Patents by Inventor Tobias SMIDEBRANT

Tobias SMIDEBRANT has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240278691
    Abstract: A computer system and a method for controlling a power system of a vehicle is disclosed. The power system includes a fuel cell system and an energy storage system comprising one or more batteries. The method includes predicting an upcoming driving event associated with a start time and a time duration, the driving event being an event during which the vehicle is expected to be operated under a load condition. The method further includes determining a preferred operating condition of the fuel cell system during the predicted upcoming driving event based on the load condition and on the time duration, and controlling the power system by performing a preparation action associated with the power system in dependence of the determined operating condition of the fuel system before the start time of the predicted upcoming driving event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2024
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Inventors: Fredrik BLOMGREN, Linus NORDHOLM, Tobias SMIDEBRANT, Eva SKVOR, Martin WILHELMSSON
  • Publication number: 20240278690
    Abstract: A computer system and a method for controlling a power producing assembly of a vehicle is described. The power producing assembly includes a fuel cell system and an energy storage system comprising one or more batteries. The method includes identifying an upcoming driving event of the vehicle, said upcoming driving event comprising following a route in a geographic location, identifying a current operating condition of the vehicle,-using driving event information, including power output from a fuel cell system, for driving events following the same route which have previously been performed under determined operating conditions, and determining a desirable power output profile from the fuel cell system during the identified upcoming driving event for the current operating condition on the basis of the driving event information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2024
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Applicant: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fredrik BLOMGREN, Linus Nordholm, Martin Wilhelmsson, Tobias Smidebrant
  • Publication number: 20240227819
    Abstract: A computer system comprising a processor device is provided. The processor device is configured to receive a deactivation request to deactivate a heavy-duty vehicle. The processor device is further configured to determine a controlled partial deactivation instruction of at least one subsystem of the vehicle, wherein the controlled partial deactivation instruction is determined by an autonomous model comprising a historical usage pattern of the vehicle. The historical usage pattern comprises information of deactivation events and activation events of the vehicle that has historically occurred at reference locations. The processor device is further configured to control the vehicle to execute the controlled partial deactivation instruction such that the vehicle is at least partially deactivated either immediately, or after a delay, as determined by the controlled partial deactivation instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Applicant: VOLVO TRUCT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Martin WILHELMSSON, Linus NORDHOLM, Tobias SMIDEBRANT
  • Publication number: 20240227856
    Abstract: A computer system including a processor device is provided. The processor device is configured to receive a deactivation request to deactivate a heavy-duty vehicle. The processor device is further configured to determine a controlled partial deactivation instruction of the vehicle, wherein the controlled partial deactivation instruction is determined by an autonomous model comprising a historical usage pattern of the vehicle. The historical usage pattern comprises information of deactivation events and activation events of the vehicle that has historically occurred at reference time frames. The processor device is further configured to control the vehicle to execute the controlled partial deactivation instruction such that the vehicle is at least partially deactivated either immediately, or after a delay, as determined by the controlled partial deactivation instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Applicant: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Martin WILHELMSSON, Tobias SMIDEBRANT, Linus NORDHOLM
  • Patent number: 12024051
    Abstract: A master electronic control unit controls a plurality of batteries, and is communicatively connected to each one of the battery control units. The master electronic control unit provides a predefined electric interference to the traction voltage bus after a signal to open the at least one contactor of each battery has been provided. Each battery control unit detects the predefined electric interference, and when the predefined electric interference is detected, the at least one battery control unit issues a signal that the predefined electric interference was detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tobias Smidebrant
  • Publication number: 20240210180
    Abstract: A computer system determines a selected path to be taken by a vehicle. The system monitors alternative paths for the vehicle; based on the monitoring, determines that the vehicle approaches at least two alternative paths having different properties; determines a probability of the vehicle taking each of the at least two alternative paths having different properties; compares the probabilities of the at least two alternative paths to each other; and based on a result of the comparison of the probabilities, selects a selected path amongst the at least two alternative paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2023
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Applicant: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Linus NORDHOLM, Martin WILHELMSSON, Tobias SMIDEBRANT, Gabriel TRĂ–NNBERG, Johan BJERNETUN, Jenny BLOMQVIST, Johan LINDBERG, Johan AXELSSON
  • Patent number: 11942858
