External charger for high-voltage battery charging

Abstract

Vehicle charging system that includes the following: a battery controller (185) configured to electronically connect to an on-board service tool (135) and programmed to transmit a warning clear request to the service tool (135) in response to verification that a set of charge start conditions have been met following a charge start request, and to initiate a power transfer from an on-board power supply (145) to a vehicle battery (115), and to terminate the power transfer in response to detection of a charge problem condition.

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

[0001] This reveals an external charger for high-voltage battery charging. BACKGROUND

[0002] Hybrid and fuel cell vehicles can have two energy sources, including a fuel source and a battery source. A high-voltage battery can be used to provide enough power to start a vehicle's internal combustion engine. The fuel source, in turn, can recharge the battery when its charge level drops below a certain threshold. If a fault occurs in the vehicle, the battery charge can be depleted during an attempted start. This often happens when a technician tries to start the vehicle but the internal combustion engine fails to start due to low fuel pump pressure or another internal combustion engine fault. If the battery charge becomes extremely low, the battery may need to be replaced.However, the high-voltage battery may not be faulty, and replacing it could lead to unnecessary costs for the manufacturer, the distributor, and the customer. The object of the invention is to provide an improvement on the prior art. DE 10 2013 219 372 A1 discloses a high-voltage charger. SUMMARY

[0003] The problem is solved by the features of independent claim 1. Preferred embodiments are specified in the further claims. An external charging system for charging a vehicle battery comprises a connector with a first and second terminal and a pair of contacts at the first terminal. The connector is configured to receive power from an external power supply and to connect to a vehicle controller via a first cable at the first terminal and to connect to a battery system via a second cable at the second terminal. The pair of contacts is configured to close in response to an actuation at the second terminal, allowing current to flow from the external power supply to the vehicle controller via the first cable.

[0004] An on-board battery charger for a vehicle includes a high-voltage connector with a first connector port configured to connect to a vehicle controller via a first cable, a second connector port configured to connect to a vehicle battery via a second cable, and a power supply connector port electrically connected to the second connector port and configured to receive power via a power supply cable from a separate and external power supply.

[0005] A vehicle charging system includes a battery controller that is configured to electronically connect to an external service tool and is programmed, in response to verifying that a set of charging start conditions have been met following a charging start request, to transmit a warning clear request to the service tool and initiate a power transfer from an external power supply to a vehicle battery, and, in response to detecting a charging problem condition, to terminate the power transfer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The embodiments of the present disclosure are highlighted in particular in the attached claims. However, other features of the various embodiments become apparent and are best understood with reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a high-voltage charging system; Fig. 2 a connector for the high-voltage charging system; Fig. 3 a block diagram of a section of the charging system; Fig. 4. A sequence flow diagram for a charging process of the charging system; Fig. 5 a flowchart for an initiation procedure of the loading routine and Fig. 6. A flowchart for a loading procedure of the loading routine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary and can be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of certain components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be regarded as limiting, but merely as a representative basis to teach the person skilled in the art how to use the present invention in different ways.

[0008] This document discloses an off-board charging system that uses a standard, conventional power supply with a charging connector coupled to a vehicle's high-voltage battery and a vehicle controller. The connector may include a first connector port, which can contain a microswitch to open or close the HVIL (High-Voltage Interlock Loop). For example, the microswitch can open the HVIL in response to the high-voltage cable being disconnected while the battery is charging. The connector may also include a second connector port to connect a high-voltage cable to the high-voltage battery.

[0009] A battery controller within the vehicle can interact with a service tool operated by a technician to perform a charging routine. This charging routine facilitates battery charging. Certain conditions or faults can prevent the charging routine from initiating or continuing. The charging routine disables certain diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), such as low cell voltage or low state of charge (SOC), to allow the technician to charge the high-voltage battery.

[0010] Fig. Figure 1 illustrates a high-voltage charging system 100 for a hybrid vehicle 105, and Fig. Figure 2 illustrates a connector 150 included in the system 100. Referring to both Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. System 100 can include a high-voltage battery 115. The high-voltage battery 115 can contain a battery pack and can store energy to be used by the vehicle's electric motors 105. The battery 115 can provide a high-voltage DC output. The battery 115 can contain contactors (not shown and also referred to here as main contactors). The main contactors are controlled by a battery controller 185 to connect or disconnect the high-voltage DC output. The battery 115 can be electrically connected to the electric motors and can provide the capability for bidirectional energy transfer between the battery 115 and the motors. For example, a typical battery 115 can supply a DC voltage, while the electric motors may require three-phase AC to operate.In addition to providing energy for propulsion, the battery can supply 115 energy to other vehicle electrical systems.

