Granted Patent B2

US 12,420,665 · App. 18/494,084 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Inventors: Gregory August Theodosakis (Martinez, GA); Russell William King (Evans, GA); Jonathan Daniel Bowen (North Augusta, SC)

Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.

B60L58/15B60L2240/54B60L2240/622

Abstract

Claims (55)

1. A method of charging a battery of a utility vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a geolocation signal which identifies a current location of the utility vehicle;

generating a geolocation assessment result indicating whether the utility vehicle is currently within an early charge termination geographic area based on the geolocation signal; and

charging the battery in accordance with the geolocation assessment result, the battery being charged to a first charge threshold when the geolocation assessment result indicates that the utility vehicle is currently not within the early charge termination geographic area, and the battery being charged to a second charge threshold when the geolocation assessment result indicates that the utility vehicle is currently within the early charge termination geographic area, the second charge threshold being different from the first charge threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first charge threshold is a first amount of charge; and

wherein the second charge threshold is a second amount of charge that is lower than the first amount of charge.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first amount of charge is a first percentage of battery capacity; and

wherein the second amount of charge is a second percentage of battery capacity the that is lower than the first percentage of battery capacity.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the battery is constructed and arranged to operate as a traction power source that provides electric power for utility vehicle propulsion.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein charge control circuitry is coupled with the battery, the charge control circuitry storing the first charge threshold as a maximum charge limit for the battery and being constructed and arranged to limit charging of the battery to the maximum charge limit; and

wherein charging the battery in accordance with the geolocation assessment result includes:

in response to the geolocation assessment result indicating that the utility vehicle is currently within the early charge termination geographic area, reconfiguring the charge control circuitry to use the second charge threshold as the maximum charge limit for the battery in place of the first charge threshold.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein generating the geolocation assessment result includes:

detecting that the utility vehicle currently resides within a geofence based on the geolocation signal, and

based on geofence data for the geofence, detecting that the geofence is an early charge termination type of geofence.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the geolocation signal includes a global positioning system (GPS) coordinate which identifies the current location of the utility vehicle; and

wherein detecting that the utility vehicle currently resides within the geofence includes:

ascertaining that the GPS coordinate is among a plurality of GPS coordinates defining the geofence.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein a GPS device couples with the charge control circuitry;

wherein ascertaining that the GPS coordinate is among the plurality of GPS coordinates defining the geofence and detecting that the geofence is the early charge termination type of geofence are performed within the GPS device; and

wherein reconfiguring the charge control circuitry includes:

providing a reconfiguration command from the GPS device to the charge control circuitry to override the first charge threshold with the second charge threshold.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the charge control circuitry resides within a motor controller constructed and arranged to operate a traction motor of the utility vehicle and a battery management system (BMS) constructed and arranged to manage access to the battery; and

wherein reconfiguring the charge control circuitry includes:

providing a reconfiguration command to the motor controller that directs the motor controller to use the second charge threshold as the maximum charge limit for the battery in place of the first charge threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the motor controller couples with the BMS via a controller area network (CAN) bus; and

wherein providing the reconfiguration command to the motor controller causes the motor controller to broadcast a CAN message on the CAN bus to the BMS directing the BMS to terminate charging of the battery when the motor controller senses that the battery has charged to the second charge threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein providing the reconfiguration command to the motor controller further causes the BMS to provide a charge termination signal to a battery charger that charges the battery, the charge termination signal directing the battery charger to terminate charging of the battery.

12. The method of claim 10 providing the reconfiguration command to the motor controller that directs the motor controller to use the second charge threshold as the maximum charge limit for the battery in place of the first charge threshold occurs while the utility vehicle is stationary and the BMS is providing access to the battery to enable battery charging.

13. A utility vehicle, comprising:

a battery management system (BMS) having a lithium battery;

a utility vehicle propulsion system constructed and arranged to provide utility vehicle propulsion using electric power from the lithium battery; and

electronic circuitry coupled with the BMS and the utility vehicle propulsion system, the electronic circuitry being constructed and arranged to perform a method of:

receiving a geolocation signal which identifies a current location of the utility vehicle,

generating a geolocation assessment result indicating whether the utility vehicle is currently within an early charge termination geographic area based on the geolocation signal, and

charging the battery in accordance with the geolocation assessment result, the battery being charged to a first charge threshold when the geolocation assessment result indicates that the utility vehicle is currently not within the early charge termination geographic area, and the battery being charged to a second charge threshold when the geolocation assessment result indicates that the utility vehicle is currently within the early charge termination geographic area, the second charge threshold being different from the first charge threshold.

14. The utility vehicle of claim 13 wherein the utility vehicle propulsion system includes charge control circuitry coupled with the battery, the charge control circuitry storing the first charge threshold as a maximum charge limit for the battery and being constructed and arranged to limit charging of the battery to the maximum charge limit; and

wherein charging the battery in accordance with the geolocation assessment result includes:

in response to the geolocation assessment result indicating that the utility vehicle is currently within the early charge termination geographic area, reconfiguring the charge control circuitry to use the second charge threshold as the maximum charge limit for the battery in place of the first charge threshold.

15. The utility vehicle of claim 14 wherein generating the geolocation assessment result includes:

detecting that the utility vehicle currently resides within a geofence based on the geolocation signal, and

based on geofence data for the geofence, detecting that the geofence is an early charge termination type of geofence.

16. The utility vehicle of claim 15 wherein the first charge threshold is a first amount of charge; and

wherein the second charge threshold is a second amount of charge that is lower than the first amount of charge.

17. The utility vehicle of claim 15 , further comprising:

a set of ground engagement members;

wherein the utility vehicle propulsion system includes:

an electric motor constructed and arranged to operate the set of ground engagement members, and

a motor controller coupled with the electronic circuitry, the motor controller including the charge control circuitry.

18. Electronic circuitry to charge a battery of a utility vehicle, the electronic circuitry comprising:

a communications interface constructed and arranged to couple with charge control circuitry and the battery of the utility vehicle; and

a controller coupled with the communications interface, the controller being constructed and arranged to perform a method of:

receiving a geolocation signal which identifies a current location of the utility vehicle,

generating a geolocation assessment result indicating whether the utility vehicle is currently within an early charge termination geographic area based on the geolocation signal, and

via communication through the communications interface, charging the battery in accordance with the geolocation assessment result, the battery being charged to a first charge threshold when the geolocation assessment result indicates that the utility vehicle is currently not within the early charge termination geographic area, and the battery being charged to a second charge threshold when the geolocation assessment result indicates that the utility vehicle is currently within the early charge termination geographic area, the second charge threshold being different from the first charge threshold.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (53)