Power battery charging control method and device, vehicle-mounted equipment and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a power battery charging control method and device, vehicle-mounted equipment and a vehicle. According to the method, the current remaining oil quantity of the vehicle and the current remaining electric quantity and the current voltage of a power battery are obtained, and if the current remaining electric quantity is smaller than a preset remaining electric quantity threshold value, the power battery is charged based on the current remaining oil quantity and the oil-electricity conversion rate; determining the electric quantity increment of the power battery, and if the electric quantity increment is greater than or equal to the preset charging quantity of the power battery and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage of the engine, controlling the engine to start and charging the power battery; the power battery is protected in a charging mode, the situation that the power battery is completely discharged due to the internal resistance of the power battery is avoided, meanwhile, the situation that when the electric quantity increment is smaller than the preset charging quantity of the power battery, an engine is frequently started, but effective charging cannot be conducted on the power battery is avoided, the charging and discharging performance of the power battery can be kept, and the charging and discharging efficiency is improved. Therefore, the service life of the power battery is prolonged.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of 2024106116448. The application date of the original application is May 16, 2024. The application number is 2024106116448. The title of the invention is: A power battery charging control method, device, vehicle-mounted equipment and vehicle Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of power battery management, and in particular to a power battery charging control method, device, vehicle-mounted equipment and vehicle. Background Art

[0003] As the world pays more and more attention to environmental protection and sustainable development, new energy vehicles, as an important tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, are gradually accelerating their market penetration and application. However, in the actual use of new energy vehicles, a problem that cannot be ignored is the over-discharge of power batteries caused by long-term parking of new energy vehicles.

[0004] At present, new energy vehicles mainly rely on the battery management system (BMS) to protect the power battery. Specifically, when the parking time of a new energy vehicle exceeds the predetermined parking time, the BMS will disconnect all power consumption connected to the battery, that is, implement "over-discharge protection" to prevent the battery from further discharging, thereby protecting the battery from damage. However, this "over-discharge protection" strategy only cuts off the battery's power load, and the power battery itself has a certain internal resistance. Even after the battery management system disconnects all power consumption, the battery will continue to consume its own power due to the existence of internal resistance. Over time, this power consumption will gradually accumulate, eventually causing the battery power to continue to decline until the battery is fully discharged.

[0005] The above problems may not only lead to a decline in battery performance and shorten the battery life, but may also cause a series of safety issues, such as battery thermal runaway, fire, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the current "over-discharge protection" strategy. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, the present application provides a power battery charging control method, device, vehicle-mounted equipment and vehicle to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0007] The present application provides a power battery recharging control method, the method comprising: obtaining the current remaining fuel level of the vehicle, the current remaining power level of the power battery and the current voltage; if the current remaining power level is less than a preset remaining power level threshold, determining the power increment of the power battery based on the current remaining fuel level and the oil-to-electricity conversion rate; if the power increment is greater than or equal to the preset recharging power level of the power battery, and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage of the engine, controlling the engine to start and recharging the power battery.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present application, before obtaining the current remaining fuel amount of the vehicle, the current remaining power of the power battery, and the current voltage, the method includes: when the vehicle is powered off, counting the parking time of the vehicle, recorded as a first parking time; if the first parking time is less than a preset charging cycle, continuing to accumulate the first parking time until the accumulated first parking time is greater than or equal to the preset charging cycle; if the first parking time is greater than or equal to the preset charging cycle, or the accumulated first parking time is greater than or equal to the preset charging cycle, obtaining the remaining power of the power battery, recorded as the first remaining power, and based on the first remaining The remaining power and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state are used to determine the maintenance time of the first remaining power, and the parking time of the vehicle is recalculated and recorded as the second parking time; if the second parking time is less than the maintenance time of the first remaining power, the second parking time is continued to be accumulated until the accumulated second parking time is greater than or equal to the maintenance time of the first remaining power; if the second parking time is greater than or equal to the maintenance time of the first remaining power, or the accumulated second parking time is greater than or equal to the maintenance time of the first remaining power, the current remaining fuel amount, the current remaining power and the current voltage are collected.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present application, the process of replenishing the power battery includes: adding the current remaining power and the power increment to obtain the replenishment accumulated value of the power battery; obtaining the upper limit value of the power battery, and selecting the minimum value between the upper limit value and the accumulated value as the target remaining power; and, during the process of replenishing the power battery, obtaining the remaining power of the power battery in real time, recorded as the second remaining power, until the second remaining power is greater than or equal to the target remaining power, thereby ending the replenishment process of the power battery.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present application, the process of controlling the engine start includes: if the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage, and the current voltage is less than the protection voltage, it is determined that the power battery is in a deep over-discharge stage, and a prompt message is sent to a target user to remind the target user to perform a power replenishment operation within a predetermined time; if no power replenishment rejection message from the target user is received within the predetermined time, the engine is controlled to start, and the protection voltage is used to characterize the voltage when the load of the power battery is cut off by the battery management system; if the current voltage is less than or equal to a preset voltage, and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the protection voltage, it is determined that the power battery is in an initial stage of over-discharge, and a prompt message is sent to the target user to remind the target user to perform a power replenishment operation, and after receiving the power replenishment confirmation message from the target user, the engine is controlled to start.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present application, after controlling the engine to start and replenishing the power battery, the method includes: obtaining the remaining power at the end of the power battery replenishment, recording it as a third remaining power, and recalculating the parking time of the vehicle, recording it as a third parking time; based on the third remaining power and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, determining the maintenance time of the third remaining power; if the third parking time is less than the maintenance time of the third remaining power, continuing to accumulate the third parking time until the accumulated third parking time is greater than or equal to the maintenance time of the third remaining power; if the third parking time is less than the maintenance time of the third remaining power, continuing to accumulate the third parking time until the accumulated third parking time is greater than or equal to the maintenance time of the third remaining power; If the parking time is greater than or equal to the maintenance time of the third remaining power, or the accumulated third parking time is greater than or equal to the maintenance time of the third remaining power, the current remaining fuel level of the vehicle, the current remaining power level of the power battery and the current voltage are obtained again; if the remaining power obtained again is less than the preset remaining power threshold, the power increment of the power battery is determined again based on the remaining fuel level obtained again and the oil-to-electricity conversion rate; if the power increment determined again is greater than or equal to the preset replenishment power, and the voltage obtained again is greater than or equal to the starting voltage, the engine is controlled to start again and the power battery is replenished.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present application, the calculation formula of the oil-to-electricity conversion rate includes: η=η0*D, wherein η represents the oil-to-electricity conversion rate, η0 represents the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate, and D represents the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient. The basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient is determined based on the engine cooling water temperature and the first mapping relationship, and the first mapping relationship is used to indicate the relationship between the engine cooling water temperature and the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present application, based on the first remaining power and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, the process of determining the maintenance time of the first remaining power includes: calculating the difference between the first remaining power and the preset remaining power threshold to obtain the power difference; based on the power difference and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, calculating the maintenance time of the first remaining power, or, based on the power difference and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, querying from a preset storage table to obtain the maintenance time of the first remaining power, the preset storage table is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the power difference, the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state and the maintenance time of the first remaining power.

