# US 10,766,442 B2 · System and method for controlling power to electronic control unit of vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,442 B2 - Document ID: US10766442B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/201,745 - Filed: 2018-11-27 - Published: 2020-02-27 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-23 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Inventors: Jae Min Kwon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766442B2 ## CPC - B60R 16/03: for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} - H02H 3/085: {making use of a thermal sensor, e.g. thermistor, heated by the excess current (also responsive to the temperature of the protected device H02H5/041, thermal images H02H6/00)} - B60R 16/0232: {for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions} - H02H 3/046: {Signalling the blowing of a fuse (detecting non functioning of a lamp H05B47/20)} - H02J 9/06: with automatic change-over {, e.g. UPS systems} - H02J 9/061: {for DC powered loads} - 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) - H02H 7/26: Sectionalised protection of cable or line systems, e.g. for disconnecting a section on which a short-circuit, earth fault, or arc discharge has occured (locating faults in cables G01R31/08) - H02J 2105/30: the load networks being external to vehicles, i.e. exchanging power with vehicles - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A power control system of an electronic control unit of a vehicle includes: a main power supply unit and an auxiliary power supply unit for supplying power to the electronic control unit; a main electronic fuse connected to a main circuit for detecting temperature or current flowing in the main circuit to determine whether a failure occurs in the main circuit; an auxiliary electronic fuse connected to an auxiliary circuit for detecting a temperature or current flowing in the auxiliary circuit to determine whether a failure occurs in the auxiliary circuit; and a power control unit connected to the main electronic fuse and to the auxiliary electronic fuse for controlling an ON/OFF operation of the main electronic fuse and the auxiliary electronic fuse according to whether a failure occurs in the main electronic fuse and the auxiliary electronic fuse. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power control system of an electronic control unit of a vehicle, the power control system comprising: the electronic control unit including a plurality of devices configured to enable autonomous running of the vehicle and a control module for controlling the plurality of devices; a main battery and an auxiliary battery configured to supply power to the electronic control unit; a main electronic fuse configured to be connected to a main circuit, which is connected to the main battery and the electronic control unit, and configured to detect at least one of a temperature and current flowing in the main circuit to determine whether a failure occurs in the main circuit; an auxiliary electronic fuse configured to be connected to an auxiliary circuit, which is connected to the auxiliary battery and to the electronic control unit, and configured to detect at least one of a temperature and current flowing in the auxiliary circuit to determine whether a failure occurs in the auxiliary circuit; and a power control unit configured to be connected to the main electronic fuse and to the auxiliary electronic fuse, and configured to control an ON/OFF operation of the main electronic fuse and the auxiliary electronic fuse according to whether a failure occurs in the main electronic fuse and the auxiliary electronic fuse in order to control power to be supplied to the electronic control unit, wherein the power control unit controls power to be selectively supplied to a plurality of electric loads in the vehicle through the auxiliary battery when the failure occurs in the main circuit, wherein the power control unit controls the power to he selectively supplied to the plurality of electric loads in the vehicle according to a state of charge (SOC) of the auxiliary battery when the power is selectively supplied to the plurality of electric loads in the vehicle through the auxiliary battery, and wherein the plurality of electric loads, to which the power is selectively supplied, include motor-driven power steering (MDPS) associated with the steering for allowing autonomous running of the vehicle and an electronic stability control (ESC) associated with the braking of the vehicle, and further includes a traction control system (TCS), an anti-lock braking system (ABS), and a limited-slip-differential (LSD). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power control system of claim 1, wherein the main electronic fuse and the auxiliary electronic fuse include respectively: at least one of a current-sensing unit configured to sense the current flowing in the main circuit and the auxiliary circuit, and a temperature-sensing unit configured to sense the temperature of the main circuit and the auxiliary circuit, and a failure determination unit configured to determine information about occurrence/ non-occurrence of the failure of the main circuit and the auxiliary circuit by comparing the sensed current or temperature with a predetermined value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power control system of claim 1, wherein the power control unit turns off the main electronic fuse and turns on the auxiliary electronic fuse when it is determined by the main electronic fuse that the failure occurs in the main circuit, so that power is supplied to the electronic control unit through the auxiliary battery. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power control system of claim 1, wherein the power control unit turns on the main electronic fuse and turns off the auxiliary electronic fuse so that power is supplied to the electronic control unit through the main battery when it is determined by the main electronic fuse that the main circuit is normal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The power control system of claim 1, further comprising: a display unit configured to display whether the failure occurs in the main electronic fuse or the auxiliary electronic fuse. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power control system of claim 1, wherein the power control unit transmits information about a failure occurrence situation to an external vehicle failure service server when the failure occurs in the main electronic fuse or the auxiliary electronic fuse. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The power control system of claim 1, further comprising: an autonomous running control unit configured to control the plurality of devices in the vehicle to control the vehicle to run autonomously. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The power control system of claim 7, wherein the autonomous running control unit controls the vehicle to stop on a shoulder of a road when the failure occurs in the main circuit or the auxiliary circuit. ### Claim 9 A power control method of an electronic control unit of a vehicle, the power control method comprising: determining, by a main electronic fuse, whether a failure occurs in a main circuit by detecting at least one of a temperature and current flowing in the main circuit; turning off, by a power control unit, the main electronic fuse and turning on an auxiliary electronic fuse when it is determined that the failure occurs in the main circuit so that power is supplied to the electronic control unit through an auxiliary battery; and controlling, by the power control unit, power to be selectively supplied to a plurality of electric loads in the vehicle through the auxiliary battery, wherein the plurality of electric loads, to which the power is selectively supplied, include motor-driven power steering (MDPS) associated with the steering for allowing autonomous running of the vehicle and an electronic stability control (ESC) associated with the braking of the vehicle, and further includes a traction control system (TCS), and anti-locking braking system (ABS), and a limited-slip-differential (LSD). ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The power control method of claim 9, further comprising, after determining whether the failure occurs in the main circuit: displaying, by the power control unit, information about occurrence/non-occurrence of the failure on a display unit; and transmitting, by the power control unit, information about a failure occurrence situation to an external vehicle failure service server. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The power control method of claim 10, further comprising, after the turning off and the turning on: controlling, by an autonomous running control unit, the vehicle to stop. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The power control method of claim 11, wherein controlling the vehicle to stop comprises: lighting, by the autonomous running control unit, an emergency light of the vehicle and reducing a speed, moving, by the autonomous running control unit, the vehicle to an outermost lane of the road; searching for, by the autonomous running control unit, a stopping space around the vehicle, and parking, by the autonomous running control unit, the vehicle in the stopping space.