US 12,269,401 B2
Power management system for autonomous vehicles
Kaixin Zheng, San Diego, CA (US); Xiaoling Han, San Diego, CA (US); Zehua Huang, San Diego, CA (US); Yue Pan, San Diego, CA (US); and Zhaohan Jia, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to TUSIMPLE, INC., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by TuSimple, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/161,355.
Application 18/161,355 is a continuation of application No. 16/781,936, filed on Feb. 4, 2020, granted, now 11,597,337.
Prior Publication US 2023/0174005 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
Int. Cl. B60R 16/02 (2006.01); B60R 16/023 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2024.01); G07C 5/08 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 16/0232 (2013.01) [G07C 5/085 (2013.01); G05D 1/0088 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for managing power in a vehicle, comprising:
a power distribution unit located in the vehicle, comprising:
one or more output connectors configured to provide electrical power to one or more devices on or in the vehicle, wherein the one or more devices includes an in-vehicle computer located on or in the vehicle,
one or more relays electrically coupled to the one or more output connectors, and
one or more voltage sensors electrically coupled to the one or more output connectors; and
a power controller unit communicatively coupled to the power distribution unit and the in-vehicle computer, wherein the power controller unit comprises a microcontroller configured to:
receive a voltage value from a voltage sensor electrically coupled to a first output connector of the one or more output connectors;
determine that the received voltage value exceeds a threshold voltage;
in response to the received voltage value exceeding the threshold voltage:
send, to the power distribution unit, a first relay command to open a first relay of the one or more relays, wherein the first relay is electrically coupled to the first output connector,
receive, from the power distribution unit, a first relay status that includes an indication that the first relay is open, and
send, to the in-vehicle computer, a health status message that includes another indication that the received voltage value is outside of an acceptable level and that the first relay is open;
receive, from the in-vehicle computer, a request to open a second relay of the one or more relays, wherein the second relay is electrically coupled to a second output connector of the one or more output connectors, wherein the request is received in response to the second relay being associated with a device that is not used by the in-vehicle computer;
send, to the power distribution unit, a second relay command to open the second relay, wherein a charge of a battery is restored in response to the second relay being opened; and
send a third relay command to open a third relay of the one or more relays, wherein the third relay command is sent in response to a determination of the charge of the battery being below a threshold value.