Direct charging kick-up technology to ensure voltage regulation during auxiliary power supply via a DC-DC converter

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a charging kick-up device for ensuring voltage regulation during auxiliary power supply via a DC / DC converter and a method therefor. The method comprises receiving a first user request for operation of an electric power take-off. Thereafter, after receiving the first user request, the method comprises activating a first relay of the charging kick-up device to connect a power source to an output circuit of the DC / DC converter and sending a command signal to the DC / DC converter to switch to a step-down mode while the first relay is still active.The method then comprises deactivating the first relay of the charging kick-up device when the DC-DC converter switches to the step-down mode, and after deactivating the first relay, activating a second relay of the charging kick-up device to connect the output circuit of the DC-DC converter to at least one auxiliary power supply device.

Description

[0001] The following description particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be carried out.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a direct charge kick-up technique for ensuring voltage regulation during auxiliary power supply via a DC-DC converter.

[0003] In vehicles such as vans and cars, an electric power take-off (ePTO) with a 400V or 12V supply is designed to provide power to an auxiliary device, such as a refrigeration system for food or pharmaceutical handling vehicles, electrical machinery for construction vehicles, or an auxiliary heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for passenger vehicles, etc. However, the ePTO is sometimes prone to voltage fluctuations while powering the auxiliary devices via a DC-DC converter.

[0004] The information disclosed in this Background of the Disclosure section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be construed as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this information represents prior art already known to those skilled in the art.

[0005] The object of the present disclosure is to overcome challenges in implementing an ePTO.

[0006] In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a charging kick-up device for ensuring voltage regulation during auxiliary power supply via a DC-DC converter. The charging kick-up device comprises an electronic control unit (ECU) communicatively connected to a first relay and a second relay. The ECU is configured to receive a first user request for operation of an ePTO and, upon receiving the first user request, activate the first relay of the charging kick-up device to connect a power source to an output circuit of the DC-DC converter. Thereafter, the ECU is configured to send a command signal to the DC-DC converter to switch to step-down mode while the first relay is still active. Subsequently, the ECU is configured to deactivate the first relay of the charging kick-up device when the DC-DC converter switches to step-down mode.Finally, the ECU is configured to activate the second relay of the charging kick-up device after deactivating the first relay in order to connect the output circuit of the DC-DC converter to at least one auxiliary power supply device.

[0007] In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method for ensuring voltage regulation during auxiliary power supply via a DC-DC converter. The method includes receiving, by an ECU of a charging kick-up device, a first user request for operation of an ePTO. Subsequently, after receiving the first user request, the method includes activating, by the ECU, a first relay of the charging kick-up device to connect a power source to an output circuit of the DC-DC converter. Subsequently, the method includes sending, by the ECU of the charging kick-up device, a command signal to the DC-DC converter to switch to a buck mode while the first relay is still active. The method includes deactivating, by the ECU, the first relay of the charging kick-up device when the DC-DC converter switches to the buck mode.Finally, the method comprises, after deactivating the first relay, activating a second relay of the charging kick-up device by the ECU to connect the output circuit of the DC-DC converter to at least one auxiliary power supply device.

[0008] In one embodiment, the ECU is further configured to receive a second user request to terminate operation of the ePTO and, upon receiving the second user request, to deactivate the second relay to disconnect the output circuit of the DC-DC converter to the at least one auxiliary device.

[0009] In one embodiment, a period of time during which the first relay remains activated is ten times a minimum charging time of a capacitor in the output circuit.

[0010] In one embodiment, the ECU is communicatively connected to the first relay via a diode and a first resistor.

[0011] In one embodiment, the current source is connected to the output circuit of the DC-DC converter via a second resistor, a fuse and at least one diode.

[0012] In one embodiment, the current source is connected to the output circuit of the DC-DC converter via a second resistor, a fuse and at least one diode.

[0013] In one embodiment, the output circuit of the DC-DC converter comprises a third resistor and a capacitor, and the third resistor is arranged in parallel with the capacitor.

[0014] In one embodiment, the charging kick-up device is part of a vehicle.

