CN-121973626-A - Modular expandable platform region architecture for electric vehicles

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a modular expandable platform region architecture for an electric vehicle. An advanced integrated energy storage and distribution system for an electric vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a rear centralized area architecture, event driven power supply, integrated vehicle core hardware control, high voltage stack with low voltage body control, functionally redundant low voltage architecture, DCFC disconnect contactor control for enhanced safety, and the like. The integrated system significantly reduces complexity, improves packaging, enhances reliability, increases safety, and provides functional redundancy compared to conventional designs. The integration of these innovations enables an efficient, safe, and cost-effective power management solution for electric vehicles.

Inventors

• S. K. Sugatapara
• K. Lobo
• G. M. Feinberg
• J. D. Simmel Heber
• M.Hong
• L.P.Huang
• Bottes, F.F.
• R. Wannara

Assignees

• 瑞维安知识产权控股有限责任公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20251024

Priority Date

20250522

Claims (20)

1. 1. A power management compartment of a vehicle, the power management compartment comprising: A high voltage battery pack; a DC-DC converter; A low voltage battery; an electronic control unit configured to integrate battery management system functions, and A power distribution unit, wherein the power distribution unit distributes power to a front region of the vehicle through a separate power path.
2. 2. The power management compartment of claim 1, wherein the power management compartment is located at a rear of the vehicle.
3. 3. The power management compartment of claim 1, wherein the low voltage battery is directly connected to the electronic control unit for voltage and current monitoring.
4. 4. The power management compartment of claim 1, further comprising an adaptive power routing system configured to: Detecting a fault in the power distribution unit; Reconfiguring power routing to maintain critical functionality in response to a detected failure, or The non-critical loads are selectively shut off to ensure sufficient power is available to the base system.
5. 5. The power management compartment of claim 1, wherein critical vehicle functions are broken between components powered by the left side power path and components powered by the right side power path to provide functional redundancy.
6. 6. The power management compartment of claim 1, wherein the power management compartment is located under a second row of seats of the vehicle or in a crash protected area.
7. 7. The power management compartment of claim 1, wherein the low voltage battery has a voltage in the range of 9 volts to 16 volts.
8. 8. A method of achieving breaking contactor control in an electric vehicle, the method comprising: receiving a request to initiate charging of a high voltage battery pack; verifying a set of charging conditions by a first microcontroller unit (MCU) and a second MCU of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU); determining, by the first MCU and the second MCU, whether to connect an external power source to the high voltage battery pack based on the verified charging condition, and And when the first MCU and the second MCU confirm that the charging condition is met, starting a main charging contactor.
9. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of charging conditions comprises: Verifying that the correct type of charger is connected; confirming that the high-voltage battery pack is in a state of being charged; Checking whether there is no fault condition in the battery pack and the charging system, and Verify that the precharge circuit has a properly balanced voltage.
10. 10. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising: detecting a problem by one of the first MCU or the second MCU during a charging process, and In response to the detected problem, the primary charging contactor is opened.
11. 11. The method of claim 8, the method further comprising: distinguishing between Alternating Current (AC) charging and Direct Current (DC) charging, and Based on the charging type, power is routed.
12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein routing the power comprises directly connecting the external power source to the high voltage battery pack for DC fast charging.
13. 13. The method of claim 11, wherein routing the power comprises connecting the external power source to an on-board charger for AC-DC conversion.
14. 14. The method of claim 8, further comprising breaking the contactor control system via a software update to accommodate a new charging standard or safety protocol.
15. 15. An apparatus for effecting breaking contactor control in an electric vehicle, the apparatus comprising: One or more of the processors of the present invention, the one or more processors are configured to: receiving a request to initiate charging of a high voltage battery pack; verifying a set of charging conditions by a first microcontroller unit (MCU) and a second MCU of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU); Determining, by the first MCU and the second MCU, whether to connect an external power source to the high voltage battery pack based on the verified set of charging conditions, and When both the first MCU and the second MCU confirm that the charging condition is satisfied, a main charging contactor is enabled.
16. 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors configured to verify the set of charging conditions are further configured to: Verifying that the correct type of charger is connected; confirming that the high-voltage battery pack is in a state of being charged; Checking whether there is no fault condition in the battery pack and the charging system, and Verify that the precharge circuit has a properly balanced voltage.
17. 17. The device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: detecting a problem by one of the first MCU or the second MCU during a charging process, and In response to the detected problem, the primary charging contactor is opened.
18. 18. The device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: distinguishing between Alternating Current (AC) charging and Direct Current (DC) charging, and Based on the charging type, power is routed.
19. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein properly routing power comprises directly connecting the external power source to the high voltage battery pack for DC fast charging.
20. 20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein properly routing power includes connecting the external power source to an on-board charger for AC-DC conversion.

