System and method for controlling charging operation of vehicle battery

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for controlling a charging operation of a vehicle battery. A vehicle includes a direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converter, a low voltage battery, a memory, and a processor. The DC-DC converter may be configured to convert high voltage power to low voltage power, and the low voltage battery may be configured to be charged by the DC-DC converter via the low voltage power. The memory may be configured to store input associated with a vehicle user. The processor may be configured to determine that a trigger event has occurred and, in response to determining that the trigger event has occurred, estimate future vehicle usage based on the input. The processor may also control a charging operation of the DC-DC converter on the low voltage battery based on the future vehicle usage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling the charging operation of a vehicle low voltage battery during key-off. Background Art

[0002] Known vehicles include multiple direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converters that enable vehicle components requiring power at different voltages to operate. As an example, many modern vehicles include a high-rated power DC-DC converter that powers most vehicle components / features (e.g., traction, control systems, sensors, lighting, etc.) during vehicle key-on, and a low-rated power DC-DC converter that powers / enables the vehicle low voltage battery during vehicle key-off. The low voltage battery needs to be powered during key-off to ensure that essential vehicle key-off loads continue to operate effectively. Additionally, powering the low voltage battery during key-off ensures that the low voltage battery remains active or does not completely deplete.

[0003] There are known situations where the low-rated power DC-DC converter fails, resulting in no charging or insufficient charging of the low voltage battery. Such situations can be inconvenient for vehicle users. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure describes a vehicle that includes a first direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converter or "main" DC-DC converter, a second DC-DC converter, a high voltage (HV) battery, and a low voltage (LV) battery. The first DC-DC converter may have a greater power / ampere rating than the second DC-DC converter. The first DC-DC converter may be configured to convert HV power obtained from the HV battery into LV power. The first DC-DC converter may be configured to power most vehicle components / features via power obtained from the HV battery during vehicle key-on or when the vehicle engine can be turned on. The LV battery may be configured to power key-off loads during vehicle key-off. In some aspects, when the second DC-DC converter can operate optimally (or is not faulty), the second DC-DC converter may be configured to charge the LV battery during vehicle key-off. As disclosed in the present disclosure, the vehicle may be configured to achieve effective LV battery charging during vehicle key-off by using the first DC-DC converter when the second DC-DC converter may fail.

[0005] In some aspects, in response to determining that the second DC-DC converter may be faulty during vehicle key-off, the vehicle can first turn off non-essential (or non-critical) key-off loads. The vehicle can additionally notify the vehicle user of the faulty second DC-DC converter by transmitting an alert notification to a user device associated with the vehicle user. The vehicle can also determine when the vehicle user is expected to return to the vehicle based on a networked calendar associated with the vehicle user and / or input obtained directly from the vehicle user.

[0006] In response to determining that the vehicle user may return to the vehicle within a predefined duration (e.g., within 1 or 2 days), the vehicle can continuously (or at a high frequency) charge the LV battery with the first DC-DC converter when the LV battery health may be poor. On the other hand, when the LV battery health may be good but the first DC-DC converter health may be poor or the first DC-DC converter run time may be high, the vehicle can charge the LV battery with the first DC-DC converter cyclically. During the cyclic charging operation of the LV battery, when the state of charge (SOC) level of the LV battery may drop below a predefined discharge level from a standard battery SOC level, the first DC-DC converter can charge the LV battery. In some aspects, the vehicle can determine the predefined discharge level based on LV battery health, first DC-DC converter health, ambient temperature, expected vehicle user return time, etc.

[0007] In further aspects, in response to determining that the vehicle user may return to the vehicle within a predefined duration, the vehicle can determine the ambient temperature. When the ambient temperature may be cold, the vehicle can continuously charge the LV battery with the first DC-DC converter. In some aspects, when the first DC-DC converter may charge the LV battery at a cold ambient temperature during vehicle key-off, it may not be necessary to operate the vehicle coolant pump / fan.

[0008] Furthermore, in response to determining that the vehicle user may not return to the vehicle within a predefined duration, the vehicle can transmit a message to the user device that provides the vehicle user with an option to accept a battery depletion mode for the LV battery. In response to the user accepting the option, the vehicle can cause the first DC-DC converter to charge the LV battery to its maximum SOC level and then turn off the vehicle. The vehicle can also prohibit the first DC-DC converter from further charging the LV battery.

[0009] In additional aspects, when the vehicle may be located near a charging point or charger (e.g., at the user's home), the vehicle can request the vehicle user to charge the LV battery using the charging point via the user device. In such a case, the vehicle can refrain from using the first DC-DC converter to charge the LV battery.

[0010] In another aspect, the vehicle may transmit a notification to a vehicle maintenance company, the notification informing the company of the faulty second DC-DC converter. In response to receiving the notification from the vehicle, the vehicle maintenance company may schedule a repair or replacement of the second DC-DC converter.

[0011] The present disclosure discloses a vehicle that enables effective LV battery charging when a second DC-DC converter fails. The vehicle achieves LV battery charging by optimizing LV battery cycling and the operating time of the first DC-DC converter, thereby ensuring that the wear of the LV battery and the first DC-DC converter can be minimized. The vehicle also notifies the vehicle user of the faulty second DC-DC converter, which enables the vehicle user to schedule a repair or replacement in a timely manner.

[0012] These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and / or components other than those shown in the drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout the present disclosure, depending on the context, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably.

[0014] Figure 1 An environment is depicted in which the techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0015] Figure 2 A block diagram of a system for controlling the charging operation of a vehicle battery in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted.

