CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION(S)

[0001] This application claims priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), to U.S. Application No. 62/570,767, which was filed on October 11, 2017, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

[0002] In the automotive industry, vehicles are traditionally sold with a fixed package of options. These option packages, while ostensibly interchangeable among vehicles of the same or substantially the same model (e.g., different trim levels), are rarely, if ever, added or removed from the vehicle once the vehicle leaves the factory. Additionally, changing certain options, for instance, swapping between engines with a different displacement, may be such a disruptive process that the average vehicle user is unlikely to possess the skill, knowledge, or facilities to perform such a change on their own. Furthermore, these option packages are typically designed to be used in only a few different vehicle models and are normally not shared/used with a broader range of vehicle models despite provide the same function in the vehicle. For example, a new design for an air conditioning compressor is typically developed for every vehicle model.

[0003] The traditional automotive option market is also essentially closed to all but a small subset of automotive (e.g., Tier 1) suppliers. A non-automotive company that nevertheless wishes to develop an automotive product and to have that automotive product installed in a vehicle should work with a particular automotive manufacturer by following a specific vehicle model through a complete design cycle. Design cycles may take upwards of five years to complete, which makes it prohibitively difficult.

SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments described herein are directed to a modular bus that provides a standardized form factor and interface to facilitate the transfer of electrical power and communications between one or more modules installed onto the modular bus. Each module may provide functionality related to energy storage, power, control, interface, and accessory systems in a vehicle. Modules may be readily added or removed from the modular bus, allowing a user to reconfigure a vehicle for different use cases (e.g., greater travel range, greater power). In this manner, the modular bus improves the ease of incorporating vehicle upgrades and option package changes. Additionally, the standardized form factor and interface may enable interchangeability of modules between a broader range of vehicle models and different vehicle types.

[0005] The modular bus may be incorporated into various vehicles, such as automotive vehicles, light electric vehicles (LEVs), electric bikes (e-bikes), electric scooters (e-scooters), and boats. The modularity and open nature of the modular bus may also provide non-automotive third-party manufacturers a path towards developing modules with rapid deployment and vehicle integration. Additionally, maintenance and repairs of a vehicle may also be simplified as defective or damaged components may be replaced quickly and easily with appropriate modules.

[0006] In one example, the modular bus is comprised of a backplane that includes a supply conductor to supply electrical power, a return conductor to receive electrical power, and a dielectric disposed between the supply conductor and the return conductor for electrical insulation. A plurality of electrical contacts is disposed onto the backplane to provide electrical connections to at least one module. A first portion of the plurality of electrical contacts are coupled to the supply conductor and a second portion of the plurality of electrical contacts are coupled to the return conductor. The modular bus also includes a communication bus disposed onto the return conductor. The communication bus is electrically isolated and provides an interface via a plurality of communications contacts for communication with at least one module. The plurality of electrical contacts and the plurality of communications contacts are arranged to form a periodic array with each unit cell of the periodic array corresponding to a standardized slot (e.g., 1U).

[0007] In one example, a modular bus may be comprised of a first interface to receive a first module, a second interface to receive a second module, an electrical backplane, operably coupled to the first interface and the second interface, to convey electrical power from the first module to the second module via the first interface and the second interface, and a communications bus, disposed on the electrical backplane, to convey communications signals between the first module and the second module. The first interface and second interface may each be configured to support an electric current of at least about 100 A. The electrical backplane may be comprised of a first planar conductor, a second planar conductor, and a dielectric, disposed between the first planar conductor and the second planar conductor, to electrically isolate the first planar conductor from the second planar conductor. The first planar conductor and the second planar conductor may each have a thickness ranging between about 1 mm and about 10 mm and a width of about 50 mm. The dielectric may have a breakdown voltage of at least about 48 V. The first interface may also include an electrical contact extending from the first conductor through a hole in the dielectric and the second conductor. The electrical backplane may also have a current capacity ranging between about 100 A to about 500 A and an inductance ranging between about 1 nH to about 100 nH. The electrical backplane may define a first slot about 50 mm by 50 mm for the first module and a second slot about 50 mm by 50 mm for the second module. The modular bus may also include a first mechanical interlock, operably coupled to the electrical backplane, to secure the first module to the first interface. The modular bus may also include a bus controller, operably coupled to the communications bus, to authenticate the first module and the second module. The bus controller may be configured to prevent operation of the first module in response to a failure to authenticate the first module. The bus controller may also be configured to disable the modular bus in response to a failure to authenticate the first module.

[0008] In another example, a method of distributing electrical power and communications signals via a modular bus comprising an electrical backplane, a communications bus disposed on the electrical backplane, a first interface electrically coupled to the electrical backplane and communicatively coupled to the communications bus, and a second interface electrically coupled to the electrical backplane and communicatively coupled to the communications bus, may be comprised of the following steps: (1) connecting a first module to the first interface, (2) connecting a second module to the second interface, (3) conveying electrical power from the first module to the second module via the electrical backplane, and (4) conveying communications signals between the first module and the second module via the communications bus. The step of connecting the first module to the first interface may be comprised of inserting the first module into a first slot with dimensions of about 50 mm by 50 mm. The step of connecting the first module to the first interface may also be comprised of securing the first module to the first interface with a first mechanical interlock. The electrical backplane may be comprised of a dielectric sandwiched between a first conductor and a second conductor and connecting the first module to the first interface comprises connecting the first module to an electrical contact extending from the first conductor through a hole in the dielectric and the second conductor. The step of conveying the electrical power may comprise carrying at least about 100 A from the first interface to the second interface via the electrical backplane. The step of conveying the electrical power may also comprise maintaining a potential of about 48 V across the electrical backplane. The method may also include, after connecting the first module to the first interface, authenticating the first module via the first interface. This may be followed by disabling the first interface in response to a failure to authenticate the first module and/or disabling the second interface in response to a failure to authenticate the first module.

[0009] In another example, a modular bus may be comprised of a supply conductor having a width of about 50 mm and a thickness ranging between about 1 mm and about 4 mm, a return conductor having a width of about 50 mm and a thickness of about 1 mm, a dielectric disposed between the supply conductor and the return conductor, an array of supply electrical contacts spaced at a pitch of about 50 mm, each supply electrical contact in the array of supply electrical contacts extending from the supply conductor through a corresponding opening in the dielectric and the return conductor, an array of return electrical contacts spaced at a pitch of about 50 mm, each return electrical contact in the array of return electrical contacts extending from the return conductor, a communications bus disposed on the return conductor, an array of communications interfaces disposed on the return conductor at a pitch of 50 mm, each communications interface in the array of communications interfaces configured to connect to a corresponding module detachably connected to the modular bus, and a bus controller, operably coupled to the communications bus, to authenticate modules detachably connected to the modular bus via the array of communications interfaces. The bus controller may be configured to authenticate a first module by verifying that the first module holds a private key corresponding to a public key held by the bus controller. The bus controller may also be configured to prevent the array of electrical contacts from supplying current to the first module in response to determining that the first module does not hold the private key corresponding to the public key held by the bus controller. The bus controller may include non-volatile memory to store a record of successful verification that the first module holds the private key corresponding to the public key held by the bus controller. The bus controller may also be configured to re-authenticate the first module based on the record of successful verification in response to the first module being detached from the modular bus and re-connected to the modular bus.

[0010] In another example, a method may be comprised of the following steps: (1) connecting a module to a return electrical contact in an array of return electrical contacts, a supply electrical contact in an array of supply electrical contacts, and a communications interface in an array of communications interfaces, and (2) authenticating the module with a bus controller operably coupled to the communications interface via a communications bus. The array of return electrical contacts may be spaced at a pitch of about 50 mm, each return electrical contact in the array of return electrical contacts extending from a return conductor having a width of about 50 mm and a thickness of about 1 mm. The array of supply electrical contacts may be spaced at a pitch of about 50 mm, each supply electrical contact in the array of supply electrical contacts extending from a supply conductor having a width of about 50 mm and a thickness ranging between about 1 mm and about 4 mm through a corresponding opening in the return conductor and a dielectric disposed between the return conductor and the supply conductor. The array of communications interfaces may be disposed on the return conductor at a pitch of 50 mm. The step of authenticating the module with the bus controller may comprise verifying that the module holds a private key corresponding to a public key held by the bus controller. The method may also include determining that the module does not hold the private key corresponding to the public key held by the bus controller and preventing the supply electrical contact and return electrical contact from supplying current to the module in response to determining that the module does not hold the private key corresponding to the public key held by the bus controller. The method may also include successfully verifying that the module holds the private key corresponding to the public key held by the bus controller and storing a record of the successful verification that the first module holds the private key corresponding to the public key held by the bus controller. The method may further include detaching the module from the return electrical contact, the supply electrical contact, and the communications interface, re-connecting the module to the return electrical contact, the supply electrical contact, and the communications interface, and re-authenticating the first module based on the record of successful verification in response to the module being re-connected to the return electrical contact, the supply electrical contact, and the communications interface.

[0011] In another example, a modular bus may be comprised of an electrical bus configured to receive a plurality of detachable modules, the electrical bus configured to carry up to about 100 A, the electrical bus comprising a first bus bar, a second bus bar, a dielectric disposed between the supply conductor and having a breakdown voltage of at least 48 VDC, and an array of electrical contacts in electrical communication with the electrical bus, each electrical contact in the array of electrical contacts configured to supply up to 10 A to and/or receive up to 10 A from a corresponding detachable module in the plurality of detachable modules. The modular bus may also include a conductive layer, substantially surrounding the electrical bus, to electrically shield the electrical bus.

[0012] In another example, a method may be comprised of the following steps: (1) receiving a plurality of detachable modules with an electrical bus configured to carry up to about 100 A, and (2) conveying up to 10 A from a first detachable module in the plurality of detachable modules to a second detachable module in the plurality of detachable modules via the electrical bus.

