Vehicles with integrated DC-DC converters

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle with an integrated DC-DC converter. The battery charging system includes an electric motor including a stator coil; a battery; a charging port configured to receive power from a charging station via an electrical line; first and second electrical conductors connected between the battery and the charging port; an inverter module including (a) an input connected to receive power from the battery and (b) an output connected to the electric motor; a third electrical conductor; and a switch configured to electrically connect and disconnect a first end of the third electrical conductor from the first electrical conductor, wherein the third electrical conductor includes a second end connected to at least one of the stator coils via one of the inverter module's outputs.

Description

[0001] introduction

[0002] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the background of the present disclosure. To the extent described in this section, the work of the presently named inventors, and aspects that may not qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art to the present disclosure. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to vehicle electrical systems, and more particularly, to a direct current (DC) to DC converter for a vehicle. Background Art

[0004] Some types of vehicles include only an internal combustion engine that produces propulsion torque. Electric vehicles may not include an internal combustion engine and may rely on one or more electric motors for propulsion.

[0005] A hybrid vehicle includes both an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. Some types of hybrid vehicles utilize both the electric motor and the internal combustion engine in an effort to achieve higher fuel efficiency than using the internal combustion engine alone. Some types of hybrid vehicles utilize both the electric motor and the internal combustion engine to achieve greater torque output than the internal combustion engine alone can achieve.

[0006] Some examples of hybrid vehicles include parallel hybrids, series hybrids, and other types of hybrid vehicles. In a parallel hybrid, an electric motor operates in parallel with the engine to combine the power and range advantages of the engine with the efficiency and regenerative braking advantages of the electric motor. In a series hybrid, the engine drives a generator to generate electricity for the electric motor, which in turn drives the transmission. This allows the electric motor to assume some of the engine's power responsibilities, which can result in the use of a smaller and potentially more efficient engine. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In one feature, a battery charging system includes: an electric motor including a stator coil; a battery; a charging port configured to receive power from a charging station via an electrical line; first and second electrical conductors connected between the battery and the charging port; an inverter module including (a) an input connected to receive power from the battery and (b) an output connected to the electric motor; a third electrical conductor; and a switch configured to electrically connect and disconnect a first end of the third electrical conductor from the first electrical conductor, wherein the third electrical conductor includes a second end connected to at least one of the stator coils via one of the outputs of the inverter module.

[0008] In further features, the battery management module (BMM) is configured to selectively open and close the switch.

[0009] In further features, the BMM is configured to close the switch in response to determining that an output voltage of a charging station connected to the charging port is less than a predetermined voltage of the battery.

[0010] In further features, the predetermined voltage of the battery is approximately 800 volts.

[0011] In further features, the BMM is configured to maintain the switch closed until a request to terminate charging is received from the charging station.

[0012] In further features, the BMM is configured to open the switch in response to receiving a request from the charging station to terminate charging.

[0013] In further features, the BMM is configured to maintain the switch closed until battery charging is complete.

[0014] In further features, the BMM is configured to open the switch in response to determining that battery charging is complete.

[0015] In further features, the BMM is configured to maintain the switch open in response to determining that an output voltage of a charging station connected to the charging port is equal to a predetermined voltage of the battery.

[0016] In further features: the second switch is configured to connect and disconnect the first electrical conductor to and from the battery; and the third switch is configured to connect and disconnect the second electrical conductor to and from the battery.

[0017] In further features, the battery management module (BMM) is configured to selectively open and close the second and third switches.

[0018] In further features, the BMM is configured to close the second and third switches in response to determining that an output voltage of a charging station connected to the charging port is equal to a predetermined voltage of the battery.

[0019] In further features, the BMM is configured to keep the second and third switches closed until a request to terminate charging is received from the charging station.

[0020] In further features, the BMM is configured to open at least one of the second and third switches in response to receiving a request to terminate charging from the charging station.

[0021] In further features, the BMM is configured to keep the second and third switches closed until battery charging is complete.

[0022] In further features, the BMM is configured to open at least one of the second and third switches in response to determining that battery charging is complete.

[0023] In further features, the BMM is configured to close the second switch and open the third switch in response to determining that an output voltage of a charging station connected to the charging port is less than a predetermined voltage of the battery.

[0024] In further features, the electric motor is configured to drive one of: at least one front wheel of the vehicle; and at least one rear wheel of the vehicle.