[0016] Figure 3 A snapshot of a message being displayed on a user device in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted.

[0017] Figure 4 A flowchart of a method for controlling the charging operation of a vehicle battery in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and the example embodiments are not intended to be limiting.

[0019] Figure 1Illustrates an exemplary environment 100 in which the techniques and architectures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented. The environment 100 may include a vehicle 102. The vehicle 102 may take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as, for example, an automobile, a work vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a truck, a minivan, etc. Additionally, the vehicle 102 may be a manually driven vehicle and / or may be configured to operate in a fully autonomous (driverless) mode or a partially autonomous mode. In an exemplary aspect, the vehicle 102 may be an electric vehicle (EV).

[0020] The vehicle 102 may include a first direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converter 104 and a second DC-DC converter 106. The first DC-DC converter 104 may be the “main” DC-DC converter of the vehicle 102 and may be electrically coupled to a vehicle high voltage (HV) battery (shown as HV battery 240 in Figure 2 ). The first DC-DC converter 104 may be configured to obtain HV power from the HV battery during vehicle key-on or when the vehicle's ignition may be turned on and convert it to low voltage (LV) power to operate most vehicle components / features. As an example, the first DC-DC converter 104 may power the vehicle's traction, sensors, lighting system, entertainment system, power windows, power steering, heated seating area, etc. In an exemplary aspect, the first DC-DC converter 104 may have a high power or ampere rating (or “first ampere rating”) that may be in the range of 280 to 360 amperes.

[0021] The second DC-DC converter 106 may be a secondary or “protected” DC-DC converter of the vehicle 102 and may operate during vehicle key-off or when the first DC-DC converter 104 may fail / become inoperable (to enable the operation of essential vehicle components / features such as power steering, vehicle retarder, etc.). The second DC-DC converter 106 may be configured to obtain power from a vehicle energy storage device (e.g., the HV battery) and convert it to LV power. The second DC-DC converter 104 may have a low power or ampere rating (or “second ampere rating”) that may be less than 20 or 30 amperes. The LV power provided by the second DC-DC converter 106 may be used to power / energize / charge the vehicle LV battery 108 during vehicle key-off, which may be configured to power vehicle key-off loads. In an exemplary aspect, the LV battery 108 may be a 12-volt battery (or a low voltage battery in a similar range).

[0022] Since the second ampere rating is significantly less than the first ampere rating, it is preferred to use the second DC-DC converter 106 to charge the LV battery 108 during vehicle key-off compared to using the first DC-DC converter 104. This is because the first DC-DC converter 104 may require significant cooling during operation (due to its high power / ampere rating), which may not be optimal / effective during vehicle key-off. Specifically, to optimally operate the first DC-DC converter 104 to charge the LV battery 108, a vehicle cooling pump / fan (not shown) may be required to operate to cool the first DC-DC converter 104. Operating such a vehicle cooling pump / fan during vehicle key-off may consume a large amount of HV battery energy, and thus preferably, the second DC-DC converter 106 rather than the first DC-DC converter 104 charges the LV battery 108 during vehicle key-off, especially when both the first DC-DC converter 104 and the second DC-DC converter 106 are operable.

[0023] In some aspects, when the second DC-DC converter 106 may be faulty, the first DC-DC converter 104 can be used to charge the LV battery 108 during vehicle key-off, as described above.

[0024] The vehicle 102 can be configured to optimize the charging operation of the LV battery 108 when the second DC-DC converter 106 fails or becomes inoperable during vehicle key-off. In other words, the vehicle 102 can be configured to optimize the LV battery charging operation when the second DC-DC converter 106 may not be available to charge the LV battery 108 during vehicle key-off. In some aspects, when the second DC-DC converter 106 may be inoperable, the vehicle 102 can implement one or more different methods / approaches to charge the LV battery 108 during vehicle key-off, as briefly described below and in conjunction with Figure 2 described in detail.

[0025] In response to determining that the second DC-DC converter 106 may be inoperable during vehicle key-off, the vehicle 102 can first turn off all non-essential (or non-critical) key-off loads to conserve energy in the LV battery 108. For example, the vehicle 102 can enter a battery-saving mode or a critical energy mode and turn off front-end features / components (i.e., the vehicle's frunk may not be accessible from outside the vehicle 102), rear-end features / components (i.e., the vehicle's rear hatch may not be operable from outside the vehicle 102), etc.

[0026] Vehicle 102 may also transmit an alert notification to a user device 110 associated with the vehicle user to notify the vehicle user of the fault status of the second DC-DC converter 106. In response to determining that the second DC-DC converter 106 may be inoperable, vehicle 102 may also output another alert notification (e.g., a battery error notification) on a vehicle human machine interface (HMI) (shown as HMI 238 in Figure 2 ).

[0027] Vehicle 102 may also obtain one or more inputs / parameters associated with the vehicle user, the LV battery health status, the first DC-DC converter health status and / or runtime, the ambient temperature, the vehicle geographical location, the HV battery state of charge (SOC), etc., to optimally charge the LV battery 108 using the first DC-DC converter 104, or request the vehicle user to charge the LV battery 108 by using a charging point located near vehicle 102. In some aspects, the input associated with the vehicle user may include the expected time when the vehicle user may return to vehicle 102 or the expected time when the vehicle user may turn on the vehicle engine.

