Underpower protection method for auxiliary battery of vehicle and vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides an under-voltage protection method for an auxiliary battery of a vehicle and the vehicle, and relates to the technical field of vehicle-mounted batteries. According to the method, working parameters of an auxiliary battery of a vehicle can be collected under the condition that the vehicle is detected to be powered off and not dormant; determining whether the auxiliary battery is in a critical under-power state according to the working parameters; and executing an operation of entering a low power consumption mode under the condition that the auxiliary battery is determined to be in the critical under-power state. Therefore, the power shortage of the whole vehicle is avoided, the trouble of using the vehicle by a user is avoided, the service life of the auxiliary battery is prolonged, and the maintenance cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle battery technology, and in particular to a method for under-charge protection of an auxiliary battery in a vehicle and a vehicle thereof. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing electrification and intelligence of automobiles, the number of on-board electronic control units (ECUs) has surged. All ECUs rely on auxiliary batteries (such as 12V low-voltage batteries) for power both during vehicle operation and after power failure. As the core power source for the on-board electronic system, the auxiliary battery's charge state directly determines the vehicle's starting reliability and the stable operation of on-board electronic equipment. After power failure, some ECUs need to maintain low-power operation to ensure core functions such as anti-theft and remote monitoring, causing the on-board battery to continuously consume power without going into sleep mode. When the auxiliary battery's charge is depleted to a critical value, it will cause the entire vehicle to lose power, preventing the vehicle from starting. Furthermore, prolonged deep discharge will damage the auxiliary battery plates, shorten its lifespan, and increase user maintenance costs and inconvenience.

[0003] Currently, when the auxiliary battery's charge reaches a critical level, the vehicle will trigger a recharge, typically resulting in multiple recharges during a single parking session. However, frequent recharges exacerbate sulfation and degradation of the auxiliary battery's plates, accelerating performance decline and reducing its lifespan. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a method for protecting the auxiliary battery of a vehicle from undercharge and a vehicle, which solves the problem in the prior art that when the auxiliary battery's charge is consumed to a critical value, the auxiliary battery's lifespan is short, increasing user maintenance costs and usage inconvenience.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a method for under-charge protection of an auxiliary battery in a vehicle, applied to the vehicle's electronic control unit. The vehicle further includes a power battery, a step-down DC-DC converter, and an auxiliary battery connected in sequence, and the auxiliary battery is also electrically connected to the electronic control unit. The method provided in this application includes: When the vehicle is detected to be powered down but not in sleep mode, the operating parameters of the vehicle's auxiliary battery are collected. Determine whether the auxiliary battery is in a critical undercharge state based on the operating parameters; If the auxiliary battery is determined to be in a critically low-power state, the operation of entering a low-power mode is performed.

[0006] In some implementations, the operating parameter is the voltage of the auxiliary battery. Determining whether the auxiliary battery is in a critical undercharge state based on the operating parameter includes: If the voltage of the auxiliary battery is lower than the set voltage threshold, the auxiliary battery is determined to be in a critical undercharge state.

[0007] In some implementations, the operating parameter is the remaining charge of the auxiliary battery. Determining whether the auxiliary battery is in a critical undercharge state based on the operating parameter includes: If the remaining charge of the auxiliary battery is lower than the set charge threshold, the auxiliary battery is determined to be in a critical undercharge state.

[0008] In some implementations, the electronic control unit communicates with other electronic control units via a CAN bus. The method provided in this application also includes: If a low-power control command is detected on the CAN bus when the vehicle is detected to be powered down and not in sleep mode, the operation of entering low-power mode will be executed.

[0009] In some embodiments, the electronic control unit communicates with other electronic control units via a CAN bus. After performing the operation of entering a low-power mode, the method provided in this application further includes: Broadcast low-power control commands to the CAN bus.

[0010] In some implementations, after performing the operation of entering a low-power mode, the method provided in this application further includes: The vehicle's TBOX communication module sends warning information to the vehicle's associated mobile terminal. The warning information includes at least the vehicle identification number, auxiliary battery operating parameters, and handling suggestions.

