjust the OCV-SoC 260 and CT-SoC 260, respectively, using the calibrated OCV factor 265 and the calibrated CT factor 265, at steps 365 and 370. At step 375, the controller is configured to then combine the calibrated component OCV-SoC and the calibrated component CT-SoC to generate the predicted SoC 260. At step 380, the controller is then configured to adjust the charging and discharging of the battery 175 according to the predicted SoC 260, and continue the method of operation in response to the further PS 225.

[0080] The description herein refers to systems, methods, components, elements, nodes, or features that are "in communication" and / or "connected" together. As used herein, unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of these terms and expressions is intended and must be understood to mean that one system / method / sensor / actuator / component / element / module / feature is directly or indirectly connected, coupled to, and / or communicates with another system / method / sensor / actuator / component / element / module / feature in an electrical, mechanical, both electrical and mechanical manner, or some similar manner that enables cooperative operation and exchange and interchange of data and information.

[0081] Furthermore, even though the various described embodiments, figures, descriptions, and diagrams depict representative examples and arrangements of components, elements, devices, and features, many different other variations, arrangements, modifications, and intermediate components, elements, devices, and features may be present in further exemplary embodiments contemplated by the present disclosure.

[0082] Unless expressly stated otherwise, the terms, words and phrases used in this document and variations thereof must be interpreted as open ended and not limiting. For example, the term "including" should be understood to mean "including but not limited to" or similar meanings; the term "example" is used to loosely describe illustrative examples of the items described, rather than an exhaustive, exclusive or limiting list; adjectives such as "conventional", "traditional", "normal", "standard", "known" and terms of similar meaning should not be interpreted as limiting the description to a given example or exemplary items commercially available in the marketplace at a particular date and time period.

[0083] On the contrary, these descriptions are intended to be understood as including conventional, traditional, normal or standard technology available now and at any time in the future in some improved and modified form according to the innovations described in this disclosure. Similarly, the groups of words described and connected with the conjunction "and" or the conjunction "or" must be understood as merely exemplary and representative rather than exclusive groups, without requiring that only one or each of the items described must be present in the intended group or must not be present in the intended group. More specifically, unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of such conjunctions must be understood to mean "and / or".

[0084] Although exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the present invention. More specifically, the words used in the specification are descriptive rather than restrictive, and it should be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the features of the various embodiments of implementation may be combined to form further embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: A controller is connected to the battery and is configured to perform the following operations in response to the power signal: Detecting the open circuit voltage, current, differential current and near-zero current of the battery; The battery is charged and discharged according to a predicted state of charge generated by a detected open circuit voltage and a combination of detected current, differential current and near-zero current, wherein the detected open circuit voltage and the combination of detected current, differential current and near-zero current are calibrated according to their respective amplitudes and using a noise calibration factor.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is also configured to: comparing the open circuit voltage to a predetermined battery performance array that relates the magnitude of the open circuit voltage to one or more of a battery state of charge, a battery cell voltage, a battery cell internal resistance, a temperature, and accumulated charge-discharge cycles; The state of charge is predicted by a combination including a calibrated open circuit voltage determined from an associated performance array, and noise is excluded by the noise calibration factor.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is also configured to: The predicted state of charge is generated by a combination including an initial state of charge and a sum of integrated currents per unit time calibrated according to the noise calibration factor.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: A switching contactor and a voltage-current sensor are connected to the battery and are configured to detect and transmit the open circuit voltage when a power signal establishes at least one of the following conditions: a vehicle starting condition and a constant zero current when the switching contactor is open.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein: The controller is configured to: generating a state of charge for the open circuit voltage and a state of charge for the current per unit time, calibrating the state of charge for the open circuit voltage using an open circuit voltage factor, and calibrating the state of charge for the current per unit time using a current per unit time factor, such that the open circuit voltage factor and the current per unit time factor are: selected from the noise calibration factors, sum to 100% and are adjusted according to the magnitudes of the current, the differential current, and the near-zero current; The predicted state of charge is generated by combining and calibrating the state of charge for the open circuit voltage and the state of charge for the current per unit time.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein: The controller is configured to generate the open circuit voltage factor as 100% and the unit time current factor as 0 when the power signal identifies a vehicle start condition so that a predicted state of charge of the battery is established by a calibrated open circuit voltage.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein: The controller is configured to, when the power signal identifies a non-started vehicle operating condition, generate the open circuit voltage factor and the unit time current factor to be both less than 100% and non-zero, so that the predicted state of charge of the battery is established by the sum of the calibrated state of charge for the open circuit voltage and the calibrated state of charge for the unit time current.

8. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein: The controller is configured to adjust the open circuit voltage factor and the unit time current factor by comparing a previously predicted state of charge with a new predicted state of charge, wherein the new predicted state of charge is established during a startup condition through a predetermined battery performance array that associates a new detected open circuit voltage with one or more of a battery state of charge, a battery cell voltage, a battery cell internal resistance, a temperature, and an accumulated charge-discharge cycle.

9. A vehicle control method, comprising: In response to the power signal, the following operations are performed: detecting an open circuit voltage, a current, a differential current and a near-zero current of the battery by a controller connected to the battery; After the detected open circuit voltage and the detected current, differential current and near-zero current are calibrated according to their respective amplitudes and using noise control factors, the controller adjusts the state of charge of the battery based on the state of charge predicted by the detected open circuit voltage and the detected current, differential current and near-zero current.

10. The vehicle control method according to claim 9, further comprising: The controller performs the following operations: comparing the open circuit voltage to a predetermined battery performance array that relates the magnitude of the open circuit voltage to one or more of a battery state of charge, a battery cell voltage, a battery cell internal resistance, a temperature, and accumulated charge-discharge cycles; The state of charge is predicted by a combination including a calibrated open circuit voltage determined from an associated performance array, and noise is excluded by the noise control factor.

11. The vehicle control method according to claim 9, further comprising: The controller performs the following operations: generating a state of charge for the open circuit voltage and a state of charge for the current per unit time, calibrating the state of charge for the open circuit voltage using an open circuit voltage factor, and calibrating the state of charge for the current per unit time using a current per unit time factor, such that the open circuit voltage factor and the current per unit time factor are: selected from the noise control factors, sum to 100% and are adjusted according to the amplitudes of the current, the differential current, and the near-zero current; The predicted state of charge is generated by combining and calibrating the state of charge for the open circuit voltage and the state of charge for the current per unit time.

12. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, further comprising: When the power signal identifies at least one of a vehicle start-up condition and a constant zero current, the controller generates the open circuit voltage factor as 100% and the unit time current factor as 0 so that the predicted state of charge of the battery is established by a calibrated open circuit voltage.

13. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, further comprising: When the power signal identifies a non-started vehicle operating condition, the open circuit voltage factor and the unit time current factor are generated by the controller to be both less than 100% and non-zero, so that the predicted state of charge of the battery is established by the sum of the calibrated state of charge for the open circuit voltage and the calibrated state of charge for the unit time current.

14. The vehicle control method according to claim 11, further comprising: The open circuit voltage factor and the unit time current factor are adjusted by the controller by comparing a previous predicted state of charge with a new predicted state of charge, the new predicted state of charge being established during a start-up condition by a predetermined battery performance array that correlates a new detected open circuit voltage with one or more of a battery state of charge, a battery cell voltage, a battery cell internal resistance, a temperature, and an accumulated charge-discharge cycle.

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