System and method for supplying electrical power to peripheral components of electric vehicles

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system (102) for supplying electrical power to peripheral components (112, 114) of an electric vehicle (EV) (100). The system (102) may include a power source (104), an electrical converter (108), and a control unit (110). The power source (104) may be electrically connected to a motor (106) of the EV (100) and configured to supply the electrical power to the motor (106). The electrical converter (108) may be electrically connected to the power source (104) and configured to receive the electrical power from the power source (104). The control unit (110) may be communicatively coupled to the power source (104), the motor (106), the electrical converter (108), and at least one of the peripheral components (112, 114). The control unit (110) may be configured to detect an input indicative of a connection or a disconnection of a key with the EV (100).

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SUPPLYING ELECTRICAL POWER TO PERIPHERAL COMPONENTS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLESFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicles. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for supplying electrical power to peripheral components of an Electric Vehicle (EV).BACKGROUND

[0002] Generally, a vehicle such as an Electric Vehicle (EV) is equipped with a plurality of peripheral components. The plurality of peripheral components usually includes a dashboard, a horn device, a headlamp, a tail lamp, a stop lamp, a position lamp, and a flasher. The plurality of peripheral components is coupled with a power source and is adapted to receive electrical power to perform respective functions.

[0003] Currently, the power source continuously supplies the electrical power to all the peripheral components, even if some of the peripheral components are not in use. For example, when a user wants to operate one or two peripheral components, even in such scenarios, the power source supplies the electrical power to all the peripheral components. This leads to the power drainage of the peripheral components, which increases the overall power consumption of the EV. In addition, the existing architecture of the EV is more complex as multiple low- current switches are required to be installed to supply power to the peripheral components. This increases the overall cost associated with manufacturing and maintenance of the EV.

[0004] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, it is desirable to provide a system and / or a method that can eliminate one or more of the above-mentioned problems associated with existing art.SUMMARY

[0005] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that is further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neitherintended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention and nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.

[0006] The present disclosure relates to a system for supplying electrical power to peripheral components of an electric vehicle (EV). The system may include a power source, an electrical converter, and a control unit. The power source may be electrically connected to a motor of the EV and configured to supply the electrical power to the motor. The electrical converter may be electrically connected to the power source and configured to receive the electrical power from the power source. The control unit may be communicatively coupled to the power source, the motor, the electrical converter, and the at least one of the peripheral components. The control unit may be configured to detect an input indicative of a connection or a disconnection of a key with the EV. Further, the control unit may be configured to determine, based on the detected input, at least one peripheral component to which the electrical power is to be supplied, wherein the at least one peripheral component is one of a primary peripheral component and at least one auxiliary peripheral component. Furthermore, the control unit may be configured to operate the electrical converter to supply the electrical power to the determined peripheral component. Herein, the electrical converter may be operated by the control unit to supply a first electrical output to the primary peripheral component if the detected input indicates the disconnection of the key with the EV. Further, the electrical converter may be operated by the control unit to supply a second electrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component and the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component if the detected input indicates the connection of the key with the EV.

[0007] Further, the present disclosure relates to a method for supplying electrical power to peripheral components of an electric vehicle (EV). The method may include detecting, by a control unit, an input indicative of a connection or a disconnection of a key with the EV. Furthermore, the method may include determining, by the control unit based on the detected input, at least one peripheral component to which the electrical power is to be supplied, wherein the at least one peripheral component is one of a primary peripheral component and at least one auxiliary peripheral component. Furthermore, the method may include operating, by the control unit, an electrical converter to supply the electrical power from a power source to the determined peripheral component. Furthermore, the method may include supplying, by the electrical converter, a first electrical output to the primary peripheral component if the detected input indicates the disconnection of the key with the EV. Moreover, the method may includesupplying, by the electrical converter, a second electrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component and the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component if the detected input indicates the connection of the key with the EV.