[0011] In some implementations, after performing the operation of entering a low-power mode, the method provided in this application further includes: If the operating parameters indicate that the auxiliary battery is not in a critical under-charge state, or if the vehicle is powered on, the auxiliary battery is controlled to exit the low-power mode.

[0012] Secondly, this application also provides a vehicle including an electronic control unit, a power battery, a step-down DC-DC converter, and an auxiliary battery connected in sequence, the auxiliary battery also being electrically connected to the electronic control unit, the electronic control unit being used to perform the method as provided in the first aspect of this application.

[0013] Thirdly, this application also provides a storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by an electronic control unit, causes the vehicle to perform the method as described in the first aspect of this application.

[0014] Fourthly, this application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when run, causes a vehicle to perform the method as described in the first aspect of this application.

[0015] This application provides a method and vehicle for undercharge protection of an auxiliary battery. The method can collect the operating parameters of the vehicle's auxiliary battery when the vehicle is detected to be powered down and not in sleep mode; determine whether the auxiliary battery is in a critical undercharge state based on the operating parameters; and, if the auxiliary battery is determined to be in a critical undercharge state, execute an operation to enter a low-power mode. This prevents the entire vehicle from losing power, avoids inconvenience to the user, extends the lifespan of the auxiliary battery, and reduces maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 A circuit module connection block diagram of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an undercharge protection method for an auxiliary battery of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a functional unit block diagram of an undercharge protection device for a vehicle's auxiliary battery provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0019] The accompanying drawings illustrate various structural schematics according to embodiments of the present disclosure. These drawings are not to scale, and some details have been enlarged for clarity, and some details may have been omitted. The shapes of the various regions and layers shown in the drawings, as well as their relative sizes and positional relationships, are merely exemplary and may deviate from reality due to manufacturing tolerances or technical limitations. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can design regions / layers with different shapes, sizes, and relative positions as needed.

[0020] In the context of this disclosure, when a layer / element is referred to as being "above" another layer / element, the layer / element may be directly above the other layer / element, or there may be an intermediate layer / element between them. Additionally, if a layer / element is "above" another layer / element in one orientation, then when the orientation is reversed, the layer / element may be "below" the other layer / element.

[0021] The technical solutions of this application and how they solve the aforementioned technical problems will be described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] This application provides a method for undercharge protection of a vehicle's auxiliary battery, applied to the vehicle's electronic control unit. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle also includes a power battery, a step-down DC-DC converter, and an auxiliary battery, all electrically connected in sequence. The auxiliary battery is also electrically connected to the electronic control unit. It should be noted that the electronic control unit integrates an electrically connected processor and operating parameter sensors, and the operating voltage of the auxiliary battery can be, but is not limited to, 12V. Figure 2 As shown, the method provided in this application embodiment includes: S201: When the vehicle is detected to be powered down and not in sleep mode, collect the operating parameters of the vehicle's auxiliary battery.

[0023] For example, the operating parameter sensor of the electronic control unit can collect the operating parameters of the vehicle's auxiliary battery. For instance, the operating parameter sensor can be a voltage sensor, in which case the operating parameter is the voltage of the auxiliary battery; the operating parameter sensor can also be a power acquisition module, in which case the operating parameter is the remaining power of the auxiliary battery.

[0024] Furthermore, the electronic control unit can start a timer and collect the operating parameters of the vehicle's auxiliary battery every 5 to 10 seconds. In addition, the operating parameters can be preprocessed such as filtering and AD conversion before being transmitted to the electronic control unit, which can improve the stability and reliability of the operating parameters.

[0025] S202: Determine whether the auxiliary battery is in a critical under-charge state based on the operating parameters. If so, proceed to S203.

[0026] For example, the specific implementation of S202 includes, but is not limited to, the following two methods: The first method involves using the auxiliary battery voltage as the operating parameter. When the auxiliary battery voltage is lower than a set voltage threshold (e.g., 10.5V), the auxiliary battery is determined to be in a critical under-charge state.

[0027] The second method involves using the remaining power of the auxiliary battery as the operating parameter. When the remaining power of the auxiliary battery is lower than a set power threshold (e.g., 40%), the auxiliary battery is determined to be in a critical underpowered state.