[0014] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a power battery recharging control device is provided, the device comprising: a fuel quantity acquisition module, used to obtain the current remaining fuel quantity of the vehicle, the current remaining power of the power battery and the current voltage; an increment determination module, used to determine the power increment of the power battery based on the current remaining fuel quantity and the oil-to-electricity conversion rate if the current remaining power is less than a preset remaining power threshold; and a battery recharging module, used to control the engine to start and recharge the power battery if the power increment is greater than or equal to the preset recharging power of the power battery and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage of the engine.

[0015] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a vehicle-mounted device is provided, comprising: one or more processors; a storage device for storing one or more programs, wherein when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the vehicle-mounted device implements the power battery charging control method as described above.

[0016] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a vehicle is provided, the vehicle comprising the power battery charging control device as described above or the vehicle-mounted equipment as described above.

[0017] Beneficial effects of the present application: The present application obtains the current remaining fuel level of the vehicle, the current remaining power level of the power battery and the current voltage. If the current remaining power level is less than the preset remaining power threshold, the power battery power increment is determined based on the current remaining fuel level and the oil-to-electricity conversion rate. If the power increment is greater than or equal to the preset replenishment power level of the power battery, and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage of the engine, the engine is controlled to start and replenish power for the power battery. The above process can replenish power for the power battery through the engine when the current remaining power level is less than the preset remaining power threshold and the power increment and the current voltage both meet the replenishment conditions. This satisfies the need to protect the power battery through replenishment during long-term storage of the vehicle, thereby avoiding the situation where the power battery is completely discharged due to its own internal resistance. At the same time, it avoids the situation where the power increment is less than the preset replenishment power level of the power battery, and the engine is frequently started but the power battery cannot be effectively replenished. This is beneficial to maintaining the charging and discharging performance of the power battery, thereby extending the service life of the power battery.

[0018] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present application, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary system architecture shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a power battery charging control method shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a power battery discharge curve shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the change of oil-to-electricity conversion rate with the change of engine cooling water temperature according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a power battery charging control device shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computer system of a vehicle-mounted device suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following will describe the implementation methods of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementation methods, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments are only for illustrating the present application, not for limiting the scope of protection of the present application.

[0027] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only used to illustrate the basic concept of the present application in a schematic manner, and therefore the illustrations only show components related to the present application rather than being drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity and proportion of each component may be changed arbitrarily, and the component layout may also be more complicated.

[0028] In the following description, a large number of details are discussed to provide a more thorough explanation of the embodiments of the present application. However, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented without these specific details. In other embodiments, well-known structures and devices are shown in the form of block diagrams rather than in detail to avoid making the embodiments of the present application difficult to understand.

[0029] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an exemplary system architecture shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Reference Figure 1 As shown, the system architecture may include a collection device 101 and a vehicle controller 102. The vehicle controller 102 may be at least one of a desktop graphics processing unit (GPU) computer, a GPU computing cluster, a neural network computer, etc. Relevant technicians may use the vehicle controller 102 to obtain the current remaining fuel of the vehicle, the current remaining power of the power battery, and the current voltage. If the current remaining power is less than the preset remaining power threshold, the power increment of the power battery is determined based on the current remaining fuel and the oil-to-electricity conversion rate. If the power increment is greater than or equal to the preset replenishment power of the power battery, and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage of the engine, the engine is controlled to start and replenish the power battery. The collection device 101 is used to collect the current remaining fuel of the vehicle, the current remaining power of the power battery, and the current voltage. In this embodiment, the collection device 101 uses sensors and other devices to collect the current remaining fuel of the vehicle, the current remaining power of the power battery, and the current voltage, and provides them to the vehicle controller 102 for processing.

