Battery powered vehicle with immobilizing charger plug

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9296306-B2
Application number	US-201114349336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2011
Priority date	Oct 3, 2011
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A battery powered vehicle may include a battery power source, an electric drive motor, a charging receptacle, and a drive controller. The electric drive motor may be powered by the battery power source. The electric drive motor may be operably coupled to a wheel of the battery powered vehicle to provide drive power for the battery powered 5 vehicle. The charging receptacle may be configured to enable charging of the battery power source via a battery charging assembly connectable to the charging receptacle. The charging receptacle may include circuitry forming a detection loop closed responsive to operable coupling of the charging receptacle with a charger plug of the battery charging assembly. The closing of the detection loop may generate an indication that the charging 10 receptacle is operably coupled to the charger plug. The drive controller may include processing circuitry configured to implement a mobility restriction at least with respect to operation of the electric drive motor responsive to the indication.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A battery powered vehicle comprising:
a battery power source;
an electric drive motor powered by the battery power source, the electric drive motor being operably coupled to a wheel of the battery powered vehicle to provide drive power for the battery powered vehicle;
a charging receptacle configured to enable charging of the battery power source via a battery charging assembly connectable to the charging receptacle, the charging receptacle comprising circuitry forming a detection loop closed responsive to operable coupling of the charging receptacle with detection loop completion circuitry provided in a charger plug of the battery charging assembly, closing of the detection loop generating an indication that the charging receptacle is operably coupled to the charger plug; and
a drive controller comprising processing circuitry configured to implement a mobility restriction at least with respect to operation of the electric drive motor responsive to the indication,
wherein the detection loop completion circuitry is configured to complete a signal path from the drive controller to the charger plug and back to the drive controller, that implements the mobility restriction and enables operation of at least one auxiliary function.

2. The battery powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drive controller is configured to implement the mobility restriction independent of whether electrical power is being provided to the battery powered vehicle by the charger plug.

3. The battery powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drive controller is configured to implement the mobility restriction by preventing delivery of current to the electric drive motor.

4. The battery powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drive controller is configured to implement the mobility restriction by preventing power up of the battery powered vehicle.

5. The battery powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drive controller is configured to provide a message indicating of a state of charge to an operator of the battery powered vehicle.

6. The battery powered vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the drive controller is configured to wirelessly send the message to the operator.

7. The battery powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drive controller is configured to provide a message indicating a state of connection between the charger plug and the charging receptacle to an operator.

8. The battery powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the detection loop comprises an open circuit that is closed by the detection loop completion circuitry of the charger plug responsive to operable coupling of the charger plug and the charging receptacle.

9. The battery powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the battery powered vehicle is a riding yard maintenance vehicle.

10. A drive controller for a battery powered vehicle comprising a battery power source, an electric drive motor, and a charging receptacle, the electric drive motor being operably coupled to a wheel of the battery powered vehicle to provide drive power for the battery powered vehicle, and the charging receptacle being configured to enable charging of the battery power source via a battery charging assembly connectable to the charging receptacle, the charging receptacle comprising circuitry forming a detection loop closed responsive to operable coupling of the charging receptacle with detection loop completion circuitry provided in a charger plug of the battery charging assembly, closing of the detection loop generating an indication that the charging receptacle is operably coupled to the charger plug, the drive controller comprising:
processing circuitry configured to implement a mobility restriction at least with respect to operation of the electric drive motor responsive to the indication,
wherein the detection loop completion circuitry is configured to complete a signal path from the drive controller to the charger plug and back to the drive controller, that implements the mobility restriction and enables operation of at least one auxiliary function.

11. The drive controller of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to implement the mobility restriction independent of whether electrical power is being provided to the battery powered vehicle by the charger plug.

12. The drive controller of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to implement the mobility restriction by preventing delivery of current to the electric drive motor.

13. The drive controller of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to implement the mobility restriction by preventing power up of the battery powered vehicle.

14. The drive controller of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to provide a message indicating of a state of charge to an operator of the battery powered vehicle.

15. A method of controlling operation of a battery powered vehicle, the battery powered vehicle comprising a battery power source, an electric drive motor, and a charging receptacle, the electric drive motor being operably coupled to a wheel of the battery powered vehicle to provide drive power for the battery powered vehicle, and the charging receptacle being configured to enable charging of the battery power source via a battery charging assembly connectable to the charging receptacle, the charging receptacle comprising circuitry forming a detection loop closed responsive to operable coupling of the charging receptacle with detection loop completion circuitry provided in a charger plug of the battery charging assembly, closing of the detection loop generating an indication that the charging receptacle is operably coupled to the charger plug, the method comprising:
determining if the detection loop is closed based on whether the indication is received; and
implementing a mobility restriction at least with respect to operation of the electric drive motor responsive to the indication,
wherein the detection loop completion circuitry is configured to complete a signal path from a drive controller to the charger plug and back to the drive controller, that implements the mobility restriction and enables operation of at least one auxiliary function.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
providing a message indicative of a state of charge to an operator.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the providing the message comprises providing the message wirelessly.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
providing a message indicating that the charger plug is connected to the charging receptacle.

19. The battery powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the detection loop completion circuitry comprises an electrical short between at least two terminals of the charger plug.

20. The battery powered vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the detection loop completion circuitry comprises a wire loop electrically connecting two terminals of the charger plug.

Assignees

• Schygge Sebastian
• Viskari Pasi
• Dwyer Sean
• Husqvarna Ab

Inventors

• Schygge Sebastian
• Viskari Pasi
• Dwyer Sean

Classifications

• Y02T90/127

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60L11/1805

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y02T10/705

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60L11/1877

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y02T10/7005

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic