ON-BOARD VEHICLE INVERTER WITH SELECTABLE NEUTRAL CONNECTION

Abstract

Vehicle system (106; 206; 300) in a vehicle (102) for providing AC power to an output outside the vehicle (102), wherein the vehicle system (106; 206; 300) comprises: a power inverter (108, 208) coupled to an AC bus having a neutral conductor (116), wherein the power inverter (108, 208) is configured to provide AC power via the AC bus for the output outside the vehicle (102); a switching device (110) coupled between the neutral conductor (116) of the AC bus and a ground conductor (122) in the vehicle (102); characterized in that the vehicle (102) further comprises a sensor (112) configured to measure an impedance between the neutral conductor (116) and the ground conductor (122);and a control module (114) in communication with the sensor (112) and with the switching device (110), wherein the control module (114) is configured to: send a control signal to open the switching device (110) to create a floating neutral configuration between the power inverter (108, 208) and the outside vehicle output (102); receive a signal from the sensor (112) indicating the impedance between the neutral conductor (116) and the ground conductor (122); and send a control signal to the power inverter (108, 208) to provide AC power to the outside vehicle output (102) in response to the impedance between the neutral conductor (116) and the ground conductor (122) being less than or equal to a defined threshold.

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The information provided in this section serves to generally illustrate the context of the disclosure. Work by the inventors identified herein, to the extent described in this section, as well as aspects of the description that do not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither explicitly nor implicitly acknowledged as prior art to the present disclosure.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an on-board vehicle inverter with a selectable neutral bond.

[0003] Occasionally, vehicles include a power system with one or more power converters, such as an inverter, for converting DC power to AC power. An onboard vehicle inverter is often used to supply power to an AC outlet in the vehicle and to cable-connected loads at a remote or mobile location. If a vehicle inverter is present, a neutral wire on the output side of the inverter is electrically connected (e.g., tied) to ground in the vehicle (e.g., a vehicle chassis) to ensure electrical safety. SUMMARY

[0004] A vehicle system in a vehicle for providing AC power to an output external to the vehicle. The vehicle system includes a power inverter coupled to an AC bus having a neutral conductor, a switching device coupled between the neutral conductor of the AC bus and a ground conductor in the vehicle, a sensor configured to measure an impedance between the neutral conductor and the ground conductor, and a control module in communication with the sensor and with the switching device. The power inverter is configured to provide AC power to the output external to the vehicle via the AC bus.The control module is configured to send a control signal to open the switching device to create a floating neutral configuration between the power inverter and the off-vehicle output, receive a signal from the sensor indicating the impedance between the neutral and ground conductors, and, in response to the impedance between the neutral and ground conductors being less than or equal to a defined threshold, send a control signal to the power inverter to provide AC power to the off-vehicle output.

[0005] In other features, the vehicle system further includes a power interruption device coupled to an output of the power inverter.

[0006] According to other features, the power interruption device includes a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).

[0007] According to other features, the switching device is coupled between the power inverter and the power interruption device.

[0008] According to other features, the switching device is a closed-circuit switching device.

[0009] According to other characteristics, the power inverter is a unidirectional power inverter or a bidirectional inverter.

[0010] According to other features, the sensor is a first sensor and the vehicle system further includes a receptacle configured to receive a power cable for coupling the AC bus to the output external to the vehicle, and a second sensor configured to detect a presence of the power cable.

[0011] According to other features, the control module is configured to receive a signal from the second sensor indicating that the power cable is present and, in response to receiving the signal from the second sensor, to send the control signal to open the switching device.

[0012] In other features, the vehicle system further includes a user input device in communication with the control module.

[0013] In other features, the control module is configured to receive a signal from the user input device requesting that AC power be provided to the outlet external to the vehicle, and in response to receiving the signal from the user input device, to send the control signal to open the switching device.

[0014] According to other features, the sensor is a first sensor and the vehicle system further includes at least one secondary receptacle in the vehicle and coupled to the power inverter and a second sensor configured to detect a presence of a device plugged into the at least one secondary receptacle.

[0015] According to other features, the control module is configured to receive a signal from the second sensor indicating that no device is present and, in response to receiving the signal from the second sensor, to send the control signal to open the switching device.

[0016] According to other characteristics, the defined threshold is essentially zero.

[0017] According to other features, the control module is configured to send a control signal to close the switching device in response to the impedance between the neutral conductor and the ground conductor being greater than the defined threshold.

