US 12,240,340 B2
Controlling electrical access to a lithium battery on a utility vehicle
Arthur James Harvey, Beech Island, SC (US); Norman R. Padgett, Evans, GA (US); John Ledden, Augusta, GA (US); Robert Charles Bradley, Augusta, GA (US); and Patrick Dwaine Warden, Evans, GA (US)
Assigned to Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed on Nov. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/519,788.
Application 18/519,788 is a continuation of application No. 17/715,265, filed on Apr. 7, 2022.
Application 17/715,265 is a continuation of application No. 16/713,554, filed on Dec. 13, 2019, granted, now 11,325,482.
Application 16/713,554 is a continuation of application No. 16/407,329, filed on May 9, 2019, granted, now 10,933,755, issued on Mar. 2, 2021.
Application 16/407,329 is a continuation of application No. 15/395,245, filed on Dec. 30, 2016, granted, now 10,322,688, issued on Jun. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0092190 A1, Mar. 21, 2024
Int. Cl. B60L 7/12 (2006.01); B60L 1/00 (2006.01); B60L 53/00 (2019.01); B60L 53/50 (2019.01); B60L 58/10 (2019.01); B60R 16/033 (2006.01); H02P 1/02 (2006.01); H02P 3/06 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01); H02J 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60L 53/00 (2019.02) [B60L 1/00 (2013.01); B60L 7/12 (2013.01); B60L 53/50 (2019.02); B60L 58/10 (2019.02); B60R 16/033 (2013.01); H02P 1/022 (2013.01); H02P 3/06 (2013.01); B60L 2240/80 (2013.01); B60L 2250/26 (2013.01); B60W 2510/08 (2013.01); H02J 7/0025 (2020.01); H02J 7/00711 (2020.01); H02J 7/00712 (2020.01); H02J 9/005 (2013.01); Y02T 10/70 (2013.01); Y02T 10/7072 (2013.01); Y02T 10/72 (2013.01); Y02T 10/92 (2013.01); Y02T 90/14 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A utility vehicle, comprising:
a lithium battery constructed and arranged to store electric power;
an electric motor coupled with one or more ground engaging members; and
a motor controller coupled with the lithium battery and the electric motor, the motor controller being constructed and arranged to operate in (i) a normal mode in which the motor controller provides electric power from the lithium battery to the electric motor to turn the one or more ground engaging members, and (ii) a walkaway mode in which the motor controller configures the electric motor to provide braking torque;
wherein the motor controller is further constructed and arranged to enter the walkaway mode when a keyed switch of the utility vehicle is set to an OFF position, the keyed switch being electronically coupled with a battery management system (BMS) of the lithium battery; and
wherein the utility vehicle further comprises:
a timer circuit constructed and arranged to (i) track vehicle idle time while the keyed switch is set to the OFF position and (ii) output a sleep event signal to interrupt power to and disable the motor controller when the vehicle idle time reaches an idle time threshold.