# US 10,119,461 B2 · Method and system for freezing alternator node address

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- Number: US 10,119,461 B2
- Document ID: US10119461B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/602,543
- Filed: 2017-05-23
- Published: 2017-12-28
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-28
- Assignees: BorgWarner Inc.
- Applicants: BorgWarner Inc.
- Inventors: Timothy J. Alfermann
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119461B2

## CPC

- F02B 63/042: {Rotating electric generators}
- B60R 16/0215: {Protecting, fastening and routing means therefor}
- B60R 16/033: characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries (for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36)
- H02J 7/1423: {with multiple batteries}
- H02P 29/024: Detecting a fault condition, e.g. short circuit, locked rotor, open circuit or loss of load
- H02J 7/143: {with multiple generators}
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS

## Abstract

A vehicle system including a plurality of alternators with a common electrical connection interface having at least one connector and a digital communication connector through which a processor communicates with the alternators. Input signals received at the at least one connector are unique for each alternator under normal and unimpaired operating conditions. Upon wakeup of an alternator, the alternator assesses the input signals and whether the address of the alternator is frozen. If the address is not frozen, the status of at least one operating parameter is assessed to determine if a predefined requirement is satisfied. If the predefined requirement is satisfied, the alternator is assigned an address based upon the input signals at the at least one connector and the address is frozen. The alternator can detect faults by determining if the input signals at the least one connector agree with the frozen address of the alternator.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle charging system for use with a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, the system comprising:
a plurality of alternators, each of the alternators being operably coupled with the engine and the electrical system wherein each of the alternators are operable to convert mechanical energy from the engine to electrical current which is output to the vehicle charging system; each of the plurality of alternators having a common electrical connection interface that includes at least one connector and a digital communication connection;
a processor being operably coupled with the plurality of alternators through a communication line operably coupled with the digital communication connection of each of the plurality of alternators;
the at least one connector of each of the plurality of alternators being operably coupled with the vehicle wherein input signals for each of the at least one connector for each of the plurality of alternators are unique for each one of the plurality of alternators under normal and unimpaired operating conditions whereby a unique address is assignable to each of the plurality of alternators based upon the status of the input signals received by the plurality of alternators on the at least one connectors;
at least one sensor operably coupled with the vehicle for sensing at least one operating parameter of the vehicle; and
wherein the processor and the plurality of alternators are configured such that upon wakeup of an alternator, the alternator assesses the status of the input signals from the at least one connector and whether the address of the alternator is frozen; when the address of the alternator is not frozen upon wakeup, the status of the at least one operating parameter is assessed to determine whether a predefined requirement is satisfied, when the predefined requirement is satisfied, the alternator is assigned an address based upon the input signals at the at least one connector and the address is frozen.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein each of the alternators has a common design.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the at least one operating parameter includes a parameter that varies with the rotational speed of alternator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vehicle charging system of claim 3 wherein the at least one operating parameter that varies with the rotational speed of the alternator is the frequency of the phase voltage generated by the alternator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle includes an ignition switch having at least three positions that include an off position, a start position and an on position and wherein the predefined requirement requires that the ignition switch be in the on position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the predefined requirement requires that the voltage generated by the alternator remain within a predefined range for a predefined time period.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vehicle charging system of claim 6 wherein the vehicle includes an ignition switch having at least three positions that include an off position, a start position and an on position and wherein the predefined requirement requires that the ignition switch be in the on position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein one of the connectors of at least one alternator is in communication with a line extending between the at least one alternator and a vehicle battery.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein one of the connectors of at least one of the alternators is operably coupled with a line extending between the at least one alternator and a vehicle ground.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the at least one connector of each of the alternators includes at least a first connector and a second connector.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vehicle charging system of claim 10 wherein one of the first and second connectors of at least one alternator is in communication with a line extending between the at least one alternator and a vehicle battery; and one of the first and second connectors of at least one of the alternators is operably coupled with a line extending between the at least one alternator and a vehicle ground.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the processor and the plurality of alternators are configured such that, when assessment of the status of the at least one operating parameter determines that the predefined requirement is not satisfied, the alternator is assigned an unfrozen address based upon the input signals at the at least one connector and then continues to repeat the process for assessing the status of the at least one operating parameter and assigning either a frozen or unfrozen address to the alternator until the alternator is assigned a frozen address or the alternator enters a sleep condition.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The vehicle charging system of claim 12 wherein, when the address of the alternator is frozen, the alternator periodically determines the fault status of the at least one connector by determining whether the at least one connector is receiving signals in agreement with the frozen address of the alternator and communicating the fault status of the at least one connector to the processor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein, when the address of the alternator is frozen, the alternator periodically determines the fault status of the at least one connector by determining whether the at least one connector is receiving signals in agreement with the frozen address of the alternator.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The vehicle charging system of claim 14 wherein the alternator periodically communicates the fault status of the at least one connector to the processor when the alternator has a frozen address.