Display screen notification of battery charger to vehicle battery system connection

Abstract

A battery charger for a battery system is provided. The battery system may be adapted to provide power to the vehicle. The battery charger may include: a housing; a charger connector adapted to connect with a mating connector of the battery system; a memory storing executable instructions; and a processor in communication with the memory. The processor, when executing the executable instructions, may determine that identification information from the battery system is received by the processor via the charger connector. After receiving the identification information from the battery system, the processor may generate first information indicating that the battery charger is connecting with the battery system.

Description

Background Art

[0001] It is known to connect a battery charger to a battery system including a lithium battery, where the battery system is adapted to supply power to a vehicle (such as a material handling vehicle). It is also known to provide an indication to an operator that a "charging" operation has been initiated, such as via an indicator light. Summary of the Invention

[0002] According to a first aspect, there is provided a battery charger for a battery system. The battery system may be adapted to supply power to a vehicle. The battery charger may include: a housing; a charger connector adapted to be connected to a mating connector of the battery system; a memory storing executable instructions; and a processor in communication with the memory. When executing the executable instructions, the processor may: determine identification information received from the battery system by the processor via the charger connector. The identification information may be received by the charger connector via a vehicle network. After receiving the identification information from the battery system, the processor may generate first information indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system.

[0003] The battery charger may further include a screen display, wherein the first information may be displayed on the screen display indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system. The first information displayed on the screen display may include graphical and / or alphanumeric information indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system.

[0004] The battery charger may further include one or more signal emitting devices. When executing the executable instructions, the processor may: after receiving the identification information from the battery system, generate further first information by activating the one or more signal emitting devices to generate a first visual signal at the one or more signal emitting devices.

[0005] The identification information from the battery system may include a node identification.

[0006] When executing the executable instructions, the processor may: determine a charger detection signal received from the battery system by the processor via the charger connector.

[0007] When executing the executable instructions, the processor may: after receiving the charger detection signal, generate second information indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

[0008] The second information may be displayed on the screen display indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system. The second information displayed on the screen display may include graphical and / or alphanumeric information indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

[0009] The battery charger may further include a speaker. When the processor executes the executable instructions: after receiving the charger detection signal, it may generate further second information by causing the speaker to emit a first sound indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

[0010] The battery charger may further include a charging system for recharging the battery system. The second information may be generated before the charging system starts the recharging operation on the battery system.

[0011] According to a second aspect, a method for providing information about connecting a battery charger to a battery system is provided. The battery system may be adapted to supply power to a vehicle. The method may include: determining, by a processor of the battery charger, receiving identification information from the battery system. The identification information may be received by the processor via a vehicle network. After receiving the identification information from the battery system, the method may further include generating, by the processor, first information indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system.

[0012] The method may further include: causing, by the processor, the first information to be displayed on a screen display, indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system. The first information displayed on the screen display may include graphics and / or alphanumeric information indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system.

[0013] The method may further include: after receiving the identification information from the battery system, generating further first information by the processor activating one or more signal emitting devices to generate a first visual signal at the one or more signal emitting devices.

[0014] The identification information from the battery system may include a node identification.

[0015] The method may further include: determining, by the processor, receiving a charger detection signal from the battery system by the processor via a charger connector.

[0016] The method may further include: after receiving the charger detection signal, generating, by the processor, second information indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

[0017] The method may further include: causing, by the processor, the second information to be displayed on a screen display, indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system. The second information displayed on the screen display may include graphics and / or alphanumeric information indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

[0018] The method may further include: after receiving the charger detection signal, causing, by the processor, the speaker to emit a first sound indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

[0019] The second information may be generated before the charging system starts the recharge operation on the battery system.

[0020] The first information may be generated before the charging system starts the recharge operation on the battery system.

[0021] According to a third aspect, a battery charger for a battery system is provided. The battery system may be adapted to supply power to a vehicle. The battery charger may include: a housing; a charger connector adapted to connect to a mating connector of the battery system; a memory storing executable instructions; and a processor communicating with the memory. When executing the executable instructions, the processor may: determine a charger detection signal received from the battery system by the processor via the charger connector; and generate information indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system after detecting the charger detection signal.

[0022] The information indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system may be generated before the charging system starts the recharge operation on the battery system.

