System and method for monitoring a vehicle power system

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a "system and method for monitoring a vehicle power system". A method and apparatus for monitoring a vehicle power system having a primary power source and a secondary power source are disclosed. An exemplary vehicle includes a primary power source, a secondary power source including a low-voltage battery, and a processor. The processor is configured to reduce the output of the primary power source, determine an operating characteristic of the low-voltage battery while reducing the output of the primary power source, and provide an alarm based on the operating characteristic.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to vehicle electronics and, more particularly, to systems and methods for monitoring a vehicle power system. Background Art

[0002] Modern hybrid and all-electric vehicles may include a high voltage power supply configured to supply high voltage to one or more vehicle systems, such as an electric drive system, a DC / DC converter, etc. These vehicles may also include a low voltage battery (e.g., a 12V battery) configured to power one or more vehicle systems, such as a virtual driving system for an autonomous vehicle. Summary of the invention

[0003] The appended claims define the present application. This disclosure summarizes aspects of the embodiments and should not be used to limit the claims. Other embodiments are contemplated based on the techniques described herein, as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon studying the following drawings and detailed description, and are intended to fall within the scope of the present application.

[0004] Example embodiments are shown that describe systems, devices, and methods for monitoring a vehicle power system including a primary power source and a secondary power source. The disclosed example vehicle includes a primary power source, a secondary power source including a low-voltage battery, and a processor. The processor is configured to reduce the output of the primary power source, determine an operating characteristic of the low-voltage battery while reducing the output of the primary power source, and provide an alarm based on the operating characteristic.

[0005] An exemplary disclosed method for monitoring a vehicle power system includes reducing the output of a primary power supply of a vehicle power system including a primary power supply and a secondary power supply, wherein the secondary power supply includes a low-voltage battery. The method also includes determining an operating characteristic of the low-voltage battery while reducing the output of the primary power supply. And the method also includes providing an alarm based on the operating characteristic. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the embodiments shown in the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and related elements may be omitted, or in some cases the scale may be exaggerated in order to emphasize and clearly illustrate the novel features described herein. In addition, as is known in the art, the system components may be arranged differently. Moreover, in the drawings, the same reference numerals represent corresponding components in several views.

[0007] Figure 1 An exemplary vehicle having an electrical power system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 An exemplary block diagram of electronic components of a vehicle.

[0009] Figure 3 A flow chart of an exemplary method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] While the invention may be embodied in various forms, some exemplary and non-limiting embodiments are shown in the drawings and will be described below, it being understood that this disclosure is considered as an example of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments shown.

[0011] As described above, modern vehicles such as hybrid vehicles or electric vehicles may include two or more power sources for supplying power to various loads of the vehicle, such as steering, brakes, displays, etc. For example, hybrid vehicles and all electric vehicles in particular may utilize a high voltage power source to power the drive train to move the vehicle. Other systems may also use the high voltage power source, including the steering system, the braking system, and the drive control system.

[0012] Some vehicles may also include one or more low voltage power supply buses configured to control the same vehicle systems (e.g., steering, braking, and drive control). Each low voltage power supply bus may include a low voltage battery, which may be a 12 volt rechargeable battery. During normal operation of the vehicle, these batteries may be charged by a high voltage power source.

[0013] A high voltage power supply (power source) can be configured as the main power source and supply power to the low voltage bus via a DC / DC converter. The DC / DC converter can replace the alternator on a traditional gas powered vehicle.

[0014] The DC / DC converter can supply power to a low voltage (e.g., 12V) bus to which the low voltage battery is also connected. This can allow the low voltage battery to be charged by the DC / DC converter and supply power to a load also coupled to the low voltage bus in the event that the main power source (DC / DC converter) is inoperative or fails.

[0015] In most vehicles that include a DC / DC converter, when a DC / DC converter fails, the vehicle should be serviced immediately. And if the vehicle is in motion, it should be pulled over immediately to avoid a collision because many vehicle systems may not operate once the low-voltage battery is exhausted. When a DC / DC converter fails, the low-voltage battery may be required to provide power to the brakes and steering and one or more other emergency systems. Therefore, in an emergency, the low-voltage battery may be required to provide very high power to the vehicle systems.

[0016] Therefore, it may be beneficial to determine whether a given low voltage battery has sufficient capacity to provide the required amount of power to the vehicle systems before an emergency situation exists. It may be further beneficial to provide regular updates and checks on the low voltage battery in order to warn the driver that the low voltage battery health has degraded and may not be able to provide sufficient power in an emergency situation.

