US 12,191,688 B2
Systems and methods for increasing degraded torque availability
Antoine Fabien Dubois, Austin, TX (US); and Erik Santiago, La Tour du Crieu (FR)
Assigned to NXP B.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Filed by NXP B.V., Eindhoven (NL)
Filed on Apr. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/658,339.
Claims priority of application No. 21305449 (EP), filed on Apr. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0329085 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. H02J 7/00 (2006.01); B60L 3/00 (2019.01)
CPC H02J 7/0031 (2013.01) [B60L 3/0046 (2013.01); H02J 7/007 (2013.01); B60L 3/0092 (2013.01); B60L 2260/26 (2013.01); B60L 2270/20 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A battery management circuit for use in an electric vehicle and comprising:
a first output configured to provide a first control signal to a control input of a first contactor having a first terminal coupled to a high voltage battery supply node and a second terminal coupled to a first terminal of a direct current to direct current, DCDC, converter, wherein a second terminal of the DCDC converter is coupled to a low voltage battery supply node;
a second output configured to provide a second control signal to a control input of a second contactor having a first terminal coupled to the high voltage battery supply node and a second terminal coupled to a first terminal of an inverter for an electric motor, wherein the inverter includes a capacitor; and
a third output configured to provide a third control signal to a control input of a third contactor, wherein the third contactor has a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first contactor and to the first terminal of the DCDC converter, and has a second terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second contactor and to the first terminal of the inverter;
wherein the battery management circuit is configured to:
during a pre-charge mode, provide a pre-charge current path from the low voltage battery supply node, through the DCDC converter and the third contactor, to the inverter to pre-charge the capacitor in the inverter;
during a drive mode, provide a primary current path from the high voltage battery supply node, through the second contactor, to the inverter to power the electric motor; and
during the drive mode, in response to detecting a fault associated with the second contactor in which the primary current path becomes unavailable, enter a limp mode to provide a secondary current path from the high voltage battery supply node, through the third contactor, to the inverter to power the electric motor.