[0025] In one feature, a battery charging system includes: an electric motor including a stator coil; a battery; a charging port configured to receive power from a charging station via an electrical line; first and second electrical conductors connected between the battery and the charging port; a third electrical conductor; and a switch configured to electrically connect and disconnect a first end of the third electrical conductor to the first electrical conductor, wherein the third electrical conductor includes a second end connected to at least one of the stator coils.

[0026] In one feature, a battery charging method includes: receiving power from a charging station via a wire using a charging port; electrically connecting a battery to the charging port via first and second electrical conductors; receiving power from the battery and outputting power to an electric motor via an inverter module, the electric motor including a stator coil; and electrically connecting and disconnecting a first end of a third electrical conductor from the first electrical conductor via a switch, wherein the third electrical conductor includes a second end connected to at least one of the stator coils via an output of the inverter module.

[0027] The present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0028] 1. A battery charging system comprising:

[0029] an electric motor including a stator coil;

[0030] Battery;

[0031] a charging port configured to receive power from a charging station via an electrical line;

[0032] first and second electrical conductors connected between the battery and the charging port;

[0033] an inverter module including (a) an input connected to receive power from the battery and (b) an output connected to the electric motor;

[0034] a third electrical conductor; and

[0035] a switch configured to electrically connect and disconnect the first end of the third electrical conductor from the first electrical conductor,

[0036] The third electrical conductor includes a second end connected to at least one of the stator coils via one of the outputs of the inverter module.

[0037] The battery charging system according to technical solution 1 further includes a battery management module (BMM) configured to selectively open and close the switch.

[0038] According to the battery charging system of technical solution 2, the BMM is configured to close the switch in response to determining that the output voltage of the charging station connected to the charging port is less than the predetermined voltage of the battery.

[0039] According to the battery charging system of technical solution 3, the predetermined voltage of the battery is approximately 800 volts.

[0040] The battery charging system according to technical solution 3, wherein the BMM is configured to keep the switch closed until a request to terminate charging is received from the charging station.

[0041] The battery charging system according to technical solution 5, wherein the BMM is configured to open the switch in response to receiving a request to terminate charging from the charging station.

[0042] The battery charging system according to technical solution 3, wherein the BMM is configured to keep the switch closed until battery charging is completed.

[0043] The battery charging system according to Technical Solution 7, wherein the BMM is configured to close the switch in response to determining that battery charging is complete.

[0044] According to the battery charging system of technical solution 3, the BMM is configured to keep the switch open in response to determining that the output voltage of the charging station connected to the charging port is equal to the predetermined voltage of the battery.

[0045] The battery charging system according to technical solution 1 further comprises:

[0046] a second switch configured to connect and disconnect the first electrical conductor to and from the battery; and

[0047] A third switch is configured to connect and disconnect the second electrical conductor to and from the battery.

[0048] The battery charging system according to technical solution 10 further includes a battery management module (BMM) configured to selectively open and close the second and third switches.

[0049] A battery charging system according to technical solution 11, wherein the BMM is configured to close the second and third switches in response to determining that an output voltage of a charging station connected to the charging port is equal to a predetermined voltage of the battery.

[0050] A battery charging system according to technical solution 12, wherein the BMM is configured to keep the second and third switches closed until a request to terminate charging is received from the charging station.

[0051] The battery charging system according to technical solution 13, wherein the BMM is configured to open at least one of the second and third switches in response to receiving a request to terminate charging from the charging station.

[0052] A battery charging system according to Technical Solution 12, wherein the BMM is configured to keep the second and third switches closed until battery charging is completed.

[0053] The battery charging system according to technical solution 15, wherein the BMM is configured to open at least one of the second and third switches in response to determining that charging of the battery is completed.

[0054] A battery charging system according to technical solution 12, wherein the BMM is configured to close the second switch and open the third switch in response to determining that the output voltage of the charging station connected to the charging port is less than a predetermined voltage of the battery.

[0055] The battery charging system according to technical solution 1, wherein the electric motor is configured to drive one of the following:

[0056] at least one front wheel of the vehicle; and

[0057] At least one rear wheel of the vehicle.

[0058] A battery charging system comprising:

[0059] an electric motor including a stator coil;

[0060] Battery;

[0061] a charging port configured to receive power from a charging station via an electrical line;

[0062] first and second electrical conductors connected between the battery and the charging port;

[0063] a third electrical conductor; and

[0064] a switch configured to electrically connect and disconnect the first end of the third electrical conductor from the first electrical conductor,

[0065] Wherein, the third electrical conductor includes a second end connected to at least one of the stator coils.