[0008] To further clarify the advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

[0010] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic view of an Electric Vehicle (EV), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system for supplying electrical power to peripheral components of the EV, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic view of the system, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 4 illustrates a block diagram of the system depicting a control unit, a power source, an electrical converter, a locking unit, and a primary peripheral component, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) illustrate exemplary usage scenarios of the system for supplying the electrical power to peripheral components of the EV, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 6 illustrates a block diagram of the system for supplying electrical power to peripheral components of the EV, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0016] Figure 7 illustrates a flow chart depicting a method for supplying the electrical power to peripheral components of the EV, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flow charts illustrate the method in terms of the most prominent steps involved to help to improve understanding of aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0018] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the various embodiments and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the present disclosure is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the present disclosure as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the present disclosure relates.

[0019] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory of the present disclosure and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.

[0020] Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element do not preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwisespecified by limiting language including, but not limited to, “there needs to be one or more ...” or “one or more elements is required.”

[0021] Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and / or elements of the present disclosure. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of explaining one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and / or elements of the proposed disclosure fulfill the requirements of uniqueness, utility, and non-obviousness.

[0022] Use of the phrases and / or terms including, but not limited to, “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or other variants thereof do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and / or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and / or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or in the context of more than one embodiment, or in the context of all embodiments, the features and / or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and / or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.

[0023] Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should not necessarily be taken as limiting factors to the proposed disclosure.

[0024] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or sub-systems or elements or structures or components proceeded by “comprises... a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices or other sub-systems or other elements or other structures or other components or additional devices or additional sub-systems or additional elements or additional structures or additional components.

[0025] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Furthermore, embodiments of the disclosed devices and systems may be readily implemented. In this application, unless specifically stated otherwise, the use of the singular includes the plural and the use of “or” means “and / or.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “including” or “having” is not limiting. Any range described herein will be understood to include the endpoints and all values between the endpoints. Features of the disclosed embodiments may be combined, rearranged, omitted, etc., within the scope of the invention to produce additional embodiments. Furthermore, certain features may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

[0027] Figure 1 illustrates a side view of an Electric Vehicle (EV) 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, an Electric Vehicle (EV) 100 or a battery-powered vehicle including, but not limited, to two-wheelers such as scooters, mopeds, motorbikes / motorcycles; three-wheelers such as auto-rickshaws, four-wheelers such as cars and other Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) and Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCVs) primarily work on the principle of driving an motor 106 using the power from the batteries provided in the EV 100. Furthermore, the EV 100 may have at least one wheel which is electrically powered to traverse such a vehicle. The term ‘wheel’ may refer to any groundengaging member which allows traversal of the electric vehicle 100 over a path. The types of EVs 100 include Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and Range Extended Electric Vehicles. However, the subsequent paragraphs pertain to the different elements of a Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs).

[0028] In construction, the EV 100 typically comprises a power source 104 such as a battery or battery pack 104 enclosed within a battery casing and includes a Battery Management System (BMS), an on-board charger 103, a Motor Controller Unit (MCU), the motor 106 and an electric transmission system 105. The primary function of the above-mentioned elements is detailed in the subsequent paragraphs: The battery 104 of an EV 100 (also known as Electric Vehicle Battery (EVB) or traction battery) is re-chargeable in nature and is the primary source of energy required for the operation of the EV 100, wherein the battery 104 is typically charged using the electric current taken from the grid through a charging infrastructure 107. The battery 104 may be charged using Alternating Current (AC) or Direct Current (DC), wherein in the case of AC input, the onboard charger 103 converts the AC signal to the DC signal after whichthe DC signal is transmitted to the battery 104 via the BMS. However, in the case of DC charging, the onboard charger 103 is bypassed, and the current is transmitted directly to the battery 104 via the BMS.