[0013] In another example, a modular system for power and communications distribution within a vehicle having an electrical powertrain may be comprised of an electrical backplane, a plurality of electrical contacts extending from and in electrical communication with the electrical backplane, a plurality of modules, each module in the plurality of modules detachably coupled to a corresponding module in the plurality of modules, the plurality of modules comprising: a motor power inverter module to power the electrical powertrain, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module to heat and/or cool a cabin of the vehicle, and a power supply module to supply electrical power to the motor power inverter module and the HVAC module via the electrical backplane. The electrical backplane may be comprised of a first conductor having a thickness of about 1 mm and width of about 50 mm, a second conductor having a thickness of about 1 mm and width of about 50 mm, and a dielectric separating the first conductor from the second conductor. The electrical backplane may also be configured to carry about 100 A. Each module in the plurality of modules has a width that is an integer multiple of 50 mm, a height that is an integer multiple of 50 mm, and a length that is up to about 300 mm.

[0014] In another example, a method of distributing power and communications within a vehicle having an electrical powertrain may be comprised of the following steps: (1) attaching a detachable motor power inverter module to a modular bus comprising an electrical backplane, (2) attaching a detachable power supply module to the modular bus, (3) powering the electrical powertrain with the detachable motor power inverter module, and (4) supplying electrical power to the detachable motor power inverter module from the detachable power supply module via the electrical backplane. The method may further include attaching a detachable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module to the modular bus, and heating and/or cooling a cabin of the vehicle with the detachable HVAC module.

[0015] In another example, a module for use with a power and communications bus within a vehicle having an electrical powertrain may be comprised of a housing having a width that is an integer multiple of 50 mm, a height that is an integer multiple of 50 mm, and a length that is an integer multiple of 50 mm up to about 300 mm, a receptacle in the housing to receive direct current (DC) power from and/or provide DC power to at least one other module connected to the power and communications bus, a communications interface in or on the housing, and a processor, operably coupled to the communications interface, to receive and/or send communications signals to the at least one other module connected to the power and communications bus. The module may further include at least one battery cell, in the housing and in electrical communication with the receptacle, to provide the DC power to the at least one other module connected to the power and communications bus. The module may further include a motor power inverter, in the housing and in electrical communication with the receptacle, to convert the DC power from the at least one other module connected to the power and communications bus into AC power for powering the electrical drivetrain. The module may further include a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit, in the housing and in electrical communication with the receptacle, to heat, cool, and/or ventilate an interior of the vehicle.

[0016] In another example, a modular bus comprising an electrical bus, mechanically coupled to a vehicle, the electrical bus having a first conductor to provide an electrical feed and a second conductor to provide an electrical return, the first conductor and the second conductor being separated by an electrically insulating layer, power ports, disposed onto the electrical bus, to transfer electrical power among replaceable modules connected to the electrical bus, the power ports being arranged in an array and having substantially similar dimensions, and communications ports, disposed on the electrical bus, to transfer data among the replaceable modules connected to the electrical bus, where the replaceable modules comprise at least one replaceable battery module, electrically coupled to an integer number of power ports and to at least one communications port, to supply the electrical power to at least one other replaceable module coupled to the electrical bus.

[0017] In another example, a modular bus comprising electrical buses, mechanically coupled to a vehicle, to transfer electrical power and data, each electrical bus being in electronic communication with at least one other electrical bus, where each electrical bus comprises: a first conductor to provide an electrical feed and a second conductor to provide an electrical return, the first conductor and the second conductor being separated by an electrically insulating layer, power ports, disposed on the electrical bus, to transfer electrical power, the power ports being arranged in an array and having substantially similar dimensions, and communication ports, disposed onto the electrical bus, to transfer data, the communication ports being arranged in an array.

[0018] All combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. The terminology used herein that also may appear in any disclosure incorporated by reference should be accorded a meaning most consistent with the particular concepts disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings primarily are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; in some instances, various aspects of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein may be shown exaggerated or enlarged in the drawings to facilitate an understanding of different features. In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to like features (e.g., functionally similar and/or structurally similar elements).

[0020] FIG. 1A shows an exemplary modular bus.

[0021] FIG. IB shows a cross-sectional view of the exemplary modular bus of FIG. 1 A.

[0022] FIG. 1C shows another exemplary modular bus using planar blade-type connectors.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary module that can be plugged into the modular bus of FIG. 1 A.

[0024] FIG. 3 A shows an exploded view of an exemplary 1U battery module.

[0025] FIG. 3B shows a table detailing exemplary electrical, physical, and thermal specifications of the 1U battery module shown in FIG. 3 A.

[0026] FIG. 4A shows a top, perspective view of an exemplary 3U inverter module.

[0027] FIG. 4B shows a top view of the 3U inverter module of FIG. 4 A.

[0028] FIG. 4C shows a table detailing exemplary electrical, physical, and thermal specifications for a 3U inverter module.

[0029] FIG. 5 A shows a top, perspective view of an exemplary 3U HVAC module.

[0030] FIG. 5B shows an end view of the exemplary 3U HVAC module of FIG. 5 A.

[0031] FIG. 5C shows an end view of the exemplary 3U HVAC module of FIG. 5 A without the controller. [0032] FIG. 5D shows a top view of the exemplary 3U HVAC module of FIG. 5 A.

[0033] FIG. 6A shows an exemplary modular system comprised of a modular bus and several modules.

[0034] FIG. 6B shows another exemplary modular system comprised of audio, battery, and HVAC modules disposed on opposing sides of a modular bus.

[0035] FIG. 6C shows another exemplary modular system comprised of four modular buses arranged as saddlebags straddling a wheel with several types of modules coupled to each modular bus.

[0036] FIG. 7A shows an exemplary arrangement of multiple modular systems disposed in an electric car.

[0037] FIG. 7B shows an illustration detailing an exemplary installation of one or more modular buses in a vehicle.

[0038] FIG. 7C shows a block diagram detailing the various modules deployed in each modular system in FIG. 7 A.

[0039] FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram detailing an exemplary authentication process using the bus controller on the modular bus and a remote cloud service.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The present disclosure is directed to a modular bus that provides a standardized form factor and interface to transfer electrical power and data to/from one or more modules connected to the modular bus. Each module provides functionality to support various aspects of vehicle operation including energy storage, power, control, interface, and accessory systems. The modules may provide functionality critical to vehicle operation (e.g., steering, electric power supply, propulsion) as well as optional functionality (e.g., climate control, audio systems, infotainment). Each module may be readily added or removed from the modular bus, even while the vehicle is being used. In other words, the modular bus may support the hot swapping of modules and the modules may be configured to be hot swappable. In this manner, the modular bus may be used for vehicle upgrades, option package changes, and the interchangeability of components between different vehicle models and different vehicle types.

[0041] The modular bus may be used in various types of vehicles including, but not limited to, conventional automotive vehicles, light electric vehicles (LEV's), electric bikes (e-bikes), electric scooters (e-scooters), and boats. In some exemplary use cases, the modular bus may initially include a set of modules that are incorporated during the manufacture of a vehicle. Once the vehicle is purchased, the initial set of modules may then be replaced or augmented by additional modules thereafter to modify and/or upgrade the performance and function of the vehicle based on a user's preference. Additionally, the modular bus may also enable third parties (e.g., non-automotive companies) to more rapidly enter the vehicle market as modular suppliers, where the development of modules is based, in part, on conforming to the standardized form factor and interface. In this manner, third parties may be less constrained by conventional approaches towards vehicle design and can instead provide products that are compatible across an entire fleet of vehicles implementing the modular bus. The modular bus may also simplify repair and maintenance of a vehicle as defective or damaged components may only involve replacement of a removable module.

Modular bus

[0042] FIG. 1A shows an exemplary modular bus 1000, which includes a backplane 1002 onto which modules (not shown) are installed in the modular bus 1000. The backplane 1002 may include a supply conductor 1010 that functions as an electrical feed, a dielectric 1030 disposed on a first side of the supply conductor 1010, and a return conductor 1020, disposed on a first side of the dielectric 1030, that functions as an electrical return. The modular bus 1000 may also include a communications bus 1040 to facilitate communication and control between modules installed on the modular bus 1000. The communications bus 1040 may also facilitate control of the modules from an external control system coupled to the modular bus 1000. The modular bus 1000 may also include a plurality of electrical contacts 1050, each of which is connected to either the supply conductor 1010 or the return conductor 1020 to provide each module an electrical source and return, respectively.

[0043] The supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 provide two electrical conductors to facilitate the flow and distribution of electricity, which may be supplied to or received from one or more modules coupled to the electrical contacts 1050. In some applications, the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 may be designed to meet the electrical requirements specific to certain applications. In one example, the modular bus 1000 may be used in an electric vehicle powertrain to support one or more motor inverters to drive one or more traction motors, one or more batteries to supply electrical power, and one or more capacitor banks for rapid charge/discharge and load balancing, where each inverter, battery, and capacitor bank may be configured as a module. Additionally, electric vehicles are typically configured to use direct current (DC) in support of the various components (e.g., inverters, batteries, and capacitor banks).

[0044] The modular bus 1000 should thus support sufficiently large electric currents (e.g., in excess of 100 A) to power the one or more motor inverters and/or the electric currents sourced or sunk by the one or more batteries and the one or more capacitor banks. Additionally, the modular bus 1000 may be configured to operate as a DC bus. During operation, however, fluctuations in the electric current may occur due to, for example, the high switching frequencies of the inverters (e.g., a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or a gallium nitride field- effect transistor (Ga FET) inverter). The rapid current fluctuations caused by the inverters combined with the large electric current magnitudes in these devices may result in electric currents having a large magnitude and high frequency to propagate through the modular bus 1000. The high frequency, large magnitude electric currents may cause undesirable voltage fluctuations, that increase in severity as the inductance of the modular bus 1000 increases. Large voltage fluctuations, in turn, may cause undesirable electromagnetic noise to radiate from the modular bus 1000, which may disrupt the operation of the modules installed on the modular bus 1000. Therefore, for an electric vehicle powertrain, the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 in the modular bus 1000 should be configured to support large electric currents (e.g., a current amplitude greater than or equal to about 100 A) while reducing the inductance (e.g., less than about 10 nH) in order to maintain stability under load.

