Adaptive control of a transport climate control system based on available energy

Abstract

The techniques described herein relate to the prioritized delivery of energy to primary and secondary electrical components associated with at least partially electric vehicles and to the power source of the vehicle itself. To operate secondary electrical components in parallel to deliver power to the vehicle battery, the embodiments described herein facilitate an understanding of the dynamic energy available to the secondary electrical components and to the vehicle battery and then manage the use of energy in a prioritized manner to optimize the overall system performance consistent with user prioritization regarding energy availability and energy demand.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed and described herein generally relates to delivering power to main and auxiliary electrical components associated with at least partially electric vehicles and to the power supply of the vehicle itself. Background Art

[0002] Transport climate control systems are typically used to control environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, air quality, etc.) within a climate-controlled space of a transport unit (such as a truck, a container (such as a container on a flatbed, an intermodal container, etc.), a boxcar, a semi-trailer truck, a bus, or other similar transport units). The transport climate control system can include, for example, a transport refrigeration system (TRS) and / or a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The TRS can control the environmental conditions within the climate-controlled space to maintain goods (such as agricultural products, frozen foods, pharmaceuticals, etc.). The HVAC system can control the environmental conditions within the climate-controlled space to provide passenger comfort for passengers riding in the transport unit. In some transport units, the transport climate control system can be installed externally (e.g., installed on the top plate of the transport unit or lower-mounted, on the front wall of the transport unit, etc.). Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments described herein relate to prioritized delivery of energy to main and auxiliary electrical components associated with at least partially electric vehicles and to the power supply of the vehicle itself.

[0004] To operate one or more of the auxiliary electrical components in parallel to deliver power to a vehicle battery via a power distribution unit, the embodiments described, expounded, and proposed herein help to understand the dynamic energy available to the auxiliary electrical components and the vehicle battery, and then to allocate the energy in a prioritized manner to optimize the system for user preferences, energy availability, and energy demand to achieve a more efficient energy delivery process.

[0005] As defined herein, an auxiliary electrical component is an electric accessory configured to be used with at least one of a vehicle, a trailer, and a transport container.

[0006] According to at least one embodiment, a computer-readable medium stores executable instructions that can cause an energy distribution controller electrically connected to an energy source and an electrical system to provide efficient energy distribution for the electrical system. The instructions cause the controller to perform functions including: receiving the energy demand of the electrical system under various conditions; receiving information indicating the energy that can be obtained from the energy source; and determining an operating mode of the electrical system for each of the various conditions corresponding to information indicating the available energy and the energy required by the electrical system under each of the various conditions.

[0007] According to at least another embodiment, a computer-readable medium stores executable components that, when executed, cause an energy distribution controller electrically connected to an energy source and an electrical system to provide efficient energy distribution for the electrical system. The executable components include: a source meter that determines the amount of energy that can be obtained from the energy source; a system cache that stores the energy requirements of the electrical system under various conditions; a mode control unit that determines the operating mode of the electrical system under each of the various conditions; and an activation unit that activates one of the determined operating modes of the electrical system.

[0008] According to at least another embodiment, an energy distribution controller is connected to an energy source and an electrical system. The electrical system includes at least a partially rechargeable battery of a vehicle and a climate control unit that is used in a transport climate control system that provides climate control for at least one interior space in the interior of the vehicle. The controller executes a method that includes: receiving the energy requirements of the battery and the climate control unit under various conditions; receiving information indicating the energy that can be obtained from the energy source; and determining the operating mode of the battery and the climate control system under each of the various conditions. The operating mode includes at least one of the following operating modes: under at least some of the various conditions, energy is distributed to the battery prior to being distributed to the climate control system unit; and another operating mode includes: energy is distributed to the climate control system prior to being distributed to the battery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Reference is made to the drawings that form a part of this disclosure and illustrate the embodiments described in this specification. Various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the following detailed description. Like reference numerals are used in the different drawings to denote like or identical items.

[0010] Figure 1A A side view of a van having a transport climate control system is shown in accordance with at least one exemplary embodiment described or set forth herein.

[0011] Figure 1B A side view of a truck having a transport climate control system is shown in accordance with at least one exemplary embodiment described or set forth herein.

[0012] Figure 1C A perspective view of a climate-controlled transport unit attached to a tractor having a transport climate control system is shown in accordance with at least one exemplary embodiment described or set forth herein.

[0013] Figure 1DA side view of a climate-controlled transport unit having a multi-zone transport climate control system is shown in accordance with at least one exemplary embodiment described or set forth herein.

[0014] Figure 1E A perspective view of a passenger vehicle including a transport climate control system is shown in accordance with at least one exemplary embodiment described or set forth herein.

[0015] Figure 2 An energy management system for a transport climate control system is schematically shown in accordance with at least one embodiment described herein.

[0016] Figure 3 A block diagram showing components of a controller corresponding to the energy management system is shown in accordance with at least one embodiment described herein.

[0017] Figure 4 An operational flowchart for managing a power delivery environment is shown in accordance with at least the embodiments described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The embodiments described herein relate to the prioritized delivery of energy to primary and secondary electrical components associated with at least a partially electric vehicle and to the power supply of the vehicle itself.

[0019] Embodiments of the present disclosure can generally be applied to, for example, the climate control system of a transport unit. More specifically, the exemplary embodiments described and set forth herein relate to generating and / or customizing an operating mode for both the climate control system and the components of the transport unit, the operating mode weighing efficiency performance at various energy levels available from an energy source.

[0020] The transport climate control system according to the embodiments described and set forth herein modifies its operation based on the energy available to it. The modification of the operation can be implemented manually or automatically. Thus, when sharing an energy source with a transport unit (i.e., a vehicle), the embodiments described and set forth herein can prevent premature loss of functionality and mobility.

[0021] Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in the following detailed description, which are incorporated as a part of the specification. In the drawings, like reference numerals generally identify like components unless the context otherwise indicates. Further, unless otherwise noted, the description of each successive drawing may reference features from one or more previous drawings to provide a clearer background and more substantive explanation of the current exemplary embodiment. Additionally, the exemplary embodiments described in the detailed description, the drawings, and the claims are not intended to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It is readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure generally described and illustrated herein may be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated herein.

[0022] While the embodiments described below illustrate different embodiments of a transport climate control system, it should be understood that the electric accessory is not limited to a transport climate control system or a climate control unit (CCU) of a transport climate control system. The CCU can be, for example, a transport refrigeration unit (TRU). In other embodiments, the electric accessory can be, for example: a crane attached to a vehicle, a cement mixer attached to a truck, one or more food appliances of a food truck, a boom or jib attached to a vehicle, a concrete pump truck, a garbage truck, a fire truck (with electric-driven ladders, pumps, lights, etc.), and the like. The electric accessory may need to continue operating even when the ignition of the vehicle is turned off and / or when the vehicle is parked, idling, and / or charging. The electric accessory may also require a large amount of power to operate, continuously operate, and / or autonomously operate (e.g., control the temperature / humidity / airflow of a climate-controlled space) based on demand, independent of the operating mode of the vehicle.

[0023] Figure 1A A climate-controlled van 100 is depicted, which includes a climate-controlled space 105 for carrying goods and a transport climate control system 110 for providing climate control within the climate-controlled space 105. The transport climate control system 110 includes a CCU 115 mounted to the roof panel 120 of the van 100. Among other components, the transport climate control system 110 can include a climate control circuit (not shown) that connects, for example, a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and an expansion device to provide climate control within the climate-controlled space 105. It should be noted that the embodiments described herein are not limited to climate-controlled vans, but can be applied to any type of transport unit (e.g., a truck, a container (such as a container on a flatbed truck, an intermodal container, a marine container, etc.), a boxcar, a semi-trailer truck, a bus, or other similar transport units), and the like.