[0029] The battery 104 is made up of a plurality of cells which are grouped into a plurality of modules in a manner in which the temperature difference between the cells does not exceed 5 degrees Celsius. The terms “battery”, “cell”, and “battery cell” may be used interchangeably and may refer to any of a variety of different rechargeable cell compositions and configurations including, but not limited to, lithium-ion (e.g., lithium iron phosphate, lithium cobalt oxide, other lithium metal oxides, etc.), lithium-ion polymer, nickel metal hydride, nickel cadmium, nickel hydrogen, nickel-zinc, silver zinc, or other battery type / configuration. The term “battery pack” as used herein may refer to multiple individual batteries enclosed within a single structure or multi -piece structure. The individual batteries may be electrically interconnected to achieve the desired voltage and capacity for a desired application. The Battery Management System (BMS) is an electronic system whose primary function is to ensure that the battery 104 is operating safely and efficiently. The BMS continuously monitors different parameters of the battery 104 such as temperature, voltage, current, and so on, and communicates these parameters to the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the Motor Controller Unit (MCU) in the EV 100 using a plurality of protocols including and not limited to Controller Area Network (CAN) bus protocol which facilitates the communication between the ECU / MCU and other peripheral elements of the EV 100 without the requirement of a host computer.

[0030] The MCU primarily controls / regulates the operation of the motor 106 based on the signal transmitted from the vehicle battery, wherein the primary functions of the MCU include starting of the motor 106, stopping the motor 106, controlling the speed of the motor 106, enabling the vehicle 100 to move in the reverse direction and protect the motor 106 from premature wear and tear. The primary function of the motor 106 is to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy, wherein the converted mechanical energy is subsequently transferred to the transmission system 105 of the EV 100 to facilitate movement of the EV 100. Additionally, the motor 106 also acts as a generator during regenerative braking (i.e., kinetic energy generated during vehicle braking / deceleration is converted into potential energy and stored in the battery 104 of the EV 100. The types of motors 106 generally employed in EVs 100 include, but are not limited to DC series motor 106, Brushless DC motor (also known asBLDC motors), Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM), Three Phase AC Induction Motors and Switched Reluctance Motors (SRM).

[0031] The transmission system 105 of the EV 100 facilitates the transfer of the generated mechanical energy by the motor 106 to the wheels of the EV 100. Generally, the transmission systems 105 used in the EVs 100 include a single-speed transmission system 105 and a multispeed (i.e., two-speed) transmission system 105, wherein the single-speed transmission system 105 comprises a single gear pair whereby the EV 100 is maintained at a constant speed. However, the multi-speed / two-speed transmission system 105 comprises a compound planetary gear system with a double-pinion planetary gear set and a single-pinion planetary gear set thereby resulting in two different gear ratios which facilitates higher torque and vehicle speed.

[0032] In one embodiment, all data pertaining to the EV 100 and / or charging infrastructure 107 are collected and processed using a remote server (known as cloud) 109, wherein the processed data is indicated to the rider / driver of the EV 100 through a display unit present in a dashboard 112 of the EV 100. In an embodiment, the display unit may be an interactive display unit. In another embodiment, the display unit may be a non-interactive display unit.

[0033] In an embodiment, the EV 100 may include, but is not limited to, a system 102 (as shown in Figure 2) having a plurality of peripheral components 112, 114. The system 102 may be configured to supply electrical power to peripheral components 112, 114 of the EV 100. Constructional and operational details of the system 102 are explained in the subsequent paragraphs with reference to Figures 2 to 6.

[0034] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of the system 102 for supplying the electrical power to peripheral components 112, 114 of the EV 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 illustrates a schematic view of the system 102, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the system 102 may include, but is not limited to, the power source 104, an electrical converter 108, and a control unit 110. The power source 104 may be electrically connected to the motor 106 of the EV 100. The power source 104 may be configured to supply the electrical power to the motor 106, the electrical converter 108, and the peripheral components 112, 114.

[0035] At least one peripheral component 112, 114 may be one of a primary peripheral component 112 and at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114. In an embodiment, theprimary peripheral component 112 may be a User Interface (UI). In an exemplary embodiment, the UI 112 may be embodied as the dashboard 112, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The primary peripheral component 112 may be adapted to be activated, upon receiving the electrical power from the electrical converter 108, to alert a user via at least one of an audio signal or a visual feedback.

