DE102015224187A1 - Setting a color of lighting for a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to inform a vehicle occupant of the extent to which the temperature in the vehicle (10) corresponds to a predetermined desired temperature (S) on the basis of the color of the illumination (6, 7). For this purpose, an actual temperature (T) within the vehicle (10) is detected and the color of the lighting is set as a function of the actual temperature (T) and the setpoint temperature (S).

Description

The present invention relates to adjusting a color of illumination preferably in the vehicle interior.

The US 2009/0093206 A1 discloses for this purpose an air conditioner in which a light of a lighting device changes its color depending on the temperature of the air discharged from the air conditioning system. In this case, the vehicle occupant is informed on the basis of the color of the light only about whether the air conditioner is currently cooling or heating. Similarly, the DE 20 2014 004 086 U1 to vary the color of a light of a lighting device automatically depending on the temperature of the air flowing through air outlets.

Accordingly, the vehicle occupant according to the prior art is not informed about the extent to which a temperature in the vehicle interior corresponds to a predetermined desired temperature.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to inform a vehicle occupant to what extent the temperature in the vehicle corresponds to a predetermined desired temperature.

According to the invention this object is achieved by a method for adjusting a color of a lighting for a vehicle according to claim 1 and by a device for adjusting a color of lighting for a vehicle according to claim 5. The dependent claims define preferred and advantageous embodiments of the present invention.

• • Erfassen oder Messen einer Ist-Temperatur innerhalb des Fahrzeugs. In diesem Schritt wird beispielsweise mit entsprechenden Temperatursensoren im Fahrzeuginneren die aktuelle Temperatur im Fahrzeug gemessen.
• • Einstellen der Farbe der Beleuchtung in Abhängigkeit von der Ist-Temperatur und einer vorgegebenen Soll-Temperatur. In diesem Schritt wird die Farbe der Beleuchtung vorzugsweise im Fahrzeuginneren zum einen abhängig von der im vorherigen Schritt gemessenen Ist-Temperatur und zum anderen abhängig von der Soll-Temperatur, welche insbesondere einer einer Klimaanlage des Fahrzeugs vorgegebenen Wunschtemperatur entspricht, eingestellt oder gesteuert.

In the context of the present invention, a method for adjusting a color of a lighting for a vehicle is provided. The method according to the invention comprises the following steps:

• • Detecting or measuring an actual temperature within the vehicle. In this step, the current temperature in the vehicle is measured, for example, with appropriate temperature sensors in the vehicle interior.
• • Adjusting the color of the lighting depending on the actual temperature and a given target temperature. In this step, the color of the illumination is preferably set or controlled in the vehicle interior depending on the actual temperature measured in the previous step and secondly depending on the target temperature, which in particular corresponds to a desired temperature preset for an air conditioning system of the vehicle.

By the color of the lighting is set both depending on the actual temperature and dependent on the target temperature, a vehicle occupant can be advantageously informed by the color of the lighting also to what extent the temperature in the vehicle (ie the actual temperature) of a predetermined desired temperature (ie the target temperature) corresponds. Thereby, the color of the lighting can be controlled depending on the control direction of an air conditioner of the vehicle, which is determined depending on the actual temperature and the target temperature.

The lighting, by means of which an occupant is informed, may include ambient lighting of the vehicle and / or light bulbs around air conditioner outlets. According to the invention, it is also possible that the illumination comprises illuminating means of the vehicle, which are mounted on the outside of the vehicle. If an already existing illumination is used as the information source, advantageously no additional costs are incurred for the information transfer.

For example, the color of the illumination can be set to a first color when the actual temperature is less than the target temperature. Likewise, if the actual temperature is greater than the desired temperature, the color may be adjusted to a second color other than the first color.

Unlike the prior art, the color of the lighting is controlled depending on the actual temperature in the vehicle interior and not dependent on the temperature of an air flow output from an air conditioner. As a result, according to the invention, the control direction of the air conditioning system is indicated by the color of the lighting.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the color of the illumination is adjusted to a neutral or third color different from the first and second colors when the magnitude of a difference between the desired temperature and the actual temperature is below a predetermined hysteresis threshold.

By introducing the neutral or third color for the illumination, a vehicle occupant can advantageously be informed on the basis of the illumination color that the actual temperature is in the vicinity of the desired temperature. With this neutral or third color is therefore signaled that a control deviation between actual temperature and target temperature is sufficiently small.

