VEHICLE BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM BASED ON EXTERNAL SENSING DATA

Abstract

A vehicle charging system comprises: power sources; an onboard charging module configured to recharge one or more selected power sources; and a control module. The control module is configured to determine whether the vehicle is decelerating; acquire external sensor data in response to the determination that the vehicle is decelerating; determine whether the vehicle is in a dense environment based on the external sensor data; and activate the recharging of one or more selected power sources based on whether the vehicle is in a dense environment.

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The information given in this section serves to provide a general overview of the context of the disclosure. The work of the inventors mentioned herein, to the extent described in this section, as well as aspects of the description that cannot otherwise be considered prior art at the time of filing, are neither explicitly nor implicitly recognized as prior art with respect to the present disclosure.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to charging systems for low-voltage sources and high-voltage sources of rechargeable energy storage systems.

[0003] Electric vehicles, such as fully electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and hybrid electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), contain high-voltage battery packs (HV battery packs). The HV battery packs provide power for high-voltage direct current (HV-DC) loads and for an auxiliary power module that converts high voltage to low voltage to charge a low-voltage power source (LV power source) or low-voltage battery (LV battery). The LV power source is used to power the LV-DC loads. The HV loads include motors used for propulsion, as well as other high-voltage loads. LV loads can include, for example, lights, window and seat motors, door locks, infotainment system components, and so on. The HV battery packs can have connections for voltages such as 400 V or 800 V. The LV power sources can have connections for e.g. 12 V or 48 V.

[0004] DE 10 2019 107 879 A1 discloses a control device used in a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine, a rotating electric machine, and a storage battery. The control device stops the engine when the state of charge (SOC) of the storage battery is higher than a lower limit and an automatic stop condition is met, and restarts the engine when the SOC of the storage battery is lower than the lower limit and an automatic restart condition is met. The control device also controls an operation of the rotating electric machine to generate electricity in order to increase the SOC above a target SOC, and also actuates the rotating electric machine to assist in propelling the vehicle when the SOC is higher than a torque-assist release SOC. The target SOC is set higher than the lower limit.The torque support enable SOC is set higher than the target SOC.

[0005] DE 10 2015 226 647 A1 discloses a method for controlling a vehicle's powertrain. The method comprises the following steps: determining an upcoming route; detecting a temporary or static traffic sign or traffic situation located on the route and associated with a future reduction in the vehicle's speed; determining an operating strategy for reducing the vehicle's speed, wherein the operating strategy is optimized to minimize the vehicle's energy consumption; and implementing the operating strategy within the vehicle when the vehicle is in front of or at the traffic sign or traffic situation.

[0006] US 2018 / 0113200A1 discloses a LiDAR system. The LiDAR system comprises at least one processor configured to: control at least one light source so that the light intensity can vary over a scan of a field of view using light from the at least one light source; control at least one light deflector to deflect light from the at least one light source; obtain identification of at least one specific area of ​​interest in the field of view; and increase the light allocation to the at least one specific area of ​​interest relative to other areas such that, after an initial scan cycle, the light intensity in at least one subsequent second scan cycle is higher at locations associated with the at least one specific area of ​​interest than the light intensity in the first scan cycle at the locations associated with the at least one specific area of ​​interest.

[0007] DE 10 2008 015 046 A1 discloses a method for the predictive control and / or regulation of a hybrid drive in a motor vehicle. The control and / or regulation is achieved by selecting the operating strategy. The invention is characterized in that, in selecting the operating strategy, at least one communication-based piece of information is taken into account, which is generated by means of communication between the motor vehicle and stationary and / or moving counterparts, for example by means of vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

[0008] DE 10 2022 124 260 A1 discloses a method and a circuit arrangement for pre-charging a high-voltage DC link for a motor vehicle. A high-voltage battery with battery terminals is provided, to which the high-voltage DC link is electrically coupled. DC link terminals provided by the high-voltage DC link are electrically coupled to corresponding station terminals of a high-voltage charging station to provide a charging current supplied via the high-voltage DC link. The DC link terminals are selectively electrically coupled to corresponding supply points of the high-voltage DC link by means of charging current switching elements, which are opened and closed before the DC link terminals are coupled to the station terminals.