[0066] A battery charging method, comprising:

[0067] Use the charging port to receive power from the charging station via wires;

[0068] electrically connecting the battery to the charging port via first and second electrical conductors;

[0069] receiving power from a battery and outputting power to an electric motor through an inverter module, the electric motor including a stator coil; and

[0070] electrically connecting and disconnecting the first end of the third electrical conductor from the first electrical conductor by means of a switch,

[0071] The third electrical conductor includes a second end connected to at least one of the stator coils via an output of the inverter module.

[0072] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0073] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0074] Figure 1 Here is a functional block diagram of an example vehicle system:

[0075] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of an example propulsion control system:

[0076] Figure 3-5 is a functional block diagram of an example battery charging system including a battery: and

[0077] Figure 6-7 A flow chart depicting an example method of controlling battery charging is included.

[0078] Among the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0079] The vehicle's inverter module includes switches that regulate current flow (a) from the battery to the electric motor and (b) from the electric motor to the battery. The battery has a predetermined voltage, such as 800 volts (V) direct current (DC) or another suitable voltage. The vehicle includes a charging port through which the vehicle can receive power from a charging source.

[0080] To enable the battery to be charged via a charging source having an output voltage different from (e.g., less than) a predetermined voltage, a vehicle may include one or more DC-DC converters configured to convert the different (charging source) output voltages to the predetermined voltage. However, DC-DC converters increase vehicle cost and weight.

[0081] The present application relates to a battery management module that is configured to use one or more windings of an electric motor to boost (increase) or buck (lower) the voltage received from a charging source to a predetermined voltage of a battery to charge the battery. This eliminates the need for one or more DC-DC converters, reduces vehicle weight, and lowers vehicle cost.

[0082] Now refer to Figure 1 , a functional block diagram of an example vehicle system is shown. Although a vehicle system for a hybrid vehicle is shown and will be described, the present disclosure is also applicable to electric vehicles (including pure electric vehicles) that do not include an internal combustion engine, fuel cell vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and other types of vehicles. Furthermore, although a vehicle example is provided, the present disclosure is also applicable to non-vehicle embodiments.

[0083] The engine 102 can combust an air / fuel mixture to produce drive torque. An engine control module (ECM) 114 controls the engine 102. For example, the ECM 114 can control actuation of engine actuators, such as a throttle, one or more spark plugs, one or more fuel injectors, a valve actuator, a camshaft phaser, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve, one or more boost devices, and other suitable engine actuators. In some types of vehicles, such as electric vehicles, the engine 102 may be omitted.

[0084] The engine 102 can output torque to a transmission 195. A transmission control module (TCM) 194 controls operation of the transmission 195. For example, the TCM 194 can control gear selection within the transmission 195 and one or more torque-transmitting devices (eg, a torque converter, one or more clutches, etc.).

[0085] The vehicle system includes one or more electric motors, such as electric motor 198. An example embodiment including more than one electric motor is described below. At a given time, the electric motor can function as either a generator or a motor. When functioning as a generator, the electric motor converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. This electrical energy can be used, for example, to charge battery 199. When functioning as a motor, the electric motor generates torque that can be used, for example, to propel the vehicle. While one example electric motor is provided, a vehicle can include more than one electric motor.

[0086] The motor control module 196 controls the flow of power from the battery 199 to the electric motor 198 and from the electric motor 198 to the battery 199. The motor control module 196 applies electric power from the battery 199 to the electric motor 198 so that the electric motor 198 outputs positive torque, such as for vehicle propulsion. The battery 199 may include, for example, one or more cells and / or battery packs. In various embodiments, the battery 199 may be referred to as a battery pack or a rechargeable energy storage system. The battery 199 may be, for example, an 800 volt (V) DC battery or have another suitable rated voltage.

[0087] The electric motor 198 can output torque, for example, to an input shaft of the transmission 195 or to an output shaft of the transmission 195, or to wheels of the vehicle. The clutch 200 can be engaged to couple the electric motor 198 to the transmission 195 and disengaged to decouple the electric motor 198 from the transmission 195. One or more gearing arrangements can be implemented between the output of the clutch 200 and the input of the transmission 195 to provide a predetermined ratio between the rotation of the electric motor 198 and the rotation of the input of the transmission 195.