[0024] The transport climate control system 110 further includes a programmable climate controller 125 and one or more sensors (not shown) configured to measure one or more parameters of the transport climate control system 110 (e.g., the ambient temperature outside the van 100, the ambient humidity outside the van 100, the compressor suction pressure, the compressor discharge pressure, the supply air temperature of the air supplied by the CCU 115 to the climate-controlled space 105, the return air temperature of the air returning from the climate-controlled space 105 to the CCU 115, the humidity within the climate-controlled space 105, etc.) and transmit parameter data to the climate controller 125. The climate controller 125 is configured to at least control the operation of the transport climate control system 110 (including the components of the climate control circuitry). The climate controller unit 125 may include a single integrated control unit 126 or may include a distributed network of climate controller elements 126, 127. The number of distributed control elements in a given network may depend on the particular application of the principles described herein.

[0025] The climate controller 125 may be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to manage the electrical power input from at least one of, for example, a power supply device and utility power, and prioritize and control the electrical power flow to the vehicle and one or more electrical accessories (such as the climate control unit).

[0026] The climate controller 125 may further be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to transmit information received from the power supply device to the vehicle and transmit information received from the vehicle to the power supply device.

[0027] The controller 125 may communicate with the power supply device using, for example, power line communication, pulse width modulation (PWM) communication, local interconnect network (LIN) communication, controller area network (CAN) communication, pilot signal analog feedback, etc. to support, for example, CCS, ChadeMO, national standard (GB) recommendation standard 20234, Tesla Supercharger, and / or other power supply device standards.

[0028] The communication between the controller 125 and the power supply device may include, for example, a control pilot (CP) line and a plug present (PP) line. The CP line may be used, for example, by the controller to indicate one or more power reception levels of the vehicle and / or an electric accessory (such as the climate control unit) to start receiving power and / or transmit other information to the power supply device.

[0029] As referenced herein, the CP can be used for basic signaling or High-Level Communication (HLC). Basic signaling uses a 1 kHz PWM signal sent by the charging station to the vehicle via the CP signal. HLC uses power line modulation or a wireless connection (Wi-Fi or Zigbee) on the CP to establish a connection between the ESE and the vehicle using, for example, the digital communication protocol ISO 15118. Both basic signaling and HLC allow the ESE to provide data indicating the maximum current output of the ESE to the controller 125. Then, a VFD, soft starter, DC-DC converter, LDO, or other power electronics corresponding to the controller 125 can be used to ramp the AC or DC current to various electrical loads on the transport climate control or HVAC unit and control the slope based on the CP signal. Thus, the aforementioned power electronics can be disposed between an energy supply source (e.g., ESE, battery, etc.) and an electrical load / accessory (e.g., motor, inverter, etc.) and internally calculate what the slope should be or receive this information from another controller that receives a control pilot signal.

[0030] The PP line (i.e., the Plug and Play line) can be used to determine the state of the plug in the socket.

[0031] The climate-controlled van 100 can also include a vehicle PDU (Power Distribution Unit) 101, a VES (Vehicle Energy Source) 102, a standard charging port 103, and / or an enhanced charging port 104 (see Figure 1A ) for a detailed description of the standard charging port and the enhanced charging port. The VES 102 can include a controller (not shown). The vehicle PDU 101 can include a controller (not shown). In one embodiment, the vehicle PDU controller can be part of the VES controller and vice versa. In one embodiment, power can be distributed from, for example, an EVSE (not shown) to the vehicle PDU 101 via the standard charging port 103. Power can also be distributed from the vehicle PDU 101 to a power supply device (ESE, not shown) and / or the CCU 115 (see solid lines for power lines and dashed lines for communication lines). In another embodiment, power can be distributed from, for example, an EVSE (not shown) to the ESE (not shown) and / or the CCU 115 via the enhanced charging port 104. The ESE can then distribute power to the vehicle PDU 101 via the standard charging port 103. For a more detailed discussion of the ESE, see Figure 2 .

[0032] Figure 1BDepicts a climate-controlled straight truck or single-unit truck 130 that includes a climate-controlled space 131 for carrying cargo and a transport climate control system 132. The transport climate control system 132 includes a CCU 133 mounted to the front wall 134 of the climate-controlled space 131. Among other components, the CCU 133 can include a climate control circuit (not shown) that connects, for example, a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and an expansion device to provide climate control within the climate-controlled space 131.

[0033] The transport climate control system 132 also includes a programmable climate controller 135 and one or more sensors (not shown) configured to measure one or more parameters of the transport climate control system 132 (e.g., the ambient temperature outside the truck 130, the ambient humidity outside the truck 130, the compressor suction pressure, the compressor discharge pressure, the supply air temperature of the air supplied by the CCU 133 into the climate-controlled space 131, the return air temperature of the air returning from the climate-controlled space 131 to the CCU 133, the humidity within the climate-controlled space 131, etc.) and transmit parameter data to the climate controller 135. The climate controller 135 is configured to control at least the operation of the transport climate control system 132 that includes the climate control circuit. The climate controller 135 can include a single integrated control unit 136 or can include a distributed network of climate controller elements 136, 137. The number of distributed control elements in a given network can depend on the particular application of the principles described herein.

[0034] The climate controller 135 can be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to manage the power input from at least one of, for example, a power supply device and utility power and prioritize and control the power flow to the vehicle and one or more electrical accessories (such as the climate control unit).

[0035] The climate controller 135 can further be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to transmit information received from the power supply device to the vehicle and transmit information received from the vehicle to the power supply device.

[0036] The controller 135 can communicate with the power supply device using, for example, power line communication, PWM communication, LIN communication, CAN communication, pilot signal analog feedback, etc. to support, for example, CCS, ChadeMO, GB / T 20234, Tesla Supercharger, and / or other power supply device standards.

[0037] As referenced herein, the CP can be used for basic signaling or HLC. Basic signaling uses a 1 kHz PWM signal sent from the charging station to the vehicle via the CP signal. HLC uses power line modulation or a wireless connection (Wi-Fi or Zigbee) on the CP to establish a connection between the ESE and the vehicle using, for example, the digital communication protocol ISO 15118. Both basic signaling and HLC allow the ESE to provide data indicating the maximum current output of the ESE to the controller 135. Then, a VFD, soft starter, DC-DC converter, LDO, or other power electronics corresponding to the controller 135 can be used to ramp up AC or DC current to multiple electrical loads on the transport climate control or HVAC unit and control the ramp based on the CP signal. Thus, the aforementioned power electronics can be disposed between an energy supply source (e.g., ESE, battery, etc.) and an electrical load / accessory (e.g., motor, inverter, etc.) and internally calculate how much the ramp should be, or receive this information from another controller that receives a control pilot signal.

[0038] The PP line (i.e., the plug-and-play line) can be used to determine the status of the plug in the socket.

[0039] Similar to Figure 1A the climate-controlled van 100 shown, Figure 1B the climate-controlled single-unit truck 130 can also include a vehicle PDU (e.g., Figure 1A the vehicle PDU 101 shown in Figure 1A ), a VES (e.g., Figure 1A the VES 102 shown in Figure 1A ), a standard charging port (e.g.,

[0040] Figure 1C the standard charging port 103 shown in Figure 1C ), and / or an enhanced charging port (e.g.,

[0041] the enhanced charging port 104 shown in ), where the above components communicate with the corresponding ESE and / or CCU 133 and distribute power to or from the corresponding ESE and / or CCU 133.

