On-board diagnostic port synchronized battery charging system
AssigneeVector Products, Inc.
InventorLing To SHUM
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A charging system includes: an interface configured to removably and electrically couple to an external battery; a connector configured to removably and electrically couple to an on-board diagnostic (OBD) port of a vehicle; charge management circuitry electrically coupled to the interface and the connector; and a microcontroller unit (MCU) coupled to the charge management circuitry. The MCU is configured to execute computer readable program code for managing an output of current from the external battery to a vehicle battery of the vehicle through the electrical coupling of the connector and the OBD port. The charging system can be used to prevent a vehicle battery from becoming discharged during extended periods of storage.
Claims18
A charging system, comprising:
- an interface configured to removably and electrically couple to an external battery;
- a connector configured to removably and electrically couple to an on-board diagnostic (OBD) port of a vehicle;
- charge management circuitry electrically coupled to the interface and the connector;
- and
- a microcontroller unit (MCU) coupled to the charge management circuitry, the MCU configured to execute computer readable program code for managing an output of current from the external battery to a vehicle battery of the vehicle through the electrical coupling of the connector and the OBD port.
A charging method, comprising:
- (a) outputting, by a microcontroller unit (MCU) of a charging system, a current from an external battery to a connector of the charging system, the external battery removably and electrically coupled to the charging system, the connector removably and electrically coupled to an on-board diagnostic (OBD) port of a vehicle, wherein the connector is electrically coupled to a vehicle battery of the vehicle through the OBD port;
- (b) during the outputting of the current, measuring, by the MCU, a voltage of the vehicle battery using the electrical coupling of the connector and the OBD port;
- (c) upon determining that the voltage of the vehicle battery has reached a set voltage, stopping the output of the current and entering a low power consumption mode for a predetermined period of time by the MCU;
- (d) upon the expiration of the predetermined period of time, measuring, by the MCU, the voltage of the vehicle battery using the electrical coupling of the connector and the OBD port;
- (e) if the voltage of the vehicle battery is above a charge voltage, reentering the low power consumption mode for the predetermined period of time by the MCU and repeating the measuring (d);
- and
- (f) if the voltage of the vehicle battery is below the charge voltage, repeating the charging method (a) through (f) by the MCU.
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein, wherein when executed by a microcontroller unit (MCU) causes the MCU to:
- (a) output a current from an external battery to a connector of a charging system, the external battery removably and electrically coupled to the charging system, the connector removably and electrically coupled to an on-board diagnostic (OBD) port of a vehicle, wherein the connector is electrically coupled to a vehicle battery of the vehicle through the OBD port;
- (b) during the outputting of the current, measure a voltage of the vehicle battery using the electrical coupling of the connector and the OBD port;
- (c) upon determining that the voltage of the vehicle battery has reached a set voltage, stop the output of the current and enter a low power consumption mode for a predetermined period of time;
- (d) upon the expiration of the predetermined period of time, measure the voltage of the vehicle battery using the electrical coupling of the connector and the OBD port;
- (e) if the voltage of the vehicle battery is above a charge voltage, reenter the low power consumption mode for the predetermined period of time and repeat the measuring (d);
- and
- (f) if the voltage of the vehicle battery is below the charge voltage, repeat (a) through (f).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.