[0088] The motor control module 196 can also selectively convert the vehicle's mechanical energy into electrical energy. More specifically, when the electric motor 198 is driven by the transmission 195 and the motor control module 196 does not apply power from the battery 199 to the electric motor 198, the electric motor 198 generates and outputs power. The motor control module 196 can charge the battery 199 via the power output by the electric motor 198.

[0089] The vehicle includes a charging port 190. A power source such as a charging station, another vehicle, or another suitable power source can connect to and charge the battery 199 via the charging port 190. The battery 199 can also be used to power other devices (e.g., other vehicles) via the charging port 190.

[0090] Now refer to Figure 2, shows a functional block diagram of an example propulsion control system. A driver torque module 204 determines a driver torque request 208 based on driver inputs 212. Driver inputs 212 may include, for example, accelerator pedal position (APP), brake pedal position (BPP), cruise control inputs, and / or autonomous inputs. In various implementations, cruise control inputs may be provided by an adaptive cruise control system that attempts to maintain at least a predetermined distance between the vehicle and objects in the vehicle's path. Autonomous inputs may be provided by an autonomous driving system that controls the movement of the vehicle from one location to another while avoiding objects and other vehicles. The driver torque module 204 determines the driver torque request 208 based on one or more lookup tables that relate driver inputs to driver torque requests. The APP and BPP may be measured using one or more APP sensors and BPP sensors, respectively.

[0091] The driver torque request 208 may be an axle torque request. Axle torque (including axle torque requests) refers to torque at the wheels. As discussed further below, propulsion torque (including propulsion torque requests) differs from axle torque in that propulsion torque may refer to torque at the transmission input shaft.

[0092] Axle torque arbitration module 216 arbitrates between the driver torque request 208 and other axle torque requests 220. Axle torque (torque at the wheels) can be generated by various sources, including engine 102 and / or one or more electric motors, such as electric motor 198. Examples of other axle torque requests 220 include, but are not limited to, torque reductions requested by a traction control system when positive wheel slip is detected, torque increase requests to offset negative wheel slip, brake management requests to reduce axle torque to ensure that the axle torque does not exceed the ability of the brakes to hold the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped, and vehicle overspeed torque requests to reduce axle torque to prevent the vehicle from exceeding a predetermined speed. Axle torque arbitration module 216 outputs one or more axle torque requests 224 based on the results of the arbitration between the received axle torque requests 208 and 220.

[0093] In a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid module 228 can determine how much of the one or more axle torque requests 224 should be generated by the engine 102 and how much of the one or more axle torque requests 224 should be generated by the electric motor 198. For simplicity, the example of the electric motor 198 will be combined with Figure 2 The example continues with, but may include multiple electric motors, such as the following regarding Figure 3 The hybrid module 228 outputs one or more engine torque requests 232 to a propulsion torque arbitration module 236 . The engine torque requests 232 indicate a requested torque output of the engine 102 .

[0094] The hybrid module 228 also outputs a motor torque request 234 to the motor control module 196. The motor torque request 234 indicates the requested torque output (positive or negative) of the electric motor 198. In a vehicle where the engine 102 is omitted (e.g., an electric vehicle), or the engine 102 is not connected to output vehicle propulsion torque, the axle torque arbitration module 216 may output an axle torque request, and the motor torque request 234 may be equal to the axle torque request. In the example of an electric vehicle, the ECM 114 may be omitted, and the driver torque module 204 and the axle torque arbitration module 216 may be implemented within the motor control module 196.

[0095] In an electric vehicle, the driver torque module 204 can input the driver torque request 208 to the motor control module 196, and components related to controlling engine actuators can be omitted. In the example of multiple electric motors, the electric motor control module 196 can determine how much torque each electric motor should produce. The electric motors can be controlled to achieve the same or different amounts of torque.

[0096] The propulsion torque arbitration module 236 converts the engine torque request 232 from the axle torque domain (torque at the wheels) to the propulsion torque domain (e.g., torque at the transmission input shaft). The propulsion torque arbitration module 236 arbitrates the converted torque request with other propulsion torque requests 240. Examples of other propulsion torque requests 240 include, but are not limited to, torque reductions requested for engine overspeed protection and torque increases requested to prevent stall. The propulsion torque arbitration module 236 may output one or more propulsion torque requests 244 as a result of the arbitration.