[0045] To meet such conditions, the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 may each be shaped to have a thin, wide geometry (e.g., a rectangular plate having a width, a thickness, and a length), which may be arranged to form a parallel plate transmission line, as shown in FIGS. 1A and IB. The supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 may have substantially similar dimensions and may be arranged such that the width and the thickness between the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 are substantially aligned. The supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 may be separated by a dielectric 1030 to electrically insulate the supply conductor 1010 from the return conductor 1020.

[0046] For this exemplary arrangement, if electric current primarily flows along the length of the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020, the electrical conductance may be increased by increasing the thickness and/or the width of each conductor. The inductance may be reduced by increasing the width of the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 and/or reducing the thickness of the dielectric 1030 such that the gap separating the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 is reduced. Generally, a reduction in inductance results in a corresponding increase in capacitance; hence, the modular bus 1000 may be designed according to a specification on capacitance. The dielectric 1030, however, should be sufficiently thick such that voltage breakdown does not occur during operation. For example, the dielectric 1030 may withstand voltage potentials that range from about 48 V to about 400 V. Additional electrical insulation and shielding may also be disposed onto the supply conductor 1010 and/or the return conductor 1020, as shown in FIG. IB, to further electrically insulate the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 from external sources of noise.

[0047] The physical dimensions of the supply conductor 1010, the return conductor 1020, and the dielectric 1030 may depend, in part, on the materials used to form the aforementioned components. For example, if the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 are formed from copper or a conductor with similar electrical properties, the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 may each have a width ranging between about 25 mm and about 50 mm and a thickness ranging between about 1 mm and about 10 mm. For this example, the dielectric 1030 may be formed from polyimide with a thickness ranging between about 0.05 mm and about 0.1 mm.

[0048] Depending on the length of the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 and, hence, the number of modules the modular bus 1000 can support, a larger cross-sectional area (e.g., about 50 mm ² to about 500 mm ² ) for the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020, as defined by the width and the thickness, may be preferable to increase the electrical conductance and thus reduce the voltage drop along the modular bus 1000. The modules, as will be described below, may be installed along the modular bus 1000 based on the pitch of the electrical contacts 1050, which may be in integer multiples of about 50 mm (or integer multiples of about 50 mm). By reducing the voltage drop along the modular bus 1000, resistive losses between modules may be reduced, thus improving the efficiency of the modular bus 1000 (the efficiency being defined, in part, by the amount of electrical power consumed in the operation of an electric vehicle powertrain). Additionally, a reduction in resistive losses may also reduce unwanted Joule heating. For example, a copper bus having a cross-sectional area of about 50 mm ² may carry up to about 4500 A with a low current density of about 107 A/m ² .

[0049] The supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 described above are for one exemplary case where the modular bus 1000 is used to support operation of an electric vehicle powertrain. For different applications, particularly where the modular bus 1000 is used for different vehicles, the electrical requirements as well as other requirements (e.g., chemical/electrical stability in different operating environments, mechanical rigidity and vibration sensitivity, or thermal stability) may vary. As a result, the shape, dimensions, and arrangement of the supply conductor 1010, the return conductor 1020, and the dielectric 1030 may also vary accordingly. It should also be appreciated that while the exemplary modular bus 1000 of FIGS. 1 A and IB designates the top conductor as the return conductor 1020 and the bottom conductor as the supply conductor 1010, in other designs the top conductor may instead be the supply conductor 1010 and the bottom conductor the return conductor 1020.

[0050] The supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 may be formed from various electrically conductive materials including, but not limited to, copper, aluminum, tungsten, graphene, any alloys thereof, and any composites thereof. The dielectric 1030 may be formed from various electrically insulating materials including, but not limited to, polyimide and FR-4. The supply conductor 1010, the return conductor 1020, and the dielectric 1030 may be coupled together using various coupling mechanisms including, but not limited to, screw fasteners, bolt fasteners, clamps, and adhesives.

[0051] As described above, the electrical contacts 1050 are electrically coupled to either the supply conductor 1010 or the return conductor 1020 to provide each module an electrical source and return, respectively. The electrical contacts 1050 may be various types of electrical connectors including, but not limited to, a blade connector and a pin connector. Each electrical contact 1050 may be configured to support an electrical current up to about 240 A. The electrical contacts 1050 may be configured to be a male or female connector that mates to a corresponding female or male connector disposed on each module. The electrical contacts 1050 may also be keyed to prevent the module from being attached to the modular bus 1000 incorrectly (e.g., the source and ground of the module are connected to the ground and source of the modular bus 1000, respectively). The distance from which the electrical contacts 1050 protrude from the slot on the modular bus 1000 may vary based on whether the electrical contact 1050 connects to the supply conductor 1010 or the return conductor 1020. In another example, the cross-sectional shape of the electrical contacts 1050 may vary (e.g., a circular cross-section for the supply conductor 1010 and a square cross section for the return conductor 1020).

[0052] The electrical contacts 1050 may be interface pins as shown in the exemplary modular bus 1000 of FIGS. 1A and IB. For each interface pin 1050a, a clearance hole 1052 may be formed through at least a portion of the supply conductor 1010, return conductor 1020, and dielectric 1030 assembly. For instance, a clearance hole 1052a may be formed in the return conductor 1020 and the dielectric 1030 such that the electrical contact 1050a may be inserted into the clearance hole 1052a to contact the supply conductor 1010. The clearance hole 1052a may have a diameter sufficiently larger than the diameter of the interface pin 1050a to avoid inadvertent contact between the interface pin 1050a and the return conductor 1020. Similarly, a clearance hole 1052b may be formed on the opposing side of the clearance hole 1052a in the supply conductor 1010 and the dielectric 1030 such that the electrical contact 1050a may be inserted into the clearance hole 1052 to contact the return conductor 1020. The interface pins 1050a may have varying lengths such that the ends of each interface pin 1050a protrudes at a different distance from the modular bus 1000, as shown in FIG. IB. The interface pins 1050a may be press fit into the corresponding bus structure for assembly. In this manner, the interface pins 1050a may form a keyed electrical connector to avoid connecting the module to the modular bus 1000 incorrectly.

[0053] FIG. 1C shows another exemplary electrical contact 1050 as a planar blade connector. As shown, the planar blade connector 1050b may be formed as a pre-punched tab 1070, in this case, on the return conductor 1020. The tab 1070 may then be bent about 90 degrees out of the plane of the return conductor 1020 for insertion into a corresponding receptacle in the module. A prepunched slot 1080 may also be included in the return conductor 1020 to allow a planar blade connector 1050b from another conductor (e.g., the supply conductor 1010) to be inserted through the slot 1080 for connection with the module. The slot 1080 may be similar in shape to the tab 1070 with a sufficiently large clearance to reduce the likelihood of inadvertent contact between the planar blade connector 1050b from the other conductor with the return conductor 1020. The exemplary design for the electrical contact 1050b shown in FIG. 1C may also be used for the supply conductor 1010, where the pre-punched tabs 1070 may be offset in position such that they insert through the slot 1080 of the return conductor 1020 when bent about 90 degrees out of the plane of the supply conductor 1010. [0054] The communications bus 1040 in the modular bus 1000 may enable communication between the modules installed on the modular bus 1000 and any external systems coupled to the modular bus 1000. During operation of the vehicle, the communications bus 1040 may be used to manage data transfer and network traffic in order to meet latency requirements for certain applications so that the various modules on the modular bus 1000 function properly. For example, multiple inverter modules on the modular bus 100 may be used to drive separate traction motors and should preferably operate in lock-step to avoid unwanted torque vectoring. In another example, redundant actuator modules in a steer-by-wire system may also need to operate in lock- step to avoid interfering with one another. In another example, deterministic timing is often required in safety-critical systems (e.g., steer-by-wire or brake-by-wire). When a sensor and/or controller fails to communicate within an expected response interval, such an event may be indicative of a component failure, which may lead to a cascading failure. In another example, high- latency between a steering wheel input and a steering actuator response may cause the user to over- steer or under-steer, resulting in a loss of control of the vehicle. Additionally, high latency between one or more force sensors in the steering actuator and the force-feedback motor in the steering wheel can also cause over-steering or under-steering. A combination of high-latencies may also result in the user steering in a manner so as to amplify a disturbance rather than compensate for it.

[0055] Generally, the communications bus 1040 may be disposed onto the backplane 1002 of the modular bus 1000, comprising the supply conductor 1010, the return conductor 1020, and the dielectric 1030, as shown in FIGS. 1 A and IB. The communications bus 1040 may be electrically isolated from other electrical components in the modular bus 1000 by incorporating additional electrical insulation 1060. The communications bus 1040 may include an integrated circuit (IC) disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB) with circuitry configured to manage data communication between one or more modules installed on the modular bus 1000 and any external systems coupled to the modular bus 1000. The communications bus 1040 may be configured to detect the type(s) and location(s) of modules installed on the modular bus 1000 in order to better manage data transfer on any modules. The communications bus 1040 may include one or more communications contacts to facilitate data transfer between each module and the modular bus 1000. At least one communications contact may be used for each module. Additional electrical connections may be disposed on the communications bus 1040 to couple the modular bus 1000 to external systems. Alternatively, electronic interface modules may be installed onto the modular bus 1000 that provide ports to enable the modular bus 1000 to connect both electrical power and communication connections to an external system and/or another modular bus 1000.

