JP2009292249A - Air-conditioning device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform an appropriate air-conditioning operation by correcting the ambient temperature using a sunlight amount. <P>SOLUTION: In an air-conditioning ECU 40, map data of the ambient temperature with respect to the sunlight amount and map data of an electric power generation amount with respect to the sunlight amount are stored in a memory 98. When the ambient temperature is detected by an ambient temperature sensor 48, air-conditioning temperature is corrected based on a sunlight amount detected by a sunlight sensor or a sunlight amount determined by the generation amount of a solar battery, the map data of the ambient temperature with respect to the sunlight amount, and positional information and time information of a vehicle concerned that are acquired from a navigation device 96. Thereby, even if the ambient temperature detected by the ambient temperature sensor is influenced on waste heat of an engine or the like, the appropriate air-conditioning operation can be performed by appropriately setting a target blow-out temperature. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner that is provided in a vehicle and air-conditions a vehicle interior, and more particularly, to a vehicle air conditioner that enables appropriate determination of an outside air temperature.

  Vehicles include conventional vehicles equipped with an internal combustion engine (engine) as a driving source for traveling, and hybrid vehicles equipped with an electric motor in addition to the engine. Moreover, it is common for a vehicle to include an air conditioner that air-conditions the passenger compartment. For example, an air conditioner provided in a hybrid vehicle can obtain a predetermined cooling capacity by driving a compressor using electric power stored in a storage battery (battery).

  On the other hand, in a vehicle parked under hot weather in summer or the like, the temperature in the passenger compartment rises and may cause discomfort when a passenger gets on the vehicle. From here, pre-ventilation, pre-air conditioning, etc. are proposed that ventilate the interior of a parked vehicle using an air conditioner to reduce exhaust heat and temperature and prevent discomfort when riding. ing.

  In addition, a vehicle has been proposed in which a solar cell is provided and pre-ventilation or the like of the vehicle interior is performed using the generated power of the solar cell during parking (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In such a solar cell, the generated power is also reduced due to the performance reduction. From here, there is a proposal to judge miswiring and solar cell performance degradation by calculating and comparing the expected power generation amount calculated from the solar radiation amount and the temperature of the solar cell battery module with the actual power generation amount relative to the solar radiation amount (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

  By the way, the air conditioner detects environmental conditions such as room temperature, outside air temperature, and solar radiation, and calculates the temperature of the conditioned air (target blowout temperature) for setting the passenger compartment to the set temperature from the detected environmental conditions and the set temperature. The air conditioning operation is performed so as to obtain this target blowing temperature.

  On the other hand, in a vehicle, an outside air temperature sensor of an air conditioner is disposed in an engine compartment in which an engine is provided, and the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor may receive exhaust heat of the engine. . For this reason, an error may occur in the outside air temperature for generating the conditioned air at an appropriate temperature.

  From here, the proposal which estimates outside air temperature from the thermal equilibrium relationship among room temperature, preset temperature, solar radiation amount, and target blowing temperature is made | formed (for example, refer patent document 3).

Also, the change rate of the detected temperature of the outside air temperature sensor when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the condenser fan for cooling the refrigerant with the capacitor is obtained, and the correction temperature set for this change rate is used. The proposal which estimates outside temperature is made (for example, refer patent document 4).
JP 2007-45308 A JP 2006-101591 A JP-A-8-258535 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-117451

  In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner that can perform an air conditioning operation by determining an appropriate outside air temperature by using the amount of solar radiation.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle air conditioner that performs an air conditioning operation of a passenger compartment based on an environmental condition including an outside air temperature and an operating condition, and includes a solar radiation detecting means that detects an amount of solar radiation, and at least a latitude. And position information acquisition means for acquiring vehicle position information including altitude, date and time information acquisition means for acquiring date and time information, storage means for storing map data of outside air temperature for a preset amount of solar radiation, and the environmental condition The outside air temperature detecting means for detecting the outside air temperature, the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting means, the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation detecting means, and the map stored in the storage means Correction means for correcting based on the data, the position information acquired by the position information acquisition means, and the date information acquired by the date information acquisition means; No.

