Energy management system for automotive vehicle
A battery monitor is provided for use with a battery of an automotive vehicle. The battery monitor can provide real time battery condition measurements and can selectively control the charging of the battery through an alternator of the vehicle based upon the measured battery condition.
1. An apparatus for testing an electrical system of a vehicle, comprising:
test circuitry to test a current condition of the electrical system of the vehicle at a current time;
an environment input configured to receive information at the current time related to a new geographical location in which the vehicle is to be operated at a future time; and
a predictive assessment output at the current time which is a function of the current condition of the electrical system and the environment input and is indicative of a prediction of performance of the electrical system in the new geographical location in which the vehicle will operate at the future time.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the environment input is related to a weather forecast which is indicative of future weather in which the vehicle will operate.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the environment input is related to electrical loads which will be applied to a battery of the electrical system.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the environment input is related to changes in electrical loads applied to a battery of the electrical system.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predictive assessment output is related to available energy for operating electrical loads of the vehicle.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electrical system includes a battery and the test circuitry is configured to perform a battery test.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the battery test is related to a measurement of a dynamic parameter of the battery.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the test circuitry includes a four point Kelvin connection configured to couple to the battery.
9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the test circuitry includes a current sensor configured to measure current flow through an electrical conductor coupled to the battery.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electrical system includes a battery charger configured to charge a battery of the electrical system, and wherein the battery charger is responsive to the predictive output.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the test circuitry is configured to measure a state of charge of the battery and the battery charger is responsive to a measured state of charge.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predictive assessment output is indicative of a likelihood that an engine of the vehicle will start.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the environment input is further configured to receive information related to a particular application of the vehicle.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the environment input comprises a manual input.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the environment input comprises an input from a databus.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the environment input includes information from a global positioning system.
17. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the predictive assessment output indicates that a battery of the electrical system is insufficient for powering the load with power supplied by the battery.
18. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the environment input comprises a current measurement to determine power requirement of a new load applied to the battery.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the test circuitry is further configured to perform a battery test in accordance with a test criteria and wherein the test criteria is a function of the predictive assessment output.
20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predictive assessment output is a function of an age of a component of the electrical system.
21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predictive assessment output is indicative of excess energy available from the electrical system for use in powering loads coupled to the electrical system.
22. A method of testing an electrical system of a vehicle, comprising:
testing a current condition of the electrical system of the vehicle at a current time;
receiving a environment input at the current time related to the new geographical location in which the vehicle is to be operated at a future time; and
providing a predictive assessment output at the current time which is a function of the testing and the received environment input, wherein the predictive assessment output is indicative of a prediction of performance of the electrical system in a new geographical location in which the vehicle will operate at the future time.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the environment input is related to weather forecast which is indicative of future weather in which the vehicle will operate.
24. The method of claim 22 wherein the environment input is related to loads which will be applied to a battery of the electrical system.
25. The method of claim 22 wherein the environment input is related to changes in loads applied to a battery of the electrical system.
26. The method of claim 22 wherein the predictive assessment output is related to available energy for operating loads of the vehicle.
27. The method of claim 22 wherein the electrical system includes a battery and the testing includes performing a battery test.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein the battery testing includes measuring a dynamic parameter of the battery.
29. The method of claim 27 wherein the testing includes coupling a four point Kelvin connection to the battery.
30. The method of claim 27 wherein the testing includes measuring current flow though an electrical conductor coupled to the battery.
31. The method of claim 22 including controlling a battery charger configured to charge a battery of the electrical system in response to the predictive assessment output.
32. The method of claim 31 wherein the testing includes measuring a state of charge of the battery and the battery charger is responsive to a measured state of charge.
33. The method of claim 22 wherein the predictive assessment output is indicative of a likelihood that an engine of the vehicle will start.
34. The method of claim 22 wherein the environment input is further configured to receive information related to a particular application of the vehicle.
35. The method of claim 22 wherein the environment input comprises a manual input.
36. The method of claim 22 wherein the environment input comprises an input from a databus.
37. The method of claim 22 wherein the environment input includes information from a global positioning system.
38. The method of claim 24 wherein the predictive assessment output indicates that a battery of the electrical system is insufficient for powering a load coupled to the battery.
39. The method of claim 24 wherein the environment input comprises a current measurement to determine power requirement of a new load coupled to the battery.
40. The method of claim 22 wherein the test circuitry is further configured to perform a battery test and wherein the test criteria is a function of the predictive assessment output.
41. The method of claim 22 wherein the predictive assessment output is a function of an age of a component of the electrical system.
42. The method of claim 22 wherein the predictive assessment output is indicative of excess energy available from the electrical system for use in powering loads coupled to the electrical system.