[0028] In some aspects, when vehicle 102 determines that the vehicle user may return to vehicle 102 within a predefined duration (e.g., within 1 or 2 days), vehicle 102 may cause the first DC-DC converter 104 to charge the LV battery 108 continuously or at a high frequency when the LV battery health may be poor (or below the battery health threshold). Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that when the first DC-DC converter 104 charges the LV battery 108 continuously or at a high frequency, the "depth of discharge" of the LV battery 108 may be low, and thus the wear during battery charging operations may also be low.

[0029] On the other hand, when vehicle 102 determines that the vehicle user can return to vehicle 102 within a predefined duration and the LV battery health may be good (or above the battery health threshold), vehicle 102 can check the health status and / or runtime and / or HV battery SOC of the first DC-DC converter. Vehicle 102 can charge the LV battery 108 cyclically (instead of continuously) with the first DC-DC converter 104 when the first DC-DC converter health may be poor (or below the predefined converter health threshold), the first DC-DC converter may be greater than the runtime threshold (or the remaining converter runtime may be less) and / or the HV battery SOC may be less than the HV SOC threshold. Specifically, in this case, when the low-voltage battery SOC level drops below the predefined discharge SOC level from the standard SOC level, vehicle 102 can charge the LV battery 108 with the first DC-DC converter 104. For example, if the standard SOC level is 90% and the predefined discharge SOC level is 70%, then when the low-voltage battery SOC level drops below 20%, vehicle 102 can charge the LV battery 108 with the first DC-DC converter 104. In this case, the first DC-DC converter 104 can charge the LV battery 108 to a SOC level of 90% (or until the standard SOC level), and then stop charging. Then, the LV battery 108 can gradually consume the stored energy by powering the key-off loads, and when the SOC level drops below 20%, the first DC-DC converter 104 can charge the LV battery 108 again. In this way, the first DC-DC converter 104 charges the LV battery 108 cyclically rather than continuously in this manner.

[0030] In some aspects, vehicle 102 can determine the predefined discharge SOC level based on the first DC-DC converter health and the LV battery health, so that vehicle 102 can optimize or balance the LV battery charging and discharging (or the LV battery "cycling") and the first DC-DC converter runtime.

[0031] In another aspect, when vehicle 102 determines that the vehicle user may return to vehicle 102 within a predefined duration and the ambient temperature may be lower than a predefined temperature threshold (i.e., the ambient weather may be cold), vehicle 102 may cause the first DC-DC converter 104 to continuously charge the LV battery 108. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that when the ambient weather may be cold, when the first DC-DC converter 104 charges the LV battery 108 during vehicle key-off, a coolant pump / fan may not be required to operate and cool the first DC-DC converter 104, and thus the first DC-DC converter 104 may effectively charge the LV battery 108 with substantially no consumption of the HV battery (due to the inoperation of the coolant pump).

[0032] When vehicle 102 determines that the vehicle user may not return to vehicle 102 within a predefined duration, vehicle 102 may transmit a predefined message to the user device 110, thereby notifying the vehicle user of the estimated number of days that vehicle 102 / LV battery 108 may remain active or powered on, the estimated LV battery life that has been lost, and the option to enter the battery depletion mode for the LV battery 108. The message may indicate to the vehicle user that since the vehicle user may not return to vehicle 102 within a predefined duration (e.g., may not return within several weeks), it is advisable to enter the battery depletion mode for the LV battery 108 and perform a depleted battery restart when the vehicle user returns to vehicle 102, rather than charging / discharging the LV battery 108 and operating the first DC-DC converter 104 for several weeks (which may stress the LV battery 108 and / or the first DC-DC converter 104).

[0033] In response to obtaining the predefined message, the vehicle user may transmit a confirmation to vehicle 102 via the user device 110. The confirmation may indicate that the user agrees to enter the battery depletion mode for the LV battery 108. Vehicle 102 may obtain the confirmation from the user device 110 and then may cause the first DC-DC converter 104 to charge the LV battery 108 to its maximum SOC level before turning off vehicle 102 or power consumption in vehicle 102. Vehicle 102 may also prohibit the first DC-DC converter 104 from further charging the LV battery 108. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that this method minimizes the wear of the LV battery 108 and the first DC-DC converter 104 when the vehicle user may be away from vehicle 102 for several weeks and may potentially prevent any further vehicle component failures while also maintaining the HV battery SOC level during the user's long absence.

[0034] In a further aspect, when vehicle 102 may be located at the user's home or any other location where a charging point is accessible (such as determined via the vehicle's geographical location), vehicle 102 may transmit a request to the user device 110 to request the vehicle user to charge the LV battery 108 using a charging point that may be located near vehicle 102. In such a case, vehicle 102 may request the vehicle user to charge the LV battery 108 using the charging point instead of using the first DC-DC converter 104 until the vehicle user arranges for the repair / replacement of the faulty second DC-DC converter 106. When vehicle 102 may be located near a charging point, vehicle 102 may implement this method. When vehicle 102 may not be located near a charging point, vehicle 102 may implement one or more of the other methods described above.

[0035] Further details of the vehicle are described below in conjunction with Figure 2 the description.

[0036] Vehicle 102 implements and / or performs operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the owner's manual and safety guidelines. Additionally, any actions taken by the vehicle user based on recommendations or notifications provided by vehicle 102 should comply with all rules specific to the location of vehicle 102 (e.g., federal, state, country, city, etc.) and the operation. Recommendations or notifications provided by vehicle 102 should be considered as suggestions and are followed only in accordance with any rules specific to the location and operation of vehicle 102.

[0037] Figure 2 A block diagram of a system 200 for controlling the charging operation of the LV battery 108 in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted. In the description Figure 2 will refer to Figure 3 .

