Method for controlling a charging process of a battery of a vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, in particular a computer-implemented method, for controlling a charging process of a battery of a vehicle, in particular a hybrid vehicle or electric vehicle, comprising: (i) determining a present state of charge of the battery; (ii) carrying out a first charging process for charging the battery from the present state of charge to a first state of charge of substantially 80% if the present state of charge is less than 80% by at least a predefined value, in particular at least 5%; (iii) determining a mobility characteristic of the vehicle using characterizing features of temporally earlier vehicle movements within a predefined preceding time period; (iv) estimating a next departure time of the vehicle, which is chronologically after the first charging process, using the determined mobility characteristic; (v) determining a required time period for carrying out a second charging process of the battery proceeding from the state of charge after the first charging process to a state of charge of substantially 100%; (vi) estimating a charging start time for the start of the second charging process, taking into account the determined time period for the second charging process and the estimated departure time, such that the second charging process is ended at the estimated departure time; carrying out the second charging process, wherein the second charging process starts at the estimated charging start time.

Description

[0001] METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A BATTERY CHARGING PROCESS

[0002] A VEHICLE

[0003] The present invention relates to a method, in particular a computer-implemented method, for controlling a charging process of a vehicle battery, a device, a motor vehicle and a computer program.

[0004] Vehicle batteries, especially those based on lithium-ion battery cells, from battery-powered vehicles or electric vehicles can be charged at publicly accessible charging stations or via a home charging station connected to a house's electrical grid.

[0005] With rechargeable batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, charging and using the battery at a state of charge above 80% can lead to accelerated battery aging. In a typical charging process, the battery is fully charged, i.e., up to a state of charge of 100%. Maintaining a state of charge above 80% for an extended period can significantly accelerate aging. For example, the battery might be fully charged overnight at a charging station. Following this full charge, the battery may remain unused for the remainder of the night because the vehicle is not in use. During this time, however, the state of charge remains at 100%, i.e., above 80%, which can accelerate battery aging.

[0006] The present invention is based on the objective of enabling an improved charging process for a rechargeable battery, thereby slowing down the aging process of the battery.

[0007] A solution to this problem is achieved according to the teaching of the independent claims. Various embodiments and further developments of the present invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0008] A first aspect of the solution concerns a method, particularly a computer-implemented method, for controlling the charging process of a vehicle battery, especially a hybrid or electric vehicle, comprising: (i) determining the current state of charge of the battery; (ii) performing a first charging process to charge the battery from the current state of charge to a first state of charge of substantially 80%, if the current state of charge is less than 80% by at least a predetermined value, in particular at least 5%; (iii) determining a mobility characteristic of the vehicle using characteristic features of earlier vehicle movements within a predetermined preceding period; (iv) estimating the next departure time of the vehicle, which is after the first charging process, using the determined mobility characteristic;(v) Determining the required time for carrying out a second charging of the battery from the state of charge after the first charging to a state of charge of substantially 100%; (vi) Estimating a charging start time for the start of the second charging, taking into account the determined time for the second charging and the estimated departure time, such that the second charging is completed at the estimated departure time; Carrying out the second charging, with the second charging starting at the estimated charging start time.

[0009] Any terms used herein, such as "comprises," "includes," "features," "has," "with," or any other variant thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a method or apparatus that includes or features a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent in such method or apparatus.

[0010] Furthermore, unless explicitly stated otherwise, "or" refers to an inclusive "or" and not an exclusive "or". For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present). The terms "a" or "an" as used here are defined as "one or more". The terms "another" and "another", as well as any other variant thereof, are to be understood as "at least one other".

[0011] The term "plural", as used here, is to be understood in the sense of "two or more".

[0012] The terms "configured" or "set up" to perform a specific function (and their respective variations), as used here, mean that the device in question is already in a configuration or setting in which it can perform the function, or at least that it is adjustable—i.e., configurable—so that it can perform the function after appropriate adjustment. Configuration can be achieved, for example, by adjusting parameters of a process sequence or by using switches or similar devices to activate or deactivate functionalities or settings. In particular, the device can have several predefined configurations or operating modes, allowing configuration to be performed by selecting one of these configurations or operating modes.

[0013] The term state of charge (SOC), in particular the state of charge of a battery or battery cell, is understood within the meaning of the invention to mean, in particular, the current state of charge or current capacity of a battery or battery cell compared to the maximum capacity of the battery or battery cell.