[0009] DE 10 2021 128 139 A1 discloses a system for supplying electrical energy to a vehicle and a method for supplying electrical energy to a vehicle. SUMMARY

[0010] A charging system for a vehicle is disclosed. The charging system includes: power sources; an onboard charging module configured to recharge one or more selected power sources; and a control module. The control module is configured to determine whether the vehicle is decelerating; acquire external sensor data from multiple sensors in response to the determination that the vehicle is decelerating; determine whether the vehicle is in a dense environment based on the external sensor data; and activate the recharging of one or more selected power sources based on whether the vehicle is in a dense environment.Furthermore, the control module is configured to wait for an initial predefined period in response to the determination that the vehicle is in a dense environment; to verify that the vehicle remains in a dense environment after the initial predefined period has elapsed; to wait for a second predefined period in response to the determination that the vehicle remains in a dense environment; and to activate the recharging of one or more selected power sources after the second predefined period has elapsed.

[0011] According to other features, the control module is configured to determine whether a braking force difference is greater than a set threshold difference; and to acquire external sensor data in response to the fact that the braking force difference is greater than the set threshold difference.

[0012] According to other features, the control module is configured to determine whether a vehicle speed difference is negative and exceeds a set threshold difference; and to acquire external sensor data in response to the fact that the speed difference is negative and exceeds the set threshold difference.

[0013] According to other features, the control module is configured to capture images via one or more outward-facing cameras; perform image recognition on the captured images; and determine that the vehicle is in a dense environment based on the number and type of objects detected in the captured images.

[0014] According to other features, the control module is configured to generate a point cloud based on the output of one or more lidar sensors; determine the density of the point cloud; determine the signal-to-noise ratio based on the density; and determine that the vehicle is in a dense environment based on the signal-to-noise ratio.

[0015] According to other features, the control module is configured to generate a data map based on the output of one or more radar sensors; detect one or more structural objects based on the data map; determine a signal-to-noise ratio based on the detection of the one or more structural objects; and determine that the vehicle is in a dense environment based on the signal-to-noise ratio.

[0016] According to other features, the control module is configured to receive navigation data; extract metadata from the navigation data; determine whether the vehicle is in a construction zone based on the metadata; and determine that the vehicle is in a dense environment in response to the determination that the vehicle is in the construction zone.

[0017] According to other specifications, the power sources include a high-voltage power source and / or a low-voltage power source. The high-voltage power source supplies a voltage greater than or equal to 200 V. The low-voltage power source supplies a voltage less than or equal to 48 V.

[0018] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims, and the drawings. The detailed description and the specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The present revelation becomes more fully understandable from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings; they show: Fig. 1 a functional block diagram of an exemplary charging system of a vehicle which includes a vehicle integration control module, according to the present disclosure; Fig. 2. a functional block diagram of a section of the vehicle Fig. 1, which contains the vehicle integration control module, according to the present disclosure; and Fig. 3A-3C a charging method according to the present disclosure.

[0020] Reference symbols may be used multiple times in the drawings to denote similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Electric and hybrid vehicles can contain large battery packs, which are comprised of battery pack modules with numerous battery cells. The cells of each battery pack module can be connected in series and / or parallel. The battery pack modules can also be connected in series or parallel to provide different output voltages, such as 12 V and 48 V, for powering low-voltage loads, such as 12 V and 48 V loads. The battery pack modules can also be connected in series or parallel for higher voltages, such as 400 V, 800 V, and voltages above 800 V. One or more separate, dedicated battery packs can be provided for low-voltage and high-voltage loads.

[0022] During operation, parameters such as voltage, current, and temperature of battery pack modules and cells can be monitored to determine SOX values. The acronym "SOX" refers to state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), state of operation (SOP), and / or state of function (SOF). The SOC of a cell and / or battery pack module can refer to the voltage, current, and / or the amount of available power stored in the cell and / or battery pack module.The State of Health (SOH) of the cell and / or battery pack module may refer to: the age (or operating hours); whether there is a short circuit; whether there is a loose wire or a poor connection; temperatures, voltages, power levels, and / or current levels supplied to or delivered by the cell and / or battery pack module during specific operating conditions; and / or other parameters that describe the health of the cell and / or battery pack module. The State of Function (SOF) of a cell and / or battery pack module may refer to a current temperature, voltage, and / or current level supplied to or delivered by the cell and / or battery pack module, and / or other parameters that describe a current operating state of the cell and / or battery pack module.

