Communication to control charging of a rechargeable battery

A utility vehicle, comprising:

• a utility vehicle body;
• a set of electrical loads supported by the utility vehicle body;
• and
• a charge control system supported by the utility vehicle body and coupled with the set of electrical loads, the charge control system including:
• a rechargeable battery configured to provide rechargeable battery power to the set of electrical loads of a utility vehicle,
• a connector supported by the utility vehicle body, the connector being configured to connect to a charger, and
• control circuitry coupled with the rechargeable battery and the connector, the control circuitry being operative to:
• sense a charge management event,
• in response to the charge management event, connect the rechargeable battery to the connector and disconnect the rechargeable battery from the connector to provide an initial message to the charger, and
• after communicating the initial message to the charger, manage connection between the rechargeable battery and the charger to control charging of the rechargeable battery;
• wherein the control circuitry of the charge control system includes:
• a contactor coupled with the rechargeable battery and the connector, and
• control logic coupled with the contactor;
• wherein, when the control circuitry connects the rechargeable battery to the connector and disconnects the rechargeable battery from the connector to provide an initial message to the charger in response to the charge management event, the control logic is operative to control opening and closing of the contactor;
• and
• wherein, when the control circuitry manages connection between the rechargeable battery and the charger to control charging of the rechargeable battery, the control logic is operative to continue to control opening and closing of the contactor to send further messages to the charger through the connector.

In a utility vehicle, a method of controlling charging of a rechargeable battery of a utility vehicle, the method comprising:

• sensing a charge management event,
• in response to the charge management event, connecting the rechargeable battery to a connector of the utility vehicle and disconnecting the rechargeable battery from the connector of the utility vehicle to provide an initial message to the charger through the connector, and
• after communicating the initial message to the charger, managing connection between the rechargeable battery and the charger to control charging of the rechargeable battery through the connector;
• wherein connecting the rechargeable battery to the connector and disconnecting the rechargeable battery from the connector provides an initial message to the charger in response to the charge management event;
• and
• wherein managing the connection between the rechargeable battery and the charger to control charging of the rechargeable battery includes controlling opening and closing of a contactor coupled with the rechargeable battery and the connector to send further messages to the charger through the connector.

A charger that charges a rechargeable battery of a utility vehicle, the charger comprising:

• a vehicle connector operative to connect to a connector of the utility vehicle;
• a set of power signal conductors coupled to the vehicle connector;
• and
• a control circuit coupled with the set of power signal conductors, the control circuit being operative to:
• provide an initial signal through the set of power signal conductors and the vehicle connector when the vehicle connector is connected to the connector of the utility vehicle to wake up control circuitry of the utility vehicle;
• after the initial signal is provided through the set of power signal conductors and the vehicle connector, detect an initial message on the set of power signal conductors, the initial message being provided by the control circuitry of the utility vehicle in response to the initial signal;
• and
• based on the initial message, provide charge to the rechargeable battery of the utility vehicle through the set of power signal conductors and the vehicle connector;
• wherein detecting the initial message includes receiving the initial message in response to control circuitry of the utility vehicle connecting the rechargeable battery to the connector of the utility vehicle and disconnecting the rechargeable battery from the connector of the utility vehicle;
• and
• wherein the control circuit is further operative to receive further messages in response to the control circuitry of the utility vehicle continuing to control opening and closing of a contactor coupled with the rechargeable battery and the connector of the utility vehicle.