[0011] The battery controller 185 can contain a processor and memory and can control and monitor the performance of the battery 115. The controller 185 can also control a high-voltage bus connection by opening or closing the main contactors within the battery 115. The battery controller 185 can also transmit battery data to a service tool 135 via a vehicle diagnostics cable (OBD cable) 130 and receive HVIL status information from the vehicle controller 120 via CAN communication (CAN - Controller Area Network). In some examples, the battery controller can also be a battery energy control module (BECM - Battery Energy Control Module) 185, as referred to here.

[0012] A vehicle controller 120 can contain a processor and memory and can be connected to the connector 150 to detect an HVIL open fault within the charging system 100. The HVIL open fault detection can involve checking the circuit voltage of the HVIL and is described in Fig. 3. This is described in more detail. In some examples, the vehicle controller can be an inverter controller, a DC / DC converter, etc.

[0013] The battery controller 185 and the vehicle controller 120 can be connected via an on-board diagnostics connector 125. The OBD connector 125 can be a pin connector configured to accept the OBD cable 130 (also in Fig. (shown in Figure 3 and also referred to as a third cable). The OBD cable 130 can connect the battery controller 185 to a service tool 135. The service tool 135 can be a computer or other controller operated by a technician 110. The service tool 135 can provide the technician 110 with various on-board diagnostic data received from the battery controller 185 via the OBD cable 130. Such data can include the state of charge of the battery 115 and further diagnostic information about the charging systems. Data and instructions can be displayed via a tool display 140. This can be the screen of a computer, tablet, or other device. The tool display 140 can also be an audio output device, such as a speaker. While the tool display 140 is shown as integral with the service tool 135, a separate tool display 140 is also possible.For example, the service tool can transmit 135 data and instructions to a technician's tablet or phone. A separate monitor can also be configured to display 110 pieces of information to the technician.

[0014] Although the service tool 135 is described here as being managed by a technician 110, the charging system and charging routine can also be operated by personnel trained in high voltage, such as dealers, repair personnel, etc., in addition to the technician 110.

[0015] The battery 115 can be recharged by an external power source, such as a power supply 145. The power supply 145 can be connected to the connector 150 via a power supply cable 155. The power supply cable 155 can be any cable capable of transmitting power from the power supply 145 to the connector 150.

[0016] Connector 150 can be a device configured to receive power via the power supply cable 155. Connector 150 can, in turn, be connected to battery 115 via a high-voltage cable 180 (also referred to as a second cable). Connector 150 can contain a microswitch 160 (in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 shown and also referred to as a first connector port), to close or open an HVIL connector 190 on the vehicle controller 120, below with reference to Fig. 3 described in more detail. The microswitch 160 can contain a button 170 and a terminal C and a terminal NO (e.g., Normally Open), as in Fig. Figure 2 shows the microswitch being used. In one example, the microswitch could be a Honeywell™ 785-V3-101. When button 170 is pressed, terminals C and NO inside the microswitch close, which in turn closes the HVIL connection 190. When button 170 is released, terminals C and NO inside the microswitch open, which in turn opens the HVIL connection 190. The microswitch terminals C and NO can receive an HVIL cable 175 (also referred to as a first cable).

[0017] Fig. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the connections between the power supply 145, the connector 150, the vehicle 105, and the service tool 135. As above regarding Fig. As explained in Figure 1, the power supply 145 can be connected to connector 150 via the power supply cable 155. Connector 150 can be connected to the HVIL connection 190 of the vehicle controller 120 via the HVIL cable 175. Connector 150 can also be connected to the battery 115 via the high-voltage connector 165 and the high-voltage cable 180. The OBD cable 130 can connect the service tool 135 to the OBD connector 125 of the vehicle 105. The battery controller 185 and the vehicle controller 120 are connected via the OBD connector 125.