[0097] The actuator control module 248 controls actuators 252 of the engine 102 based on the propulsion torque request 244. For example, based on the propulsion torque request 244, the actuator control module 248 may control throttle opening, the timing of spark provided by the spark plug, the timing and amount of fuel injected by the fuel injector, cylinder activation / deactivation, intake and exhaust valve phasing, the output of one or more boosting devices (e.g., a turbocharger, a supercharger, etc.), opening of the EGR valve, and / or one or more other engine actuators. In various implementations, the propulsion torque request 244 may be adjusted or modified by the actuator control module 248 before use, such as to create a torque reserve.

[0098] The motor control module 196 controls the switching of switches of the inverter module 256 based on the motor torque request 234. The switching of the inverter module 256 controls the flow of power from the battery 199 to the electric motor 198. Thus, the switching of the inverter module 256 controls the torque of the electric motor 198. The inverter module 256 also converts the power generated by the electric motor 198 and outputs the power to the battery 199, for example, to charge the battery 199.

[0099] The inverter module 256 includes a plurality of switches. The motor control module 196 switches the switches to convert the DC power from the battery 199 into alternating current (AC) power, and applies the AC power to the electric motor 198 to drive the electric motor 198. For example, the inverter module 256 may convert the DC power from the battery 199 into n-phase AC power, and apply the n-phase AC power to the n stator windings (e.g., a, b, and c, or u, v, and w) of the electric motor 198. In various embodiments, n is equal to 3. The magnetic flux generated by the current flowing through the stator windings drives the rotor of the electric motor 198. The rotor is connected to the output shaft of the electric motor 198 and drives the output shaft to rotate.

[0100] In various implementations, one or more filters can be electrically connected between the inverter module 256 and the battery 199. The one or more filters can be implemented, for example, to filter the power flow to and from the battery 199. As an example, a filter including one or more capacitors and resistors can be electrically connected in parallel with the inverter module 256 and the battery 199.

[0101] Figure 3 A functional block diagram of an example battery charging system including battery 199 is included. As described above, a vehicle can include multiple electric motors, such as front (F) electric motor 304, left rear (RL) electric motor 308, and right rear (RR) electric motor 312. While an example of three electric motors is provided, the present application is also applicable to one electric motor, two electric motors, and more than three electric motors.

[0102] The inverter module (IM) includes multiple switches and controls the power flow to and from each electric motor. For example, inverter module 316 controls the power flow to and from front electric motor 304. Inverter modules 320 and 324 control the power flow to and from the left and right rear electric motors 308 and 312, respectively. Figure 3 , electrical connectors configured to be electrically connectable and disconnectable are shown, such as shown by 328. Other electrical connectors are not numbered.

[0103] The vehicle may include an auxiliary power module (APM) 332 configured to convert power received via contactors 374 at HV buses 376, 380 via charging port 190 or battery 372 to different voltages, such as 48 V and 12 V power. The APM 332 can supply power to, for example, an accessory battery 336. Power from the accessory battery 336 can be used for one or more vehicle accessories and / or loads, such as a glass (e.g., windshield) heater 340 and various 12 V loads 344. The vehicle may include one or more low-voltage battery electrical centers (BECs) 348 and / or one or more active roll control (ARC) modules 352. A battery charging module (BCM) 356 can control the charging of one or more batteries of the vehicle via power from charging port 190.

[0104] The vehicle may also include one or more other accessories and / or loads, such as a cabin resistive heater 360 and an air conditioning (AC) module 364 including a motor (M).

[0105] The battery 199 includes a battery disconnect module (BDM) 368 and a plurality of battery cells and / or battery modules 372. The battery cells and / or battery modules 372 are connected in series, parallel, or a combination of series and parallel to provide a predetermined rated voltage (eg, 800 V).

[0106] BDM 368 includes a plurality of switches 374 configured to connect power from charging port 190 to battery cells and / or battery modules 372 and to connect and disconnect battery modules 372 from positive high-voltage (HV) DC bus 416 and negative HV DC bus 420. A pre-charge resistor 424 may be connected via switch (e) to establish the HV DC bus voltage before closing switch (d) while limiting inrush current.

[0107] In one example, first (e.g., +) and second (e.g., -) electrical conductors 376 and 380 can be connected to connector 328 and receive power via charging port 190. One of the switches 374 (e.g., f) can be configured to connect and disconnect the battery cells and / or battery modules 372 from the first electrical conductor 376. Another of the switches 374 (e.g., c) can be configured to connect and disconnect the battery cells and / or battery modules 372 from the second electrical conductor 380. The electrical conductors also connect the inverter modules 316, 320, and 324 to the first and second electrical conductors 416 and 420 of the HV DC bus. Thus, when one or more of the first switches 374 (e.g., d) are closed and one or more of the second switches 374 (e.g., b) are closed, power can flow from the battery cells and / or battery modules 372 to one or more motors 304-312 via switching of the corresponding inverter modules 316-324.