[0056] The communications bus 1040 may also be coupled to a bus controller (not shown), which may be disposed on the modular bus 1000 or on an external system that is in electronic communication with the modular bus 1000. The bus controller may be used, in part, to authenticate and/or record data from the modules installed onto the modular bus 1000. The bus controller can be implemented as digital logic and associated non-volatile memory that stores processor- executable instructions (software or firmware) for controlling the bus and modules coupled to the bus. The functionality provided by the bus controller may be implemented using a discrete module in the modular bus 1000 or may augment an existing core bus module or vehicle control module in the modular bus 1000. In particular, if the modular bus 1000 utilizes a bus protocol that includes a master node (e.g., a control module that oversees operation of one or more modular buses 1000 deployed in a vehicle), then the bus controller may be implemented in the master node.

[0057] To facilitate authentication and data recordation, the bus controller may communicate with a remote external system, such as a cloud service or a remote computer. The bus controller may be used collect and transmit data from the modules to the remote external system and the remote external system may be used to perform the authentication procedure, analysis and/or other diagnostic processes on the data. Various types of data may be collected from the modules and the communications bus 1040 on the modular bus 1000 by the bus controller including, but not limited to, general module characteristics (e.g., module ID, model number, the voltage of a battery module), module status, module activity, system events, state changes, faults, communication traffic (e.g., latency and throttling behavior) for a particular modular bus 1000, and any other functional parameters relevant to the operation of the module. The data may be indexed by the remote external system according to the vehicle, the modular bus 1000 in the vehicle, and/or the module installed in the modular bus 1000 of origin, thus providing a comprehensive view of the vehicle subsystems.

[0058] The remote external system may also be used to configure the sample data rate, data point selection, and retention of data received. For example, prototype modules may be configured to have a high sample rate to stream high-resolution data during testing and development while production modules may use a substantially slower sample rate for regular operation. The remote external system may provide an application programming interface (API), a database, and/or a user interface. The remote external system may also prepare and remotely deploy firmware updates to the modules installed on a modular bus 1000. The updates may be applied to a single module or multiple modules, depending, for instance, on the versioning dependencies between modules of varying types. The updates may be digitally signed and encrypted.

[0059] A gateway module may be used to provide a data link between the bus controller and the remote external system. The gateway module may be coupled to the communications bus 1040 of the modular bus 1000 and provides a communications interface capable of sending and/or receiving data from the remote external system. The gateway module may be installed on the same modular bus 1000 as where the bus controller is implemented. The gateway module may also be installed on a first modular bus 1000 that is connected to a second modular bus 1000 that contains the bus controller. In this case, the first modular bus 1000 and the second modular bus 1000 may be coupled using a bridge module that connects at least a pair of modular buses 1000 using a wireless or wired connection. For example, a single gateway module may be used in a vehicle containing multiple, isolated modular buses 1000, which are connected to one another using one or more bridge modules. In another example, multiple gateway modules may be installed in a vehicle to facilitate connectivity across multiple protocols (e.g., cellular, long-range radio, satellite) and/or multiple networks. For example, a first gateway module may provide public network connectivity using cellular services and a second gateway module may provide access to a mesh network using a dedicated short-range communications interface.

[0060] The gateway module may be configured to support various forms of connection to the remote external system including, but not limited to, cellular, long-range radio, a physical cable, a Long Range (LoRa) network (e.g., an enterprise mesh network), or any other communication systems that provide access to/from remote endpoints using a public or a private network known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Different types of gateway modules may also be used differentiated by different forms of connection listed above. For wireless communication, the gateway module may include one or more internal and/or external antennas for transmission and reception. For example, the gateway module may include a cellular radio and antenna to provide connectivity to internet services. Modules requiring access to remote functionality may issue requests to the gateway module over the communications bus 1040.

[0061] In some exemplary authentication processes, authentication may occur when a module first registers with a modular bus. This may occur when the vehicle is first started or while the vehicle is operating (e.g., for hot swapping of modules or when a module is installed or initialized on the bus). The authentication process may first utilize the bus controller to scan some, if not all, of the modules installed on the one or more modular buses 1000 in a vehicle. The bus controller may collect data, such as the unique identity (ID), the module type, the manufacturer, the model, the software version, and the cryptographic signature, as well as the unique ID of the modular bus 1000 and then transmit this information to the remote external system via a gateway module. The authentication process may use public key infrastructure techniques such as cryptographic asymmetric key pairs and digital certificate chains. The modules may be configured during production or during distribution with an asymmetric key pair and digital certificate signed by one or more trusted authorities, such as the module manufacturer.

[0062] The remote external system may then evaluate the data from each module according to an authentication policy for the particular modular bus 1000 the module is installed on and the validity of the cryptographic signature of the module. The remote external system may then inform the bus controller which modules are authenticated and permitted to be enabled. If authentication fails for a particular module, the bus controller may then decide to ignore the authentication failure or require removal of the module before. The authentication policy may be a set of rules defined by the remote external system to evaluate the modules for compatibility and authenticity. In some cases, an authentication policy may be for each modular bus 1000 or a subset of the one or more modular buses 1000 deployed in a vehicle. For example, a first modular bus 1000 containing safety critical components may be configured to prohibit installation of third-party modules whereas a second modular bus 1000 used for accessories and ancillary system may accept a broad range of modules without manufacturer restrictions. Generally, the cryptographic signature provided by a module should be valid for a given unique ID. However, depending on the authentication policy, the unique ID for a particular module type may be allowed to change (e.g., when replacing a module with another module of the same type). Additionally, the modules do not necessarily need to be registered with the remote external system prior to their installation in a vehicle. While the remote external system may need to know the manufacturer's signing certificate, individual modules may be verified without prior knowledge of their unique IDs. This approach is similar to software code signing.

[0063] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary flow chart detailing an authentication process 4000 using the bus controller and a remote cloud service. Once the module connects (step 4020) to the communications bus 1040 of the modular bus 1000, the bus controller may then request identifying data from the module (step 4040). This may include the module device ID as well as cryptographic credentials such as a certificate or public key. The bus controller may then use this data to determine if the module has an existing provision record (e.g., a record containing authenticated modules and their corresponding cryptographic signatures) stored on the bus controller (step 4060). If the module is not provisioned, the bus controller can then transmit the module information to the remote external system for authentication (step 4080). The remote external system may then validate the provided certificate chain and perform other verification tasks (step 4100). Once the remote external system authenticates the module, the remote external system may then instruct the bus controller to provision the module (step 4120).

[0064] To complete the authentication process, a module should be able to verify that it holds a private key corresponding to the public key included in the certificate. This step may be required even if the module was previously provisioned. As an example, a simple challenge-response may be performed (step 4140): (1) the bus controller sends a random value to the module, (2) the module responds by encrypting the value using the private key of the module, (3) the bus controller then decrypts the response using the public key of the module. If the decrypted value matches the original value, the device may be considered authenticated (step 4160).

[0065] If authentication is successful, the bus controller may enable the module for use on the modular bus 1000 (step 4200). The bus controller can retain provisioning status for authenticated modules in non-volatile memory (e.g., the provision record is maintained once the vehicle shuts off). Once provisioned, the module may be used without requiring remote authentication for a period of time, as defined by the authentication policy, until either the provision is revoked or the period of time expires. This may allow the module to be used when connectivity to the remote external system is not readily available. The remote cloud service may update or revoke module provisions remotely under certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, a recall of the module, the module is deemed to be a safety hazard, expiration of the period of time, the manufacturer's certificate is revoked, security issues, and violations of the terms of service.

[0066] If authentication fails at any point during this process, due to an invalid certificate or other criteria defined by the remote external system, the bus controller may disable the operation of the slot where the module is attached to or disable the entire bus (step 4180). In this manner, counterfeit or unapproved modules that may be installed onto the modular bus 1000 may be restricted from being used in order to, at least, prevent possible damage to the modular bus 1000.

[0067] The communications bus 1040 may be designed to use gigabit Ethernet, which is a robust and well understood communications interface with a long history of reliability and noise tolerance. Ethernet is conventionally designed to include electrically isolated connections between nodes (modules on the modular bus 1000). Individual node transceivers are galvanically isolated with magnetics to reduce the effects of potential ground-loop noise and other sources of noise during operation. The communications contact may thus be an Ethernet connector configured to couple to a single module.

[0068] A conventional Ethernet connector may be modified to improve ease of installing the module onto the modular bus 1000. For example, the two halves of isolation transformers conventionally used in Ethernet connections may be separated such that one half is disposed on the module and the other half is disposed on the communications bus 1040. When the two halves of each split core transformer are brought into sufficient proximity to one another (e.g., the distance between the two halves of each split core transformer is less than about 1 mm), the resultant magnetic coupling may allow data transmission to occur between the module and the communications bus 1040. In another example, each half of the split core transformer may be replaced by an electrically conductive pad. When the conductive pad of the module is brought into close proximity to the corresponding conductive pad of the communications bus 1040, capacitive coupling may result, again allowing data transmission to occur. In this manner, the Ethernet connector may be substantially isolated electrically and may substantially reduce the insertion force to electrically connect the module to the communications bus 1040, thus reducing the likelihood of damaging the communications bus 1040 when installing modules.

[0069] In this exemplary case, the communications bus 1040 may include a managed Ethernet switch with multiple ports where each port is a communications contact that couples to a module. The managed Ethernet switch may be used to prioritize network traffic, particularly between critical modules installed on the modular bus 1000 (e.g., a power inverter module and a motor controller module). The managed Ethernet switch may also allow for lower bandwidth and/or higher latency communications between less critical modules installed on the modular bus 1000.

[0070] To facilitate communication between modules in the modular bus 1000 and between the modular bus 1000 and external systems, which may include other modular buses 1000, conventional, well-supported, and robust network technologies may be adopted. For example, the controller area network (CAN) standard may be used. The CAN standard provides a bus protocol to facilitate communication between multiple subsystems in a vehicle implemented entirely via software. The CAN standard enables subsystems to receive data from other subsystems without the use of physical interconnections tailored specifically between the subsystems, thereby reducing system complexity and cost. A high-level standard, such as CANopen, may be supported via use of an appropriate software stack and by distributing a low-power auxiliary supply in parallel with the communications bus 1040. The CAN physical layer specifies the various electrical characteristics (e.g., voltage, current) and the various mechanical characteristics (e.g., connector type, pins) used to interface with the CAN system. The CAN physical layer may not support galvanic isolation at each connector. In such cases, the communications contact on the modular bus 1000 may be a spring compression contact, which mates to corresponding target contacts (i.e., communications contact) on the module.

