Granted Patent B2

US 8,265,821 · App. 12/253,214 · Granted Sep 11, 2012

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. A method for determining a circuit voltage level across an electrical circuit of a powertrain, the method comprising:

measuring a plurality of voltage levels comprising first, second and third voltage levels each variously corresponding to respective ones of a voltage level measured across a battery of the electric circuit, a voltage level measured across an inverter of the electric circuit and a voltage level measured across a ground wire of a voltage divider of the electric circuit and a terminal of the battery of the electric circuit;

utilizing a comparison test between at least two of the first, second and third voltage levels of the plurality of voltage levels to determine the circuit voltage level; and

controlling power transfer within the powertrain based on at least the determined circuit voltage level.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level of the plurality of voltage levels; and

determining the circuit voltage level as the first voltage level when the difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level is less than a threshold voltage level.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining an invalid first voltage level if the difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level is greater than the threshold voltage level.

4. A method for determining a circuit voltage level across an electrical circuit of a powertrain, the method comprising:

measuring a plurality of voltage levels;

utilizing a comparison test between at least two voltage levels of the plurality of voltage levels to determine the circuit voltage level;

determining a difference between a first voltage level and a second voltage level of the plurality of voltage levels;

determining a difference between the first voltage level and a third voltage level of the plurality of voltage levels;

determining the circuit voltage level as the first voltage level if either the difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level is less than a first threshold voltage level or the difference between the first voltage level and the third voltage level is less than a second threshold voltage level; and

controlling power transfer within the powertrain based on at least the determined circuit voltage level.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage level of the plurality of voltage levels is measured across one of the inverter and the battery of the electric circuit.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage level of the plurality of voltage levels is measured across the ground wire of the voltage divider of the electric circuit and the terminal of the battery of the electric circuit.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage level and the second voltage level of the plurality of voltage levels are measured at different locations of the electric circuit.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage level and the second voltage level are provided to a controller along different communication busses.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising controlling charging of the battery of the powertrain based on the determined circuit voltage level.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising controlling a torque level generated by the powertrain based on the determined circuit voltage level.

11. A method for determining a circuit voltage level across an electrical circuit of a powertrain, the method comprising:

measuring a first plurality of voltage levels;

utilizing a difference between at least two voltage levels of the first plurality of voltage levels to determine a first circuit voltage level;

measuring a second plurality of voltage levels;

utilizing a difference between at least two voltage levels of a second plurality of voltage levels to determine a second circuit voltage level; and

controlling power transfer within the powertrain based on one of the determined first circuit voltage level, the determined second circuit voltage level, and both the determined first circuit voltage level and the determined second circuit voltage level.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein controlling power transfer within the powertrain comprises controlling charging of a battery of the powertrain.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein controlling power transfer within the powertrain comprises controlling a torque level generated by the powertrain.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

controlling power transfer within the powertrain based on the determined first circuit voltage level when the second circuit voltage level is invalid.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

controlling power transfer within the powertrain based an average of the determined first circuit voltage level and the determined second circuit voltage level.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining a third circuit voltage level; and

controlling power transfer within the powertrain based on the third circuit voltage level, when the first circuit voltage level and the second circuit voltage level are invalid.

17. A method for determining a circuit voltage level across an electrical circuit of a powertrain, the method comprising:

determining a first circuit voltage level at a first controller and a second circuit voltage level at a second controller;

routing the determined first circuit voltage level from the first controller to a third controller;

routing the determined second circuit voltage level from the second controller to the third controller; and

controlling power transfer within the powertrain based on one of the determined first circuit voltage level, the determined second circuit voltage level, and both the determined first circuit voltage level and the determined second circuit voltage level.

18. The method of claim 17 , comprising controlling charging of a battery of the powertrain based on one of the determined first circuit voltage level, the determined second circuit voltage level, and both the determined first circuit voltage level and the determined second circuit voltage level.

19. The method of claim 17 , comprising controlling a torque level generated by the powertrain based on one of the determined first circuit voltage level, the determined second circuit voltage level, and both the determined first circuit voltage level and the determined second circuit voltage level.

Assignments (19)