[0031] Schematically, after the on-board controller 102 obtains the current remaining fuel amount of the vehicle, the current remaining power of the power battery and the current voltage from the acquisition device 101, if the current remaining power is less than the preset remaining power threshold, the power increment of the power battery is determined based on the current remaining fuel amount and the oil-to-electricity conversion rate. If the power increment is greater than or equal to the preset replenishment power of the power battery, and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage of the engine, the engine is controlled to start and replenish power for the power battery. The above process can replenish power for the power battery through the engine when the current remaining power is less than the preset remaining power threshold and the power increment and the current voltage both meet the replenishment conditions, thereby protecting the power battery through replenishment during long-term storage of the vehicle, thereby avoiding the situation where the power battery is completely discharged due to its own internal resistance. At the same time, it avoids the situation where the power increment is less than the preset replenishment power of the power battery, and the engine is frequently started but the power battery cannot be effectively replenished, which is beneficial to maintaining the charging and discharging performance of the power battery, thereby extending the service life of the power battery.

[0032] It should be noted that the power battery charging control method provided in the embodiment of the present application is generally executed by the vehicle-mounted controller 102 , and accordingly, the power battery charging control device is generally disposed in the vehicle-mounted controller 102 .

[0033] The implementation details of the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application are described in detail below:

[0034] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a power battery charging control method shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The power battery charging control method can be executed by a computing and processing device. The computing and processing device can be Figure 1 The vehicle controller 102 shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the power battery charging control method at least includes steps S210 to S230, which are described in detail as follows:

[0035] In step S210, the current remaining fuel level of the vehicle, the current remaining power level of the power battery and the current voltage are obtained.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present application, the current remaining oil level is collected by an oil level sensor and other devices, the current remaining power is collected by a remaining power sensor and other devices, and the current voltage is collected by a voltage sensor and other devices.

[0037] In this embodiment, the remaining power sensor and the voltage sensor may be a remaining power sensor and a voltage sensor disposed inside a battery management system (BMS), or may be a remaining power sensor and a voltage sensor disposed independently of the battery management system.

[0038] In step S220, if the current remaining power is less than the preset remaining power threshold, the power increment of the power battery is determined based on the current remaining fuel volume and the fuel-to-electricity conversion rate.

[0039] In this embodiment, the preset remaining power threshold can be set according to actual conditions and is not specifically limited here.

[0040] In this embodiment, the calculation formula of the power increment is as follows:

[0041] ΔSOC=Q*η / W Formula (1)

[0042] Among them, ΔSOC represents the increment of power, Q represents the current remaining power, η represents the oil-to-electricity conversion rate, and W represents the rated power of the power battery.

[0043] The calculation formula of oil-to-electricity conversion rate is as follows:

[0044] η=η0*D Formula (2)

[0045] Among them, η represents the oil-to-electricity conversion rate, η0 represents the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate, D represents the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient, the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient is determined according to the engine cooling water temperature and the first mapping relationship, and the first mapping relationship is used to indicate the relationship between the engine cooling water temperature and the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient.

[0046] In step S230, if the power increment is greater than or equal to the preset replenishment amount of the power battery, and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage of the engine, the engine is controlled to start and replenish power for the power battery.

[0047] In this embodiment, the preset replenishment amount can be set to 10%, or other values, which are not specifically limited here. The engine start process needs to be completed by closing the relevant relay circuit, and the closure of the relevant relay circuit requires the power battery cell to provide power support. Therefore, the engine start voltage is the minimum voltage value that satisfies the engine start.

[0048] In this embodiment, before controlling the engine to start, it is necessary to determine whether the vehicle has any faults and whether the gear position of the vehicle is in the parking gear, and control the engine to start when the vehicle has no faults and the gear position of the vehicle is in the parking gear.

[0049] In this embodiment, by obtaining the current remaining fuel amount of the vehicle, the current remaining power of the power battery and the current voltage, if the current remaining power is less than the preset remaining power threshold, the power battery power increment is determined based on the current remaining fuel amount and the oil-to-electricity conversion rate. If the power increment is greater than or equal to the preset replenishment power of the power battery, and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage of the engine, the engine is controlled to start and replenish power for the power battery. The above process can replenish power for the power battery through the engine when the current remaining power is less than the preset remaining power threshold, and the power increment and the current voltage both meet the replenishment conditions. This satisfies the need to protect the power battery through replenishment during long-term storage of the vehicle, thereby avoiding the situation where the power battery is completely discharged due to its own internal resistance. At the same time, it avoids the situation where the power increment is less than the preset replenishment power of the power battery, and the engine is frequently started but the power battery cannot be effectively replenished. This is beneficial to maintaining the charging and discharging performance of the power battery, thereby extending the service life of the power battery.

[0050] In one embodiment of the present application, before obtaining the current remaining fuel level of the vehicle, the current remaining power level of the power battery, and the current voltage, the power battery charging control method includes:

[0051] When the vehicle is powered off, the parking time of the vehicle is counted and recorded as the first parking time.

[0052] In this embodiment, when the vehicle is powered off, the Internet of Vehicles system will upload data to the cloud service platform or the target user's mobile phone terminal, etc. The time when the Internet of Vehicles system uploads data to the cloud service platform or the target user's mobile phone terminal is used as the starting time of the vehicle parking, and the parking time of the vehicle begins to be counted.