[0018] During normal operation of the vehicle 105, that is, when the vehicle 105 is not connected to the service tool 135, the high-voltage cable 180 can connect the battery 115 and the vehicle controller 120 to the vehicle connector 120 via the high-voltage connector 165. During maintenance and charging, when the service tool 135 is connected to the vehicle 105, the connector 165 can be disconnected from the vehicle controller 120, and the high-voltage connection (C1458E_1, C1458E_2) of connector 165 is connected to the high-voltage connection (C1458E-1 and C1458E-2) of connector 150, as shown in the dashed line in Figure 1. Fig. Figure 3 shows. Furthermore, the HVIL 190 is open during maintenance. In case of exposure, the HVIL 190 can be connected to the microswitch 160 via the HVIL cable 175.

[0019] The HVIL connection 190 can be used to protect the technician 110 from electric shock if the high-voltage connector 165 were to become disconnected during charging. If the high-voltage cable 180 is not fully seated, the button 170 may not be fully depressed, and in turn, the NO terminal of the microswitch will be disconnected from the C terminal inside the microswitch, thus opening the HVIL 190. The vehicle controller 120 detects the voltage difference between the terminal pairs (e.g., HVIL+ and HVIL-) and transmits the HVIL-open fault information to the battery controller 185. The battery controller 185 can quickly stop any current flow through the high-voltage cable 180 by opening main contactors inside the battery 115. Adding the microswitch 160 can prevent any current transfer during battery charging until the high-voltage cable 180 is fully seated.

[0020] Fig. Figure 4 illustrates a sequence flow diagram for a charging process 400 of the charging system 100 including the BECM 185, the service tool 135 and the technician 110.

[0021] At error code 405, the service tool 135 sends a primary or start request to the BECM 185 to enter a loading routine. The BECM 185 can then verify that certain start conditions have been met.These starting conditions may include, but are not limited to, (1) the battery pack voltage (the pack voltage measured before the main contactors on the battery side) being within the predefined safe charging range, such as greater than the minimum permissible pack voltage and less than the maximum permissible pack voltage, (2) the BECM 185 not losing communication with the vehicle controller 120, (3) the battery pack voltage being less than the full charge voltage, such as the pack voltage at 50% SOC, (4) the vehicle gear being in the park position, and (5) the BECM 185 not having any faults that would prevent the main contactors within the battery 115 from closing, except for a low battery SOC fault or a pack or cell voltage low fault. If these starting conditions are verified by the BECM 185, the BECM 185 can transmit a positive response to the service tool 135 at 410.The service tool 135 can issue primary or starting instructions to the technician 110 at 415. As explained above, the instructions can be issued either audibly or visually via the tool display 140. The starting instructions can include a list of actions for the technician 110 to take. These instructions may include, but are not limited to, (1) connecting the power supply 145 to the vehicle 105, (2) supporting the 12V battery with a 12V battery charger, (3) switching off all auxiliary loads, (4) setting the voltage of the power supply 145 to the battery 115 package voltage plus 5V, (5) setting the current of the power supply 145 to 5A, etc.

[0022] The service tool 135 and / or the BECM 185 can then verify at 420 that the technician 110 has complied with the primary instructions. That is, the service tool 135 can verify that at least part of the instructions have been followed. For example, the service tool 135 can verify that the technician 110, based on the packet voltage and bus voltage information (the packet voltage of battery 115 measured behind the main contactors on the vehicle side) received by the BECM 185, has set the supply voltage to the battery voltage plus 5 V. If at 425 it is found that the instructions are not in compliance within a predefined compliance time period of, for example, approximately 10 minutes, the BECM 185 will exit the charging routine and instruct the service tool 135 to submit a charging problem indication and stop the charging process at 400.This problem message may include a "Loading Problem" output on the tool display 140.

[0023] At 430, the Service Tool 135 can send a diagnostic message to the BECM 185 requesting it to clear the DTCs. The BECM 185 can first verify that certain DTCs are disabled, such as cell or pack voltage, or battery state of charge overcharge DTCs. These DTC codes can cause the BECM to open the high-voltage cable by opening the main contactors in battery 115. To charge the high-voltage battery 115, these codes should be disabled to avoid interfering with the service process. The BECM 185 can then clear the DTCs that were set, such as the low state of charge DTC, and then return to the Service Tool 135 at 440 with a positive response.