  According to this invention, map data of the outside air temperature with respect to the solar radiation amount is created in advance and stored in the storage means, and based on the map data of the external air temperature with respect to the solar radiation amount and the solar radiation amount detected by the solar radiation detecting means, Determine the outside air temperature relative to the amount of solar radiation.

  The map data of the outside temperature with respect to the solar radiation amount at this time is a preset reference position, for example, with respect to the solar radiation amount at the standard date and time of each season (spring, summer, autumn, winter, or spring / autumn, summer, winter). Use outside temperature.

  Thereby, the external temperature with respect to the solar radiation amount according to the vehicle position and date can be estimated by including the latitude and altitude as the position information of the vehicle and including the date and time acquired as the date information.

  The correcting unit corrects the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting unit based on the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation detecting unit, map data of the outside air temperature with respect to the amount of solar radiation, vehicle position information, and date / time information. Thereby, even if the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting means is affected by the exhaust heat of the engine or the like, an air conditioning operation using an appropriate outside air temperature is possible.

  In the present invention, as the solar radiation detection means, a solar battery that outputs generated power corresponding to the amount of received light by receiving sunlight, and a generated power detection means that detects the generated power of the solar battery, The correction means is detected by the generated power detection means when map data of the generated power of the solar cell with respect to the preset amount of solar radiation is stored in the storage means. Based on the generated power of the solar cell and the map data of the generated power with respect to the amount of solar radiation stored in the storage means, the amount of solar radiation applied to the correction of the outside air temperature may be determined, Further, the solar radiation detection means may be a solar radiation sensor that outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of solar radiation.

  According to the present invention, the solar radiation amount may be detected by the solar radiation sensor. However, when the solar battery is provided, the solar power generation power map data for the solar radiation amount is detected by the generated power detection means. The amount of solar radiation can be determined by using the generated power.

  Since such a solar cell generally has a larger light receiving area than a solar radiation sensor, it is not easily affected by the shade of the tree, thereby enabling appropriate correction of the outside air temperature.

  As described above, according to the present invention, an appropriate air conditioning capability is obtained by determining the outside air temperature based on the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation detection means or the amount of solar radiation obtained from the generated power of the solar cell. As a result, an excellent effect is obtained.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of a vehicle air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as an air conditioner 10) according to the present embodiment.

  The vehicle provided with the air conditioner 10 is a so-called hybrid vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine (engine) as an electric drive source for traveling and an electric motor (both not shown) and travels by driving the engine or electric motor. . The vehicle to which the present invention is applied is not limited to this, and may be applied to a vehicle having a known general configuration, such as a so-called conventional vehicle that travels by driving force of an engine, or an electric vehicle that travels by driving of an electric motor. it can.

  The air conditioner 10 includes a compressor 12, a condenser 14, an expansion valve 16, and an evaporator 18, and forms a refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant is circulated. In the air conditioner 10, the air passing through the evaporator 18 can be cooled or dehumidified by the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle.

  The air conditioner 10 includes an air conditioner unit 20 in which a flow path of air to be conditioned air is formed, and an evaporator 18 is disposed in the air conditioner unit 20. The air conditioner unit 20 is provided with an air inlet 22, and a blower fan 24 is provided between the air inlet 22 and the evaporator 18.

  As the air introduction port 22, an inside air introduction port 22 </ b> A that opens toward the vehicle interior and an outside air introduction port 22 </ b> B that opens toward the outside of the vehicle are formed, and the air conditioner unit 20 includes the inside air introduction port 22 </ b> A and the outside air introduction port. A switching door 26 that opens and closes the opening 22B is provided.

  In the air conditioner 10, as an air introduction mode, at least an inside air circulation mode for introducing air in the passenger compartment and an outside air introduction mode for introducing outside air are set, and the switching door 26 is operated according to the introduction mode. Further, in the air conditioner 10, the blower fan 24 is rotationally driven by the operation of the blower motor 28, whereby air corresponding to the introduction mode is sucked into the air conditioner unit 20 and sent to the evaporator 18 to generate conditioned air. .

