Patent Description:
<CIT> describes a system, which includes an on-board charger that receives energy from an external power source and a battery having a state of charge (SOC) and a battery temperature. The system also includes a battery heater that converts electrical energy into thermal energy (heat) for increasing the battery temperature. The system also includes a battery management system (BMS) that determines or detects a current SOC of the battery and a current battery temperature. The system also includes an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the on-board charger and to the BMS. The ECU controls the on-board charger to distribute energy to the battery and to the battery heater to cause the SOC to remain above a SOC threshold and to cause the battery temperature to remain above a battery temperature threshold based on the current SOC and the current battery temperature.

<CIT> describes systems and methods for determining battery heating conditions and pre-heating lead times of at least a minute or more, based on input parameters and sets of input parameters, to predictively and dynamically heat a secondary battery so that the battery has a specific power output and performance level when used in an electric or hybrid vehicle application.

<CIT> describes a method and system for conditioning an energy storage system (ESS) for a vehicle, like a high-voltage battery or a fuel cell used for vehicle propulsion. It may be detrimental for a high-voltage battery in a parked vehicle to be exposed to extreme temperatures for an extended period of time. Thus, the method and system may be used to condition such a battery - for example, by heating it up if it is too cold or by cooling it down if it is too hot - so that the performance, durability, lifespan and/or other aspects of the battery are improved. The method predicts if the battery will need conditioning the next time the vehicle is parked and, if such conditioning is needed, then the method predicts if the battery has sufficient charge to perform this conditioning. If the charge appears insufficient, then the method operates an energy generator that provides additional charge to the battery in anticipation of the needed conditioning.

<CIT> describes a charging control device, which includes: a remaining charge acquisition unit that obtains a remaining charge of a rechargeable battery for an electric vehicle; a lifespan information acquisition unit that obtains lifespan information expressing a degree of deterioration of the rechargeable battery; an environmental information acquisition unit that obtains information indicating a peripheral temperature of the electric vehicle; and a charging plan updating unit that creates a charging plan including a target remaining charge of the rechargeable battery and a charging process up to achievement of the target remaining charge. The charging plan updating unit determines whether or not to create the charging plan in consideration of the deterioration of the rechargeable battery on the basis of the lifespan information, and after determining to take the deterioration of the rechargeable battery into consideration, creates the charging plan such that when the temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the remaining charge of the rechargeable battery is maintained at or below a predetermined value for as long as possible during a charging period.

<CIT> describes the provision of a battery warm-up device which can complete charging and warmup of a battery before beginning startup of a vehicle, while suppressing the electricity cost, in an electric car.

<CIT> describes a vehicle that incorporates an engine to which an engine-related component is attached, a battery charged with electric power supplied from an external power supply, and an electric motor as a driving source to which electric power is supplied from the battery. An ECU causes at least one of the engine-related component and the battery to be heated, using the electric power supplied from outside while the electric power is being supplied from outside, in accordance with a distance over which the vehicle can run by driving the electric motor alone and a distance to a destination.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system according to any of claims <NUM> to <NUM>.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method according to any of claims <NUM> to <NUM>.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product according to any of claims <NUM> to <NUM>.

Various embodiments and examples of the invention are disclosed in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a process; a system, a computer program product comprised on a computer readable storage medium; and/or a processor, such as a processor configured to execute instructions stored on and/or provided by a memory coupled to the processor.

The scope of the invention is limited only by the claims and the invention encompasses numerous modifications.

Various examples to determine a desired departure temperature and bring the temperature of the battery closer towards (and sometimes to) the desired departure temperature at a departure time are described herein. Batteries tend to have higher performance (e.g., higher power output, a longer range, etc.) when they are warm. However, the downside of a warmer battery is that batteries generally tend to degrade more quickly the warmer they are. In some embodiments, a desired departure temperature is calculated and the battery is set to (or at least closer to) that temperature at the time of the vehicle's departure (e.g., at the time of takeoff in the case of an aircraft). This can strike a balance between battery performance and degradation and/or ensure that the temperature of the battery remains within some desired temperature range during the entirety of a trip.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a process to determine a desired departure temperature and get a battery in a vehicle to that desired departure temperature. In various examples, the vehicle may be an electric car, an electric aircraft, etc. In some examples, the process is performed while the vehicle is being charged at a charging station.

