Battery devices for use with telematics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12054052-B2
Application number	US-202117394967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2021
Priority date	Jun 4, 2021
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

Vehicles can employ onboard telematic monitoring devices to collect vehicle and operation data, such as for improved vehicle fleet management. Such telematic monitoring devices are dependent on power from a vehicle, such that data collection and communication can be interrupted if a telematic monitoring device is disconnected or has a poor connection. The present disclosure relates to battery devices, which provide power to telematic devices as needed in order to maintain data collection and communication, or other more limited functionality. The present disclosure also relates to systems including battery devices, and methods for operating battery devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery device comprising:
control circuitry;
at least one battery;
power circuitry;
wherein the battery device is electrically couplable to a telematic monitoring device capable of obtaining data and power from a vehicle, and the battery device is operable in a plurality of modes including at least:
a first mode where the battery device receives power from the vehicle, and provision of power to the at least one battery by the power circuitry is enabled to charge the at least one battery;
a second mode where the battery device receives power from the vehicle, and provision of power to the at least one battery by the power circuitry is disabled;
a third mode where the battery device provides power to the telematic monitoring device, and charging of the at least one battery by the power circuitry is disabled; and

wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the battery device to:
operate in the first mode when the vehicle is on and the telematic monitoring device is electrically coupled to the vehicle;
operate in the second mode when the vehicle is off and the telematic monitoring device is electrically coupled to the vehicle; and
operate in the third mode when the telematic monitoring device is not electrically coupled to the vehicle.

2. The battery device of claim 1 , wherein:
in the third mode the battery device provides a first quantity of power to the telematic monitoring device to operate the telematic monitoring device in a full power mode;
the control circuitry is configured to cause the battery device to operate in the third mode when the telematic monitoring device is not electrically coupled to the vehicle and: the vehicle is in motion or the vehicle is on;
the plurality of modes in which the battery device is operable further includes a fourth mode where the battery device does not receive power from the vehicle, provision of power to the at least one battery by the power circuitry is disabled, and the battery device provides a second quantity of power to the telematic monitoring device lower than the first quantity of power, to operate the telematic monitoring device in a low power mode which consumes less power than the full power mode; and
the control circuitry is configured to cause the battery device to operate in the fourth mode when the telematic monitoring device is not coupled to the vehicle and: the vehicle is not in motion or the vehicle is off.

3. The battery device of claim 2 , wherein:
in the full power mode, the telematic monitoring device is in an active state where data is processed and sent over a communication network, the first quantity of power to operate the telematic monitoring device in the active state; and
in the low power mode, the telematic monitoring device is in a sleep state, and periodically enters a wake state to check whether there is new data to be sent over the communication network, the second quantity of power to operate the telematic monitoring device in the sleep state and the wake state.

4. The battery device of claim 2 , wherein:
the plurality of modes includes a fifth mode where provision of power from the at least one battery is disabled; and
the control circuitry of the battery device is configured to cause the battery device to operate in the fifth mode when the battery device is disconnected from the telematic monitoring device.

5. The battery device of claim 4 wherein:
the battery device is electrically couplable to at least one peripheral device;
in the first mode, provision of power from the battery device to the at least one peripheral device is enabled;
in the second mode, provision of power from the battery device to the at least one peripheral device is enabled;
in the third mode, provision of power from the battery device to the at least one peripheral device is disabled;
in the fourth mode, provision of power from the battery device to the at least one peripheral device is disabled; and
in the fifth mode, provision of power from the battery device to the at least one peripheral device is disabled.

6. The battery device of claim 1 , wherein:
the battery device is electrically couplable to at least one peripheral device;
in the first mode, provision of power from the battery device to the at least one peripheral device is enabled;
in the second mode, provision of power from the battery device to the at least one peripheral device is enabled; and
in the third mode, provision of power from the battery device to the at least one peripheral device is disabled.

7. The battery device of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of modes includes a fourth mode where provision of power from the at least one battery is disabled; and
the control circuitry of the battery device is configured to cause the battery device to operate in the fourth mode when the battery device is disconnected from the telematic monitoring device.

8. The battery device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry of the battery device is configured to detect whether the vehicle is on.

9. The battery device of claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect whether the vehicle is on based on data selected from a group consisting of:
ignition data from the telematic monitoring device which indicates a state of an ignition of the vehicle;
voltage measurement data which indicates a voltage level of power from the vehicle, indicative of whether the vehicle is on or of voltage fluctuations caused by an ignition event of the vehicle;
acceleration data from an accelerometer or inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the telematic monitoring device which indicates the vehicle is vibrating;
audio data from an audio sensor of the telematic monitoring device which includes a representation of an engine noise of the vehicle; and
status data generated by a processing unit of the telematic monitoring device which indicates whether the vehicle is on.

10. The battery device of claim 8 , wherein:
the battery device is electrically couplable to at least one peripheral device; and
the control circuitry is configured to detect whether the vehicle is on based on data selected from a group consisting of:
acceleration data from an accelerometer or inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the at least one peripheral device which indicates the vehicle is vibrating;
audio data from an audio sensor of the at least one peripheral device which includes a representation of an engine noise of the vehicle; and
status data generated by a processing unit of the at least one peripheral device which indicates whether the vehicle is on.

11. The battery device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry of the battery device is configured to detect whether the vehicle is in motion.

12. The battery device of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect whether the vehicle is in motion based on data selected from a group consisting of:
positional data from a location sensor of the telematic monitoring device which indicates a change in position or a movement speed of the vehicle;
acceleration data from an accelerometer or inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the telematic monitoring device which indicates acceleration of the vehicle;
audio data from an audio sensor of the telematic monitoring device which includes a representation of movement noise of the vehicle;
image data from an image sensor of the telematic monitoring device which includes a representation of a changing environment of the vehicle; and
status data generated by a processing unit of the telematic monitoring device which indicates whether the vehicle is in motion.

13. The battery devi

Assignees

• Geotab Inc

Inventors

• Wong Irene Ai May
• Gajjala Kartheek
• Kam Tessa Shuk Ling
• Zhu Cong
• Fox Stephen Michael

Classifications

• G08G1/20

  Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles · CPC title

• G06F1/3203

  Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode · CPC title

• G06F1/3212

  Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level · CPC title

• G06F1/266

  Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips · CPC title

• G06F1/3287

  by switching off individual functional units in the computer system · CPC title