Interface system for connecting a vehicle and a transport climate control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12011968-B2
Application number	US-202217820114-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2022
Priority date	Sep 9, 2019
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

An interface system for connecting a vehicle and a transport climate control system (TCCS) is disclosed. The interface system includes a two-way communication interface that connects a vehicle electrical system (VES) controller and a TCCS controller. The interface system also includes a power interface that connects a vehicle energy source of the VES to the TCCS and a TCCS energy source of the TCCS to the VES. The two-way communication interface is configured to distribute a TCCS status from the TCCS controller to the VES controller, and is configured to distribute a VES status from the VES controller to the TCCS controller. The power interface is configured to distribute power from the vehicle energy source to the TCCS when a VES instruction is received, and distribute power from the TCCS energy source to the VES when a TCCS instruction is received.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interface system for communicating with a vehicle and a transport climate control system (TCCS) that provides climate control within an internal space moved by the vehicle, the interface system comprising:
a two-way communication interface that interfaces with a vehicle electrical system (VES) controller of a VES of the vehicle and a TCCS controller of the TCCS, the TCCS being independent of the vehicle, the VES being configured to supply power to operate the vehicle; and
a power interface that interfaces with a TCCS energy source of the TCCS to the VES,
wherein the TCCS controller is configured to determine a TCCS status, the VES controller is configured to determine a VES status, the TCCS controller is further configured to generate a TCCS instruction based on the VES status,
wherein the two-way communication interface is configured to distribute the TCCS status from the TCCS controller to the VES controller, and is configured to distribute the VES status from the VES controller to the TCCS controller, and
wherein the power interface is configured to distribute power from the TCCS energy source to the VES in response to the TCCS instruction that is based on the VES status and is received from the TCCS controller.

2. The interface system of claim 1 , wherein the TCCS controller and/or the VES controller are configured to determine a combination of available vehicle energy and available TCCS energy.

3. The interface system of claim 1 , wherein when the VES controller determines that a vehicle energy source of the VES is not sufficient to satisfy a power demand for an operation of the VES, the two-way communication interface is configured to distribute the VES status from the VES controller to the TCCS controller.

4. The interface system of claim 3 , wherein when the TCCS controller determines that the TCCS energy source is sufficient to satisfy a power demand for an operation of the TCCS, or a priority level of the operation of the VES is higher than a priority level of the operation of the TCCS, the two-way communication interface is configured to receive the TCCS instruction from the TCCS controller.

5. The interface system of claim 4 , wherein the priority level of the operation of the TCCS is determined by a criticality of preservation of a load, the load includes regulated loads and/or loads having economical value.

6. The interface system of claim 5 , wherein the regulated loads include pharmaceuticals, meat, seafood, produce, diary, and/or frozen foods,
wherein the loads having economical value include beverages, canned foods, paint, flowers, and/or plants.

7. The interface system of claim 1 , wherein when the TCCS controller determines that the TCCS energy source is not sufficient to satisfy a power demand for an operation of the TCCS, the two-way communication interface is configured to distribute the TCCS status from the TCCS controller to the VES controller.

8. The interface system of claim 1 , wherein the TCCS energy source includes an auxiliary battery pack, a transport refrigerant unit (TRU) power source engine, an electric auxiliary power unit (APU) auxiliary energy storage, a solar power, a Genset, a fuel cell, a micro-turbine with a generator, and/or a liftgate energy storage.

9. The interface system of claim 1 , wherein the two-way communication interface includes a Controller Area Network (CAN).

10. The interface system of claim 1 , wherein the two-way communication interface includes telematics.

11. An interface system for communicating with a vehicle and a transport climate control system (TCCS) that provides climate control within an internal space moved by the vehicle, the interface system comprising:
a two-way communication interface that interfaces with a vehicle electrical system (VES) controller of a VES of the vehicle and a TCCS controller of the TCCS, the TCCS being independent of the vehicle, the VES being configured to supply power to operate the vehicle; and
a power interface that interfaces with a vehicle energy source of the VES to the TCCS,
wherein the TCCS controller is configured to determine a TCCS status, the VES controller is configured to determine a VES status, the VES controller is further configured to generate a VES instruction based on the TCCS status,
wherein the two-way communication interface is configured to distribute the TCCS status from the TCCS controller to the VES controller, and is configured to distribute the VES status from the VES controller to the TCCS controller, and
wherein the power interface is configured to distribute power from the vehicle energy source of the VES to the TCCS in response to the VES instruction that is based on the TCCS status and is received from the VES controller.

12. The interface system of claim 11 , wherein when the power interface is configured to distribute power from the vehicle energy source of the VES to the TCCS, the power is determined based on current and forecasted power demands of the TCCS that form an energy requirement.

13. The interface system of claim 11 , wherein the TCCS controller and/or the VES controller are configured to determine a combination of available vehicle energy and available TCCS energy.

14. The interface system of claim 11 , wherein when the VES controller determines that the vehicle energy source of the VES is not sufficient to satisfy a power demand for an operation of the VES, the two-way communication interface is configured to distribute the VES status from the VES controller to the TCCS controller.

15. The interface system of claim 11 , wherein when the VES controller determines that the vehicle energy source of the VES is sufficient to satisfy a power demand for an operation of the VES, or a priority level of the operation of the TCCS is higher than a priority level of the operation of the VES, the two-way communication interface is configured to receive the VES instruction from the VES controller.

16. The interface system of claim 15 , wherein the vehicle energy source includes a charger, when the power interface distributes power from the charger to the TCCS, the power interface distributes power to the TCCS via electric power take off (ePTO) during charging the vehicle.

17. The interface system of claim 16 , wherein the priority level of the operation of the TCCS is determined by a criticality of preservation of a load, the load includes regulated loads and/or loads having economical value.

18. The interface system of claim 17 , wherein the regulated loads include pharmaceuticals, meat, seafood, produce, diary, and/or frozen foods,
wherein the loads having economical value include beverages, canned foods, paint, flowers, and/or plants.

19. The interface system of claim 11 , wherein the two-way communication interface includes a Controller Area Network (CAN).

20. The interface system of claim 11 , wherein the two-way communication interface includes telematics.

Assignees

• Thermo King Llc

Inventors

• Schumacher Ryan Wayne
• Leasure Mark D
• Cregan Nicholas Allan
• Vanous Michael James
• Srnec Matthew
• Hubbard Wallace Stephen

Classifications

• H02J2105/30

  the load networks being external to vehicles, i.e. exchanging power with vehicles · CPC title

• H02J7/40 Primary

  characterised by the exchange of charge or discharge related data · CPC title

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• B60R16/033

  characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries (for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36) · CPC title

• B60R16/03

  for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} · CPC title