# US 10,766,751 B2 · Systems and methods for a public standard interface for material handling vehicles

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- Number: US 10,766,751 B2
- Document ID: US10766751B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/476,649
- Filed: 2017-03-31
- Published: 2017-10-19
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-14
- Applicants: The Raymond Corporation
- Inventors: John Bryant Kirk; Dean Harvey; Rick Day; Arlan Purdy; Richard C. Miller, III; Brian Moorhead
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766751B2

## CPC

- B60L 58/12: responding to state of charge [SoC]
- B60L 3/12: Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables}
- B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
- B60L 58/14: Preventing excessive discharging
- B60L 58/21: having the same nominal voltage
- B66F 9/07572: {Propulsion arrangements}
- B60L 2200/40: Working vehicles
- B60L 2200/42: Fork lift trucks
- B60L 2240/54: related to batteries
- B60L 2270/40: related to technical updates when adding new parts or software
- Y02P 90/60: Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
- 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 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric 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
- B66F: HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD ({invalid lifting devices A61G7/10; } mounting artificial islands on piles or like supports E02B17/00; scaffolding combined with lifting devices E04G1/22; lifting devices for sliding forms E04G11/24; lifting of buildings E04G23/06; shores or struts E04G25/00; lifts or other hoisting devices on ladders E06C7/12; props for mining E21D15/00)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

Provided are systems and methods for a public standard interface including a Battery Management System that allows for communication between an alternative energy source and a material handling vehicle. The alternative energy source may be a Lithium Ion Battery, a fuel cell, or another non-lead acid based battery. The Battery Management System is coupled with a CAN bus that allows for communication between the material handling vehicle and the alternative energy source. The CAN bus communicates information such as a type of the energy source, energy output limits, electric current limits and information such as an energy demand profile of the vehicle. Also included is an interface between the Battery Management System and Charger Control System.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system implementing a public standard interface for a material handling vehicle comprising:
an energy source including a battery management system;
a CAN bus comprising an H line, an L line, and separate WAKE and RETURN lines, the CAN bus coupled to the battery management system and in communication with a truck control system of the material handling vehicle, 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 type of the energy source,
one or more limits of the energy source, and
a battery disconnect imminent warning.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system implementing the public standard interface of claim 1, wherein the WAKE line influences the battery management system and controls a battery disconnect switch.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system implementing the public standard interface of claim 1, wherein the battery management system communicates with the truck control system via the CAN bus.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system implementing the public standard interface of claim 3, wherein the battery management system receives an EDP Min Voltage from the truck control system.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system implementing the public standard interface of claim 1, wherein the CAN bus uses a communication protocol utilizing little endian communication.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system implementing the public standard interface of claim 1, wherein the one or more limits includes a maximum discharge current and a maximum regeneration current.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system implementing the public standard interface of claim 1,
wherein the H Line, the L line, and the WAKE and RETURN lines are included in the same connector that carries power from the energy source.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system implementing the public standard interface of claim 1, wherein the energy source is a Lithium Ion Battery.

### Claim 9

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.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system implementing the public standard interface of claim 9, wherein the battery management system is configured to communicate with a truck control system using the CAN bus.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system implementing the public standard interface of claim 10, wherein the battery management system receives an EDP Min Voltage from the truck control system via the CAN bus.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system implementing the public standard interface of claim 9, wherein the one or more limits include a maximum discharge current and a maximum regeneration current.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The system implementing the public standard interface of claim 9,
wherein the H line, the L line, and the WAKE and RETURN lines are included within a single connector that carries power from the energy source to the material handling vehicle.

### Claim 14

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.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of communication of claim 14, wherein the energy source information includes a weight of the energy source.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of communication of claim 14, wherein the energy source information includes an electric current output limit, a power output limit, and an energy output limit of the energy source.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of communication of claim 14, wherein the energy source information includes a current limit for the energy source.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of communication of claim 14, further comprising determining a minimum level of energy at which the energy source requires maintenance.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of communication of claim 14, further comprising determining a maximum discharge current and a maximum regeneration current.