Vehicle Mode Selector for Crank Event Power Drop Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automotive vehicle components face disruptions and potential damage due to temporary reductions in power supply during engine startup, known as 'crank events,' which can cause voltage drops, leading to instability and rebooting of components like communications devices.

Innovation Solution

A mode selector module predicts impending crank events and switches vehicle components to a low power mode before the event, reducing power consumption and minimizing disruption by operating at a lower voltage level during the transient power reduction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If vehicle components operate at normal power levels during engine startup, then component functionality is maintained, but voltage drops cause disruptions and reboots

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent stabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The mode selector module detects engine startup conditions and proactively switches the vehicle component to low power mode before the voltage drop occurs, preventing disruptions and reboots by preparing the component in advance for the impending power reduction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameters of the vehicle component by switching between normal operation mode and low power mode, adjusting power consumption levels dynamically based on detected engine startup conditions to maintain stability during voltage transitions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If storage capacitors or power regulators are added to prevent voltage drops, then component stability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent stabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle component uses its own mode selector module to detect engine startup conditions and autonomously switch to low power mode, making the system self-regulating without requiring external capacitors or regulators to manage voltage stability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the voltage stabilization function from traditional hardware solutions (capacitors and regulators) and implements it through software-based mode switching, removing unnecessary components while maintaining component stability during engine startup

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS12187281B2Mode selector module for a vehicle component

Publication Date: 2025.01.07 APTIV TECHNOLOGIES AG

AI summary

Techniques are provided for operating a vehicle in a first vehicle mode; operating at least one component of the vehicle in a first component mode; detecting a first change in operation of the vehicle from the first vehicle mode to a second vehicle mode different from the first vehicle mode; based on the detected the first change in the operation of the vehicle, predicting a second change in operation of the vehicle; in response to predicting the second change in operation of the vehicle, operating the at least one component in a second component mode different from the first component mode prior to the predicted second change in operation of the vehicle.