[0040] Figure 1C An embodiment of a climate-controlled transport unit 140 attached to a tractor 142 is shown. The climate-controlled transport unit 140 includes a transport climate control system 145 for the transport unit 150. The tractor 142 is attached to the transport unit 150 and is configured to tow the transport unit 150. Figure 1C The transport unit 150 shown in

[0041] The transport climate control system 145 includes a CCU 152 that provides environmental control (e.g., temperature, humidity, air quality, etc.) within the climate-controlled space 154 of the transport unit 150. The CCU 152 is disposed on the front wall 157 of the transport unit 150. In other embodiments, it should be understood that the CCU 152 may be disposed, for example, on the top plate or another wall of the transport unit 150. The CCU 152 includes a climate control circuit (not shown) that is connected to, for example, a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and an expansion device to provide conditioned air within the climate-controlled space 154.

[0042] The transport climate control system 145 further includes a programmable climate controller 156 and one or more sensors (not shown) that are configured to measure one or more parameters of the transport climate control system 145 (e.g., the ambient temperature outside the transport unit 150, the ambient humidity outside the transport unit 150, the compressor suction pressure, the compressor discharge pressure, the supply air temperature of the air supplied by the CCU 152 to the climate-controlled space 154, the return air temperature of the air returning from the climate-controlled space 154 to the CCU 152, the humidity within the climate-controlled space 154, etc.), and transmit parameter data to the climate controller 156. The climate controller 156 is configured to at least control the operation of the transport climate control system 145 including components of the climate control circuit. The climate controller 156 may include a single integrated control unit 158, or may include a distributed network of climate controller elements 158, 159. The number of distributed control elements in a given network may depend on the particular application of the principles described herein.

[0043] The climate controller 156 may be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to manage the power input from at least one of, for example, a power supply device and utility power, and prioritize and control the power flow to the vehicle and one or more electrical accessories (e.g., the climate control unit).

[0044] The climate controller 156 may further be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to transmit information received from the power supply device to the vehicle, and transmit information received from the vehicle to the power supply device.

[0045] The controller 156 may communicate with the power supply device using, for example, power line communication, PWM communication, LIN communication, CAN communication, pilot signal analog feedback, etc. to support, for example, CCS, ChadeMO, GB / T 20234, Tesla Supercharger, and / or other power supply device standards.

[0046] As referenced herein, the CP can be used for basic signaling or HLC. The basic signal uses a 1kHz PWM signal sent from the charging station to the vehicle via the CP signal. HLC uses power line modulation or wireless connection (Wi-Fi or Zigbee) on the CP to establish a connection between the ESE and the vehicle using, for example, the digital communication protocol ISO15118. Both basic signaling and HLC allow the ESE to provide data indicating the maximum current output of the ESE to the controller 156. Then, a VFD, soft starter, DC-DC converter, LDO, or other power electronics corresponding to the controller 156 can be used to ramp up the AC or DC current to multiple electrical loads on the transport climate control or HVAC unit and control the ramp rate based on the CP signal. Thus, the aforementioned power electronics can be disposed between an energy supply source (e.g., ESE, battery, etc.) and an electrical load / accessory (e.g., motor, inverter, etc.) and internally calculate what the ramp rate should be or receive this information from another controller that receives a control pilot signal.

[0047] The PP line (i.e., the plug-and-play line) can be used to determine the status of the plug in the socket.

[0048] In some embodiments, the tractor 142 can include an optional APU 108. The optional APU 108 can be an electric auxiliary power unit (eAPU). Additionally, in some embodiments, the tractor 142 can also include a vehicle PDU 101 and a VES 102 (not shown). The APU 108 can supply power to the vehicle PDU 101 for distribution. It should be understood that for connection relationships, solid lines represent power lines and dashed lines represent communication lines. The climate-controlled transport unit 140 can include a PDU 121 connected to a power source of the climate-controlled transport unit 140 (e.g., including: an optional solar power source 109; an optional power source 122 such as a generator set, fuel cell, undermount power unit, auxiliary battery pack, etc.; and / or an optional liftgate battery 107, etc.). The PDU 121 can include a PDU controller (not shown). The PDU controller can be part of the climate controller 156. The PDU 121 can distribute the power from the power source of the climate-controlled transport unit 140 to, for example, the transport climate control system 145. The climate-controlled transport unit 140 can also include an optional liftgate 106. The optional liftgate battery 107 can provide power to open and / or close the liftgate 106.

[0049] Similar to the climate-controlled van 100, the climate-controlled transport unit 140 attached to Figure 1C the tractor 142 can also include a VES (e.g., Figure 1A the VES 102 shown inFigure 1A the standard charging port 103) shown in Figure 1A and / or the enhanced charging port (e.g., the enhanced charging port 104) shown in

[0050] Figure 1D Another embodiment of the climate-controlled transport unit 160 is shown. The climate-controlled transport unit 160 includes a multi-zone transport climate control system (MTCS) 162 for a transport unit 164, which can be towed, for example, by a tractor (not shown). It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are not limited to tractor and trailer units, but can be applied to any type of transport unit (e.g., trucks, containers (such as containers on flatbeds, intermodal containers, marine containers, etc.), boxcars, semi-trailers, buses, or other similar transport units), etc.

[0051] The MTCS 162 includes a CCU 166 and a plurality of remote units 168, and the CCU 166 and the plurality of remote units 168 provide environmental control (e.g., temperature, humidity, air quality, etc.) within the climate-controlled space 170 of the transport unit 164. The climate-controlled space 170 can be divided into a plurality of zones 172. The term "zone" refers to a portion of the climate-controlled space 170 separated by a wall 174. The CCU 166 can serve as a host unit and provide climate control within a first zone 172a of the climate-controlled space 166. The remote unit 168a can provide climate control within a second zone 172b of the climate-controlled space 170. The remote unit 168b can provide climate control within a third zone 172c of the climate-controlled space 170. Thus, the MTCS 162 can be used to separately and independently control the environmental conditions within each of the plurality of zones 172 of the climate-controlled space 162.

[0052] The CCU 166 is disposed on the front wall 167 of the transport unit 160. In other embodiments, it should be understood that the CCU 166 can be disposed, for example, on the top plate or another wall of the transport unit 160. The CCU 166 includes a climate control circuit (not shown), which is connected to, for example, a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and an expansion device to provide conditioned air within the climate-controlled space 170. The remote unit 168a is disposed on the top plate 179 within the second zone 172b, and the remote unit 168b is disposed on the top plate 179 within the third zone 172c. Each remote unit 168a, 168b includes an evaporator (not shown), which is connected to the remainder of the climate control circuit disposed in the CCU 166.

[0053] MTCS 162 also includes a programmable climate controller 180 and one or more sensors (not shown) configured to measure one or more parameters of MTCS 162 (e.g., ambient temperature outside the transport unit 164, ambient humidity outside the transport unit 164, compressor suction pressure, compressor discharge pressure, supply air temperature of the air supplied to each zone 172 by the CCU 166 and the remote units 168, return air temperature of the air returning from each zone 172 to the respective CCU 166 or remote units 168a or 168b, humidity within each zone 118, etc.), and transmit parameter data to the climate controller 180. The climate controller 180 is configured to control at least the operation of MTCS 162 including components with climate control circuitry. The climate controller 180 may include a single integrated control unit 181, or may include a distributed network of climate controller elements 181, 182. The number of distributed control elements in a given network may depend on the particular application of the principles described herein.

[0054] The climate controller 180 may be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to manage power input from at least one of, for example, a power supply device and utility power, and prioritize and control the power flow to the vehicle and one or more electrical accessories (such as a climate control unit).

[0055] The climate controller 180 may further be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to transmit information received from the power supply device to the vehicle, and transmit information received from the vehicle to the power supply device.