[0014] The term “essentially” as used here means in particular that a value described as “essentially” does not deviate from the stated value by more than 5%, and in particular not by more than 1% to 3%.

[0015] The term "control unit," as used here, refers in particular to an electronic device that controls the operation of a vehicle system, especially by means of a processor, particularly a CPU. Specifically, the control unit may include a transmitter and receiver for sending and receiving wireless signals, such as electromagnetic signals, and / or wired signals via cables, such as electrical signals. Such a control unit may, in particular, include a microprocessor for analyzing received and / or previously stored data and / or for initiating a control process.

[0016] The term "electronic mobile device," as used here, refers in particular to a smartphone, tablet computer, or mobile computer, each of which has one or more transmitting and receiving units for sending and receiving signals. These signals may be electromagnetic signals transmitted and received using a mobile communication standard, in particular Bluetooth, WLAN, or 2G, 3G, LTE, or 5G. It is also conceivable that the signals may be transmitted and received via a wired connection.

[0017] The procedure described in the first aspect helps to minimize the period during which the battery maintains a state of charge between 80% and 100%. This is because the start time for the second charging cycle, which charges the battery from 80% to 100%, is determined so that the second charge is completed by the estimated departure time of the vehicle. This means that the vehicle, and therefore the battery, is ready for use immediately after the second charge cycle reaches 100%. As the battery is used, its state of charge decreases. With continuous use, causing the state of charge to drop below 80%, this reduces the period during which the battery maintains a state of charge above 80%. This slows down battery aging and extends the battery's lifespan.Furthermore, performing an initial charging process at a state of charge that is less than 80% by a predetermined value, in particular at least 5%, ensures that an initial charging process is not started at a state of charge that is only slightly below 80%.

[0018] Preferred embodiments of the method are described below. These embodiments can be combined with one another and with the other described aspects, unless expressly excluded or technically impossible. In some embodiments, the method further includes: (i) displaying the estimated charging start time on a screen, in particular a vehicle display, for a user; (ii) starting the second charging process upon receiving user input on the screen to confirm the estimated charging start time. This allows the user to verify the estimated charging start time.This prevents the battery from being charged to a charge level of over 80%, particularly in the event of an organizational change by the user that provides for a later departure time of the vehicle than the determined departure time, without the vehicle and thus the battery being used immediately afterwards.

[0019] In some embodiments, the display is integrated into a mobile electronic device, and the estimated charging start time is transmitted to the user's mobile electronic device for display. This allows the user to view and verify the charging start time even from outside the vehicle, for example, from their home, so that the second charging process is complete when the user returns to the vehicle at the estimated departure time.

[0020] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: (i) determining characteristic features of past charging processes, in particular the time and / or duration, of the battery; (ii) taking into account the determined characteristic features of past charging processes of the battery to estimate the charging start time for the start of the second charging process. This makes it possible to determine the duration of past charging processes more accurately based on the technical specifications of the charging station then used. Past times can, in turn, be used to estimate the current charging start time more accurately.

[0021] In some embodiments, the method further includes: (i) determining the vehicle's idle times and associated idle durations based on the determined mobility characteristics; (ii) estimating charging time windows within which the second charging process can occur, using the determined idle times and associated idle durations; (iii) considering the estimated charging time windows to estimate the charging start time for the second charging process. This allows consideration of when the vehicle was in motion and when it was stationary in the past. In addition to previous charging processes when the vehicle was stationary, other situations are also taken into account, such as periods when the vehicle was parked. This allows for an even more accurate estimation of the charging start time.

[0022] In some embodiments, the timing for the start of the second charging process is determined by a machine learning-based algorithm, which uses as input data the determined first state of charge and the characteristic features of earlier vehicle movements within a predefined preceding period. This allows for a more accurate estimation of the charging start time.

[0023] A second aspect of the solution concerns a device, wherein the device is configured to perform the procedure according to the first aspect.