[0017] Conventional vehicles may be able to determine when the low voltage battery is degraded by simply failing to start. However, hybrid and electric vehicles may not be able to use this simple test. In hybrid and electric vehicles, the high voltage battery can provide power to start the engine; while the low voltage battery can only power the controller and contactors, which are relatively low loads. Therefore, it may not be easy to determine the low voltage battery status in these vehicles.

[0018] With these issues in mind, example embodiments of the present disclosure may provide systems and methods for monitoring the health of a vehicle's low-voltage battery while the vehicle is running in order to provide a more accurate determination of whether the low-voltage battery can supply sufficient power in an emergency situation.

[0019] The examples disclosed herein may include a vehicle having a main power source (e.g., a DC / DC converter), a secondary power source (e.g., a low-voltage rechargeable battery), and a processor. The processor may be configured to determine that one or more vehicle conditions are suitable for low-voltage battery testing. These conditions may include battery state of charge, voltage, current, temperature, etc. within a threshold range, as well as many other conditions described herein. If the condition is correct, the processor may be configured to reduce the output of the main power source, effectively enabling the low-voltage battery to supply power to all loads (e.g., steering gear, brakes, etc.). The processor may determine one or more operating characteristics of the low-voltage battery to determine whether the low-voltage battery performs well enough to enable it to provide sufficient power in an emergency. If the performance of the battery is not good enough, the processor may provide an alert to the vehicle driver to indicate that the low-voltage battery may not be healthy enough for an emergency.

[0020] Figure 1 An exemplary vehicle 100 having a vehicle power system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Vehicle 100 may be any type of vehicle having a primary power source and a secondary power source, including a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, or any other type of vehicle for mobility. Vehicle 100 may be non-autonomous, semi-autonomous, or autonomous. Vehicle 100 may include components related to mobility, such as a powertrain having an engine, a transmission, a suspension, a drive shaft, and / or wheels, etc. In the example shown, vehicle 100 may include one or more electronic components (as described below with respect to Figure 2 described above).

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, the power system of the vehicle 100 may include a primary power source 102, a secondary power source 104, and one or more loads 106, all coupled together via a power supply bus 108. The power system may also include a processor 110.

[0022] The main power source 102 may be a DC / DC converter as described above. In some examples, the main power source may step down a high voltage battery (e.g., 48V or greater) of the vehicle 100 to an appropriate voltage level to supply power to the low voltage battery for recharging, and to supply power to various loads 106 coupled to a power supply bus 108. The voltage may be between 12 and 15V.

[0023] During typical operation, primary power supply 102 may supply power to load 106 , while secondary power supply 104 acts as a backup power source to provide a buffer when load 106 draws more current than primary power supply 102 itself can supply.

[0024] The secondary power source 104 may be a low voltage battery (eg, 12V). The actual output voltage may be higher or lower than 12V, depending on the characteristics of the system and the coupled load. In some examples, the low voltage battery may be recharged by the primary power source 102 via the power supply bus 108.

[0025] When the primary power source 102 fails, the secondary power source 104 may provide power to the loads 106 , which may include one or more emergency systems including steering, brakes, lights, a virtual driver (in an autonomous vehicle), and the like.

[0026] The load 106 may include emergency systems such as steering, brakes, etc. The load 106 may also include one or more displays, communication modules, sensors, occupant restraint or safety systems, etc.

[0027] Under typical operating conditions of the vehicle 100, the load 106 may receive power from the primary power source 102 when both the primary power source and the secondary power source are operational. However, if the primary power source 102 fails or degrades, the load 106 may receive power from the secondary power source 104.

[0028] The power supply bus 108 may be configured to electrically couple the primary power source 102 and the secondary power source 104 and the load 106. The power supply bus 108 may include two or more power supply buses. Figure 1 A single power supply bus 108 is shown.

[0029] The processor 110 may be configured to perform one or more functions or actions described herein. For example, the processor 110 may be configured to determine one or more vehicle conditions to determine whether to initiate a test of the low voltage battery. If one or more of the vehicle conditions are met, the processor 110 may responsively initiate a low voltage battery test, which may include one or more of the actions described herein. Specifically, the low voltage battery test may include reducing the output of the main power supply, determining the operating characteristics of the low voltage battery while reducing the output of the main power supply, and providing an alarm based on the determined operating characteristics.