[0056] The controller 180 may communicate with the power supply device using, for example, power line communication, PWM communication, LIN communication, CAN communication, pilot signal analog feedback, etc., to support, for example, CCS, ChadeMO, national standard recommendation standard 20234, Tesla Supercharger, and / or other power supply device standards.

[0057] As referenced herein, the CP can be used for basic signaling or HLC. Basic signaling uses a 1 kHz PWM signal sent from the charging station to the vehicle via the CP signal. HLC uses power line modulation or a wireless connection (Wi-Fi or Zigbee) on the CP to establish a connection between the ESE and the vehicle using, for example, the digital communication protocol ISO 15118. Both basic signaling and HLC allow the ESE to provide data indicating the maximum current output of the ESE to the controller 180. Then, a VFD, soft starter, DC-DC converter, LDO, or other power electronics corresponding to the controller 180 can be used to ramp up the AC or DC current to multiple electrical loads on the transport climate control or HVAC unit and control the ramp rate based on the CP signal. Thus, the aforementioned power electronics can be disposed between an energy supply source (e.g., ESE, battery, etc.) and an electrical load / accessory (e.g., motor, inverter, etc.) and internally calculate how much the ramp rate should be or receive this information from another controller that receives a control pilot signal.

[0058] The PP line (i.e., the plug-and-play line) can be used to determine the state of the plug in the socket.

[0059] Similar to the climate-controlled van 100, Figure 1D the climate-controlled transport unit 160 can also include a vehicle PDU (e.g., Figure 1A the vehicle PDU 101 shown in Figure 1A ), a VES (e.g., Figure 1A the VES 102 shown in Figure 1A ), a standard charging port (e.g.,

[0060] Figure 1E the standard charging port 103 shown in Figure 1EIn the illustrated embodiment, the first door 190 is located near the front end of the vehicle 185, and the second door 190 is positioned towards the rear end of the vehicle 185. Each door 190 is movable between an open position and a closed position to selectively allow access to the climate-controlled space 189. The transport climate control system 187 includes a CCU 192 attached to the roof 194 of the vehicle 185.

[0061] The CCU 192 includes a climate control circuit (not shown) that connects, for example, a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and an expansion device to provide conditioned air within the climate-controlled space 189. The transport climate control system 187 also includes a programmable climate controller 195 and one or more sensors (not shown) that are configured to measure one or more parameters of the transport climate control system 187 (e.g., the ambient temperature outside the vehicle 185, the space temperature within the climate-controlled space 189, the ambient humidity outside the vehicle 185, the space humidity within the climate-controlled space 189, etc.) and transmit parameter data to the climate controller 195. The climate controller 195 is configured to control at least the operation of the transport climate control system 187 that includes the climate control circuit. The climate controller 195 may include a single integrated control unit 196 or may include a distributed network of climate controller elements 196, 197. The number of distributed control elements in a given network may depend on the particular application of the principles described herein.

[0062] The climate controller 195 may be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to manage the power input from at least one of, for example, a power supply device and utility power, and prioritize and control the power flow to the vehicle and one or more electrical accessories (such as the climate control unit).

[0063] The climate controller 195 may further be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to transmit information received from the power supply device to the vehicle and transmit information received from the vehicle to the power supply device.

[0064] The controller 195 may communicate with the power supply device using, for example, power line communication, PWM communication, LIN communication, CAN communication, pilot signal analog feedback, etc. to support, for example, CCS, ChadeMO, GB / T 20234, Tesla Supercharger, and / or other power supply device standards.

[0065] As referenced herein, the CP can be used for basic signaling or High-Level Communication (HLC). Basic signaling uses a 1 kHz PWM signal sent by the charging station to the vehicle over the CP signal. HLC uses power line modulation or a wireless connection (Wi-Fi or Zigbee) over the CP to establish a connection between the ESE and the vehicle using, for example, the digital communication protocol ISO 15118. Both basic signaling and HLC allow the ESE to provide data indicating the maximum current output of the ESE to the controller 195. Then, a VFD, soft starter, DC-DC converter, LDO, or other power electronics corresponding to the controller 195 can be used to ramp up AC or DC current to multiple electrical loads on the transport climate control or HVAC unit and control the ramp based on the CP signal. Thus, the aforementioned power electronics can be disposed between an energy supply source (e.g., ESE, battery, etc.) and an electrical load / accessory (e.g., motor, inverter, etc.) and internally calculate how much the ramp should be or receive this information from another controller that receives a control pilot signal.

[0066] The PP line (i.e., the Plug and Play line) can be used to determine the state of the plug in the socket.

[0067] Similar to the climate-controlled van 100, Figure 1E a vehicle 185 including a transport climate control system 187 can also include a vehicle PDU (e.g., Figure 1A the vehicle PDU 101 shown in Figure 1A ), a VES (e.g., Figure 1A the VES 102 shown in Figure 1A ), a standard charging port (e.g.,

[0068] In some embodiments, the CCU (e.g., CCU 115, 133, 152, 166, 192) can be an electric climate control unit. Moreover, in some embodiments, the CCU can include a rechargeable energy storage device (not shown) that can supply power to a transport climate control system (e.g., transport climate control systems 110, 132, 145, 162, 187). In some embodiments, the rechargeable energy storage device can be charged via AC power (e.g., three-phase AC power, single-phase AC power, etc.). In some embodiments, the rechargeable energy storage device can be charged via DC power. In some embodiments, components of the transport climate control system 110 (e.g., a compressor, one or more fans, one or more sensors, a controller, etc.) may require AC power or DC power to operate. The CCU can include a socket having AC contacts, DC contacts, and communication contacts (see Figure 4 ), which is configured to receive a single plug at a first end of an optimized power cord. The second end of the optimized power cord has an AC plug connected to AC power and a DC plug connected to DC power separate from the AC power. For example, in one embodiment, the AC power can be utility power, and the DC power can be an electric vehicle charging station. In some embodiments, the AC plug at the second end of the optimized power cord can have three-phase contacts. In some embodiments, the AC plug at the second end of the optimized power cord can have single-phase contacts.

[0069] Reference may be made to the related U.S. application Ser. No. 16 / 565,282, filed Sep. 9, 2019, entitled “OPTIMIZED POWER CORD FOR TRANSFERRING POWER TO A TRANSPORT CLIMATE-CONTROL SYSTEM”, the description and drawings of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein to supplement the description herein.

[0070] Figure 2Schematically illustrated is a power management system for a transport climate control system according to at least one embodiment described herein. As shown, the power management system 200 can at least include an enhanced power distribution unit (ePDU) 210, which includes a controller 215. The ePDU 210 can be electrically connected to and / or communicatively connected to a power supply device 220, a vehicle 230, and / or an electric accessory 240 associated with the transport climate control system 241. The structure and function of the ePDU 210 are described in more detail in U.S. Application No. 16 / 565,205, filed on September 9, 2019, "Transport Climate-controlled system with an Enhanced Power Distribution Unit for Managing Electrical Accessory Loads".

