Confidence-based vehicle charge control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11926243-B2
Application number	US-202017014641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2020
Priority date	Sep 8, 2020
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A vehicle comprising includes a traction battery and a controller. The controller, responsive to an interval exceeding a predefined threshold and a predicted net loss in energy, charges the traction battery such that the traction battery acquires energy in an amount at least equal to the predicted net loss in energy. The interval defines a confidence level that a predicted net change in energy stored by the traction battery will occur as a result of use of the vehicle between a current charge location of the vehicle and a next charge location of the vehicle. The amount is based on the interval such that the amount increases as the interval decreases.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a traction battery; and
a controller programmed to,
responsive to (i) a confidence level, that a predicted net change in energy stored by the traction battery will occur as a result of use of the vehicle between a current charge location of the vehicle and a next charge location of the vehicle, exceeding a predefined threshold and (ii) the net change being negative, charge the traction battery such that the traction battery acquires energy in an amount at least equal to the predicted net change in energy, wherein the amount is based on the confidence level such that the amount increases as the confidence level decreases, and
responsive to the confidence level being less than a second predefined threshold, charge the traction battery such that the traction battery achieves a default energy level.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the confidence level exceeding the predefined threshold and the net change being positive, inhibit charge of the traction battery.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive user input specifying the default energy level.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the default energy level is a maximum allowable charge level for the traction battery.

5. A method for charging a vehicle comprising:
by a controller,
responsive to (i) a confidence level, that a predicted net change in energy stored by a traction battery of the vehicle will occur as a result of use of the vehicle between a current charge location of the vehicle and a next charge location of the vehicle, exceeding a predefined threshold, (ii) the net change being negative, and (iii) an energy cost at the current charge location being greater than an energy cost at the next charge location, charging the traction battery such that the traction battery acquires energy in an amount at least equal to the predicted net change in energy, wherein the amount is based on the confidence level such that the amount increases as the confidence level decreases, and
responsive to the confidence level exceeding the predefined threshold and the net change being positive, inhibiting charge of the traction battery regardless of the energy cost at the current charge location and the energy cost at the next charge location.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising, responsive to the confidence level exceeding the predefined threshold, the net change being negative, and the energy cost at the current charge location being less than the energy cost at the next charge location, charging the traction battery such that the traction battery achieves a default energy level.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving user input defining the default energy level.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising, responsive to the confidence level being less than a second predefined threshold, charging the traction battery such that the traction battery achieves a default energy level.

9. A vehicle comprising:
a traction battery; and
a controller programmed to,
responsive to (i) a confidence level, that a predicted net change in energy stored by the traction battery will occur as a result of use of the vehicle between a current charge location of the vehicle and a next charge location of the vehicle, exceeding a predefined threshold, (ii) the net change being negative, and (iii) a source of energy at the current charge location being identified as fossil fuel and a source of energy at the next charge location being identified as green, charge the traction battery such that the traction battery acquires energy in an amount at least equal to the predicted net change in energy, wherein the amount is based on the confidence level such that the amount increases as the confidence level decreases, and
responsive to the confidence level exceeding the predefined threshold and the net change being positive, inhibit charge of the traction battery regardless of the sources of energy being identified as fossil fuel or green.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the confidence level exceeding the predefined threshold and the net change being positive, inhibit charge of the traction battery regardless of the sources of energy being identified as fossil fuel or green.

11. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further programmed to receive user input defining a default energy level.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the confidence level being less than a second predefined threshold, charge the traction battery such that the traction battery achieves a default energy level.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• O'Gorman Ryan J
• Dave Devang Bhalchandra
• Harirchi Farshad

Classifications

• B60L58/13 Primary

  Maintaining the SoC within a determined range · CPC title

• B60L15/2045

  for optimising the use of energy · CPC title

• B60L50/64

  Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L53/00

  Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles · CPC title

• G01C21/3469

  Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects · CPC title