Vehicle Power Supply System for Reliable Reprogramming
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing program capacity during reprogramming in vehicles often leads to longer reprogramming times, resulting in higher electric power usage, which can cause program updates to be aborted due to insufficient battery power, especially when the 12V accessory battery is deficient.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system that includes a high-voltage battery, a low-voltage battery, a DC-DC converter, and a controller, which reduces the high-voltage battery's output power and supplies it to the low-voltage system to charge the low-voltage battery, allowing program updates to proceed using the low-voltage battery's power after charging is complete.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reprogramming is performed using electric power from the low-voltage battery, then program updates can be performed in conventional manner, but the reprogramming may be aborted due to insufficient battery power when the low-voltage battery is deficient
Solution Approach 1:
The DC-DC converter acts as an intermediary device that transfers electric power from the high-voltage battery to the low-voltage system circuit, enabling the low-voltage battery to be charged during reprogramming operations. This mediator resolves the power insufficiency issue by facilitating energy transfer between the two battery systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller performs preliminary determination to identify whether the update-target device is a certain device related to electric power supply. Based on this preliminary assessment, the system proactively activates the DC-DC converter to charge the low-voltage battery before the reprogramming process begins, ensuring sufficient power is available throughout the operation.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the DC-DC converter is activated to charge the low-voltage battery during reprogramming, then power sufficiency is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The DC-DC converter is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a power supply device for charging the low-voltage battery and as a device that can operate in conventional modes. This universal design reduces the need for additional dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity while still providing the necessary power charging capability.
3Power
If the certain device is stopped after charging the low-voltage battery, then the low-voltage battery can be fully charged for reprogramming, but the electric power supply function is temporarily interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the operation state of the certain device based on the reprogramming requirements. The device is temporarily stopped only when necessary to allow complete charging of the low-voltage battery, and the controller manages this dynamic state change to minimize interruption duration while ensuring sufficient power is available for the reprogramming operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces the likelihood of program updates being aborted due to power deficiencies and enables reprogramming of devices related to electric power supply from the high-voltage battery to the low-voltage system, optimizing reprogramming efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The DC-DC converter is capable of reducing in voltage output electric power of the high-voltage battery and supplying the electric power reduced in voltage to the low-voltage system circuit
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a high-voltage system circuit including a high-voltage battery; a low-voltage system circuit including a low-voltage battery and an updater; a DC-DC converter coupled between the two circuits; and a controller that controls the two circuits and the DC-DC converter. The updater updates a program of an update-target device. The DC-DC converter reduces in voltage output electric power of the high-voltage battery and then supplies the electric power to the low-voltage system circuit. The controller determines whether the update-target device is a certain device relating to electric power supply from the high-voltage battery. If the update-target device is the certain device, the low-voltage battery is charged with the output electric power of the high-voltage battery, the certain device stops operating, and the updater updates the program of the certain device by using the output electric power of the low-voltage battery.