[0038] System 200 may include a vehicle 102, a user device 202, and one or more servers 204 (or servers 204) communicatively coupled to each other via one or more networks 206 (or network 206). User device 202 may be the same as user device 110 and may be associated with the vehicle user. User device 202 may be, for example, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a computer, a tablet, a wearable device, or any other similar device having communication capabilities.

[0039] Server 204 can be part of a cloud-based computing infrastructure and can be associated with and / or include a telematics service delivery network (SDN) that provides digital data services to vehicle 102 and other vehicles (not shown) that may be part of a fleet of vehicles. In additional aspects, server 204 can be associated with a company that provides maintenance and repair services to vehicle 102. In further aspects, server 204 can be configured to store the locations of multiple charging points or chargers in the geographical area where vehicle 102 may be located and provide the locations to vehicle 102. The charging point / charger can be used to charge the LV battery 108 when needed.

[0040] Network 206 illustrates an example communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure can communicate. Network 206 can be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or other configurations operating using any one or more known communication protocols, such as, for example, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), BLE, Wi-Fi based on Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), and cellular technologies such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPDA), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and Fifth Generation (5G), to name just a few examples.

[0041] Vehicle 102 can include multiple units, including but not limited to automotive computer 208, vehicle control unit (VCU) 210, and battery charging unit 212 (or unit 212). VCU 210 can include multiple electronic control units (ECUs) 214 that are arranged to communicate with automotive computer 208.

[0042] In some aspects, user device 202 can be configured to connect to automotive computer 208 and / or unit 212 via network 206, which can communicate via one or more wireless connections, and / or the user device can connect directly to vehicle 102 by using the Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol, protocol, Wi-Fi, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), and other possible data connection and sharing technologies.

[0043] According to the present disclosure, the automotive computer 208 and / or the unit 212 can be installed anywhere in the vehicle 102. Additionally, the automotive computer 208 can operate as a functional part of the unit 212. The automotive computer 208 can be or include an electronic vehicle controller having one or more processors 216 and a memory 218. Additionally, the unit 212 can be separate from the automotive computer 208 (as Figure 2 shown), or can be integrated as part of the automotive computer 208.

[0044] The processor 216 can be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., the memory 218 and / or Figure 2 one or more external databases not shown in the figure) that are configured to communicate with a corresponding computing system. The processor 216 can utilize the memory 218 to store programs in the form of code and / or store data to perform aspects in accordance with the present disclosure. The memory 218 can be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores battery charge management program code. The memory 218 can include any one or a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), and can include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0045] According to some aspects, the VCU 210 can share a power bus with the automotive computer 208 and can be configured and / or programmed to communicate in a vehicle system, with a connected server (e.g., the server 204), and with other vehicles operating as part of a vehicle fleet ( Figure 2Coordinate data among (not shown in the figure). The VCU 210 may include any combination of or communicate with the ECUs 214, such as, for example, a body control module (BCM) 220, an engine control module (ECM) 222, a transmission control module (TCM) 224, a telematics control unit (TCU) 226, a driver assistance technology (DAT) controller 228, etc. The VCU 210 may also include and / or communicate with a vehicle perception system (VPS) 230, which can connect and / or control one or more vehicle sensing systems 232. The vehicle sensing system 232 may include one or more vehicle sensors, including but not limited to radio detection and ranging (RADAR or "radar") sensors configured to detect and locate objects inside and outside the vehicle 102 using radio waves, seat area latch sensors, seat area sensors, light detection and ranging ("lidar") sensors, door sensors, proximity sensors, temperature sensors, wheel sensors, one or more ambient weather or temperature sensors, vehicle interior and exterior cameras, steering wheel sensors, vehicle accelerometers, vehicle gyroscopes, vehicle magnetometers, etc.

[0046] In some aspects, the VCU 210 may control vehicle operation aspects and implement one or more instruction sets received from the server 204, one or more instruction sets stored in the memory 218, including instructions operating as part of the unit 212.

[0047] The TCU 226 may be configured and / or programmed to provide vehicle connectivity to wireless computing systems on and outside the vehicle 102, and may include a navigation (NAV) receiver 234 for receiving and processing GPS signals, a Bluetooth low energy module (BLEM) 236, a Wi-Fi transceiver, an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver, and / or other wireless transceivers that may be capable of being configured for wireless communication (including cellular communication) between the vehicle 102 and other systems (such as, for example, a vehicle key fob ( Figure 2 (not shown in the figure), the server 204, the user device 202, etc.), computers, and modules. Figure 2 The TCU 226 may be arranged to communicate with the ECU 214 via a bus.

[0048] The ECU 214 may control various aspects of vehicle operation and communication using inputs from a human driver, inputs from the automotive computer 208, the unit 212, and / or wireless signal input / command signals received via a wireless connection from other connected devices (such as the server 204, the user device 202, etc.).

[0049] The BCM 220 generally includes an integration of sensors, vehicle performance indicators, and a variable reactor associated with a vehicle system, and may include a processor-based power distribution circuit that can control functions associated with the vehicle body (such as lights, windows, safety devices, cameras, audio systems, speakers, wipers, door locks and access controls, various comfort controls, etc.). The BCM 220 can also operate as a gateway for bus and network interfaces to interact with remote ECUs ( Figure 2 not shown in the figure).

[0050] The DAT controller 228 can provide level 1 to level 3 automated driving and driver assistance functions, which can include, for example, active parking assistance, vehicle reverse assistance, and / or adaptive cruise control, etc. The DAT controller 228 can also provide aspects of user and environmental inputs that can be used for user authentication.