[0015] The foregoing summary is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, other aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

[0016] The novel features and characteristics of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. In the figures, the leftmost numeral(s) in a reference number indicates the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numerals are used throughout the figures to refer to like features and components. Some embodiments of the system and / or methods according to embodiments of the present subject matter will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures. Fig. 1 illustrates a charging kick-up device for ensuring voltage regulation during auxiliary power supply via a DC-DC converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 illustrates a flowchart showing a method for ensuring voltage regulation during auxiliary power supply via a DC-DC converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] Those skilled in the art should appreciate that all block diagrams contained herein represent conceptual views of exemplary systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Likewise, it should be understood that all flowcharts, sequence diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, and the like represent various processes substantially capable of being represented on a computer-readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether such computer or processor is explicitly shown or not.

[0018] Throughout this document, the word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0019] While the disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.

[0020] The terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a structure, apparatus, or method that includes a list of components or steps not only includes those components or steps, but may also include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent in such structure, apparatus, or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or device preceded by the statement "comprises... a" do not preclude, without further limitation, the existence of other or additional elements in the system or method.

[0021] In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description, therefore, is not to be considered limiting.

[0022] Fig. 1 illustrates a charging kick-up device for ensuring voltage regulation during auxiliary power supply via a DC-DC converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] As in Fig. 1, the charging kick-up device 100 includes an ECU 101, a first diode 103, a first relay 107, a current source 109, a second resistor 111, a fuse 113, at least one diode 115 (also referred to as a second diode), 117 (also referred to as a third diode), a fourth diode 119, at least one auxiliary device 123, a second relay 125, an output circuit 127, a DC-DC converter 129, and a battery source 131. The ECU 101 is communicatively connected to the first relay 107 via the first diode 103. The presence of the first diode 103 prevents any reverse current flow to the ECU 101, thereby protecting the ECU 101 from damage. In one embodiment, the ECU 101 is communicatively connected to the first relay 107 via a first diode 103 and the first resistor 105. The first resistor 105 may be connected such that the first resistor 105 provides a current discharge path in the event of a malfunction of the first relay 107.The first relay 107 connects the power source 109 to the output circuit 127 of the DC-DC converter 129 when the ECU 101 activates the first relay 107. The first relay 107 connects the power source 109 to the output circuit 127 of the DC-DC converter 129 via a charging kick-up path. The charging kick-up path refers to a current path including the second resistor 111, the fuse 113, and the at least one diode 115, 117, as shown in FIG. Fig. 1. The presence of at least one diode 115, 117 in a redundant diode configuration (as shown in Fig. 1) ensures the safety of the power source 109 according to Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) by providing reverse current protection. Furthermore, the presence of the fuse 113 ensures the safety of the power source 109 according to ASIL by providing a fail-safe mechanism during charging of the output circuit 127 by the power source 109. The output circuit 127 includes a capacitor and a resistor connected in parallel, as shown in Fig. 1. The output circuit 127 is an (internal) part of the internal circuitry of the DC-DC converter 129 and can also be referred to as the output-side internal elements of the DC-DC converter 129. The output circuit 127 replaces a low-voltage battery, which is typically implemented in an ePTO. This approach eliminates the need for a low-voltage battery, thereby reducing the cost of the ePTO, the packaging size of the ePTO, and the implementation complexity within the ePTO. The DC-DC converter 129 connects the output circuit 127 to the battery source 131. Specifically, the battery source 131 is communicatively connected to an input side of the DC-DC converter 129, and the output circuit 127, which is an (internal) part of the internal circuitry of the DC-DC converter 129, is located on the output side of the DC-DC converter 129 (as shown in Fig. 1). Furthermore, the output circuit 127 is connected to at least one auxiliary device 123 via the second relay 125. The at least one auxiliary device 123 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a refrigeration system for food handling vehicles, pharmaceutical handling vehicles, an electric machine for construction vehicles, an electric motor, an inverter, a power electronics converter for various ePTO use cases, and an auxiliary heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for passenger vehicles. The second relay 125 is operated by the ECU 101. In one embodiment, the ECU 101 is connected to the second relay 125 via the fourth diode 119. The presence of the fourth diode 119 prevents any reverse current flow to the ECU 101, thereby protecting the ECU 101 from damage.In one embodiment, the charging kick-up device 100 is part of a vehicle. The vehicle may be any vehicle, for example, a car, a van, a truck, or a bus.