[0036] In an embodiment, the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114 may be one of an audio device 130, a visual device, an audio-visual device, and a lighting device. Herein, the lighting device may be embodied as at least one of a headlamp, a tail lamp, a stop lamp, a position lamp, and a flasher, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] In an embodiment, the control unit 110 may be a part of the BMS. In another embodiment, the control unit may be communicatively coupled to the BMS. The control unit 110 may be communicatively coupled to the power source 104, the motor 106, the electrical converter 108, and the at least one of the peripheral components 112, 114. In an embodiment, the control unit 110 may include, but is not limited to, a processor 120, a memory 118, a database 128, and a plurality of modules. The processor 120, the memory 118, the plurality of modules, and the database 128 may be communicatively coupled with the memory 118.

[0038] The processor 120 may include any computing system which includes, but is not limited to, Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Processor (AP), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Visual Processing Unit (VPU), and / or an Al-dedicated processor such as a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). In an embodiment, the processor 120 can be a single processing unit or several units, all of which could include multiple computing units. The processor 120 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and / or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the processor 120 may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions and data stored in the memory 118. The instructions can be compiled from source code instructions provided in accordance with a programming language such as Java, C++, C#.net, or the like. The instructions can also comprise code and data objects provided in accordance with, for example, the Visual Basic™ language, UabVIEW, or another structured or object-oriented programming language. The one or a plurality of processors 120 control the processing of the input data in accordance with a predefined operating rule or artificial intelligence (Al) model stored in the non-volatile memory 118 and the volatile memory 118. The predefined operatingrule or artificial intelligence model is provided through training or learning algorithms which include, but are not limited to, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning.

[0039] Furthermore, the modules, processes, systems, and devices can be implemented as a single processor 120 or as a distributed processor 120. Also, the processes, modules, and submodules described in the various figures of and for embodiments herein may be distributed across multiple computers or systems or may be co-located in a single processor 120 or system. Further, the modules can be implemented in hardware, instructions executed by a processing unit, or by a combination thereof. The processing unit can comprise a computer, a processor, such as the processor 120, a state machine, a logic array, or any other suitable devices capable of processing instructions. The processing unit can be a general-purpose processor 120 which executes instructions to cause the general-purpose processor 120 to perform the required tasks or, the processing unit can be dedicated to performing the required functions. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the modules may be machine -readable instructions (software) which, when executed by a processor / processing unit, perform any of the described functionalities. The database serves, amongst other things, as a repository for storing data processed, received, and generated by one or more of the modules. Exemplary structural embodiment alternatives suitable for implementing the modules, sections, systems, means, or processes described herein are provided below.

[0040] In an embodiment, the plurality of modules may include, but are not limited to, a detecting module 122, a determining module 124, and an operating module 126. The detecting module 122, the determining module 124, and the operating module 126 may be in communication with each other. In an embodiment, the plurality of modules may be implemented by way of suitable hardware and / or software applications.

[0041] In an embodiment, the detecting module 122 of the control unit 110 may be configured to detect an input indicative of a connection or a disconnection of a key with the EV 100. To detect the input indicative of the connection or the disconnection of the key with the EV 100, the detecting module 122 may detect if the key may be disconnected from a locking unit 116 of the EV 100. Further, the detecting module 122 may detect if the key may be in connection with the locking unit 116 of the EV 100.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment, the key may be adapted to connect with the locking unit 116 to start operations of the EV 100. Herein, the connection between the key and the locking unit 116 may be a physical connection. When the key may be physically connected with the locking unit 116, the detecting module 122 detects that the key may be in the connection with the locking unit 116. Alternatively, when the key may be physically separated from the locking unit 116, the detecting module 122 detects that the key may be disconnected from the locking unit 116.

[0043] The determining module 124 may be configured to determine, based on the detected input, the at least one peripheral component 112, 114 to which the electrical power is to be supplied. When the detected input indicates that the key may be disconnected from the EV 100, the determining module 124 may be configured to determine that the primary peripheral component 112 to which the electrical power is to be supplied. Alternatively, when the detected input indicates that the key may be in connection with the EV 100, the determining module 124 may be configured to determine that the primary peripheral component 112 and the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114 to which the electrical power is to be supplied.