At <NUM>, a desired departure temperature for a battery, having a temperature, in a vehicle is determined based at least in part on trip information associated with a trip. For example, the trip may be an upcoming or next trip for the vehicle (e.g., an electric car, electric aircraft, etc.) and the desired departure temperature is calculated or otherwise determined before that trip begins.

The type(s) of information included in the trip information may vary from embodiment to embodiment. In some embodiments, the trip information is relatively simple piece of information, such as a (e.g., expected or planned) trip duration, a destination (e.g., where the point of origin is known since the vehicle is at rest), a trip distance, etc..

In some examples, a pilot, driver, or passenger (e.g., if the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle) is asked for trip information which is used at step <NUM>. Examples are "How long do you plan to fly/drive for your next flight/trip?" "Where are you flying/driving to?" and so on. In such embodiments, it may be attractive to ask for relatively simple pieces of trip information (such as those examples described above) because the pilot or driver should be able to answer those questions. For example, in one scenario where the pilot or driver owns and operates the vehicle, the pilot or driver is asked for the trip information when the vehicle is connected to a charging station and/or at the end of a previous trip (e.g., the night before the next day's trip). In another example where the vehicle is part of a ride service scenario (e.g., where a vehicle is dispatched to pick up and drop off a passenger) and/or an autonomous vehicle scenario (e.g., where the person does not fly or drive the vehicle), the passenger already has to specify a pickup and/or drop off location and so the passenger is already providing the trip information.

In some embodiments, more detailed and/or specific information is included in or otherwise comprises the trip information. For example, the trip information may include a trip plan (including a flight plan for an aircraft), such as the path the vehicle will take from its current location to the destination. In some examples, the flight or trip information includes speed and/or time information so it is known how fast the vehicle will be flying (e.g., on average or throughout the trip) which may affect battery usage and therefore battery temperature. In some examples, a flight plan includes instances and/or durations where a VTOL aircraft will hover mid-air (e.g., where hovering consumes significantly more power and therefore generates significantly more heat compared to forward flight). More detailed and/or specific trip information may be desirable because it produces a more accurate and/or precise desired departure temperature. In some cases, more detailed and/or specific trip information may enable the temperature controlling system to be used more efficiently. For example, with a more accurate and/or specific desired departure temperature (due to the more detailed and/or specific trip information), the temperature controlling system may have a smaller margin for error which reduces the amount of unnecessary and/or extraneous cooling or heating.

According to the invention, the trip information includes a trip duration or a trip plan.

According to the invention, it is desirable for batteries to operate within a desired battery temperature range (e.g., [-∞, Tmax], [Tmin, ∞], [Tmin, Tmax], etc.) over the course of a trip. For example, if a battery becomes too hot, it may be dangerous to use. To that end, according to the invention, trip information is used to determine a desired departure temperature (which the battery will then be set to at the time of departure) which will ensure that the battery remains within some desired battery temperature range over the duration of the (upcoming) trip even as the battery warms up due to use during the trip.

In some examples, an optimizer in combination with a battery model is used to determine the desired departure temperature. For example, various and/or test desired departure temperatures can be input to the battery model which then models the behavior of the battery (e.g., given the trip information). An optimizer may then examine the outputs of the battery model and optimize some cost function so that the best or optimal desired departure temperature is selected.

In some embodiments, additional factors or inputs may be used at step <NUM> to calculate or otherwise determine the desired departure temperature. For example, state of health information associated with the battery (cell(s)) such as cell internal resistances (e.g., the voltage drop of the cell for a given current where this voltage drop represents the energy lost as heat within the battery) and cell capacities (e.g., the lowest charge capacity of any cell in the battery) may be used to determine the desired departure temperature. Generally speaking, the health of a battery (e.g., represented or otherwise measured by the health metrics) affects the temperature-dependent performance of the battery as well as the temperature-dependent degradation of the battery. Unhealthy batteries tend to require higher temperatures to produce maximum power but also heat more quickly so depending upon mission or flight objectives and the specific state of health of a battery, an unhealthy battery may in some cases need a higher departure temperature or a lower departure temperature. In some examples, the battery has one or more built-in and/or internal battery management systems which monitor and/or estimate such health metrics and output these health metrics (e.g., when the vehicle is plugged into a charging station the health metrics are passed to the charging station which in turn can provide them to the appropriate device for the departure and/or takeoff temperature calculation). In some examples, such a battery management system obtains all cell internal resistances and capacities so that an accurate simulation and/or optimization can be performed.