[0053] If the first parking time is less than the preset charging cycle, the first parking time continues to be accumulated until the accumulated first parking time is greater than or equal to the preset charging cycle.

[0054] In this embodiment, the preset charging cycle can be set with reference to the charging cycle recommended for power battery maintenance, and no specific limitation is made here.

[0055] In this embodiment, by setting a preset charging cycle, if the first parking time does not reach the preset charging cycle, the engine will not be started to replenish the power battery, thereby avoiding a high charging frequency of the power battery and affecting the charging and discharging performance of the power battery.

[0056] If the first parking time is greater than or equal to the preset charging cycle, or the accumulated first parking time is greater than or equal to the preset charging cycle, the remaining power of the power battery is obtained and recorded as the first remaining power. Based on the first remaining power and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, the maintenance time of the first remaining power is determined, and the parking time of the vehicle is recalculated and recorded as the second parking time.

[0057] In this embodiment, the process of determining the maintenance time of the first remaining power based on the first remaining power and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state includes: (1) calculating the difference between the first remaining power and a preset remaining power threshold to obtain the power difference; (2) calculating the maintenance time of the first remaining power based on the power difference and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, or, based on the power difference and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, querying from a preset storage table to obtain the maintenance time of the first remaining power, the preset storage table is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the power difference, the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state and the maintenance time of the first remaining power.

[0058] If the second parking time is less than the first remaining power maintenance time, the second parking time continues to be accumulated until the accumulated second parking time is greater than or equal to the first remaining power maintenance time.

[0059] In this embodiment, when the second parking time does not reach the maintenance time of the first remaining power, the engine is not started to replenish the power battery, so as to avoid a high charging frequency of the power battery and affect the charging and discharging performance of the power battery.

[0060] If the second parking time is greater than or equal to the first remaining power maintenance time, or the accumulated second parking time is greater than or equal to the first remaining power maintenance time, the current remaining fuel level, the current remaining power and the current voltage are collected.

[0061] In this embodiment, by presetting the charging cycle and limiting the maintenance time of the first residual power, the charging frequency of the power battery is maintained within a reasonable range, which is beneficial to maintaining the charging and discharging performance of the power battery.

[0062] In this embodiment, by comparing the preset charging cycle with the first parking time, and the first remaining power maintenance time with the second parking time, it is determined whether the power battery has an over-discharge risk; if the first parking time is greater than or equal to the preset charging cycle, and the second parking time is greater than or equal to the first remaining power maintenance time, it is determined that the power battery has an over-discharge risk, and it is further determined whether the current remaining power is less than the preset remaining power threshold; if the current remaining power is less than the preset remaining power threshold, and the power increment and the current voltage both meet the replenishment conditions, the power battery is replenished through the engine to adapt to the long-term parking of the vehicle and maintain the power battery in a healthy state.

[0063] In one embodiment of the present application, the process of recharging the power battery includes:

[0064] The current remaining power and the power increment are accumulated to obtain the power replenishment cumulative value of the power battery.

[0065] In this embodiment, the calculation formula of the power battery's cumulative value of replenishment is as follows:

[0066] SOC2=ΔSOC+SOC1 Formula (3)

[0067] Among them, SOC2 represents the accumulated value of the power battery, ΔSOC represents the power increment, and SOC1 represents the current remaining power.

[0068] Get the upper limit of the power battery, and select the minimum value between the upper limit and the accumulated value as the target remaining power.

[0069] In this embodiment, the calculation formula of the target remaining power is as follows:

[0070] SOC4=min(SOC2, SOC3) Formula (4)

[0071] Among them, SOC4 represents the target remaining power, SOC2 represents the accumulated value of the power battery's replenishment, and SOC3 represents the upper limit value of the power battery's power.

[0072] Also, during the process of charging the power battery, the remaining power of the power battery is obtained in real time and recorded as the second remaining power, until the second remaining power is greater than or equal to the target remaining power, and the charging process of the power battery is ended.

[0073] In this embodiment, the purpose of charging is to prevent the power battery from being over-discharged, and the charging process is not easy to be excessive. It is only necessary to maintain the remaining power of the power battery within a healthy range. Since the healthy range of the remaining power of the power battery is 20%-80%, the upper limit value of the power battery can be set to 20%, or it can be set to other power values. No specific limitation is made here.

[0074] In one embodiment of the present application, the process of controlling the engine start includes:

[0075] If the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage and the current voltage is less than the protection voltage, the power battery is determined to be in a deep over-discharge stage, and a prompt message is sent to the target user to remind the target user to perform a power replenishment operation within the predetermined time. If the target user's refusal to recharge is not received within the predetermined time, the engine is controlled to start.

[0076] In this embodiment, the protection voltage is used to represent the voltage when the load of the power battery is cut off by the battery management system. The predetermined time can be set according to actual conditions and is not specifically limited here.

[0077] In this embodiment, the target user's mobile phone terminal is installed with application software for operating the vehicle. The Internet of Vehicles system can push prompt information to the target user's mobile phone terminal or call the target user's mobile phone terminal through the Internet of Vehicles system. When the target user receives the prompt information, he or she can perform or refuse the charging operation through the application software on the mobile phone terminal. If the target user's refusal to charge is received within the predetermined time, the target user is required to fill in the reason for refusal. After receiving the reason for refusal filled in by the target user, the customer service staff will contact the target user and inform him or her of the necessity of charging the power battery due to over-discharge.