[0108] The battery management module (BMM) 350 manages one or more battery conditions. The BMM 350 can communicate with the inverter control module of the motor / control inverter module. The BMM 350 also controls the charging of the battery cells and / or battery module 372.

[0109] However, if the charging port 190 is connected to a charging source having an output voltage lower than a predetermined voltage of the battery cells and / or battery module 372 , the charging source may not be able to charge the battery cells and / or battery module 372 .

[0110] According to the present application, the third electrical connector 384 is connected at one end to the first electrical conductor 376. The second end of the third electrical conductor 384 is connected to one of the motors ( Figure 3 Although the example of motor 304 is provided, the third electrical conductor 384 may alternatively be connected to a rear motor, such as motor 308, such as in Figure 4 In the example. In addition, although Figure 3 and Figure 4 An example of the third electrical conductor 384 being connected to one motor is provided in FIG, but the third electrical conductor 384 may be connected to two motors, such as Figure 5 .

[0111] The motor to which the third electrical conductor 384 is connected may utilize one or more three-input / output (pin) connectors, in contrast to one or more other motors that are connected to the first and second electrical conductors 376 and 380 via two-input / output (pin) connectors.

[0112] The stator coils of the motor are inductive (eg, inductors). As shown, the third electrical conductor 384 surrounds the associated inverter module (eg, Figure 3 316 in the example of ) to the output terminals of the associated inverter module and directly to the terminals of the associated motor (eg, Figure 3 The stator coils of the motor 304 in the example shown in FIG. 1 serve as a voltage converter (e.g., a step-up converter or a step-down converter) to convert the voltage received via the charging port to the predetermined voltage of the battery cells and / or battery module 372. This enables charging the battery cells and / or battery module 372 using a charger having an output voltage that differs from the predetermined voltage of the battery cells and / or battery module 372. Furthermore, a separate DC / DC converter is not required. Consequently, the battery 199 (and the vehicle) is less expensive than if one or more DC / DC converters were included to convert different input voltages to the predetermined voltage of the battery cells and / or battery module 372.

[0113] The electric motor used to convert the input voltage to a predetermined voltage for the battery cell and / or battery module 372 can be a three-terminal electric motor or a four-terminal electric motor (with a neutral terminal). A switch 388 can be included and configured to connect and disconnect the third electrical conductor 384 from the first electrical conductor 376. A fuse 392 can be connected in series with the switch 388. Figure 4 Other fuses are also shown.

[0114] Switch 388 may be a relay or other suitable type of switch.Switch 374 may be, for example, a contactor or another suitable type of switch, such as a solid-state switch including a power semiconductor device.

[0115] Figure 6 1 is a flow chart depicting an example method for controlling the charging of a battery 199 having a predetermined voltage (eg, 800 V DC). Although an example of 800 V DC is provided, the present application is also applicable to batteries of other voltages.

[0116] Control begins at 604, where the BMM 350 determines whether a predetermined voltage (e.g., 800 V DC) of the battery 199 is being received via the charging port 190. If 604 is true, control continues to 608. If 604 is false, the BMM 350 may open all switches 374 and 388 at 620, and control may end.

[0117] At 608 , the BMM 350 closes one of the switches 374 (Sc and Sf) to connect the first and second electrical conductors 376 and 380 to the battery cells and / or battery modules 372 to charge the battery cells and / or battery modules 372. The BMM 350 may open all other switches 374 and 388.

[0118] At 612 , the BMM 350 determines whether a request to terminate charging the charging port 190 has been sent. If 612 is true, the BMM 350 may open all switches 374 and 388 at 620 , and control may end. If 612 is false, control may continue with 616 .

[0119] At 616, the BMM 350 may determine whether charging of the battery 199 is complete. For example, the BMM 350 may determine whether the current voltage of the battery 199 is greater than or equal to a predetermined voltage, whether the state of charge of the battery 199 is greater than a predetermined state of charge, or determine whether charging is complete in another suitable manner. If 616 is false, control may return to 608. If 616 is true, the BMM 350 may open all switches 374 and 388 at 620, and control may end.

