Dual power supply apparatus for autonomous vehicle and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12301049-B2
Application number	US-202217735751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2022
Priority date	Jul 13, 2021
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A dual power supply apparatus includes a main power grid that supplies power by a first battery to an autonomous vehicle and a redundant power grid that supplies power to a dual power load based on a second battery, in an emergency driving mode due to a failure in the main power grid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual power supply apparatus for an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a main power grid configured to supply power by a first battery to the autonomous vehicle; and
a redundant power grid configured to supply power to a dual power load based on a second battery, in an emergency driving mode due to a failure in the main power grid,
wherein the main power grid is configured to supply power to an autonomous driving load, a parking load, and the dual power load when the vehicle is in a normal driving state,
wherein the redundant power grid is configured to supply power to the autonomous driving load, without supplying power to the dual power load, when the vehicle is in the normal driving state,
wherein the dual power load is supplied with power by only the main power grid in the normal driving state, and is supplied with power by only the redundant power grid in the emergency driving mode,
wherein the redundant power grid includes a high current switching device configured to separate the main power grid from the redundant power grid when the main power grid or the redundant power grid fails,
wherein the high current switching device includes:
a switching device provided between an output end of the main power grid and an output end of the redundant power grid;
a controller configured to determine a failure in the main power grid or the redundant power grid;
a gate driver configured to be controlled by the controller to control to close or open the switching device; and
a wake-up signal output device configured to output a wake-up signal using a short circuit determination voltage signal of the gate driver and a voltage signal of the redundant power grid, and

wherein the wake-up signal output device includes:
an inverter configured to invert the short circuit determination voltage signal; and
an AND gate configured to logically calculate an output signal of the inverter and the voltage signal of the redundant power grid.

2. The dual power supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dual power load includes at least one of headlamps, brake lights, emergency lights, a windshield wiper, a horn, or crash unlock.

3. The dual power supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the failure in the main power grid includes a short circuit or an abnormality in voltage.

4. The dual power supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the high current switching device outputs a wake-up signal using an output voltage of the main power grid and a redundant voltage by the second battery.

5. The dual power supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the redundant power grid further includes:
a converter configured to convert a high voltage of the main power grid into a low voltage and deliver the low voltage to the high current switching device.

6. The dual power supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the redundant power grid further includes:
a dual power controller configured to supply the power to the dual power load in the emergency driving mode due to the failure in the main power grid depending on a wake-up signal of the high current switching device.

7. The dual power supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gate driver outputs the short circuit determination voltage signal when detecting an overcurrent of the main power grid or the redundant power grid.

8. The dual power supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the high current switching device further includes:
a wake-up signal output device configured to output a wake-up signal using a voltage signal output from the main power grid and a predetermined reference voltage.

9. The dual power supply apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the wake-up signal output device includes:
a first comparator configured to compare the voltage signal output from the main power grid with a predetermined first reference voltage; and
a second comparator configured to compare the voltage signal output from the main power grid with a predetermined second reference voltage.

10. The dual power supply apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first comparator outputs a high level value, when the voltage signal output from the main power grid is greater than the first reference voltage and outputs the high level value, when the voltage signal output from the main power grid is less than or equal to the second reference voltage.

11. A dual power supply method for an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
supplying power of a main power grid to the autonomous vehicle based on a first battery;
supplying power of a redundant power grid to a dual power load based on a second battery, in an emergency driving mode due to a failure in the main power grid;
supplying power of the main power grid to an autonomous driving load, a parking load, and the dual power load when the vehicle is in a normal driving state; and
supplying power of the redundant power grid to the autonomous driving load, without supplying power to the dual power load, when the vehicle is in the normal driving state,
wherein the dual power load is supplied with power by only the main power grid in the normal driving state, and is supplied with power by only the redundant power grid in the emergency driving mode,
wherein the redundant power grid includes a high current switching device configured to separate the main power grid from the redundant power grid when the main power grid or the redundant power grid fails,
wherein the high current switching device includes:
a switching device provided between an output end of the main power grid and an output end of the redundant power grid;
a controller configured to determine a failure in the main power grid or the redundant power grid;
a gate driver configured to be controlled by the controller to control to close or open the switching device; and
a wake-up signal output device configured to output a wake-up signal using a short circuit determination voltage signal of the gate driver and a voltage signal of the redundant power grid, and

wherein the wake-up signal output device includes:
an inverter configured to invert the short circuit determination voltage signal; and
an AND gate configured to logically calculate an output signal of the inverter and the voltage signal of the redundant power grid.

12. The dual power supply method of claim 11 , wherein supplying the power to the dual power load includes:
separating the main power grid from the redundant power grid, when the main power grid or the redundant power grid fails.

13. The dual power supply method of claim 11 , wherein the supplying the power to the dual power load includes:
detecting a voltage of the main power grid or an overcurrent of the redundant power grid and outputting the short circuit determination voltage signal; and
selectively supplying the power to the dual power load using the short circuit determination voltage signal and a voltage signal of the redundant power grid.

14. The dual power supply method of claim 13 , wherein supplying the power to the dual power load further includes:
selectively supplying the power to the dual power load using the short circuit determination voltage signal and the voltage signal of the redundant power grid.

15. The dual power supply method of claim 11 , wherein supplying the power to the dual power load includes:
comparing a voltage signal of the main power grid with a predetermined first reference voltage and a predetermined second reference voltage; and
selectively supply the power to the dual power load, when the voltage signal of the main power grid is greater than the predetermined first reference voltage or is less than or equal to the predetermined second

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp
• Kyungshin Corp

Inventors

• Park Seong Cheol
• Kwon Soon Myung
• Kim Jong Joo
• Park Tae Hwan
• Park Dong Hyun

Classifications

• H02J7/62

  against overcurrent · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• B60L1/14

  to electric lighting circuits · CPC title

• H02J2207/20

  Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter · CPC title