[0078] In this embodiment, a pop-up window can be pushed to the target user through the application software installed on the mobile phone terminal to prompt the target user to perform or refuse the charging operation through the application software on the mobile phone terminal. If the target user's refusal to charge is received within the predetermined time, the target user is required to fill in the reason for refusal. After receiving the reason for refusal filled in by the target user, the customer service staff will contact the target user and inform him of the necessity of charging the power battery due to over-discharge.

[0079] If the current voltage is less than or equal to the preset voltage, and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the protection voltage, it is determined that the power battery is in the initial stage of over-discharge, and a prompt message is sent to the target user to remind the target user to perform a charging operation, and after receiving the charging confirmation message from the target user, the engine is controlled to start.

[0080] In this embodiment, the preset voltage is used to characterize that the power battery has entered the initial stage of over-discharge. The preset voltage can be set based on the protection voltage as a reference point, combined with the downward trend of the power battery voltage before reaching the protection voltage, so that the time for the selected preset voltage to drop to the protection voltage is sufficient to notify the target user and allow the target user to have enough time to perform a charging operation.

[0081] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a power battery discharge curve shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application, such as Figure 3 As shown, the preset voltage is set at point B, the protection voltage is set at point A, and the starting voltage is set at point C. Through testing, it is found that the time for the preset voltage to drop to the protection voltage is sufficient to notify the target user and allow the target user to have enough time to perform the power replenishment operation. The set starting voltage meets the power consumption required for the engine starting process through the closure of the relevant relay circuit.

[0082] In one embodiment of the present application, after controlling the engine to start and recharge the power battery, the power battery recharge control method includes:

[0083] The remaining power of the power battery at the end of the charging is obtained and recorded as the third remaining power, and the parking time of the vehicle is recalculated and recorded as the third parking time.

[0084] In this embodiment, when the power battery is charged, the Internet of Vehicles system will upload data to the cloud service platform or the target user's mobile phone terminal, etc., and the time when the Internet of Vehicles system uploads data to the cloud service platform or the target user's mobile phone terminal will be used as the starting time for re-calculating the vehicle parking time.

[0085] Based on the third remaining power and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, a maintenance time of the third remaining power is determined.

[0086] In this embodiment, the process of determining the maintenance time of the third remaining power based on the third remaining power and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state includes: (1) calculating the difference between the third remaining power and a preset remaining power threshold to obtain the power difference; (2) calculating the maintenance time of the third remaining power based on the power difference and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, or, based on the power difference and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, querying from a preset storage table to obtain the maintenance time of the third remaining power, the preset storage table is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the power difference, the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state and the maintenance time of the third remaining power.

[0087] If the third parking time is less than the maintenance time of the third remaining power, the third parking time continues to be accumulated until the accumulated third parking time is greater than or equal to the maintenance time of the third remaining power.

[0088] In this embodiment, when the third parking time does not reach the third remaining power maintenance time, the engine is not started to replenish the power battery, so as to avoid a high charging frequency of the power battery and affect the charging and discharging performance of the power battery.

[0089] If the third parking time is greater than or equal to the maintenance time of the third remaining power, or the accumulated third parking time is greater than or equal to the maintenance time of the third remaining power, the current remaining fuel level of the vehicle, the current remaining power level of the power battery and the current voltage are obtained again.

[0090] In this embodiment, by limiting the maintenance time of the third residual power, the charging frequency of the power battery is maintained within a reasonable range, which is beneficial to maintaining the charging and discharging performance of the power battery.

[0091] If the remaining power obtained again is less than the preset remaining power threshold, the power increment of the power battery is determined again based on the remaining oil amount and the oil-to-electricity conversion rate obtained again.

[0092] In this embodiment, the oil-to-electricity conversion rate is determined by a basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate and a basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient. The basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate can be obtained by looking up a table based on the engine torque and speed, while the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient is related to the engine cooling water temperature.

[0093] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing how the oil-to-electricity conversion rate changes with the engine cooling water temperature according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the first mapping relationship is expressed in function form, and the process of establishing the first mapping function includes: when the engine cooling water temperature is in the range of T0 to T1, it indicates that the engine is operating normally. At this time, the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient D is set to 100%; when the engine cooling water temperature is T2 or below, the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient is set to D1; when the engine cooling water temperature is T3 or above, the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient is set to D2; when the engine cooling water temperature is between T2 to T0 and T1 to T3, the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient D3 is obtained according to the engine cooling water temperature T using a linear interpolation method.

[0094] In this embodiment, as shown in formula (2), when the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient is 100%, the oil-to-electricity conversion rate is equal to the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate; when the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient is D1, the oil-to-electricity conversion rate is the product of the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate and the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient D1; when the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient is D2, the oil-to-electricity conversion rate is the product of the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate and the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient D2; when the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient is D3, the oil-to-electricity conversion rate is the product of the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate and the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient D3.

[0095] In this embodiment, the engine cooling water temperature T0 and the engine cooling water temperature T1 can be set according to the type of engine used, for example, the engine cooling water temperature T0 can be set to 80 degrees Celsius, and the engine cooling water temperature T1 can be set to 90 degrees Celsius. The engine cooling water temperature T2, the engine cooling water temperature T3, the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient D1, and the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient D2 can be set according to the measured oil-to-electricity conversion rate, for example, the engine cooling water temperature T2 can be set to 60 degrees Celsius, and the engine cooling water temperature T3 can be set to 110 degrees Celsius.