[0030] In some examples, the vehicle condition may include the state of charge of the low voltage battery. Before starting the test, the processor may determine that the state of charge is above a threshold state of charge, such as 70%. In some examples, the processor 110 may perform the test even if the battery is below the threshold state of charge in certain circumstances. These circumstances may include when the vehicle has just been started (i.e., when the vehicle is started), when a newly installed battery is detected, and if the power drawn by the load has exceeded the power that can be supplied by the main power source alone.

[0031] In some examples, the vehicle condition may include determining that the load 106 is within a threshold range, or is drawing an amount of current that is within a threshold range (e.g., between 50 amps and 150 amps). To initiate the low voltage battery test, the processor 110 may determine that the load 106 draws enough current that there will be a noticeable change when the low voltage battery is the only power source (i.e., after the main power source is reduced), but does not draw so much current that the low voltage battery will not be able to maintain a threshold voltage (e.g., 12V).

[0032] In some examples, the vehicle conditions may include a determination that the battery temperature is above a threshold temperature, such as 10 degrees C. Other threshold temperatures may also be used.

[0033] In some examples, vehicle conditions may include determining that the outside temperature is within a threshold range, or that ambient weather conditions are favorable. This may ensure that excessive climate control loads do not interact with the low voltage battery test. Additionally, excessively cold outside temperatures may be avoided to minimize the potential for snow or ice on the road, thereby reducing safety issues during testing.

[0034] Weather conditions may be detected using one or more vehicle sensors, such as a thermometer, a camera, a windshield wiper sensor, etc. If the windshield wiper sensor indicates that the wipers are operating, this may indicate that the ambient weather includes rain, in which case the low voltage battery test may be avoided. Thus, the vehicle condition may be that there is no rain and / or the ambient temperature is above a threshold temperature, such as 10 degrees Celsius.

[0035] In some examples, the vehicle condition may include determining that a change in the current drawn by the load 106 is predicted to remain within a threshold range for a predetermined duration. For example, this may include determining that the load 106 will not have any large or significant changes within a five second period of time during which the low voltage battery test is completed. This may also include determining or predicting that a large load (such as a steering gear, brakes, etc.) will not be required for the predetermined duration of the low voltage battery test. For example, this may be predicted based on a route or navigation system, based on traffic conditions, based on one or more vehicle sensors (such as cameras, radars, laser radar (LIDAR), etc.), etc.

[0036] In some examples, the vehicle condition may include determining that a threshold period of time has passed since a previous reduction in the output of the main power source. In other words, this may include determining that a period of time has passed since a previous low voltage battery test so as not to perform the test too many times in rapid succession. It may be beneficial to perform low voltage battery tests routinely so as to provide a better indication of battery health. However, it may also be beneficial to perform low voltage battery tests far enough apart in time so as not to unnecessarily degrade battery health by performing too many tests. The threshold period of time may be, for example, once a week, once every two weeks, or longer.

[0037] In some examples, the vehicle condition may include determining that there are no faults or issues with a known battery. If there is an issue with the low voltage battery, then testing may not be possible.

[0038] In some examples, the vehicle condition may include determining that the vehicle is not in a special operating mode, such as a factory mode. If the vehicle is in a factory mode or a manufacturer mode, it may indicate that the vehicle is undergoing maintenance and a low voltage battery test may not be performed.

[0039] In some examples, vehicle conditions may include a determination that both batteries in a dual battery low voltage system are connected.

[0040] If one or more of the above-described vehicle conditions are met, the processor may responsively initiate a low voltage battery test by reducing the output of the primary power source 102 .

[0041] In some examples, reducing the output of the main power supply 102 may include reducing the maximum output current of the main power supply 102. The DC / DC converter may be limited so that its output current is limited to less than its maximum output. For example, where the DC / DC converter is configured to supply between 150-200A under normal conditions, the output current may be limited to 100A, or any other value less than the maximum output. This may have the effect of discharging the low voltage battery via providing power to the load 106.

[0042] In some examples, reducing the output of the main power supply 102 can include reducing the voltage set point of the DC / DC converter. Under normal conditions, the DC / DC converter can be configured to provide a voltage between 13-15V depending on the temperature of the low-voltage battery in order to maintain the state of charge of the low-voltage battery at a high state of charge, perhaps 75% to 100%. Reducing the voltage set point can cause the low-voltage battery to discharge based on the amount of the attached load 106. The reduced voltage set point may also cause the low-voltage battery to fail prematurely.