[0023] The battery charger may further include a screen display, wherein the information may be displayed on the screen display indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system. Description of the Drawings

[0024] Figure 1 is a plan view of an industrial vehicle including a battery system;

[0025] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a block diagram of a processing device of the vehicle;

[0026] Figure 3 is according to the principles of the present disclosure Figure 1 a block diagram of a battery system and a battery charger of the vehicle in;

[0027] Figure 4 is a view of a battery charger connector according to the principles of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 5 is a state diagram of a battery controller of the battery system;

[0029] Figure 6 is a flowchart of an exemplary computer-implemented process for operating the battery controller;

[0030] Figure 7 is a state diagram of a battery charger controller of the battery charger;

[0031] Figure 8 is a flowchart of an exemplary computer-implemented process for operating the battery charger controller; and

[0032] Figures 9A - 9C is a schematic screenshot of the display screen of a battery charger;

[0033] Figure 10A and 10B is a schematic view of an LED on the front of the housing of a battery charger. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of this specification, and in which are shown, by way of illustration and not limitation, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It should be understood that other embodiments may be used and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] Reference Figure 1 , an exemplary industrial vehicle 100 (hereinafter referred to as "the vehicle") is shown. Although the present disclosure is made with reference to the illustrated vehicle 100 including a reach truck, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the vehicle 100 may include a variety of other industrial vehicles, such as order pickers, turret trucks, tractors, rider pallet trucks, walkie stackers, counterbalance forklifts, etc., or any other vehicle, and the following description of the invention with reference to the various figures should not be limited to a reach truck unless otherwise specified.

[0036] Vehicle 100 includes a body or power unit 112 and one or more wheels, the wheels including a pair of outrigger supports 114 that are provided with front wheels 116 and power and steering additional wheels (not shown) that are located below the frame 118 of the power unit 112. Vehicle 100 also includes a load handling assembly 120, which generally includes a mast assembly 122 and a carriage assembly 124, and the carriage assembly includes a pair of forks 126. A battery system 130 is provided, which includes a battery 132 that is received in a battery compartment 118A within the frame 118 and supplies electrical power to vehicle 100 (such as a traction motor (not shown) that is connected to the power and steering additional wheels and one or more hydraulic motors (not shown)). In the illustrated embodiment, battery 132 includes a lithium-ion battery. The battery may include other battery types, such as lead-acid batteries. The hydraulic motors supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to several different systems (such as one or more hydraulic cylinders (not shown)) for effecting a generally vertical movement of one or more movable mast members of mast assembly 122 relative to a fixed mast member of mast assembly 122 and for effecting a generally vertical movement of carriage assembly 124 relative to one of the movable mast members of mast assembly 122. The traction motor and the additional wheels define a drive mechanism for effecting movement of vehicle 100 across a floor surface. An operator's compartment 140 is located within power unit 112 for housing an operator who drives or operates vehicle 100. Operator's compartment 140 includes various control elements, including one or more handles, knobs, levers, switches, buttons, sliders, encoders, and combinations thereof, as well as one or more devices that display information to and / or receive input from the operator.

[0037] Vehicle 100 also includes a processing device 200, see Figure 2。The processing device 200 may include a dedicated specific hardware computer, such as a device installed in or otherwise integrated with the vehicle 100. The computer of the processing device 200 may include data processing circuitry (generally illustrated as control module 202), which includes one or more processors (μP) coupled to a memory for implementing executable instructions, including related processes or aspects thereof as more fully set forth and described herein. The memory may include a memory for storing processing instructions and a memory for data storage, such as to implement one or more databases, data repositories, registers, arrays, etc. The processing device 200 may also optionally include a vehicle power enabling circuit 206 to selectively enable or disable the vehicle 100, for example depending on the status of the power contactor 138 forming part of the battery system 130, as further discussed below. Thus, the vehicle power enabling circuit 206 may enable the vehicle 100 to operate partially or fully. Further still, the processing device 200 may include a monitoring input / output (I / O) module 204 to communicate with the control module 202 and one or more peripheral devices installed in or otherwise associated with the vehicle 100, such as one or more cameras, sensors, gauges, encoders, switches, etc. (not individually labeled; collectively represented by reference numeral 208). The processing device 200 is coupled to and / or communicates with other vehicle system components via a suitable vehicle network system 210. The vehicle network system 210 may include at least one network, bus, or other communication capability or combination thereof that allows the electronic components of the vehicle 100 to communicate with each other. As an example, the vehicle network system 210 may include a controller area network (CAN) bus, ZigBee, a local interconnect network (LIN), a time-triggered data bus protocol (TTP), an RS422 bus, Ethernet, a universal serial bus (USB), other suitable communication technologies, or a combination thereof. Using the vehicle network system 210 enables seamless integration of the components of the vehicle 100 with the processing device 200 (and in particular the control module 202). As an example, the vehicle network system 210 enables communication between the control module 202 and one or more local vehicle components, such as vehicle control modules, controllers (e.g., traction controllers, hydraulic controllers, etc.), modules, devices, bus-enabled sensors, displays, lights, light bars, sound generating devices, etc. (generally designated by reference numeral 212). A battery controller 134 forming part of the battery system 130 is coupled to the vehicle network system 210 to allow the battery controller 134 to communicate with the control module 202, as will be further discussed below.

