Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Methode Electronics, Incorporated

Trw Limited

Chrysler Corporation

Magna E-car Systems of America, Inc.

Thomas Joseph Wand

Benjamin A Tabatowski-Bush

Vladimir Karasik

Philip A Gaubis

Roland Ruegenberg

Michael Shahan

Philip Q Guest, Jr

Richard Alsobrooks

Richard Graham, Jr

Wesley Burkman

Baojin Wang

Joseph J Kopera, Jr

Richard Mo

Roger Thomas Douglas

Graham Lynn Briggs

James L Graves

Michael E Behr

Kenneth P Wozniak

Phillip A Gaubis

Systems and methods are provided for releasing welded-shut contactors of a contactor system. An exemplary contactor system may include a contactor and a controller. The controller may be programmed to command a vibration across portions of the contactor as part of a weld release control strategy when the contactor is welded closed. The vibration may be achieved by repeatedly alternating between energizing and de-energizing a coil of the contactor in order to mechanically shock/vibrate a welded contact of the contactor.

Contactor weld releasing systems and methods

An automotive control module includes a microcontroller having an access port, and that permits reprogramming of its functions responsive to a voltage at the access port being greater than a first predefined threshold upon power-up or reset thereof. The automotive control module also includes a boot assist control circuit lacking logical elements and including a pair of input ports, an output port directly electrically connected to the access port, and a plurality of capacitors, resistors, and transistors electrically connected between the pair and output port. The plurality outputs a voltage to the output port at least equal to the first predefined threshold responsive to voltages at both the input ports being greater than a second predefined threshold, and outputs a voltage to the output port less than the first predefined threshold responsive to the voltage at either one of the input ports being less than the second predefined threshold.

Microcontroller dual input boot assist control circuit

This disclosure relates to an electrified vehicle configured to disconnect a battery from a load, and a corresponding method. An example electrified vehicle includes an array of battery cells and an electrical conductor connecting the array to a load. A disconnect is arranged along the electrical conductor. Further, the electrified vehicle includes an electronic circuit with a switch and an igniter. When a voltage drop across the electrical conductor exceeds a threshold, the switch is configured to permit current to flow from at least one of the battery cells through the igniter to trigger the disconnect thereby disconnecting the array of battery cells from the load.

Electrified vehicle configured to disconnect battery from load

A power control arrangement for a vehicle includes a bi-directional DC/DC converter and one or more controllers. The one or more controllers, after a request to activate the vehicle, command the bi-directional DC/DC converter to charge a DC link capacitor electrically between main contactors and the bi-directional DC/DC converter to target value without connecting a resistor in parallel with one of the main contactors and before closing all of the main contactors.

Pre-charge via bi-directional DC/DC converter and auxiliary battery

A battery system includes a traction battery, a traction battery controller, and a backup controller. The traction battery powers a high-voltage domain. The traction battery controller may be powered by a low-voltage domain that is separated from the high-voltage domain. The traction battery may be configured to disable cell balancing of the traction battery after expiration of a main timer. The backup controller may be powered by and within the high-voltage domain. The backup controller implements a backup timer, that includes a non-processor logic circuit, and is configured to disable cell balancing after expiration of the backup timer.

Battery charge equalization system timer

A vehicle includes an inverter. The vehicle includes a contactor power bus configured to supply power to latching mechanisms of main and precharge contactors that are associated with the inverter. The vehicle includes a controller configured to maintain operation of the inverter and generate a sensor fault. The operation of the inverter may be maintained responsive to sensor output indicating that different portions of the contactor power bus are energized and deenergized.

Contactor supply bus

A battery pack according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a battery monitoring integrated circuit (BMIC) associated with a grouping of battery cells, a calibration microcontroller configured to store battery data associated with the grouping of battery cells, a main microcontroller; and a data transmission node establishing a shared path for communicating both a status signal from the BMIC and the battery data from the calibration microcontroller.