    Abstract: A switching arrangement for reducing contactor wear of an energy storage system having a plurality of battery packs arranged in parallel for powering a load. The switching arrangement includes a contactor for each battery pack. The contactors connect and disconnect the battery packs relative to the load by closing and opening, respectively, an electric arc reducing circuitry associated to one of the contactors. The switching arrangement is configured to electrically disconnect the battery packs from the load by means of the contactors such that the contactor being associated with the electric arc reducing circuitry is opened last.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anton Klintberg, Faisal Altaf, Tobias Smidebrant
  • Patent number: 11863000
    Abstract: An energy storage system for a vehicle, includes one or more battery units for storing electrical energy; at least one high voltage switch for connection and disconnection of the one or more battery units to at least one load, such as an electrical machine; a fuse for disconnection of the one or more battery units when the energy storage system experiences an overcurrent being above a predetermined overcurrent value. The energy storage system is configured to during use, identify if a condition has occurred which requires immediate shutdown of the energy storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tobias Smidebrant
  • Patent number: 11831185
    Abstract: A method for operating a switching arrangement of an energy storage system, the energy storage system comprising a plurality of parallelly arranged battery packs and the switching arrangement comprising an associated contactor for each battery pack, the contactors being configured to connect and disconnect the battery packs relative a load by closing and opening, respectively. The method comprises disconnecting the battery packs from the load by means of the contactors such that the battery packs are disconnected in a sequence in which one contactor is opened last and thereby subject to increased disconnection wear, controlling the sequence in which the battery packs are disconnected in such a way that the increased disconnection wear is accounted for and used to distribute contactor wear among the contactors during subsequent disconnections of the battery packs from the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anton Klintberg, Faisal Altaf, Tobias Smidebrant
  • Publication number: 20230273787
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for scheduling a vehicle software update in a vehicle, for example, in heavy-duty vehicle which may be operating in a defined area or site, and/or along a defined trajectory, the method comprising associating a probability of the vehicle having an updateable operational state with one or more time periods, wherein the probability of the vehicle being updateable is determined based at least partly on data representing behavioural states of one or more similar vehicles, in other words, other vehicles which have usage characteristics which have a relationship to the usage characteristics of the vehicle; scheduling a pending software update until the next time period of the one or more time periods where the probability of the vehicle having an updateable operational states meets a software update condition; and, enabling the vehicle to perform the software update when the vehicle probability having the updateable operational state meets the software update condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Martin WILHELMSSON, Johan BJERNETUN, Tobias SMIDEBRANT, Linus NORDHOLM
  • Publication number: 20230097052
    Abstract: A method for operating a switching arrangement of a rechargeable energy storage system, RESS. The RESS includes parallelly arranged battery packs and the switching arrangement comprising an associated contactor for each battery pack. The contactors are configured to connect and disconnect the battery packs relative a traction voltage bus by closing and opening, respectively, the traction voltage bus being connected to at least one load. The method includes providing a window of opportunity in which no request for powering the load by the battery packs, and no request for charging the battery packs, are allowed to be implemented, in the window of opportunity, preventing the contactors to open enabling equalization due to current transfer between the battery packs, measuring the current transfer between the battery packs, and in response to the measured current transfer, preventing the contactors to open and/or opening the contactors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Linus NORDHOLM, Tobias SMIDEBRANT
  • Publication number: 20220352727
    Abstract: A method for operating a switching arrangement of an energy storage system, the energy storage system comprising a plurality of parallelly arranged battery packs and the switching arrangement comprising an associated contactor for each battery pack, the contactors being configured to connect and disconnect the battery packs relative a load by closing and opening, respectively. The method comprises disconnecting the battery packs from the load by means of the contactors such that the battery packs are disconnected in a sequence in which one contactor is opened last and thereby subject to increased disconnection wear, controlling the sequence in which the battery packs are disconnected in such a way that the increased disconnection wear is accounted for and used to distribute contactor wear among the contactors during subsequent disconnections of the battery packs from the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anton KLINTBERG, Faisal ALTAF, Tobias SMIDEBRANT
  • Publication number: 20220352814
    Abstract: A switching arrangement for reducing contactor wear of an energy storage system having a plurality of battery packs arranged in parallel for powering a load. The switching arrangement includes a contactor for each battery pack, the contactors being configured to connect and disconnect the battery packs relative the load by closing and opening, respectively, an electric arc reducing circuitry associated to one of the contactors, wherein the switching arrangement is configured to electrically disconnect the battery packs from the load by means of the contactors such that the contactor being associated with the electric arc reducing circuitry is opened last.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anton KLINTBERG, Faisal ALTAF, Tobias SMIDEBRANT
