Vehicle with a power distributor control unit, and bistable relay

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9283906-B2
Application number	US-201213562949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2012
Priority date	Aug 1, 2011
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

In a vehicle with a power distributor and a control unit, the power distributor includes a bistable relay with at least one coil. The bistable relay can be set to first and second switching states. The bistable relay has an integrated circuit, wherein a control unit activates the integrated circuit by way of a control line and defines one of the two switching states via a control signal. The control unit applies a first control voltage or a second control voltage to the control line, wherein the first control voltage corresponds to the first switching state, and the second control voltage corresponds to the second switching state. The integrated circuit switches a current pulse through the coil in order to set the bistable relay to the switching state defined by the control unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a control unit;
a power distributor comprising a bistable relay having at least one coil;
wherein the bistable relay comprises an integrated circuit, the bistable relay being settable to first and second switching states;
wherein the control unit is operatively configured to activate the integrated circuit of the bistable relay via a single control line, the control unit defining one of the first and second switching states by way of a control signal, wherein the control unit is electrically connected to the bistable relay only by way of the single control line;
wherein the control unit applies a first control voltage or a second control voltage as the control signal to the single control line, the first control voltage corresponding to the first switching state and the second control voltage corresponding to the second switching state; and
wherein the integrated circuit is operatively configured to switch a current pulse through the at least one coil in order to set the bistable relay to the switching state defined by the control unit.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit is operatively configured to determine the switching state of the relay, the integrated circuit comparing the determined switching state of the relay with a defined switching state of the control unit; and
wherein, in an event that the determined switching state differs from the defined switching state, the integrated circuit switches a current pulse through the coil in order to set the bistable relay to the switching state defined by the control unit.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the integrated circuit comprises:
a bridge circuit having four self-blocking n-channel MOSFETs;
a logic module, wherein:
the logic module controls gate electrodes of the n-channel MOSFETs as a function of the control signal of the control unit in order to switch a current pulse through the at least one coil and set the defined switching state.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a voltage source; and
wherein the integrated circuit has an operating voltage input, the integrated circuit being supplied by the voltage source with electric voltage at the operating voltage input.

5. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the integrated circuit comprises a reverse polarity protection circuit, the reverse polarity protection function opening or closing the bistable relay when an external voltage source is connected with reverse polarity.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit comprises:
a bridge circuit having four self-blocking n-channel MOSFETs;
a logic module, wherein:
the logic module controls gate electrodes of the n-channel MOSFETs as a function of the control signal of the control unit in order to switch a current pulse through the at least one coil and set the defined switching state.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a voltage source; and
wherein the integrated circuit has an operating voltage input, the integrated circuit being supplied by the voltage source with electric voltage at the operating voltage input.

8. The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the integrated circuit comprises a reverse polarity protection circuit, the reverse polarity protection function opening or closing the bistable relay when an external voltage source is connected with reverse polarity.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a voltage source; and
wherein the integrated circuit has an operating voltage input, the integrated circuit being supplied by the voltage source with electric voltage at the operating voltage input.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein:
the integrated circuit has a redundant voltage supply, wherein
when a voltage supply at the operating voltage input fails, the integrated circuit is supplied with electric voltage via the control unit by way of a selection line.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the integrated circuit has a control line input;
the control line is connected to the control line input via a plug and socket connection;
a first current sink is operatively arranged downstream of the control line input; and
wherein a contact cleaning current is adjustable via the first current sink by way of the control line.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein:
a second current sink is connected in parallel to the first current sink;
a status current is adjustable by the second current sink by way of the control line;
a setting of the status current is controlled by a pulse width modulated signal of a logic module for switching to the second current sink;
a pulse width modulated status current is determinable by the control unit with a current mirror circuit; and
information is storable as a function of the pulse width of the pulse width modulated status current in the logic module and in the control unit.

13. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit comprises a reverse polarity protection circuit, the reverse polarity protection function opening or closing the bistable relay when an external voltage source is connected with reverse polarity.

14. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is one of an internal combustion engine vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and an electric vehicle; and
wherein the power distributor has a plug-in space in order to integrate the at least one bistable relay comprising the integrated circuit.

Assignees

• Kaltenbrunner Martin
• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Kaltenbrunner Martin

Classifications

• B60R16/03 Primary

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

• H01H47/226

  for bistable relays · CPC title

• H01H47/325

  by switching regulator · CPC title