Patent ID: 7839117

Claim:
A method for controlling a multiple battery system in a vehicle, the multiple battery system including a main battery, at least one auxiliary battery, a controller, at least one controllable switching device, and at least one sensor to sense at least one operating condition of the main battery and the at least one auxiliary battery, the multiple battery system supplying electrical energy to an electrical system of the vehicle, the method comprising: polling, by the controller, the at least one sensor for at least one reading associated with at least one operating condition of the main battery; determining, by the controller, whether the at least one operating condition of the main battery is abnormal based upon the at least one reading; in the event that the at least one reading indicates at least one abnormal operating condition of the main battery, communicating, by the controller, information relating to the at least one abnormal operating condition to a remotely located control device; receiving, by the controller, a command from the remotely located control device to switch from the main battery to the at least one auxiliary battery such that the electrical energy is supplied to the electrical system solely from the at least one auxiliary battery; communicating, by the controller, a control signal to the at least one controllable switching device instructing the at least one controllable switching device to switch from a first position electrically connecting the main battery to the electrical system to a second position electrically connecting the at least one auxiliary battery to the electrical system and isolating the main battery from the electrical system such that the main battery and the at least one auxiliary battery never supply electrical energy to the electrical system simultaneously; and switching, by the controllable switching device, from the first position to the second position responsive to the control signal.