Intelligent vehicle systems and control logic for intrusive detection of high-voltage pathway failures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023311848-A1
Application number	US-202217713491-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 5, 2022
Priority date	Apr 5, 2022
Publication date	Oct 5, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of operating a motor vehicle includes a vehicle controller receiving, from a first feedback sensor of an HV component, a first feedback signal indicative of an electrical characteristic of the HV component, and then detecting an HV system fault if the first feedback signal is less than a predefined electrical threshold. Upon detecting the system fault, the controller commands the HV component to operate at a commanded set-point; after sending the command, the controller receives, from a second feedback sensor of the HV component, a second feedback signal indicative of an operating characteristic of the HV component. An HV pathway failure is detected if the second feedback signal is not equal to or within a predefined operating range of the commanded set-point. Upon detecting the pathway failure in an HV electrical pathway of the HV component, the vehicle controller transmits a command signal to take a remedial action.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A method of operating a motor vehicle with a high-voltage (HV) electrical system including an HV component with an HV electrical pathway, the method comprising:
receiving, via a vehicle controller from a first feedback sensor of the HV component, a first feedback signal indicative of an electrical characteristic of the HV component; detecting an HV system fault including determining if the first feedback signal is less than a predefined electrical threshold calibrated to the HV component; commanding, via the vehicle controller responsive to the detected HV system fault, the HV component to operate at a commanded set-point calibrated to the HV component; receiving, via the vehicle controller from a second feedback sensor of the HV component after commanding the HV component to operate at the commanded set-point, a second feedback signal indicative of an operating characteristic of the HV component; detecting an HV pathway failure in the HV electrical pathway including determining if the second feedback signal is not equal to or within a predefined operating range of the commanded set-point, the predefined operating range calibrated to the HV component; and transmitting, via the vehicle controller, a command signal to take a remedial action responsive to the detected HV pathway failure in the HV electrical pathway of the HV component.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, via the vehicle controller, an operating state signal indicating the motor vehicle is either powered on or powering on; receiving, via the vehicle controller from the first feedback sensor responsive to the operating state signal indicating the motor vehicle is powered on and the first feedback signal not being less than the predefined electrical threshold, another first feedback signal indicative of the electrical characteristic of the HV component; and determining if the another first feedback signal is less than the predefined electrical threshold.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising transmitting, via the vehicle controller responsive to the operating state signal indicating the motor vehicle is powering on and the first feedback signal not being less than the predefined electrical threshold, an electronic notification indicating the HV system fault is not detected.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, via the vehicle controller, if a vehicle speed of the motor vehicle is below a preset maximum speed, wherein transmitting the command signal is further in response to the vehicle speed being below the preset maximum speed.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the remedial action includes disconnecting an HV battery pack of the motor vehicle from the HV electrical system and turning off the motor vehicle.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the remedial action includes setting the motor vehicle in a limp-home operating mode and restricting a vehicle speed of the motor vehicle to below a preset maximum limp-home speed.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the remedial action includes disconnecting the HV component from an HV battery pack resident to the motor vehicle.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, via the vehicle controller responsive to the second feedback signal being equal to or within the predefined operating range of the commanded set-point, an electronic notification indicating the HV pathway failure is not detected.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting, via the vehicle controller responsive to the first feedback signal being less than the predefined electrical threshold, an electronic notification indicating the HV system fault is detected and the first feedback sensor is faulty.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, via the vehicle controller responsive to the first feedback signal being less than the predefined electrical threshold, whether or not a sensor fault flag exists; and transmitting, via the vehicle controller, a command signal to take the remedial action responsive to the first feedback signal being less than the predefined electrical threshold and the sensor fault flag not existing.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, via the vehicle controller responsive to the sensor fault flag existing, a contactor closed signal indicating main electrical contactors of an HV battery pack of the motor vehicle are closed; and detecting, via the vehicle controller responsive to receiving the contactor closed signal and the sensor fault flag existing, the HV pathway failure including determining if the second feedback signal is not equal to or within the predefined operating range of the commanded set-point.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first feedback sensor is distinct from the second feedback sensor, and the electrical characteristic is distinct from the operating characteristic.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first feedback signal is a voltage value, and the electrical characteristic is an operating voltage of the HV component across an HV bus, and wherein the second feedback signal is a voltage value, a pressure/speed value, a current/speed value, or a temperature value, and the operating characteristic is a power module output voltage, a compressor output pressure/speed, a motor current/speed, or a heater output temperature.

14 . A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors of a vehicle controller of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle including a high-voltage (HV) electrical system with an HV component and an HV battery pack electrically connected via an HV electrical pathway, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, causing the vehicle controller to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from a first feedback sensor of the HV component, a first feedback signal indicative of an electrical characteristic of the HV component; detecting an HV system fault including determining if the first feedback signal is less than a predefined electrical threshold calibrated to the HV component; commanding, responsive to the detected HV system fault, the HV component to operate at a commanded set-point calibrated to the HV component; receiving, from a second feedback sensor of the HV component after commanding the HV component to operate at the commanded set-point, a second feedback signal indicative of an operating characteristic of the HV component; detecting an HV pathway failure in the HV electrical pathway including determining if the second feedback signal is not equal to or within a predefined operating range of the commanded set-point, the predefined operating range calibrated to the HV component; and transmitting a command signal to take a remedial action responsive to the detected HV pathway failure in the HV electrical pathway of the HV component.

15 . A motor vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body; a plurality of road wheels attached to the vehicle body; a traction motor attached to the vehicle body and operable to drive one or more of the road wheels to thereby propel the motor vehicle; a traction battery pack storing and supplying power to the traction motor; a high-voltage (HV) electrical system electrically connecting the traction battery pack with the traction motor; an HV component electrically connected to the HV electrical system via an HV electrical pathway; and a vehicle controller programmed to:
receive a first feedback signal from a first feedback sensor of the HV component indicative of an electrical characteri

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Francu Emil
• Steele Russell K
• Zettel Andrew M
• Singhal Rohit

Classifications

• B60W20/50 Primary

  Control strategies for responding to system failures, e.g. for fault diagnosis, failsafe operation or limp mode · CPC title

• G07C5/0816

  Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction · CPC title

• B60W50/0205

  Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models · CPC title

• B60W50/038

  Limiting the input power, torque or speed · CPC title

• B60R16/0231 Primary

  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