[0024] The operation of the charging kick-up device 100 is explained below.

[0025] When a user wishes to use an ePTO, the user sends an ePTO using an application on a user device (in Fig. 1 not shown) sends a first user request to the ECU 101. The ECU 101 receives the first user request for operation of the ePTO. Upon receiving the first user request, the ECU 101 activates the first relay 107 to connect the power source 109 to the output circuit 127 of the DC-DC converter 129. The first relay 107 is in the normally closed (NC) state. When the ECU 101 activates the first relay 107, the first relay 107 switches from the NC state to the normally open (NO) state to connect the power source 109 to the output circuit 127 of the DC-DC converter 129. The capacitor of the output circuit 127 is charged by the power source 109. In one embodiment, the capacitance of the capacitor of the output circuit 127 is 250 µF. The time period during which the first relay 107 remains activated is ten times the minimum charging time of the capacitor in the output circuit 127.In one embodiment, the period during which the first relay 107 remains activated is 500 ms. During this phase, the ECU 101 sends a command signal to the DC-DC converter 129 to switch to a buck mode while the first relay 107 is still active. Afterward, the ECU 101 deactivates the first relay 107 when the DC-DC converter 129 switches to the buck mode. This switching strategy of the charging kick-up device 100 ensures that the capacitor of the output circuit 127 is always successfully charged, thereby ensuring a successful start-up of the DC-DC converter 129 in a buck mode. After the ECU 101 deactivates the first relay 107, the ECU 101 activates the second relay 125 to connect the output circuit 127 of the DC-DC converter 129 to at least one auxiliary power supply device 123. The second relay 125 is in the rest state (NC).When the ECU 101 activates the second relay 125, the second relay 125 switches from the NC state to the operating state (NO) to connect the output circuit 127 of the DC-DC converter 129 to at least one auxiliary power supply device 123. This switching strategy of the charging kick-up device 100 ensures voltage regulation of the DC-DC converter 129 under all load conditions, i.e., no load, minimum load, and full load. This approach ensures the safety of the DC-DC converter 129 under short-circuit load conditions.

[0026] If a user wishes to stop using the ePTO, the user sends a notification using the application on the user device (in Fig. 1 not shown) sends a second user request to the ECU 101. The ECU 101 receives the second user request to terminate operation of the ePTO. Upon receiving the second user request, the ECU 101 deactivates the second relay 125 to disconnect the output circuit 127 of the DC-DC converter 129 to the at least one auxiliary device 123.

[0027] Fig. 2 illustrates a flowchart showing a method for ensuring voltage regulation during auxiliary power supply via a DC-DC converter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] As in Fig. 2, the method 200 includes one or more steps for ensuring voltage regulation during auxiliary power delivery via a DC-DC converter. The method 200 may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions. In general, computer-executable instructions may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, units, and functions that perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types.

[0029] The order in which the method 200 is described is not intended to be limiting, and any number of the described method steps may be combined in any order to implement the method. Additionally, individual steps may be removed from the methods without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method may be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.

[0030] At step 201, an ECU 101 of the charging kick-up device 100 receives a first user request for operation of an ePTO.

[0031] At step 203, after receiving the first user request, the ECU 101 activates a first relay 107 of the charging kick-up device 100 to connect a power source 109 to an output circuit 127 of the DC-DC converter 129.

[0032] At step 205, the ECU 101 sends a command signal to the DC-DC converter 129 to switch to a step-down mode while the first relay 107 is still active.

[0033] At step 207, the ECU 101 deactivates the first relay 107 of the charging kick-up device 100 when the DC-DC converter 129 switches to the step-down mode.

[0034] At step 209, after deactivating the first relay 107, the ECU 101 activates a second relay 125 of the charging kick-up device 100 to connect the output circuit 127 of the DC-DC converter 129 to at least one auxiliary device 123 for the auxiliary power supply.

[0035] At step 211, the ECU 101 receives a second user request to terminate operation of the ePTO.

[0036] At step 213, after receiving the second user request, the ECU 101 deactivates the second relay 125 to disconnect the output circuit 127 of the DC-DC converter 129 to the at least one auxiliary device 123.

[0037] Some of the advantages of the present disclosure are listed below.

[0038] The charging kick-up device 100 of the present disclosure ensures the safety of the power source 109 according to Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) by limiting the discharge current from the power source 109 to less than 50 mA.

[0039] The presence of at least one diode 115, 117 in the charging kick-up device 100 in a redundant diode configuration (as in Fig. 1) ensures the safety of the power source 109 according to ASIL by providing reverse current protection.

[0040] The presence of the fuse 113 in the charging kick-up device 100 ensures the safety of the power source 109 according to ASIL by providing a fail-safe mechanism during charging of the output circuit 127 by the power source 109.

[0041] The switching strategy of the charging kick-up device 100 ensures voltage regulation of the DC-DC converter 129 under all load conditions, i.e., no load, minimum load, and full load. This approach ensures the safety of the DC-DC converter 129 under short-circuit load conditions.

[0042] The output circuit (with a capacitor and a resistor) 127 in the charging kick-up device 100 replaces the external low-voltage battery typically implemented in an ePTO. This approach eliminates the need for a low-voltage battery, thereby reducing the cost of the ePTO, the packaging size of the ePTO, and the implementation complexity within the ePTO.

[0043] The switching strategy of the charging kick-up device 100 ensures that the capacitor of the output circuit 127 is always successfully charged, thereby ensuring a successful start of the DC-DC converter 129 in a buck mode.

[0044] Furthermore, one or more computer-readable storage media may be used in implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. A computer-readable storage medium is any type of physical storage on which processor-readable information or data can be stored. Thus, a computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors, including instructions that cause the processor(s) to perform steps or stages consistent with the embodiments described herein. The term "computer-readable medium" should be understood to include tangible elements and exclude carrier waves and transient signals, i.e., to be non-transitory.Examples include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard disks, compact disk (CD) ROMs, DVDs, flash drives, floppy disks, and any other known physical storage media.

[0045] The described acts may be implemented as a method, system, or article of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques for producing software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. The described acts may be implemented as code stored on a "non-transitory computer-readable medium," where a processor can read and execute the code from the computer-readable medium. The processor is at least one of a microprocessor and a processor capable of processing and executing the queries. A non-transitory computer-readable medium may include media such as magnetic storage media (e.g., hard disk drives, floppy disks, tapes, and the like), optical storage (CD-ROMs, DVDs, optical disks, and the like), volatile and non-volatile storage devices (e.g.,EEPROMs, ROMs, PROMs, RAMs, DRAMs, SRAMs, flash memory, firmware, programmable logic, and the like. Furthermore, non-transitory computer-readable media includes all computer-readable media other than transitory media. The code implementing the described operations may be further implemented in hardware logic (e.g., an integrated circuit chip, a programmable gate array (PGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the like).

[0046] Furthermore, the code implementing the described operations may be implemented in "transmission signals," where transmission signals may propagate through space or through a transmission medium such as optical fiber, copper wire, and the like. The transmission signals in which the code or logic is encoded may further include a wireless signal, satellite transmission, radio waves, infrared signals, Bluetooth, and the like. The transmission signals in which the code or logic is encoded may be capable of being transmitted by a transmitting station and received by a receiving station, where the code or logic encoded in the transmission signal may be decoded at the receiving and transmitting stations or devices and stored in hardware or on a non-transitory, computer-readable medium.An "article of manufacture" includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium, hardware logic, and / or transmission signals in which code may be implemented. An apparatus encoding the code implementing the described embodiments of operations may include a computer-readable medium or hardware logic. Of course, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications may be made to this configuration without departing from the scope of the invention, and the article of manufacture may include any suitable information-bearing medium known in the art.