[0028] S203: Perform the operation to enter low-power mode.

[0029] Specifically, the electronic control unit stops executing program code, turns off the internal clock, cuts off power to non-essential peripheral circuits (such as sensors and some indicator light drivers), and only keeps the core monitoring and communication modules running (such as only keeping the core functions of vehicle anti-theft and remote monitoring).

[0030] In summary, the under-charge protection method for a vehicle's auxiliary battery provided in this application can collect the operating parameters of the vehicle's auxiliary battery when the vehicle is detected to be powered down and not in sleep mode; determine whether the auxiliary battery is in a critical under-charge state based on the operating parameters; and, if the auxiliary battery is determined to be in a critical under-charge state, execute the operation of entering a low-power mode. This prevents the entire vehicle from losing power, avoids inconvenience to the user, extends the lifespan of the auxiliary battery, and reduces maintenance costs.

[0031] In addition, the electronic control unit communicates with other electronic control units via the CAN bus. The method provided in this application embodiment also includes: if a low-power control command is detected on the CAN bus when the vehicle is detected to be powered off and not in sleep mode, the operation of entering low-power mode is performed.

[0032] Understandably, other electronic control units can also execute S201-S203 as described above. When other electronic control units determine that the auxiliary battery is in a critical low-power state, they can send a low-power control command to the CAN bus. After receiving the low-power control command, this electronic control unit will perform the operation of entering the low-power mode, which can enhance the reliability of this electronic control unit entering the low-power mode.

[0033] Furthermore, the electronic control unit communicates with other electronic control units via a CAN bus. The method provided in this application embodiment also includes broadcasting low-power control commands to the CAN bus. This enhances the reliability of other electronic control units entering low-power mode.

[0034] Furthermore, following S203, the method provided in this application embodiment further includes: sending a warning message (e.g., via SMS) to a mobile terminal associated with the vehicle through the vehicle's TBOX communication module. The warning message includes at least the vehicle identification number, the auxiliary battery's operating parameters, and handling suggestions. This allows the vehicle owner to be promptly informed that the auxiliary battery is in a critical low-power state, enabling them to take timely action (e.g., powering on the vehicle to recharge the auxiliary battery, or checking for abnormal power-consuming devices).

[0035] In addition, after entering the low-power mode, the method provided in this application further includes: if it is detected that the operating parameters indicate that the auxiliary battery is not in a critically low-power state (such as the charge recovering to above 40% or the voltage recovering to above 12.5V) or the vehicle is powered on, then the auxiliary battery is controlled to exit the low-power mode. At this time, the normal operation of the electronic control unit can be restored.

[0036] Please see Figure 3 This application provides an undercharge protection device for a vehicle's auxiliary battery, applied to the vehicle's electronic control unit. The vehicle also includes a power battery, a step-down DC-DC converter, and an auxiliary battery connected in sequence. The auxiliary battery is also electrically connected to the electronic control unit. It should be noted that the basic principle and technical effects of the undercharge protection device for the vehicle's auxiliary battery provided in this application are the same as those in the above embodiments. For the sake of brevity, any parts not mentioned in this application can be referred to the corresponding content in the above embodiments. The device provided in this application includes a parameter acquisition unit, an undercharge state determination unit, and a low-power mode entry unit. The parameter acquisition unit is used to collect the operating parameters of the vehicle's auxiliary battery when the vehicle is detected to be powered down and not in sleep mode.

[0037] The under-charge state determination unit is used to determine whether the auxiliary battery is in a critical under-charge state based on the operating parameters.

[0038] The low-power mode entry unit is used to perform the operation of entering low-power mode when it is determined that the auxiliary battery is in a critical under-power state.

[0039] In some implementations, the operating parameter is the voltage of the auxiliary battery. The under-charge state determination unit is specifically used to determine that the auxiliary battery is in a critical under-charge state when the voltage of the auxiliary battery is lower than a set voltage threshold.

[0040] In some implementations, the operating parameter is the remaining power of the auxiliary battery. The low-power mode entry unit is specifically used to determine that the auxiliary battery is in a critical underpowered state when the remaining power of the auxiliary battery is lower than a set power threshold.