[0023] The implementations disclosed here can be applied to fully electric vehicles, BEVs, hybrid electric vehicles including PHEVs, partially or fully autonomous vehicles and other types of vehicles.

[0024] The term "power source," as used here, can refer to a battery pack, a battery module within a battery pack, one or more cells within a battery module of a battery pack, a battery, and / or any other rechargeable power source. A battery pack can contain multiple battery modules, each of which can contain hundreds of cells. Thus, a power source can contain multiple power sources. A power source can also include a cooling circuit, sensors, switches, connectors, a control module, and so on.

[0025] The examples presented here include a charging system for charging a vehicle's high-voltage (HV) and low-voltage (LV) battery packs. Charging is performed based on external sensor data, such as from cameras, lidar sensors, radar sensors, and a navigation system. The charging system effectively utilizes reliable data points from externally facing sensor modules to drive charging efficiency management. This charging efficiency management includes a regeneration strategy that incorporates charging both HV and LV battery packs while supporting vehicle operations that utilize HV and LV power.

[0026] A charging system can operate based on vehicle dynamics, such as vehicle speed and braking patterns, along with calibrations for charging efficiency management. However, such a charging system can be efficiency-limited. The charging system disclosed here operates based on vehicle dynamics, current braking operations, and pre-processed sensor data perceived from the outside to provide additional charging efficiency enhancement, thereby contributing to battery healing management and extended battery life. According to one embodiment, real-time analysis of sensor data from the environment surrounding a host vehicle is performed to determine which charging methods are implemented for high-voltage (HV) and low-voltage (LV) battery packs to improve charging efficiency.

[0027] Fig. Figure 1 shows a charging system 100, which can include an external vehicle charging station 102, a vehicle charging socket 104 106, an on-board charging module (OBCM) 108, a vehicle integration control module (VICM) 110, and a rechargeable storage system (RESS) 112. The OBCM 108 contains an AC-DC converter 113, which converts HV-AC to HV-DC. The OBCM 108 controls the amount of current and power on the HV-DC bus 124, a portion of which is supplied to the RESS 112 during charging. The OBCM 108 receives an AC voltage from the vehicle's external charging station 102 and reports the AC voltage to the VICM 110. The OBCM 108 can regulate the voltage on the HV-DC bus 124. The OBCM 108 can also be part of a regenerative braking system for recharging power sources during vehicle braking.

[0028] The VICM 110 communicates with the external vehicle charging station 102 via a communication line 114 and controls the charging of the RESS 112 i) directly via a first HV-DC line 116 and a second HV-DC line 118, or ii) indirectly via an HV-AC line 120, the OBCM 108, a line 122 between the charging socket 104 and the OBCM 108, and an HV-DC bus 124. The communication can include determining the charging capabilities of the external vehicle charging station 102 and can include instructions for adjusting the power outputs of the external vehicle charging station 102. The HV-DC line 118 can be connected to the HV-DC bus 124. The VICM 110 implements a charging application 130 based on calibration values, at least some of which are referenced here, stored in memory 134. The RESS 112 can contain one or more HV battery packs 136, which can be connected in series and / or in parallel.

[0029] Furthermore, the vehicle 106 includes an auxiliary power module (APM) 140, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system 144, a propulsion system 146, and / or other HV power sources. The APM 140 can convert the HV-DC on the HV-DC bus 124 to LV-DC and provide the LV-DC to an LV power source 142 (e.g., a 12-volt battery, a multi-output adjustable-capacity system (MODACS), a 48-volt power source, etc.). The LV power source 142 can have one or more positive terminals at one or more positive voltage potentials (e.g., 12 V and 48 V). The LV power source 142 supplies power to LV systems and / or LV devices 143, such as lighting systems, infotainment systems, navigation systems, object detection and / or collision avoidance systems, seat heaters and / or seat motors, window motors, door locks, etc. Although a single LV DC bus 145 is shown, more than one LV DC bus may be included.The HVAC system 144 may include an electric coolant heating device (CEH) 147 and an electric air compressor (ACEC) 149. The propulsion system 146 may include one or more motors 148 and may include an internal combustion engine 150, which are used to drive one or more axles and corresponding wheels of the vehicle 106.