[0038] The battery system 130 also includes one or more sensors 136 for sensing or measuring battery parameters such as current (drawn from or supplied to the battery during use (such as during regenerative braking) or supplied to the battery during a charging operation, etc.), voltage, resistance, temperature (ambient or within the battery), level, impedance, resistance, dynamic / transient load, battery chemistry, or any other measurable parameter of interest when monitoring the battery, see Figure 2 and Figure 3 . The battery controller 134 can include one or more processors coupled to a memory for implementing executable instructions, such as computational steps performed by one or more computer programs or applications according to relevant processes or aspects thereof, as more fully set forth and described herein. The memory can include a memory for storing processing instructions and a memory for data storage.

[0039] A battery charger 300 can be provided for charging the battery 132, see Figure 3 and Figure 10A . The battery charger 300 can include a housing 302, a charging circuit or system 304 for generating a charging current to charge the battery 132, a battery charger controller 306, a charging cable 308 with a connector 310, a screen display 312, and one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) 314 or similar light-emitting elements. The battery charger controller 306 can include one or more processors coupled to a memory for implementing executable instructions, including relevant processes or aspects thereof, as more fully set forth and described herein. The memory can include a memory for storing processing instructions and a memory for data storage.

[0040] The battery system 130 also includes a battery connector 142 adapted to mate with the battery charger connector 310 during a battery charging operation. A cable (not shown) can be coupled to the battery connector 142. Figure 4 An end view of the battery charger connector 310 is illustrated in

[0041] When an operator desires to charge the battery 132, the operator couples or pairs the battery charger connector 310 with the battery connector 142 by, for example, manually joining the two connectors 310 and 142 together. When the battery system 130 is ON, a voltage is continuously provided on the first guide conductor of the battery connector 142. When the battery connector 142 and the battery charger connector 310 are joined together, the first guide pin 310A and the second guide pin 310B are connected to the first guide conductor and the second guide conductor on the battery connector 142, such that the voltage or the guide signal is transferred from the first guide conductor through the first guide pin 310A and the second guide pin 310B back to the second guide conductor. The battery controller 134 detects the voltage or the guide signal on the second conductor and, in response, changes the state of the "charger detection" bit stored in the memory from, for example, 0 to 1 to specify that the battery charger connector 310 has been sensed by the battery controller 134. Then, the battery controller 134 sends a message containing the "charger detection" bit with a value of 1 (also referred to herein as the "charger detection signal") to the battery charger controller 306 via a network system (e.g., via a CAN message sent through the CAN bus). It is further contemplated that when the battery controller 134 detects the voltage or the guide signal on the second conductor and changes the state of the "charger detection" bit stored in the memory, it can change the bit from 1 to 0 instead of from 0 to 1 to specify that the battery charger connector 310 has been sensed by the battery controller 134.

[0042] Figure 5 A state diagram 400 is provided, which represents the various states of the battery controller 134 before, during, and after a battery charging operation. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the depicted state diagram is merely a model of the computational steps performed by one or more computer programs or applications executed by one or more processors of the battery controller 134. Figure 5 The state diagram provides three states, which are: a discharge state 402; a wait state 404; and a charge state 406. During the discharge state 402, the battery 132 is in a discharge mode, in which the battery 132 is supplying power to the vehicle 100, i.e., the battery 132 is discharging. When in the discharge state 402, the power contactor 138 can be in a state of being connected to the vehicle 100 such that current can be delivered to the vehicle 100. Also, when in the discharge state 402, the charge contactor 140 can be in a state of being disconnected from the battery charger 300 such that the battery 132 cannot be charged. The battery controller 134 controls the states of the power contactor 138 and the charge contactor 140 by actuating solenoids or similar devices coupled to the power contactor 138 and the charge contactor 140.

