JP-7856726-B2 - Flexible battery system for vehicles

Inventors

• オレンダー・ジョセフ
• サンダース・クリストファー・スコット
• ウォン・デレク

Assignees

• キティー・ホーク・コーポレーション

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20241022

Priority Date

20190830

Claims (2)

1. It is a system, Multiple batteries that supply power to multiple motors within the vehicle, Battery configuration controller, Equipped with, The aforementioned battery configuration controller is The vehicle receives wind speed while in operation, Using the model, predict which of the multiple motors will require more power , based at least partially on the received wind speed and the desired vehicle speed. A configuration instruction is received that is associated with configuring the plurality of batteries, and the configuration instruction is determined at least in part based on a prediction of which motor among the plurality of motors requires more power . The plurality of batteries are configured as specified by the configuration instruction, The system comprises a plurality of configurations, including (1) a first configuration in which at least a portion of the plurality of batteries are electrically connected in parallel, and (2) a second configuration in which at least a portion of the plurality of batteries are electrically connected in series.
2. It is a method, The vehicle receives wind speed while in operation. Using the model, based at least partially on the received wind speed and the desired vehicle speed, it is predicted which of the multiple motors will require more power . A configuration command is received that is associated with configuring multiple batteries to supply power to the multiple motors in the vehicle, and the configuration command is determined at least in part on a prediction of which of the multiple motors requires more power . The configuration includes configuring the plurality of batteries as specified by the configuration instruction, A method wherein the plurality of batteries are configured in a plurality of configurations, including (1) a first configuration in which at least a portion of the plurality of batteries are electrically connected in parallel, and (2) a second configuration in which at least a portion of the plurality of batteries are electrically connected in series.

Description

New types of battery-powered vehicles are being developed with new designs and/or configurations. For example, Kitty Hawk has developed a battery-powered multirotor that can take off and/or land on water as needed. There is a need for new types of battery systems and/or architectures that function within the framework or constraints of such new vehicle designs and/or configurations, and that further improve certain aspects of vehicle utilization and/or management. Various embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. A perspective view showing one embodiment of a battery-powered vehicle. A side view showing one embodiment of a battery-powered vehicle. A flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the process for configuring multiple batteries to supply power to multiple motors within a vehicle. A diagram showing one embodiment of a flexible battery system. A diagram showing one embodiment of a flexible battery system in which the battery and motor are configured in parallel. A flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the process for configuring multiple batteries, such as by connecting at least several batteries in parallel, in response to a configuration command generated in anticipation of a vehicle's takeoff. A diagram showing one embodiment of a flexible battery system in which batteries are connected in series. A flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the process for configuring multiple batteries, such as by connecting at least some batteries in series, in response to a configuration instruction generated with the expectation of charging multiple batteries. A diagram showing one embodiment of a flexible battery system in which a faulty battery is isolated. A flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the process for configuring multiple batteries by isolating a faulty battery, etc. This diagram shows one embodiment of a flexible battery system in which one group of batteries is connected in series and another group of batteries is connected in parallel. A diagram showing one embodiment of a system comprising one or more motors of a first set powered by a first set of batteries, and one or more motors of a second set powered by one or more batteries of a second set. A flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the process for configuring one or more motors in a first set, powered by a first set of batteries, and one or more motors in a second set, powered by one or more batteries in a second set. The present invention can be implemented in various forms, including processes, apparatus, systems, material compositions, computer program products embodied on computer-readable storage media, and/or processors (processors configured to execute instructions stored and/or provided by memory connected to the processor). In this specification, these embodiments or any other forms the invention may take may be referred to as "technologies." Generally, the order of the disclosed processing steps may be modified within the scope of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, components such as processors or memory described as configured to perform a task may be implemented as general components temporarily configured to perform a task at a given time, or as specific components manufactured to perform a task. In this specification, the term "processor" refers to one or more devices, circuits, and/or processing cores configured to process data such as computer program instructions. The following provides a detailed description of one or more embodiments of the present invention, with reference to drawings illustrating the principles of the invention. While the present invention is described in relation to such embodiments, it is not limited to any of them. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the claims, and the invention includes many substitutes, variations, and equivalents. The following description includes many specific details to provide a complete understanding of the invention. These details are illustrative, and the invention can be implemented according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For simplicity, technical matters well known in the art related to the present invention are not described in detail to avoid complicating the invention unnecessarily. Various embodiments of flexible battery systems for use in or by a vehicle are described herein. In some embodiments, a configuration command is received (e.g., by a battery configuration controller) associated with configuring multiple batteries to power multiple motors in a vehicle. The multiple batteries are configured as specified by the configuration command, where the multiple batteries can be configured in multiple configurations including (1) a first configuration in which at least some of the multiple batteries are electrically connected in parallel, and (2) a second configuration in which at least some of the multiple batteries are electricall