[0051] In some aspects, the automotive computer 208 can be connected to an infotainment system or a vehicle human-machine interface (HMI) 238. The HMI 238 can include a touchscreen interface portion and can include voice recognition features, biometric capabilities to identify users based on facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, or other biometric means. In other aspects, the HMI 238 can also be configured to receive user instructions via the touchscreen interface portion and / or output or display notifications, navigation maps, etc. on the touchscreen interface portion.

[0052] The computing system architectures of the automotive computer 208, VCU 210, and / or unit 212 can omit certain computing modules. It should be readily understood that Figure 2 the computing environment depicted in the figure is an example of a possible implementation according to the present disclosure and should not be considered restrictive or exclusive.

[0053] In addition to the LV battery 108, the first DC-DC converter 104, and the second DC-DC converter 106, the vehicle 102 can also include an HV battery 240, as described above in connection with Figure 1 In some aspects, the first DC-DC converter 104 can obtain HV power from the HV battery 240 and convert it to LV power. When the first DC-DC converter 104 may charge the LV battery 108 during vehicle key-off (e.g., when the second DC-DC converter 106 may be faulty, as described above in connection with Figure 1 the figure), the LV battery 108 can be charged via the LV power provided by the first DC-DC converter 104.

[0054] According to some aspects, unit 212 may be integrated with and / or perform as part of ECU 214. Unit 212, whether integrated with automotive computer 208 or ECU 214 or operating as a stand-alone computing system in vehicle 102, may include transceiver 242, processor 244, and computer-readable memory 246.

[0055] Transceiver 242 may be configured to receive information / input from one or more external devices or systems (e.g., user device 202, server 204, etc.) via network 206. Additionally, transceiver 242 may transmit notifications, requests, signals, etc. to external devices or systems. Further, transceiver 242 may be configured to receive information / input from vehicle components such as vehicle sensing system 232, one or more ECUs 214, first and second DC-DC converters 104, 106, etc. Additionally, transceiver 242 may transmit signals (e.g., command signals) or notifications to vehicle components such as BCM 220, HMI 238, first and second DC-DC converters 104, 106, etc.

[0056] Processor 244 and memory 246 may be the same as or similar to processor 216 and memory 218, respectively. In some aspects, processor 244 may utilize memory 246 to store programs in code form and / or store data to perform according to aspects of the present disclosure. Memory 246 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory storing battery charge management program code. In some aspects, memory 246 may additionally store one or more inputs associated with a vehicle user. In an exemplary aspect, an input associated with a vehicle user may include an estimated time of vehicle key activation or an estimated time of the user's return to vehicle 102 (e.g., when the vehicle user may be away from vehicle 102). In some aspects, memory 246 may obtain an input associated with a vehicle user from a user calendar connected to vehicle 102 or directly from the vehicle user via HMI 238 and / or user device 202. In additional aspects, memory 246 stores information associated with a historical pattern of vehicle use, and processor 244 may determine an estimated time of vehicle key activation or an estimated time of the user's return to vehicle 102 based on the information associated with the historical pattern of vehicle use.

[0057] In operation, the processor 244 may determine that a trigger event may have occurred based on inputs obtained from one or more ECUs 214. In some aspects, when the second DC-DC converter 106 becomes faulty or inoperable during vehicle key-off (or a fault in the second DC-DC converter 106 carries over from vehicle key-on to key-off), the processor 244 may determine that a trigger event may have occurred. In response to determining that a trigger event may have occurred during vehicle key-off, the processor 244 may estimate future vehicle usage based on inputs associated with the vehicle user and / or information associated with historical patterns of vehicle usage (which may be stored in the memory 246, as described above). Specifically, in response to determining that a trigger event may have occurred during vehicle key-off, the processor 244 may estimate the time at which the vehicle user may return to the vehicle 102 (and turn on the vehicle engine) based on inputs associated with the vehicle user and / or information associated with historical patterns of vehicle usage. In some aspects, the processor 244 may control the charging operation of the first DC-DC converter 104 for the LV battery 108 based on the estimated future vehicle usage or the estimated time at which the vehicle user may return to the vehicle 102.

[0058] When the second DC-DC converter 106 becomes faulty or inoperable, the processor 244 may implement one or more different methods / approaches to charge the LV battery 108 during vehicle key-off, as described below. The methods / approaches described below should not be construed as limiting, and the processor 244 may implement one or more different approaches or a combination of the approaches described below to effectively charge the LV battery 108 during vehicle key-off.

[0059] In some aspects, in response to determining that a trigger event may have occurred, the processor 244 may put the vehicle 102 into a battery-saving mode or a critical energy mode and may turn off / shut down all non-essential (or non-critical) key-off loads to conserve energy in the LV battery 108, as described above in connection with Figure 1 what is described. The processor 244 may also transmit a first alert notification to the user device 202 via the transceiver 242 to notify the vehicle user of the faulty second DC-DC converter 106. In some aspects, when the vehicle user receives the first alert notification on the user device 202, the vehicle user may schedule a repair or replacement of the faulty second DC-DC converter 106. In additional aspects, in response to determining that a trigger event may have occurred, the processor 244 may output a second alert notification (e.g., an LV battery error notification) on the HMI 238.

