# US 9,517,696 B2 · Vehicle control system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,696 B2 - Document ID: US9517696B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/514,957 - Filed: 2014-10-15 - Published: 2015-04-30 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-25 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Ronghui Zhou; Jian Zhou; Fei Li; Xi Lu; Fengcheng Sun; Xiangming Shen; Hai Qiu; Pengju Kang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517696B2 ## CPC - B60L 3/12: Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} - B60L 1/003: {to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors} - B60L 3/0084: {relating to control modules} - B60L 3/04: Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H) - B60L 15/20: for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed - B60L 50/40: using propulsion power supplied by capacitors - B60L 2240/421: Speed - B60L 2240/423: Torque - B60L 2240/425: Temperature - B60L 2240/427: Voltage - B60L 2240/429: Current - B60L 2250/26: by pedal actuation - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - 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 A system includes a contactor system, a vehicle control unit, and a fault diagnostic system. The contactor system includes one or more contactors. The vehicle control unit is coupled to the contactor system via a first connection and a second connection. The vehicle control unit is configured to provide a controlling signal to the contactor system through at least one of the first connection and the second connection to control the one or more contactors. The fault diagnostic system is configured to identify faults occurring in the first connection and the second connection. A method is also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: coupling one or more contactors to a contactor drive device to form a contactor system; coupling a vehicle control unit to the contactor drive device via a first connection and a second connection; coupling one or more secondary control units to the contactor drive device via the second connection; configuring a fault diagnostic system to monitor a fault status of the first connection and the second connection; configuring the vehicle control unit to provide a controlling signal to the contactor system through at least one of the first connection and the second connection according to the fault status; and configuring the secondary control units to provide a controlling signal to the contactor system through the second connection according to the fault status. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the vehicle control unit further comprises providing the controlling signal to the contactor system through the second connection when a fault occurs in the first connection. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein configuring the vehicle control unit further comprises controlling the one or more contactors to open when a fault occurs in the first connection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the vehicle control unit further comprises cross-checking signals being fed back from the secondary control units to identify whether a fault occurs. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the vehicle control unit further comprises comparing a signal being fed back from a secondary control unit and an estimation signal to identify whether a fault occurs. ### Claim 6 A system, comprising: a contactor system comprising: one or more contactors; and a contactor drive device coupled to the one or more contactors; a vehicle control unit coupled to the contactor drive device via a first connection and a second connection configured to provide a controlling signal to the contactor system through at least one of the first connection and the second connection to control the one or more contactors; one or more secondary control units coupled to the contactor drive device via the second connection configured to control the one or more contactors according to the controlling signal from the vehicle control unit; and a fault diagnostic system configured to identify faults occurring in the first connection and the second connection. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle control unit is configured to provide the controlling signal to the contactor system through the first connection to control the one or more contactors when there is no fault in the first connection and the second connection. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more secondary control units are configured to provide the controlling signal to the contactor system through the second connection to control the one or more contactors when a fault occurs in the first connection. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle control unit is configured to provide the controlling signal to the contactor system through the first connection to control the one or more contactors when a fault occurs in the second connection. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the secondary control units are configured to control the one or more contactors to open when a fault occurs in the first connection. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle control unit comprises one or more ports coupled to one or more input devices. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the contactor drive device comprises a logic unit coupled to the first connection and the second connection. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the contactor drive device comprises an amplifying unit coupled to the logic unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle control unit is further configured to cross-check signals being fed back from the secondary control unit to identify whether a fault occurs. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the vehicle control unit is further configured to compare a signal being fed back from the secondary control unit and an estimation signal to identify whether a fault occurs. ### Claim 16 A vehicle, comprising: an energy storage system; a motor drive system coupled to the energy storage system; a contactor system comprising: an energy storage system contactor coupled to the energy storage system; a motor drive system contactor coupled to the motor drive system; and a contactor drive device coupled to both the energy storage system contactor and motor drive system contactor; a vehicle control unit coupled to the contactor drive device via a first connection and a second connection configured to control the contactor system through at least one of the first connection and the second connection; a secondary control unit coupled to the contactor drive device via the second connection configured to control the contactor system through the second connection; and a fault diagnostic system configured to identify faults occurring in the first connection and the second connection. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the vehicle control unit is configured to control the contactor system through the first connection when there is no fault in the first connection. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the secondary control unit is configured to control the contactor system through the second connection when a fault occurs in the first connection. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the vehicle control unit is configured to control the contactor system through the first connection when a fault occurs in the second connection. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the secondary control unit is configured to control the contactors to open when a fault occurs in the first connection.