[0018] According to other features, a vehicle includes the vehicle system configured to provide AC power to an output external to the vehicle.

[0019] A control method for providing AC power in a vehicle to an output external to the vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes a power inverter coupled to an AC bus having a neutral conductor, a switching device coupled between the neutral conductor of the AC bus and a ground conductor in the vehicle. The control method includes sending a control signal to open the switching device to create a floating neutral configuration between the power inverter and the output external to the vehicle, determining an impedance between the neutral conductor of the AC bus and the ground conductor in the vehicle, and sending a control signal to the power inverter to provide AC power to the output external to the vehicle in response to the impedance between the neutral conductor and the ground conductor being less than or equal to a defined threshold.

[0020] According to other features, the switching device is a closed-circuit switching device.

[0021] According to other characteristics, the power inverter is a unidirectional power inverter or a bidirectional inverter.

[0022] In other features, the control method further includes detecting a presence of a power cable configured to couple the AC bus to the output external to the vehicle, and sending the control signal to open the switching device includes sending the control signal to open the switching device in response to detecting the presence of the power cable.

[0023] In other features, the control method further includes receiving a signal requesting that AC power be provided to the output external to the vehicle from a user input device, and sending the control signal to open the switching device includes sending the control signal to open the switching device in response to receiving the signal from the user input device.

[0024] In other features, the vehicle system further includes at least one secondary receptacle coupled to the power inverter and a sensor configured to detect a presence of a device plugged into the at least one secondary receptacle.

[0025] According to other features, the control method further includes receiving a signal indicating that no device is plugged into the at least one secondary receptacle in the vehicle, and sending the control signal to open the switching device includes sending the control signal to open the switching device in response to receiving the signal.

[0026] According to other characteristics, the defined threshold is essentially zero.

[0027] According to other features, the control method further includes sending a control signal to close the switching device in response to the impedance between the neutral conductor and the ground conductor being greater than the defined threshold.

[0028] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1-2 are block diagrams of exemplary systems for providing AC power from a vehicle to a home in accordance with the present disclosure; Fig. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary vehicle system for providing AC power from a vehicle to a home in accordance with the present disclosure; and Fig. 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary control process for providing AC power from a vehicle to a home in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0030] In the drawings, reference symbols may be used multiple times to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] An onboard vehicle inverter is often used to power cable-connected loads at a remote or mobile location. According to such examples, a neutral conductor on the output side of the inverter is electrically connected to ground within the vehicle. In some scenarios, it may be desirable to electrically connect the onboard vehicle inverter to a building, such as a house, in order to supply power to the building, e.g., during a utility power outage. However, in the building, as in the vehicle, a neutral conductor is electrically connected to ground (e.g., earth). Thus, if the onboard vehicle inverter and the building are electrically connected, there is a parallel path with respect to the neutral and ground conductors between the vehicle and the building, allowing a load current (e.g., return current to the building) to flow between the vehicle and the building on the ground conductor.This creates unsafe conditions. Thus, if the current flowing on the ground conductor exceeds a minimum threshold (e.g., 5 mA), a power disconnect device in the vehicle will trigger to disconnect the inverter and the building, preventing the vehicle from supplying power to the building.

[0032] The vehicle systems and vehicle methods according to the present disclosure enable the selection of electrically connecting or disconnecting a neutral conductor on an output side of an onboard vehicle inverter to ground in the vehicle to create a tied neutral or a floating neutral. As a result, the neutral conductor can be selectively disconnected from ground in the vehicle if desired, thereby removing a current path on a ground conductor when the onboard vehicle is electrically connected to a building electrical system (building EPS). With this configuration, the onboard inverter can safely provide power to the building EPS without tripping a power interruption device in the vehicle due to a tied neutral connection. Thus, this provides the capability to supply emergency power from the vehicle inverter to the building in the event of a utility failure.The present vehicle systems and vehicle methods, particularly when the building includes existing emergency power hardware (e.g., a transfer switch, an interlock switch, etc.), provide a cost-effective and affordable solution for providing emergency power to the building.

[0033] In Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary system 100 for providing AC power from a vehicle 102 to an output external to the vehicle 102. According to such examples, the vehicle 102 may include any suitable type of vehicle with an onboard power inverter, including an electric vehicle (EV) and a vehicle with an internal combustion engine (ICE). According to various embodiments, the EV may include a pure EV, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, or any other suitable type of EV with one or more electric machines operating as a motor to propel the vehicle and as a generator during regeneration.

