# US 12,191,699 B2 · Systems and methods for controlling power flow between electrified vehicles and charging trailers based on manually selected charge priority levels

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- Number: US 12,191,699 B2
- Document ID: US12191699B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/590,374
- Filed: 2022-02-01
- Published: 2023-08-03
- Granted: 2025-01-07
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-01
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Stuart C. Salter; Ryan O'Gorman; William David Treharne; Lorne Forsythe; Peter Phung; William Wurz; Clive McKenzie
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191699B2

## CPC

- H02J 7/971: {the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters}
- B60L 50/60: using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75)
- B60L 53/305: {Communication interfaces}
- B60L 53/63: in response to network capacity
- B60L 53/66: Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
- B60L 53/67: Controlling two or more charging stations
- B60L 53/68: Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
- B60L 58/14: Preventing excessive discharging
- H02J 7/342: {The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68)}
- H02J 7/40: characterised by the exchange of charge or discharge related data
- H02J 7/42: with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones
- H02J 7/82: Control of state of charge [SOC]
- B60L 2250/12: by confirmation, e.g. of the input
- B60L 2250/16: by display
- H02J 2105/37: exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV]
- 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
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- 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
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for coordinating and controlling power flow during bidirectional energy transfer events between an electrified vehicle and one or more charging trailers. The systems and methods may prioritize energy transfers between each connected energy based on a charge priority selection that may be manually input by a user of the system. Charge energy may be transferred to the appropriate energy unit using such a manual approach to meet customer needs with varying levels of priority according to an energy transfer prioritization control strategy that is derived from various inputs that are considered.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A bidirectional energy transfer system, comprising:
an electrified vehicle;
a charging trailer operably coupled to the electrified vehicle; and
a control module programmed to execute an energy transfer prioritization control strategy for controlling a transfer of energy between the electrified vehicle and the charging trailer during an energy transfer event,
wherein the energy transfer prioritization control strategy is derived based on a charge priority selection that is manually input by a user of the system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system as recited in claim 1, comprising an electrified recreational/industrial vehicle operably coupled to the charging trailer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the control module is further programmed to control a transfer of energy from at least one of the charging trailer or the electrified vehicle to the electrified recreational/industrial vehicle during the energy transfer event.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the control module is further programmed to control a transfer of energy from at least one of the charging trailer or the electrified recreational/industrial vehicle to the electrified vehicle during the energy transfer event.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is further programmed to interface with a bidirectional power transfer system of the electrified vehicle for controlling the transfer of the energy between the charging trailer and the electrified vehicle according to the energy transfer prioritization control strategy.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is a component of the electrified vehicle or a cloud-based server system.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system as recited in claim 1, comprising a user interface adapted to receive a user input of the charge priority selection from the user.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the user interface is presentable on a human machine interface or a personal electronic device that is associated with the system.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control module is further programmed to command a notification to the user when the system is unable to transfer the energy in the manner indicated by the energy transfer prioritization control strategy.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the notification is presented on a user interface of a human machine interface or a personal electronic device associated with the system.

### Claim 11

An electrified vehicle, comprising:
a traction battery pack; and
a control module programmed to execute an energy transfer prioritization control strategy for controlling a transfer of energy from the traction battery pack to a separate energy unit or from the separate energy unit to the traction battery pack during an energy transfer event,
wherein the energy transfer prioritization control strategy is derived based on a charge priority selection that is manually input by a user of the electrified vehicle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 11, wherein the charge priority selection indicates a desired order of charge priority when transferring the energy to/from the traction battery pack.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The electrified vehicle system as recited in claim 11, wherein the control module is further programmed to interface with a bidirectional power transfer system for controlling the transfer of the energy to/from the traction battery pack.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The electrified vehicle system as recited in claim 11, wherein the separate energy unit is a component of a charging trailer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 11, wherein the separate energy unit is a component of an electrified recreational/industrial vehicle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The electrified vehicle system as recited in claim 11, comprising a human machine interface that is configured via a user interface to allow the user to manually input the charge priority selection.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The electrified vehicle system as recited in claim 16, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of tiles that are configured to be manipulated to reorder a priority ranking of the traction battery pack and the separate energy unit.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The electrified vehicle system as recited in claim 11, comprising a telecommunications module configured to wirelessly communicate with the separate energy unit.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The electrified vehicle system as recited in claim 11, wherein the control module is further programmed to prompt the user to input the charge priority selection in anticipation of the energy transfer event.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The electrified vehicle system as recited in claim 19, wherein the control module is further programmed to receive an input from the user indicating that the charge priority selection has been manually input.