[0030] A “charging event” can refer to any time when the vehicle 106 is plugged into a charging station such as the vehicle-external charging station 102, or when the VICM 110 recharges one or more of the power sources such as the battery packs 136 and the LV power source 142.

[0031] The external charging station 102 can be an L1, L2, or L3 type charging station. The VICM 110 can implement recharging events based on information gathered by sensors 160, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver 162, and a MAP module 164. The sensors 160 can include voltage sensors, current sensors, temperature sensors, external sensors, etc. The external sensors can include cameras, lidar sensors, radar sensors, and a navigation system, which may include the GPS receiver 162 and the MAP module 164.

[0032] The current and voltage sensors can detect the current and / or voltages of loads (e.g., loads 143, 147, 149, etc.), from the HV-DC bus 124, from the LV-DC bus 145, etc. The current and voltage sensors can detect current supplied to the RESS 112 and / or voltages from the RESS 112. The current and voltage sensors can detect current drawn from the vehicle-external charging station 102 and / or voltage supplied by the vehicle-external charging station 102.

[0033] The GPS receiver 162 can provide vehicle location information. The MAP module 164 can provide map information and / or charging station information, such as the following: charging station type information for the location of the external charging station 102; whether the charging station is a public charging station; and / or whether the charging station has time-based charging costs. Additionally, or alternatively, the map information can indicate whether the vehicle 106 and / or the external charging station 102 are located in a parking structure. The VICM 110 can determine when power sources need to be recharged and / or can determine the type of external charging station 102 based on this information. For example, it can determine that the external charging station is a public charging station with time-based charging costs if the external charging station is located in a parking structure.Alternatively, the VICM 110 can determine the type and / or characteristics of the external charging station 102 by communicating with the external charging station and / or another network device. This can include whether the external charging station 102 is a public or private charging station, and / or whether the external charging station 102 has time-based charging costs.

[0034] Fig. Figure 2 shows the vehicle 106, which includes an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) 200, containing the VICM 110, which may be implemented by a vehicle control module 204 or be a standalone module. The vehicle 106 may include power sources 202 with battery packs 203 and a control unit 207. The battery packs 203 may, for example, include the battery packs 136 and the LV power sources 142. Fig. 1. Furthermore, the vehicle 106 contains an infotainment module 206 and other control modules 208. The control unit 207 can be implemented as part of the power sources 202 or separately from the power sources 202.

[0035] Modules 204, 206, and 208 can communicate with each other via one or more buses 210, such as a Controller Area Network bus (CAN bus), and / or other suitable interfaces. The vehicle control module 204 can control the operation of vehicle systems. The vehicle control module 204 can contain an operating mode selection module 212, a parameter setting module 214, and other modules. The operating mode selection module 212 can select a vehicle operating mode, such as one of the vehicle operating modes mentioned above. The parameter setting module 214 can be used to set parameters of the vehicle 106.

[0036] Furthermore, the vehicle 106 may contain: the memory 134; a display 220; an audio system 222; one or more transceivers 223; the sensors 160, including a navigation system 227 with the GPS receiver 162 and the MAP module 164. The sensors 160 may include cameras, lidar sensors, radar sensors, object detection sensors, temperature sensors, accelerometers, a vehicle speed sensor (or vehicle speed vector sensor), and / or other sensors. The GPS receiver 162 may provide the vehicle speed vector and / or the vehicle direction (or direction of travel) and / or global clock setting information.

[0037] Memory 134 can store sensor data 230 and / or vehicle parameters 232, applications 236 (e.g., the charging application 130), and calibration values ​​234. The applications 236 can include applications executed by modules 110, 204, 206, and 208. Although memory 134 and the vehicle control module 204 are shown as separate devices, they can be implemented as a single device.

[0038] The VICM 110 can monitor the states of the sensors 160, the power sources 202, and the brake system 258 and, based on this information, control the timing and duration of recharging events for the power sources 202. This can be based on the charge states of the power sources 202. According to one embodiment, each power source has a set threshold that indicates whether the respective power source has a low charge state. For example, the VICM 110 recharges the first power source and refrains from recharging the second power source if the charge state of the first power source is below a first set threshold indicating a low charge state for the first power source, and a second power source is not below a second set threshold indicating a low charge state for the second power source.This can occur regardless of whether the power source is an HV or LV power source. According to one embodiment, during a charging event, the HV power source is charged if both an HV and an LV power source exceed their respective set thresholds. This is described in more detail below.