  • Patent number: 11440433
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method (100) for determining an adjusted state-of-charge (SOC) operating window of a battery pack assembly in a vehicle. The method comprises the steps of determining (120) an energy throughput or an electrical current through put of the battery pack assembly; determining (130) a SOC operating window margin based on said determined energy throughput or electrical current through put of the battery pack assembly;adjusting (140) the SOC operating window in response to the determined SOC operating window margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Simon Brunet, Tobias Smidebrant
  • Publication number: 20220271551
    Abstract: An energy storage system for a vehicle, includes one or more battery units for storing electrical energy; at least one high voltage switch for connection and disconnection of the one or more battery units to at least one load, such as an electrical machine; a fuse for disconnection of the one or more battery units when the energy storage system experiences an overcurrent being above a predetermined overcurrent value. The energy storage system is configured to during use, identify if a condition has occurred which requires immediate shutdown of the energy storage system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tobias SMIDEBRANT
  • Patent number: 11332017
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the operation of an energy storage system (10) in a vehicle (30), preferably an electric or hybrid electric vehicle, said energy storage system (10) comprising at least two battery packs (12) connected in parallel, said energy storage system (10) being adapted to provide at least a nominal power functionality for propulsion of said vehicle (30) using an allowed operating extent of all of said battery packs (12) of said energy storage system (10), said allowed operating extent being a nominal working range of said battery packs (12); said method comprising disconnecting at least one battery pack (12); and setting said allowed operating extent for said remaining connected and active battery pack(s) (12) to an increased working range so as to enable said energy storage system (10) to provide said nominal power functionality to said vehicle (30), the method further comprising monitoring at least one accumulated parameter indicative of the operation of said energy
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Niklas Legnedahl, Hanna Bryngelsson, Simon Brunet, Tobias Smidebrant
  • Publication number: 20220009374
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control system for controlling an electric energy system (1) for propulsion of a vehicle (100), wherein the electric energy system comprises: a traction voltage bus (2); a plurality of batteries (3?, 3?) electrically connectable to each other via the traction voltage bus (2), and wherein each battery is electrically connectable to the traction voltage bus by at least one contactor (A, B); wherein the control system comprises a respective battery control unit (BMU1, BMU2) for each one of the plurality of batteries, wherein the control system further comprises: a master electronic control unit (MECU) for controlling the plurality of batteries, wherein the master electronic control unit (MECU) is communicatively connected to each one of the battery control units (BMU1, BMU2), and wherein the master electronic control unit (MECU) is configured to provide a predefined electric interference to the traction voltage bus (2) after a signal to open the at least one contactor (A, B) of each
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Applicant: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tobias Smidebrant
  • Patent number: 11214208
    Abstract: A traction voltage system in a vehicle includes a junction box with multiple connectors for electrical components, which components include electrical supplies and electrical loads, and an electronic control unit arranged to monitor current flowing flow to or from the components. A controller or a circuit breaker is arranged to control the supply of power to each respective component, and at least all but one of the connectors are provided with a current sensor arranged to transmit a signal representing detected current values to the electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is arranged to determine an instantaneous current value flowing to or from each component, to compare the instantaneous current value with a predetermined limit value for each connector, and to take action in response to the comparison. A method for controlling the traction voltage system is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jerker Lennevi, Tobias Smidebrant
  • Publication number: 20200406782
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method (100) for determining an adjusted state-of-charge (SOC) operating window of a battery pack assembly in a vehicle. The method comprises the steps of determining (120) an energy throughput or an electrical current through put of the battery pack assembly; determining (130) a SOC operating window margin based on said determined energy throughput or electrical current through put of the battery pack assembly;adjusting (140) the SOC operating window in response to the determined SOC operating window margin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Simon BRUNET, Tobias SMIDEBRANT
  • Patent number: 10377261
    Abstract: A device/method for the control of a charge operation and the State Of Charge (SOC) of an electrical Energy Storage System (ESS), e.g. a battery, that includes a multitude of cells is provided. The ESS is electrically connected to a propulsion system of a vehicle in order to power an Electric Motor. The method includes charging the ESS from an electrical power source, e.g., the grid, when the vehicle is at standstill, stopping the charging when the SOC level of the ESS is above a maintenance limit for the SOC level of the ESS, monitoring the battery and/or performing a service operation of the ESS after the ESS has been charged to a SOC level above the maintenance limit for the SOC level of the ESS, deliberately discharging the ESS to lower the SOC level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventor: Tobias Smidebrant