[0043] Furthermore, in some examples, reducing the output of the primary power supply may include a combination of reducing a maximum current output level and a voltage set point.

[0044] The processor may also be configured to ensure that the voltage of the power supply bus 108 does not drop below a threshold level, such as 12 V. In this way, the reduction in power output of the main power source 102 may be maintained above a threshold minimum level to ensure that the vehicle still has sufficient power to safely steer and / or stop in an emergency situation.

[0045] The processor 110 may also be configured to determine operating characteristics of the low voltage battery while reducing the output of the main power source. The operating characteristics may include power capabilities of the low voltage battery, such as current and voltage.

[0046] In some examples, determining the operating characteristics may include determining the current drawn by the load 106 from the low voltage battery, determining the voltage output of the low voltage battery, and determining the open circuit voltage. For example, where the current drawn is greater than 50A, the supplied voltage should be greater than a threshold amount. And further, the difference between the open circuit voltage and the voltage when the supply is greater than 50A (i.e., the voltage drop caused by the load 106) should be less than a threshold amount.

[0047] The processor 110 can use the measured voltage and current to determine whether the battery has sufficient or insufficient power supply capacity. Although the embodiments disclosed herein include determining the voltage and current of the battery and comparing with the open circuit voltage, other techniques for determining the power supply capacity of the low voltage battery can also be used. For example, the techniques described in U.S. Patent Application 12 / 987,190, which is incorporated herein by reference, can be used.

[0048] In some examples, the processor 110 can be configured to analyze the determined operating characteristics of the low-voltage battery to determine whether the low-voltage battery can supply sufficient power in an emergency. Alternatively, the operating characteristics can be sent to a cloud-based server or remote computing system for analysis. The remote computing system can determine that the low-voltage battery cannot supply sufficient power and can then responsively send an alert to the vehicle 100.

[0049] Whether the analysis is performed by the processor 110 or a remote computing device, the processor can be configured to provide an alert to the driver or occupant of the vehicle 100 indicating the health of the battery based on the operating characteristics. For example, in the event that the battery health is determined to be sufficient to provide power in an emergency, the processor 110 can provide an alert indicating that the low-voltage battery is healthy. However, in the event that it is determined that the low-voltage battery cannot provide sufficient power, the alert may indicate that a new battery should be installed. The alert can be displayed on the vehicle display and can include visual, audible, or tactile alerts. In some examples, the alert can be sent to a remote computing device corresponding to the vehicle, such as a phone or other device of the vehicle owner. In addition, in some examples, the processor 110 can be configured to set an appropriate diagnostic code indicating that the battery health is deteriorating.

[0050] In some examples, the chemistry of the low voltage battery itself may affect the analysis. For example, if the low voltage battery is a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, the battery may have a very flat open circuit voltage and state of charge curve, making it more uncertain whether the state of charge is above a threshold. Therefore, if it is determined that the battery fails to provide sufficient power, this may be due to a low actual initial state of charge that is considered high enough based on the error tolerance. In the event that a battery failure is determined, additional tests may be performed to ensure the accuracy of any measurements or determinations. Additional tests may be performed based on the same vehicle condition or different vehicle conditions. In addition, a test failure may result in one or more diagnostic codes being set, a warning light being turned on, a message being sent to the driver, manufacturer, or other party, or one or more other actions being performed.

[0051] Additionally, some dual battery systems may require different operating characteristics based on differences in decay rates between batteries, battery temperature, etc. In the case of a dual battery system, an important factor may be the combined power output. As such, the combined output may be used to determine the health of the power system, and whether the first or second battery provides more or less power than the other battery may not be important.

[0052] Figure 2 An exemplary block diagram 200 is shown that illustrates electronic components of a vehicle 100 according to some embodiments. In the example shown, the electronic components 200 include an onboard computing system 210, an infotainment head unit 220, a communication module 230, a sensor 240, an electronic control unit 250, and a vehicle data bus 260.