Battery communication system for battery packs

A controller includes a tracking regulator having a reference voltage input and a voltage output and configured to regulate the voltage output to the reference voltage input. The controller is configured to, in response to a short to ground of the voltage output, electrically couple the reference voltage input to the voltage output.

System and method for voltage regulator short circuit protection

A sampling circuit monitors a high voltage level in an electric vehicle drive. A resistor ladder receives a drive voltage to be sampled and provides sufficient isolation to allow use of low cost switching devices. An N-channel MOSFET is connected between the ladder and a reference resistance. A junction between the source terminal of the MOSFET and the reference resistance provides a sampled voltage output adapted to be input to an analog-to-digital converter. A discrete optocoupler has an output side with a collector and an emitter. The collector is coupled to the resistor ladder, and the emitter is connected to a gate terminal of the MOSFET and coupled to the ground reference by a load resistor.

Switched high-voltage sampling circuit for electric vehicles

A circuit is provided for detecting peaks of a sinusoidal input signal includes circuitry for generating first and second sinusoidal output signals that are out of phase with one another and with the sinusoidal input signal. A comparator block compares the sinusoidal output signals to determine instances where the amplitudes of the first and second sinusoidal output signals cross over each other. The sinusoidal output signals may lead the sinusoidal input signal somewhat so that, after taking into account processing delay, the indicated crossover instances substantially coincide with peaks in the sinusoidal input signal such that a trigger signal generated by the circuit accurately indicates the timing of the peaks.

Peak detection circuit and method

An example electric vehicle component includes a current sensor shield that blocks magnetic fields of a contactor from influencing a current sensor. An example method of improving current sensor measurements includes blocking magnetic fields moving from a contactor toward the current sensor.

Sensor shield for an electric vehicle

A position sensor for determining the angular position of a steering wheel. The shaft of the steering wheel is connected to a code disk and turn ring of the sensor so that when steering wheel is rotated, the coded disk and turn ring are also rotated. The code disk is a flat circular disk having a series of cut-outs or bits around its perimeter. A light emitting diode shines a light through the cut-outs and is read by a photo detector which determines the angular position of the code disk. The turn ring is fitted on the outside of the code disk and rotates in a hypocycloidic circle so that for every full revolution of the code disk, the turn ring rotates through a smaller angle. The turn ring is placed over a series of Hall sensors to determine the number of revolutions of the code disk.

Rapid high resolution position sensor for auto steering

A connection system for communicating multiple signals between a steering wheel and a steering column of a vehicle over a single wire is provided that uses time division to multiplex multiple signals. A plurality of signals are multiplexed together ranging from two to as many signals as desired. Input switches are grouped together to form a ladder multiplexer, such as a resistive multiplexer, that includes voltage and current muxing. A plurality of ladder multiplexers are joined together in a time division multiplexing scheme that operates continuously. An analog line may be added as a single channel. A marker pulse is used to signal the start of each time window to be divided for all the channels. Time division multiplexing is provided by a number of switching means.

Multiple input multiplexing connection apparatus and method

Dashboard dimmer light circuit for a vehicle, for example a car or truck. A power supply 10 provides a step-function voltage signal to an op-amp oscillator circuit 20 which provides a triangular voltage oscillation signal to an op-amp level comparator 40 which, in turn, compares the triangular voltage oscillation signal to a voltage reference for providing a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) voltage signal to a power FET driver 70 which, in turn, responds to the pulse-width-modulated voltage signal by providing a current signal to an automobile dashboard dimmer light 80. Features of the invention include a) a dashboard dimmer light having a stable oscillator frequency, b) PWM duty cycle stability in a dashboard dimmer light, c) efficient accomplishment of the invention's oscillator and level comparator functions within a single IC, d) reduction of electromagnetic interference which might otherwise intefere with other electronic equipment in the dashboard.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Thomas Joseph Wand