[0060] In another aspect, the processor 244 may obtain one or more real-time inputs or parameters associated with the vehicle 102 and / or one or more vehicle components, and determine an optimal way to charge the LV battery 108 to optimize LV battery health, first DC-DC converter health, and / or runtime. For example, the processor 244 may obtain information associated with the low-voltage battery health state from the LV battery 108 (or one or more ECUs 214), information associated with the first DC-DC converter health state and runtime from the first DC-DC converter 104 (or one or more ECUs 214), information associated with the ambient temperature from an ambient temperature sensor included in the vehicle sensing system 232, the real-time vehicle geographical location from the NAV receiver 234, etc. In response to obtaining the above inputs / information / parameters and estimating the time when the vehicle user may return to the vehicle 102, the processor 244 may determine an optimal strategy / way to charge the LV battery 108 by using the first DC-DC converter 104, as described below.

[0061] In some aspects, when the processor 244 determines that the vehicle user may expect to return to or use the vehicle 102 within a predefined duration (e.g., within one to two days, as determined via estimated future vehicle use), the processor 244 may determine the low-voltage battery health based on the information associated with the low-voltage battery health state. When the processor 244 determines that the low-voltage battery health may be poor or less than a predefined health threshold, the processor 244 may cause the first DC-DC converter 104 to charge the LV battery 108 continuously or at a frequency greater than a predefined frequency threshold. One of ordinary skill in the art can understand that when the first DC-DC converter 104 charges the LV battery 108 continuously (or at a higher frequency), the discharge level or "depth" of the LV battery 108 may be lower, and thus the wear of the LV battery 108 may be less. In this way, when the processor 244 determines that the LV battery health may have been poor, the processor 244 prevents the LV battery health from deteriorating further.

[0062] On the other hand, when the processor 244 determines that the vehicle user may expect to return to or use the vehicle 102 within a predefined duration (based on future vehicle usage) and the low-voltage battery health may be good or greater than a predefined health threshold, the processor 244 may determine the first DC-DC converter health based on the information associated with the first DC-DC converter health state and determine the first DC-DC converter runtime based on the information associated with the first DC-DC converter runtime. When the processor 244 determines that the first DC-DC converter health may be poor or less than a predefined converter health threshold and / or the first DC-DC converter runtime may be greater than a predefined runtime threshold, the processor 244 may cause the first DC-DC converter 104 to charge the LV battery 108 "cyclically" (instead of continuously charging it). Specifically, in this case, in response to determining that the first DC-DC converter health may be less than a predefined converter health threshold and / or the first DC-DC converter runtime may be greater than a predefined runtime threshold, when the LV battery SOC level drops below a predefined discharge SOC level below the standard SOC level, the processor 244 may cause the first DC-DC converter 104 to charge the LV battery 108, as described above in connection with Figure 1 stated. When the LV battery SOC level reaches the standard SOC level, the processor 244 may also cause the first DC-DC converter to stop charging the LV battery 108. When the LV battery SOC level drops below the difference between the standard SOC level and the predefined discharge SOC level, the processor 244 may cause the first DC-DC converter to charge the LV battery 108 again. In this way, the processor 244 may cause the first DC-DC converter 104 to charge the LV battery 108 "cyclically".

[0063] Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that by charging the LV battery 108 cyclically (instead of continuously) using the first DC-DC converter 104, the processor 244 can ensure a lower runtime and / or lower wear of the first DC-DC converter 104.

[0064] In some aspects, the processor 244 may determine an optimal predefined discharge SOC level (or optimal "depth of discharge") of the LV battery 108 based on information associated with the health state of the LV battery and information associated with the health state of the first DC-DC converter. The processor 244 may additionally determine the optimal predefined discharge SOC level based on the ambient temperature and the estimated time for the user to return to the vehicle 102. The processor 244 may determine the predefined discharge SOC level such that the LV battery charging time or battery cycles and the first DC-DC converter operating time can be optimized. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that a larger discharge SOC level may result in higher wear of the LV battery 108 and lower operating time of the first DC-DC converter 104. On the other hand, a smaller discharge SOC level may result in longer operating time of the first DC-DC converter 104 and potentially less wear of the LV battery 108.

[0065] In additional aspects, when the processor 244 determines that the vehicle user may expect to return to or use the vehicle 102 within a predefined duration based on future vehicle use, the processor 244 may determine the ambient temperature in the geographical area in which the vehicle 102 may be located (based on information associated with the ambient temperature) and determine the first DC-DC converter operating time based on information associated with the first DC-DC converter operating time. When the processor 244 determines that the ambient temperature may be lower than a predefined temperature threshold (i.e., the ambient temperature may be cold) and the first DC-DC converter operating time may be less than a predefined operating time threshold (i.e., when the first DC-DC converter 104 may have sufficient remaining operating time / life), the processor 244 may cause the first DC-DC converter 104 to continuously charge the LV battery 108. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that when the ambient temperature may be cold, it may not be necessary to operate the coolant pump / fan when the first DC-DC converter 104 charges the LV battery 108 during vehicle key-off, and thus, vehicle energy consumption can be optimized.

[0066] In some aspects, when the processor 244 determines that the vehicle user may not be expected to return to or use the vehicle 102 within a predefined duration based on future vehicle usage (i.e., may not return to the vehicle 102 for, e.g., several weeks), the processor 244 may transmit a predefined message to the user device 202 via the transceiver 242. The predefined message may indicate to the vehicle user that since the vehicle user may not return to the vehicle 102 within the predefined duration (e.g., may not return for several weeks), it may be desirable to put the LV battery 108 into a battery depletion mode and perform a depleted battery restart when the vehicle user returns to the vehicle 102, rather than charging / discharging the LV battery 108 and operating the first DC-DC converter 104 for several weeks (which may stress the LV battery 108 and / or the first DC-DC converter 104), as described above in connection with Figure 1 The predefined message may also provide the vehicle user with an option to put the LV battery 108 into a battery depletion mode, as shown in view 302 of Figure 3 . In some aspects, the predefined message may additionally notify the vehicle user of the estimated number of days the vehicle 102 / LV battery 108 may remain active or powered on, the estimated LV battery life that has been lost, etc.