[0053] The vehicle computing system 210 may be a collection of electronic control units (ECUs) having one or more processors, memory, and other components. The vehicle computing system 210 may include a microcontroller unit, a controller or processor 110 and a memory 212. The processor 110 may be any suitable processing device or set of processing devices, such as but not limited to a microprocessor, a microcontroller-based platform, an integrated circuit, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The memory 212 may be a volatile memory (e.g., a random access memory (RAM), including non-volatile RAM, magnetic RAM, ferroelectric RAM, etc.), a non-volatile memory (e.g., a disk memory, a flash memory, an electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a non-volatile solid-state memory based on a memristor, etc.), an unchangeable memory (e.g., an EPROM), a read-only memory, and / or a high-capacity storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, etc.). In some examples, the memory 212 includes a variety of memories, particularly volatile memories and non-volatile memories.

[0054] The memory 212 may be a computer-readable medium on which one or more sets of instructions, such as software for operating the methods of the present disclosure, may be embedded. The instructions may embody one or more of the methods or logic as described herein. For example, the instructions may reside completely or at least partially in any one or more of the memory 212, the computer-readable medium, and / or the processor 110 during execution of the instructions.

[0055] The terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" include a single medium or multiple media, such as centralized or distributed databases, and / or associated caches and servers that store one or more sets of instructions. In addition, the terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" include any tangible medium that can store, encode, or carry a set of instructions for execution by a processor or cause a system to perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein. As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" is expressly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk and excludes propagating signals.

[0056] The infotainment head unit 220 may provide an interface between the vehicle 100 and a user. The infotainment head unit 220 may include a user interface 224 having one or more input and / or output devices. The input devices may include, for example, a control knob, an instrument panel, a digital camera for image capture and / or visual command recognition, a touch screen, an audio input device (e.g., a cabin microphone), buttons, or a touchpad. The output devices may include an instrument cluster output (e.g., a dial, a lighting device), a driver, a head-up display, a center console display (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a flat panel display, a solid-state display, etc.), and / or a speaker. In the example shown, the infotainment head unit 220 includes a display for an infotainment system (such as and by MyFord Depend on Production Depend on Production In some examples, the infotainment head unit 220 may share a processor with the onboard computing system 210. In addition, the infotainment head unit 220 may display the infotainment system on, for example, a center console display 222 of the vehicle 100. In some examples, an alert indicating the health status of a low-voltage battery may be displayed on the display 222. This may provide information to the driver or occupants so that the vehicle can be safely stopped and / or maintenance or repairs can be completed on the vehicle. In addition, an appropriate diagnostic trouble code (according to ISO 14229, ISO 15031-6 / SAEJ2012 TM and other automotive standards) to help service technicians pinpoint the source of the problem.

[0057] The communication module 230 can be configured to send and receive data with one or more remote computing devices. Thus, the communication module 230 can be configured to communicate using any available communication protocol. The communication module 230 can be a dedicated module, or can be distributed through two or more modules. For example, the communication module 230 can include a cellular modem, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, satellite, universal serial bus (USB) or other communication mechanisms.

[0058] Sensors 240 may be arranged in any suitable manner in and around vehicle 100. In the example shown, sensors 240 include one or more battery sensors 242 and windshield wiper sensors 244. Other sensors may also be included.

[0059] ECU 250 can monitor and control the subsystems of vehicle 100. ECU 250 can communicate and exchange information through vehicle data bus 260. In addition, ECU 250 can transmit attributes (such as the state of ECU 250, sensor readings, control status, errors and diagnostic codes, etc.) to other ECU 250 and / or receive requests from other ECU 250. Some vehicles 100 may have seventy or more ECU 250, which are located at various locations around the vehicle 100 and are communicatively coupled through vehicle data bus 260. For example, ECU 250 is a discrete set of electronic components, which include their own one or more circuits (such as integrated circuits, microprocessors, memories, storage devices, etc.) and firmware, sensors, actuators and / or mounting hardware. In the example shown, ECU 250 may include a telematics remote control unit 252, a body control unit 254, and a climate control unit 256.

[0060] The telematics remote control unit 252 can control tracking of the vehicle 100, for example using data received by a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and / or one or more sensors. The body control unit 254 can control various subsystems of the vehicle 100. For example, the body control unit 254 can control power to the trunk latch, windows, power locks, electric car sunroof controls, anti-theft control systems, and / or power mirrors, etc. The climate control unit 256 can control the speed, temperature, and amount of air flowing out of one or more vents. The climate control unit 256 can also detect the fan speed (and other signals) and send them to the onboard computing system 210 via the data bus 260. Other ECUs are also possible.

