Power control apparatus and method for an in-vehicle ECU

A method for controlling a power of in-vehicle electronic control units (ECUs), the method comprising:

• storing, in a storage, a lookup table in which inrush current values respectively corresponding to the in-vehicle ECUs are recorded;
• collecting, by a controller, ECU information on the in-vehicle ECUs;
• turning on, by the controller, a main switch when a sum of the inrush current values respectively corresponding to the in-vehicle ECUs exceeds a threshold current value;
• and
• turning on a backup switch at a preset time,
• wherein the preset time corresponds to a time at which the main switch is to be cut off due to an overcurrent condition, and
• wherein the inrush current values respectively corresponding to the in-vehicle ECUs are determined based on maximum current values and ECU information on the in-vehicle ECUs for each vehicle among a plurality of vehicles.

A power control apparatus for in-vehicle electronic control units (ECUs), the power control apparatus comprising:

• a main switch configured to supply or cut off a power of the in-vehicle ECUs;
• a backup switch configured to supply or cut off the power of the in-vehicle ECUs;
• and
• a controller configured to
• receive information on an activation time point of the backup switch from a vehicle management server,
• turn on the main switch when the power is supplied to the in-vehicle ECUs, and
• turn on the backup switch based on the information on the activation time point of the backup switch,
• wherein the activation time point corresponds to a time at which the main switch is to be cut off due to an overcurrent condition, and
• wherein inrush current values respectively corresponding to the in-vehicle ECUs are determined based on maximum current values and ECU information on the in-vehicle ECUs for each vehicle among a plurality of vehicles.