[0043] In the following pair of Figure 6During the discussion of the flowchart 500 shown, it will be noted that the battery controller 134 changes the exit conditions for states 402, 404, and 406. Figure 6 The flowchart 500 in is an example computer-implemented process for operating the battery controller 134 before, during, and after a battery charging operation. Figure 6 The process in can be implemented, for example, using executable code executed by one or more processors of the battery controller 134. Multiple operating conditions of the vehicle 100 or the battery system 130 can be sensed using appropriate sensors located on components of the vehicle 100 or sensors 136 on the battery system 130. These sensed values can be used directly by the processes set forth herein or can be used to derive other values that can be used by the processes set forth herein.

[0044] In step 502, the battery controller 134 determines that the battery system is in a discharging state, which corresponds to state 402 discussed above. When the battery controller 134 receives a pilot signal conducted on the second pilot conductor at the battery connector 142, the battery controller 134 determines that the charger connector 310 has been coupled or connected to the battery connector 142, see step 504, i.e., the battery controller 134 senses the charger connector 310. Then, the battery controller 134 changes from the discharging state 402 to the waiting state 404. Once in the waiting state 404, also see step 506, the battery controller 134 generates a "set function to prevent drive operation" message, e.g., a CAN message sent via the CAN bus to the vehicle processing device 200, instructing the processing device 200 to prohibit the vehicle 100 from being driven by the operator or otherwise. The battery controller 134 further changes the state of the "charger detected" bit stored in the memory of the battery controller 134 from 0 to 1 to indicate that the charger connector 310 has been sensed by the battery controller 134 via the pilot signal.

[0045] After step 506, the battery controller 134 starts a first timer, see step 508. When a predetermined time period (e.g., 15 seconds or any other desired time period) measured by the first timer has elapsed, the battery controller 134 transitions to the charging state 406. The predetermined time period measured by the first timer defines a safety time period to allow the vehicle 100 to reach a controlled stop before turning off or disconnecting the power of the vehicle 100 before charging. Once in the charging state 406, the battery controller 134 causes the power contactor 138 to move to the open state, in which the power contactor is not connected to the vehicle 100, such that current is not delivered from the battery 132 to the vehicle 100, and further causes the charging contactor 140 to move to the closed state, in which the charging contactor is connected to the battery charger 300, such that the battery 132 can be charged. The battery controller 134 also sends one or more messages via the network system 210 (e.g., via the CAN bus) to request that a charging current be provided to the battery 132 by the charger 300 (i.e., via the charging circuit 304), and also defines a voltage limit. The voltage limit sent by the battery controller 134 to the battery charger controller 306 includes the voltage or voltage limit that the battery charger 300 "shall not exceed" when charging the battery 132.

[0046] Once the battery charger connector 310 has been disconnected from the battery connector 142, see step 514, the battery controller 134 will change the status of the "charger detection" pin, e.g., from 1 to 0, see step 516, and return to step 502.

[0047] Figure 7 A state diagram 600 is provided that represents the various states of the battery charger controller 306 before, during, and after a battery charging operation. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the depicted state diagram 600 is merely a model of the computational steps performed by one or more computer programs or applications executed by one or more processors of the battery charger controller 306. Figure 7 The state diagram provides four states, which are: an idle state 602; a connecting state 604; a connected state 606; and a charging state 608.

[0048] Each electronic component of vehicle 100 and battery system 130 that is connected to network system 210 and acts as a participant on the network system can broadcast messages at the baud rate (the rate or speed at which data is transmitted over the network) defined for network system 210. Each message can include an identifier, i.e., a node ID, which links or defines the identity of the participant on system 210 that generated the message, as well as the message to be communicated. When battery charger connector 310 is coupled to battery connector 142, battery charger controller 306 can be coupled to network system 210 via battery system 130. Messages broadcast from a first participant can be received by all nodes or participants connected to the network system, such as via a CAN bus. Each participant can be programmed to decide, for example, based on the identifier or other information encoded in each received message, whether the participant should take an action based on the received message. Thus, each network participant can broadcast or otherwise communicate with one or more other participants of network system 110.