[0039] The vehicle control module 204 can control the operation of a power unit 240, a converter / generator 242, a transmission 244, a braking system 258, electric motors 260, and / or a steering system 262 in accordance with parameters set by modules 110, 204, 206, and 208. The braking system 258 can be a regenerative braking system, for example, powered by the on-board charging module 108. Fig. 1. Power is supplied to recharge the power sources 202. The vehicle control module 204 can adjust some of the parameters based on signals received from the sensors 160. The vehicle control module 204 can receive power from the power sources 202, which can be supplied to the engine 240, the converter / generator 242, the transmission 244, the braking system 258, the electric motors 260, and / or the steering system 262, etc. Some of the vehicle control operations can include activating the fuel and ignition spark of the engine 240, starting the electric motors 260, supplying power to any of the systems 258, 262, and / or performing other operations as further described herein.

[0040] The power unit 240, the converter / generator 242, the transmission 244, the braking system 258, the electric motors 260, and / or the steering system 262 may contain actuators controlled by the vehicle control module 204 to adjust, for example, the fuel supply, ignition spark, airflow, brake pressure, steering wheel angle, throttle position, pedal position, etc. This control may be based on the outputs of the sensors 160, the navigation system 227, the GPS receiver 162, and the aforementioned data and information stored in the memory 134.

[0041] The vehicle control module 204 can determine various parameters, including vehicle speed, engine speed, engine torque, gear position, accelerator pedal position, brake pedal position, recuperation power (charging power), charging power (discharging power), auto start / stop discharge power, and / or other information such as: priority levels of the power source connections of the power sources 202; the power, current, and voltage requirements for each source connection; etc. The vehicle control module 204 can share this information and the vehicle operating mode with the control unit 207.The control unit 207 can determine other parameters such as: the amount of charging power at each source terminal; the amount of discharging power at each source terminal; maximum and minimum forces at cells, blocks, packs, and / or groups; maximum and minimum voltages at source terminals; maximum and minimum voltages at busbars, cells, blocks, packs, and / or groups; SOX values ​​of cells, blocks, packs, and / or groups; temperatures of cells, blocks, packs, and / or groups; current values ​​of cells, blocks, packs, and / or groups; power values ​​of cells, blocks, packs, and / or groups; etc. Based on the parameters determined by the vehicle control module 204 and / or by the control unit 207, the control unit 207 can determine associated cell configurations and corresponding switch states, as described herein.

[0042] Fig. 3A-3C shows a charging method that can be used, for example, by the charging system 100. Fig. 1 and corresponding modules, devices and systems made of Fig. 1-2 can be implemented. The operations of the loading procedure can be performed iteratively. Although the operations are mainly defined by the VICM 110. Fig. As described in sections 1-2, one or more of the operations can be performed by another module, such as the on-board charging module 108. Fig. 1 and / or the vehicle control module 204 from Fig. 2. Some of the following operations relate to thresholds and a predefined distance, each of which can be a calibratable value that can be set.

[0043] At 300, the VICM 110 captures vehicle status information and sensor data. Vehicle status information can include whether the vehicle is powered on, stationary, in motion, etc. Sensor data can include data from any of the sensors mentioned above, including vehicle speed and braking system data. Braking system data can include requested braking force values, actual applied braking force values, a total amount of applied braking force, etc. A braking force value can be provided for the entire braking system or for each brake within the braking system, such as the braking force values ​​at each wheel of the host vehicle.

[0044] At operation 302, the VICM 110 can determine whether the host vehicle is in a propulsion mode. Propulsion mode refers to when the host vehicle is moving (i.e., not stationary). If it is in propulsion mode, operation 304 can be executed; otherwise, the procedure can return to operation 300.

[0045] At 304, the VICM 110 can determine a braking force differential over a set time period. The braking force differential refers to the difference between a first braking force value at a first time point and a second braking force value at a second time point. The second time point occurs after the first. The braking force differential is equal to the second braking force value minus the first braking force value. According to one embodiment, the braking force differential refers to a difference in the total braking force value. According to another embodiment, a braking pattern of the host vehicle is monitored, and a change in the braking force value is calculated. The braking force differential can be based on the number of brakes applied to each wheel of the host vehicle and / or on the value of the braking force applied to each wheel.