[0034] As in Fig. 1, the system 100 generally includes the vehicle 102 and a house 104. As further explained herein, the vehicle 102 according to this example includes a vehicle system 106 for providing AC power to the house 104. The vehicle system 106 in Fig. 1 generally includes a power inverter 108, a switching device 110, a sensor 112, and the control module 114. Although the system 100 is shown and described as including the house 104, it should be appreciated that the system 100 may include another suitable power receiving output external to the vehicle 102, such as a building (e.g., an office building, an apartment complex, etc.), another vehicle, etc.

[0035] According to the example from Fig. 1, the power inverter 108 is an onboard power inverter coupled between a DC bus and an AC bus. According to such examples, the AC bus includes a neutral conductor 116, line conductors 118, 120, and a ground conductor 122, and the DC bus includes a positive conductor and a negative conductor coupled to one or more battery modules in the vehicle 102. According to various embodiments, the ground conductor 122 is connected to a chassis (e.g., a metal frame) of the vehicle 102.

[0036] The power inverter 108 may be any suitable type of inverter. For example, the power inverter 108 may be a unidirectional DC-AC power inverter in which a DC input is converted to an AC output. According to various embodiments, the power inverter 108 may be a dedicated inverter module that provides 120 VAC and / or 240 VAC (e.g., an auxiliary phase) from the DC input (e.g., a 400 VDC or 800 VDC input). According to other examples, the power inverter 108 may be part of a bidirectional inverter in which DC power may be converted to AC power (e.g., for the house 104) or AC power (e.g., from the house 104) may be converted to DC power (e.g., for charging the battery modules in the vehicle). According to such embodiments, the power inverter 108 may supply power (e.g., 12 VDC, 120 VAC, etc.) for one or more power outlets or receptacles on or in the vehicle 102 and / or the house 104.

[0037] The power inverter 108 supplies AC power to the house 104 via a receptacle 124 located on or in the vehicle 102. For example, the house 104 may receive AC power from the vehicle 102 via a generator or power cable extending from the receptacle 124. The generator or power cable may, for example, be plugged into the receptacle 124 located on or in the vehicle 102. According to such examples, the generator or power cable may be like an extension cord and include a neutral wire 128, line wires 130, 132, and a ground wire 134. According to some examples, the generator or power cable may then connect to a type of Romex wiring or similar within the walls of the house 104, which in turn connects to a main circuit breaker 126 in the house 104. According to this example, the ground conductor 134 is connected to a grounding tube 144 (e.g.an earth ground) and electrically connected to the neutral conductor 128, thereby creating a bound neutral conductor configuration on the house side.

[0038] The main circuit breaker 126 from Fig. 1 may connect / disconnect a fuse box 136 between a power grid 138 and the power inverter 108 in the vehicle 102. For example, under normal operating conditions, the main circuit breaker 126 receives AC power from the power grid 138 via a meter 140 and conductors 142. This AC power is then transferred to the fuse box 136 to power loads in the house 104. However, if a power outage occurs with respect to the power grid 138 and / or is otherwise desired, the main circuit breaker 126 may receive AC power from the power inverter 108, which is then transferred to the fuse box 136. According to such examples, a relay and / or other suitable switching device in the main circuit breaker 126 may be manipulated to connect / disconnect the fuse box 136 between the power grid 138 and the power inverter 108.

[0039] According to the example from Fig. 1, the main circuit breaker 126 is a transfer switch. However, it should be appreciated that, according to other embodiments, other suitable circuit breakers may be used if desired. For example, the main circuit breaker 126 may be an interlock switch or other similar device for connecting / disconnecting the fuse box 136 between the power grid 138 and the power inverter 108 in the vehicle 102.

[0040] According to various embodiments, the vehicle system 106 includes one or more sensors. For example, the vehicle system 106 may include the sensor as shown in Fig. 1 as well as other various sensors such as sensors for detecting or otherwise sensing the presence of a device plugged into a power outlet / receptacle in the vehicle 102 and / or the presence of the power cable coupling the AC bus to the house 104, as will be further explained below. According to the example of Fig. 1, the sensor 112 (e.g., a ground sensor or ground monitor) measures an impedance between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122. According to such examples, the sensor 112 may directly measure the impedance. According to other examples, the sensor 112 may sense electrical properties (e.g., a voltage and a current) associated with the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122, and the control module 114 may calculate the impedance between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122 (e.g., by comparing impedances associated with the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122).