In some examples, the ambient (e.g., air) temperature and density is used at step <NUM> in order to better estimate battery temperature during the trip. Air density affects the power required for flight, and the ambient temperature affects any cooling or heating driven by a difference in temperature between the battery and the environment.

At <NUM>, a temperature controlling system is used to bring the temperature of the battery towards the desired departure temperature, wherein the vehicle begins the trip with the battery at the desired departure temperature. In some examples, the temperature controlling system does not bring the temperature of the battery entirely or all the way to the desired departure temperature. For example due to time limitations (e.g., the vehicle is fully charged and/or it is time to depart), it may be undesirable to continue heating or cooling the vehicle and it would be preferable (at least in some cases) to stop heating or cooling so that the vehicle can depart.

In some examples, the temperature controlling system is part of some infrastructure (e.g., co-located and/or in communication with a charging station that charges the battery) which does not travel with the vehicle to keep weight down. In one example, the temperature controlling system is equipped with a heating element (e.g., it can blow hot air across the battery, causing the temperature of the battery to go up) and/or a cooling element (e.g., it can blow cold air across the battery, causing the temperature of the battery to go down) which is detachably coupled to the vehicle and/or the battery. The temperature controlling system then blows hot or cold air across the battery to bring the battery to (or at least closer to) the specified temperature so that the battery is at the desired departure temperature at the time of departure. Then, when the vehicle departs for the trip (e.g., takes off, drives off, etc.) the battery will be at (or at least closer to) the desired departure temperature and ideally remains within a desired battery temperature range throughout the trip. Naturally, any appropriate temperature controlling system may be used, including ones with different types of thermal conductors such as a liquid thermal conductor, a solid thermal conductor, etc..

It may be helpful to show a system which performs the process of <FIG>. The following figure shows an example where the vehicle is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft and the temperature controlling system is an external temperature controlling system.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example of a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft and an external temperature controlling system. In the example shown, aircraft <NUM> is a VTOL aircraft that is on the ground and is being charged (not shown). To take off, the vertical lift fans (<NUM>) would be turned on. The downward thrust produced by the vertical lift fans (<NUM>) permits the aircraft to take off and ascend vertically. Once airborne, the forward propeller (<NUM>), which is mounted or otherwise coupled to the back of the fuselage, is turned on so that the vehicle begins to move forwards. Once the vehicle is moving forwards fast enough, there will be sufficient aerodynamic lift force acting on the wings (<NUM>) to keep the aircraft airborne. At that point, the vertical lift fans (<NUM>) are turned off while the forward propeller (<NUM>) stays on. To land, the vehicle can either land vertically using the vertical lift fans (<NUM>) or perform a traditional landing, rolling on its wheels (<NUM>) once the aircraft touches down.

In this example, controller <NUM> receives or otherwise inputs the trip information and generates a desired departure temperature. In some embodiments, controller <NUM> is also responsible for managing battery charging and/or gets battery state of health information directly from the battery management system. In addition to the examples above where a driver, pilot, or passenger provides the trip information (which is input to and used by controller <NUM>), in some examples the controller or some other entity estimates the trip information based on historic information (e.g., without asking a driver, pilot, or passenger). For example, if the exemplary vehicle tends to make trips to a certain destination, then that historic information (i.e., the previously and frequently visited destination) is used to generate (or be) the trip information which is input to controller <NUM>.