[0049] During idle state 602, battery charger controller 306 continuously polls for message traffic (e.g., CAN messages) on vehicle network system 210 (e.g., the CAN bus). Once battery charger connector 310 has been coupled to battery connector 142, battery charger controller 306 can see messages broadcast from vehicle 100 and / or battery system 130 via network system 210. When battery charger controller 306 begins to see messages on network system 210 and receives and recognizes at least one message having a node ID corresponding to battery controller 142, battery charger controller 306 knows that battery charger connector 310 has been coupled to battery connector 142. At this time, battery charger controller 306 changes from idle state 602 to connecting state 604, see Figure 7 , such that it changes any existing image on screen display 312 (such as "charger ready" image 802, see Figure 9A ) to a "connecting" image 804, see Figure 9B . Any other graphical and / or alphanumeric information indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system can be displayed on screen display 312. Battery charger controller 306 can also activate one or more LEDs 820 on the front of battery charger housing 302 to create a first visual signal. For example, two LEDs 820 can be activated in an alternating manner, e.g., when one LED is on (ON), the other LED is off (OFF), to generate the first visual signal. It is also contemplated that one or more LEDs 820 can be activated in any other way to generate the first visual signal.

[0050] As described above, when the battery controller 134 detects the boot signal, it changes the state of the "charger detection" bit from 0 to 1. Then, the battery controller 134 sends a message containing "charger detection" bit = 1 via the network system (e.g., via the CAN bus). The battery charger controller 306 is programmed to look for and receive the message from the battery controller 134 on the CAN bus, such that when it receives the message with "charger detection" bit = 1, the battery charger controller 306 changes from the "connecting" state 604 to the "connected" state 606, see Figure 7 .

[0051] When in the "connected" state 606, the battery charger controller 306 may change the "connecting" image 804 to the "connected" image 806, see Figure 9C . Any other graphical and / or alphanumeric information indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system may be displayed on the screen display 312.

[0052] The battery charger controller 306 may also activate an alarm speaker 316 forming part of the battery charger 300 to generate audible feedback to the operator, such as a "connected" alarm tone for a predefined period of time (e.g., one second) generated.

[0053] It is contemplated that once the battery charger connector 310 has been coupled to the battery connector 142, the first message with a node ID corresponding to the battery controller that the battery charger controller 306 can see is the message containing "charger detection" bit = 1. In such a case, the battery charger controller 306 may change the screen display 312 from the "charger ready" image 802 to the "connecting" image 804, and then immediately to the "connected" image 806.

[0054] During the following discussion of the flowchart 700 shown in Figure 8 , it will be noted the exit conditions for the battery charger controller 306 to change states 602, 604, 606, and 608. Figure 8 The flowchart 700 in Figure 8 is an example process for operating the battery charger controller 306 before, during, and after a battery charging operation.

[0055] As described above, when in the idle state 602, the battery charger controller 306 continuously polls the message traffic (e.g., CAN messages) on the vehicle network system 210 (e.g., CAN bus), see step 701. Also as described above, once the battery charger connector 310 has been coupled to the battery connector 142, the battery charger controller 306 can see messages broadcast from the vehicle 100 (passed through the battery system 130) and / or the battery system 130 via the network system 210. Once a message is detected, see step 702, the battery charger controller 306 starts a second timer, see step 704. After the second timer has been initiated, the battery charger controller 306 waits to receive a message with a node ID corresponding to the battery controller 134 via the vehicle network system 210. Once a message with a node ID corresponding to the battery controller 134 is received and recognized, see step 706, the battery charger controller 306 transitions to the connecting state 604. After transitioning to the connecting state 604, the second timer is stopped and a third timer is initiated, see step 708. Moreover, once the transition to the connecting state 604 has occurred, the battery charger controller 306 causes the image on the screen display 312 to change from the "charger ready" image 802 (see Figure 9A ) to the "connecting" image 804 (see Figure 9B ), see step 710. The battery charger controller 306 can also activate one or more LEDs 820 to generate a first visual signal, see step 710. If a predetermined period of time (e.g., between 5 - 10 seconds) has passed since the second timer was started and the battery charger controller 306 has not received and recognized a message with a node ID corresponding to the battery controller 134, see step 712, then the battery charger controller 306 transitions to the fault condition state, see step 714. When in the "fault condition" state, the battery charger controller 306 will cause a "charger error" image to be displayed on the screen display 312 and will not affect the charging of the battery 132. Once the battery charger connector 310 has been disconnected from the battery connector 142, the battery charger controller 310 returns to the idle state 602.

