Patent ID: 12233719

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure relates to a vehicle configured to enter a battery save mode when the vehicle is in a known extended parking location, and a corresponding method. This disclosure preserves a state of charge of the battery pack of the vehicle by promptly entering a battery save mode when the vehicle is parked in locations where the vehicle is known to be routinely parked for extended periods of time. Example locations are a home of the user, where the user typically parks their car overnight, or a workplace of the user, where the user typically parks their vehicle for hours at a time. In such locations, the vehicle does not wait for a relatively long, default time period to lapse before entering a battery save mode. Rather, the battery save mode can be entered after a shorter time period has lapsed which, again, preserves the state of charge of the battery pack. Additional benefits will be appreciated from a review of the below description.

FIG.1schematically illustrates a powertrain10of an electrified vehicle12(“vehicle12”). Although depicted as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), it should be understood that the concepts described herein are not limited to BEVs and could extend to other electrified vehicles, including but not limited to, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Therefore, although not shown in this embodiment, the vehicle12could be equipped with an internal combustion engine that can be employed either alone or in combination with other energy sources to propel the vehicle12.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the vehicle12is a full electric vehicle propelled solely through electric power, such as by an electric machine14, without any assistance from an internal combustion engine. The electric machine14may operate as an electric motor, an electric generator, or both. The electric machine14receives electrical power and provides a rotational output power. The electric machine14may be connected to a gearbox16for adjusting the output torque and speed of the electric machine14by a predetermined gear ratio. The gearbox16is connected to a set of drive wheels18by an output shaft20. A high voltage bus22electrically connects the electric machine14to a battery pack24through an inverter26. The electric machine14, the gearbox16, and the inverter26may collectively be referred to as a transmission28.

The battery pack24is an exemplary electrified vehicle battery. The battery pack24may be a high voltage traction battery pack that includes a plurality of battery assemblies25(i.e., battery arrays or groupings of battery cells) capable of outputting electrical power to operate the electric machine14and/or other electrical loads of the vehicle12. Other types of energy storage devices and/or output devices can also be used to electrically power the vehicle12.

The vehicle12may also include a charging system30for periodically charging the energy storage devices (e.g., battery cells) of the battery pack24. The charging system30may be connected to an external power source, such as a grid power source, for receiving and distributing power to the energy storage devices. For example, in one non-limiting embodiment, the charging system30includes a charging port32located on-board the vehicle12. The charging port32is adapted to selectively receive power from the external power source, such as from a power cable connected to the external power source, and then distribute the power to the battery pack24for charging the energy storage devices.

The charging system30may also be equipped with power electronics used to convert AC power received from the external power supply to DC power for charging the energy storage devices of the battery pack24. The charging system30may also accommodate one or more conventional voltage sources from the external power supply (e.g., 110 volt, 220 volt, etc.).

The powertrain10shown inFIG.1is highly schematic and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Various additional components could alternatively or additionally be employed by the powertrain10within the scope of this disclosure.

The vehicle12also includes a controller50for monitoring and/or controlling various aspects of the powertrain10associated with the vehicle12. The controller50, for example, may communicate with the battery pack24, the charging system30, and the charging port32. The controller50may also communicate with various other vehicle components and monitor various other vehicle conditions. The controller50includes electronics, software, or both, to perform the necessary control functions for operating the vehicle12.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the controller50is a combination vehicle system controller and powertrain control module (VSC/PCM). Although it is shown as a single device, the controller50may include multiple controllers in the form of multiple hardware devices, or multiple software controllers with one or more hardware devices. A controller area network52(CAN) allows the controller50to communicate with the various components of the vehicle12. This disclosure is not limited to CAN protocol and extends to other communication protocols.

The vehicle12also includes a human-machine interface54. In one example, the human-machine interface54is provided in a vehicle cabin and is accessible by a user from within the vehicle12. The human-machine interface54is an interactive display, such as a graphical user interface (GUI), in one example. In one particular example, the human-machine interface54includes a touchscreen, which is configured to display information to the user and allow the user to provide inputs. The controller50is in communication with the human-machine interface54. The inputs the user provides to the human-machine interface54are interpreted by the controller50, which then executes operations consistent with the inputs. One example human-machine interface54is provided, at least in part, by the SYNC® System offered commercially by Ford Motor Company. The human-user interface54could alternatively or additionally be provided by a mobile device of a user, and may include a software application running on that mobile device, such as the FordPass® application offered commercially by Ford Motor Company.

The controller50can determine the location of the vehicle12using a global positioning satellite (GPS) system64. While a GPS is shown, the vehicle12could include additional or alternative location systems. Additionally, the controller50can be in electronic communication with at least one server66over the Internet, for example. The server66could be part of a cloud computing network in communication with the controller50.

Normally, when the vehicle12is parked, the vehicle12will remain in a full power mode for a default period of time. A full power mode is defined as a mode in which power is able to flow from the battery pack24to the electric machine14and any other electrical loads of the vehicle12. Again, normally, after the default period of time has lapsed, such as 30 minutes, the controller50will then issue one or more commands to cause the electrified vehicle to enter a battery save mode. In a battery save mode, which may be referred to as a sleep mode, limited power consumption mode, or a low power mode, the battery pack24is disconnected, by opening one or more switches, for example, from the electric machine14and/or one or more of the other electrical loads of the vehicle12. In any case, fewer devices are powered by the battery pack24in the battery save mode than in the full power mode. In the battery save mode, one or more electrical loads of the vehicle12may be powered, such as electrical loads like transmitters that are used to receive lock, unlock, and/or remote start commands from a keyfob or mobile device, for example. In another example, in the battery save mode, an alarm of the vehicle12may remain powered by the battery pack24.