[0041] In some implementations, the electronic control unit communicates with other electronic control units via a CAN bus. The device provided in this application also includes an instruction monitoring unit, which, when detecting that the vehicle is powered off and not in sleep mode, executes an operation to enter a low-power mode if a low-power control instruction is detected on the CAN bus.

[0042] In some implementations, the electronic control unit communicates with other electronic control units via a CAN bus. The apparatus provided in this application also includes a command broadcasting unit for broadcasting low-power control commands to the CAN bus.

[0043] In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application further includes: a data transmission unit, used to send warning information to a mobile terminal associated with the vehicle via the vehicle's TBOX communication module, the warning information including at least the vehicle identification code, auxiliary battery operating parameters, and processing suggestions.

[0044] In some embodiments, the apparatus provided in this application further includes a low-power mode exit unit, configured to control the auxiliary battery to exit the low-power mode if the operating parameters indicate that the auxiliary battery is not in a critical underpowered state or if the vehicle is powered on.

[0045] In addition, this application also provides a vehicle including an electronic control unit, a power battery, a step-down DC-DC converter, and an auxiliary battery connected in sequence. The auxiliary battery is also electrically connected to the electronic control unit, which is used to execute the method provided in the above embodiments of this application.

[0046] In addition, this application also provides a storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by an electronic control unit, causes the vehicle to perform the method described in the above embodiments of this application.

[0047] In addition, this application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when run, causes a vehicle to perform the method described in the above embodiments of this application.

[0048] The above description does not provide detailed technical specifications regarding the structure of each layer. However, those skilled in the art should understand that layers and regions of desired shapes can be formed using various technical means. Furthermore, to form the same structure, those skilled in the art can also design methods that are not entirely identical to those described above. Additionally, although various embodiments have been described above, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be advantageously combined.

[0049] Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.

[0050] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A method of underpower protection of an auxiliary battery of a vehicle, characterized by, An electronic control unit for a vehicle, the vehicle further comprising a power battery, a step-down DC-DC converter, and an auxiliary battery connected in sequence, the auxiliary battery also being electrically connected to the electronic control unit, the method comprising: When the vehicle is detected to be powered down and not in sleep mode, the operating parameters of the vehicle's auxiliary battery are collected; Determine whether the auxiliary battery is in a critical undercharge state based on the operating parameters; If the auxiliary battery is determined to be in a critical underpowered state, an operation to enter a low-power mode is performed.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operating parameter is the voltage of the auxiliary battery, and determining whether the auxiliary battery is in a critical undercharge state based on the operating parameter includes: If the voltage of the auxiliary battery is lower than a set voltage threshold, the auxiliary battery is determined to be in a critical undercharge state.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operating parameter is the remaining power of the auxiliary battery. Determining whether the auxiliary battery is in a critical under-powered state based on the operating parameter includes: If the remaining power of the auxiliary battery is lower than a set power threshold, the auxiliary battery is determined to be in a critical underpowered state.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic control unit communicates with other electronic control units via a CAN bus, and the method further includes: If the vehicle is detected to be powered down and not in sleep mode, and a low-power control command is detected on the CAN bus, the operation of entering low-power mode is executed.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic control unit communicates with other electronic control units via a CAN bus. After performing the operation of entering low-power mode, the method further includes: Broadcast low-power control commands to the CAN bus.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After performing the operation of entering a low-power mode, the method further includes: The vehicle's TBOX communication module sends a warning message to the mobile terminal associated with the vehicle. The warning message includes at least the vehicle identification code, the operating parameters of the auxiliary battery, and processing suggestions.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, After performing the operation of entering a low-power mode, the method further includes: If the operating parameters indicate that the auxiliary battery is not in a critical underpowered state, or if the vehicle is powered on, the auxiliary battery is controlled to exit the low-power mode.

8. A vehicle, characterized in that, The device includes an electronic control unit, a power battery, a step-down DC-DC converter, and an auxiliary battery, the auxiliary battery being electrically connected to the electronic control unit, the electronic control unit being used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the electronic control unit, it causes the vehicle to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program, which, when run, causes the vehicle to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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