[0056] After the third timer has been initiated, the battery charger controller 306 waits to receive a message from the battery controller 134 via the vehicle network system 210 that contains "charger detection" bit = 1, see step 716. Once such a message is received, the battery charger controller 306 transitions from the "connecting" state 604 to the "connected" state 606. After entering the "connected" state 606, the battery charger controller 306 can change the "connecting" image 804 to the "connected" image 806, see Figure 9Cand step 722, and also generate a connected alert tone. After entering the "connected" state 606, the battery charger controller 304 may also stop the third timer and start the fourth timer, see step 724.

[0057] If a predetermined period of time (e.g., between 5 - 10 seconds) has passed since the third timer was started, and the battery charger controller 306 has not received a message with "charger detection" bit = 1, see step 718, then the battery charger controller 306 enters the "fault condition" state, see step 720.

[0058] After starting the fourth timer, the battery charger controller 306 determines whether the following conditions are met, see step 726:

[0059] 1) The battery charger controller 306 detects voltages at the first power contact 310E and the second power contact 310F of the battery charger connector 310, where when the battery connector 142 and the battery charger connector 310 are coupled to each other, the first power contact 310E and the second power contact 310F are connected to the first power conductor and the second power conductor on the battery connector 142;

[0060] 2) The battery status bit = 1 (this bit is sent by the battery controller 134 to the battery charger controller 306 via a CAN message; when the battery status bit equals 1, this indicates that the battery is capable of accepting charging);

[0061] 3) The error bit = 0 (this bit is sent by the battery controller 134 to the battery charger controller 306 via a CAN message; when this bit equals 0, this indicates that there is no error in the battery controller 132);

[0062] 4) The charge complete bit = 0 (when this bit equals 0, it indicates that the battery is not fully charged; this bit is sent to the battery charger controller 306 via a CAN message).

[0063] When all four conditions are met, the battery charger controller 306 changes from the "Connecting" state 606 to the "Charging" state 608. Once the state changes, the battery charger controller 306 initiates battery charging, i.e., the charging circuit 304 supplies a charging current to the battery 132 via the cable 308 and the connector 310, see step 728. The battery charger controller 306 may also activate one or more LEDs 820 on the front of the battery charger housing 302 to create a second visual signal. For example, four LEDs 820 may be activated in a cyclic alternating manner, e.g., when one LED is ON, the other three LEDs are OFF, to generate the second visual signal. It is also contemplated that one or more LEDs 820 may be activated in any other way to generate the second visual signal.

[0064] If a predetermined period of time (e.g., 5 - 10 seconds) has elapsed since the fourth timer was started and all four conditions set in step 726 are not met, see step 730, then the battery charger controller 306 enters the "Fault Condition" state, see step 732.

[0065] When the operator wishes to charge the battery 132, the operator couples the battery charger connector 310 to the battery connector 142. Based on the battery charger controller 306 seeing a message on the network system 210 (e.g., CAN bus) and receiving a message with a node ID corresponding to the battery controller 134, the battery charger controller 306 changes the screen display 312 from displaying the "Charger Ready" image 802 (see Figure 9A ) to the "Connecting" image 804 (see Figure 9B ). From the time the operator couples the battery charger connector 310 to the battery connector 142, e.g., from about 1 second to about 3 seconds from when the coupling occurs, the "Connecting" image 804 can be displayed very quickly on the screen display 312. The "Connecting" image provides the operator with very early feedback indicating that the battery charger connector 310 has been coupled to the battery connector 142 and is sensed by the battery controller 134, but the battery charger controller 306 has not received a connection confirmation from the battery controller 134. Shortly thereafter, once the battery charger controller 306 receives a message from the battery controller 134 with the "Charger Detect" bit = 1, the battery charger controller 306 can change the "Connecting" image 804 to the "Connected" image 806, see Figure 9C, and also generates a connected alert tone, thereby verifying that the battery charger controller 306 has received connection confirmations for connectors 142 and 310 from the battery controller 134. This provides the operator with very early feedback that the battery charger connector 310 has been correctly connected to the battery connector 142. The "Connected" image 804 can be displayed on the screen display 312 within approximately 1 second to 3 seconds from when the operator couples the battery charger connector 310 with the battery connector 142. For example, the early feedback can allow the operator to start walking away from the location where the operator connected the battery charger connector 310 to the battery connector 142 once the operator sees the "Connecting" image and then hears the connected alert tone as confirmation that the battery charger connector 310 has been correctly connected to the battery connector 142. This is an improvement because, compared to the prior art, the feedback provided to the operator is much faster. In the prior art, the operator would need to wait for the "Charging" image to be displayed on the screen display 312, which could take up to 15 seconds after the operator has coupled the battery charger connector with the battery connector.