[0024] The BECM 185 also closes the main contactors in battery 115 at 445 to connect the output of battery 115 to the output of power supply 145. At 450, the service tool 135 requests a contactor status from the BECM 185. The BECM 185 can then send the contactor status back at 455. The contactor status may include an indication that the contactors are closed. If the contactors are closed, the service tool 135 then presents secondary instructions to the technician 110 at 460. These instructions may include, among other things, (1) setting the voltage of power supply 145 to the predefined fully charged battery pack voltage, such as the pack voltage at 50% state of charge (SOC) of the battery, and (2) setting the power supply current limit to 5 A.

[0025] Battery 115 is charged by power supply 145 until the pack voltage reaches the output voltage of power supply 145. When the pack voltage reaches the predefined charge-full pack voltage, such as the pack voltage at 50% SOC, BECM 185 can open the main contactors at 470.

[0026] At 475, the service tool 135 requests a contactor status from the BECM 185 again. The BECM 185 can send the contactor status back at 480. The contactor status can include an indication that the contactors are open. If the contactors are open, the service tool 135 then presents the technician 110 with a positive indication, such as "Charge passed," at 485. The positive indication can be accompanied by instructions to disconnect the power supply 145.

[0027] If the BECM 185 detects at 425 and / or 490 that the predefined time period has been exceeded, or if the BECM 185 detects certain problem conditions at 490, the BECM 185 can exit the charging routine and transmit a negative message to the service tool 135. The service tool 135 can then display a charging problem indicator to the technician 110.Problem conditions can include, but are not limited to: (1) BECM disconnect faults are detected, such as an HVIL open fault; (2) battery pack current exceeds the charge current limit, for example, exceeding 6 A for 1 minute or 10 A for 5 seconds; (3) battery pack current exceeds the discharge current, such as exceeding 0.5 A for 5 minutes; (4) battery pack voltage or bus voltage is outside a predefined range; (5) battery pack voltage is higher than the bus voltage by a certain threshold; (6) the vehicle is not in the parked position; (7) the maximum charge time has been exceeded, for example, 40 minutes; and (8) a stop routine request is received, etc. In one example, the service routine may be aborted even if only one of the fault conditions is present.

[0028] Fig. Figure 5 illustrates a process 500 for an initiation procedure of the service routine implemented by the BECM 185. At block 505, the BECM 185 can receive the start request from the service tool 135. This request can be initiated by the technician 110 transmitting a start-load service routine request message to the service tool 135 (e.g., pressing a button and / or selecting an option via the tool display 140), similar to step 405 of Fig. 4.

[0029] At block 510, the BECM 185 can check certain startup conditions. This means the BECM 185 can acquire, receive, and analyze various data points that represent these startup conditions. The different startup conditions are described in step 405 above.

[0030] At block 515, BECM 185 can determine whether all start conditions are met. If all start conditions are met, process 500 continues to block 525. If not, process 500 continues to block 540.

[0031] At block 525, the BECM 185 can enter service mode. Upon entering service mode, the BECM 185 can perform several service mode initiations. For example, the BECM 185 can clear various timers, such as a load timer (to maintain a load time) and a routine idle timer (to maintain how long the routine has been idle). The initiations can also include clearing a DTC flag to indicate to the BECM 185 that certain DTCs, such as a low SOC DTC, have not been disabled and the DTC history has not been cleared. These initiations can function as management procedures within the BECM. If the BECM 185 fails to reset various timers, a problem condition may be detected (e.g., a routine timeout), and the main contactors may open.

[0032] At block 530, the BECM 185 can suppress or disable DTCs caused by battery overcharging, such as cell voltage low DTC or SOC low DTC. At block 535, the BECM 185 can transmit the positive charge routine entry response to the service tool 135, similar to step 410 in Fig. 4.

[0033] If the loading routine entry conditions are not met at block 540, the BECM 185 can transmit a negative response to the service tool 135. Process 500 can then terminate, and the service tool 135 can display the loading problem message on the tool display 140.

[0034] Fig. Figure 6 shows a process 600 for a loading procedure of the service routine.

[0035] At block 605, the BECM 185 can increment the routine idle timer. At block 610, the BECM 185 can determine whether technician 110 has followed the primary instructions, similar to steps 420 and 425 in Fig. 4. For example, the BECM 185 can determine whether (1) the bus voltage has reached the battery pack voltage, (2) the BECM DTC has cleared, and (3) the routine idle timer has not shut down. If all these conditions are met, process 600 can proceed to block 615. If not, process 600 can proceed to block 620.