[0071] The vehicle 230 can at least include an on-board charger 231 and a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) 232. As a non-limiting example, the vehicle 230 can be the climate-controlled van 100, the climate-controlled single-unit truck 130, the tractor 142 with a climate-controlled transport unit 140, and / or the vehicle 185 depicted in Figures 1A to 1E and described above with respect to Figures 1A to 1E the climate-controlled van 100, the climate-controlled single-unit truck 130, the tractor 142 with a climate-controlled transport unit 140, and / or the vehicle 185 depicted in

[0072] The electric accessory 240 can include an electric accessory RESS 241; and as a non-limiting example, the electric accessory 240 can correspond to the climate control units (CCUs) 115, 133, 152, 166, and / or 192 depicted in Figures 1A to 1E and described above with respect to Figures 1A to 1E the climate-controlled van 100, the climate-controlled single-unit truck 130, the tractor 142 with a climate-controlled transport unit 140, and / or the vehicle 185 depicted in

[0073] According to at least one embodiment, the power management system 200 can further include a user interface device 290, which can be implemented as a mobile phone, a smart watch, a personal head-mounted device, a dedicated device, or a hybrid device including any of the above functions. The interface device 290 can also be implemented as a personal computer, which includes laptop and non-laptop configurations, including servers. The user interface device 290 can be connected to and / or communicate with the power supply device 220 and the ePDU 210 wirelessly (e.g., WiFi), via a short-range communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth or RF protocol), or via a wired connection (e.g., the Internet, WAN, LAN, etc.).

[0074] The power supply device 220 can be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to supply power to one or more of the vehicle 230 and the electric accessory 240 via a connector associated with the ePDU 210.

[0075] The power supplied from the power supply device 220 via any one or more of the energy power lines 207, 217, and 227 can be alternating current (AC) and / or direct current (DC) power. The supplied AC power can be single-phase AC power or three-phase AC power. The supplied DC power can be low-voltage (LV) DC power (e.g., Class A) and / or high-voltage (HV) DC power (e.g., Class B).

[0076] As referred to herein, "low voltage" can refer to Class A of ISO 6469-3 in an automotive environment, particularly a maximum operating voltage between 0 VDC and 60 V DC or between 0 V AC and 30 V AC.

[0077] As referred to herein, "high voltage" can refer to Class B of ISO 6469-3 in an automotive environment, particularly a maximum operating voltage between 60 V DC and 1500 V DC or between 30 V AC and 1000 V AC.

[0078] The connector can be any suitable connector that supports, for example, the Combined Charging System (CCS), ChadeMO, the national standard recommended standard 20234, Tesla Supercharger, and / or other power supply device standards.

[0079] The controller 215 can communicate with the power supply device 220 using, for example, power line communication, pulse width modulation (PWM) communication, local interconnect network (LIN) communication, controller area network (CAN) communication, pilot signal analog feedback, etc., to support, for example, CCS, ChadeMO, the national standard recommended standard 20234, Tesla Supercharger, and / or other power supply device standards.

[0080] The communication between the controller 215 and the power supply device 220 can include, for example, a control pilot (CP) line and a plug present (PP) line. The CP line can be used, for example, by the controller 215 to indicate, for example, one or more power reception levels of the vehicle 230 and / or the electric accessory 240 (e.g., climate control unit) to start receiving power and / or transmit other information to the power supply device 220. The PP line (i.e., the plug and play line) can also be used to determine the state of the plug in the socket.

[0081] The power supply device 220 can be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to use the CP line to detect the presence of, for example, the vehicle 230 and / or the electric accessory 240 via the ePDU 210, to transmit, for example, the maximum and / or minimum allowable charging current and / or voltage to the controller 215, and / or to control, for example, the charging current and / or voltage, and / or to control the start and / or end of power delivery. The PP line can prevent the movement of the vehicle 230 and / or the electric accessory 240 and indicate, via the ePDU 210, for example, the latch release button to the vehicle 230 and / or the electric accessory 240.

[0082] Additionally or alternatively, the communication from the power supply device 220 to the ePDU 210 can be sent to the user interface device 290. Thus, the user can view information from the power supply device 220 through the user interface device 290, and send at least one request and / or at least one confirmation to the power supply device 220 and / or the controller 215 to make at least one adjustment and / or at least one request accordingly. According to at least some embodiments, the user can authorize the supply of power to one or both of the electrical energy storage system and the transport climate control system associated with the vehicle 230, and the transport climate control system may or may not have an energy storage device associated therewith to receive the delivered energy.

[0083] The controller 215 can be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to communicate with the controller of the electric accessory 240 (such as the climate control unit) (for example, Figures 1A to 1E the controllers 125, 135, 156, 180, and / or 195). If the electric accessory 240 (for example, the electric accessory RESS 241, the electric accessory 240) indicates a need for electrical energy to drive, the controller 215 can control the ePDU 210 to distribute the AC power and / or DC power received from the power supply device 220 to the electric accessory 240.

[0084] The controller 215 can also be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to communicate with the controller 233 of the vehicle 230. In at least one embodiment, the vehicle 230 can include sensors that provide data related to, for example, at least the temperature, pressure, voltage, current, battery state, and / or battery power level sensors of the on-board charger 231 and the rechargeable energy storage system (RESS)

[0085] 232. The controller 233 can transmit the status (such as the status of the sensors and / or the charging status) to the controller 215. In at least one other embodiment, sensors associated with the controller 215 can be provided to detect and assist, for example, the temperature, pressure, voltage, current, battery state, and / or battery charging level sensors. The controller 215 can transmit, for example, the status of the sensors and / or the charging status to the controller 233.

[0086] The controller 215 can be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to transfer information received from the power supply device 220 to the vehicle 230. The vehicle 230 can initiate / request power transfer to the power supply device 220 via the controller 215 and the CP line.

[0087] The controller 215 can be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to manage the power inputs from at least the on-board charger 231 and the RESS 232, and to generate and / or implement a customized operating mode for both the electric accessories 240 and the components of the vehicle 230, which weighs the efficiency performance at various energy levels available from the energy source. According to at least some exemplary embodiments, based on user prioritization, when the available energy level decreases, the operating mode and performance of the vehicle, the climate control unit, and / or any electric accessory can be automatically adjusted to extend the unconstrained operation of the entire system.

[0088] If the vehicle 230 indicates a need for electrical energy to charge the vehicle 230, the controller 215 can control the ePDU 210 to distribute the AC power and / or DC power received from the power supply device 220 to the vehicle 230 to provide power to the on-board charger 231 and / or charge the RESS 232.

[0089] As described above, the controller 215 can also be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to communicate with the controller of the electric accessory 240 (e.g., the climate control unit). In at least one embodiment, the accessory 240 can include sensors, such as the temperature, pressure, voltage, current, battery state, and / or battery charge level of at least the RESS 241. The electric accessory 240 can transfer the status (e.g., the status of the sensors and / or the charge status) to the controller 215. As described above, in at least one embodiment, sensors associated with the controller 215 can be provided to detect and assist in reporting, such as temperature, pressure, voltage, current, battery state, and / or battery charge level sensors, etc. The controller 215 can transfer the status of, for example, the sensors and / or the charge status to the electric accessory 240.

[0090] The controller 215 can be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to transfer information received from the power supply device 220 to the accessory 240. The accessory 240 can initiate / request power transfer to the power supply device 220 via the controller 215 and a communication protocol.

[0091] If the electric accessory 240 indicates that the electric accessory 240 needs power, the controller 215 can control the ePDU 210 to distribute the AC power and / or DC power received from the power supply device 220 to the accessory 240 to provide energy to at least the RESS 241.

[0092] Similarly, if the vehicle 230 indicates that the on-vehicle charger 231 requires power, the controller 215 may control the ePDU 210 to distribute the AC power and / or DC power received from the power supply device 220 to the vehicle 230 to provide energy to at least the RESS 2322.

[0093] The controller 215 may be configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to manage the power inputs from at least the on-vehicle charger 231 and the RESS 232, and generate and / or implement customized operating modes for both the electric accessories 240 and the components of the vehicle 230, the operating modes trading off efficiency performance at various energy levels available from the energy source.