The desired departure information is passed from controller <NUM> to temperature controlling system <NUM> (e.g., a ground or fixed temperature controlling system which stays on the ground and/or remains at some fixed location). In this example, the temperature controlling system has hoses or other connectors which are detachably coupled to the vehicle. Depending upon whether the battery (<NUM>) needs to be heated or cooled, the temperature controlling system will either blow hot air (<NUM>) or cold air (<NUM>) over the battery to heat or cool the battery, respectively, to bring the battery to the desired departure temperature. A measured battery temperature is sent from the battery (<NUM>) to the temperature controlling system (<NUM>) so that the latter knows whether the battery's temperature needs to go up, down, or remain the same.

As will be described in more detail below, depending upon the type of maneuvers or flying the exemplary vehicle is performing, the amount of heat produced by the battery (<NUM>) can vary. For example, if the aircraft is hovering or taking off or landing vertically (i.e., and is relying upon the vertical lift fans (<NUM>) to keep the aircraft airborne) then more heat may be produced by the batteries compared to when the vertical lift fans are off and the aircraft is moving forwards fast enough so that the aerodynamic lift force on the wings is keeping the aircraft airborne. Similarly, climbing to a higher altitude or flying at higher speeds will produce more heat in the battery. These are just some examples of how different types of maneuvers or flying can affect the amount of heat produced by the battery (and therefore can affect the desired departure temperature which is calculated or otherwise determined from the trip information).

<FIG> is a graph illustrating an example of the temperature of a battery in a vehicle before takeoff, during the drip, and after landing. In this example, the vehicle is an aircraft but naturally in some other embodiments the vehicle is some other type of vehicle (e.g., a car). In the example shown, the battery in the vehicle is set to the desired departure temperature (TDDT) prior to takeoff (i.e., during period <NUM>). For example, the vehicle may be detachably coupled to a temperature controlling system, such as that shown in <FIG>.

When the takeoff occurs at <NUM>, the battery is (already) at the desired departure temperature (TDDT). During the flight (i.e., period <NUM>), the temperature of the battery gradually increases but always remains between the desired battery temperature range (<NUM>), which in this example ranges from Tmin to Tmax, even at landing (<NUM>) when the battery temperature tends to be the hottest. In some other embodiments, the desired battery temperature range is open-ended at one extreme (e.g., there is only a Tmin or only a Tmax).

As shown here, calculating a desired departure temperature and getting the battery to that temperature at the time of departure, the battery will operate during the entirety of the trip (i.e., period <NUM>) within some safe and/or desirable battery temperature range (<NUM>). In contrast, if the techniques described herein are not applied and the battery is at some ambient or room temperature at the time of departure, the battery may operate outside of some desirable battery temperature range during the flight which may be dangerous and force the aircraft to land early. This problem may be more noticeable and/or especially acute during extremely hot weather (e.g., at or above <NUM>°F) when the battery is operating in a high ambient temperature environment. Similarly, in extremely cold weather (e.g. at or below <NUM>°F) the battery temperature could decrease in flight outside of acceptable range if the takeoff battery temperature was not high enough.

The following figure describes this example more generally and/or formally in a flowchart.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a process to determine a desired departure temperature using a trip duration and an estimation function. According to the invention, step <NUM> in <FIG> is performed using the example process shown here.

At <NUM>, a change in battery temperature associated with the trip is determined using a trip duration and an estimation function that inputs the trip duration, wherein the trip information includes the trip duration. That is, ΔT =f(ttrip_duration) where ΔT is the change in battery temperature over the course of the trip, f(t) is the estimation function (e.g., which inputs a unit of time and outputs a unit of temperature such as °F, °C, etc.), and ttrip_duration is the trip duration (e.g., in minutes, hours, etc.). ΔT (<NUM>) in <FIG> shows an example of a change in battery temperature (e.g., that is estimated or otherwise determined at step <NUM>).

In some examples, the estimation function is a multivariable function and/or f(t) is selected based at least in part on one or more other inputs. For example, depending upon the ambient temperature, an appropriate f(t) may be selected. To put it another way, depending upon the ambient temperature, the change in battery temperature will vary even if the trip duration is the same.

At <NUM>, the desired departure temperature is determined using the change in battery temperature associated with the trip and a desired battery temperature range. Step <NUM> will attempt, where possible, to keep the battery temperature within the desired battery temperature range over the course of the entire trip.