[0071] In order to create a standardized form factor and interface for modules to attach to the modular bus 1000, the electrical contacts 1050 and the communications contacts may be arranged in a periodic array where each unit cell in the periodic array corresponds to a standardized slot. A single standardized slot may be represented as 1U, which in some cases, may have dimensions of about 50 mm (width) by about 50 mm (height). (For instance, 1U may be measured with a tolerance of 10%, 5%, 2%, or 1%, depending on how tight the fit should be to secure the modules in place while leaving enough room to remove them and for air to flow around and between them.) A 2U corresponds to two standardized slots having a width of 100 mm or a total height of 100 mm. Each standardized slot may contain one or more electrical contacts 1050 and one or more communications contacts arranged in a substantially identical manner to other slots in the modular bus 1000. The size of each slot may also depend, in part, on the physical arrangement of the electrical contacts 1050 and the communications contacts in each slot. For example, FIG. 1A shows each slot containing a staggered pair of electrical contacts 1050 with one electrical contact 1050 connecting to the return conductor 1020 and the other electrical contact 1050 connecting to the supply conductor 1010.

[0072] The size of each slot may depend, in part, on the particular applications in which the modular bus 1000 is being used. For example, in electric-powered vehicles, the size of each slot may correspond to a standard battery module size. The size of the battery modules used in vehicles can vary substantially based, in part, on the capacity and the battery technology (e.g., lithium-ion, lead-acid, nickel metal hydride). For instance, the battery modules used in electric vehicles are conventionally assembled from multiple Li-ion battery cells with each battery module weighing in excess of 100 pounds. In light of the modular and flexible nature of the modular bus 1000 described in the present disclosure, a smaller standard battery module size may be adopted to allow users to customize, for instance, the number of batteries or the battery type (e.g., higher energy density, higher power density) in their vehicle based on the cost, power, and the desired travel range. For example, a standard battery size may have dimensions of about 50 mm (width) by about 50 mm (height) by about 300 mm (length). The cross-section defined by the width and the height may be used to define the size of 1U.

[0073] In some cases, the modular bus 1000 may support a single or a small number of slots, such as in an e-bike or e-scooter where the available space for such the modular bus 1000 may be limited. For such cases, a single battery module 2100 may be connected to the modular bus 1000 to power the aforementioned e-bike or e-scooter. The relatively small size of the slot may allow greater portability and less weight for such relatively small vehicles. The standardized interface and form factor also allow for ease of replacement, particularly if the user wants to fix a defective module or upgrade to a higher performing battery module 2100 (e.g., higher energy density /lower power density for longer range, or lower energy density /higher power density for more power).

[0074] In some instances, the modular bus 1000 may support a relatively larger number of slots, such as in an electric car. The pitch (i.e., the distance between the center of each slot) between adjacent slots may be approximately constant and the relative orientation between adjacent slots can be substantially the same. For example, the pitch may be about 50 mm (e.g., within 10%, 5%, 2%, 1%, or exactly 50 mm, depending on how tight the fit should be to secure the modules in place while leaving enough room to remove them and for air to flow around and between them). In other instances, the modular bus 1000 may support multiple slots where the pitch between adjacent slots is fixed and aperiodic (e.g., the spacing between some slots are larger than others) and/or the orientation of the slots is fixed and rotated (e.g., adjacent slots may be rotated at an angle relative to one another). Additionally, the modular bus 1000 may support a two-dimensional array of slots. The two-dimensional array may generally be of size m by n where m is an index of slots along a first axis and n is an index of slots along a second axis, orthogonal to the first axis. [0075] Each module may thus be shaped and dimensioned according to the geometry and layout of the standardized slots in the modular bus 1000. For instance, the smallest modules may correspond to 1U in the modular bus 1000. In another instance, some modules requiring an electrical current input greater than what is provided by a single set of electrical contacts 1050 in 1U may be configured to connect to an integer multiple of a single slot (e.g., 2U, 3U) depending, in part, on the number of electrical contacts 1050 to sufficiently support the module. In instances where the modular bus 1000 supports a two-dimensional array of slots with size m by n, modules that connect to more than 1U may be attached in several ways: (1) the module may connect to slots only along the first axis with index m, (2) the module may connect to slots only along the second axis with index n, and (3) the module may connect to a two-dimensional subset of the array, e.g., 2U by 2U. In this manner, modules of varying size and varying current requirements may be interchangeably coupled and arranged in the modular bus 1000.

[0076] It should be appreciated that while the modular buses 1000 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C are substantially planar by design and, hence, support modules arranged in a two-dimensional manner, the modular bus 1000 does not need to be confined to a two-dimensional plane. The supply conductor 1010, the return conductor 1020, and the dielectric 1030 may be bent at various angles to conform with the shape of a vehicle. For example, the modular bus 1000 may be substantially planar along a portion of the lower body of the vehicle between the wheels, where battery modules may be located, and then bent at about 90 degrees to conform to the wheel well of the vehicle, where motor inverters and brake control modules may be located. In another example, the modular bus 1000 may be shaped to have a supply conductor 1010, a return conductor 1020, and a dielectric 1030 that substantially surround the vehicle cabin, where modules for audio and climate control may be installed around the occupants of the vehicle. In this manner, the modular bus 1000 may generally be configured to support as many modules as is expected to be used in a vehicle (including both critical and optional functionality).

[0077] In some instances, a vehicle may contain multiple modular buses 1000 where each modular bus 1000 may be electrically coupled to another modular bus 1000. Each modular bus 1000 disposed in a vehicle may be tailored to provide a particular functionality to the vehicle (e.g., electrical power supply, steering, motor control), as described in greater detail below. Flexible joints and/or electrical interconnects may be used to facilitate electrical power and communication between modular buses 1000 that aren't coupled in a mechanically rigid manner (e.g., junctions across suspension joints). In this manner, rather than using a single modular bus 1000, which may engender greater manufacture and installation difficulties, multiple modular buses 1000 of varying size may be disposed in a vehicle. For example, a modular bus 1000 disposed in a center console of the vehicle may only support 1U for a user interface or an infotainment system. In another example, a modular bus 1000 disposed in the front bulkhead of a vehicle may support multiple slots for a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system.

[0078] The modular bus 1000 may also include a frame 1100 mechanically coupled to the backplane 1002 to mechanically guide, support, and secure the modules onto the modular bus 1000. In particular, the frame 1100 may mechanically constrain the module such that forces applied to the module during normal vehicle operation (e.g., vibration, centrifugal forces) do not interfere with the operation of the module (e.g., the module separating from the modular bus 1000). The frame 1100 may include a plurality of aligned keyed rails (e.g., dovetail rails). The keyed rails may be periodically arranged such that each keyed rail corresponds to one slot, e.g., the keyed rail is at the center of 1U, or each keyed rail is disposed between adjacent slots. The axis of the plurality of keyed rails may be orthogonal to the backplane 1002. Each keyed rail may allow a corresponding keyed slot (e.g., a dovetail slot) on the module to be inserted into the keyed rail. In this manner, the module is constrained to move substantially along only the axis of the keyed rail. It should be appreciated that while the frame 1100 described above includes aligned keyed rails, in some designs, the frame 1100 may instead include aligned keyed slots with corresponding keyed rails on the module. To facilitate insertion and/or extraction of the module from the modular bus 1000, the frame 1100 may include a latch or an interlock for each 1U that engages when a module is inserted onto the modular bus 1000, thus locking the module to the modular bus 1000. The latch or interlock may release with a press of a button or a toggle on the modular bus 1000, ejecting the module from the modular bus 1000 and allowing the module to be extracted.

[0079] The keyed rails on the frame 1100 may have a pitch that matches the modular bus (e.g., 50 mm). In this manner, larger modules (e.g., 2U, 3U modules) may include multiple keyed slots to facilitate insertion onto multiple keyed rails on the frame 1100. Additionally, while the modular bus 1000 may support multiple modules of varying size, not all of the slots available on the modular bus 1000 need to be populated. For example, modules that are unnecessary may be removed from the modular bus 1000, which may improve overall vehicle performance by reducing the overall mass of the vehicle. [0080] In some instances, the modular bus 1000 may support modules that generate substantial amounts of heat. For example, a motor inverter module may generate in excess of 100 W of heat, which should be removed during operation to avoid undesirable temperature rises in the modules and/or the modular bus 1000. In another example, an air-conditioning module may be installed on the modular bus 1000 to remove heat from the air in the vehicle cabin. The heat should then be dissipated outside of the vehicle cabin (e.g., near the modular bus 1000, which may be disposed in the front or rear bulkhead of the vehicle).

[0081] The modular bus 1000 may thus be configured to dissipate heat generated by one or more modules installed on the modular bus 1000. In one example, the modular bus 1000 may include a first duct disposed at one end of the modular bus 1000 to supply a flow of cool air (e.g., air from the exterior of the vehicle) across the modules for convection cooling. A second duct may be disposed at an opposing end from the first duct such that once the air removes a portion of the heat from the modules, the air is then exhausted out of the vehicle. In some instances, the first and second duct may be mechanically supported by the frame 1100. For example, a portion of the frame 1100 may include openings configured to mechanically couple to a corresponding opening of the first and second duct. Mechanical coupling may be accomplished using various coupling mechanisms including, but not limited to, screw fasteners, bolt fasteners, clamps, and adhesives.