[0041] According to the example from Fig. 1, the vehicle system 106 may further include a power interruption device 146 coupled to an output of the power inverter 108. According to such examples, the switching device 110 is coupled between the power inverter 108 and the power interruption device 146. The power interruption device 146 acts as a conventional circuit interruption device. For example, the power interruption device 146 may provide or interrupt the AC power from the power inverter 108 to the house 104 depending on whether the power interruption device 146 is triggered (e.g., because a current exceeds a threshold). The power interruption device 146 in Fig. 1 may be any suitable circuit interrupting device such as a residual current device (GFCI), a ground fault interrupter (GFI), an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI), a residual current device (RCD), etc.

[0042] As in Fig. 1, the power interruption device 146 may be the receptacle 124 or a portion thereof. For example, the receptacle 124 may be a GFCI-type receptacle. According to other examples, the power interruption device 146 may be a component in a power inverter module. For example, Fig. 2 a system 200 which is essentially similar to the system 100 of Fig. 1, but in which a power interruption device is positioned at a power inverter module. More specifically, the system 200 in Fig. 2 the vehicle 102 and the house 104 from Fig. 1 and a vehicle system 206 with a power inverter module 208. The power inverter module 208 in Fig. 2 includes the power inverter 108, the power interruption device 146, and the switching device 110, which is coupled in the vehicle 102 between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122. Although the Fig. 2 is not shown, the vehicle system 206 may include a connector socket (e.g., the connector socket 124 of Fig. 1) remote from the power interruption device 146 for connection to a power cable running between the house 104 and the vehicle 102, a control module (e.g., the control module 114 of Fig. 1) and one or more sensors as explained here.

[0043] Continue with Fig. 1, the switching device 110 is coupled between the neutral conductor 116 of the AC bus and the ground conductor 122 within the vehicle 102. As further explained below, the switching device 110 is controllable to electrically connect or disconnect the neutral conductor 116 to ground within the vehicle to create a tied neutral or a floating neutral. According to various embodiments, the switching device 110 may be a closed-circuit switching device. According to such examples, during a normal operating condition (e.g., a vehicle-to-load power mode), the closed-circuit switching device 110 creates a tied neutral configuration with the neutral conductor 116 connected to the ground conductor 122. This ensures that the power interruption device 146 trips to prevent an electrical shock or to prevent a current from passing through a person.The switching device 110 can then be controlled, if desired, to create a potential-free neutral configuration with the neutral conductor 116 separated from the ground conductor 122.

[0044] According to the example from Fig. 1, the switching device 110 may be any suitable switching device. For example, the switching device 110 may be a solid-state device (e.g., a mechanical relay, an electromagnetic relay, etc.), an active device (e.g., a field-effect transistor (FET), a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), etc.), etc.

[0045] As in Fig. 1, the control module 114 is in communication with the power inverter 108, the switching device 110, and the sensor 112. According to such examples, the control module 114 may control the power inverter 108 and / or the switching device 110 based on the impedance detected by the sensor 112.

[0046] For example, the control module 114 may initially send a control signal to open the switching device 110 (e.g., a closed-circuit switching device). In doing so, the neutral conductor 116 is separated (and more generally grounded) from the ground conductor 122, creating a floating neutral configuration between the power inverter 108 and the main disconnect switch 126 (or the house 104, the utility outlet, etc.). According to such scenarios, when the power cable (or other suitable power cable) is plugged into the receptacle 124, no parallel path is created, and return current is prevented from flowing to the house 104 via the ground conductor 122.

[0047] According to various embodiments, the control module 114 may only send the control signal to open the switching device 110 if one or more conditions are met. For example, the control module 114 may send the control signal in response to detecting that the power cable (or other suitable power cable) is plugged into the receptacle 124, that a door for the receptacle 124 is open, and / or to a user input (e.g., instructing the control module 114 to enter a vehicle-to-home power mode, etc.). If each (or at least one) of the conditions is met, the control module 114 sends the control signal to open the switching device 110. Conversely, if one or more of the conditions are not met, the control module 114 does not send the control signal to open the switching device 110, and the switching device 110 remains closed (e.g.,in its quiescent current state), thereby maintaining a tied neutral configuration with the neutral conductor 116 connected to the ground conductor 122.

[0048] The control module 114 may then receive a signal from the sensor 112 indicating the impedance between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122. For example, in response to the switching device 110 being open, the control module 114 may receive a measured impedance between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122 or obtain electrical characteristics for determining the impedance between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122. According to other examples, the control module 114 may instruct the sensor 112 to measure the impedance or obtain the desired electrical characteristics.

