FORM 2
THE PATENT ACT, 1970,
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULE, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(SEE SECTION 10; RULE 13)
"INTELLIGENT ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AUTOMOTIVE
VEHICLE"
MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA LIMITED
AN INDIAN COMPANY,
R&D CENTER, AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR,
89, M.I.D.C, SATPUR,
NASHIK - 422 007,
MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES AND ASCERTAINS THE NATURE OF THIS INVENTION AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:-
The present invention is related to automotive vehicle system. More particularly the present invention is related to electrical energy management in a vehicle through a novel architecture.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:-
Automotive vehicles powered by combustion engines typically include alternator and battery. Alternator remains mechanically coupled to the engine and generate electrical energy for powering the electrical/electronic systems connected to it in the vehicle and also charge the battery. The battery is used for starting the engine and to power the electrical system when the alternator is not generating the power (e.g. engine stopped on a traffic signal with head lamps on) or alternator power generation is not sufficient for the electrical/electronic loads. Alternator is used for charging the battery also.
In modern cars, many electrical and electronic loads are present and remain energized by alternator and/or battery. Alternators remain coupled to the engine which acts as additional load on the engine leading to significant fuel consumption. There are some driving situations during which if alternator is electrically decoupled, would lead to improvement in fuel economy and better vehicle acceleration. Also during braking, alternator derives its energy from the wheels and therefore generation can be increased and charge stored in the battery without additional fuel consumption. Also battery needs to be maintained at optimal charge levels so as to prevent breakdown and have improved life of battery.
Conventionally, the voltage at which alternator generates remains fixed (say 14 ± 0.2 volts). In certain type of these alternators, a temperature compensation of certain voltage (say 10 mV / deg) is also present. However there are few kinds of alternators available in which the generation voltage can be controlled

from external controller through signals such as Pulse Width Modulation Signals or Local Interconnect Network communication.
As available in typical prior arts for such systems, the energy management functionalities are integrated in the Engine Management System ECU or in a separate control unit which receives information on vehicle state (directly through sensors/switches and/or network protocols) and battery management/monitoring sensor.
An example, In-vehicle battery monitor based alternator system is disclosed in patent No. US0153864. The condition of a battery is determined by making an initial assumption about a parameter of the battery, and modifying the assumed battery during charging, discharging and/or idle periods. A battery condition is determined as a ratio of two quantities. The battery monitor includes a microprocessor coupled to voltage sensor and current sensor. Microprocessor also includes one or more inputs and outputs coupled to alternator to provide a control output to alternator in response to inputs. Further, microprocessor can raise the output voltage form alternator in accordance with an inverse relationship to the state of charge of battery.
Another example of Energy management system for automotive vehicle is described in Patent No. US0024061. A battery monitor is provided for use with a battery of an automotive vehicle. The battery monitor can provide real time battery condition measurements and can selectively control the charging of the battery through an alternator of the vehicle based upon the measured battery condition. A battery charging system controller is provided which monitors the condition of the battery under charge and controls the charging system in response to the condition of the battery. Here two couplings are provided to the positive and negative terminals of battery. This allows one of the electrical connections on each side of the battery to carry large amounts of current while the other pair of connections is used to obtain accurate voltage readings.

Unlike an integrated battery monitor system, automotive vehicle electrical system diagnostic device is shown in patent No. US0038637 in which the battery monitor is installed in a vehicle electrical system. A single shunt current sensor is inserted in one of the primary battery cables and a control line provided to allow control of alternator. The battery monitor is a separate, self-sufficient and self-contained monitor which operates without requiring interaction with other components of the vehicle.
Patent No. US6331762 states that a battery monitor is provided for use with a battery of an automotive vehicle. The battery monitor can provide real time battery condition measurements and can selectively control the charging of the battery through an alternator of the vehicle based upon the measured battery condition. But at the same time vehicle driving conditions to be observed to precisely decide alternator controlled parameters. Patent No. US7619417 talks about a battery monitoring system in which it combines electronic hardware and software to give logical and critical data to assess and control a battery-based-electrical system. This BMS can include processing circuitry and a method of monitoring a battery in an operating vehicle; but at the same time system should control alternator control parameters according to vehicle driving conditions. In patent No. US7688022, the battery sensor is mounted on the battery itself and energy management algorithms are also contained in the sensor itself, but the system is capable only to manage vehicle electrical loads; instead vehicle operating parameters.
But in the present invention, the Intelligent Energy Management System (IEM) consists of an integrated battery monitoring sensor and an intelligent alternator. The battery monitoring sensor contains battery state detection and energy management algorithms. Also the present invention performs in such a way that the control output from alternator charges battery when necessary, and only charges battery as much as is necessary. This charging technique increase battery life, lower component temperature of loads, increases the lifespan of loads, save fuel, driving pleasure and reliable start. Further, a visual aid is provided for driver to update him with present battery status. Energy