[0024] In some embodiments, the device includes a vehicle control unit, the control unit being configured to: determine the current state of charge of a vehicle's battery; perform a first charging process to charge the battery from the current state of charge to a first state of charge of substantially 80% if the current state of charge is less than 80% by at least a predetermined value, in particular at least 5%; determine a mobility characteristic of the vehicle using characteristic features of earlier vehicle movements within a predetermined preceding period; and estimate the next departure time of the vehicle following the first charging process using the determined mobility characteristic.to determine the required time period for carrying out a second charging process of the battery, starting from the state of charge after the first charging process, up to a state of charge of substantially 100%; to estimate a charging start time for the start of the second charging process, taking into account the determined time period for the second charging process and the estimated departure time, such that the second charging process is completed at the estimated departure time; to carry out the second charging process, with the second charging process starting at the estimated charging start time.

[0025] In some embodiments, the device has a display on the vehicle that is connected to the control unit via a signal, and the estimated charging start time can be displayed to a user.

[0026] A third aspect of the solution concerns a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, especially a hybrid or electric vehicle, having a device according to the second aspect.

[0027] A fourth aspect of the solution concerns a computer program with instructions which, when executed on a device according to the second aspect, cause it to perform the procedure according to the first aspect.

[0028] The computer program can be stored, in particular, on a non-volatile data carrier. Preferably, this is a data carrier in the form of an optical data carrier or a flash memory module. This can be advantageous if the computer program itself is to be handled independently of a processor platform on which the one or more programs are to be executed. In another implementation, the computer program can exist as a file on a data processing unit, in particular on a server, and be downloadable via a data connection, for example, the Internet or a dedicated data connection, such as a proprietary or local network. Furthermore, the computer program can comprise a plurality of interacting individual program modules. The modules can, in particular, be configured, or at least be usable, in such a way that they function in the sense of distributed computing (i.e., distributed computing)."Distributed computing" is performed on different devices (computers or processor units) that are geographically separated and connected via a data network.

[0029] The device may accordingly have a program memory in which the computer program is stored. Alternatively, the device may also be configured to access an external computer program, for example on one or more servers or other data processing units, via a communication link, in particular to exchange data with it that is used during the execution of the process or computer program or represents outputs of the computer program.

[0030] The features and advantages explained in relation to the first aspect of the solution also apply to the other aspects described.

[0031] Further advantages, features and application possibilities will result from the following description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the figures.

[0032] This shows

[0033] Fig. 1 schematically shows a flowchart to illustrate one embodiment of a method; and

[0034] Fig. 2 schematically shows a motor vehicle according to one embodiment.

[0035] The same reference symbols are used throughout the figures for the same or corresponding elements.

[0036] Fig. 1 schematically shows a flowchart 100 to illustrate an embodiment of a method for controlling a charging process of a battery 220, in particular a lithium-ion battery, of a motor vehicle 200, in particular a hybrid or electric vehicle.

[0037] In the first step S110 of the procedure, the current state of charge of battery 220 is determined. For this purpose, a sensor integrated into battery 220 (not shown here) can be used, which can then send the determined current state of charge to a control unit 210, in particular by means of a wired connection or wirelessly via a radio connection.

[0038] In a further step S120 of the procedure, a first charging process is carried out to charge the battery from its current state of charge to a first state of charge of substantially 80%, if the current state of charge is less than 80% by at least a predetermined value, in particular at least 5%. For this purpose, the battery 220 can be connected to a charging station (not shown here), whereby electrical energy is transferred to the battery, which is stored in the battery as chemical energy.

[0039] In a further step S130 of the procedure, a mobility characteristic of the vehicle is determined using characteristic features of earlier vehicle movements within a given preceding period.

[0040] In a further step S140 of the procedure, an estimate is made of the next possible departure time of vehicle 200, which is after the first charging process, using the determined mobility characteristics.

[0041] In a further step S150 of the procedure, a required period of time for carrying out a second charging process of the battery 220 is determined, starting from the state of charge after the first charging process, up to a state of charge of essentially 100%.

[0042] In a further step S160 of the procedure, a charging start time for the start of the second charging process is estimated, taking into account the determined period for the second charging process and the estimated departure time, such that the second charging process is completed at the estimated departure time.

[0043] In a further step S170 of the procedure, the second charging process is carried out, with the second charging process starting at the estimated charging start time.

