Vehicle Battery Discharge Diagnosis via Ignition-Off Current Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for diagnosing premature battery discharge in vehicles are time-consuming and often require vehicle breakdowns, leading to increased warranty costs and reduced customer satisfaction, as they fail to effectively monitor and isolate the cause of unusual power consumption during the ignition-off state.

Innovation Solution

Active monitoring of the vehicle's electrical system during the ignition-off state to collect and analyze current consumption data, which can be combined with additional vehicle-specific and global data to identify the cause of abnormal power usage, allowing for early intervention and potentially avoiding battery discharge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If comprehensive system tests are performed at the factory, then system reliability is improved, but test complexity and time requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidtest complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary monitoring and detection of power consumption anomalies during the ignition-off state before they cause battery discharge. By continuously measuring current draw and comparing it against threshold values, the system identifies potential issues early in the vehicle's operational life, allowing preventive measures to be taken before comprehensive failures occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables the vehicle to self-diagnose power consumption issues by automatically monitoring its own electrical systems during the ignition-off state. The control unit continuously measures current draw from the battery and autonomously identifies anomalies without requiring external testing equipment or complex factory test procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If battery discharge issues are detected early through monitoring, then warranty costs and customer satisfaction are improved, but measurement and detection complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomer satisfactionVSAvoiddetection complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates the specific measurement task of monitoring current draw during the ignition-off state from the overall vehicle diagnostic system. By focusing solely on measuring battery current during this specific operational state and comparing it against predefined thresholds, the system simplifies the detection process while maintaining high accuracy in identifying power consumption anomalies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system monitors changes in current draw parameters during the ignition-off state to detect anomalies. By continuously measuring the current parameter and comparing it against threshold values, the system identifies deviations that indicate potential power consumption issues without requiring complex diagnostic procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11308740B2Method for locating a cause of the premature discharge of a battery in a vehicle
Publication Date: 2022.04.19 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for locating a cause of the premature discharge of a battery in a vehicle.To simplify locating a cause of the premature discharge of a battery in a vehicle, it is proposed to monitor the current drawn from the battery via an electrical system of the vehicle in the ignition-off-state. Data collected as part of the monitoring can then be examined either alone or in conjunction with additional, in particular, vehicle-specific and/or global data, for information relevant to isolating and/or determining the cause.