management module is coupled to alternator to provide a controlled output to alternator against given inputs, alone or in various functional combinations.
The high voltage across the battery is necessary when the battery's state of charge is low in order to rapidly recharge the battery. However, when the battery's state of charge is within an acceptable range (which occurs most of the time at normal driving speeds), the high voltage across the battery results in high l2R (resistive heating) losses within the battery resulting in waste of energy, heating of the battery causing premature battery failure, gassing of the battery also resulting premature failure and heating of electrical components causes premature component failure.
For the above mentioned application, it is necessary for the system to be able to accurately measure the State of Charge (SOC), State of Health (SOH) and State of Function (SOF). The prior art approaches have a number of drawbacks. Typical prior art charging systems have been a simple voltage regulator connected to the output of an alternator. The voltage regulator is used to set a voltage generated by the alternator which is applied to the battery. However, this simple technique does not take into account the actual condition of the battery as the voltage across the battery is not an accurate representation of the battery's condition. Additionally, such systems do not provide any information about the use of the battery, or the battery's current state of charge or state of health.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION:-
A basic objective of the present invention is to provide an intelligent electrical energy management system for the automotive vehicle.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an intelligent electrical energy management system for the automotive vehicle comprising battery monitoring sensor which receives/communicates information with an intelligent alternator and engine management system.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide an intelligent electrical energy management system for the automotive vehicle wherein the system controls the charging of the battery in response to the condition of the battery and various vehicle functional combinations.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an intelligent electrical energy management system for the automotive vehicle wherein the battery charging technique provides a feedback mechanism in which the state of charge of battery and battery temperature are used to control the charging of battery.
STATEMENT OF INVENTION:-
Accordingly the invention provides an intelligent energy management system in automotive vehicle comprises a battery is coupled to the vehicle load and to a LIN (Local Inter connect Network) alternator; the said alternator on demand electrically coupled to an engine; the said engine provided with an engine control unit (ECU) of engine management system to charge battery and provide power to loads during operation; an energy manager module having a microchip with embedded software based on algorithm as herein described coupled to the said alternator and the said engine control unit by LIN to provide a control output to alternator in response to inputs, alone or in various functional combinations so that the said energy manager monitors state of charge , health and function of battery, and accordingly allow battery charging by alternator if required by electrically coupling the alternator to engine or when battery on charge decouple alternator from engine if battery is fully charged or by sensing the health of battery keep coupled/decoupled alternator during braking of vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES:-
Figure 1 shows simplified block diagram of intelligent energy management system in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 2 shows the mounting location of battery monitoring sensor directly on the negative pole of the battery.
Figure 3 shows the Engine management system with energy manager and intelligent alternator as per the present invention.
Figure 4 shows working flow chart of the intelligent energy management system.
Figure 5 shows the vehicle speed and alternate voltage setpoint as per the present invention.
Figure 6 shows the graph of internal resistance and temperature as per the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION:-
Referring to Figure 1, intelligent energy management systems (1) for an automotive vehicle comprises of an energy manager module (2) which in turn includes battery sensor in accordance with the present invention; a battery (3) is coupled to the vehicle load and to a LIN (local inter connect network) alternator (4); an alternator (4) coupled to an engine (5) and is used to charge battery (3) and provide power to loads during operation. The energy manager (2) is coupled to alternator (4) to provide a control output to alternator (4) in response to inputs, alone or in various functional combinations. The said alternator (4) is an intelligent alternator.