[0094] Such modes may separately determine the priority of the energy distribution to the vehicle 230 or the electric accessories 240 according to various conditions, and non-limiting examples of such modes may be a default mode arrangement, a conservative energy-saving mode for one of the vehicle 230 or the electric accessories 240, and an aggressive performance mode.

[0095] That is, based on the energy remaining in the on-vehicle charger 231 during the operation of the vehicle 230 and the electric accessories 240 and thus available for distribution, the various operating modes are intended to trade off efficiency performance at various available energy levels. As described above, based on the user priority ranking, when the available energy level decreases, the operating modes and performance of the vehicle, the climate control unit, and / or any electric accessories may be automatically adjusted to extend the unconstrained operation of the entire system. If the remaining available energy is less than a user-defined relative threshold (e.g., 20%), and accessory performance is prioritized, the peak acceleration or speed of the vehicle may be limited to save energy. If vehicle performance is prioritized, the settings within the controller will be automatically adjusted such that the performance of the CCU (e.g., temperature control accuracy, air flow, or time to reach the temperature set point) can be adjusted to save energy for the vehicle.

[0096] According to at least some embodiments, the user may define the minimum feasibility conditions for operating the accessories or the vehicle, and in the case where the two minimum feasibility conditions cannot be satisfied simultaneously, assign a ranked priority to the vehicle and the accessories.

[0097] The prioritization can be changed dynamically. For example, when the vehicle is in transit, the vehicle can be given priority; however, once stationary, the accessory can be given priority. The threshold can also be based on the estimated unconstrained remaining runtime. When the accessory can transition to its highest efficiency mode to extend the possible cargo protection time, the user can define a threshold (e.g., one hour of unconstrained remaining runtime), but the threshold can be predetermined based on previous usage, previous settings, etc.

[0098] For each of the multiple operating modes, non-limiting factors to consider can include: for the vehicle 230, the distance to the next connection of the ESE 220; and for the electric accessory 240, when the accessory 240 is a CCU, the climate control required to maintain cargo integrity.

[0099] It should be understood that compared to the power demand / request from the vehicle 230, such as for delivering power to a battery associated with the vehicle 230, the power demand / request from the electric accessory 240, such as for driving a transport climate control system to keep cargo (e.g., agricultural products, frozen foods, pharmaceuticals, etc.) safe and / or fresh, has a higher priority. Thus, if the higher priority power demand from the electric accessory 240 is met, the controller 215 can control the ePDU 210 to prioritize distributing the AC power and / or DC power received from the power supply device 220 first to the electric accessory 240 and then to the vehicle 230. That is, the power prioritization can include: prioritizing the load integrity attributable to the accessory 240 compared to delivering power to the vehicle 230; however, according to other exemplary embodiments, the opposite prioritization is equally valid.

[0100] Figure 3 A block diagram showing components of a controller 215 representative of an energy management system according to at least one embodiment described herein is shown. As shown, the controller 215 can at least include a source meter 305, a cache 310, a mode control unit 315, and an activation unit 320. As described above, the description of each successive figure can refer to features from one or more previous figures to provide a clearer background and more essential explanation of the current exemplary embodiment. Additionally, the exemplary embodiments described in the detailed description, the figures, and the claims are not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, although shown as discrete boxes or components, within the scope of the disclosed subject matter, any one or more of the boxes 305, 310, 315, and 320 can be divided into additional boxes or components, combined into fewer boxes or components, or eliminated entirely. Those skilled in the art should understand that each function and / or operation of the boxes or components can be implemented individually and / or jointly by a variety of hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0101] The source meter 305 can refer to a component configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to determine the energy available from an energy source via a communication connection. That is, the source meter 305 can detect at least the input electrical connection from the on-board charger 231 via a sensor corresponding to the vehicle 230. Thus, the source meter 305 can receive information indicating the energy available from the energy source. The controller 215 can communicate with the on-board charger 231 via the source meter 305 to at least determine the energy available from the on-board charger.

[0102] The cache 310 can refer to a component configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to receive and store the energy requirements of the battery and electric accessories 240 of the vehicle 230 under various conditions related to the energy availability determined by the source meter 305. The energy requirements of the vehicle 230 can include the energy required to reach full energy, or at least enough energy to support the completion of tasks of the electrical components associated with the vehicle 230 (including but not limited to the RESS 232, i.e., the battery). The energy requirements of the electric system 240 can include the energy required to reach full energy, or at least enough energy to support the maintenance of various tasks such as the climate control unit.

[0103] The mode control unit 315 can refer to a component configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to determine the operating mode of the electrical system (which can include the electric accessories 240 and their components, as well as the battery of the vehicle 230) under various conditions related to the energy availability. The operating mode can include, under some conditions related to the energy availability, allocating energy to the RESS 232 of the vehicle 230 prior to allocating energy to the accessory RESS 241 of the accessory 240; conversely, the operating mode can include allocating energy to the electrically driven accessory 240 prior to allocating energy to the battery of the vehicle 230.

[0104] The high-performance mode may not have a threshold, where the accessory can operate at its peak performance until the energy source is depleted. The high-performance mode can have multiple thresholds, where the performance decreases slightly as the available energy reaches each threshold. The balanced mode can have high performance when the energy is sufficient (>66%), then reduce the performance when a moderate amount of energy (33%-66%) is available, and then deactivate the system when less than 33% is available to transfer all the energy to the vehicle. The balanced mode may be useful when the energy requirements of the vehicle are uncertain and the accessories must adapt to unpredictable conditions.

[0105] As cited above, the prioritization of energy distribution can include advantageously distributing energy to one of the vehicle 230's battery or electric system 240 rather than the other, based on the energy requirements of the vehicle 230's battery or electric system 240 and the energy available from the ESE 220. Such advantageous distribution can include: before distributing energy to the electric accessory 240, first distributing energy to the vehicle 230's battery in an amount required to reach full energy or at least sufficient to support the completion of tasks of electrical components associated with the vehicle 230 (including but not limited to the rechargeable energy storage system 232, i.e., the battery). Conversely, such advantageous distribution can include: first distributing energy to the electric accessory 240 to reach full energy or at least sufficient to support tasks such as maintaining a climate control unit.

[0106] The operating modes of both the vehicle 230's battery and the electric accessory 240 can vary with the change in the energy available from the ESE 220. Thus, the change from one mode to another can be automatic as the energy available from the on-board charger 231 changes.

[0107] The activation unit 320 can refer to a component configured, programmed, or otherwise designed to activate one of the operating modes of the electrical system. That is, the activation unit 320 can automatically change the operating mode or prompt the user to manually change the operating mode based on the energy level available from the on-board charger 231 (detected by the source meter 305) relative to the energy requirements received and stored by the cache 310 and coordinated by the mode control unit 315.

[0108] For example, during at least the operation of the vehicle 230, since the energy available from the on-board charger 231 is depleted, distributing energy to the RESS 231 can be prioritized over distributing energy to the RESS 241. Thus, the activation unit 320 can facilitate the transition of the operating mode from the default operating mode (where energy is evenly distributed to the RESS 231 and the RESS 241) to a conservative mode for the electric accessory 240. Thus, in the conservative operating mode, the electric accessory 240 can transition to the lowest level to ensure cargo integrity, while the energy from the on-board charger 231 is prioritized to the RESS 232.

[0109] According to the embodiments described and set forth herein, an operating mode can be envisioned in which distributing energy to the RESS 241 is prioritized over distributing energy to the RESS 232.