In one example of step <NUM>, if the change in battery temperature (e.g., determined at step <NUM>) is less than the desired battery temperature range (where in this example it is assumed there is a Tmin and a Tmax), then the desired departure temperature is determined so that the temperature margin at takeoff (e.g., TDDT - Tmin) equals the temperature margin at landing (e.g., Tmax - (TDDT + ΔT)). For example, this approach may leave some temperature margin at landing (and overheating may be more of a concern than operating at too cold of a temperature) while not requiring the temperature controlling system to cool the battery all the way down to Tmin. To put it another way, cooling the battery down to some temperature above Tmin consumes less power (at the temperature controlling system) than cooling the battery all the way down to Tmin while still providing some margin on the upper temperature range at landing.

At <NUM>, a change in battery temperature associated with the trip is determined using a trip plan and an estimation function that inputs the trip plan, wherein the trip information includes the trip plan. For example, if the vehicle is an aircraft then the trip plan may be a flight plan. In some examples, the flight plan includes speed(s) and/or time(s) so that some sense of how hard the battery is being drawn upon is obtained.

In some examples, a trip plan (e.g., a flight plan) is fed into a simulator (e.g., flight simulator which inputs desired forces and moments and outputs desired thrusts or other commands for the motors and/or propellers) and the outputs from the simulator are passed to the estimator which uses the simulator outputs to estimate the change in battery temperature. For example, by using a simulator of how the vehicle will respond, a more accurate desired departure temperature can be determined.

At <NUM>, the desired departure temperature is determined using the change in battery temperature associated with the trip and a desired battery temperature range. For example, some of the examples described above with respect to step <NUM> in <FIG> may be used.

In some examples, a battery model and an optimizer are used to determine a desired departure temperature. The following figures describe one such example.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example of a battery model and an optimizer which are used to determine a desired departure temperature. In the example shown, a battery model models how a battery responds or behaves given certain input parameters. In this example, battery model <NUM> inputs battery state of health (SOH) information (e.g., describing or representing the age or wear of the battery, generally indicating how "healthy" the battery is, etc.), the ambient (e.g., air) temperature, and trip information. For example, the battery state of health information may be reported by a built-in battery management system which monitors and/or estimates the current health of the battery. This information may be communicated from the built-in battery management system to a battery charger, and from the battery charger to the system shown here.

With the specified inputs or parameters described above, the battery model (<NUM>) will model the state and/or behavior of the battery for a variety of test departure temperatures. For each test departure temperature, modeled battery state and/or behavior information is sent from the battery model (<NUM>) to the optimizer (<NUM>). The optimizer evaluates a cost function using the modeled information and selects the test departure temperature which has the lowest (evaluated) cost function value. For example, the cost function may weigh the benefits of a warmer battery (e.g., better performance) against the drawbacks of a warmer battery (e.g., tends to degrade faster) and the evaluated cost function is a representation of that pro-con assessment for a given test departure temperature.

In some applications it is undesirable for a vehicle to wait around simply for a temperature controlling system to bring the battery in the vehicle to the desired departure temperature (e.g., the battery is fully charged; the driver, pilot, or passenger wants to depart and is waiting; etc.). To account for this, in some examples, the cost function takes into account things like time to departure (e.g., which may be included in trip information), time to charge (e.g., which may be reported by the charging station), and/or time to heat/cool (e.g., estimated for a given desired departure temperature). For example, if the time to departure is "as soon as charging is done" (or is a time or duration earlier or shorter than the time to charge), then the desired departure temperatures which have a time to heat/cool that is greater than the time to charge would be penalized (e.g., have a higher evaluated cost function) more than the desired departure temperatures which have a time to heat/cool that is less than the time to charge.

It some examples there is an acceptable temperature window or range that is different (e.g., wider) than the desirable temperature range or window. In one example where it is desirable to depart as soon as possible, the departure temperature selected attempts to satisfy the acceptable temperature window but not necessarily the desirable temperature range or window. For example, the departure temperature selected or determines may be as hot as possible so as not to violate a constraint specified by acceptable temperature window (e.g., in cooling limited situations) or as cold as possible per the acceptable temperature window (e.g., heating limited situations).