[0049] The control module 114 may then send a control signal to the power inverter 108 to provide AC power to the house 104. According to such examples, the control module 114 sends the control signal to the power inverter 108 in response to the impedance between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122 being less than or equal to a defined threshold. According to various embodiments, the defined threshold may be substantially zero, such as 0 ohms, 0.01 ohms, 0.03 ohms, 0.05 ohms, 0.07 ohms, etc. If the impedance between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122 is less than or equal to the defined threshold, the switching device 110 remains open to create a floating neutral configuration.

[0050] According to various embodiments, the control module 114 does not initiate control of the power inverter 108 if the impedance between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122 is greater than the defined threshold. According to such examples, the presence of an impedance between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122 indicates that the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122 are not electrically coupled at some point (e.g., via the switching device 110 and / or at another location). In response to the impedance between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122 being greater than the defined threshold (e.g., greater than substantially zero), the control module 114 may send a control signal to close the switching device 110 and not send a control signal to the power inverter 108 to provide AC power to the house 104.

[0051] According to some examples, the power interruption device 146 may operate normally when the control module 114 enters the vehicle-to-home power mode to open the switching device 110 and provide power to the home 104. For example, the power interruption device 146 may trip, as is conventional, if the current flowing on the ground conductor 122 exceeds a minimum threshold (e.g., 5 mA). According to other examples, the current threshold may be increased to a higher value or the power interruption device 146 may be deactivated when the control module 114 enters the vehicle-to-home power mode. The increased threshold or deactivation of the power interruption device 146 is possible because the home 104 should include power interruption protection such as a GFCI.

[0052] Fig. 3 shows an exemplary vehicle system 300 that can be used as the vehicle systems 106, 206 of Fig. 1-2 can be implemented. As in Fig. 3, the vehicle system 300 generally includes the power inverter 108, the switching device 110, the sensor 112 (e.g., the impedance sensor), the control module 114, and the connector socket 124 of Fig. 1. Furthermore, the vehicle system 300 may include an inverter control module 314, a display module 350, a user device 352, one or more additional connectors 354 (referred to herein as secondary connectors), a diagnostic module 356, and sensors 358, 360. According to such examples, the secondary connectors 354 may be connectors in or on the vehicle 102. Fig. 2 to provide a rated voltage (e.g. 120 VAC) for powering external devices (e.g. user devices, etc.).

[0053] Although Fig. 3 depicts the vehicle system 300 as including specific modules and / or sensors, it should be appreciated that the vehicle system 300 and / or other systems may, if desired, include one or more other modules and / or sensors (e.g., with the same or different functionality). Furthermore, although the vehicle system 300 is depicted as including multiple separate modules, any combination of the modules (e.g., the control module 114, the diagnostic module 356, the inverter control module 314, etc.) and / or their functionality may be integrated into one or more modules.

[0054] According to various embodiments, the modules and sensors of vehicle system 300 may communicate with each other and share parameters via a network 362, such as a Controller Area Network (CAN). According to such examples, the parameters may be shared via one or more data buses of network 362. Thus, various parameters may be made available to other modules and / or sensors via network 362 by a given module and / or sensor.

[0055] According to the example from Fig. 3, the control module 114 may perform similar functions as described above with respect to Fig. 1. For example, and as explained above, the control module 114 initially sends a control signal to open the switching device 110 to remove the neutral conductor 116 from Fig. 1 from the ground conductor 122 Fig. 1. According to various embodiments, the control module 114 can control the power inverter 108 to switch off the AC voltage before opening the switching device 110. The control module 114 then receives a signal from the sensor 112 indicating the impedance between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122. If the impedance between the neutral conductor 116 and the ground conductor 122 is less than or equal to a defined threshold value, the control module 114 then sends a control signal to the power inverter 108, as explained above, to supply AC power to the house 104. Fig. 1. According to such examples, the control module 114 may send the control signal directly to the power inverter 108 or to the inverter control module 314 (e.g., an on-board control module) within the power inverter 108. If the impedance is greater than the defined threshold, the control module 114 sends a control signal to close the switching device 110.