[0096] If the power increment determined again is greater than or equal to the preset replenishment power, and the voltage obtained again is greater than or equal to the starting voltage, the engine is controlled to start again and replenish power for the power battery.

[0097] In this embodiment, by limiting the maintenance time of the third remaining power and the preset replenishment power, the charging frequency of the power battery can be maintained within a reasonable range, and the probability of complete discharge of the power battery can be reduced, which is beneficial to maintaining the charging and discharging performance of the power battery.

[0098] In one embodiment of the present application, based on the first remaining power and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, the process of determining the maintenance time of the first remaining power includes:

[0099] The difference between the first remaining power and a preset remaining power threshold is calculated to obtain a power difference.

[0100] In this embodiment, the preset remaining power threshold can be set according to actual conditions and is not specifically limited here.

[0101] In this embodiment, the calculation formula of the power difference is as follows:

[0102] SOC_cha=SOC_yi-SOC_yu Formula (5)

[0103] Among them, SOC_cha represents the power difference, SOC_yi represents the first remaining power, and SOC_yu represents the preset remaining power threshold.

[0104] Based on the power difference and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, the maintenance time of the first remaining power is calculated, or based on the power difference and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, the maintenance time of the first remaining power is queried from a preset storage table, and the preset storage table is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the power difference, the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state and the maintenance time of the first remaining power.

[0105] In this embodiment, the maintenance time of the first remaining power can be achieved by a calculation method in relevant technical literature, and can also be obtained by looking up a table. For example, after obtaining the power difference and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, the maintenance time of the first remaining power can be queried based on the mapping relationship between the power difference, the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state and the maintenance time of the first remaining power.

[0106] In this embodiment, the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state is the power consumption rate generated by the internal resistance of the power battery itself when there is no fault in the vehicle and the power battery is cut off from the load.

[0107] In the present application, by counting the first parking time and the second parking time, and based on the comparison result of the first parking time with the preset charging cycle, and the comparison result of the second parking time with the first remaining power maintenance time, it is judged whether the power battery has the risk of over-discharge, and when the power battery has the risk of over-discharge, it is judged whether the current remaining oil amount, the current remaining power of the power battery and the current voltage meet the charging conditions. When the current remaining oil amount, the current remaining power of the power battery and the current voltage meet the charging conditions, the power battery is recharged by starting the engine to increase the remaining power of the power battery, reduce the risk of over-discharge of the power battery, maintain the health of the battery, and improve the safety during vehicle use.

[0108] The following describes an embodiment of the device of the present application, which can be used to execute the power battery charging control method in the above embodiment of the present application. For details not disclosed in the embodiment of the device of the present application, please refer to the embodiment of the power battery charging control method in the above embodiment of the present application.

[0109] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a power battery charging control device shown in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The device can be applied to Figure 1 The implementation environment shown is specifically configured in the vehicle controller 102. The device may also be applicable to other exemplary implementation environments and specifically configured in other devices. This embodiment does not limit the implementation environment to which the device is applicable.

[0110] like Figure 5 As shown, the exemplary power battery charging control device includes:

[0111] The fuel quantity acquisition module 501 is used to acquire the current remaining fuel quantity of the vehicle, the current remaining power quantity of the power battery and the current voltage.

[0112] The increment determination module 502 is used to determine the power increment of the power battery based on the current remaining fuel volume and the fuel-to-electricity conversion rate if the current remaining power is less than a preset remaining power threshold.

[0113] The battery charging module 503 is used to control the engine to start and charge the power battery if the power increment is greater than or equal to the preset charging power of the power battery and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage of the engine.

[0114] In one embodiment of the present application, the current remaining oil level is collected by an oil level sensor and other devices, the current remaining power is collected by a remaining power sensor and other devices, and the current voltage is collected by a voltage sensor and other devices.

[0115] In this embodiment, the remaining power sensor and the voltage sensor may be a remaining power sensor and a voltage sensor disposed inside a battery management system (BMS), or may be a remaining power sensor and a voltage sensor disposed independently of the battery management system.

[0116] In this embodiment, the preset remaining power threshold can be set according to actual conditions and is not specifically limited here.

[0117] In this embodiment, the calculation formula for the power increment is shown in formula (1), and the calculation formula for the oil-to-electricity conversion rate is shown in formula (2).

[0118] In this embodiment, the preset replenishment amount can be set to 10%, or other values, which are not specifically limited here. The engine start process needs to be completed by closing the relevant relay circuit, and the closure of the relevant relay circuit requires the power battery cell to provide power support. Therefore, the engine start voltage is the minimum voltage value that satisfies the engine start.

[0119] In this embodiment, before controlling the engine to start, it is necessary to determine whether the vehicle has any faults and whether the gear position of the vehicle is in the parking gear, and control the engine to start when the vehicle has no faults and the gear position of the vehicle is in the parking gear.