[0044] The operating module 126 may be configured to operate the electrical converter 108 to supply the electrical power to the determined at least one of the peripheral components 112, 114. Herein, the operating module 126 may be configured to generate a first input, based on the determined primary peripheral component 112, to operate the electrical converter 108 when the key may be disconnected from the EV 100. Herein, the first input may be denoted by ‘If as shown in Figure 3. When the determining module 124 determines that the primary peripheral component 112 to which the electrical power is to be supplied, the operating module 126 generates a first input to operate the electrical converter 108 when the key may be disconnected from the EV 100. In an embodiment, the first input may be an electrical signal transmitted to the electrical converter 108.

[0045] Further, the operating module 126 may be configured to generate a second input, based on the determined primary peripheral component 112 and the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114, to operate the electrical converter 108 when the key may be in connection with the EV 100. Herein, the second input may be denoted by ‘h’ as shown in Figure 3. When the determining module 124 determines that the primary peripheral component 112 and the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114 to which the electrical power is to be supplied, the operating module 126 generates the second input to operate the electrical converter 108 whenthe key may be in connection with the EV 100. In an embodiment, the second input may be the electrical signal transmitted to the electrical converter 108.

[0046] In an embodiment, when the key may be disconnected from the locking unit 116, the detecting module 122 may be configured to detect an occurrence of a predetermined event when the key may be disconnected from the EV 100. In one embodiment, the detected predetermined event may be associated with at least one of a charging event of the power source 104 and an operational abnormality in one of the power source 104, the motor 106, and the peripheral components 112, 114 of the EV 100, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In an exemplary embodiment, the operational abnormality may include, but is not limited to, thermal runaway of the power source 104. In another embodiment, the operational abnormality may include an occurrence of one of a low power state and a cutoff state of EV 100.

[0047] Further, the operating module 126 may generate the first input based on the detected predetermined event. Furthermore, the operating module 126 may operate the electrical converter 108 to supply the electrical power to the primary peripheral component 112, based on the generated first input. The electrical converter 108 may be operated by the control unit 110 to supply a first electrical output to the primary peripheral component 112.

[0048] The electrical converter 108 may be adapted to be operated by the control unit 110. The electrical converter 108 may be electrically connected to the power source 104 and configured to receive the electrical power from the power source 104. Further, the electrical converter 108 may selectively supply the electrical power to at least one of the peripheral components 112, 114. In an embodiment, the electrical converter 108 may be embodied as a 12 Volt DC-DC electrical converter 108, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0049] The electrical converter 108 may be operated by the control unit 110 to supply the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component 112 if the detected input indicates the disconnection of the key with the EV 100. Herein, the first electrical output may be denoted by ‘Oi’ as shown in Figure 3. Further, the electrical converter 108 may supply a second electrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114 and the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component 112 if the detected input indicates the connection of the key with the EV 100. Herein, the second electrical output may be denoted by ‘O2’ as shown in Figure 3.

[0050] The electrical converter 108 may supply the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component 112, based on the generated first input. Further, the electrical converter 108 may supply the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component 112 and the second electrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114, based on the generated second input. Herein, the first electrical output may be indicative of supplying the power to the primary peripheral component 112, and the second electrical output may be indicative of supplying the power to the primary peripheral component 112 and the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114. In an embodiment, the electrical converter 108 may include a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) configured to supply the second electrical output to supply power to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114.

[0051] When the key may be in connection with the EV 100, the operating module 126 generates the second input to operate the MOSFET of the electrical converter 108. Herein, the MOSFET may be operated when the detecting module 122 detects that the key may be in connection with the locking unit 116 of the EV 100. The MOSFET may be operated to enable the electrical converter 108 to supply the second electrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114.