[0036] At block 615, the BECM 185 can close the main contactors, similar to step 445 in Fig. 4. At block 625, the BECM 185 can verify whether charging is complete, for example, by checking if the battery pack voltage has reached the voltage at 50% battery state of charge (SOC). If so, process 600 proceeds to block 630. If not, process 600 proceeds to block 635.

[0037] At block 630, the BECM 185 can open the main contactors, exit the loading routine, and transmit a positive response to the service tool 135, similar to steps 465, 470, 475, 480, and 485 of Fig. 4. Process 600 can then end.

[0038] At block 635, the BECM 185 can determine whether a problem condition has been detected or the load timer has shut down. Such problem conditions are discussed above with respect to step 490. If a problem condition is detected or a load timer has shut down, process 600 proceeds to block 645. If no problem condition is detected, process 600 continues to block 655.

[0039] At block 645, upon detection of a problem condition or shutdown of the charging timer, the BECM 185 can open the main contact contactors, exit the charging routine, and transmit a negative response to the service tool 135, similar to steps 490, 470, 475, 480, and 485 of Fig. 4. To exit the loading routine, the BECM 185 opens the main contactors at block 640. Process 600 can then end.

[0040] At block 655, the BECM 185 increments the charging timer. Process 600 continues with the charging routine until charging is complete, a problem condition is detected, or the charging timer shuts down.

[0041] Accordingly, a high-voltage battery charging system is described here. The system includes a universal power supply, a high-voltage connector, and a BECM charging routine. The connector facilitates universal charging while incorporating a built-in safety mechanism. The charging routine enables an automated charging system that prevents human error, incorrect charge levels, and other issues. The system can be implemented worldwide across various vehicle lines, makes, and models. It provides a user-friendly interface and convenient vehicle installation using simple and minimal hardware.

[0042] The computing devices described herein generally include computer-executable instructions, the instructions being capable of being executed by one or more computing devices such as those listed above. Computer-executable instructions can be compiled or interpreted from computer programs created using a variety of programming languages ​​and / or technologies, including, but not limited to, Java™, C, C++, Visual Basic, JavaScript, Perl, etc., either alone or in combination. Generally, a processor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, for example, from memory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes those instructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including one or more of the processes described herein. Such instructions and other data can be stored and transmitted using a variety of computer-readable media.

[0043] Regarding the processes, systems, procedures, heuristics, etc., described herein, it is understood that although the steps of such processes, etc., have been described as occurring in a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps carried out in a different order than that described herein. It is further understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are presented for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments and should in no way be interpreted as limiting the claims.

[0044] Although exemplary embodiments are described above, these embodiments are not intended to describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the patent specification are descriptive rather than limiting, and it is understood that various modifications can be made without deviating from the concept and scope of the invention. Furthermore, the features of different implementations or embodiments can be combined to develop further embodiments of the invention.

Claims

[1] Vehicle charging system comprising the following: a battery controller (185) configured to electronically connect to an on-board service tool (135) and programmed to transmit a warning clear request to the service tool (135) in response to verification that a set of charge start conditions have been met following a charge start request, and to initiate a power transfer from an on-board power supply (145) to a vehicle battery (115), and to terminate the power transfer in response to detection of a charge problem condition. [2] System according to claim 1, wherein the battery controller (185) is further programmed to receive connection information from a vehicle controller (120) indicating the charging problem condition. [3] System according to claim 2, wherein the charging problem condition is an HVIL open condition on the vehicle controller (120). [4] System according to claim 1, wherein the charging problem condition is the elapse of a predefined time period during the power transfer. [5] System according to claim 1, wherein the battery controller (185) is further programmed to terminate the power transfer in response to a charge-complete condition. [6] System according to claim 1, wherein the battery controller (185) is further programmed to output charging routine instructions to the service tool (135). [7] System according to claim 6, wherein the battery controller (185) is further programmed to transmit the warning-delete request in response to the detection that the instructions have been followed. [8] System according to claim 6, wherein the instructions include a valid power supply voltage setting. [9] System according to claim 1, wherein the set of charging start conditions includes a valid battery pack voltage and bus voltage condition, a battery main contactor closed condition or a battery state of charge exceeds 50% condition. [10] System according to claim 1, wherein the battery controller (185) is further configured to open and close battery contactors within the battery (115).

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