# US 10,500,960 B2 · Method for operating an electrical system of a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,500,960 B2 - Document ID: US10500960B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/735,809 - Filed: 2016-06-10 - Published: 2019-01-31 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-30 - Assignees: Audi AG - Applicants: Audi AG - Inventors: Josef Winkler; Bernhard Stock; Thomas Hackner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500960B2 ## CPC - B60L 3/00: Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption (methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00) - B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors} - B60L 3/0069: {relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current} - B60L 3/04: Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H) - 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) - 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 - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A method is disclosed for operating an electrical system of a motor vehicle, said electrical system comprising a first power source for providing an operating voltage for at least one partial onboard network of the electrical system and at least a second power source, wherein an electrically conductive connection of the first power source to the electrical system is monitored for an intentional interruption and, in the event of a detected intentional interruption of the electrically conductive connection, the at least one second power source of the electrical system is separated therefrom or deactivated. A motor vehicle with an onboard electrical system and a control device, for execution of the method, are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating an electrical system of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle comprising a motor, and the electrical system comprising a first power source for providing an operating voltage for at least one part of the electrical system and at least a second power source, comprising the steps of: monitoring, by a control system of the motor vehicle, an electrically conductive connection of the first power source to the electrical system to detect an interruption of the electrically conductive connection; detecting, by the control system, at least one condition indicative of a voluntary removal of an electrical contact in the electrically conductive connection; detecting, by the control system, an intentional interruption of the electrically conductive connection when both the interruption of the electrically conductive connection is detected and the at least one condition is detected; separating, by the control system, in response to the detected intentional interruption of the electrically conductive connection, the at least one second power source of the electrical system from the electrical system; and deactivating, by the control system, in response to the detected intentional interruption of the electrically conductive connection, the at least one second power source of the electrical system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring is of the electrically conductive connection located between a negative pole of the first power source and a vehicle mass of the motor vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting is performed by a current sensor assigned to the first power source for detecting a current flowing through the first power source, wherein the interruption of the electrically conductive connection is detected when the current sensor detects no current flowing through the first power source. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one condition comprises the motor vehicle standing at zero speed, the motor of the motor vehicle being off, an ignition circuit of the motor vehicle being open, or a maintenance mode of the motor vehicle being activated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first power source is a first battery bank and the second power source is a direct voltage converter of the electrical system, wherein the direct voltage converter is connected to the electrical system and a second battery bank. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the first battery bank comprises at least one lead-acid battery and the second battery bank comprises at least one lithium-ion battery. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the second battery bank has a safety switch device, wherein the safety switch device is controlled to separate the second battery bank for interrupting the electrically conductive connection with the electrical system. ### Claim 8 A motor vehicle, comprising: a motor; an onboard electrical system, the onboard electrical system further comprising a first power source for providing an operating voltage for at least one part of the onboard electrical system and at least a second power source, and a control device, wherein the control device is configured to: monitor an electrically conductive connection of the first power source to the onboard electrical system to detect an interruption of the electrically conductive connection; detect at least one condition indicative of a voluntary removal of an electrical contact in the electrically conductive connection; detect an intentional interruption of the electrically conductive connection when both the interruption of the electrically conductive connection is detected and the at least one condition is detected; separate, in response to the detected intentional interruption of the electrically conductive connection, the at least one second power source of the onboard electrical system from the onboard electrical system; and deactivate, in response to the detected intentional interruption of the electrically conductive connection, the at least one second power source of the onboard electrical system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The motor vehicle of claim 8, wherein the control device is configured to monitor the electrically conductive connection located between a negative pole of the first power source and a vehicle mass of the motor vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The motor vehicle of claim 8, wherein the control device is configured to detect the intentional interruption of the electrically conductive connection using a current sensor assigned to the first power source for detecting a current flowing through the first power source, wherein the interruption of the electrically conductive connection is detected when the current sensor detects no current flowing through the first power source. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The motor vehicle of claim 8, wherein the at least one condition comprises the motor vehicle standing at zero speed, the motor of the motor vehicle being off, an ignition circuit of the motor vehicle being open, or a maintenance mode of the motor vehicle being activated. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The motor vehicle of claim 8, wherein the first power source is a first battery bank and the second power source is a direct voltage converter of the onboard electrical system, wherein the direct voltage converter is connected to the onboard electrical system and a second battery bank. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The motor vehicle of claim 12, wherein the first battery bank comprises at least one lead-acid battery and the second battery bank comprises at least one lithium-ion battery. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The motor vehicle of claim 12, wherein the second battery bank has a safety switch device, wherein the safety switch device is controlled to separate the second battery bank for interrupting the electrically conductive connection with the onboard electrical system.