In some embodiments, a cost function takes into account an amount of energy consumed by the temperature controlling system to bring a battery to a given desired departure temperature. For example, if the performance and/or degradation of a battery varies only slightly across a range of temperatures then it may not make sense to bring the battery to heat or cool the battery to a more extreme temperature from its current temperature.

In some examples, the battery state and/or behavior information generated by the battery model varies with and/or is a function of time. For example, with more detailed and/or specific trip information, some battery model embodiments are able to model the behavior of the battery over the course of the trip. In some examples, this ability to generate battery state information which is a function of time (e.g., over the course of the trip) permits better quality desired departure temperatures to be generated.

The following figure shows an example of a cost function generated by optimizer <NUM>.

<FIG> is a graph illustrating an example of an evaluated cost function. In the example shown, cost function <NUM> is an example of an evaluated cost function which is generated by optimizer <NUM> in <FIG> for the modeled battery state and/or behavior information generated from the various test departure temperatures. In this example, local minimum <NUM> has the lowest cost associated with it. As such, the test departure temperature corresponding to local minimum <NUM> is output as the desired departure temperature (TDDT).

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a process to determine a desired departure temperature using a battery model and cost function. In some embodiments, step <NUM> in <FIG> is performed using the example process shown here.

At <NUM>, for each of a plurality of test departure temperatures, a plurality of modeled battery data is generated using a battery model associated with the battery. See, for example, battery model <NUM> in <FIG>. For each test departure temperature in the plurality of test departure temperatures (e.g., T0, T1, etc.), corresponding modeled battery data (e.g., battery state and/or behavior information output by the battery model) is produced.

At <NUM>, each of the plurality of modeled battery data is evaluated using a cost function in order to obtain an evaluated cost function wherein the cost function takes into account at least battery performance and battery degradation. As described above, warmer temperatures tend to be better for battery performance (which is good) but also tend to degrade the battery faster (which is bad). Evaluated cost function <NUM> in <FIG> shows an example of an evaluated cost function.

At <NUM>, that test departure temperature from the plurality of test departure temperatures which corresponds to a minimum of the evaluated cost function is output as the desired departure temperature. See, for example, <FIG> where the test departure temperature which corresponds to local minimum <NUM> is output as the desired departure temperature.

The following figure describes an example where the departure time is known ahead of time and this information is used to conserve power at the temperature controlling system. For brevity, the following examples are not shown in combination with the above examples but it is understood that any combination of the techniques described herein may be used.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle where the departure time is known ahead of time and the temperature controlling system does not begin heating or cooling the battery until the departure is imminent. In this example, the vehicle is an aircraft but naturally the techniques described herein may be applied toward other types of vehicles (e.g., cars).

In this example, the aircraft lands at <NUM>:<NUM> pm (<NUM>) with a battery temperature of Tland. A desired departure temperature (in this example, a desired takeoff temperature, TDTOT) is calculated or otherwise determined upon landing and the resulting TDTOT is (strictly) less than Tland. Although the temperature controlling system could begin cooling the battery to the calculated TDTOT, the aircraft is not going to take off until <NUM>:<NUM> am the next morning (<NUM>). If the temperature controlling system began cooling immediately (e.g., soon after landing), the temperature controlling system will have to work from approximately <NUM>:<NUM> pm to <NUM>:<NUM> am. However, it may not take that long to bring the battery down to TDTOT and therefore starting the temperature controlling system may therefore be a waste of power. (In an exception to the above example, at higher temperature battery generally tends to degrade faster; therefore, in some scenarios it may be helpful to cool the battery down first so that it can spend more time at lower temperature to preserve battery life.

As such, to save power at the temperature controlling system, the system will (e.g., based on the desired departure temperature and the known takeoff time) estimate or otherwise determine a time at which to start the temperature controlling system so that the battery will be at the desired departure temperature at the takeoff time but without unnecessarily starting the temperature controlling system too soon. In this example, that time is determined to be <NUM>:<NUM> am (<NUM>). During period <NUM> (between landing at <NUM> and when cooling begins at <NUM>), the temperature controlling system is off (e.g., to conserve power). During period <NUM> (beginning when cooling begins at <NUM> and up to takeoff at <NUM>), the temperature controlling system is on in order to bring the temperature of the battery to the desired departure temperature. Although this example shows the battery being cooled, the techniques described herein are applicable even if the battery needs to be heated (e.g., during the winter).