The said energy manager module having a microchip with embedded software as per the al to enable carry out functions as illustrated in figure 3 and 4.
The algorithm of the said embedded software is based the functional features required by the intelligent energy management system according to invention.
• To predict the cranking ability of the battery, quantified with the expected minimal start voltage.
• To predict the expected minimal start voltage, SOC, internal resistance of the battery, and resistance of the starter.
• To predict the starting capabilities of a starter motor of vehicle, by comparing the amount of current measured by current sensor which has been previously been required to start the engine of vehicle for a particular temperature, if the current state of charge of the battery for the current state of health at the current temperature will be sufficient to provide enough minimal voltage to start the engine.
• To predict what amount of minimal voltage if the amount of current
required to start the engine has been increasing with time,
• To increase set voltage of intelligent alternator during deceleration/braking to recover energy during deceleration/braking.
• to be able to accurately measure the State of Charge (SOC), State of Health (SOH) and State of Function (SOF) of the battery..
• To provide optimum cranking pleasure by controlling initial output of the alternator and it never lead to overcharging and thus avoids heating/gassing of the battery.
• To reduce the voltage output from alternator as the state of charge of battery increase to 100% and increases the alternator voltage as state of charge of battery goes below the calibratable threshold.
In order to efficiently measure the battery voltage, current and temperature, the IBS (Intelligent battery sensor) module (2) is directly connected to and supplied from the battery (3). It is located directly on the negative pole (6) of the battery as shown in Figure 2. The supply of the IBS module (2) is coming from the positive pole of the battery terminal. The data communication between the IBS

module (2) and the vehicle level ECU (engine control unit) (5) is done via a LIN interface as shown in Figure 1.
The energy manager (2) may be physically attached to the negative pole of the battery to be monitored; the battery voltage is measured directly at the positive terminal of the battery. The current sensor comprises a resistance shunt (7) as shown in Figure 2 and current through the shunt is determined by measuring the voltage drop across the shunt. The battery current is measured via a low-ohmic shunt (7) resistor connected between the negative pole (6) of the battery and the chassis ground of the car.
A temperature sensor is provided which is an integral part of the energy module (2) can be coupled directly to negative terminal (6) of the battery for measuring battery temperature. The temperature sensor is used in determining the condition of the battery, as battery condition is a function of temperature and can be used in estimating the amount of power which will be required to start the engine of the vehicle.
It is an advanced embodiment, energy manager module (2) predicts the cranking ability of the battery, is quantified with the expected minimal start voltage. For predicting the expected minimal start voltage, SOC, internal resistance of the battery, and resistance of the starter are considered. The performance and any degradation in the starter motor is also taken into account to predict the starting capabilities of a starter motor of vehicle. For example, by comparing the amount of current measured by current sensor which has been previously been required to start the engine of vehicle for a particular temperature, microchip can determine if the current state of charge of the battery for the current state of health at the current temperature will be sufficient to provide enough minimal voltage to start the engine. For example, if the amount of current required to start the engine has been increasing with time, microchip can extrapolate and predict what amount of minimal voltage required to start the engine in future.

Referring to Figure 5, energy manager module (2) reduces the voltage output from alternator as the vehicle state is 'Vehicle acceleration'. The alternator set point voltage increases gradually to a higher calibratable threshold as the vehicle state is 'Vehicle Deceleration'. Also as illustrated in Figure 6, SOC of battery is getting decreased as the internal resistance of the battery and temperature is getting increased. Microchip reduces the voltage output from alternator as the state of charge of battery increase to 100% and increases the alternator voltage as state of charge of battery goes below the calibratable threshold.
The energy management module (2) characterized in such way that it increases set voltage of alternator during deceleration/braking to recover energy during deceleration/braking. The circuitry includes a current shunt to measure current flow through an electrical conductor coupled to the battery. The system provide optimum cranking pleasure by controlling initial output of the alternator and it never lead to overcharging and thus avoids heating/gassing of the battery.
The system is provided with a sensor for monitoring the condition of the battery, comprising an integrated micro chip incorporated on the manganin shunt which is used for the precision measurement of battery current. Also the sensor ensures the maximum precision of the current, voltage, temperature, State of Charge, Stat of Health and State of Function.
In this novel system of energy management, battery is coupled to the vehicle load and to an alternator. Alternator couples to an engine of the vehicle and is used to charge battery and provide power to loads. The energy management system includes battery monitoring sensor and is coupled to alternator. Battery Monitor sensor controls the alternator set voltage based on various vehicle & battery states. Energy management module also includes more inputs and outputs illustrated as I/O adapted to couple to data bus associated with the vehicle. Further, a user input/output (I/O) is provided for providing interaction with a vehicle operator. Further, IEM can raise the output voltage from

