Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Mark Eifert

Eckhard Karden

Pankaj Kumar

Christopher Semanson

Cathleen Tistle

Engbert Spijker

Peter Schmitz

Aed M Dudar

Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam

Jeremy L Russell

Rajarshi Roychowdhury

Jeff Raymond Mohr

Birger Fricke

Bjoern Mohrmann

Armin Warm

Manuel Bojahr

Imad Hassan Makki

Peter Phung

Simon Petrovic

Timothy Panagis

Fakhreddine Landolsi

David W Linden

Matthew Loiselle

Don Andreas Josephine Kees

Daniel Kok

Ralf Hecke

Christian Ress

Aria Etemad

Sheida Malekpour

Jeremy Moore

Don A Kees

Timothy Rampiaray

Björn Mohrmann

Thomas Hochkirchen

Maurice Rienks

Marcus Boerger

Erik Surewaard

Tom Van Dongen

Daniel Benjamin Kok

A motor vehicle having a combustion engine for vehicle propulsion can be automatically stopped when engine propulsion is not needed, such as during a gliding condition when the vehicle is coasting down to a slower speed (e.g., stopping) or down an incline. The engine is automatically restarted as needed. To ensure a capacity of a battery or other electrical storage device to support nominal operation of electrical loads (including a starter motor for restarting the engine) during an Auto Stop event, predicted future states of a vehicle battery are determined using a battery state of function (SOF) in response to load transients that may need to be supported.

Predictive stop-start control using state of function during gliding

A method for controlling a vehicle active chassis power system includes determining, via a processor, a minimum output voltage/current threshold for an aggregated power supply associated with an active chassis operation, and generating an aggregate State of Function (SoF) indicative of a maximum voltage/current budget for an output of the vehicle active chassis power system. The aggregate SoF is based on a primary power source voltage/current output and a power storage voltage/current output. The method further includes causing to control an active chassis power system actuator based on a minimum voltage/current value associated with the aggregate SoF. Causing to control the active chassis power system actuator can include publishing the aggregate SoF to a braking actuator, a steering actuator, or to a domain controller that actively distributes an aggregated power supply capability SoF to a braking actuator and a steering actuator based on one or more present vehicle states.

State of function adaptive power management

Devices, systems, and methods for management of electrical resources for electric vehicles. A method may include receiving, by a vehicle, sensor data indicative of a first luminosity of a location, and determining that the first luminosity of the location exceeds a luminosity threshold. The method may include determining, based on the first luminosity exceeding the luminosity threshold, a second luminosity to apply to lights of the vehicle while the vehicle is at the location, the second luminosity greater than zero. The method may include applying the second luminosity to the lights while the vehicle is at the location.

Enhanced management of electrical resources for electric vehicles

A control system, responsive to receiving values of one or more parameters of a battery of a vehicle for a particular time in service, generates via a machine learning determination a level of confidence at which the values of the one or more parameters of the battery match values of one or more parameters of a set of batteries for a same time in service, and responsive to the level exceeding a predefined threshold, causes a mitigation action to be implemented.

Battery fault detection

Dimmable external vehicle lighting and methods of use are provided herein. An example method includes determining environmental light intensity around a vehicle, determining a luminance of an external light of the vehicle, determining a difference in magnitude between the environmental light intensity and the luminance of the external light, and selectively adjusting the luminance of the external light based on the difference.

Dimmable external vehicle lighting and methods of use

Methods and systems are provided for reliably providing a prognosis of the life-expectancy of a vehicle battery. A state of degradation of the battery is predicted based on a rate of convergence of a metric, that is derived from a sensed vehicle operating parameter, towards a defined threshold, determined based on past history of the metric. The predicted state of degradation is then converted into an estimate of time or distance remaining before the component needs to serviced, and displayed to the vehicle operator. Vehicle control and communication strategies may be defined with respect to the predicted state of degradation.

Method for predicting battery life

Methods for monitoring the state of charge of a battery of a motor vehicle are disclosed in which the battery current is determined at moments at which the battery charging voltage has decreased to a defined limit value. The battery current thus determined is transmitted to an evaluation unit, which generates an alarm signal if no discharge of the battery is measured by means of the determined battery current in a defined period. The limit value for the decrease of the battery charging voltage is selected such that the algorithm as a result can identify whether the state of charge of a battery lies above or below a threshold above which a certain electrical functionality of the battery can be guaranteed.