[0120] Figure 7 1 is a flow chart depicting an example method for controlling the charging of a battery 199 having a predetermined voltage (eg, 800 V DC). Although an example of 800 V DC is provided, the present application is also applicable to batteries of other voltages.

[0121] Control begins at 704, where the BMM 350 determines whether a voltage lower than (e.g., 400 V DC) a predetermined voltage of the battery 199 (e.g., 800 V DC) is being received via the charging port 190. If 704 is true, control continues at 708. If 704 is false, the BMM 350 may open all switches 374 and 388 at 720, and control may end. Alternatively, if 704 is false, control may transfer to 604.

[0122] At 708 , the BMM 350 opens some of the switches 374 (Sc, Sf) and closes other switches (Sd, Sb, Sc) of the switches 374 and the switch 388 (Sa) to connect the first and second electrical conductors 376 and 380 to the battery cells and / or battery modules 372 to charge the battery cells and / or battery modules 372 and connects the third conductor 384 to the motor (e.g., motor 304 ) to use the motor as a voltage converter (e.g., a boost converter).

[0123] At 712 , the BMM 350 determines whether a request to terminate charging has been received from a charging source (connected to the charging port 190 ). If 712 is true, the BMM 350 may open all switches 374 and 388 at 720 , and control may end. If 712 is false, control may continue at 716 .

[0124] At 716, the BMM 350 may determine whether charging of the battery 199 is complete. For example, the BMM 350 may determine whether the current voltage of the battery 199 is greater than or equal to a predetermined voltage, whether the state of charge of the battery 199 is greater than a predetermined state of charge, or determine whether charging is complete in another suitable manner. If 716 is false, control may return to 708. If 716 is true, the BMM 350 may open all switches 374 and 388 at 720, and control may end.

[0125] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or uses. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in many forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited, as other modifications will become apparent upon study of the drawings, the specification, and the appended claims. It should be understood that one or more steps in the method can be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of the present disclosure. Furthermore, while each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in any other embodiment and / or combined with features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and the permutation of one or more embodiments for one another remains within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0126] Various terms are used to describe spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.), including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "immediately next to," "on top of," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless explicitly described as "direct," when describing a relationship between a first and a second element in the above disclosure, the relationship may be a direct relationship with no other intervening elements between the first and second elements, but may also be an indirect relationship with one or more intervening elements (either spatially or functionally) between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be interpreted to mean a logical "A or B or C" using a non-exclusive logical "OR" and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0127] In a diagram, the direction of an arrow generally indicates the flow of information (such as data or instructions) of interest to the diagram. For example, when component A and component B exchange various types of information, but the information transmitted from component A to component B is relevant to the diagram, an arrow may point from component A to component B. This unidirectional arrow does not imply that no other information is transmitted from component B to component A. Furthermore, for information transmitted from component A to component B, component B may send a request for the information or an acknowledgment of receipt to component A.

[0128] In this application, including the definitions below, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced by the term "circuit". The term "module" or the term "controller" may refer to, be a part of, or include: an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field-programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system-on-chip.

[0129] A module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuits may include wired or wireless interfaces to a local area network (LAN), the internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functionality of any given module of the present disclosure may be distributed across multiple modules connected via the interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may allow for load balancing. In another example, a server (also known as a remote or cloud) module may perform some functions on behalf of a client module.

[0130] As mentioned above, the term "code" may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term "shared processor circuitry" encompasses a single processor circuit that executes some or all code from multiple modules. The term "group processor circuitry" encompasses a processor circuit that, in conjunction with additional processor circuits, executes some or all code from one or more modules. References to "multiple processor circuits" encompass multiple processor circuits on discrete dies, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or combinations of the above. The term "shared memory circuitry" encompasses a single memory circuit that stores some or all code from multiple modules. The term "group memory circuitry" encompasses a memory circuit that, in conjunction with additional memory, stores some or all code from one or more modules.

[0131] The term "memory circuit" is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" does not encompass transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagated through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); thus, the term "computer-readable medium" may be considered to be tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory, tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or shielded read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital magnetic tape or hard drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0132] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in whole by a special-purpose computer, which is created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions contained in a computer program. The functional blocks, flow chart components, and other elements described above serve as software specifications, which can be translated into a computer program by a skilled technician or programmer through routine work.

[0133] A computer program includes processor-executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable medium. A computer program may also include or rely on stored data. A computer program may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of a special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, and the like.