[0061] The vehicle data bus 260 may include one or more data buses that communicatively couple the onboard computing system 210, the infotainment head unit 220, the communication module 230, the sensor 240, the ECU 250, and other devices or systems connected to the vehicle data bus 260. In some examples, the vehicle data bus 260 may be implemented according to the controller area network (CAN) bus protocol defined by the International Standards Organization (ISO) 11898-1. Alternatively, in some examples, the vehicle data bus 260 may be a media oriented systems transport (MOST) bus, or a CAN-flexible data (CAN-FD) bus (ISO 11898-7).

[0062] Figure 3 A flow chart of an example method 300 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The method 300 may enable a vehicle power system to monitor and test a low voltage battery to ensure that the low voltage battery can supply sufficient power to the vehicle systems in an emergency. Figure 3The flowcharts of represent machine-readable instructions stored in a memory (such as memory 212) and may include one or more programs that, when executed by a processor (such as processor 110), may cause vehicle 100 and / or one or more systems or devices to perform one or more functions described herein. Figure 3 The flowchart shown in describes an example procedure, but many other methods for performing the functions described herein may be used instead. For example, the order of execution of the blocks may be rearranged or executed in series or in parallel with each other, and the blocks may be changed, eliminated, and / or combined to perform the method 300. In addition, because the combination Figure 1 to Figure 2 The method 300 is disclosed by the components of FIG. 3 , so some functions of those components will not be described in detail below.

[0063] The method 300 may begin at block 302. At block 304, the method 300 may include determining whether one or more vehicle conditions are satisfied. The vehicle conditions may be Figure 1 Describes any condition, including battery state of charge, temperature, environmental conditions, etc.

[0064] At block 306, method 300 may reduce the output of the primary power supply. This may include reducing the maximum current output, reducing the voltage set point, performing a combination of the two, or taking some other action.

[0065] At block 308, method 300 may include determining operating characteristics of the secondary power source. This may include determining a voltage and current response of the secondary power source while the primary power source is reduced.

[0066] At block 310, the method 300 may include determining whether the operating characteristic indicates a health problem with the secondary power source. If a problem is indicated, the method 300 may include providing an alarm at block 312. The method 300 may then end at block 314.

[0067] In this application, the use of disjunctive conjunctions is intended to include conjunctions. The use of definite or indefinite articles is not intended to indicate cardinality. In particular, reference to "the" object or "a" and "an" objects is also intended to represent one object among a possible plurality of such objects. In addition, the conjunction "or" can be used to convey simultaneous features rather than mutually exclusive alternatives. In other words, the conjunction "or" should be understood to include "and / or". The term "include" is inclusive and has the same scope as "comprise".

[0068] The above-described embodiments, particularly any "preferred" embodiments, are possible embodiments of specific implementations and are merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the present invention. Many changes and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the technology described herein. All modifications herein are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.

[0069] According to the present invention, a vehicle power system is provided, which has a main power supply, a secondary power supply including a low-voltage battery, and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to reduce the output of the main power supply, determine the operating characteristics of the low-voltage battery while reducing the output of the main power supply, and provide an alarm based on the operating characteristics.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the main power supply comprises a DC / DC converter.

[0071] According to one embodiment, the primary power source and the secondary power source are coupled to a power supply bus, and the vehicle power system further includes a load coupled to the power supply bus.

[0072] According to one embodiment, the processor is further configured to determine vehicle conditions and responsively reduce the output of the primary power source based on the vehicle conditions.

[0073] According to one embodiment, the vehicle condition includes a determination that the low voltage battery is above a threshold state of charge.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the vehicle condition includes a determination that a current drawn by a load is within a threshold range.

[0075] According to one embodiment, the vehicle condition further comprises determining that a change in the current drawn by the load is predicted to remain within a threshold range for a predetermined duration.

[0076] According to one embodiment, the vehicle condition includes a determination that a threshold period of time has elapsed after previously reducing the output of the primary power source.

[0077] According to one embodiment, a primary power source, a secondary power source, and a processor are mounted on a vehicle, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine operating characteristics of the low voltage battery while reducing output of the primary power source when it is detected that the vehicle is moving.

[0078] According to one embodiment, reducing the output of the primary power supply includes reducing a maximum current output level and a voltage set point of the primary power supply.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the operating characteristic comprises a power capability of the low voltage battery determined based on measured current and voltage of the low voltage battery.