[0067] The vehicle user may view the predefined message / option on the user device 202 and accept the option to put the LV battery 108 into a battery depletion mode on the user device 202. When the vehicle user accepts the option on the user device 202, the processor 244 may obtain a confirmation from the user device 202 via the transceiver 242. In response to obtaining the confirmation, the processor 244 may cause the first DC-DC converter 104 to charge the LV battery 108 to its maximum battery SOC level and then prohibit the first DC-DC converter 104 from further charging the LV battery 108. The processor 244 may also shut down the vehicle 102 or vehicle power consumption.

[0068] In this case, when the vehicle user returns to the vehicle 102, the vehicle user may jump-start the vehicle 102 via the LV battery port (unless the vehicle user returns before the LV battery 108 has completely depleted its stored energy). Since the vehicle 102 may be completely shut down in this method, the LV battery 108 may remain active for a longer duration. The advantage of this method is that only a few amperes may be required to recharge the LV battery 108, rather than higher amperes when the battery is completely depleted in a fully depleted battery scenario. This method minimizes the wear on the LV battery 108 and / or the first DC-DC converter 104 and prevents other vehicle components from failing, while also maintaining the HV battery SOC in the case of a long user absence.

[0069] In another aspect, the processor 244 may be configured to determine that the vehicle 102 may be located near a charging point based on the real-time vehicle geographical location and information associated with the locations of multiple charging points or chargers in the geographical area where the vehicle 102 may be located, which the processor 244 may obtain from the server 204. In response to determining that the vehicle 102 may be located near a charging point (e.g., at the user's home), the processor 244 may transmit, via the transceiver 242, a request to the user device 202 to request the vehicle user to charge the LV battery 108 using the charging point. In this case, the processor 244 may not use the first DC-DC converter 104 to charge the LV battery 108 and instead may use the charging point to charge the LV battery 108 until the vehicle user arranges for the replacement or repair of the faulty second DC-DC converter 106.

[0070] In some aspects, when the expected time to repair the faulty second DC-DC converter 106 may be less (e.g., less than a predefined threshold), the processor 244 may continue to operate some necessary vehicle key-off loads. In another aspect, when the processor 244 determines that the second DC-DC converter 106 may be faulty, the processor 244 may transmit, via the transceiver 242 and the network 206 or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and / or vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, a maintenance notice to the server 204 or a user device associated with a vehicle maintenance company. In this case, the vehicle maintenance company may repair the second DC-DC converter 106 and / or arrange for a portable jump-start service / hardware component before the vehicle user returns to the vehicle 102.

[0071] Figure 4 A flowchart of a method 400 for controlling the charging operation of the LV battery 108 according to the present disclosure is depicted. The description may continue with reference to the previous figures. Figure 4 The following process is exemplary and is not limited to the steps described below. Additionally, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps than those shown or described herein and may include these steps in a different order than the order described in the following exemplary embodiments.

[0072] Method 400 begins at step 402. At step 404, method 400 may include: determining by the processor 244 that a trigger event may have occurred. At step 406, method 400 may include estimating future vehicle usage by the processor 244 based on an input associated with the vehicle user. At step 408, method 400 may include controlling, by the processor 244, the charging operation of the LV battery 108 by the first DC-DC converter 104 based on future vehicle usage, as described above in connection with Figure 1 and Figure 2 .

[0073] Method 400 may end at step 410.

[0074] In the foregoing disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the foregoing disclosure and which illustrate specific implementations in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in this specification to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "example embodiment", etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, those skilled in the art will recognize such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments.

[0075] Furthermore, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be performed in one or more of the following: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and programs described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to particular system components. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components that differ in name but not in function.

[0076] It should also be understood that the word "example" as used herein is inherently intended to be non-exclusive and non-restrictive. More specifically, the word "example" as used herein indicates one of a number of examples and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is given to the particular example described.

[0077] A computer-readable medium (also referred to as a processor-readable medium) includes any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media may take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media and volatile media. A computing device may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may be capable of being executed by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0078] Regarding the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes etc. have been described as occurring in accordance with a certain ordered sequence, such processes may be practiced with the steps described in a different order than that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the description of the processes herein is provided for purposes of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0079] Accordingly, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but should be determined with reference to the appended claims and the entire scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and expected that the technology discussed herein will evolve in the future, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In summary, it should be understood that this application is capable of modification and change.

[0080] Unless expressly stated to the contrary herein, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art as described herein. Specifically, unless the claims recite a clear limitation to the contrary, the use of the singular articles such as "a", "the", and "said" should be construed to recite one or more of the indicated elements. Conditional language, such as, but not limited to, "can", "could", "might", or "may", unless specifically stated otherwise or otherwise understood within the context in which it is used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments can include certain features, elements, and / or steps, while other embodiments may not include certain features, elements, and / or steps. Thus, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments necessarily require each feature, element, and / or step.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the processor is further configured to: determine, based on the future vehicle usage, that the vehicle user is not expected to use the vehicle within a predefined duration; in response to determining that the vehicle user is not expected to use the vehicle within the predefined duration, transmit a predefined message to a user device associated with the vehicle user; obtain an acknowledgement from the user device in response to transmitting the predefined message; in response to obtaining the acknowledgement, cause the first DC-DC converter to charge the low-voltage battery to a maximum battery SOC level; prohibit the first DC-DC converter from further charging the low-voltage battery; and shut down the power consumption in the vehicle.