[0110] Additionally, an automatic transition to any of the embodiments from the default operating mode to the conservative operating mode can be made based on the level of energy available from the on-vehicle charger 231 and the threshold of energy required for the RESS 232 or RESS 241. Alternatively, a manual transition to any of the embodiments from the default operating mode to the conservative operating mode can be achieved via a user device communicatively connected to the ePDU 210. When the available energy or the estimated remaining operating time reaches a predetermined threshold, an alarm or a prompt can be triggered. The prompt can include a suggestion for an alternative operating mode and information about the estimated remaining operating time associated with each alternative mode.

[0111] As another example, during an operation in which at least the vehicle 230 has completed a recharging connection with the ESE 220 and thus the energy from the on-vehicle charger 231 has been replenished to a certain extent, the activation unit 320 can facilitate a transition from the operating mode for one or both of the vehicle 230 and the electric accessory 240 to the active operating mode. In the active operating mode, the depleted RESS 232 or RESS 241 can draw energy from the on-vehicle charger 231 at a rate higher than both the default mode and the conservative mode.

[0112] Figure 4 An operation flowchart for distributing power in a power delivery environment is shown, at least according to the embodiments described herein. As shown, the operation flow 400 includes functions performed by various components of the controller 215 that can be included in the Figure 2 ePDU 210 shown. However, the operation flow 400 is not limited to such components and processes, as obvious modifications can be made in the following description by reordering two or more of the sub-processes described herein, eliminating at least one sub-process, adding other sub-processes, replacing components, or even causing multiple components to have the role of sub-processes belonging to other components. The operation flow 400 can include various operations, functions, or actions as shown in one or more of the blocks 405, 410, 415, 417, and 420. These various operations, functions, or actions can, for example, correspond to software, program code, or program instructions executable by a digital processor to implement the functions. The processing can start at one or both of the blocks 405 and 410.

[0113] Block 405 (Connect to energy source) can refer to the controller 215 establishing or maintaining communication connections with the vehicle 230 and the electric accessory 240 via respective sensors. Through this communication connection, the buffer 310 can receive and store information related to the energy demands of the vehicle 230 and the electric accessory 240 relative to various energy levels available from the on-vehicle charger 231. According to an embodiment, the processing can proceed to either block 410 or 415.

[0114] Block 410 (determine the operating mode) may refer to the mode control unit 315 receiving a predetermined operating mode from an external source (e.g., a user, a network database, etc.) under various conditions related to various energy levels available from the in-vehicle charger 231. Alternatively, block 410 may refer to the mode control unit 315 determining the operating modes of both the vehicle 230 and the electric accessory 240 in real time based at least on the energy demand relative to the various energy levels available from the in-vehicle charger 231. The process may proceed to block 415.

[0115] Block 415 (receive information related to the available energy) may refer to the buffer 310 receiving the real-time level of the energy available from the in-vehicle charger 231 from a sensor corresponding to the vehicle 230. The process may proceed to block 420, but according to some alternative embodiments, the process may optionally proceed to block 417.

[0116] Block 417 (customize / modify the operating mode) may refer to the mode control unit updating the operating mode to be implemented in real time based on the input real-time information from either the vehicle 230 or the electric accessory 240. Alternatively, block 417 may refer to the mode control unit updating the operating mode to be implemented based on user input. The process may proceed to block 420.

[0117] Block 420 (determine the operating mode of the components) may refer to the mode control unit 315 determining the appropriate operating modes for both the vehicle 230 and the electric accessory 240 based at least on the information related to the energy demand regarding various operating levels received from the vehicle 230 and the electric accessory 240, and the information related to the energy available from the in-vehicle charger 231 received from the vehicle 230.

[0118] Block 420 may also refer to the activation unit activating the appropriate operating modes for the vehicle 230 and the electric accessory 240 based at least on the real-time information related to the energy available from the in-vehicle charger 231 relative to the information stored in the buffer 310; or alternatively, activating the appropriate operating modes for the vehicle 230 and the electric accessory 240 according to the user's instructions.

[0119] Therefore, the transportation climate control system according to the embodiments described and illustrated herein modifies the operation based on the energy available thereto. The modification of the operation can be implemented manually or automatically. Therefore, when sharing an energy source with a transportation unit (i.e., a vehicle), the embodiments described and illustrated herein prevent premature loss of functionality and mobility.

[0120] Aspect

[0121] It should be understood that any of the following aspects can be combined:

[0122] Aspect 1. A computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause an energy distribution controller electrically connected to an energy source and an electrical system to provide efficient energy distribution to the electrical system by performing functions including:

[0123] Receiving the energy requirements of the electrical system under various conditions;

[0124] Receiving information indicating the energy that can be obtained from the energy source;

[0125] For each of the various conditions corresponding to information indicating the available energy and the energy required by the electrical system under each of the various conditions, determining an operating mode of the electrical system.

[0126] Aspect 2. The computer-readable medium according to aspect 1, wherein the electrical system provides energy to:

[0127] At least a partially rechargeable battery for a vehicle, and

[0128] A climate control unit used in a transport climate control system that provides climate control for at least one interior space in the interior space of the vehicle.

[0129] Aspect 3. The computer-readable medium according to aspect 1, wherein the electrical system provides energy to:

[0130] At least a partially rechargeable battery for a vehicle, and

[0131] An electric accessory configured to be used with at least one of a vehicle, a trailer, and a transport container.

[0132] Aspect 4. The computer-readable medium according to aspect 1 or aspect 3, wherein the accessory is a climate control unit.

[0133] Aspect 5. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the function further includes activating one of the determined operating modes of the electrical system.

[0134] Aspect 6. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the activation occurs automatically.

[0135] Aspect 7. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the activation occurs manually.

[0136] Aspect 8. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein at least one of the multiple operating modes includes: under at least some of the multiple conditions, allocating energy to the battery prior to allocating energy to the climate control system unit.

[0137] Aspect 9. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 1 to 8, wherein at least one of the multiple operating modes of the electrical system includes: allocating energy to the climate control system prior to allocating energy to the battery.

[0138] Aspect 10. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the multiple conditions are related to the availability of energy from the energy source.

[0139] Aspect 11. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the multiple conditions are related to the electrical system requirements for maintaining the standard performance of at least one of the battery or the climate control unit.

[0140] Aspect 13. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 1 to 12, wherein the energy distribution controller is associated with at least a partially rechargeable vehicle and a climate control unit, and the climate control unit is used in a transportation climate control system that provides climate control for at least one of the interior space of the vehicle, the interior space of a trailer, and the interior space of a shipping container.

[0141] Aspect 14. A computer-readable medium storing executable components that, when executed, cause an energy distribution controller electrically connected to an energy source and an electrical system to provide effective energy distribution for the electrical system, the components including:

[0142] A source meter configured to determine, via a communication connection, the amount of energy that can be obtained from the energy source;

[0143] A system cache configured to store the energy requirements of the electrical system under multiple conditions;

[0144] A mode control unit configured to determine, for each of the multiple conditions corresponding to information indicating the available energy and the energy required by the electrical system under each of the multiple conditions, the operating mode of the electrical system; and

[0145] An activation unit for activating one of the determined operating modes of the electrical system.

[0146] Aspect 15. The computer-readable medium according to aspect 14, wherein the electrical system provides energy for both:

[0147] At least a partially rechargeable battery for a vehicle, and

[0148] A climate control unit used in a transport climate control system that provides climate control for at least one interior space in the interior space of the vehicle.

[0149] Aspect 16. The computer-readable medium according to aspect 14, wherein the electrical system provides energy for both:

[0150] At least a partially rechargeable battery for a vehicle, and

[0151] An electric accessory configured to be used with at least one of a vehicle, a trailer, and a transport container.

[0152] Aspect 17. The computer-readable medium according to aspect 14 or aspect 16, wherein the accessory is a climate control unit.

