Method and apparatus for identifying battery pack types

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016362017-A1
Application number	US-201615250372-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 29, 2016
Priority date	Oct 7, 2014
Publication date	Dec 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system are disclosed for analyzing a vehicle battery system of a hybrid or electric vehicle that includes a battery pack and a battery controller. More specifically, a battery controller is disclosed for determining battery identification information of the battery pack based on a configuration of active and non-active pins in a connection module between the battery pack and the battery controller. It follows that the battery controller may identify the battery pack type in an efficient manner that does not require any additional components. The battery controller may further reference the battery identification to implement a battery operational strategy that may better realize an efficiency or durability of the identified battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
(i) a battery pack comprising:
battery cells;
battery cell sensors;
connecting wires, each connecting wire being in communication with (a) one or more of the battery cells, or (b) one or more of the battery cell sensors;
a connection module comprising a plurality of active connection module pins, each of the active connection module pins being in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of connecting wires;
(ii) a port configured to interface with the connection module, the port comprising a plurality of port pins configured to engage with the plurality of active connection module pins and thereby receive electrical signals from the connecting wires via the port pins; (iii) processor(s) configured to:
determine an arrangement of the active connection module pins;
load a database that relates possible arrangements of active connection module pins to possible attributes of the battery pack;
compare the determined arrangement of the active connection module pins to the possible arrangements of active connection module pins;
determine one or more actual attributes of the battery pack based on the comparison;
select an operational strategy for the vehicle based on the determined one or more actual attributes of the battery pack;
implement the selected operational strategy on the vehicle.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a total number of the port pins exceeds a total number of the active connection module pins such that when the port interfaces with the connection module, at least one of the port pins fails to engage with any of the active connection module pins.

3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to: determine the arrangement of active connection module pins based on determining a location of the at least one of the port pins that has failed to engage with any of the active connection module pins.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the loaded database comprises a plurality of entries, each entry relating one possible arrangement of active connection module pins to one set of one or more possible attributes of the battery pack.

5 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the set of one or more possible attributes of the battery pack of each entry includes at least one of a battery type, a battery make, a battery model, and a battery manufacturer.

6 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein each entry relates one possible arrangement of (a) active connection module pins and (b) missing or inactive connection module pins to one set of possible attributes of the battery pack.

7 . The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein, for each entry, a sum of (a) a total number of active connection module pins and (b) a total number of missing or inactive connection module pins equals a total number of the plurality of port pins; and
the total number of missing or inactive connection module pins is at least one.

8 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the sum is the same for each entry.

9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the database is loaded from a plurality of databases.

10 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the total number of port pins exceeds the total number of the active connection module pins by at least two.

11 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to: determine the one or more actual attributes of the battery pack based exclusively on the comparison.

12 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the processor(s) are configured to: determine the one or more actual attributes of the battery pack without reference to content of the of the electrical signals received via the ports.

13 . A method of controlling a vehicle, the vehicle comprising:
(i) a battery pack comprising:
battery cells;
battery cell sensors;
connecting wires, each connecting wire being in communication with (a) one or more of the battery cells, or (b) one or more of the battery cell sensors;
a connection module comprising a plurality of active connection module pins, each of the active connection module pins being in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of connecting wires;
(ii) a port configured to interface with the connection module, the port comprising a plurality of port pins configured to engage with the plurality of active connection module pins and thereby receive electrical signals from the connecting wires via the port pins; (iii) processor(s);
wherein the method comprises, via the processor(s):
determining an arrangement of the active connection module pins;
loading a database that relates possible arrangements of active connection module pins to possible attributes of the battery pack;
comparing the determined arrangement of the active connection module pins to the possible arrangements of active connection module pins;
determining one or more actual attributes of the battery pack based on the comparison;
selecting an operational strategy for the vehicle based on the determined one or more actual attributes of the battery pack;
implementing the selected operational strategy on the vehicle.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a total number of the port pins exceeds a total number of the active connection module pins such that when the port interfaces with the connection module, at least one of the port pins fails to engage with any of the active connection module pins; and
wherein the method comprises determining the arrangement of active connection module pins based on determining a location of the at least one of the port pins that has failed to engage with any of the active connection module pins.

15 . The method of claim 13 , comprising determining the one or more actual attributes of the battery pack without reference to content of the of the electrical signals received via the ports.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the loaded database comprises a plurality of entries, each entry relating one possible arrangement of active connection module pins to one set of one or more possible attributes of the battery pack.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein each entry relates one possible arrangement of (a) active connection module pins and (b) missing or inactive connection module pins to one set of possible attributes of the battery pack.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein, for each entry, a sum of (a) a total number of active connection module pins and (b) a total number of missing or inactive connection module pins equals a total number of the plurality of port pins;
the total number of missing or inactive connection module pins is at least one; and the sum is the same for each entry.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the database is loaded from a plurality of databases; and
the total number of port pins exceeds the total number of the active connection module pins by at least two.

20 . The method of claim 13 , comprising determining the one or more actual attributes of the battery pack based exclusively on the comparison.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Chen Elaine Y
• Callicoat Deborah E
• Bolduc Robert

Classifications

• H02J7/448

  using switches, contacts or markings, e.g. optical, magnetic or barcode · CPC title

• H02J7/485 Primary

  with provisions for charging different types of batteries · CPC title

• B60L58/10 Primary

  for monitoring or controlling batteries · CPC title

• B60L58/21 Primary

  having the same nominal voltage · CPC title

• B60R16/0231

  Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle (monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P) · CPC title