[0056] According to various embodiments, the control module 114 sends the control signal to open the switching device 110 only when defined conditions are met. For example, the control module 114 can only send the control signal to open the switching device 110 when the user has initiated the provision of power to the house 104. Fig. 1 and / or another suitable scope of services outside the vehicle 102 from Fig. 1. For example, a user may select an input on the user device 352 (e.g., a cellular phone, etc.) and / or on the display module 350 in the vehicle 102 (e.g., a center console display module with a user interface) indicating a desire to provide power from the power receptacle 124 (e.g., to enter a vehicle-to-home power mode). According to such examples, the control module 114 may receive a signal from the user device 352 and / or the display module 350 may request that AC power be provided. Then, in response to receiving this signal, the control module 114 may send the control signal to open the switching device 110, as explained herein.

[0057] According to some examples, the sensors 358, 360 may be Fig. 3 provide an indication that the receptacles 124, 354 are or will be in use. According to such examples, the sensors 358, 360 may generally detect the presence or possibility of a power cable being plugged into the receptacles 124, 354. For example, any one of the sensors 358, 360 may detect whether a door associated with its corresponding receptacle 124, 354 is open and / or detect whether a power cable is plugged into its corresponding receptacle 124, 354. According to such examples, the presence of a power cable or the possibility of one being plugged into the receptacles 124, 354 may be detected based on one or more sensed electrical characteristics associated with the receptacles 124, 354 and / or one or more sensed physical characteristics (e.g., movement, location, etc.) associated with the receptacles 124, 354.More specifically, the sensors 358, 360 can detect a current flow, a resistance, a non-transmitted infrared signal, etc., associated with the connection sockets 124, 354.

[0058] According to such examples, the control module 114 may or may not send the control signal to open the switching device 110 based on signals received from the sensors 358, 360. For example, the control module 114 may send the control signal to open the switching device 110 to create a floating neutral configuration if the control module 114 receives a signal from the sensor 358 indicating that the power cable is present (e.g., plugged into the receptacle 124 or likely to be plugged into it). Furthermore, the control module 114 may send the control signal to open the switching device 110 to create the floating configuration if the control module 114 receives a signal from each sensor 360 indicating that no power cable is present (e.g.,a device is plugged into one of the secondary receptacles 354 or is likely to be plugged into it), or does not receive a signal from any of the sensors 360. Alternatively, if the control module 114 receives a signal from one of the sensors 360 indicating that a power cable is present (e.g., that a device is plugged into one of the secondary receptacles 354 or is likely to be plugged into it), the control module 114 may not send the control signal to open the switching device 110 to maintain a tied neutral configuration.

[0059] According to some examples, the control module 114 may be operable to deactivate one or more of the secondary receptacles 354. For example, the control module 114 may electronically deactivate individual receptacles 354 or a group of receptacles 354 based on operating conditions. According to such examples, the control module 114 may control one or more circuit breakers associated with the secondary receptacles 354 to deactivate the secondary receptacles 354 when the user requests entry into the vehicle-to-home power mode, for example.

[0060] According to various embodiments, the diagnostic module 356 may operate to ensure that the switching device 110 is in the intended position. For example, the diagnostic module 356 may include suitable circuitry and logic for detecting whether the switching device 110 is open or closed. The diagnostic module 356 may then provide a signal to the control module 114 indicating whether the switching device 110 is open or closed.

[0061] Fig. 4 illustrates an exemplary control process 400 for providing AC power from a vehicle to an output (e.g., a house, a building, etc.) external to the vehicle. Although the exemplary control process 400 is generally described with respect to the vehicle system 300 of Fig. 3, the control process 400 may be implemented by any other suitable vehicle system (e.g., the vehicle system 106 of Fig. 1, the vehicle system 206 from Fig. 2 etc.) can be used.

[0062] The tax process 400 in Fig. 4 begins at 402, where the control module 114 determines whether a power cable is plugged into the connector receptacle 124. For example, the control module 114 may determine from the sensor 358 Fig. 3 receives a signal indicating, as explained above, the presence or possibility of a power cable being plugged into the receptacle 124. If the control module 114 determines (e.g., based on a signal from the sensor 358) that a power cable is plugged into the receptacle 124, the control process 400 proceeds to 404. Otherwise, if the control module 114 determines that no power cable is plugged into the receptacle 124 (e.g., if the control module 114 does not receive a signal from the sensor 358 or receives a signal from the sensor 358 that does not indicate the presence of a power cable), the control process 400 returns to 402. According to such examples, the switching device 110 (e.g., a closed-circuit switching device) remains closed or is closed if the switching device 110 is open.