[0047] The terms “an embodiment,” “embodiment,” “embodiments,” “the embodiment,” “the embodiments,” “one or more embodiments,” and “some embodiments” mean “one or more (but not all) embodiments of the invention(s),” unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0048] The terms “including,” “comprising,” “having,” and variations thereof mean “including, but not limited to,” unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0049] The numbered listing of items does not imply that any or all of them are mutually exclusive, unless expressly stated otherwise. The terms "a," "an," and "the" mean "one or more" unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0050] Finally, the language used in the specification was chosen primarily for readability and instructional purposes and may not have been chosen to define or circumscribe the subject matter of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that may be issued on an application based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of embodiments of the invention is illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

[0051] Although various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, additional aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative only and are not intended to be limiting, with a true scope being indicated by the following claims. List of reference symbols: 100 Charging kick-up device 101 ECU 103 First diode 105 First Resistance 107 First Relay 109 Power source 111 Second Resistance 113 Fuse 115 Second diode 117 Third diode 119 Fourth diode 123 Additional device 125 Second Relay 127 Output circuit 129 DC / DC converters 131 Battery source

Claims

[1] Charging kick-up device for ensuring voltage regulation during auxiliary power supply via a DC-DC converter, comprising: an electronic control unit (ECU) communicatively connected to a first relay and a second relay, the ECU being configured to: Receiving a first user request for operation of an electric power take-off (ePTO); activating, upon receiving the first user request, a first relay of the charging kick-up device to connect a power source to an output circuit of the DC-DC converter; and Sending a command signal to the DC-DC converter to switch to a step-down mode while the first relay is still active; Deactivating the first relay of the charging kick-up device when the DC-DC converter switches to step-down mode; and Activating, after deactivating the first relay, the second relay of the charging kick-up device to connect the output circuit of the DC-DC converter to at least one auxiliary power supply device. [2] The charging kick-up device according to claim 1, wherein the ECU is configured to: Receiving a second user request to terminate operation of the ePTO; and Deactivating, upon receiving the second user request, the second relay to disconnect the output circuit of the DC-DC converter to the at least one auxiliary device. [3] The charging kick-up device according to claim 1, wherein a period of time during which the first relay remains activated is ten times a minimum charging time of a capacitor in the output circuit. [4] The charging kick-up device of claim 1, wherein the ECU is communicatively connected to the first relay via a diode and a first resistor. [5] Charging kick-up device according to claim 1, wherein the current source is connected to the output circuit of the DC-DC converter via a second resistor, a fuse and at least one diode. [6] The charging kick-up device of claim 1, wherein the output circuit of the DC-DC converter comprises a third resistor and a capacitor, and wherein the third resistor is arranged in parallel with the capacitor. [7] The charging kick-up device according to claim 1, wherein the charging kick-up device 100 is part of a vehicle. [8] A method for ensuring voltage regulation during auxiliary power supply via a DC-DC converter, the method comprising the steps of: Receiving, by an electronic control unit (ECU) of a charging kick-up device, a first user request for operation of an electric power take-off (ePTO); activating, upon receiving the first user request, a first relay of the charging kick-up device by the ECU to connect a power source to an output circuit of the DC-DC converter; Sending a command signal by the ECU to the DC-DC converter to switch to a step-down mode while the first relay is still active; Deactivation of the first relay of the charging kick-up device by the ECU when the DC-DC converter switches to step-down mode; and Activation, after deactivation of the first relay, of a second relay of the charging kick-up device by the ECU to connect the output circuit of the DC-DC converter to at least one auxiliary power supply device. [9] The method of claim 8, further comprising: Receiving, by the ECU, a second user request to terminate operation of the ePTO; and Deactivating, upon receiving the second user request, the second relay by the ECU to disconnect the output circuit of the DC-DC converter to the at least one auxiliary device. [10] The method of claim 8, wherein a period of time during which the first relay remains activated is ten times a minimum charging time of a capacitor in the output circuit.

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