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AssigneeNevada Automotive Development Center
InventorsRick W. Capps, Stephen V. Diebel, John A. Ridyard
Estimating the term…
An electrical management control and monitoring device that easily interfaces with an existing motor vehicle electrical system that includes both “dumb” and “smart” circuits to protect the electrical system during events in which the voltage, current or temperature may change and potentially cause damage or render the vehicle electrically “dead”. The device, which is coupled to the motor vehicle's ignition switch, power source and multiplex bus, includes a motherboard, a microcontroller and software program that monitors the vehicle's capacitor, battery or combination voltage, current and temperature and automatically disconnects non-critical circuits when their values become extreme or reach a preprogrammed threshold. The motherboard includes output connectors that are coupled to solid-state relays that act as a supplemental power source to provide electrical power to components that require electrical power after the ignition has been turned off. The software program is used to prioritizes electrical power distribution to the components which are critical to engine starting, power train control and general longitudinal and lateral control systems of the vehicle.
An apparatus for vehicles that provides for at least partial integration and control over the vehicle's systems that utilize electrical and electronic devices that use either analog or digital signals, comprising of:
A method of providing at least partial integration and control over the vehicle's systems that utilize electrical and electronic devices which operate on different types of signals, wherein there is a microcontroller whose memory holds at least one software program processing input and output signals from electrical and electronic devices of a vehicle's systems is connected to a motherboard with solid state circuitry for converting input and out put signals into a format that the microcontroller can process and with relays for controlling power to various systems of the vehicle, comprising of:
A system for providing at least a partial integration and control over the vehicle's systems that utilize devices that operate off of electronic and electrical signals, comprised of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.