[0120] In this embodiment, by obtaining the current remaining fuel amount of the vehicle, the current remaining power of the power battery and the current voltage, if the current remaining power is less than the preset remaining power threshold, the power battery power increment is determined based on the current remaining fuel amount and the oil-to-electricity conversion rate. If the power increment is greater than or equal to the preset replenishment power of the power battery, and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage of the engine, the engine is controlled to start and replenish power for the power battery. The above process can replenish power for the power battery through the engine when the current remaining power is less than the preset remaining power threshold, and the power increment and the current voltage both meet the replenishment conditions. This satisfies the need to protect the power battery through replenishment during long-term storage of the vehicle, thereby avoiding the situation where the power battery is completely discharged due to its own internal resistance. At the same time, it avoids the situation where the power increment is less than the preset replenishment power of the power battery, and the engine is frequently started but the power battery cannot be effectively replenished. This is beneficial to maintaining the charging and discharging performance of the power battery, thereby extending the service life of the power battery.

[0121] It should be noted that the power battery charging control device provided in the above embodiment and the power battery charging control method provided in the above embodiment belong to the same concept, wherein the specific manner in which each module and unit performs the operation has been described in detail in the method embodiment, and will not be repeated here. In practical applications, the power battery charging control device provided in the above embodiment can allocate the above functions to different functional modules as needed, that is, divide the internal structure of the device into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above, and this is not limited here.

[0122] An embodiment of the present application also provides a vehicle-mounted device, including: one or more processors; a storage device for storing one or more programs, when the one or more programs are executed by one or more processors, the vehicle-mounted device implements the power battery charging control method provided in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0123] An embodiment of the present application further provides a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a power battery charging control device as provided in the above embodiments or a vehicle-mounted device as provided in the above embodiments.

[0124] Figure 6 The schematic diagram of the structure of the computer system of the vehicle-mounted device suitable for implementing the embodiment of the present application is shown. It should be noted that: Figure 6 The computer system 600 of the vehicle-mounted device shown is only an example and should not bring any limitation to the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present application.

[0125] like Figure 6 As shown, the computer system 600 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 601, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to the program stored in the read-only memory (ROM) 602 or the program loaded from the storage part 608 to the random access memory (RAM) 603, such as executing the method in the above embodiment. In the RAM 603, various programs and data required for system operation are also stored. The CPU 601, ROM 602 and RAM 603 are connected to each other through a bus 604. An input / output (I / O) interface 605 is also connected to the bus 604.

[0126] The following components are connected to the I / O interface 605: an input section 606 including a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output section 607 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and a speaker; a storage section 608 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 609 including a network interface card such as a LAN (Local Area Network) card, a modem, etc. The communication section 609 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 610 is also connected to the I / O interface 605 as needed. A removable medium 611, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, etc., is installed on the drive 610 as needed so that a computer program read therefrom is installed into the storage section 608 as needed.

[0127] In particular, according to an embodiment of the present application, the process described above with reference to the flowchart can be implemented as a computer software program. For example, an embodiment of the present application includes a computer program product, which includes a computer program carried on a computer-readable medium, and the computer program includes a computer program for executing the method shown in the flowchart. In such an embodiment, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network through a communication section 609, and / or installed from a removable medium 611. When the computer program is executed by a central processing unit (CPU) 601, various functions defined in the system of the present application are executed.

[0128] It should be noted that the computer-readable medium shown in the embodiment of the present application can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable medium or any combination of the above two. Computer-readable media can be, for example, a system, device or device of electricity, magnetism, light, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of computer-readable media can include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a flash memory, an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the present application, a computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in a baseband or as part of a carrier wave, wherein a computer-readable computer program is carried. This propagated data signal can take a variety of forms, including but not limited to an electromagnetic signal, an optical signal, or any suitable combination of the above. The computer-readable signal medium may also be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable medium, which may send, propagate or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus or device. The computer program contained on the computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to: wireless, wired, etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0129] The flowchart and block diagram in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architecture, functions and operations of the system, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present application. Wherein, each box in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment, or a part of the code, and the above-mentioned module, program segment, or a part of the code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order from the order marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram or flowchart, and the combination of boxes in the block diagram or flowchart can be implemented with a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0130] The units involved in the embodiments described in this application may be implemented by software or hardware, and the units described may also be set in a processor. The names of these units do not, in some cases, constitute limitations on the units themselves.

[0131] Another aspect of the present application further provides a computer-readable medium on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by a processor of a computer, the computer executes the power battery charging control method as described above. The computer-readable medium may be included in the vehicle-mounted device described in the above embodiment, or may exist independently without being assembled into the vehicle-mounted device.

[0132] Another aspect of the present application also provides a computer program product or a computer program, which includes a computer instruction stored in a computer-readable medium. A processor of a computer device reads the computer instruction from the computer-readable medium, and the processor executes the computer instruction, so that the computer device executes the power battery charging control method provided in each of the above embodiments.

[0133] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application. Anyone familiar with the technology may modify or change the above embodiments without violating the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical ideas disclosed in the present application shall still be covered by the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A power battery charging control method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Get the current remaining fuel level of the vehicle, the current remaining power level of the power battery and the current voltage; If the current remaining power is less than a preset remaining power threshold, determining the power increment of the power battery based on the current remaining fuel volume and the fuel-to-electricity conversion rate; If the power increment is greater than or equal to the preset replenishment power of the power battery, and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage of the engine, the engine is controlled to start and the power battery is replenished, wherein the process of controlling the engine to start includes: if the current voltage is within the voltage range of the initial stage of over-discharge, a replenishment prompt message is sent to the target user, and after receiving the replenishment confirmation message from the target user, the engine is controlled to start, and the voltage range of the initial stage of over-discharge is determined by the preset voltage and the protection voltage.