Description

Modular expandable platform region architecture for electric vehicles Cross Reference to Related Applications The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 63/712,996, entitled "MODULAR SCALABLE PLATFORM ZONAL ARCHITECTURE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE (modular expandable platform area architecture for electric vehicles)" filed on month 10 and 28 of 2024, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background The present application relates to power and feature management systems for electric vehicles, such as a regional integrated energy storage and distribution architecture that combines multiple features associated with an electrified vehicle. Disclosure of Invention The disclosed subject matter provides a regional architecture for power distribution and other designs that can allow redundancy in power distribution and feature functions. Drawings Certain features of the subject technology are set forth in the following claims. However, for purposes of explanation, several embodiments of the subject technology are set forth in the following figures. Fig. 1A illustrates an exemplary top view of a vehicle having regional power distribution as described herein. Fig. 1B illustrates an exemplary side view of a vehicle having regional power distribution as described herein. Fig. 2A illustrates an example block diagram of a system with regional power distribution as described herein. Fig. 2B illustrates an example block diagram of a system with regional power distribution as described herein. Fig. 2C illustrates an example detailed portion of the block diagram of fig. 2B. Fig. 2D illustrates an example detailed portion of the block diagram of fig. 2B. Fig. 3 illustrates an example block diagram of a system with regional power distribution as described herein. Fig. 4 illustrates an example block diagram of a system with regional power distribution as described herein. FIG. 5 illustrates an example method for implementing event-driven power supply. Fig. 6 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of components or functions of a vehicle. Fig. 7 illustrates an example method for implementing a breaking contactor control. Detailed Description The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the subject technology may be practiced. The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, it will be apparent to and clear to one skilled in the art that the subject technology is not limited to the specific details set forth herein and that the subject technology may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the subject technology. Conventional electric vehicle power systems typically use distributed components, resulting in increased complexity, increased wiring, and reduced reliability. More integrated and centralized architecture is needed to improve efficiency, reduce cost, enhance security, and provide functional redundancy. Current systems often have difficulty achieving optimal power distribution, safety during charging, and efficient packaging of components. The disclosed subject matter may address these challenges through comprehensive, integrated approaches. The disclosed subject matter introduces an advanced integrated energy storage and distribution system for electric vehicles featuring a number of innovations. The plurality of innovations may include a rear centralized area architecture designed for low cost electric vehicles, event-driven power supply to different vehicle areas, and integrated vehicle core hardware control for managing high voltage batteries and critical core functions. The system may include a high voltage bank with low voltage body control, a functionally redundant low voltage architecture between the left and right sides of the vehicle, or direct current quick charge (DCFC) breaking contactor control for enhanced safety. These innovations may reduce complexity, improve packaging, enhance reliability, increase safety, or provide functional redundancy when compared to conventional designs. Fig. 1A illustrates an example top view of a vehicle 300. As further described herein, the vehicle 300 may include an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) (e.g., ECU 10 and ECU 20) in the front portion 330 of the vehicle 300, an ECU (e.g., ECU 30) in the rear portion 340 of the vehicle 300, a power management compartment 51, an axial-flux motor 43, or a low-voltage (LV) battery 60 (e.g., a 12V battery), and so forth. The area associated with each ECU may be based on proximity. In an example, if components are geographically clos