[0063] At 404, the control module 114 determines whether a user request indicating a desire to provide power to the outlet outside the vehicle is received. For example, and as discussed above, a user may select an input at a user device 352 and / or at the display module 350 requesting entry into a vehicle-to-home power mode (e.g., to provide power from the outlet receptacle 124 to the outlet outside the vehicle). If no such user request is received, the control process 400 returns to 402. According to such examples, the switching device 110 remains closed or is closed if the switching device 110 is open. Conversely, if the control module 114 does not receive the user request, the control process 400 proceeds to 406, where the control module 114 deactivates the power inverter 108.According to various embodiments, the control module 114 may directly deactivate the power inverter 108 via one or more control signals or may deactivate the power inverter 108 by providing one or more control signals to the inverter control module 314. Fig. 3. The control process then proceeds from 400 to 408.

[0064] At 408, the switching device 110 is manually or electronically opened to create a floating neutral configuration with a neutral conductor in the vehicle separated from a ground conductor in the vehicle. For example, a user may manually control the switching device 110 to change from a closed position to an open position. According to other examples, the control module 114 may send a control signal to open the switching device 110. The control process 400 then proceeds to 410.

[0065] At 410, an impedance between the neutral and ground conductors in the vehicle is determined. For example, and as explained above, sensor 112 measures an impedance between the neutral and ground conductors or detects electrical properties associated with the neutral and ground conductors to enable control module 114 to calculate the impedance. Control process 400 then proceeds to 412.

[0066] At 412, the control module 114 determines whether the determined impedance is less than or equal to a defined threshold. This determination may be made, for example, by a comparison between the determined impedance (or a representative value thereof) and the defined threshold. According to various embodiments, the defined threshold may be substantially zero, as explained above.

[0067] If the impedance is less than or equal to the defined threshold, the control process 400 proceeds to 414. At 414, the control module 114 disables one or more secondary receptacles in or on the vehicle to provide a nominal voltage (e.g., 120 VAC) for powering external devices (e.g., user devices, etc.). For example, the control module 114 may disable one or more circuit breakers or other disconnecting means associated with the secondary receptacles (e.g., the secondary receptacles 354 Fig.3) to deactivate the secondary receptacles. The control process 400 then proceeds to 416, where the control module 114 enters a vehicle-to-home power mode and sends a control signal to the power inverter 108. According to such examples, the power inverter 108 may be controlled (e.g., by the control module 114, the inverter control module 314, etc.) to provide AC power to the output (e.g., a house, a building, etc.) external to the vehicle. The control process 400 then ends.

[0068] Conversely, if the impedance is greater than the defined threshold, the control process 400 proceeds to 418. At 418, the control module 114 sends a control signal to close the switching device 110 to create a tied neutral configuration with the neutral conductor connected to the ground conductor. According to such examples, the control module 114 may enter a vehicle-to-load power mode, and the power inverter 108 may be controlled, if applicable (e.g., by the control module 114, the inverter control module 314, etc.) to provide AC power to the secondary receptacles in or on the vehicle to power a load connected thereto. The control process 400 then returns to 402.

[0069] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses in any way. The broad teachings of the disclosure may be implemented in a variety of forms. Thus, although this disclosure contains specific examples, the true scope of the disclosure is not intended to be so limited, since other changes will become apparent upon a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. It is to be understood that one or more steps within a method may be performed in a different order (or concurrently) without altering the principles of the present disclosure.Furthermore, although each of the embodiments has been described above as having certain features, one or more of these features described with respect to any embodiment of the disclosure may be implemented in and / or together with features of any of the other embodiments, even if this combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and interchanging one or more embodiments with one another remains within the scope of this disclosure.

[0070] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms, including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "beside," "on," "over," "under," and "disposed." When a relationship between a first and a second element is not explicitly described as "direct" in the above disclosure, that relationship may be a direct relationship, with no other intervening elements present between the first and second elements, but may also be an indirect relationship, with one or more intervening elements (either spatially or functionally) present between the first and second elements.As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C is intended to mean a logical (A OR B OR C) using a non-exclusive logical OR, and is not to be understood as meaning "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0071] In the figures, the direction of an arrow, as indicated by the arrowhead, generally illustrates the flow of information (such as data or instructions) of interest for the representation. For example, if an element A and an element B exchange a lot of information, but information transmitted from element A to element B is relevant for the representation, the arrow may point from element A to element B. This unidirectional arrow does not imply that no other information is transmitted from element B to element A. Furthermore, for information sent from element A to element B, element B may send requests for the information to element A or receive acknowledgments thereof.

[0072] In this application, including in the definitions below, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced with the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to, be a part of, or include: an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field-programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0073] The module may include one or more interface circuits. According to some examples, the interface circuits may include wired or wireless interfaces connected to a local area network (LAN), to the Internet, to a wide area network (WAN), or combinations thereof. The functionality of any given module of the present disclosure may be distributed among multiple modules connected via interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may enable load balancing. According to another example, a server (also known as a remote module or cloud module) may perform some functionality on behalf of a client module.

[0074] The term code, as used above, may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term shared processor circuitry includes a single processor circuit that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group processor circuitry includes a processor circuit that executes some or all of the code from one or more modules along with additional processor circuitry. References to multiple processor circuits include multiple processor circuits on discrete dies, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the above.The term shared memory circuit refers to a single memory circuit that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group memory circuit refers to a memory circuit that stores some or all of the code from one or more modules along with additional memories.

[0075] The term "memory circuit" is a subset of the term "computer-readable medium." As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" does not include transitory electrical or electromagnetic signals that propagate through a medium (such as in a carrier wave); thus, the term "computer-readable medium" can be considered tangible and non-transitory.Non-limiting examples of a non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium include non-volatile memory circuits (such as a flash memory circuit, an erasable programmable read-only memory circuit, or a mask read-only memory circuit), volatile memory circuits (such as a static random access memory circuit or a dynamic random access memory circuit), magnetic storage media (such as an analog or digital magnetic tape or a hard disk drive), and optical storage media (such as a CD, a DVD, or a Blu-ray Disc).

[0076] The devices and methods described in this application may be implemented partially or entirely by a special-purpose computer created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in computer programs. The functional blocks, flowchart components, and other elements described above serve as software specifications that can be translated into computer programs through the routine work of a skilled technician or programmer.

[0077] The computer programs contain processor-executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium. Furthermore, the computer programs may contain or rely on stored data. The computer programs may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with hardware of the special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0078] The computer programs may contain: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language) or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), (ii) assembly code, (iii) object code generated from source code by a compiler, (iv) source code for execution by an interpreter, (v) source code for compilation and execution by a just-in-time compiler, etc. By way of example only, source code may be written using syntax from languages ​​including C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Java®, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, JavaScript®, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language, 5th Revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Flash®, Visual Basic®, Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK and Python®.

Claims

[1] A vehicle system in a vehicle for providing AC power to an output external to the vehicle, the vehicle system comprising: a power inverter coupled to an AC bus having a neutral conductor, the power inverter configured to provide AC power to the output external to the vehicle via the AC bus; a switching device coupled between the neutral conductor of the AC bus and a ground conductor in the vehicle; a sensor configured to measure an impedance between the neutral conductor and the ground conductor; and a control module in communication with the sensor and with the switching device, the control module being configured to: Sending a control signal to open the switching device to create a floating neutral configuration between the power inverter and the output outside the vehicle; Receiving a signal indicating the impedance between the neutral conductor and the ground conductor from the sensor; and Sending a control signal to the power inverter to provide AC power to the output outside the vehicle in response to the impedance between the neutral conductor and the ground conductor being less than or equal to a defined threshold. [2] The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising a power interruption device coupled to an output of the power inverter. [3] The vehicle system of claim 2, wherein the power interruption device includes a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). [4] The vehicle system of claim 2, wherein the switching device is coupled between the power inverter and the power interruption device. [5] The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the switching device is a quiescent current switching device. [6] Vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein: the sensor is a first sensor; the vehicle system further comprises a receptacle configured to receive a power cable for coupling the AC bus to the output outside the vehicle, and a second sensor configured to detect a presence of the power cable; and the control module is configured to receive a signal from the second sensor indicating that the power cable is present, and in response to receiving the signal from the second sensor, to send the control signal to open the switching device. [7] The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising a user input device in communication with the control module, the control module being configured to: Receiving a signal requesting that AC power be provided to the output outside the vehicle from the user input device; and Sending the control signal to open the switching device in response to receiving the signal from the user input device. [8] Vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein: the sensor is a first sensor; the vehicle system further comprises at least one secondary receptacle in the vehicle coupled to the power inverter, and a second sensor configured to detect a presence of a device plugged into the at least one secondary receptacle; and the control module is configured to receive a signal from the second sensor indicating that no device is present and, in response to receiving the signal from the second sensor, to send the control signal to open the switching device. [9] The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the defined threshold is substantially zero. [10] The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to send a control signal to close the switching device in response to the impedance between the neutral conductor and the ground conductor being greater than the defined threshold.

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