Systems and methods for controlling vehicle air compressor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12435713-B2
Application number	US-202318360283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2023
Priority date	Jul 27, 2023
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle having an air compressor, an air storage tank and a sensor is disclosed. The air compressor may supply compressed air to the air storage tank, and the air storage tank may supply the compressed air to an external tool. The sensor may be configured to receive information associated with the external tool and send the information to a vehicle processor. The processor may determine tool specification and expected tool usage characteristics based on the information associated with the external tool. The processor may further calculate a target pressure of compressed air in the air storage tank based on the tool specification and the expected tool usage characteristics. Furthermore, the processor may cause air compressor operation to fill the air storage tank with the compressed air at the target pressure.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an air compressor configured to supply compressed air;
an air storage tank configured to receive the compressed air from the air compressor and store the compressed air, wherein the air storage tank is configured to supply the compressed air to at least a first external tool; and
a processor communicatively coupled with the air compressor and the air storage tank, wherein the processor is configured to:
obtain a first trigger signal;
determine, responsive to obtaining the first trigger signal, a type of the first external tool and a time duration of use of the first external tool to perform a first task;
calculate a first target pressure of the compressed air in the air storage tank based on at least the time duration of use of the first external tool to perform the first task; and
cause an air compressor operation to fill the air storage tank with compressed air at the first target pressure.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a user interface configured to receive information associated with the first external tool from a user, the information comprising the type of the first external tool and the time duration of use of the first external tool to perform the first task.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one of a vehicle camera, a radar sensor and a lidar sensor configured to obtain information associated with the first external tool, the information comprising the type of the first external tool.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the information associated with the first external tool comprises images of the first external tool.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine an operating pressure associated with the first external tool for performing the first task; and
calculate the first target pressure further based on adding a predefined first pressure to the operating pressure.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a desired operating pressure range associated with the first external tool for performing the first task;
increase the first target pressure by a first predefined pressure value to a second pressure, responsive to determining the desired operating pressure range; and
cause the air compressor operation to fill the air storage tank with compressed air at the second pressure.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine, responsive to obtaining a second trigger signal, a type of a second external tool and a time duration of use of the second external tool to perform a second task;
calculate a second target pressure of compressed air in the air storage tank at least based on the time duration of use of the second external tool to perform the second task being longer than the time duration of use of the first external tool to perform the first task; and
cause the air compressor operation to fill the air storage tank with the compressed air at the second target pressure that is lower than the first target pressure.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine an operating pressure associated with the second external tool for performing the second task; and
calculate the second target pressure further based on subtracting a predefined second pressure to the operating pressure.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
issue an alert notification based on determining that the first external tool is operating below a desired operating pressure range when the air compressor is operating at full capacity.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
activate a vehicle light to illuminate in a first color based on determining that the first external tool is operating below a desired operating pressure range when the air compressor is operating at full capacity;
activate the vehicle light to illuminate in a second color based on determining that the first external tool is operating substantially close to the desired operating pressure range when the air compressor is operating at full capacity; and
activate the vehicle light to illuminate in a third color based on determining that the first external tool is operating in the desired operating pressure range when the air compressor is operating at full capacity.

11. A method to operate an air compressor of a vehicle, the method comprising:
obtaining, by a processor, a trigger signal;
determining, by the processor, responsive to obtaining a first trigger signal, a type of a first external tool connected with an air storage tank and a time duration of use of the first external tool to perform a first task, wherein:
the air compressor is configured to supply compressed air,
the air storage tank is configured to receive the compressed air from the air compressor and store the compressed air, and
the air storage tank is configured to supply the compressed air to at least the first external tool;
calculating, by the processor, a first target pressure of the compressed air in the air storage tank based on at least the time duration of use of the first external tool to perform the first task; and
causing, by the processor, air compressor operation to fill the air storage tank with the compressed air at the first target pressure.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising at least one of a vehicle camera, a radar sensor and a lidar sensor configured to obtain information associated with the first external tool, the information comprising the type of the first external tool.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the information associated with the first external tool comprises images of the first external tool.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
determining an operating pressure associated with the first external tool for performing the first task; and
calculating the first target pressure further based on adding a predefined first pressure to the operating pressure.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
determining a desired operating pressure range associated with the first external tool for performing the first task;
increasing the first target pressure by a first predefined pressure value to a second pressure, responsive to determining the desired operating pressure range; and
causing the air compressor operation to fill the air storage tank with compressed air at the second pressure.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, responsive to obtaining a second trigger signal, a type of a second external tool and a time duration of use of the second external tool to perform a second task;
calculating a second target pressure of compressed air in the air storage tank at least based on the time duration of use of the second external tool to perform the second task being longer than the time duration of use of the first external tool to perform the first task; and
causing the air compressor operation to fill the air storage tank with the compressed air at the second target pressure that is lower than the first target pressure.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining an operating pressure associated with the second external tool for performing the second task; and
calculating the second target pressure further based on subtracting a predefined second pressure to the operating pressure.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
issuing an alert

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• Diamond Brendan
• Ansbacher Todd
• Celinske David
• Shenoy Vyas Darshan

Classifications

• F04B49/08

  Regulating by delivery pressure · CPC title

• F04B35/06

  Mobile combinations · CPC title

• F04B2205/05

  Pressure after the pump outlet · CPC title

• F04B41/02

  having reservoirs · CPC title

• B60R16/03

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