[0153] Aspect 18. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 14 to 17, wherein the activation unit automatically activates the determined operating mode when one of the plurality of conditions occurs.

[0154] Aspect 19. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 14 to 18, wherein the activation unit activates the determined operating mode upon receiving a manual instruction.

[0155] Aspect 20. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 14 to 19, wherein at least one of the plurality of operating modes includes: allocating energy to the battery prior to allocating energy to the climate control system unit under at least some of the plurality of conditions.

[0156] Aspect 21. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 14 to 20, wherein at least one of the plurality of operating modes of the electrical system includes: allocating energy to the climate control system prior to allocating energy to the battery.

[0157] Aspect 22. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 14 to 21, wherein the mode control unit is further configured to receive from a user device the operating mode of the electrical system for each of the plurality of conditions.

[0158] Aspect 23. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 14 to 22, wherein the multiple conditions are related to the availability of energy from the energy source.

[0159] Aspect 24. The computer-readable medium according to any one of aspects 14 to 23, wherein the multiple conditions are related to the electrical system requirements for maintaining the standard performance of at least one component of at least the battery or the climate control unit.

[0160] Aspect 25. A method performed by an energy distribution controller connected to an energy source and an electrical system, the electrical system including at least a partially rechargeable battery of a vehicle and a climate control unit, the climate control unit being used in a transport climate control system that provides climate control for at least one interior space in the interior space of the vehicle, the method including:

[0161] Receiving the energy requirements of the battery and the climate control unit under multiple conditions;

[0162] Receiving information indicating the amount of energy that can be obtained from the energy source; and

[0163] Determining an operating mode of the battery and the climate control system under each of the multiple conditions, wherein the operating mode,

[0164] wherein at least one of the multiple operating modes includes: under at least some of the multiple conditions, allocating energy to the battery prior to allocating energy to the climate control system unit; and

[0165] wherein at least one of the multiple operating modes of the electrical system includes: allocating energy to the climate control system prior to allocating energy to the battery.

[0166] Aspect 26. A method performed by an energy distribution controller connected to an energy source and an electrical system, the electrical system including at least a partially rechargeable battery of a vehicle and an electric accessory, the electric accessory being configured to be used with at least one of a vehicle, a trailer, and a transport container, the method including:

[0167] Receiving the energy requirements of the battery and the climate control unit under multiple conditions;

[0168] Receiving information indicating the amount of energy that can be obtained from the energy source; and

[0169] Determining an operating mode of the battery and the climate control system under each of the multiple conditions, wherein the operating mode,

[0170] At least one of the multiple operating modes includes: under at least some of the multiple conditions, allocating energy to the battery takes precedence over allocating energy to the climate control system unit; and

[0171] At least one of the multiple operating modes of the electrical system includes: allocating energy to the climate control system takes precedence over allocating energy to the battery.

[0172] Aspect 27. The method according to aspect 26, wherein the accessory is a climate control unit.

[0173] The terms used in this specification are intended to describe particular embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the terms "a", "an", and "the" or even the absence of such modifiers can also refer to the plural form. When used in this specification, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" indicate the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components.

[0174] Regarding the previous description, it should be understood that, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, changes can be made to the details of the components, particularly with respect to the constituent materials, shapes, sizes, and arrangements employed for the components. The term "embodiment" as used in this specification may but does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Both this specification and the described embodiments are merely exemplary. Other and further embodiments can be designed without departing from the basic scope of the present disclosure, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause an energy distribution controller electrically connected to an energy source and an electrical system to provide effective energy distribution for the electrical system by performing functions including the following. The electrical system provides energy for both a battery for a vehicle and a climate control unit used in a transportation climate control system. The battery is at least partially rechargeable. The transportation climate control system provides climate control for at least one of an interior space of the vehicle, an interior space of a trailer, and an interior space of a shipping container. The functions include: Receiving the energy requirements of the electrical system under various conditions; Receiving information indicating the energy that can be obtained from the energy source; Determining, based on dynamic prioritization, an operating mode of the electrical system for the vehicle's battery and the climate control unit, and implementing the determination in each of the various conditions corresponding to information indicating the available energy and the energy required by the electrical system under each of the various conditions during operation of the vehicle and the electrical system.

2. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein, The functions further include activating one of the determined operating modes of the electrical system.

3. The computer-readable medium according to claim 2, wherein, The activation occurs automatically.

4. The computer-readable medium according to claim 2, wherein, The activation occurs manually.

5. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the various operating modes of the electrical system includes: under at least some of the various conditions, allocating energy to the battery prior to allocating energy to the climate control system unit.

6. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the various operating modes of the electrical system includes: allocating energy to the climate control system prior to allocating energy to the battery.

7. The computer-readable medium according to claim 5, wherein, The various conditions are related to the availability of energy from the energy source.

8. The computer-readable medium according to claim 5, wherein, The various conditions are related to the electrical system requirements for maintaining the standard performance of at least one of the battery or the climate control unit.

9. A computer-readable medium storing executable components that, when executed, cause an energy distribution controller electrically connected to an energy source and an electrical system to provide effective energy distribution for the electrical system. The electrical system provides energy for both a battery for a vehicle and a climate control unit used in a transportation climate control system. The battery is at least partially rechargeable. The transportation climate control system provides climate control for at least one of an interior space of the vehicle, an interior space of a trailer, and an interior space of a shipping container. The executable components include: A source meter configured to determine, via a communication connection, the amount of energy that can be obtained from the energy source; A system cache configured to store the energy requirements of the electrical system under various conditions; A mode control unit configured to determine an operating mode of the electrical system for the vehicle's battery and the climate control unit based on dynamic prioritization, the determination being implemented for each of a plurality of conditions during operation of the vehicle and the electrical system corresponding to information indicating available energy and electrical system required energy under each of the plurality of conditions; And An activation unit for activating one of the determined operating modes of the electrical system.

10. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein, The activation unit automatically activates the determined operating mode when one of the plurality of conditions occurs.

11. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein, The activation unit activates the determined operating mode upon receiving a manual instruction.

12. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein, At least one of the plurality of operating modes of the electrical system includes: under at least some of the plurality of conditions, allocating energy to the battery prior to allocating energy to the climate control system unit.

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein, At least one of the plurality of operating modes of the electrical system includes: allocating energy to the climate control system prior to allocating energy to the battery.

14. The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 9-13, wherein, The mode control unit is further configured to receive from a user device an operating mode for the electrical system for each of the plurality of conditions.

15. The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 9-13, wherein, The plurality of conditions relate to the energy availability from the energy source.

16. The computer-readable medium according to any one of claims 9-13, wherein, The plurality of conditions relate to electrical system requirements for maintaining standard performance of at least one component of at least the battery or the climate control unit.

17. A method performed by an energy distribution controller connected to both an energy source and an electrical system, the electrical system including at least a partially rechargeable battery of a vehicle and a climate control unit used in a transport climate control system that provides climate control for at least one of an interior space of the vehicle, an interior space of a trailer, and an interior space of a shipping container, the method comprising: Receiving energy requirements of the battery and the climate control unit under a plurality of conditions; Receiving information indicating the amount of energy that can be obtained from the energy source; And Determining, for the vehicle's battery and the climate control unit based on dynamic prioritization, an operating mode of the battery and the climate control system, the determination being implemented for each of the plurality of conditions during operation of the vehicle and the electrical system, in the operating mode: Wherein at least one of the plurality of operating modes of the electrical system includes: under at least some of the plurality of conditions, allocating energy to the battery prior to allocating energy to the climate control system unit; and Wherein at least one of the plurality of operating modes includes: allocating energy to the climate control system prior to allocating energy to the battery.

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