2. The power battery charging control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before obtaining the current remaining fuel level of the vehicle, the current remaining power level of the power battery, and the current voltage, the method includes: When the vehicle is powered off, counting the parking time of the vehicle and recording it as a first parking time; If the first parking time is less than the preset charging cycle, continue to accumulate the first parking time until the accumulated first parking time is greater than or equal to the preset charging cycle; If the first parking time is greater than or equal to the preset charging cycle, or the accumulated first parking time is greater than or equal to the preset charging cycle, the remaining power of the power battery is obtained and recorded as the first remaining power, and based on the first remaining power and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, the maintenance time of the first remaining power is determined, and the parking time of the vehicle is recalculated and recorded as the second parking time; If the second parking time is less than the first remaining power duration, continue to accumulate the second parking time until the accumulated second parking time is greater than or equal to the first remaining power duration; If the second parking time is greater than or equal to the first remaining power maintenance time, or the accumulated second parking time is greater than or equal to the first remaining power maintenance time, the current remaining fuel level, the current remaining power and the current voltage are collected.

3. The power battery charging control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The process of recharging the power battery includes: Accumulating the current remaining power and the power increment to obtain the power replenishment accumulated value of the power battery; Obtaining an upper limit value of the power battery, and selecting a minimum value between the upper limit value and the accumulated value of the power as a target remaining power; And, during the power battery charging process, the remaining power of the power battery is obtained in real time and recorded as the second remaining power, until the second remaining power is greater than or equal to the target remaining power, and the power battery charging process is ended.

4. The power battery charging control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The process of controlling the engine start includes: If the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage, and the current voltage is less than the protection voltage, the power battery is determined to be in a deep over-discharge stage, and a prompt message is sent to the target user to remind the target user to perform a power replenishment operation within a predetermined time. If no power replenishment refusal message from the target user is received within the predetermined time, the engine is controlled to start. The protection voltage is used to represent the voltage when the load of the power battery is cut off by the battery management system; If the current voltage is less than or equal to the preset voltage, and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the protection voltage, it is determined that the power battery is in the initial stage of over-discharge, and a prompt message is sent to the target user to remind the target user to perform a charging operation, and after receiving the charging confirmation message from the target user, the engine is controlled to start.

5. The power battery charging control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: After controlling the engine to start and charging the power battery, the method includes: Obtaining the remaining power of the power battery at the end of the charging, recording it as a third remaining power, and recalculating the parking time of the vehicle, recording it as a third parking time; Determining a maintenance time of the third remaining power based on the third remaining power and a power consumption rate of the power battery in a parking state; If the third parking time is less than the third remaining power maintenance time, continue to accumulate the third parking time until the accumulated third parking time is greater than or equal to the third remaining power maintenance time; If the third parking time is greater than or equal to the maintenance time of the third remaining power, or the accumulated third parking time is greater than or equal to the maintenance time of the third remaining power, obtaining again the current remaining fuel level of the vehicle, the current remaining power level of the power battery, and the current voltage; If the remaining power obtained again is less than the preset remaining power threshold, the power increment of the power battery is determined again based on the remaining fuel volume obtained again and the fuel-to-electricity conversion rate; If the power increment determined again is greater than or equal to the preset replenishment power amount, and the voltage obtained again is greater than or equal to the starting voltage, the engine is controlled to start again and the power battery is replenished.

6. The power battery charging control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The calculation formula of the oil-to-electricity conversion rate includes: η=η0*D, Among them, η represents the oil-to-electricity conversion rate, η0 represents the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate, and D represents the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient. The basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient is determined based on the engine cooling water temperature and the first mapping relationship, and the first mapping relationship is used to indicate the relationship between the engine cooling water temperature and the basic oil-to-electricity conversion rate correction coefficient.

7. The power battery charging control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The process of determining the maintenance time of the first remaining power based on the first remaining power and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state includes: Calculating a difference between the first remaining power and the preset remaining power threshold to obtain a power difference; The first remaining power maintenance time is calculated based on the power difference and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, or the first remaining power maintenance time is queried from a preset storage table based on the power difference and the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state, and the preset storage table is used to indicate a mapping relationship between the power difference, the power consumption rate of the power battery in the parking state and the first remaining power maintenance time.

8. A power battery charging control device, characterized in that: include: The fuel quantity acquisition module is used to obtain the current remaining fuel quantity of the vehicle, the current remaining power of the power battery and the current voltage; an increment determination module, configured to determine the power increment of the power battery based on the current remaining fuel volume and the oil-to-electricity conversion rate if the current remaining power volume is less than a preset remaining power volume threshold; A battery charging module is used to control the engine to start and charge the power battery if the power increment is greater than or equal to the preset charging power of the power battery and the current voltage is greater than or equal to the starting voltage of the engine, wherein the process of controlling the engine to start includes: if the current voltage is within the voltage range of the initial stage of over-discharge, sending a charging prompt message to the target user, and after receiving the charging confirmation message from the target user, controlling the engine to start, and the voltage range of the initial stage of over-discharge is determined by the preset voltage and the protection voltage.

9. A vehicle-mounted device, characterized in that: include: one or more processors; A storage device for storing one or more programs, when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, enables the vehicle-mounted device to implement the power battery charging control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle includes the power battery charging control device as claimed in claim 8 or the vehicle-mounted equipment as claimed in claim 9.

Images