US 11,813,946 B2
Fail operational vehicle power supply
Moritz Boecker, Millbrae, CA (US); Robert Ng, Mountain View, CA (US); Kyle Matthew Foley, Half Moon Bay, CA (US); Bryan Booth, San Francisco, CA (US); and Timothy David Kentley-Klay, Stanford, CA (US)
Assigned to Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed by Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 9, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/093,388.
Application 17/093,388 is a continuation of application No. 15/713,448, filed on Sep. 22, 2017, granted, now 10,829,066.
Prior Publication US 2021/0114536 A1, Apr. 22, 2021
Int. Cl. B60R 16/03 (2006.01); H02J 7/14 (2006.01); B60L 3/04 (2006.01); B60L 3/00 (2019.01); H02H 3/087 (2006.01); B60L 58/21 (2019.01); H02J 9/06 (2006.01); H02J 7/34 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01); H01M 50/597 (2021.01); B60R 16/04 (2006.01); H02H 7/26 (2006.01); B60R 16/033 (2006.01); H02H 7/18 (2006.01); H02H 7/28 (2006.01); H02H 3/033 (2006.01)
CPC B60L 3/0046 (2013.01) [B60L 3/04 (2013.01); B60L 58/21 (2019.02); B60R 16/03 (2013.01); B60R 16/04 (2013.01); H01M 50/597 (2021.01); H02H 3/087 (2013.01); H02J 7/0029 (2013.01); H02J 7/0047 (2013.01); H02J 7/1423 (2013.01); H02J 7/34 (2013.01); H02J 9/061 (2013.01); B60L 2240/549 (2013.01); B60R 16/033 (2013.01); H01M 2200/30 (2013.01); H01M 2220/20 (2013.01); H02H 3/033 (2013.01); H02H 7/18 (2013.01); H02H 7/268 (2013.01); H02H 7/28 (2013.01); H02J 2310/40 (2020.01); H02J 2310/46 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle comprising:
a body module;
a first drive module coupled to the body module, the first drive module configured to provide a first torque for propulsion of the vehicle, the first drive module comprising:
a first battery;
a first circuit element configured to electrically decouple the first battery from an electrical bus based at least in part on a first electrical current associated with the electrical bus meeting or exceeding a first threshold current; and
a second circuit element configured to electrically decouple the first battery from a first electrical load based at least in part on a second electrical current provided by the first battery meeting or exceeding a second threshold current; and
a second drive module coupled to the body module, the second drive module configured to provide a second torque for propulsion of the vehicle, the second drive module comprising:
a second battery;
a third circuit element configured to electrically decouple the second battery from the electrical bus based at least in part on a third electrical current associated with the electrical bus meeting or exceeding a third threshold current; and
a fourth circuit element configured to electrically decouple the second battery from a second electrical load based at least in part on a fourth electrical current provided by the second battery meeting or exceeding a fourth threshold current, wherein;
the first circuit element, the second circuit element, the third circuit element, and the fourth circuit element comprise switches,
the first drive module is further configured to provide the first torque for the propulsion of the vehicle in response to receiving an electrical power directly from at least one of the first battery and the second battery independently or simultaneously, and
the vehicle further comprises one or more processors configured to acuate the first circuit element, the second circuit element, the third circuit element, or the fourth circuit element to transmit the electrical power directly from the at least one of the first battery and the second battery independently or simultaneously to the first drive module, or to decouple the at least one of the first battery and the second battery from providing the electrical power to the first drive module.