# US 10,766,380 B2 · Automotive window opening for battery cooling

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- Number: US 10,766,380 B2
- Document ID: US10766380B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/128,356
- Filed: 2018-09-11
- Published: 2020-03-12
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-11
- Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
- Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
- Inventors: Geoffrey D. Gaither; Tapan V. Patel; Justin J. Chow; Joshua D. Payne
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766380B2

## CPC

- B60L 58/26: by cooling
- B60H 1/00278: {for the battery}
- B60H 1/00664: {Construction or arrangement of damper doors (control systems or circuits for damper doors B60H1/00835)}
- E05F 15/71: responsive to temperature changes, rain, wind or noise
- H01M 10/486: {for measuring temperature}
- H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold
- H01M 10/615: Heating or keeping warm
- H01M 10/63: Control systems (charging or discharging in response to temperature H01M10/44 {, H01M10/443}; measurement of temperature H01M10/48 {, H01M10/486})
- H01M 10/6562: with free flow by convection only
- H01M 10/6569: Fluids undergoing a liquid-gas phase change or transition, e.g. evaporation or condensation (heat pipes H01M10/6552)
- H01M 10/663: the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
- B60H 1/00828: {Ventilators, e.g. speed control (B60H1/00864 takes precedence)}
- B60H 2001/003: {Component temperature regulation using an air flow}
- B60H 2001/00307: {Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow}
- B60L 2240/36: Temperature of vehicle components or parts
- B60L 2260/56: Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
- E05Y 2900/55: Windows
- H01M 10/635: based on ambient temperature
- H01M 10/6563: with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
- H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- 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
- B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
- E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for controlling a temperature of a battery of a vehicle. The battery management system includes a battery for storing and distributing an electrical charge. The battery management system includes a temperature for measuring or detecting a temperature of the battery. The battery management system includes one or more temperature control devices for controlling the temperature of the battery. The battery management system includes an electronic control unit configured to obtain the temperature of the battery and determine whether the temperature of the battery exceeds an optimal temperature range. The electronic control unit is configured to operate the one or more temperature control devices when the temperature of the battery exceeds the optimal temperature range to adjust the temperature to be within the optimal temperature range.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A battery management system for controlling a temperature of a battery of a vehicle, comprising:
a battery for storing and providing an electrical charge;
a sensor for measuring or detecting the temperature of the battery;
a plurality of temperature control devices that are configured to be controlled or adjusted to control the temperature of the battery; and
an electronic control unit coupled to the battery, the sensor and the plurality of temperature control devices and configured to:
obtain the temperature of the battery,
determine whether the temperature of the battery exceeds an optimal temperature range,
select a temperature control device from among the plurality of temperature control devices to control or adjust the temperature of the battery to be within the optimal temperature range based on a comparison between the temperature of the battery and an outside ambient temperature, and
control the selected temperature control device when the temperature of the battery exceeds the optimal temperature range to adjust the temperature of the battery to be within the optimal temperature range.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The battery management system of claim 1, wherein the the plurality of temperature control devices include at least one of a blower of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit, a window, a purge vent, intake vent or a separate blower.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The battery management system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to:
determine that the temperature of the battery is greater than the optimal temperature range.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The battery management system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of temperature control devices include at least one of a blower or a window, wherein to control the selected temperature control device the electronic control unit is configured to:
increase a speed of the blower to direct more colder air toward the battery to cool the battery;
open the purge vent to exhaust air surrounding the battery; or
cause the window to open to increase an amount colder air directed toward the battery to cool the battery.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The battery management system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to:
determine that the temperature of the battery is less than the optimal temperature range; and
determine a difference between the temperature of the battery and a minimum of the optimal temperature range.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The battery management system of claim 5, wherein to control the selected temperature control device the electronic control unit is configured to:
cause the selected temperature control device to decrease circulation of cold air or increase circulation of warm air to increase the temperature of the battery based on the difference.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The battery management system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
determine that the temperature of the battery exceeds the optimal temperature range; and
control the selected temperature control device to increase the temperature of the battery when the temperature of the battery is below the optimal temperature range and decrease the temperature of the battery when the temperature of the battery is above the optimal temperature range.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The battery management system of claim 7, wherein to control the selected temperature control device the electronic control unit is configured to adjust a bypass valve or switch that diverts coolant from the HVAC unit to the battery to cool the battery.

### Claim 9

A battery management system of a vehicle, comprising:
a battery for storing and distributing an electrical charge;
a plurality of temperature control devices that manage a battery compartment temperature; and
an electronic control unit coupled to the battery and the plurality of temperature control devices and configured to:
obtain a battery temperature,
determine that the battery temperature exceeds a normal operation temperature range,
select a temperature control device from among the plurality of temperature control devices to adjust the battery temperature to be within the optimal temperature range based on a comparison between the battery temperature and an outside ambient temperature,
control the selected temperature control device to increase the battery compartment temperature when the battery temperature is less than the normal operation temperature range, and
control the selected temperature control device to decrease the battery compartment temperature when the battery temperature is greater than the normal operation temperature range.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The battery management system of claim 9, further comprising:
a plurality of sensors including a battery compartment temperature sensor and a battery temperature sensor, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
obtain, using the battery compartment temperature sensor, the battery compartment temperature; and
compare the battery compartment temperature with the battery temperature.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The battery management system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of temperature control devices include at least one of a blower of a heating, ventilation or air conditioning (HVAC) unit, a window a separate blower, an intake vent or a bypass valve or switch.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The battery management system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of temperature control devices include the bypass valve or switch that is configured to divert coolant from the HVAC unit to the battery to decrease the battery temperature.

### Claim 13

A method fix controlling a temperature of a battery of a vehicle, comprising:
obtaining, by a processor, a battery temperature of the battery;
determining, by the processor, that the battery temperature exceeds a normal operation temperature range;
selecting, by the processor, a temperature control device from among a plurality of temperature control devices to control or adjust the battery temperature to be within the normal operation temperature range based on a comparison between the battery temperature and an outside ambient temperature, and
increasing, by the processor using the selected temperature control device, air flow directed at the battery to reduce the battery temperature when the battery temperature is greater than the normal operation temperature range; or
purging, by the processor using the selected temperature control device, air surrounding the battery to reduce the battery temperature when the battery temperature is greater than the normal operation temperature range.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, comprising:
decreasing, by the processor using the selected temperature control device, air flow directed at the battery to increase the battery temperature when the battery temperature is less than the normal operation temperature range.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
determining, by the processor, a difference between the battery temperature and a maximum of the normal operation temperature range.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein increasing the airflow directed at the battery is based on the difference between the battery temperature and the maximum of the normal operation temperature range.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein decreasing the airflow directed at the battery is based on the difference between the battery temperature and a minimum of the normal operation temperature range.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein decreasing, by the processor using the selected temperature control device, the air flow directed at the battery includes closing a window or decreasing a speed of a blower of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein increasing, by the processor using the selected temperature control device, the air flow directed at the battery includes opening a window or increasing a speed of a blower of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit.