A cooler 102 for a vehicle 100, for perishable food and beverages for example, comprises an electric cooling unit 122, sensors 124, a wireless node 120 to communicatively couple to the vehicle, and a cooling control unit 128 to monitor a charge margin of the vehicle, and, if it is below a threshold, to activate a power management technique. Techniques may include requesting an engine RPM increase or turning off the cooling unit. The cooler may also monitor available alternator current. Sensors may detect the cooler lid position or interior temperature, or the ambient temperature. A method to manage a portable cooler for a vehicle comprises receiving from the vehicle, via a wireless node communicatively coupled to the vehicle, charge margin and operational information and, in response thereto, activating a cooler power management technique with a processor. Charge margin is defined as the difference between current power bus voltage and battery depletion voltage.
Vehicle-based smart cooler
2018-04-25
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B60H ARRANGEMENTS OR ADAPTATIONS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING, OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES , Anordnung oder Einbau der Heizung, Kühlung, Lüftung oder anderer Luftbehandlungsvorrichtungen für die Fahrzeugräume für Reisende oder Fracht / B60N SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES , Sitze besonders für Fahrzeuge ausgebildet / F25D REFRIGERATORS , Kühlschränke |