Adaptive Key-Off Load Management for Vehicle Battery Conservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery power management systems in automotive vehicles face challenges in preserving battery capacity while ensuring quick vehicle reactivation, as they often lead to battery depletion and prolonged startup times due to frequent switching of DC-to-DC converters and high current draws during vehicle sleep modes.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive Key-Off-Load management system that utilizes a vehicle locator to determine geographic location and analyze usage patterns to selectively switch between different sleep modes based on predicted usage, thereby conserving battery charge and optimizing startup times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the DC-to-DC converter is frequently turned On during vehicle sleep to charge the low-voltage battery, then the battery SOC is maintained, but the high-voltage battery remaining SOC is reduced and vehicle driving distance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the KOL mode based on predicted vehicle usage patterns. Instead of frequently switching the DC-to-DC converter On during vehicle sleep, the system selects from multiple KOL modes (KOL-1 through KOL-4) with different current draw characteristics, turning the converter On only when necessary and appropriate based on usage prediction, thereby reducing unnecessary discharge of the high-voltage battery while maintaining low-voltage battery SOC
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses historical usage data and vehicle location information to predict future usage patterns, creating a feedback loop that informs DC-to-DC converter scheduling decisions. This predictive feedback mechanism allows the system to optimize charging timing and duration, ensuring low-voltage battery SOC is maintained without unnecessarily depleting the high-voltage battery
2Loss of energy
If the vehicle enters deep sleep mode to conserve battery power, then battery drain is reduced, but the vehicle startup time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects from multiple KOL modes (KOL-1 with 8mA maximum current to KOL-4 with 500mA maximum current) based on predicted vehicle usage. When the vehicle is predicted to be used soon, a lighter sleep mode (higher current draw) is selected to enable faster startup. When long-term parking is predicted, a deeper sleep mode (lower current draw) is selected to minimize battery drain, thus dynamically optimizing the trade-off between energy conservation and startup speed
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of electrical loads by adjusting the maximum quiescent current levels across different KOL modes. By modifying these current parameters based on usage prediction, the system achieves adaptive power management that balances battery conservation with rapid reactivation capability
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical system in a vehicle has a battery is configured to supply electrical current when a driver ignition key is in a Key-Off state. A. A plurality of electrical loads are each configurable to receive the electrical current flowing from the battery during the Key-Off state depending upon predetermined Key-Off-Load (KOL) Modes. A vehicle locator determines a geographic location of the vehicle. A sleep-time database records daily Key-On and Key-Off events according to changes between the Key-On state and the Key-Off state, wherein each Key-Off event is associated with a respective geographic location from the vehicle locator. An analyzer identifies Key-Off events sharing a repetitive time span and a common geographic location. A scheduler activates a timed KOL sequence according to the identified Key-Off events so that repetitive time slots of vehicle usage can be used to reduce battery drain during times when vehicle usage is less likely.