[0066] In another embodiment, step 710 can be deleted / avoided (see Figure 8 ), such that when transitioning to the "Connected" state 606, the battery charger controller 306 can change the "Charger Ready" image 802 to the "Connected" image 806. Thus, the "Connecting" image 804 is never displayed.

[0067] Accordingly, the foregoing aspects of the present disclosure have been described in detail and reference has been made to its embodiments. It will be apparent that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A battery charger for a battery system, the battery system being adapted to supply power to a vehicle, the battery charger comprises: a housing; a charger connector adapted to be connected to a mating connector of the battery system; a memory storing executable instructions; and a processor in communication with the memory, wherein, when the processor executes the executable instructions: determine that the processor receives identification information from the battery system via the charger connector, the identification information being received by the charger connector via a vehicle network; and after receiving the identification information from the battery system, generate first information indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system.

2. The battery charger according to claim 1, further comprising a screen display, wherein the first information is displayed on the screen display, indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system.

3. The battery charger according to claim 2, wherein the first information displayed on the screen display includes graphical and / or alphanumeric information indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system.

4. The battery charger according to claim 2, further comprising one or more signal emitting devices, wherein when the processor executes the executable instructions: after receiving the identification information from the battery system, generate further first information by activating the one or more signal emitting devices to generate a first visual signal at the one or more signal emitting devices.

5. The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the identification information from the battery system includes a node identification.

6. The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein when the processor executes the executable instructions: determine that the processor receives a charger detection signal from the battery system via the charger connector.

7. The battery charger according to claim 6, wherein when the processor executes the executable instructions: after receiving the charger detection signal, generate second information indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

8. The battery charger according to claim 7, further comprising a screen display, wherein the second information is displayed on the screen display, indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

9. The battery charger according to claim 8, wherein the second information displayed on the screen display includes graphical and / or alphanumeric information indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

10. The battery charger according to claim 9, further comprising a speaker, wherein when the processor executes the executable instructions: after receiving the charger detection signal, generate further second information by causing the speaker to emit a first sound indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

11. The battery charger according to claim 7, further comprising a charging system for recharging the battery system, wherein The second information is generated before the charging system starts the recharge operation on the battery system.

12. A method for providing information about connecting a battery charger to a battery system, the battery system being adapted to supply power to a vehicle, the method comprises: determining, by a processor of the battery charger, to receive identification information from the battery system, the identification information being received by the processor via a vehicle network; and after receiving the identification information from the battery system, generating, by the processor, first information indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprises: causing, by the processor, the first information to be displayed on a screen display, indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first information displayed on the screen display includes graphics and / or alphanumeric information indicating that the battery charger is connecting to the battery system.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprises: after receiving the identification information from the battery system, generating, by the processor, further first information by activating one or more signal emitting devices to generate a first visual signal at the one or more signal emitting devices.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the identification information from the battery system includes a node identification.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprises: determining, by the processor, that the processor receives a charger detection signal from the battery system via the charger connector.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprises: after receiving the charger detection signal, generating, by the processor, second information indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprises: causing, by the processor, the second information to be displayed on a screen display, indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the second information displayed on the screen display includes graphics and / or alphanumeric information indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

21. The method according to claim 17, further comprises: after receiving the charger detection signal, causing, by the processor, a speaker to emit a first sound indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the second information is generated before the charging system starts the recharge operation on the battery system.

23. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first information is generated before the charging system starts the recharge operation on the battery system.

24. A battery charger for a battery system, the battery system being adapted to supply power to a vehicle, the battery charger comprises: a housing; a charger connector adapted to connect to a mating connector of the battery system; a memory storing executable instructions; and A processor communicating with the memory, wherein, when executing the executable instructions, the processor: Determine that the processor receives a charger detection signal from the battery system via the charger connector; and After detecting the charger detection signal, generate information indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

25. The battery charger according to claim 24, further comprising a screen display, wherein, The information is displayed on the screen display, indicating that the battery charger is connected to the battery system.

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