Telematically monitoring and predicting a vehicle battery state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11544973-B2
Application number	US-201816225675-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2018
Priority date	Feb 8, 2018
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

Apparatus, device, methods and system relating to a vehicular telemetry environment for monitoring vehicle components and providing indications towards the condition of the vehicle components and providing optimal indications towards replacement or maintenance of vehicle components before vehicle component failure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of monitoring a battery of a specific vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving, at a remote site from a telematics hardware device connected to a vehicle network communication bus of the specific vehicle, a plurality of real-time voltage signals indicating a change in voltage of the battery at times associated with a corresponding plurality of real-time crankings of a starter motor of the specific vehicle;
determining, by a controller at the remote site, for each of the plurality of real-time voltage signals, a minimum voltage of the voltage signal, to generate a plurality of minimum voltages for a time period of the specific vehicle;
determining, by the controller at the remote site, a variance of the plurality of minimum voltages for the time period of the specific vehicle;
generating, by the controller at the remote site, a prediction of a failing state of the battery of the specific vehicle based at least in part on decreasing magnitudes of the plurality of minimum voltages and an increasing variance of the plurality of minimum voltages; and
indicating one of a replacement warning and a replacement of the battery based on the prediction of the failing state of the battery of the specific vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the prediction of the failing state of the battery comprises generating a prediction of whether and/or when the battery will fail based at least in part on an environmental condition.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the prediction of whether and/or when the battery will fail based at least in part on an environmental condition comprises generating a prediction of whether and/or when the battery will fail based at least in part on temperature.

4. A system configured to monitor a battery of a specific vehicle, the system comprising:
a telematics hardware device connected to a vehicle network communication bus, the telematics hardware device of the specific vehicle including a processor, memory, firmware and communications capability; and
a remote device including a processor, memory, software and communications capability,
wherein the telematics hardware device is configured to monitor the battery of the specific vehicle and log a plurality of real-time voltage signals indicating a change in voltage of the battery at times associated with a corresponding plurality of real-time crankings of a starter motor of the specific vehicle, wherein the telematics hardware device is configured to communicate a log including the plurality of real-time voltage signals,
wherein the remote device is configured to receive the plurality of real-time voltage signals;
wherein the remote device is configured to determine, for each of the plurality of real-time voltage signals, a minimum voltage of the voltage signal, to generate a plurality of minimum voltages for a time period of the specific vehicle;
wherein the remote device is configured to determine a variance of the plurality of minimum voltages for the time period of the specific vehicle;
wherein the remote device is configured to generate a prediction of a failing state of the battery of the specific vehicle based at least in part on decreasing magnitudes of the plurality of minimum voltages and an increasing variance of the plurality of minimum voltages; and
wherein the remote device is configured to indicate one of a replacement warning and a replacement of the battery based on the prediction of the failing state of the battery of the specific vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the prediction of the failing state of the battery comprises a prediction of whether and/or when the battery will fail based at least in part on an environmental condition.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the environmental condition comprises temperature.

Assignees

• Geotab Inc

Inventors

• Kyes John Robert Ford
• Davidson Mark Jeffrey
• Walli Thomas Arthur

Classifications

• B60W2050/021

  Means for detecting failure or malfunction · CPC title

• G07C5/006

  Indicating maintenance · CPC title

• G05B23/0283

  Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] (preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06) · CPC title

• G07C5/0808 Primary

  Diagnosing performance data (testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005) · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title