[0046] At 306, the VICM 110 can determine a vehicle speed difference over the set time period. The vehicle speed difference refers to the difference in vehicle speed between a first vehicle speed at a first time point and a second vehicle speed at a second time point. The second time point occurs after the first. The vehicle speed difference is equal to the second vehicle speed minus the first vehicle speed.

[0047] At operation 308, the VICM 110 can determine whether the braking force differential is greater than a first set threshold differential. The VICM 110 monitors the vehicle's braking pattern, including the amounts of braking force applied to each wheel. If not, operation 310 is executed; otherwise, operation 307 can be executed.

[0048] At operation 310, the VICM 110 can determine whether the vehicle speed difference is greater than a second set threshold difference. If not, operation 300 can be executed; otherwise, operation 307 can be executed. According to one embodiment, operation 311 is executed only if the braking force difference is greater than the first threshold, regardless of the vehicle speed difference.

[0049] At operation 311, the VICM 110 can initialize a wait counter. The wait counter can be set to 1, for example, indicating that this is the first iteration of operations 312, 314, 316, 318, 320, 322, 323, 324, 326, 328, 330, 331, 332, 334, and thus the wait time of operation 334 is implemented for the first time.

[0050] In the 312 embodiment, the VICM 110 acquires sensor data from ADAS system sensors such as the camera, lidar, radar sensors, and navigation system. This can include: capturing images via externally facing cameras of the host vehicle; generating and acquiring a point cloud via one or more lidar sensors; acquiring radar data and generating a data map based on the radar data; and acquiring navigation system metadata in layers. The navigation system metadata can be separated from other navigation system data. The metadata is data that provides information about other navigation data. According to one embodiment, the sensor data is prioritized and, based on this prioritization, used in subsequent operations to determine a loading strategy. According to another embodiment, the sensor data is processed independently.

[0051] In version 314, the VICM 110 performs object detection based on the captured images. This includes the detection of objects surrounding the host vehicle or within a specified distance (e.g., 100-1500 meters). This includes the detection of construction cones, other vehicles, construction barriers, construction signs, etc. Obstacle data for the objects is collected and analyzed. Each detected object can be classified based on confidence levels regarding its type and location. The classification can also be based on the relevance of each object to whether the host vehicle is in a densely populated environment, which further indicates whether the host vehicle will brake for an extended period.A dense object environment can refer to an environment within the specified distance of the host vehicle in which: there are more than a specified number of objects; more than a specified number of objects of a specific type; and / or more than specified numbers of specific types of objects.

[0052] At 316, the VICM 110 determines the point cloud density to generate obstacle data associated with one or more objects. The point cloud density is the number of point coordinates recorded per unit area. The higher the density, the more likely an object, such as another vehicle, is located there. At 318, the VICM 110 determines a first signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) based on the point cloud density.

[0053] At 320, the VICM 110 detects a tunnel, accident, bridge, metal object, or other nearby structure based on a data map generated from radar data. A structure is one that typically causes vehicles and other objects to be in close proximity to each other and moving at a reduced or low speed, thus causing the host vehicle to brake and decrease its speed.

[0054] At 322, the VICM 110 determines a second SNR based on the map data for the radar data associated with the detected structure. The second SNR of the radar data can be calculated on a per-pulse basis, with this value then being multiplied by the number of integrated pulses to obtain the second SNR for a given target illumination duration.

[0055] At 323, the VICM 110 can collect construction site area information, congestion information (or traffic information), accident information, journey information (e.g. vehicle travel times), etc., based on navigation system data and navigation system metadata.

[0056] In operation 324, VICM 110 determines whether there are more than a specified number of objects (e.g., 10-30 objects) within a given distance from the host vehicle. These objects could include other vehicles, construction or traffic cones, pedestrians, etc. If not, operation 326 can be executed; otherwise, operation 332 can be executed.

[0057] In operation 326, the VICM 110 determines whether the first SNR is greater than a first SNR threshold (e.g., 15 to 30 decibels (dB)). If not, operation 328 can be performed; otherwise, operation 332 can be performed.

