Systems and methods for a public standard interface for material handling vehicles

A system implementing a public standard interface comprising:

• an energy source including a lithium ion battery, the energy source having a battery management system in communication therewith;
• a CAN bus comprising an H line, an L line, and separate WAKE and RETURN lines, the CAN bus in communication with a material handling vehicle and the battery management system, wherein the battery management system uses the WAKE line to detect when the energy source is plugged into the material handling vehicle, and wherein the CAN bus uses the RETURN line as a ground reference;
• wherein the battery management system is operable to communicate;
• a weight of the lithium ion battery,
• one or more limits of the energy source, and
• a battery disconnect imminent warning.

A method of communication between a material handling vehicle and a battery management system comprising:

• providing a communication protocol to the material handling vehicle, the material handling vehicle including an energy source;
• controlling an energy source disconnect switch;
• transferring energy source information between the material handling vehicle and the battery management system using a CAN bus comprising an H line, an L line, and separate WAKE and RETURN lines included in the same connector that carries power from the energy source, wherein the battery management system uses the WAKE line to detect when the energy source is plugged into the material handling vehicle, and wherein the CAN bus uses the RETURN line as a ground reference;
• and
• determining a type of the energy source.