  Further, the air conditioner 10 has a defroster outlet 30A (center defroster outlet, side defroster outlet) opened toward the wind glass as an outlet for conditioned air, and a register outlet opened toward the passenger in the vehicle interior. A mouth 30B (center register outlet, side register outlet) and a foot outlet 30C (front seat outlet, rear seat outlet) opened toward the feet of the occupant are formed. The air conditioner unit 20 is connected. The air conditioner unit 22 is provided with a mode switching door 32 that selectively opens and closes the defroster outlet 30A, the register outlet 30B, and the foot outlet 30C.

  In the air conditioner 10, the DEF mode in which the defroster outlet 30A is selected, the FACE mode in which the register outlet 30B is selected, the FOOT mode in which the foot outlet 30C is selected, the register outlet 30B and the foot as the air-conditioning air outlet mode. A BI-LEVEL mode in which the outlet 30C is selected and a FOOT / DEF mode in which the defroster outlet 30A and the foot outlet 30C are selected are set.

  In the air conditioner 10, the mode switching door 32 is operated according to the set blowing mode by setting the blowing mode of the conditioned air. Thereby, the conditioned air is blown out from the blowout opening corresponding to the blowout mode into the vehicle interior.

  A heater core 34 and an air mix door 36 are provided in the air conditioner unit 20. The heater core 34 is provided as a heating means, and engine coolant (cooling water) is circulated between the heater core 34 and the engine. In the air conditioner 10, the air passing through the heater core 34 is heated by the cooling water.

  In the air conditioner 10, air that has passed through the heater core 34 and air that has bypassed the heater core 34 are mixed to generate conditioned air. At this time, the air conditioner 10 generates the conditioned air at a desired temperature by controlling the opening degree of the air mix door 36 and blows it out from the outlet to the vehicle interior. Here, the heater core 34 is used as the heating means. However, an electric heater such as a PCT heater may be provided in addition to the heater core 34, and other heating means such as an electric heater may be used instead of the heater core 34. It may be provided.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 10 includes an air conditioner ECU 40. The air conditioner ECU 40 has a general configuration including a microcomputer in which a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like are connected by a bus, various input / output interfaces, and a drive circuit (all not shown). Control.

  In the air conditioner 10, the compressor 12 is driven by the compressor motor 42, and the compressor motor 42 is connected to the air conditioner ECU 40 together with the blower motor 28. The air conditioner ECU 40 is connected to an actuator 44A that operates the switching door 26, an actuator 44B that operates the mode switching door 32, and an actuator 44C that operates the air mix door 36.

  The air conditioner ECU 40 controls the cooling capacity by driving the compressor motor 42 (compressor 12), and controls the blower air volume, which is the blown air volume of the air conditioned air, by the blower motor 28, and the actuator 44A according to the air introduction mode and the air blowing mode. 44B and the opening degree of the air mix door 36 is controlled by the actuator 44C.

  The air conditioner 10 includes a room temperature sensor 46 that detects the temperature in the vehicle interior, an outside air temperature sensor 48 that detects the temperature outside the vehicle, a solar radiation sensor 50 that detects the amount of solar radiation, and the post-evaporator temperature that detects the temperature of the air that has passed through the evaporator 18. Various sensors such as a sensor 52 and a water temperature sensor 54 for detecting the temperature of the cooling water are provided, and these are connected to the air conditioner ECU 40.

  Here, the solar radiation sensor 50 is provided as one of the solar radiation detection means. For example, a photodiode, a photoelectric cell, or the like whose resistance value, current value, and the like change according to the amount of solar radiation (brightness) is used. Yes. The air conditioner ECU 40 determines the amount of solar radiation by detecting changes in the resistance value, current value, resistance value, or current value of the solar radiation sensor 50 according to the amount of solar radiation. A known general configuration can be applied to the solar radiation sensor 50 and the detection of the solar radiation amount using the solar radiation sensor 50.

  The air conditioner 10 is provided with an operation panel 56 for setting operation conditions such as operation / stop of the air conditioner 10 and a set temperature during the air conditioning operation, on an instrument panel (not shown) of the vehicle. 56 is connected to the air conditioner ECU 40. The operation panel 56 is provided with various operation switches (not shown) and a display 58 for performing various displays such as operation conditions and operation states set by operating the operation switches.