[0058] In operation 328, VICM 110 determines whether the second SNR is greater than a second SNR threshold (e.g., 10-20 dB). If not, operation 330 can be performed; otherwise, operation 332 can be performed.

[0059] At operation 330, the VICM 110 determines whether the host vehicle is in a construction zone. If not, operation 331 can be executed; otherwise, operation 332 can be executed. At operation 331, the VICM 110 can set a flag indicating that the host vehicle is not in a dense environment. Following operation 331, the VICM 110 can then return to operation 300.

[0060] At 332, the VICM 110 can set a marker indicating that the host vehicle is in a dense environment. According to one embodiment, this occurs when the data collected above is confirmed. This can happen if the results of one or more of operations 324, 326, 328, and 330 are yes (or TRUE).

[0061] In operation 334, the VICM 110 waits for a predetermined duration (e.g., 1-5 minutes). The predetermined duration can be based on the vehicle's speed. For example, the predetermined duration can be a first time value for a first speed and a second time value for a second speed. The first speed is greater than the second speed, and the second time value is greater than the first. The VICM 110 waits for the predetermined duration (or a calibratable duration) to improve the reliability of an indication that the vehicle is in a dense environment. According to one embodiment, the predetermined duration is different for each wait timer setting. For example, for a first iteration of operation 430, there is a first predetermined duration (e.g., five minutes), and for a second iteration of operation 334, there is a second predetermined duration (e.g., two minutes).Each subsequent iteration can have a further reduced predetermined time duration (or waiting time).

[0062] In operation 336, VICM 110 determines whether the wait counter is greater than a predefined threshold. If not, operation 338 can be executed; otherwise, operation 340 can be executed. The predefined threshold can be an integer (e.g., 1-3).

[0063] At 338, the VICM 110 increments the wait counter.

[0064] At 340, the VICM 110 activates a regeneration strategy to recharge one or more of the battery packs using one or more power sources, such as any of the power sources mentioned here. For example, a battery pack can be charged when its state of charge (SOC) is less than 78%. In one embodiment, the battery pack with the lowest SOC is charged. In another embodiment, the high-voltage (HV) and low-voltage (LV) battery packs are charged when their respective predefined charge thresholds (e.g., 75-80%) are above their respective predefined charge thresholds. The VICM 110 monitors the SOCs of the HV and LV battery packs and selects one or more battery packs for charging.

[0065] After operation 340, the procedure can end as shown or return to operation 300.

[0066] The operations described above are intended as illustrative examples. Depending on the application, the operations can be executed sequentially, synchronously, concurrently, continuously, during overlapping time periods, or in any other order. Furthermore, depending on the implementation and / or sequence of events, some of the operations may not be executed or may be skipped.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the activation of a recovery strategy based on one or more calibrated thresholds is implemented via a software stack of the VICM 110. Parameters obtained from external sensor outputs are used to extend the lifespan of battery packs. Camera, lidar, and radar-based data about a vehicle's surroundings are used in real time to adaptively activate a regeneration strategy to improve battery pack lifespan.

[0068] According to one embodiment of the above method, camera, lidar, and radar data are analyzed to process host vehicle environment information in order to determine whether the host vehicle is in a dense environment. A criterion is used, such as determining whether: the host vehicle is experiencing stop-and-go traffic and is surrounded by 10 or more vehicles around its sides; the host vehicle is in an identified construction zone; or the host vehicle's speed is consistently below a threshold (e.g., 15 miles per hour (mph)) for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 minutes). Data processed based on these criteria are used to activate the regenerative charging functionality.

[0069] According to one embodiment, activating a recovery strategy automatically channels unused excess energy generated by the auxiliary power module, which can be implemented as one or more generators, to power loads in a low-voltage (LV) network within the host vehicle. Additionally, during this event, excess power from the internal combustion engine and / or the auxiliary power module, stored in the RESS (Recovery Energy Storage System), is used to charge the LV power source (or LV batteries) in the LV network.

[0070] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms including "connected," "interlocking," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on," "above," "below," and "arranged." If a relationship between a first and a second element is not explicitly described as "direct" in the above disclosure, this relationship may be a direct relationship in which there are no other intervening elements between the first and the second element, or it may be an indirect relationship in which there are one or more (either spatially or functionally) intervening elements between the first and the second element.The way the phrase "at least one of A, B and C" is used here is intended to mean a logical (A OR B OR C) using a non-exclusive logical OR and is not to be understood as "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) that is relevant to the representation. For example, if element A and element B exchange a variety of information, but the information transmitted from element A to element B is relevant to the representation, the arrow may point from element A to element B. This simply directed arrow does not mean 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 of those requests.