This example is described more generally and/or formally in a flowchart below.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a process to get a battery in a vehicle to a desired departure temperature, including by determining a start time for a temperature controlling system. <FIG> is related to <FIG> and for convenience related and/or similar steps are indicated using the same and/or similar reference numbers.

At <NUM>', a desired departure temperature for a battery, having a temperature, in a vehicle is determined based at least in part on trip information associated with a trip, wherein the trip information includes a departure time. For example, suppose a vehicle arrives at some destination and is plugged into a charging station. At that time, the charging station or some related interface (e.g., on the user's smartphone) may ask the driver or pilot when they plan to depart. In some embodiments, this departure time is also used to manage or otherwise perform charging.

In some other examples, the departure time is not specified by a driver or pilot but rather is determined based on historic information. For example, if the driver or pilot has a regular commute or some routine, the departure time may be determined based on historic information (e.g., they tend to leave around the same time on weekdays). Any appropriate estimation technique may be used.

At <NUM>, a start time to start a temperature controlling system is determined based at least in part on the departure time and the desired departure temperature. For example, the temperature controlling system may be able to heat or cool the battery at a rate of d degrees per minute and based on the current temperature of the battery and the departure time, the start time may be calculated. In some examples, step <NUM> includes periodically and/or continually performing a check of "Should the temperature controlling system start now?" given the current temperature, the desired departure temperature, and the heating or cooling rate of the temperature controlling system (e.g., a rate of d degrees per minute). For example, this may better account for and/or be more adaptable to the temperature change of the battery (e.g., as the battery cools throughout the night, assuming it is hot at landing).

At <NUM>', the temperature controlling system is used to get the battery to the desired departure temperature, wherein the vehicle begins the trip with the battery at the desired departure temperature and the temperature controlling system is started at the start time. As described above, this saves power at the temperature controlling system since the temperature controlling system is not running unnecessarily.

It is noted that the process above includes situations in which the vehicle is being charged and it is desirable for the vehicle to depart as soon as charging has completed. For example, if the vehicle is used in a ride service where it picks up and drops off people throughout the day, it is desirable for the vehicle to depart as soon as charging is completed. As such, in some embodiments, a battery charging time (e.g., how long it will take for the battery in the vehicle to be charged) is received from a charging station to which the vehicle is detachably coupled and the departure time is determined based at least in part on the battery charging time.

In some cases, a battery charging time is less than the amount of time it would take to bring the battery down (e.g., completely or entirely) to the desired departure temperature, even if the temperature controlling system started immediately. In some such examples, the start time determined at step <NUM> is "immediately" and because it is undesirable to hold a fully-charged vehicle simply to finish bringing the battery (e.g., completely or entirely) to the desired departure temperature, step <NUM>' includes stopping the temperature controlling system when a charging station finishes charging the battery (e.g., that is being heated or cooled) in the vehicle (e.g., assuming that the battery is sufficiently cooled or heated such that some acceptable battery temperature range is not violated).

Claim 1:
A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:
determine (<NUM>; <NUM>') a desired departure temperature (TDDT) for a battery (<NUM>), having a temperature, in a vehicle (<NUM>) based at least in part on trip information associated with a trip, wherein determining the desired departure temperature (TDDT) includes:
determining a change in battery temperature associated with the trip using the trip information and an output of an estimation function that receives trip information associated with the trip as an input and outputs the change in battery temperature associated with the trip based on at least the trip information, wherein the trip information includes a trip duration or a trip plan; and
determining the desired departure temperature (TDDT) using the change in battery temperature associated with the trip and a desired battery temperature range, wherein the battery will operate within the desired battery temperature range during the entirety of the trip; and
use (<NUM>; <NUM>') a temperature controlling system (<NUM>) to bring the temperature of the battery towards the desired departure temperature, wherein the vehicle begins the trip with the battery at the desired departure temperature.