[0052] Figure 4 illustrates a block diagram of the system 102 depicting the control unit 110, the power source 104, the electrical converter 108, the locking unit 116, and the primary peripheral component 112, according to the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the control unit 110 may be configured to generate the second input, based on the determined peripheral component 112, 114, to operate the electrical converter 108 when the key may be in connection with the EV 100. Further, the control unit 110 transmits the generated input to the primary peripheral component 112. Furthermore, the primary peripheral component 112 may generate the electrical signal to operate the electrical converter 108 to supply the second electrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114.

[0053] In an exemplary embodiment, when the key may be in connection with the EV 100, the control unit 110 transmits the generated input to the primary peripheral component 112 such as UI 112 to generate the electrical signal. Further, the primary peripheral component 112 may generate the electrical signal to operate the electrical converter 108 to supply the secondelectrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114 such as a lighting device.

[0054] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) illustrate exemplary usage scenarios of the system 102 for supplying the electrical power to the peripheral components 112, 114 of the EV 100, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 5(a), the control unit 110 may generate the first input when the key may be disconnected from the EV 100 to operate the electrical converter 108. The electrical converter 108 may be operated to supply electrical power to the UI 112 to activate the UI 112. Upon activation of the UI 112, the electrical converter 108 may supply the power to the audio device 130 such as a horn device 130.

[0055] Referring to Figure 5(b), the system 102 may include a two-way actuation switch 132 electrically connected with the electrical converter 108 and the UI 112. The two-way actuation switch 132 may include a sliding contact and a momentary contact. The sliding contact may be adapted to be actuated to operate the EV 100 in a reverse direction when the key may be in connection with the EV 100. Further, the momentary contact may be adapted to be actuated to initiate a predefined operation of the EV 100, when the key may be in connection with the EV 100. Herein, the predefined operation may include, but is not limited to, starting the EV 100, displaying wake-up in a charging state, and changing operational modes of the EV 100.

[0056] Figure 6D illustrates a block diagram of the system 102’ for supplying electrical power to peripheral components 112, 114 of the EV 100, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In another embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the system 102’ may include all the components as in the system 102 except the MOSFET. Herein, the electrical converter 108 may be directly connected to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114 without implementation of the MOSFET. The electrical converter 108 may be operated by the control unit 110 to supply the second electrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114. Further, the primary peripheral component 112 may be electrically connected to the onboard charger 103 and / or an offboard charger, such that the electrical power may be supplied to the primary peripheral component 112, during the charging state.

[0057] Figure 7 illustrates a flow chart depicting a method 700 for supplying the electrical power to the peripheral components 112, 114 of the EV 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the present disclosure also relates to the method 700 performed by the system 102 as shown in Figures 1 to 6. The order in which the methodsteps are described below is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method steps can be combined in any appropriate order to execute the method or an alternative method. Additionally, individual steps may be deleted from the method without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.

[0058] The method 700 begins at step 702 in which the method 700 may include detecting the input indicative of the connection or the disconnection of the key with the EV 100. Herein, the detecting module 122 of the control unit 110 may detect an input indicative of the connection or the disconnection of the key with the EV 100.

[0059] At step 704, the method may include determining, based on the detected input, the at least one peripheral component 112, 114 to which the electrical power is to be supplied, where the at least one peripheral component 112, 114 may be one of a primary peripheral component 112 and at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114. Herein, the determining module 124 of the control unit 110 may determine the at least one peripheral component 112, 114 to which the electrical power is to be supplied. To determine the at least one peripheral component 112, 114, the determining module 124 may determine that the primary peripheral component 112 to which the electrical power is to be supplied when the key may be disconnected from the EV 100. Further, the determining module 124 may determine that the primary peripheral component 112 and the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114 to which the electrical power is to be supplied when the key may be in connection with the EV 100.

[0060] At step 706, the method may include operating the electrical converter 108 to supply electrical power from the power source 104 to the determined peripheral component. Herein, the operating module 126 of the control unit 110 may operate the electrical converter 108 to supply the electrical power to the determined peripheral components 112, 114. To operate the electrical converter 108, the operating module 126 may generate the first input, based on the determined primary peripheral component 112, to operate the electrical converter 108 when the key may be disconnected from the EV 100. Further, the operating module 126 may generate the second input, based on the determined primary peripheral component 112 and the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114, to operate the electrical converter 108 when the key may be in connection with the EV 100.

[0061] At step 708, the method 700 may include supplying the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component 112 if the detected input indicates the disconnection of the keywith the EV 100. Herein, the electrical converter 108 may be operated by the control unit 110 to supply the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component 112 if the detected input indicates the disconnection of the key with the EV 100.

[0062] At step 710, the method 700 may include supplying, by the electrical converter 108, the second electrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114 and the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component 112 if the detected input indicates the connection of the key with the EV 100. Herein, the electrical converter 108 may be operated to supply the second electrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component 114 and the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component 112 if the detected input indicates the connection of the key with the EV 100.

[0063] The system 102 and the method 700 of the present disclosure, may operate the EV 100 with minimal standby power consumption. Herein, the control unit 110 may turn off the auxiliary peripheral components 114 when the key may be disconnected from the locking unit 116 of the EV 100, to reduce the standby power consumption. Further, the control unit 110 operates the electrical converter 108 to selectively supply the electrical power to the primary peripheral component 112 during the occurrence of predetermined events, even the key may be disconnected from the locking unit 116. In such scenarios, the system 102 supplies the electrical power to the primary peripheral component 112 without supplying electrical power to the auxiliary peripheral component 114. This further reduces the overall power consumption of the EV 100.

[0064] The implementation of the system 102 and the method 700 reduces the overall power consumption of the EV 100 without making any hardware changes in the EV 100. Further, the system 102 and the method 700 offer smart features to alert the user about the occurrence of the predetermined event in a cost-effective manner. Thus, the overall operational and maintenance cost of the EV 100 may be reduced. Therefore, the present disclosure provides the cost-effective and energy-efficient the system 102 and the method 700 for the EV 100.

[0065] Furthermore, embodiments of the disclosed devices and systems may be readily implemented, fully or partially, in software using, for example, object or object-oriented software development environments that provide portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer platforms. Alternatively, embodiments of the disclosed methods, processes, modules, devices, systems, and computer program products can be implementedpartially or fully in hardware using, for example, standard logic circuits or a very-large-scale integration (VLSI) design. Other hardware or software can be used to implement embodiments depending on the speed and / or efficiency requirements of the systems, the particular function, and / or the particular software or hardware system, microprocessor, or microcomputer being utilized.

[0066] In this application, unless specifically stated otherwise, the use of the singular includes the plural and the use of “or” means “and / or.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “including” or “having” is not limiting. Any range described herein will be understood to include the endpoints and all values between the endpoints. Features of the disclosed embodiments may be combined, rearranged, omitted, etc., within the scope of the invention to produce additional embodiments. Furthermore, certain features may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A system (102) for supplying electrical power to peripheral components (112, 114) of an electric vehicle (EV) (100), the system (102) comprising: a power source (104) electrically connected to a motor (106) of the EV (100), and configured to supply the electrical power to the motor (106); an electrical converter (108) electrically connected to the power source (104), and configured to receive the electrical power from the power source (104); and a control unit (110) communicatively coupled to the power source (104), the motor (106), the electrical converter (108), and the at least one of the peripheral components (112, 114), wherein the control unit (110) is configured to: detect an input indicative of a connection or a disconnection of a key with the EV (100); determine, based on the detected input, at least one peripheral component (112, 114) to which the electrical power is to be supplied, wherein the at least one peripheral component (112, 114) is one of a primary peripheral component (112) and at least one auxiliary peripheral component (114); and operate the electrical converter (108) to supply the electrical power to the determined peripheral component (112, 114), wherein the electrical converter (108) is operated by the control unit (110) to: supply a first electrical output to the primary peripheral component (112) if the detected input indicates the disconnection of the key with the EV (100); and supply a second electrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component (114) and the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component (112) if the detected input indicates the connection of the key with the EV (100).

