# US 12,214,673 B2 · Electrical circuit based voltage control of electric vehicle batteries > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,214,673 B2 - Document ID: US12214673B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/488,132 - Filed: 2023-10-17 - Published: 2024-02-22 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2022-07-06 - Assignees: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC - Applicants: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC - Inventors: Nick P. Tokarz; Thomas Rocroi; Brian N. Harries; Ryan David - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214673B2 ## CPC - B60L 3/0046: {relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors} - B60L 1/00: Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00) - B60L 3/0007: {Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions} - B60L 3/04: Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H) - B60L 58/10: for monitoring or controlling batteries - H01H 39/006: {Opening by severing a conductor} - H01H 2039/008: {using the switch for a battery cutoff} - 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 - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) ## Abstract Voltage control of electric vehicle batteries is provided. A system can include an electrical circuit of an electric vehicle that can include a plurality of power supplies and a driver component that can be configured to be energized by the plurality of power supplies and provide a voltage greater than a threshold from a battery of the electric vehicle to a motor of the electric vehicle. The electrical circuit can include a switch module that connects the driver component with the plurality of power supplies. The switch module can detect that the electric vehicle generated a signal to actuate an element of the electric vehicle and disconnect, in response to the detection, the driver component from the plurality of power supplies to reduce the voltage provided to the motor below the threshold. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrical circuit, comprising: a contactor of an electric vehicle connected to a first driver and a second driver; a set of power supplies of the electric vehicle to energize the first driver and the second driver to cause the contactor to connect a voltage from a battery of the electric vehicle to a plurality of parts of the electric vehicle; and a switch configured to, in response to an indication corresponding to actuation of an emergency safety feature of the electric vehicle, cause disconnection of the first driver from the set of power supplies to reduce the voltage from the battery to a first subset of the plurality of parts below a threshold voltage, while maintaining the voltage from the battery to a second subset of the plurality of parts. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electrical circuit of claim 1, wherein the indication is a signal from a restraint control module to actuate an airbag of the electric vehicle and the switch includes a pyrotechnic fuse to cause the disconnection of the first driver from the set of power supplies in response to the signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electrical circuit of claim 1, comprising: a distribution box comprising a plurality of contactors including the contactor, each of the plurality of contactors energized by the set of power supplies and connected to a respective first driver of a plurality of first drivers and a respective second driver of a plurality of second drivers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The electrical circuit of claim 3, wherein the switch is configured to cause, in response to the indication to actuate the emergency safety feature, disconnection of the plurality of first drivers from the set of power supplies to reduce the voltage from the battery to the first subset of the plurality of parts below the threshold voltage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electrical circuit of claim 1, wherein the switch is configured to cause, in response to the indication corresponding to an airbag of the electric vehicle, reduction of the voltage provided by the battery to a motor of the electric vehicle to less than or equal to 60 volts. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electrical circuit of claim 1, comprising: a loop connector comprising a first wire line to connect a first contact of the switch and a first contact of the first driver, a second wire line to connect a second contact of the switch and a second contact of the first driver and a third wire line to connect a power supply of the set of power supplies and a restraint control module, wherein the loop connector is configured to be manually detached to disconnect from the electrical circuit the first wire line, the second wire line and the third wire line. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electrical circuit of claim 1, wherein the switch includes: a first connection between a first power supply of the set of power supplies and a plurality of first drivers comprising the first driver; and a second connection between a second power supply of the set of power supplies and the plurality of first drivers, wherein the first power supply and the second power supply provide a same voltage output to the plurality of first drivers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electrical circuit of claim 1, wherein the first driver is connected between a power supply of the set of power supplies and a load, and the load is connected between the first driver and a ground, and wherein the load corresponds to the at least one of: a seat of the electric vehicle, a lighting device of the electric vehicle, a windshield wiper of the electric vehicle or a fan of the electric vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electrical circuit of claim 1, wherein the second driver is connected between a load and a ground, and wherein the load