[0082] In some instances, the first and second duct may be coupled to cooling modules installed on the modular bus 1000. The cooling modules may include a mechanical interface to couple to the openings of the first and the second duct. The flow of air may be driven by the motion of the vehicle or the cooling modules may include a fan to force air across the modules and the modular bus 1000. In this manner, the source of cool air may depend on both the vehicle speed and the thermal load requirements of the modular bus 1000. Convective cooling of the modules may also be further enhanced by the installation of heat sinks and/or heat spreaders onto a portion of the modules. For example, the heat sink may be a thermally conductive component having a plurality of fins. The heat sink may be thermally coupled to portions of the module where heat is generated (e.g., hot spots). The heat sink may be mechanically clamped and/or bonded (i.e., using thermal interface material) to the module such that thermal interface resistance between the heat sink and the module is substantially reduced.

[0083] In another example, the frame 1100 coupled to the backplane 1002 of the modular bus 1000 may also include integrated cooling. For instance, the frame 1100 may incorporate coolant channels for liquid cooling and/or heat pipes to remove heat from portions of the modules in physical contact with the frame 1100. The coolant channels and/or heat pipes may be arranged as one or more loops that traverse one or more slots on the frame 1100. In the case of coolant channels, liquid coolant may be pumped via piping systems originating from the support structure in which the modular bus 1000 is mounted to. Heat removed by the liquid coolant may be removed along a portion of the piping system via thermal convection (e.g., air from the exterior of the vehicle flows past a portion of piping) or thermal conduction (e.g., the piping system is coupled to a large thermal mass, such as the chassis, in the vehicle). Heat pipes may be arranged such that a heat sink is coupled to the respective ends of the heat pipe. The heat sink may be disposed on the frame 1100 or on the modules, as described above.

[0084] In yet another example, the modular bus 1000 may be mounted onto a cooled substrate to remove at least a portion of the heat generated by the modules through the modular bus 1000. The substrate may be mounted to the vehicle (e.g., the chassis, the frame). The substrate may be actively cooled using, for instance, liquid coolant pumped along piping thermally coupled to the substrate. In another example, the substrate may be cooled using a Peltier cooler, with heat subsequently dissipated via thermal convection and/or thermal conduction via the air and/or the vehicle body, respectively. The backplane 1002 and/or the substrate may also include a plurality of heat sink fins to increase convection cooling. In some instances, the substrate may form part of an enclosed cooling system (e.g., a pipe) that continuously circulates liquid coolant to maintain the substrate and the modular bus 1000 at a desired temperature. Heat removed by the liquid coolant may be dissipated via thermal convection or thermal conduction using similar approaches described above.

[0085] As described above, the modular bus 1000 may support a plurality of modules. While the form factor and the interface have thus far been described as being substantially identical, in some applications, certain slots in the modular bus 1000 may provide additional functionality tailored to particular types of modules. For example, a motor inverter module may receive and/or supply electricity from the modular bus 1000 and a traction motor. To support the traction motor, the modular bus 1000 may include additional electrical connections for certain specialized slots (e.g., slots disposed proximate to the traction motor) such that the motor inverter module may also supply and/or receive electricity to/from the traction motor. The motor inverter module may be swapped out for another motor inverter module, but the motor inverter module may not function properly in a slot that isn't equipped to handle a motor inverter module.

[0086] In another example, certain slots may have additional cooling, either along the backplane 1002 or the frame 1100, to accommodate modules that are more prone to generating heat. Certain slots may also support faster data transfer speeds, which may be important for certain modules that provide critical functionality to the vehicle (e.g., traction control, steering control, braking systems). As described above, the specialized slots may be strategically positioned along the modular bus 1000 where the corresponding modules are preferably placed to improve their functionality.

Modules

[0087] A module may be a self-contained, functional unit configured to couple to the modular bus 1000 to provide various functionality. The module may provide functionality critical to the operation of the vehicle (e.g., a motor inverter module to support operation of a traction motor) or provide ancillary functions such as air conditioning, heating, an air bag, or an audio system. The module may have a standardized form factor defined by the modular bus 1000. As described above, in some applications for electric vehicles, the modular bus 1000 may support a periodic array of slots (each slot corresponding to 1U) having dimensions based on a standardized battery size of about 50 mm (width) by about 50 mm (height) by about 300 mm (length). The form factor of the module may therefore include a cross-sectional area of at least about 50 mm (width) by at least about 50 mm (height). The width and/or the height of the module may be larger by multiples of 50 mm. The length of the module may be up to about 300 mm in integer multiples of about 50 mm as well.

[0088] The module 2000 may generally include a housing that substantially encloses the interior components of the module 2000, as shown in FIG. 2. The housing may be used to mechanically, thermally, and/or electrically shield the interior components from the surrounding environment. The housing may be formed from a plurality of sidewalls 2010 that define an interior cavity having a first end and a second end into which various components may be disposed. The sidewalls 2010 may have a cross-sectional shape that conforms to the standardized slot of the modular bus 1000. For example, the cross-sectional shape may be a square or a rectangle with a width and height in integer multiples of 50 mm. The corners of the sidewalls 2010 may also be rounded for ease of handling during installation. The sidewalls 2010 may further define an interior cavity into which the interior components of the module 2000 are disposed. The thickness of the sidewalls 2010 may be sufficiently large such that the housing is sufficiently rigid mechanically during handling and operation of the vehicle.

[0089] The portion of the sidewalls 2010 that interfaces with the frame 1100 may include at least one keyed slot (or a keyed rail), such as a dovetail slot (or a dovetail rail) to facilitate insertion into the frame 1100 during installation onto the modular bus 1000. The portion of the sidewalls 2010 containing the keyed slot (or the keyed rail) may also be polished smooth to reduce the thermal contact resistance between the module 2000 and the frame 1 100, thus increasing heat dissipation. A thermal interface material and/or heat sink posts may also be disposed between the frame 1100 and the module 2000 to further reduce the thermal interface resistance. Additionally, the remaining portions of the sidewalls 2010 may, in some instances, include heat sink fins to increase convective cooling of the module 2000, particularly if air flows over the module 2000 during operation.

[0090] The first and second ends of the interior cavity defined by the sidewalls 2010 may be substantially open. A first end cap 2014 may be used to substantially enclose the first end of the interior cavity. The first end cap 2014 may include openings for electrical contacts 2030, communications contacts 2020, and any mechanical features used to facilitate coupling of the module 2000 to the modular bus 1000. For example, the electrical contacts 2030 on the module 2000 may be interface pins or blade connectors, the communications contacts 2020 may be a modified Ethernet connector (e.g., the magnetics), and the mechanical features may be a latch used to mechanically secure the module 2000 to the modular bus 1000. In particular, the module 2000 may generally include integrated circuitry disposed onto one or more printed circuit boards disposed inside the housing, which include electrical contacts 2030 and communications contacts 2020 configured to mate with corresponding electrical contacts 1050 and communications contacts on the modular bus 1000, as described above. The electrical contacts 2030 and communications contacts 2020 may each include a recess or a protrusion depending on whether the connector is male or female and may be substantially aligned to the openings on the first end cap 2014. In some instances, particularly for modules 2000 with a larger size (e.g., 2U, 3U), the first end cap 2014 may include openings to receive the electrical contacts 2030 and the communications contacts 2020 (in the case of a male connector) even though there may not be corresponding electrical contacts 2030 and communications contacts 2020 in the module 2000. These openings allow the module 2000 to sit flush against the modular bus 1000 when installed. [0091] The second end of the interior cavity may also be substantially enclosed by a second end cap (not shown). The second end cap may include additional features used to support the function of the module 2000. For example, the second end cap on an air-conditioning module may include a mechanical interface to couple to a duct where the duct provides airflow for the air-conditioning module. In another example, the second end cap on a sensor module may include a display screen to display sensory data collected by the sensor module. In another example, the second end cap on a camera control module may include additional control inputs (e.g., a joystick) to control and/or adjust the viewing angle of a camera disposed on the vehicle. In another example, the second end cap may include a heat sink and a heat pipe, where the heat pipe is inserted into the interior cavity of the module 2000 to remove heat from heat generating components.

[0092] The sidewalls 2010, the first end cap 2014, and the second end cap of the housing may be formed from various metals, polymers, alloys, and composites including, but not limited to, aluminum, copper, carbon steel, stainless steel, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, fiberglass, carbon fiber, any alloys thereof, and any composites thereof. Depending on the materials used, various manufacturing methods may be used to fabricate the sidewalls 2010, the first end cap 2014, and the second end cap, including, but not limited to, casting, machining, extrusion, injection molding, or any other manufacturing methods used for metals, polymers, alloys, and composites known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0093] As described above, the electrical contacts 2030 are used to connect the module 2000 to the supply conductor 1010 and the return conductor 1020 in the modular bus 1000. The electrical contacts 2030 on the module 2000 may thus be used to supply electrical power to other modules 2000 supported by the modular bus 1000, e.g., the module 2000 contains a charged battery. The electrical contacts 2030 may also be used to receive electrical power to power the module 2000 or to recharge batteries in the module 2000 (e.g., during charging of the vehicle, regenerative braking).

[0094] The communications contacts 2020 allow the modular bus 1000 to command and control operation of the module 2000. For example, the modular bus 1000, via the communications bus 1040, may manage the flow of energy between energy sources (e.g., battery modules, capacitor modules) and sinks (e.g., motor inverter modules, air conditioner modules). In some instances, the modular bus 1000 may prioritize operation of certain modules 2000 over other modules 2000. For example, under high vehicle acceleration, the modular bus 1000 may prioritize operation of the motor inverter modules over other, less critical systems like air conditioning modules. For such cases, the modular bus 1000 may command the air conditioning module to temporarily disable itself in order to increase the amount of electrical power available for the motor inverter modules.

