Redundant power bridge battery architecture

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for constant and reliable power distribution, using a redundant power bridge battery architecture, in autonomous vehicles are described. An example method includes determining that each of a plurality of sensors is operating within in a nominal range for the respective sensor, and distributing, based on the determining, power from at least one alternating current (AC) power source or at least one direct current (DC) power source to at least one power distribution unit (PDU), wherein a first power bridge is coupled to the at least one AC power source and the at least one DC power source and a second power bridge is coupled to the at least one DC power source and the at least one PDU, and wherein the plurality of sensors is used to monitor a health of the vehicle and any single point failure is detectable.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A system for power distribution in a vehicle, comprising:
 a finite state machine (FSM); and   a power bridge comprising:   a first terminal coupled to a first junction and an alternator;
 a second terminal coupled to a second junction via a first controller switch and coupled to a shore power unit, the second junction being coupled to the first junction; 
 a third terminal coupled to the first junction via a second controller switch and coupled to a first battery; and 
 a fourth terminal coupled to the second junction via a third controller switch and coupled to a second battery, 
   wherein the FSM is configured to cause transition of the vehicle from a first state to a second state based on at least a connection status of each of the first controller switch, the second controller switch and the third controller switch.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein each of the first state and the second state is a sleep mode, a Power On mode, a Power Manual mode, a Power Error mode, a Power Charge mode, or a “Combo_Char” state, and wherein the first state and the second state are different from each other. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the FSM is configured to cause transition of the vehicle from the Power On mode to the Power Charge mode when each of the first controller switch, the second controller switch, and the third controller switch is connected, and wherein the vehicle is charged by one of the alternator and the shore power unit when the vehicle is in the Power Charge mode. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a vehicle control unit (VCU), wherein the FSM is configured to cause transition of the vehicle from any mode to the Power Error mode when all of the first controller switch, the second controller switch, and the third controller switch are disconnected and the VCU is alerted. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the vehicle is in the Power Error mode when a short or fault condition of one of the alternator and the shore power unit results in a disconnection of one of the first battery and the second battery. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a vehicle control unit (VCU), wherein the FSM is configured to cause transition of the vehicle from any mode to the Power On mode when all of the first controller switch, the second controller switch and the third controller switch are disconnected and the VCU is not alerted. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the FSM is configured to cause transition of the vehicle from the Power On mode to the Power Manual mode when one of the first controller switch, the second controller switch and the third controller switch is disconnected and two of the first controller switch, the second controller switch and the third controller switch are connected. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the FSM is configured to cause transition of the vehicle from the Power Manual mode or the Power Charge mode to the “Combo_Char” state when two of the first controller switch, the second controller switch, and the third controller switch are connected, one of the first controller switch, the second controller switch, and the third controller switch is disconnected, and a vehicle control unit (VCU) is alerted. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the vehicle is charged by one of the alternator and the shore power unit when the vehicle is in the Power Charge mode. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the FSM is configured to keep the vehicle in the Power On mode when a built-in self-test (BIST) is performed, wherein the BIST comprises switching each of the first controller switch, the second controller switch and the third controller switch for a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 18 , at least one of the first battery or the second battery is configured to provide different power levels. 
     
     
         29 . A system for power distribution in a vehicle, comprising:
 a finite state machine (FSM); and   a power bridge comprising:
 a first terminal coupled to a first junction via a first controller switch and coupled to a first battery; 
 a second terminal coupled to a second junction via a second controller switch and coupled to a second battery; 
 a third terminal coupled to the first junction via a third controller switch and coupled to a first computational unit (CU); and 
 a fourth terminal coupled to the second junction via a fourth controller switch and coupled to a second CU, wherein the second junction is coupled to the first junction via a fifth controller switch, 
   wherein the FSM is configured to cause transition of the vehicle from a first state to a second state based on at least a connection status of each of the first controller switch, the second controller switch, the third controller switch, the fourth controller switch, and the fifth controller switch.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein each of the first state and the second state is an OFF state, a Normal operating state, a first battery fail state, a second battery fail state, a first CU fail state, or a second CU fail state, wherein the first state is different from the second state. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the vehicle is in one of the first battery fail state, the second battery fail state, the first CU fail state, or the second fail state when a faulty or a short circuit condition in a corresponding component or related cabling results in disconnection of the corresponding component. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the vehicle further comprises an autonomous driving system (ADS), and wherein the FSM is configured to cause transition of the vehicle from the OFF state to the Normal operating state when each of the first controller switch, the second controller switch, the third controller switch, and the fourth controller switch is connected, the fifth controller switch is disconnected, and the ADS is powered on. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the FSM is configured to cause transition of the vehicle from the Normal operating state to one of the first battery fail state, the second battery fail state, the first CU fail state, and the second CU fail state when a corresponding one of the first controller switch, the second controller switch, the third controller switch, and the fourth controller switch is disconnected and all remaining four controller switches are connected. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the FSM is configured to cause transition of the vehicle from one of the first battery fail state, the second battery fail state, the first CU fail state, and the second CU fail state to the Normal operating state when the first controller switch, the second controller switch, the third controller switch, and the fourth controller switch are connected, and the fifth controller switch is disconnected. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the vehicle further comprises an autonomous driving system (ADS), and wherein the FSM is configured to cause transition of the vehicle from the Normal operating state to the OFF state when the first controller switch, the second controller switch, the third controller switch, the fourth controller switch, and the fifth controller switch are all disconnected and the first CU, the second CU, and the ADS are all powered off. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the FSM is configured to keep the vehicle in a Normal operating state when a built-in self-test (BIST) is performed, wherein the BIST comprises switching each of the first controller switch, the second controller switch, the third controller switch, the fourth controller switch, and the fifth controller switch for a predetermined amount of time. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 29 , at least one of the first battery or the second battery is configured to provide different power levels.