• • Wenn eine Summe aus der Ist-Temperatur und einem ersten Hysterese-Schwellenwert unterhalb der vorgegebenen Soll-Temperatur liegt, wird die Farbe auf die erste Farbe eingestellt.
• • Wenn die Ist-Temperatur größer als eine Summe aus der Soll-Temperatur und einem zweiten Hysterese-Schwellenwert ist, wird die Temperatur auf eine zweite von der ersten Farbe unterschiedliche Farbe eingestellt.
• • Sonst wird die Farbe auf eine dritte Farbe, welche sich von der ersten und der zweiten Farbe unterscheidet, eingestellt. Die Beleuchtung nimmt also die dritte Farbe an, wenn die Ist-Temperatur um nicht mehr als den ersten Hysterese-Schwellenwert kleiner als die Soll-Temperatur ist oder wenn die Ist-Temperatur um nicht mehr als den zweiten Hysterese-Schwellenwert größer als die Soll-Temperatur ist. Dabei können der erste und der zweite Hysterese-Schwellenwert auch gleich groß sein.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the color of the illumination can be set as follows:

• • If a sum of the actual temperature and a first hysteresis threshold is below the specified target temperature, the color is set to the first color.
• • If the actual temperature is greater than a sum of the setpoint temperature and a second hysteresis threshold, the temperature is set to a second color other than the first color.
• Otherwise, the color will be set to a third color that differs from the first and second colors. The illumination thus assumes the third color if the actual temperature is not more than the setpoint temperature by more than the first hysteresis threshold value, or if the actual temperature is not more than the second hysteresis threshold value greater than the setpoint temperature. Temperature is. In this case, the first and the second hysteresis threshold can also be the same size.

According to this further embodiment, the vehicle occupant is informed about the state of a climate control in the vehicle with the aid of three colors of the illumination. The third color informs the vehicle occupant that the actual temperature is (already) near the target temperature. The first (second) color informs the occupant that the vehicle is currently being heated (cooled) because the actual temperature is not yet near the target temperature. With the first and second hysteresis thresholds can be set exactly how large the temperature range should be for the actual temperature at which the third color is shown.

In the context of the present invention, a device for adjusting a color of a lighting for a vehicle is also provided. The device according to the invention comprises sensor means for detecting an actual temperature within the vehicle. In addition, the device comprises control means to control lighting means, for example within the vehicle.

The control means are configured to adjust a color of the illumination means depending on the actual temperature and a predetermined target temperature.

The advantages of the device according to the invention essentially correspond to the advantages of the method according to the invention, which are carried out in advance in detail, so that a repetition is dispensed with here.

The device comprises, in particular, an air-conditioning system which is designed to set the actual temperature in the interior of the vehicle as a function of the predetermined target temperature.

In this embodiment of the invention, the target temperature can be specified for example by the air conditioning. In other words, in this case, the target temperature corresponds to the setpoint temperature of the air conditioning system, which is given to the air conditioner, so that the air conditioner adjusts or regulates the actual temperature to this target temperature.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the control means are configured to adjust the color of the illumination means to a neutral color. The control means sets the neutral color when the control means detects with the aid of the sensor means that an amount of a difference between the target temperature and the actual temperature is smaller than a predetermined hysteresis threshold.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the control means are arranged to set the color to a first color when a sum of the actual temperature and a first hysteresis threshold is less than the target temperature. The control means are configured to set the color to a second color when the actual temperature is greater than a sum of the desired temperature and a second hysteresis threshold. Finally, in this further embodiment, the control means are arranged to set the color to a third color otherwise (i.e., when neither the first color setting condition nor the second color setting condition is satisfied).

The advantages of the two embodiments described above correspond to the advantages of the corresponding embodiments of the method according to the invention, which have been carried out in advance in detail, so that a repetition is dispensed with here.

Finally, in the context of the present invention, a vehicle may be provided which comprises a device according to the invention.

The present invention is particularly suitable for motor vehicles. Of course, the present invention can also be used in ships or aircraft and track-bound or track-guided vehicles. In addition, the use in a stationary environment, for example within a building with air conditioning conceivable.

In the following, embodiments of the invention will be explained in detail with reference to the figures.

In 1 a flow chart of a method according to the invention is shown.

2 shows a diagram of an actual temperature over time when cooling a vehicle interior.

3 shows a diagram of an actual temperature over time when heating a vehicle interior.

In 4 the vehicle interior is shown with lighting means.

In 5 a vehicle with a device according to the invention is shown schematically.

A flow chart of a method according to the invention is in 1 shown.

In step S1, it is checked whether the actual temperature is smaller than the difference between the target temperature and a lower hysteresis threshold. If this is the case, the color of the lighting in the interior is set to red in step S2. If this is not the case (i.e., the target temperature is greater than the sum of the actual temperature and the lower hysteresis threshold), a further check is made in step S3. In this case, it is checked in step S3 whether the actual temperature is greater than the difference between the setpoint temperature and an upper hysteresis threshold. If this is the case, the color of the illumination is set to blue in step S4. If this is not the case (i.e., the target temperature is less than the sum of the actual temperature and the upper hysteresis threshold), the color of the illumination is set to white in step S5.