[0080] According to the present invention, a method for monitoring a vehicle power system includes reducing the output of a main power supply of a vehicle power system including a main power supply, a secondary power supply and a processor, wherein the secondary power supply includes a low-voltage battery; determining an operating characteristic of the low-voltage battery while reducing the output of the main power supply; and providing an alarm based on the operating characteristic.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the primary power source and the secondary power source are coupled to a power supply bus, and the vehicle power system further includes a load coupled to the power supply bus.

[0082] According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized by determining a vehicle condition and responsively reducing the output of the primary power source based on the vehicle condition.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the vehicle condition includes a determination that the low voltage battery is above a threshold state of charge.

[0084] According to one embodiment, the vehicle condition includes a determination that a current drawn by a load is within a threshold range.

[0085] According to one embodiment, the vehicle condition further comprises determining that a change in the current drawn by the load is predicted to remain within a threshold range for a predetermined duration.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the vehicle condition includes a determination that a threshold period of time has elapsed after previously reducing the output of the primary power source.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the primary power source, the secondary power source, and the processor are mounted on a vehicle, the method further comprising determining operating characteristics of the low voltage battery while reducing output of the primary power source when it is detected that the vehicle is moving.

[0088] According to one embodiment, reducing the output of the primary power supply includes reducing a maximum current output level and a voltage set point of the primary power supply.

Claims

1. A vehicle power system, characterized in that: The vehicle power system comprises: a main power source, the main power source providing power to a vehicle load when the vehicle is running; A secondary power source including a low voltage battery; and A processor configured to: reducing the output of the main power supply; determining an operating characteristic of the low voltage battery while reducing the output of the main power source; and providing an alert based on the operational characteristic; The processor is configured to: when the vehicle is running, reduce the output of the main power supply so that the low-voltage battery provides power to the vehicle load, and determine the operating characteristics of the low-voltage battery; the operating characteristics are used to determine that the low-voltage battery cannot provide sufficient power to the vehicle load.

2. The vehicle power system of claim 1, wherein the primary power source comprises a DC / DC converter.

3. The vehicle power system of claim 1, wherein the primary power source and the secondary power source are coupled to a power supply bus, the vehicle power system further comprising a load coupled to the power supply bus, and wherein the processor is further configured to: Determine the vehicle's condition; and The output of the primary power source is responsively reduced based on the vehicle condition. 4 . The vehicle power system of claim 3 , wherein the vehicle condition includes a determination that the low voltage battery is above a threshold state of charge.

5. The vehicle power system of claim 3, wherein the vehicle condition comprises a determination that the current drawn by the load is within a threshold range.

6. The vehicle power system of claim 5, wherein the vehicle condition further comprises a determination that a change in the current drawn by the load is predicted to remain within the threshold range for a predetermined duration.

7. The vehicle power system of claim 3, wherein the vehicle condition includes a determination that a threshold period of time has elapsed after previously reducing the output of the primary power source.

8. The vehicle power system of claim 1, wherein the primary power source, the secondary power source, and the processor are mounted on a vehicle.

9. The vehicle power system of claim 1, wherein reducing the output of the primary power source comprises reducing a maximum current output level and a voltage set point of the primary power source.

10. A method for monitoring a vehicle power system, characterized in that: The method comprises: reducing the output of the primary power supply of the vehicle power system including a primary power supply, a secondary power supply and a processor, wherein the secondary power supply includes a low voltage battery, and the primary power supply provides power to the vehicle load when the vehicle is running; determining an operating characteristic of the low voltage battery while reducing the output of the main power source; and providing an alert based on the operational characteristic; Among them, when the vehicle is running, the output of the main power supply is reduced so that the low-voltage battery can provide power to the vehicle load, and the operating characteristics of the low-voltage battery are determined; the operating characteristics are used to determine that the low-voltage battery cannot provide sufficient power to the vehicle load.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the primary power source and the secondary power source are coupled to a power supply bus, the vehicle power system further comprising a load coupled to the power supply, the method further comprising: Determine the vehicle's condition; as well as The output of the primary power source is responsively reduced based on the vehicle condition. 12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle condition includes determining that the low voltage battery is above a threshold state of charge.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle condition includes a determination that the current drawn by the load is within a threshold range.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle condition further comprises determining that a change in the current drawn by the load is predicted to remain within the threshold range for a predetermined duration.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle condition includes determining that a threshold period of time has elapsed after previously reducing the output of the primary power source.

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