State of function adaptive power management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11697383-B2
Application number	US-202117326749-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2021
Priority date	May 21, 2021
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

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.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a vehicle active chassis power system, comprising:
determining, via a processor, a maximum output voltage/current threshold for an aggregated power supply associated with an active chassis operation;
generating, via the processor, an aggregate State of Function (SoF) indicative of a maximum voltage/current budget for an output of the vehicle active chassis power system, wherein the aggregate SoF is based on a primary power source voltage/current output and a power storage current output; and
causing to control an active chassis power system actuator based on a maximum voltage/current value associated with the aggregate SoF.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining the maximum output current threshold for the aggregated power supply in a predetermined interval of time.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the active chassis operation comprises one or more of a braking operation and a steering operation.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein causing to control the active chassis power system actuator comprises:
publishing the aggregate SoF to a steering actuator.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein causing to control the active chassis power system actuator comprises:
publishing the aggregate SoF to a braking actuator.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein causing to control the active chassis power system actuator comprises:
publishing the aggregate SoF to a domain controller.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein generating the aggregate SoF indicative of the maximum current budget for the output of the aggregated power supply comprises:
determining a present battery state comprising a battery output voltage/current.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein generating the aggregate SoF indicative of the maximum current budget for the output of the aggregated power supply comprises:
determining a first power storage voltage response to a current over time;
determining that the first power storage voltage response is less than a threshold voltage;
decreasing a maximum current threshold for power storage output is less than a threshold;
determining that a second voltage response to a lower current is equal to or less than the threshold voltage;
recalculating the maximum current budget for the aggregated power supply at a future point in time based on the minimum voltage threshold; and
recalculating the maximum current budget for the aggregated power supply over a time horizon in the future based on the minimum voltage threshold.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
distributing an aggregated power supply capability SoF to a braking actuator and a steering actuator based on one or more present vehicle states.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the present vehicle states comprise one or more of:
a speed, a gear state, and a clutch actuation.

11. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
determining, via a battery monitoring sensor, a battery capability;
updating the aggregate SoF with a maximum load voltage/current that may be drawn from an energy storage device for a given period of time T such that the voltage/current at output terminals of the energy storage device is greater or equal to a minimum threshold voltage/current; and
causing to control the active chassis power system actuator based on the maximum load voltage/current for the given period of time T.

12. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving a prediction of a road characteristic at a future time horizon;
predicting, based on the prediction of the road characteristic, a turn operation or a braking operation;
publishing the aggregate SoF comprising an aggregated power supply capability to a domain control comprising a brake actuator and a steering actuator;
calculating a distance from the vehicle to a hazard along a predicted path based on the future time horizon; and
causing to control an active chassis power system actuator by controlling, via the domain controller, based on the aggregate SoF, the brake actuator and the steering actuator based on the distance from the vehicle to the hazard such that the maximum current drawn by the steering actuator and the brake actuator is less than the aggregate SoF.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein controlling the brake actuator and the steering actuator comprises:
setting, during the time horizon, the primary power source current output at output such that the voltage at output terminals of an energy storage device are equal or greater than a minimum threshold voltage; and
setting, during the time horizon, the power storage current output such that the voltage at the output terminals of the device is equal or greater than a minimum threshold voltage.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the primary power source comprises an alternator.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein the primary power source comprises a DC/DC converter.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the primary power source comprises a fuel cell.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein the power storage comprises one or more of a lead-acid battery and an ultracapacitor.

18. The method according to claim 1 wherein generating the aggregate SoF indicative of the maximum voltage/current budget for the output of the vehicle active chassis power system further comprises:
publishing, via the processor, the aggregate SoF in a continuous manner prior to receiving a request associated with activation of a transient load.

19. A State of Function (SoF) adaptive power management system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory for storing executable instructions, the processor programmed to execute the instructions to:
determine a maximum output voltage/current threshold for an aggregated power supply associated with an active chassis operation;
generate an aggregate SoF indicative of a maximum voltage/current budget for an output of a vehicle active chassis power system, wherein the aggregate SoF is based on a primary power source current output and a power storage current output; and
cause to control an active chassis power system actuator based on a maximum voltage/current value associated with the aggregate SoF.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in a vehicle State of Function (SoF) adaptive power management system, the computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
determine a maximum output current threshold for an aggregated power supply associated with an active chassis operation;
generate an aggregate SoF indicative of a maximum current budget for an output of a vehicle active chassis power system, wherein the aggregate SoF is based on a primary power source current output and a power storage current output; and
cause to control an active chassis power system actuator based on a maximum current value associated with the aggregate SoF.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Eifert Mark
• Kumar Pankaj
• Panagis Timothy
• Phung Peter

Classifications

• B60W2510/1005

  Transmission ratio engaged · CPC title

• B60W2510/244

  Charge state · CPC title

• H02J7/0047

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B60W2510/0208

  Clutch engagement state, e.g. engaged or disengaged · CPC title

• B60W2710/20

  Steering systems · CPC title