Control of power flow in battery cells of a vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle includes a battery pack with a plurality of battery cells. The battery pack is configured to power an electric machine that propels the vehicle. Cell balancing can take place in which electric energy from one cell is transferred to another cell to balance out the respective charges of the cells. The vehicle includes a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal from a wireless key fob. A controller is programmed to inhibit the cell balancing for a user-defined time period that is initiated in response to the wireless signal being received by the receiver.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle comprising:
 a battery pack including a plurality of cells;   an electric machine configured to transform electrical power from the battery pack to motive power for the vehicle;   a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal from a key fob; and   at least one controller programmed to inhibit cell balancing of the battery pack for a user-defined time period that is initiated in response to receiving the wireless signal.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is further programmed enable balancing in response to an expiration of the user-defined time period. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the wireless signal from the key fob is a plurality of wireless signals from the key fob indicating a user depressing a button on the key fob a plurality of times. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to command a depletion of electric energy of one of the plurality of cells out of the battery pack to define the cell balancing. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein a key-ON event terminates the user-defined time period such that the at least one controller is further programmed to enable cell balancing in response to the key-ON event. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface in communication with the at least one controller, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to display a calendar for a user to select a start-date and end-date, the user-defined period defined by the start-date and end-date. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface in communication with the at least one controller, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to display various times for a user to select a start-time and an end-time, the user-defined period defined by the start-time and the end-time. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a transceiver in communication with the at least one controller, wherein the user-defined period is defined by at least one of a date-range and a time-range received by the transceiver. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a mobile communication device in communication with the at least one controller and capable of receiving the user-defined period via wireless communication. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is further configured to subsequently receive an end-time of the user-defined time period from the key fob via the receiver. 
     
     
         11 . A system for controlling cell balancing in a vehicle, comprising:
 a battery pack including a plurality of cells for powering the vehicle;   a wireless key fob configured to transmit a first signal; and   a receiver configured to transmit a second signal to a controller in response to receiving the first signal, wherein the controller is programmed to inhibit cell balancing for a predetermined time period that is initiated in response to receiving the second signal.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is further programmed to command cell balancing in response to an expiration of the predetermined time period. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the second signal is transmitted in response to receive the first signal a number of times indicating a user depressing a button on the key fob a number of times. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the command of cell balancing includes commanding a depletion of electric energy of one of the plurality of cells. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the expiration of the predetermined time period is initiated based on the receiver receiving an engine-start signal from the key fob. 
     
     
         16 . A vehicle computer system comprising:
 a controller programmed to inhibit cell balancing in a battery pack for a user-defined time period that is initiated in response to receiving a wireless signal from a key fob.   
     
     
         17 . The vehicle computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is further programmed to command cell balancing in response to an expiration of the user-defined time period. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the wireless signal from the key fob is a lock/unlock signal intended to command locking or unlocking of doors of the vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The vehicle computer system of  claim 18 , wherein the controller is further programmed to enable cell balancing in response to receiving a second lock/unlock signal from the key fob. 
     
     
         20 . The vehicle computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the user-defined time period is initiated in response to receiving a number of wireless signals from the key fob.