alternator in accordance with an inverse relationship to the state of charge of battery. This is configured in such way that alternator only charges battery when necessary, and only charges battery as much as is necessary. A robust micro-ohm shunt is used to measure the current while providing low voltage drop and significant current carrying capacity. Also an inbuilt temperature sensor is provided which can be coupled directly to one of the terminals of the battery for measuring battery temperature. A thermistor based temperature is used in determining the condition of the battery, as battery condition is a function of temperature and can be used in estimating the amount of power which will be required to start the engine of the vehicle. In one aspect of the invention, the battery monitor performs a state of charge measurement, in real time and automatically corrects for the state of health of the battery and the battery temperature
ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION:-
The intelligent energy management system offers following advantages over the conventional method
1. The Battery monitoring sensor is not a separate, it is an integral and self-contained part of the energy management system thus making the system compact.
2. The system makes it possible to recover energy during vehicle deceleration/braking by intelligently controlling the alternator.
3. The location of Energy management module is on the negative pole of the battery and also it takes power directly from the battery, so there is no requirement exclusively for powering the module.
4. Lower cost as compared to the conventional energy management system required for controlling the charge of the alternator.
5. The system is light in weight.
6. The battery monitor sensor of the system has better accuracy as compared to the conventional sensor hence is very reliable.

7. intelligent energy management system increases battery life, the fuel economy of the vehicle, ensures reliable start and improving driving pleasure.
8. The system recuperates/recovers energy during braking/deceleration by increasing the set point voltage for a predefined duration of time also cut's off the alternator electrically from charging the battery at selected conditions by shutting off the field current in the alternator.
9. Communication response is fast between alternator and energy management system.
10.The system ensures reduction in downtime due to battery failures.
11.The system is very cost.competitive, as battery monitoring sensor and
energy management system are packaged together. 12. The system avoids heating/gassing of the battery due overcharging as it
governs alternator output based on battery state. 13.As the system contain the energy management algorithms separately
from engine control unit, which gives the flexibility to use the system with
different ECUs.

WE CLA1M:-
1. An intelligent energy management system in automotive vehicle comprises a battery is coupled to the vehicle load and to a LIN (Local Inter connect Network) alternator ; the said alternator on demand electrically coupled to an engine; the said engine provided with an engine control unit (ECU) of engine management system to charge battery and provide power to loads during operation; an energy manager module having a microchip with embedded software based on algorithm as herein described coupled to the said alternator and the said engine control unit by LIN to provide a control output to alternator in response to inputs, alone or in various functional combinations so that the said energy manager monitors state of charge , health and function of battery, and accordingly allow battery charging by alternator if required by electrically coupling the alternator to engine or when battery on charge decouple alternator from engine if battery is fully charged or by sensing the health of battery keep coupled/decoupled alternator during braking of vehicle.
2. An energy management system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said alternator is an intelligent alternator.
3. An energy management system as claimed in claims 1 and 2 wherein the said energy manager is mounted on the negative terminal and power supply coming from positive terminal of said battery respectively.
4. An energy management system as claimed in claims 1 to 3 wherein the said energy manager is having current sensor comprises a resistance shunt to measure the battery current between negative pole and chassis of vehicle.
5. An energy management system as claimed in claims 1 to 4 wherein a temperature sensor provide in the energy manager as an integral part of energy manager connected to the negative terminal of said battery.
6. An energy management system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the said temperature sensor is a thermistor.

7. An energy management system as claimed in claims 1 to 6 wherein the said sensor for monitoring the condition of the battery, comprising an integrated micro chip incorporated on the manganin shunt which is used for the precision measurement of battery condition such as current, voltage, temperature, State of Charge, Stat of Health and State of Function.
8. An energy management system as claimed in claims 1 to 7 wherein the said energy management module also includes more inputs and outputs illustrated as I/O adapted to couple to data bus associated with the vehicle.
9. An energy management system as claimed in claims 1 to 8 wherein the said energy management module further includes a user input/output (I/O) provided for providing interaction with a vehicle operator.