# US 9,520,730 B2 · Method and system for charging high voltage battery packs > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,520,730 B2 - Document ID: US9520730B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/109,278 - Filed: 2013-12-17 - Published: 2015-06-18 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-17 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Richard Kai Wong; Thanh D. Pham; Greg Edward Gauthier; Gene Willi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520730B2 ## CPC - B60L 58/20: having different nominal voltages - H02J 7/82: Control of state of charge [SOC] - H02J 7/825: {Detection of fully charged condition} - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - 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 - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A method and system for charging high voltage battery packs includes connecting a charger to a power source, connecting the charger to a battery pack, connecting a computer to a battery energy control module of the battery pack and charging the battery pack from the power source through the charger by running a software program on the computer and a system for conducting the method. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for charging a battery pack in a vehicle, comprising: connecting an off-vehicle charger to a power source; connecting the charger to the battery pack; connecting a computer to a battery energy control module (BECM) of the battery pack following disconnecting the BECM from a wire harness of the vehicle; and charging the battery pack from the power source through the charger by running a software program on the computer, the software program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the software program configured to cause at least one processor to initiate and control the charging of the battery pack based on an indicated condition of the battery pack received by the computer through the BECM. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a state of charge of the battery pack on the computer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a voltage of the battery pack on the computer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a current of the battery pack on the computer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a contactor status of the battery pack on the computer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating an elapsed charging time on the computer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises termination of charging the battery pack by an operator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises automatic termination of charging the battery pack after a preselected criteria is met. ### Claim 9 A method for charging a battery pack in a vehicle, comprising: connecting an off-vehicle charger to a power source; connecting the charger to the battery pack; connecting a computer to a battery energy control module (BECM) of the battery pack following disconnecting the BECM from a wire harness of the vehicle; determining whether the battery pack is in satisfactory condition for charging by running a software program on the computer, the software program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the software program configured to cause at least one processor to initiate and control the charging of the battery pack based on an indicated condition of the battery pack received by the computer through the BECM; and charging the battery pack from the power source through the charger if the battery pack is in satisfactory condition for charging by running the software program on the computer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a state of charge of the battery pack on the computer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a voltage of the battery pack on the computer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a current of the battery pack on the computer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a contactor status of the battery pack on the computer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating an elapsed charging time on the computer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises termination of charging the battery pack by an operator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises automatic termination of charging the battery pack after a preselected criteria is met. ### Claim 17 A method for charging a battery pack in a vehicle, comprising: connecting an off-vehicle charger to a power source; connecting the charger to the battery pack; connecting a computer to a battery energy control module (BECM) of the battery pack following disconnecting the BECM from a wire harness of the vehicle; determining whether the battery pack is in satisfactory condition for charging by running a software program on the computer, the software program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the software program configured to cause at least one processor to initiate and control the charging of the battery pack based on an indicated condition of the battery pack received by the computer through the BECM; charging the battery pack from the power source through the charger if the battery pack is in satisfactory condition for charging by running the software program on the computer; and during the charging indicating a state of charge of the battery pack, a voltage of the battery pack, a current of the battery pack, a battery pack contactor status of the battery pack and an elapsed charging time of the battery pack on the computer by running the software program on the computer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises termination of charging the battery pack by an operator. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises automatic termination of charging the battery pack after a preselected criteria is met. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises automatic termination of charging the battery pack after a preselected criteria is met, the preselected criteria comprising a predetermined state of charge of the battery pack.