# US 10,308,235 B2 · Off-board power transmission > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,235 B2 - Document ID: US10308235B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/470,345 - Filed: 2017-03-27 - Published: 2018-09-27 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-27 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Christopher W. Bell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308235B2 ## CPC - B60K 6/48: Parallel type - B60L 1/006: {to power outlets} - B60L 53/20: characterised by converters located in the vehicle - B60L 53/60: Monitoring or controlling charging stations - B60L 53/62: in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge - B60Y 2200/92: Hybrid vehicles - B60Y 2300/182: Selecting between different operative modes, e.g. comfort and performance modes - B60Y 2300/43: Control of engines - B60Y 2300/91: Battery charging - B60Y 2400/61: Arrangements of controllers for electric machines, e.g. inverters - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - Y10S 903/93: Conjoint control of different elements - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A vehicle includes a power plant, an electrical port, and a controller. The controller is configured to transmit a signal to the inverter via a conductor of the port indicating a maximum power available. The signal may be transmitted responsive to indication of an off-board inverter being plugged into the port. The controller may be further configured to complete a circuit between the power plant and the inverter. The circuit may be completed responsive to an expected predefined reduction in peak voltage of the signal caused by the inverter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: a power plant; an electrical port; and a controller configured to, responsive to indication of an off-board inverter being plugged into the port, transmit a signal to the inverter via a conductor of the port indicating a maximum power available, responsive to an expected predefined reduction in peak voltage of the signal caused by the inverter, complete a circuit between the power plant and the inverter, and limit power supplied to the inverter to less than the maximum power available based on a demand of the inverter having a variability greater than a variability threshold such that as the variability increases, the power supplied decreases. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power plant includes a traction battery and an engine, and wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the inverter drawing a current greater than a predetermined current threshold while the engine is off, start the engine. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power plant includes a traction battery and an engine, and wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to a state of charge of the battery falling below a predetermined state of charge threshold while the engine is off, start the engine. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power plant includes a traction battery and an engine, and wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the variability of the demand of the inverter exceeding the variability threshold, operate the engine to supply a mean value of the demand and operate the battery to supply a difference between the demand and the mean value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power plant includes a traction battery and an engine, and wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the variability of the demand of the inverter exceeding the variability threshold, operate the engine to supply a constant output. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to operate the battery to supply a difference between the demand and the constant output. ### Claim 7 A method comprising: by a controller, responsive to an inverter located off-board a vehicle being plugged into an electrical port of the vehicle, transmitting a signal to the inverter indicating a maximum power available; responsive to an expected predefined reduction in peak voltage of the signal caused by the inverter, completing a circuit between a power plant of the vehicle and the inverter; and responsive to a demand of the inverter having a variability greater than a variability threshold, operating an engine to supply constant output. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising, limiting power supplied to the inverter to less than the maximum power available based on the variability of the demand of the inverter exceeding the variability threshold such that as the variability increases, the power supplied decreases. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising, responsive to the inverter drawing a current greater than a predetermined current threshold while the engine of the power plant is off, starting the engine. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising, responsive to a state of charge of a battery of the power plant falling below a predetermined state of charge threshold while the engine of the power plant is off, starting the engine. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising, responsive to the variability of the demand of the inverter exceeding the variability threshold, operating the engine of the power plant to supply a mean value of the demand and operating a battery of the power plant to supply a difference between the demand and the mean value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising operating a battery of the power plant to supply a difference between the demand and the constant output. ### Claim 13 A vehicle comprising: a power plant including a traction battery and an engine; an electrical port; and a controller configured to, responsive to indication of an off-board inverter being plugged into the port, transmit a pulse width modulation signal to the inverter via a conductor of the port indicating a maximum power available, responsive to an expected predefined reduction in peak voltage of the signal caused by the inverter, complete a circuit between the traction battery and the inverter, and responsive to the inverter drawing a current greater than a predetermined threshold while the engine is off, start the engine. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to the inverter having a draw greater than a predetermined draw threshold, close a circuit breaker to supply a portion of the a load using the engine. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the draw threshold is based on a state of charge of the battery. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to a state of charge (SOC) of the battery falling below a predetermined SOC threshold, close a circuit breaker to supply a portion of a load to the inverter using the engine. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the port includes a first conductor for transmitting the signal and a second conductor for completing the circuit.