corresponds to the at least one of: a motor of the electric vehicle, a solenoid of the electric vehicle or a heater of the electric vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electrical circuit of claim 1, wherein: the first driver corresponds to a low side driver configured to control power provided to the first subset of the plurality of parts; and the second driver corresponds to a high side driver configured to control power provided to the second subset of the plurality of parts, wherein the first subset of the plurality of parts includes a motor of the electric vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The electrical circuit of claim 1, comprising: a second power supply configured to receive power from a power supply of the set of power supplies and provide power to a plurality of second drivers connected to a plurality of contactors, wherein the plurality of second drivers comprises the second driver and the plurality of contactors comprises the contactor. ### Claim 12 A method, comprising: connecting a contactor of an electric vehicle to a first driver and a second driver; energizing, by a set of power supplies of the electric vehicle, the first driver and the second driver to cause the contactor to connect a voltage from a battery of the electric vehicle to a plurality of parts of the electric vehicle; receiving, by a switch, an indication corresponding to actuation of an emergency safety feature of the electric vehicle; and causing, by the switch in response to the indication, an electric circuit to disconnect the first driver from the set of power supplies to reduce the voltage from the battery to a first subset of the plurality of parts below a threshold voltage, while maintaining, by the electric circuit, the voltage from the battery to a second subset of the plurality of parts. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, comprising: receiving, by the switch, the indication including a signal from a restraint control module to actuate an airbag of the electric vehicle; and causing, by a pyrotechnic fuse of the switch in response to the signal, the electric circuit to disconnect the first driver from the set of power supplies. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein: energizing, by the set of power supplies, a plurality of contactors connected to a respective first driver of a plurality of first drivers and a respective second driver of a plurality of second drivers, the plurality of contactors provided in a distribution box comprising the contactor; and disconnecting, by the switch in response to the indication, the plurality of first drivers from the set of power supplies to reduce the voltage from the battery to the first subset of the plurality of parts below the threshold voltage. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising: causing, by the switch in response to the indication corresponding to an airbag of the electric vehicle, reduction of the voltage provided by the battery to a motor of the electric vehicle to less than or equal to 60 volts. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, comprising: connecting, by a first wire line of a loop connector, a first contact of the switch and a first contact of the first driver; connecting, by a second wire line of the loop connector, a second contact of the switch and a second contact of the first driver; and connecting, by a third wire line of the loop connector, a power supply of the set of power supplies and a restraint control module, wherein the loop connector is configured to be manually detached to disconnect from the battery the first wire line, the second wire line and the third wire line. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, comprising: connecting, via a first connection, a first power supply of the set of power supplies and a plurality of first drivers comprising the first driver; connecting, via a second connection, a second power supply of the set of power supplies and the plurality of first drivers, wherein the first power supply and the second power supply provide a same voltage output to the plurality of first drivers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein: the first driver is connected between a power supply of the set of power supplies and a load, and the load is connected between the first driver and a ground, and wherein the load corresponds to the at least one of: a seat of the electric vehicle, a lighting device of the electric vehicle, a windshield wiper of the electric vehicle or a fan of the electric vehicle; and the second driver is connected between a load and a ground, and wherein the load corresponds to the at least one of: a motor of the electric vehicle, a solenoid of the electric vehicle or a heater of the electric vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein: the first driver corresponds to a low side driver configured to control power provided to the first subset of the plurality of parts; and the second driver corresponds to a high side driver configured to control power provided to the second subset of the plurality of parts, wherein the first subset of the plurality of parts includes a motor of the electric vehicle. ### Claim 20 An electric vehicle comprising: a contactor of the electric vehicle connected to a first driver and a second driver; a set of power supplies of the electric vehicle to energize the first driver and the second driver to cause the contactor to connect a voltage from a battery of the electric vehicle to a plurality of parts of the electric vehicle; and a switch configured to, in response to an indication corresponding to actuation of an emergency safety feature of the electric vehicle, cause disconnection of the first driver from the set of power supplies to reduce the voltage from the battery to a first subset of the plurality of parts below a threshold voltage, while maintaining the voltage from the battery to a second subset of the plurality of parts.