[0072] In this application, including in the following definitions, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced by the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to, be 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 combination logic circuit; a free programmable logic 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, such as a system-on-a-chip.

[0073] The module may contain 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), the internet, a wide area network (WAN), or combinations thereof. The functionality of any given module of this disclosure may be distributed across multiple modules connected via interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may enable load balancing. According to another example, a server module (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, can include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and can refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term "shared processor circuit" refers to a single processor circuit that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "group processor circuit" refers to a processor circuit that executes some or all of the code from one or more modules along with additional processor circuits. References to multiple processor circuits include multiple processor circuits on discrete chips, multiple processor circuits on a single chip, 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 memory.

[0075] The term storage circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium, as used here, 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 concrete and non-transient.Non-restrictive examples of a non-transitory, concrete, computer-readable medium include non-volatile memory circuits (such as a flash memory circuit, a wipeable, programmable read-only memory circuit, or a mask read-only memory circuit), volatile memory circuits (such as a static read / write memory circuit or a dynamic read / write 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 can be implemented, in whole or in part, by a specialized 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 an experienced technician or programmer.

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

[0078] Computer programs can 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. Source code 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, and Simulink are just a few examples. and written in Python®. legend

[0079] In the drawing figures, N stands for no and Y for yes.

Claims

[1] Charging system (100) for a vehicle (106), wherein the charging system (100) comprises: multiple power sources (202); an on-board charging module (108) configured to recharge one or more of the multiple power sources (202) selected; and a control module (110) that is configured to: Determine whether the vehicle (106) is decelerating, Acquisition of external sensor data from multiple sensors (160) in response to the determination that the vehicle (106) is decelerating, Determine whether the vehicle (106) is in a dense environment, based on external sensor data, and Activating a recharge of one or more of the multiple power sources (202) based on whether the vehicle (106) is in a dense environment, with the control module (110) configured to: Waiting for an initial predetermined period of time in response to the determination that the vehicle (106) is in a dense environment; Check that the vehicle (106) is still in a dense environment, in response to the first predetermined time period having elapsed; Waiting for a second predetermined period of time in response to the determination that the vehicle (106) is still in a dense environment; and Enabling the recharging of one or more of the multiple power sources selected (202) after the second specified time period has elapsed. [2] Charging system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control module (110) is configured to: Determine whether a braking force difference is greater than a set threshold difference; and Capturing external sensor data in response to the braking force difference being greater than the set threshold difference. [3] Charging system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control module (110) is configured to: Determine whether a speed difference of the vehicle (106) is negative and has a larger value than a set threshold difference; and Capturing external sensor data in response to the fact that the speed difference is negative and greater than the set threshold difference. [4] Charging system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control module (110) is configured to: Taking pictures using one or more outward-facing cameras; Performing image recognition on the captured images; and Determine that the vehicle (106) is located in a dense environment, based on the number and type of objects detected in the captured images. [5] Charging system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control module (110) is configured to: Generating a point cloud based on the output of one or more lidar sensors; Determining the density of the point cloud; Determining a signal-to-noise ratio based on density; and Determine that the vehicle (106) is in a dense environment, based on the signal-to-noise ratio. [6] Charging system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control module (110) is configured to: Generating a data map based on the output of one or more radar sensors; Detecting one or more structural objects based on the data map; Determining a signal-to-noise ratio based on the detection of one or more structural objects; and Determine that the vehicle (106) is in a dense environment, based on the signal-to-noise ratio. [7] Charging system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control module (110) is configured to: Receiving navigation data; Separating metadata from navigation data; Determine whether the vehicle (106) is in a construction zone, based on the metadata; and Determine that the vehicle (106) is in a dense environment, in response to the determination that the vehicle (106) is in the construction site area. [8] Charging system (100) according to claim 1, wherein: the multiple power sources (202) include a high-voltage power source and / or a low-voltage power source; the high-voltage power source supplies a voltage greater than or equal to 200 V; and The low-voltage power source supplies a voltage less than or equal to 48 V.

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