[0082] According to an embodiment, the processor is further configured to: determine, based on the vehicle geographical location, that the vehicle is near a charging point; and in response to determining that the vehicle is near the charging point, transmit a request to charge the low-voltage battery using the charging point to a user device associated with the vehicle user.

[0083] According to an embodiment, the processor is further configured to transmit a maintenance notification to a server or a user device associated with a vehicle maintenance company in response to determining that the trigger event has occurred.

[0084] According to the present invention, a method for controlling a charging operation of a low-voltage battery of a vehicle includes: determining, by a processor, that a trigger event has occurred; estimating, by the processor in response to determining that the trigger event has occurred, future vehicle usage based on an input associated with a vehicle user; and controlling, by the processor based on the future vehicle usage, the charging operation of the low-voltage battery of the vehicle by a DC-DC converter of the vehicle, wherein the DC-DC converter is configured to convert high-voltage power into low-voltage power, and wherein the low-voltage battery is configured to be charged by the DC-DC converter via the low-voltage power.

[0085] According to the present invention, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: determine that a trigger event has occurred; estimate future vehicle usage of the vehicle based on an input associated with a vehicle user in response to determining that the trigger event has occurred; and control the charging operation of the low-voltage battery of the vehicle by a DC-DC converter of the vehicle based on the future vehicle usage, wherein the DC-DC converter is configured to convert high-voltage power into low-voltage power, and wherein the low-voltage battery is configured to be charged by the DC-DC converter via the low-voltage power.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising: A first direct current to direct current (DC - DC) converter configured to convert high - voltage power to low - voltage power; A low - voltage battery configured to be charged by the first DC - DC converter via the low - voltage power; A memory configured to store inputs associated with a vehicle user; And A processor communicatively coupled to the first DC - DC converter, the low - voltage battery, and the memory, wherein the processor is configured to: Determine that a trigger event has occurred; Estimate future vehicle usage based on the input in response to determining that the trigger event has occurred; and Control the charging operation of the first DC - DC converter for the low - voltage battery based on the future vehicle usage.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a second DC - DC converter configured to charge the low - voltage battery during vehicle key - off.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the first DC - DC converter is associated with a first ampere rating and the second DC - DC converter is associated with a second ampere rating, and wherein the first ampere rating is greater than the second ampere rating.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the processor determines that the trigger event has occurred when the second DC - DC converter cannot operate during vehicle key - off.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to turn off one or more key - off vehicle loads in response to determining that the trigger event has occurred.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a first alert notification to a user device associated with the vehicle user in response to determining that the trigger event has occurred.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to output a second alert notification to a vehicle human - machine interface (HMI) in response to determining that the trigger event has occurred.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the input associated with the vehicle user includes an estimated time of vehicle key - on or an estimated time of the user's return to the vehicle.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a high - voltage battery, wherein the first DC - DC converter obtains the high - voltage power from the high - voltage battery.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain at least one of the following: information associated with the state of health of the low - voltage battery, information associated with the state of health of the first DC - DC converter, information associated with the operating time of the first DC - DC converter, information associated with the ambient temperature, and the vehicle geographical location.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: Determine that the vehicle user is expected to use the vehicle within a predefined duration based on the future vehicle usage; In response to determining that the vehicle user expects to use the vehicle within the predefined duration, determine that the low-voltage battery health is less than a predefined health threshold based on the information associated with the state of health of the low-voltage battery; and In response to determining that the low-voltage battery health is below the predefined health threshold, cause the first DC-DC converter to charge the low-voltage battery continuously or at a frequency greater than a predefined frequency threshold.

12. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: Determine that the vehicle user expects to use the vehicle within a predefined duration based on the future vehicle usage; In response to determining that the vehicle user expects to use the vehicle within the predefined duration, determine that the low-voltage battery health is greater than a predefined health threshold based on the information associated with the state of health of the low-voltage battery; In response to determining that the low-voltage battery health is greater than the predefined health threshold, determine that the first DC-DC converter health is less than a predefined converter health threshold or the first DC-DC converter run time is greater than a predefined run time threshold based on the information associated with the state of health of the first DC-DC converter and the information associated with the first DC-DC converter run time; and In response to determining that the first DC-DC converter health is less than the predefined converter health threshold or the first DC-DC converter run time is greater than the predefined run time threshold, cause the first DC-DC converter to charge the low-voltage battery when the state of charge (SOC) level of the low-voltage battery drops below a standard SOC level by a predefined discharge SOC level.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the first DC-DC converter to stop charging the low-voltage battery when the SOC level of the low-voltage battery reaches the standard SOC level.

14. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the predefined discharge SOC level based on the information associated with the state of health of the low-voltage battery and the information associated with the state of health of the first DC-DC converter.

15. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: Determine that the vehicle user expects to use the vehicle within a predefined duration based on the future vehicle usage; In response to determining that the vehicle user expects to use the vehicle within the predefined duration, determine that the ambient temperature is less than a predefined temperature threshold based on the information associated with the ambient temperature; In response to determining that the ambient temperature is less than the predefined temperature threshold, determine that the first DC-DC converter run time is less than a predefined run time threshold based on the information associated with the first DC-DC converter run time; and In response to determining that the first DC-DC converter run time is less than the predefined run time threshold, cause the first DC-DC converter to charge the low-voltage battery continuously.

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