[0134] A computer program may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation); (ii) assembly code; (iii) object code generated by a compiler from source code; (iv) source code executed by an interpreter; (v) source code compiled and executed by a just-in-time compiler; etc. By way of example only, source code may be written using syntax from the following languages: C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Java ® , Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, Javascript®, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language, Fifth Revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Flash ® 、Visual Basic ®, Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and Python ® .

Claims

1. A battery charging system comprising: an electric motor including a stator coil; Battery; a charging port configured to receive power from a charging station via an electrical line; first and second electrical conductors connected between the battery and the charging port; an inverter module comprising (a) an input connected to receive power from the battery and (b) an output connected to the u, v, and w phases of the electric motor and configured to output a voltage to the electric motor; a third electrical conductor; and a switch configured to electrically connect and disconnect the first end of the third electrical conductor from the first electrical conductor, The third electrical conductor includes a second end directly connected to one of the u-phase of the electric motor and an output of the inverter module. 2 . The battery charging system of claim 1 , further comprising a battery management module configured to selectively open and close the switch.

3. The battery charging system according to claim 2, wherein: The battery management module is configured to close the switch in response to determining that an output voltage of a charging station connected to the charging port is less than a predetermined voltage of the battery.

4. The battery charging system according to claim 3, wherein: The predetermined voltage of the battery is 800 volts.

5. The battery charging system according to claim 3, wherein: The battery management module is configured to keep the switch closed until a request to terminate charging is received from the charging station.

6. The battery charging system according to claim 5, wherein: The battery management module is configured to open the switch in response to receiving a request to terminate charging from the charging station.

7. The battery charging system according to claim 3, wherein: The battery management module is configured to keep the switch closed until battery charging is complete.

8. The battery charging system according to claim 7, wherein: The battery management module is configured to open the switch in response to determining that battery charging is complete.

9. The battery charging system according to claim 3, wherein: The battery management module is configured to maintain the switch open in response to determining that an output voltage of a charging station connected to the charging port is equal to a predetermined voltage of the battery.

10. The battery charging system according to claim 1, further comprising: a second switch configured to connect and disconnect the first electrical conductor from the battery; and A third switch is configured to connect and disconnect the second electrical conductor to and from the battery.

11. The battery charging system of claim 10, further comprising a battery management module configured to selectively open and close the second and third switches.

12. The battery charging system according to claim 11, wherein: The battery management module is configured to close the second and third switches in response to determining that an output voltage of a charging station connected to the charging port is equal to a predetermined voltage of the battery.

13. The battery charging system according to claim 12, wherein: The battery management module is configured to keep the second and third switches closed until a request to terminate charging is received from the charging station.

14. The battery charging system according to claim 13, wherein: The battery management module is configured to open at least one of the second and third switches in response to receiving a request to terminate charging from the charging station.

15. The battery charging system according to claim 12, wherein: The battery management module is configured to keep the second and third switches closed until battery charging is complete.

16. The battery charging system according to claim 15, wherein: The battery management module is configured to open at least one of the second and third switches in response to determining that charging of the battery is complete.

17. The battery charging system according to claim 12, wherein: The battery management module is configured to close the second switch and open the third switch in response to determining that an output voltage of the charging station connected to the charging port is less than a predetermined voltage of the battery.

18. The battery charging system according to claim 1, wherein: The electric motor is configured to drive one of: at least one front wheel of the vehicle; and At least one rear wheel of the vehicle.

19. A battery charging system comprising: an electric motor including a stator coil; Battery; a charging port configured to receive power from a charging station via an electrical line; first and second electrical conductors connected between the battery and the charging port; a third electrical conductor; and a switch configured to electrically connect and disconnect the first end of the third electrical conductor from the first electrical conductor, wherein the third electrical conductor includes a second end directly connected to (a) the u phase of the electric motor and (b) one of the outputs of an inverter module, the output of the inverter module being connected to the u, v, and w phases of the electric motor and configured to output a voltage to the electric motor.

20. A battery charging method, comprising: Use the charging port to receive power from the charging station via wires; electrically connecting the battery to the charging port via first and second electrical conductors; receiving power from a battery through an inverter module and outputting power to u, v, and w phases of an electric motor via outputs of the inverter module, the electric motor including stator coils, and the outputs being configured to output a voltage to the electric motor; and electrically connecting and disconnecting the first end of the third electrical conductor from the first electrical conductor by means of a switch, The third electrical conductor includes a second end directly connected to one of the u-phase of the electric motor and the output of the inverter module.

Images