[0095] As described above, while the modular bus 1000 provides a standardized form factor and interface to couple various modules 2000 to the modular bus 1000, in some cases, it may be preferable for certain modules 2000 to be positioned proximate to other modules 2000 and/or other systems in the vehicle depending on their function and the application of the modular bus 1000. For example, motor inverter modules may be disposed in slots proximate to the traction motors of a vehicle. In another example, modules 2000 may generally be disposed adjacent to one another or grouped together on the modular bus 1000 to reduce electrical losses between the modules 2000, particularly in cases where the modular bus 1000 may support tens of modules 2000. In yet another example, a cooling module may be disposed proximate to modules 2000 that generate relatively large amounts of heat. The cooling module, as described above, may mechanically couple to a duct and may include a fan to drive air across the modules 2000 of the modular bus 1000. In some cases, the cooling module may also include liquid cooling, heat pipes, and/or Peltier modules to actively remove heat from the heat generating modules 2000 while dissipating the heat elsewhere along the module 2000 (e.g., at the second end cap). The modular bus 1000 may be designed to preferentially support certain modules 2000 at certain slots based on their function and their positional relationship relative to other modules 2000 and/or systems in the vehicle.

Battery Module

[0096] FIG. 3 A shows an exemplary 1U battery module 2100. As shown, the 1U battery module 2100 may include a housing comprised of a sidewall 2110, a first end cap 2114, and a second end cap 2118. The battery module 2100 may further include a controller 2150 disposed on a printed circuit board that supports a pair of electrical contacts 2130 and a communications contact 2120. The battery module 2100 may include a plurality of battery cells 2140 electrically coupled both in series (banks of four battery cells 2140) and in parallel (four banks of battery cells 2140) to supply electrical power to the modular bus 1000 and/or to receive electrical power during charging and/or another energy recovery system (e.g., regenerative braking). The battery cells 2140 may be disposed in a separator 2112 designed to mechanically support each bank of battery cells 2140 in the battery module 2100. The separator 2112 may be shaped and dimensioned to mechanically support different sized battery cells for different types of battery modules 2100. A battery end cap 21 16 may also be disposed in the housing to mechanically support the battery cells 2140 as well as the controller 2150. The battery end cap 21 16 may provide several openings from which the battery cells 2140 may feed through said openings and electrically connect to the integrated circuitry of the controller 2150. FIG. 3B shows a table detailing exemplary specifications for the 1U battery module 2100 shown in FIG. 3 A. As shown, the battery module 2100 may support a standard 48 V with a maximum electrical current of 30 A. The capacity of the battery module 2100 may be about 360,000 J with a mass of about 1 kg.

[0097] Generally, different types of battery modules 2100 may be installed onto the modular bus 1000, in part, based on user preferences on the energy density, power density, and overall mass of the battery modules 2100 installed in the vehicle. For instance, if greater range is desired, then a user may utilize a greater proportion of battery modules 2100 having a higher energy density. Conversely, if greater power is desired, then a user may utilize a greater proportion of battery modules 2100 having a higher power density. Additionally, battery modules may come in varying size (e.g., 1U, 2U, 3U). Furthermore, a user may reconfigure their vehicle to adjust the range and the power by swapping in and out different types of battery modules 2100. For example, the user can extend the range by replacing depleted batteries with fully charged batteries.

[0098] The communications bus 1040 may be used to manage the charge and/or discharge the battery cells 2140 for each battery module 2100 in a plurality of battery modules 2100 installed on a modular bus 1000. For example, the communications bus 1040 may control how electricity is supplied or drawn from the multiple battery modules 2100 such that the capacity of each battery module 2100 is substantially the same during charging or discharging, respectively. By balancing each battery cell 2140 during operation, battery cells 2140 may not be overcharged or fully discharged before other battery cells 2140 in the battery module 2100, which increases the battery lifetime and overall capacity. The communications bus 1040 may also control preheating of the battery module 2100 prior to vehicle operation. The battery module 2100 may be preheated in order to improve the performance of the battery cells 2140, which may be designed to operate within a preferred temperature range. Preheating may also be used to heat the vehicle cabin prior to a desired temperature prior to operation of the vehicle.

Motor Inverter Module

[0099] FIGS. 4A and 4B show an exemplary 3U inverter module 2500. The motor inverter module 2500 may be used to drive a traction motor disposed in the vehicle. As shown, the motor inverter module 2500 may include a housing comprised of a sidewall 2510, a first end cap 2514, and a second end cap 2518. The sidewall 2510 may include a pair of keyed rails 2512 to facilitate insertion and mechanical alignment to the frame 1100 of them modular bus 1000. The first end cap 2514 may include several openings for a pair of electrical contacts 2530 to supply and/or receive electrical power and a communications contact 2520 for data transmission. The second end cap 2518 may include several openings for electrical contacts 2570 to connect to a traction motor disposed in the vehicle. As shown, the inverter module 2500 may support six electrical contacts 2570 for connection to a pair of three-phase motors or a single six-phase motor. The electrical contacts 2570 may be used to provide output signals to drive the traction motor. In some cases, the electrical contacts 2570 may also be used to receive input, e.g., during regeneration when the vehicle is braking. The electrical contacts 2570 may be various types of connectors including, but not limited to, sockets and lugs.

[0100] FIG. 4B shows a top view of the inverter module 2500 with additional detail on the various electronic components disposed therein. The inverter module 2500 may include a controller 2550 to facilitate power distribution and communication via the electrical contacts 2530 and the communications contact 2520. The controller 2550 may include integrated circuitry disposed onto at least one printed circuit board 2552, such as control electronics 2554. The inverter module 2500 may also include a bulk capacitance 2572, switching electronics 2574, and output electronics 2576 for filtering and sensing. The switching electronics 2574 may include six half bridges. The output electronics 2576 may be comprised of one or more inductors and/or capacitors. The control electronics 2554 may be used to generate and/or manage control signals 2556 to, for example, the switching electronics 2574. The control electronics 2554 may also be electrically coupled to the output electronics 2570 to receive sensing signals 2558 from the output electronics 2570.

[0101] As described above, the inverter module 2500 may be installed proximate to the traction motor of the vehicle. For example, the modular bus 1000 may be configured to include a slot physically located near at least one traction motor in the vehicle. Various types of inverter modules 2500 may also be installed on the modular bus 1000 based on user preference. For example, a high-power motor inverter module may allow for higher vehicle acceleration, likely at the expense of higher dynamic (switching) power loss. If the user is instead more interested in efficiency than performance, they may prefer to use a lower power inverter, sacrificing acceleration performance for lower dynamic switch loss and higher overall powertrain efficiency. [0102] FIG. 4 shows a table detailing exemplary specifications for the motor inverter module. For instance, the inverter module may be a 3U module, which supports 48 V and an output current as high as 250 A per phase. In some cases, the inverter module may support 6 phases, a capacity of 360,000 J, and a mass of about 5 kg.

HVAC Module

[0103] FIGS. 5A-5D show various views of an exemplary 3U HVAC module 2200. As shown, the HVAC module 2200 may include a larger housing comprised of a sidewall 2210 that spans 3U on the modular bus 1000. A portion of the sidewall 2210 includes a pair of keyed slots 2212 to facilitate insertion and mechanical alignment to the frame 1100 of the modular bus 1000. A first end cap 2214 is disposed to enclose a portion of the housing and includes openings to allow access to electrical contacts and communications contacts disposed on the controller 2250, which again are disposed on a plurality of printed circuit boards. The controller 2250, in this case, may be used to control operation of the HVAC module 2200, including adjusting the temperature (e.g., hot or cold relative to ambient temperature) and velocity of air flow. Additional openings are included for adjacent slots to allow the electrical contacts 1050 and communications contacts from the modular bus 1000 to protrude through the openings, without any electrical connection to the HVAC module 2200, to allow the first end cap 2214 to sit flush against the modular bus 1000. A second end cap 2218 may be disposed at the opposing end of the sidewall 2210 to enclose the interior of the housing.

[0104] The HVAC module 2200 may be larger in size, in part, to accommodate the inclusion of two blowers 2260 disposed at opposing ends of the HVAC module. Each blower 2260 may include an integrated fan to blow air out through a plurality of vents 2216 disposed in the sidewall 2210 and proximate to each blower 2260. The fan speed for each blower 2260 may be adjusted by the controller 2250 during operation. Additionally, the HVAC module 2200 may include one or more thermoelectric elements 2262 disposed between the two blowers 2260. Each thermoelectric element 2262 typically includes a first side, exposed to the air, and a second side, in thermal communication with a heat sink and/or a large thermal mass. During operation, the temperature of the first side may be raised or lowered by moving heat to or from the first side, respectively, which may be controlled by applying a bias voltage across the first side and the second side with the controller 2250. In the HVAC module 2200, air may be drawn into the HVAC module 2200 through vents 2217 by a pressure gradient formed by the blowers 2260 blow air out of the HVAC module 2200. The air may thus be heated or cooled by the first side of each thermoelectric element 2262 before being exhausted by the blowers 2260.

[0105] The modules 2000 may provide other functions to the operation of a vehicle including, but not limited to, interior air bags, exterior air bags, range finding systems, user interface controls and display, force feedback with joystick controls, first aid kits, umbrella holders, control systems to manage other modules 2000 and/or vehicle functions, autonomous driving, water filtration, sensing systems, battery charging, battery charge management, headlight control, wireless power transfer, brake control, steering control, suspension control, supercapacitor banks for rapid charge and discharge, power electronics, and inductors.

Exemplary Modular Systems Utilizing a Single Modular bus

[0106] FIG. 6A shows an exemplary modular system 3000 with several 1U modules 2000 installed onto a modular bus 1000. The modular bus 1000 is configured, in this case, to include a single row of slots. As shown, the modular bus 1000 may include the frame 1100, which may have a periodic array of alignment features 1110, such as ridges or keyed rails, with a pitch corresponding to the size of a slot. The alignment features 1110 can be arranged at the center of each slot, as shown in FIG. 6 A, or offset from the center. Each module 2000 may include a corresponding slot 2210 to facilitate insertion of the module 2000 along the alignment feature 1110 during installation. In this manner, the modules 2000 may be mechanically constrained to move only along the axis of the alignment feature 1110. As shown, when two 1U modules 2000 are installed in adjacent slots, the housing of one module 2000 may abut with the housing of the other module 2000. In operation, not all of the available slots on the modular bus 1000 need to be filled. The modular architecture of the modular bus 1000 allows the vehicle to carry only the modules 2000 the user wishes to use.