2. The system (102) as claimed in claim 1, wherein to detect the input indicative of the connection or the disconnection of the key with the EV (100), the control unit (110) is configured to: detect if the key is disconnected from a locking unit (116) of the EV (100); and / or detect if the key is in connection with the locking unit (116) of the EV (100).

3. The system (102) as claimed in claim 1, wherein to determine the at least one peripheral component (112, 114), the control unit (110) is configured to:determine that the primary peripheral component (112) to which the electrical power is to be supplied when the key is disconnected from the EV (100); and / or determine that the primary peripheral component (112) and the at least one auxiliary peripheral component ( 114) to which the electrical power is to be supplied when the key is in connection with the EV (100).

4. The system ( 102) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein to operate the electrical converter (108), the control unit (110) is configured to: generate a first input, based on the determined primary peripheral component (112), to operate the electrical converter (108) when the key is disconnected from the EV (100); and / or generate a second input, based on the determined primary peripheral component (112) and the at least one auxiliary peripheral component (114), to operate the electrical converter (108) when the key is in connection with the EV (100), wherein each of the first input and the second input are electrical signals transmitted to the electrical converter (108).

5. The system (102) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the electrical converter (108) is configured to supply: the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component (112), based on the generated first input; and the second electrical output to the primary peripheral component (112) and the at least one auxiliary peripheral component (114), based on the generated second input, wherein the first electrical output is indicative of supplying the power to the primary peripheral component (112), and the second electrical output is indicative of supplying the power to the primary peripheral component (112) and the at least one auxiliary peripheral component (114).

6. The system (102) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical converter (108) comprises a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) configured to supply the second electrical output to supply power to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component (114).

7. The system (102) as claimed in any of claim 4, wherein the control unit (110) is configured to: detect an occurrence of a predetermined event when the key is disconnected from the EV (100), wherein the detected predetermined event is associated with at least one of a charging event of the power source (104) and an operational abnormality in one of the power source (104), the motor (106), and the peripheral components (112, 114) of the EV (100); generate the first input based on the detected predetermined event; and operate the electrical converter (108) to supply power to the primary peripheral component (112), based on the generated first input, wherein the electrical converter (108) is operated by the control unit (110) to supply the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component (112).

8. The system ( 102) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the primary peripheral component (112) is adapted to be activated, upon receiving the first electrical output from the electrical converter (108), to alert a user about the occurrence of the predetermined event via at least one of an audio signal or a visual feedback.

9. The system (102) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control unit (110) is configured to: generate the second input to operate the electrical converter (108) when the key is in connection with the EV (100); and transmit the generated input to the primary peripheral component (112), wherein the primary peripheral component (112) is configured to generate an electrical signal to operate the electrical converter (108) to supply the second electrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component (114).

10. The system (102) as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the primary peripheral component (112) is a User Interface (UI); and the at least one auxiliary peripheral component (114) is one of an audio device, a visual device, an audio-visual device, and a lighting device.

11. A method (700) for supplying electrical power to peripheral components (112, 114) of an electric vehicle (EV) (100), the method (700) comprising:detecting (702), by a control unit (110), an input indicative of a connection or a disconnection of a key with the EV (100); determining (704), by the control unit (110) based on the detected input, at least one peripheral component (112, 114) to which the electrical power is to be supplied, wherein the at least one peripheral component (112, 114) is one of a primary peripheral component (112) and at least one auxiliary peripheral component (114); operating (706), by the control unit (110), an electrical converter (108) to supply electrical power from a power source (104) to the determined peripheral component; supplying (708), by the electrical converter (108), a first electrical output to the primary peripheral component (112) if the detected input indicates the disconnection of the key with the EV (100); and supplying (710), by the electrical converter (108), a second electrical output to the at least one auxiliary peripheral component (114) and the first electrical output to the primary peripheral component (112) if the detected input indicates the connection of the key with the EV (100).

Images