IP Library Granted Patent US 12,370,923
Granted Patent B2
US 12,370,923 · App. 17/850,037 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Electric vehicle auxiliary battery usage for energy consumption events

Inventors: Norman Lu (Fairview, TX); Maximilian Parness (Takoma Park, MD)
Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.; TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B60L58/19B60L58/16B60L58/22B60L58/27G01C21/3469G01C21/3605B60L53/80B60L2240/34
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,370,923
App. No.
17/850,037
Granted
Jul 29, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example operation includes one or more of: determining an event of a vehicle consuming a required amount of energy greater than a first threshold; providing, by a removable auxiliary battery of the vehicle, at least a portion of the required amount of energy during the event; and providing, by a core battery of the vehicle, a second amount of energy upon completion of the event.

Claims (53)

1. A method, comprising:

determining an event of a vehicle consuming a required amount of energy greater than a first threshold;

providing, by a removable auxiliary battery of the vehicle, at least a portion of the required amount of energy during the event; and

providing, by a core battery of the vehicle, a second amount of energy upon completion of the event.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising providing at least the portion of the required amount of energy during the event by the core battery.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event comprises one or more of: starting the vehicle, warming up the removable auxiliary battery, warming up the core battery, heating an interior of the vehicle, or providing air conditioning to the interior of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining further comprises:

determining the required amount of energy for the event comprising a duration of a route to a destination;

in response to the required amount of energy exceeding the first threshold, the removable auxiliary battery providing all or a portion of the required amount of energy to the vehicle; and

determining an amount of energy to replenish the removable auxiliary battery at the destination.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

determining a probable degradation of the core battery for one or more functions of the vehicle, wherein the determining is based on an amount of additional battery capacity utilized to provide the one or more functions; and

in response to the probable degradation of the core battery exceeding a second threshold, providing energy to the vehicle from the removable auxiliary battery.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining a use of the removable auxiliary battery for a first energy need, and determining a use of the core battery for a second energy need, when the removable auxiliary battery is swapped with the core battery.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising performing a health assessment for the removable auxiliary battery by:

performing a first measurement of an internal resistance of the removable auxiliary battery to establish a baseline resistance;

performing one or more subsequent measurements of the internal resistance; and

comparing the baseline resistance to the one or more subsequent measurements to determine a state-of-health of the removable auxiliary battery.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the processor and the memory are communicably coupled,

wherein the processor:

determines an event of a vehicle that consumes a required amount of energy greater than a first threshold;

provides, by a removable auxiliary battery of the vehicle, at least a portion of the required amount of energy during the event; and

provides, by a core battery of the vehicle, a second amount of energy upon completion of the event.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor provides at least the portion of the required amount of energy during the event from the core battery.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the event comprises one or more of: start the vehicle, warm up the removable auxiliary battery, warm up the core battery, heat an interior of the vehicle, or provide cool air to the interior of the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor:

determines the required amount of energy for the event that includes a duration of a route to a destination;

provides all or a portion of the required amount of energy to the vehicle from the removable battery, in response to the required amount of energy exceeds the first threshold; and

determines an amount of energy to replenish the removable auxiliary battery at the destination.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor:

determines a probable degradation of the core battery for one or more functions of the vehicle, based on an amount of additional battery capacity utilized to provide the one or more functions; and

provides energy to the vehicle from the removable auxiliary battery, in response to the probable degradation of the core battery exceeds a second threshold.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor determines a use of the removable auxiliary battery for a first energy need, and a use of the core battery for a second energy need, when the removable auxiliary battery is swapped with the core battery.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor:

performs a first measurement of an internal resistance of the removable auxiliary battery to establish a baseline resistance;

performs one or more subsequent measurements of the internal resistance; and

compares the baseline resistance to the one or more subsequent measurements to determine a state-of-health of the removable auxiliary battery.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform:

determining an event of a vehicle consuming a required amount of energy greater than a first threshold;

providing, by a removable auxiliary battery of the vehicle, at least a portion of the required amount of energy during the event; and

providing, by a core battery of the vehicle, a second amount of energy upon completion of the event.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructions for providing at least the portion of the required amount of energy during the event by the core battery.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the event comprises one or more of: starting the vehicle, warming up the removable auxiliary battery, warming up the core battery, heating an interior of the vehicle, or providing air conditioning to the interior of the vehicle.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the determining further comprises:

determining the required amount of energy for the event comprising a duration of a route to a destination;

in response to the required amount of energy exceeding the first threshold, the removable auxiliary battery providing all or a portion of the required amount of energy to the vehicle; and

determining an amount of energy to replenish the removable auxiliary battery at the destination.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructions for:

determining a probable degradation of the core battery for one or more functions of the vehicle, wherein the determining is based on an amount of additional battery capacity utilized to provide the one or more functions; and

in response to the probable degradation of the core battery exceeding a second threshold, providing energy to the vehicle from the removable auxiliary battery.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructions for determining a use of the removable auxiliary battery for a first energy need, and determining a use of the core battery for a second energy need, when the removable auxiliary battery is swapped with the core battery.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 11, 2025
From: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 072863/0342 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 27, 2022
From: LU, NORMAN; PARNESS, MAXIMILIAN
To: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.; TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 060319/0525 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230415609A1 · Dec 28, 2023
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