After setting the color in step S2, step S4 or step S5, it is checked in step S6 whether the method according to the invention is to be aborted, for example because the interior lighting has been switched off. If so (i.e., yes at step S6), the process ends. Otherwise, the process continues with step S1.

In 2 the actual temperature T over the time t is shown. It can be seen that the actual temperature T decreases until after approximately 29.5 s it is smaller than a sum of the setpoint temperature S of 20 ° C. and an upper hysteresis threshold value 4 of about 5 ° C is. Subsequently, the actual temperature T fluctuates about the setpoint temperature S. In this case, the actual temperature T never leaves a corridor, which passes through the upper hysteresis threshold 4 and the lower hysteresis threshold 5 is defined. Therefore, the illumination means in the interior light up during the period 1 blue and during the subsequent period 3 White.

Also in the 3 the actual temperature T over the time t is shown. In this case, the actual temperature T increases, until after about 37 s, only by the lower hysteresis threshold 5 of about 5 ° C below the target temperature S of 20 ° C. Subsequently, the actual temperature T fluctuates about the setpoint temperature S. In this case too, the actual temperature T never leaves the corridor, which passes through the upper hysteresis threshold 4 and the lower hysteresis threshold 5 is defined. Therefore, the illumination means in the interior of the vehicle lights up during the period 2 red and during the subsequent period 3 White.

In 4 the interior of a vehicle is shown. Here are as lighting means in addition to an ambient lighting 7 Lamp 6 shown around vents of an air conditioner. The color of this lighting 6 . 7 is adjusted according to the invention.

Finally, in 5 schematically a vehicle 10 shown, which in addition to a device according to the invention 20 as lighting means the bulbs 6 around the vents and the ambient lighting 7 includes. The device according to the invention 20 includes besides a controller 8th an air conditioner 30 and a temperature sensor 9 with which the actual temperature in the interior of the vehicle 10 can be detected. The device according to the invention 20 represents the color of the lighting means 6 . 7 depending on the actual temperature and the setpoint temperature of the air conditioning system 30 a, as described above.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1-3

 time interval

4, 5

 Hysteresis threshold

6

 Lighting around vents

7

 Ambient lighting

8th

 control

9

 sensor means

10

 vehicle

20

 contraption

30

 air conditioning

t

 Time

S

 Target temperature

S1-S6

 step

T

 Interior temperature or actual temperature

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• US 2009/0093206 A1 [0002]
• DE 202014004086 U1 [0002]

Claims (9)

Method for adjusting a color of a lighting ( 6 . 7 ) for a vehicle ( 10 ), the method comprising: detecting an actual temperature (T) within the vehicle ( 10 ), and adjusting the color depending on the actual temperature (T) and a target temperature (S). A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the color is set to a first color when the actual temperature (T) is below the target temperature (S), and that the color adjusted to a second color different from the first color when the actual temperature (T) is above the target temperature (S). A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the color is set to a neutral color when an amount of a difference between the target temperature (S) and the actual temperature (T) below a threshold ( 4 ; 5 ) lies. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the color is set to a first color when a sum of the actual temperature (T) and a first threshold ( 5 ) below the target temperature (S) is that the color is set to a second color different from the first color when the actual temperature (T) is above a sum of the target temperature (S) and a second threshold ( 4 ), and that the color is otherwise set to a third color different from the first and second colors. Device for adjusting a color of illumination ( 6 . 7 ) for a vehicle ( 10 ), the device ( 20 ) Sensor means ( 9 ) for detecting an actual temperature (T) within the vehicle ( 10 ) and control means ( 9 ) for driving lighting means ( 6 ) of the vehicle ( 10 ), wherein a color of the illumination means ( 6 . 7 ) by means of the control means ( 8th ) is adjustable depending on the actual temperature (T) and a target temperature (S). Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the device ( 20 ) an air conditioner ( 30 ), and that the actual temperature (T) depends on the setpoint temperature (S) by means of the air conditioning system (S). 30 ) is adjustable. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the color by means of the control means ( 8th ) is adjustable to a neutral color when the control means ( 8th ) by means of the sensor means ( 9 ) detect that an amount of a difference between the target temperature (S) and the actual temperature (S) is below a threshold ( 4 ; 5 ) lies. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the color by means of the control means ( 8th ) is adjustable to a first color when the control means ( 8th ) by means of the sensor means ( 9 ) detect that a sum of the actual temperature (T) and a first threshold ( 5 ) below the desired temperature (S) is that the color by means of the control means ( 8th ) is adjustable to a second color different from the first color when the control means ( 8th ) by means of the sensor means ( 9 ) detect that the actual temperature (T) is above a sum of the target temperature (S) and a second threshold ( 4 ) and that the ink is otherwise removed by means of the control means ( 8th ) is adjustable to a third color different from the first and second colors. Device according to one of claims 5-8, characterized in that the device ( 20 ) is configured for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 1-4.

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