[0044] Figure 2 schematically shows a motor vehicle 200 according to one embodiment. The motor vehicle 200 comprises a control unit 210, a battery 220, and a display 230. The control unit 210 is configured to execute process steps S120 to S170 as explained in Figure 1. The motor vehicle 200 also comprises a display 200, which is configured to indicate a charging start time for the second charging process. While at least one exemplary embodiment has been described above, it should be noted that a large number of variations exist. It should also be noted that the described exemplary embodiments are only non-limiting examples, and it is not intended to restrict the scope, applicability, or configuration of the devices and methods described herein.Rather, the preceding description will provide the person skilled in the art with guidance on the implementation of at least one exemplary embodiment, whereby it is understood that various changes can be made in the functioning and arrangement of the elements described in an exemplary embodiment without deviating from the subject matter defined in the attached claims and its legal equivalents.

[0045] REFERENCE MARK LIST

[0046] 100 Flowchart

[0047] S110 Determine current charge level S120 Perform first charging process

[0048] S130 Determine vehicle mobility characteristics

[0049] S140 Estimate departure time

[0050] S150 Determine the time period of the second charging process

[0051] S160 Estimate charging start time S170 Perform second charging process

[0052] 200 motor vehicles

[0053] 210 Control unit

[0054] 220 Battery 230 Display

Claims

REQUIREMENTS 1. Method for controlling a charging process of a battery (220) of a vehicle (200), comprising: Determine (S110) the current state of charge of the battery (220); Performing (S120) an initial charging operation to charge the battery (220) from the current state of charge to an initial state of charge of substantially 80%, when the current state of charge is less than 80% by at least one predetermined value; Determine (S130) a mobility characteristic of the vehicle (200) using characterizing features of earlier vehicle movements within a given preceding period; Estimating (S140) the next possible departure time of the vehicle (200) after the first charging process, using the determined mobility characteristics; Determine (S150) a required time period for carrying out a second charging process of the battery (220) starting from the state of charge after the first charging process up to a state of charge of substantially 100%; Estimating (S160) a charging start time for the start of the second charging process, taking into account the determined period for the second charging process and the estimated departure time, such that the second charging process is completed at the estimated departure time; Performing (S170) the second charging operation, with the second charging operation starting at the estimated charging start time.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Displaying the estimated charging start time on a display (230) for a user; wherein the starting of the second charging process depends on the receipt of a user input on the display to confirm the estimated charging start time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the display is integrated into an electronic mobile device, and the estimated charging start time is transmitted to the electronic The user's mobile device is used to display the information on the electronic mobile device.

4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: Determining characteristic features of past charging processes of the battery (220); taking into account the determined characteristic features of past charging processes of the battery (220) for estimating the charging start time for the start of the second charging process.

5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: Determining the vehicle's standstill times and associated standstill durations (200) based on the determined mobility characteristics; Estimating charging time windows within which the second charging process can take place, using the determined idle times and associated idle durations; Taking into account the estimated charging time windows when estimating the charging start time for the beginning of the second charging process.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the determination of the time for the start of the second charging process is carried out by an algorithm based on machine learning, and wherein the determined first state of charge and the vehicle movements that have taken place within a predetermined preceding period are used as input data.

7. Device, wherein the device is configured to carry out the method according to any of the preceding claims.

8. Device according to claim 7, comprising a control unit (210) of the vehicle (200), wherein the control unit (210) is configured to: determine a current state of charge of a battery (220) of a vehicle (200); initiate a first charging process to charge the battery (220) from the current state of charge to a first state of charge of substantially 80% to perform when the current state of charge is less than 80% by at least a predetermined value; to determine a mobility characteristic of the vehicle (200) using characteristic features of earlier vehicle movements within a predetermined preceding period; to estimate the next departure time of the vehicle (200) after the first charging process using the determined mobility characteristic; to determine the required period for carrying out a second charging process of the battery (220) from the state of charge after the first charging process up to a state of charge of substantially 100%; to estimate a charging start time for the start of the second charging process, taking into account the determined period for the second charging process and the estimated departure time, such that the second charging process is completed at the estimated departure time;to perform the second charging process, with the second charging process starting at the estimated charging start time.

9. Device according to claim 8, comprising a display (230) of the vehicle (200) which is connected to the control unit (210) via a signal, and the estimated charging start time can be displayed to a user by the display.

10. Vehicle (200) comprising a device according to claims 7 to 9.

11. Computer program with instructions which, when executed on a device according to one of claims 7 to 9, cause the device to execute the method according to one of claims 1 to 6.

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