In this disclosure, the vehicle12does not wait for the default time period to lapse when the vehicle12is in a known extended parking location. Known extended parking locations are locations in which the vehicle12is known to routinely be parked for an extended period, such as 30 minutes or 1 hour. As such, when parked in these locations, this disclosure takes advantage of the high probability that full vehicle power will not be needed soon after parking, and therefore takes steps to preserve the state of charge of the battery pack24. While the battery pack24is mentioned, this disclosure could apply to other vehicle batteries such as 12 Volt batteries, especially when the vehicle includes an internal combustion engine.

Known extended parking locations may be added to a list of such locations, which is accessible by or stored on the controller50. The list may be stored on the controller50and/or on the server66. Known extended parking locations may be added to the list manually, by allowing a user to input known extended parking locations via the HMI54, or the controller50and/or server66may use an algorithm or machine learning to determine additional potential known extended parking locations. When the controller50and/or server66identifies a potential known extended parking location, the potential known extended parking location may be sent to a user via the HMI54for approval before being added to the list. In one example, the controller50and/or the server66will suggest that a potential known extended parking location be added to the list if the vehicle12is parked in the potential known extended parking location for at least an hour, at least once a week, for at least three consecutive weeks. Alternatively, the controller50and/or the server66will suggest that a potential known extended parking location be added to the list if the vehicle12is parked in the potential known extended parking location for at least 30 minutes on at least five separate occasions. While some example factors for evaluating a routinely-visited, extended parking location are defined herein, this disclosure extends to other example factors. Further, the list can be edited manually by the user at any time using the HMI54.

When the vehicle12is parked in a known extended parking location, as indicated by the GPS64and one or more factors indicative of the vehicle12being parked, the controller50will issue one or more commands to enter the battery save mode in a period of time shorter than the default period of time. In an example, the period of time is less than half the default period of time. In a further example, the period of time is at least 5 times shorter than the default period of time. In a particular example, the period of time is 5 minutes while the default period of time is 30 minutes. While particular time periods are mentioned, this disclosure extends to other time periods. In a particular example, the period of time is calibratable.

In an example, the vehicle12will be considered within the known extended parking location if the vehicle12is within a predetermined distance, such as 100 feet, of the known extended parking location, to account for potential inaccuracies of the GPS64and/or situations where a user has to park slightly further from their normal parking location at work or home, as examples. While a specific distance, namely 100 feet, is mentioned, the predetermined distance is calibratable.

FIG.2illustrates a map68. The map68may be stored on or accessed by the controller50. The GPS64is configured to determine a location of the vehicle12relative to the map68. The map68includes a plurality of roads and other landmarks, for example. The map68also includes first, second, and third known extended parking locations70,72,74, corresponding to a home of the user, a workplace of the user, and a gym of the user, respectively. The first, second, and third known extended parking locations70,72,74may be geofences. In this example, the first and second known extended parking locations70,72were added to the list manually by a user. The third known extended parking location74was identified as a potential known extended parking location by the controller50and/or server66because the user visited the gym at least once a week for at least three consecutive weeks, and parked the vehicle12at the gym for at least an hour each visit. The third known extended parking location74was presented to the user via the HMI54and the user approved the addition to the list.

The dot76represents the vehicle12being parked within the first known extended parking location70, which is a home of the user. When the vehicle12is parked at dot76, the controller50begins a timer when the vehicle12is determined to be in park, such as by monitoring whether the ignition of the vehicle12is off and/or whether the vehicle12is shifted into park. After determining the vehicle12is in park, a timer begins. After a relatively short time period lapses, such as 5 minutes, the controller50issues one or more commands to enter a battery save mode.

While the ignition status and gear position are mentioned, the controller50may consider other information indicative of the vehicle12being parked. For instance, the controller50could also monitor whether a driver door has opened and closed. In some instances, the controller50will not enter the battery save mode if the four-way lights or other indicator lights of the vehicle12are blinking and active. The controller50may employ other vehicle occupation and/or classification strategies.

Dot78represents the vehicle12being parked adjacent a workplace of the user, which is the second known extended parking location72. At dot78, the vehicle12is not inside the second known extended parking location72but is within a predetermined range of a perimeter of the second known extended parking location72, such as within 100 feet of the perimeter of the second known extended parking location72. As such, the controller50will consider the vehicle12to be within the second known extended parking location72. Therefore, in turn, the controller50will command the vehicle12to enter the battery save mode after the vehicle12has been parked at dot78for 5 minutes, in this example.

Dot80represents the vehicle12being parked in a location that does not correspond to a known extended parking location. The area adjacent dot80may be considered as a potential future known extended parking location if the user begins to routinely park in this location for extended periods, but dot80has not yet attained this status. Dot80may correspond to a location of a convenience store, for example, where the user frequents but not for extended periods, or a hospital, where the user may park for an extended period but does not frequent. When parked at dot80for the default time period, however, the controller50will still command the vehicle12to operate in the battery save mode.

It should be understood that terms such as “about,” “substantially,” and “generally” are not intended to be boundaryless terms, and should be interpreted consistent with the way one skilled in the art would interpret those terms. Further, directional terms such as “forward,” “rearward,” “upward,” “downward,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” etc., are used for purposes of explanation only and should not otherwise be construed as limiting.

Although the different examples have the specific components shown in the illustrations, embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from one of the examples in combination with features or components from another one of the examples. In addition, the various figures accompanying this disclosure are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show certain details of a particular component or arrangement.

One of ordinary skill in this art would understand that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and non-limiting. That is, modifications of this disclosure would come within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the following claims should be studied to determine their true scope and content.