Vehicle Charge Status Display from Stored Data During Power-Off

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electric vehicles face challenges in providing users with up-to-date charging status information without consuming unnecessary energy by keeping the traction motor system powered on, which affects the vehicle's range and operational costs.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that allow the traction motor system in an electric vehicle to operate between active and inactive configurations, enabling the storage and display of charging system values in a memory unit for later retrieval, allowing users to access charge status information without powering the system, using a processing unit to receive and store data from sensors and display it on a display unit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the traction motor system is kept powered on at all times to provide charging status information, then the user has continuous access to charge status data, but the energy consumption increases and the vehicle range decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging status information availabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by storing charging status data in memory before the traction motor system is powered off. This allows the display unit to retrieve and show previously stored charging status information without requiring the system to remain powered on, thus resolving the contradiction between information availability and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Use of energy by moving object

If the traction motor system is powered on only when information is required, then the energy consumption is reduced, but the system appears sluggish and may not provide timely information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidsystem responsiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by continuously updating and storing charging status data in memory during system operation. When the system is powered off and information is requested, the pre-stored data is immediately available for display, eliminating the sluggish response that would occur if the system had to power on just to retrieve information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If the traction motor system is kept powered on to provide real-time charging status, then the information is up-to-date, but the operational costs and range impact increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging status data freshnessVSAvoidenergy loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by capturing and storing charging status data in memory during periods when the system is active. This pre-captured data is then retrieved by the display unit when the system is inactive, providing relatively fresh information without the continuous energy expenditure required to keep the system powered on.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a copy of the charging status data and stores it in memory. This copy can be retrieved and displayed without accessing the main traction motor system, allowing information provision while the system remains powered off, thus reducing energy loss while maintaining data availability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4279328A1Indication of vehicle charge status
Publication Date: 2023.11.22 VOLVO TRUCK CORP
  • EP4279328A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4279328A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4279328A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The disclosure relates to a method for providing an indication of charge status of an electric vehicle comprising a traction motor system to a user, comprising: operating a traction motor system in an electric vehicle between an active and an inactive configuration; receiving a set of charging system values in a memory unit from the traction motor system and storing the set of charging system values in the memory unit while operating the traction motor system in the active configuration; providing the set of charging system values from the memory unit to a display unit; displaying information relating to the set of charging system values on the charge status on the display unit while operating the traction motor system in the inactive configuration. The disclosure further relates to a system for providing an indication of charge status of an electric vehicle.