[0107] FIG. 6B shows another exemplary modular system 3000 with several modules 2000 of varying size installed onto a modular bus 1000 configured to support a 2 (row) by 6 (column) array of slots. The modular bus 1000 may include a pair of electrical contacts 1050 in each slot to supply and receive electric power as well as a communications contact to establish communication with each module 2000. The modular bus 1000 may also include a frame 1100 disposed between the two rows to mechanically support the installation of the modules. The frame 1100 may include several dovetail rails disposed between each adjacent slot. Each module may include a corresponding dovetail slot to facilitate insertion along the dovetail rail during installation. The frame 1100 may also include one or more handles 1130 disposed at opposing ends of the frame 1100 for handling and/or for ease of assembly when installing the modular bus 1000 into the vehicle. Additional power terminals 1120 may also be disposed and coupled to the respective supply conductor 1010 and return conductor 1020 in the modular bus 1000 to provide electrical connections to external power systems and/or other modular buses 1000 in the vehicle. The power terminals 1120 may support various types of electrical connections including, but not limited to, a single hole ring connector with a locking nut, pin connectors, blade connectors, and clips.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 6B, modules of varying size may be installed onto the modular bus 1000. For example, several 1U battery modules 2100 may be installed along one row of the modular bus 1000. A 3U HVAC module 2200 may be installed along the second row adjacent to a 1U audio system module 2300. The 1U battery modules 2100, the 3U HVAC module 2200, and the 1U audio system module 2300 may each include at least one slot (not shown) to facilitate insertion along the frame 1100 into the modular bus 1000. The particular arrangement of the modules in FIG. 6B are based, in part, on the function each module provides and their positional relationship to the vehicle cabin. For instance, the modular system 3000 may be disposed below the vehicle cabin and oriented such that sound emanating from the audio system module 2300 and air from the HVAC module 2200 may enter into the vehicle cabin through the footwell below the user. In this manner, the battery modules 2100 may also be disposed towards the bottom of the vehicle, lowering the center of mass of the vehicle, thus reducing the body roll of the vehicle during turns. The modular system 3000 may be further oriented such that the modules may be inserted and/or removed from an opening along the side of the vehicle, e.g., below the vehicle cabin or in the vehicle cabin below the seats. The opening may be enclosed by a removable body panel or in the vehicle cabin below the seats.

An Exemplary Modular System with Multiple Modular buses

[0109] In some cases, a modular system 3000 may be comprised of multiple modular buses 1000 that each support several modules 2000. Each modular bus 1000 may be connected to another modular bus 1000 such that the modular system 3000 operates as a single subsystem of the vehicle. FIG. 6C shows an exemplary modular system 3000 comprised of four modular buses 1000a, 1000b, 1000c, and lOOOd arranged as saddlebags that straddle a wheel 3110 of the vehicle. As shown, the wheel 3110 may be supported by two struts 3120 that mechanically support the wheel 3110. Each strut 3120 may be used to support a pair of modular buses 1000 disposed on opposing sides of the strut 3120 and flanking the wheel 3110, as shown in FIG. 6C. Each modular bus 1000 may include a frame 1100 with a contoured shape based on the size and shape of the wheel 3110. A plurality of keyed rails 1110 may be disposed on the frame 1100, orthogonal to the backplane 1002 of each modular bus 1000. In some cases, the frame 1100 may be a contiguous component that is shared between two modular buses 1000, as shown in FIG. 6C. The frame 1100 may be mechanically coupled directly to the strut 3120 such that the keyed rails 1110 align with the slots of each modular bus 1000.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 6C, the arrangement of the modules 2000 installed onto each modular bus 1000 may be determined, in part, by the length of each module 2000. Shorter modules 2000a may be installed at the ends of the modular bus 1000 while longer modules 2000b may be installed near the center of the modular bus 1000. Thus, the installation of modules 2000 may be determined by both geometry as well as their function. As shown, the shorter modules 2000a may also include a housing with a variable step length. For example, a 3U module 2000 disposed near the end of the modular bus 1000 may have a length that varies in steps of 250 mm, 200 mm, and 150 mm where each length corresponds to 1U on the modular bus 1000. In this manner, larger modules 2000 may be shaped to conform to the geometric constraints imposed by the modular bus 1000. As described above, not all of the available slots on each modular bus 1000 need to be occupied during operation. In some cases, certain modules 2000 may be preferentially installed on certain modular buses 1000 to control the weight distribution of the vehicle.

Exemplary Assemblies Utilizing Multiple Modular Systems

[0111] A vehicle may utilize more than one modular bus 1000. Each modular bus 1000 may support multiple slots (e.g., 5, 10, 25, 30, 40, 50, or 60 slots) depending on the size of the modular bus 1000. Multiple modular buses 1000 may be electrically coupled together such that electrical power and data may be shared. In some cases, this may be accomplished by utilizing interface modules installed onto each modular bus 1000, which may provide various connection ports to facilitate connection with one or more modular buses 1000. One or more modular buses 1000 may be grouped together as a modular system 3000 based, in part, on the functionality each modular bus 1000 provides. The modular system 3000 may thus correspond to a particular subsystem of the vehicle.

[0112] For an electric vehicle platform, an initial set of modules 2000 may be installed onto at least one modular bus 1000 to provide basic functionality of the vehicle. These modules 2000 may include: at least one motor inverter module to drive one or more traction motors, at least one battery module to provide the energy to run the motors and other electrical systems, at least one control module to coordinate vehicle functions, and at least one user interface module to allow the user to command the vehicle.

[0113] FIG. 7 A shows an exemplary electric vehicle 3100 with at least four modular systems 3000a, 3000b, 3000c, and 3000d that correspond to the steering, ancillary, energy storage, and propulsion and stability subsystems, respectively, of the vehicle 3100. For some configurations of the vehicle 3100, the modular systems 3000 may be located near components critical to vehicle operation. For example, the modular system 3000a for steering may be disposed near the front axle of the vehicle 3100. The modular system 3000b for ancillary functions may be disposed near the dashboard in the vehicle cabin. The modular system 3000c for energy storage may be disposed towards the bottom of the vehicle 3100 between the front and rear axles, to lower the center of mass of the vehicle 3100. The modular system 3000d for propulsion and stability may be located near traction motors disposed near the rear axle (assuming the vehicle is configured to be rear- wheel drive). In this manner, the modular systems 3000 that provide critical vehicle functionality may be collocated with corresponding components/sy stems in the vehicle, which may greatly simplify vehicle design and reduce the likelihood of system failure. In some cases, the modular systems 3000 may be retrofit into conventional vehicles. For example, FIG. 7B shows an exemplary vehicle 3100 where the modular buses 3000e, 3000f, and 3000g are all disposed in the front bulkhead of the vehicle 3100.

[0114] FIG. 7C shows a more detailed block diagram of the modular systems 3000a, 3000b, 3000c, and 3000d of FIG. 7A. As shown, each modular system 3000 may be comprised of multiple modules 2000 distributed across one or more modular buses 1000. For example, the modular system 3000a for steering may include a steering control unit module 2400a, which may be used to manage the operation of a wheel and force feedback actuator module, a steering actuator module, and a dedicated battery module for steering. The modular system 3000b for ancillary functions may include various modules, such as an instrument cluster module for user control, an infotainment module, and a HVAC module for climate control. The modular system 3000c for energy storage may include a power control unit module 2400c that manages the operation of at least one battery module, a wireless power transfer module for wireless charging, and a wired charging interface for plug-in charging. The modular system 3000d for propulsion and stability may include a vehicle control unit module 2400d that manages the operation of a traction motor and controller module, a cooling system module, and a braking module. The modules installed in each modular system 3000 may be replaced by the user, allowing the user to reconfigure their vehicle 3100 for different use cases. In this manner, the performance of the vehicle 3100 can be tailored to the user's preferences and the overall vehicle mass may be reduced.

[0115] The operation of the modular systems 3000a, 3000b, 3000c, and 3000d may be facilitated, in part, by the integration of a network protocol that controls the flow of information between each respective modular system 3000. As described above, one approach is to utilize the CAN standard to facilitate communication and sharing of data between multiple subsystems (i.e., modular systems 3000). Each modular system 3000 may operate, at least in part, in an independent manner where the respective control modules (e.g., the steering control unit module 2400a, the power control unit module 2400c, the vehicle control unit 2400d) in each modular system 3000 controls the flow of data and/or commands to the remaining modules used to perform the functionality of the modular system 3000. In this manner, the flow of data may be regulated such that a particular modular system 3000 isn't inundated with unnecessary data, allowing the modular system 3000 to operate within particular latency requirements, which may differ between different modular systems 3000.

CONCLUSION

[0116] While various inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize or be able to ascertain, using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.

[0117] Also, various inventive concepts may be embodied as one or more methods, of which an example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.

[0118] All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0119] The indefinite articles "a" and "an," as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean "at least one."

[0120] The phrase "and/or," as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and/or" should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the "and/or" clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to "A and/or B", when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as "comprising" can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

[0121] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and/or" as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and/or" shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as "only one of or "exactly one of," or, when used in the claims, "consisting of," will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term "or" as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. "one or the other but not both") when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as "either," "one of," "only one of," or "exactly one of." "Consisting essentially of," when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

[0122] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase "at least one," in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, "at least one of A and B" (or, equivalently, "at least one of A or B," or, equivalently "at least one of A and/or B") can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

[0123] In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as "comprising," "including," "carrying," "having," "containing," "involving," "holding," "composed of," and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases "consisting of and "consisting essentially of shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.