State of charge battery monitoring

This disclosure relates to a method for operating a battery of a motor vehicle, wherein parameters are continuously monitored by means of a system of the motor vehicle, said parameters representing the state of the battery, and at least one risk minimizing strategy that includes measures for changing the battery situation is implemented if an evaluating unit of the system generates an alarm signal on the basis of a parameter that is being monitored.

Method for operating a battery

A method for charging the starter battery of a motor vehicle at a voltage source includes charging the starter battery after a traction battery of the vehicle has been charged up to a defined value. The starter battery is charged if a charge state of the starter battery is established that is below a defined threshold value. If the charge state of the starter battery is of such a low level, the starter battery is charged until one or more defined termination conditions are fulfilled. The termination conditions may include the total charging period since the low charge state of the starter battery has been established exceeds a defined threshold value and/or the total time period charging the traction battery and the starter battery at the voltage source exceeds a defined threshold.

Method for charging the starter battery of a vehicle

An on-board electrical system for motor vehicles has a battery, a generator and at least one normal consumer that is connected to the battery in a switchable manner. A DC voltage/DC voltage converter is connected on its primary side to the battery and on its secondary side to a high-load resistor. A switch connects the high-load consumer to a storage device in a first switching position, and to the primary side in a second switching position. A controller controls and operates the switch between the first and the second switching position. A device that detects the actual electrical power of the high-load consumer is associated with the high-load consumer, and is connected at the output end to the controller.

On-board vehicle electrical system having a converter and high-load consumer

Methods and systems are provided for an on-board electrical system for a motor vehicle that includes one or more power sources and an electrical subsystem with a switch that can be actuated to selectively bypass a DC/DC converter and a storage device, responsive to electrical parameters such as the power demand of high-power consumers. In one example, when high-power consumers have low and constant power requirements, the switch may be positioned to bridge the DC/DC converter and storage device. Further, the method includes selectively controlling the power source in order to meet peak power demands with the power source operating at the greatest efficiency for the given operating conditions.

On-board electrical system for motor vehicles comprising a converter and a high-load consumer

The disclosure relates to a method for monitoring the state of a battery. In the process, the internal temperature of the battery during a charging process is determined in defined intervals at different time points, and an evaluation unit continuously determines a temperature gradient at least from the temperature values. At least one limit value for the temperature gradient is stored in the evaluation unit, and the evaluation unit generates a signal when the temperature gradient which is determined by the evaluation unit reaches this limit value. When this signal from the evaluation unit is present, the charging voltage of the battery is driven such that there is no battery current, while the internal temperature of the battery is further periodically detected, and the evaluation unit generates an alarm signal when the temperature has fallen after suppression of the battery current.

Method for monitoring the state of a battery in a motor vehicle

A method for controlling a voltage source is used to charge a battery of a motor vehicle, wherein the desired voltage value of the voltage source is selected and controlled. The method changes between at least two charging modes at planned time intervals, wherein a first charging mode applies a different desired voltage value for charging the battery than a second charging mode. In particular, the two charging modes are a process of equalization charging the battery and a process of float charging the battery.

Method for controlling a voltage source for charging a battery of a motor vehicle

This disclosure relates to a method for the management of the electrical current supply in a motor vehicle having a combustion engine, wherein the charge state of a battery is detected and characterized as a discrete variable that indicates whether the prevailing charge state is below or above a calibrated threshold value. If the discrete variable indicates that the prevailing charge state is below the calibrated threshold value, the battery is charged using a relatively high voltage over a predetermined time period in such a manner that all cells of the battery are charged. If the discrete variable indicates that the prevailing charge state is above the calibrated threshold value, different temperature-dependent voltage set points of an electric generator in the vehicle are set in dependence upon a prevailing energy conversion efficiency level of the drivetrain that is detected and characterized as a further discrete variable.

Method for the management of the electrical current supply in a motor vehicle

An internal temperature of a battery is determined at defined intervals at different moments in time and is transmitted to an evaluation unit, which continuously determines a temperature gradient at least from the temperature values by dividing the temperature change in an interval by the time change in this interval. At least one limit value for the temperature gradient is stored in the evaluation unit, and the evaluation unit generates an alarm signal when the temperature gradient determined by the evaluation unit reaches this limit value.

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Hessen, Germany

Mark Eifert