US 12,472,890 B2
Vehicular electrical system sharing primary power with upfit equipment
Stuart C. Salter, White Lake, MI (US); David Celinske, Wolverine Lake, MI (US); Zeljko Deljevic, Plymouth, MI (US); Todd Ansbacher, Westland, MI (US); and John Anthony DeMarco, Lake Orion, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Mar. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/119,354.
Prior Publication US 2024/0300426 A1, Sep. 12, 2024
Int. Cl. B60R 16/023 (2006.01); B60R 16/033 (2006.01); H01H 85/02 (2006.01); H02H 3/20 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 16/0238 (2013.01) [B60R 16/033 (2013.01); H01H 85/0241 (2013.01); H02H 3/202 (2013.01); H02H 3/207 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle comprising:
a primary electrical power source;
a start-up battery adapted to be recharged by the primary electrical power source;
a power distribution circuit defining a main power bus coupled to the primary electrical power source and configured to selectably couple the main power bus to a plurality of priority loads, wherein the power distribution circuit includes a solid-state relay configured to selectably couple the main power bus to the start-up battery;
an upfit subsystem coupled to a junction between the solid-state relay and the start-up battery, wherein the upfit subsystem includes a relay configured to selectably couple power received from the junction to at least one upfit load;
sensors for monitoring a first voltage at the junction and a second voltage at the main power bus;
a controller coupled to the sensors and configured to control opening and reclosing of the solid-state relay and to adjust the second voltage from the primary electrical power source to match the first voltage and to gradually increase the second voltage to a nominal value;
an isolation relay coupled between the junction and the upfit subsystem; and
a fuse coupled between the start-up battery and the junction configured to interrupt an output from the start-up battery based on the output current from the battery rising to a predetermined limit;
wherein the sensors further monitor the output current of the start-up battery;
wherein after reclosing the solid-state relay the controller is configured to open the isolation relay based on the output current of the start-up battery exceeding a predetermined threshold, wherein the predetermined threshold includes a value of current adapted to prevent the output current from the start-up battery from rising to the predetermined limit;
wherein the solid-state relay is configured to open based on an output current from the main power bus to the junction exceeding a tripping threshold; and
wherein the solid-state relay is configured to reclose after (A) the first voltage at the junction stabilizes at or above a predetermined voltage, and (B) the second voltage from the primary electrical power source at the main power bus is adjusted to match the first voltage.