When an operating condition such as a set temperature is set by operating the switch on the operation panel 56 and an air conditioning operation is instructed, the air conditioner ECU 40 determines whether the vehicle interior is in accordance with the operating condition, the environmental condition detected by each sensor, the operating condition, and the like. Air conditioning operation is performed so that becomes the set temperature. At this time, the air conditioner ECU 40 operates so as to set a target blowing temperature for setting the interior of the vehicle interior to a set temperature and to obtain conditioned air at the set target blowing temperature. Such target blowing temperature T _AO can be obtained from a set temperature T _SET , room temperature Tr, outside air temperature Ta, and solar radiation amount ST by a general arithmetic expression.

T _AO = K ₁・ T _SET −K ₂・ Tr−K ₃・ Ta−K ₄・ ST + C
_(However, K 1 _~K 4, C is a constant that is set in advance)
Air conditioning ECU40, when the target outlet air temperature T _AO is set to control the opening degree of the air mixing door 36 as conditioned air of the target outlet air temperature T _AO is obtained. In addition, when the air conditioning operation in the auto mode is set, the air conditioner ECU 40 sets the air blow mode and the blower air amount based on the target blow temperature T _AO , the room temperature Tr, and the like, and based on these settings. Air conditioning operation. It should be noted that such a basic operation of the air conditioner 10 (basic control by the air conditioner ECU 40) can be applied with a known general configuration, and detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle applied to the present embodiment is provided with a slide roof device 60 that opens and closes an opening in a roof panel (not shown). The slide roof device 60 is provided with a slide roof ECU 62, a slide motor 64, and a slide switch 66. Thereby, in the slide roof apparatus 60, when the slide switch 66 is operated, the slide motor 64 is driven, the roof glass (not shown) is moved, and the opening of the roof panel is opened and closed.

  The slide roof device 60 has a tilt-up function that allows ventilation or outside air introduction by slightly lifting and opening the rear part (vehicle rear side) of the roof glass.

  Further, the vehicle is provided with a power window device 68 for opening and closing the door glass provided at each door. The power window device 68 includes, for example, a power window ECU 70, a window motor 72 provided at each door, and an operation switch 74 such as an UP / DOWN switch. In the power window device 68, when the operation switch 74 is operated, the window motor 72 is driven and the window glass (not shown) is moved up and down. A known general configuration can be applied to the slide roof device 60 and the power window device 68.

  Further, the vehicle according to the present embodiment is provided with a wireless key device 76. The wireless key device 76 includes a receiving unit 78 disposed in the vehicle and a wireless key 80 carried by the passenger. The wireless key 80 is provided with an operation switch (not shown), and a signal corresponding to the operation of the operation switch is transmitted. The receiving unit 78 includes a receiver 82 and a wireless key ECU 84, and a signal transmitted from the wireless key 80 is received by the receiver 82. Further, the receiver 82 outputs a reception signal to the wireless key ECU 84. The wireless key ECU 84 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the received signal.

  A vehicle ECU 86 is provided in the vehicle. The gateway ECU 86 is connected to the air conditioner ECU 40 and various controllers (ECUs) provided in the vehicle such as the slide roof ECU 62, the power window ECU 70, and the wireless key ECU 84. Thereby, in the vehicle, the ECUs can operate in conjunction with each other. Note that any known connection method such as a communication line can be applied to the connection between the gateway ECU 86 and each ECU.

  The wireless key ECU 84 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operation of the wireless key 80 to the ECU responsible for the operation via the gateway ECU 86. Thereby, the processing operation according to the operation of the wireless key 80 is performed.

  For example, when the lock / unlock operation of the vehicle door is performed by the wireless key 80, the corresponding operation signal is output from the wireless key ECU 84 to the ECU that opens and closes the door via the gateway ECU 86, and the door lock / unlock is performed. Lock is performed.

  A known general configuration can be applied to the remote operation using the wireless key 80. The slide roof ECU 62, power window ECU 70, wireless key ECU 84, gateway ECU 86, and other ECUs generally include a microcomputer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like connected by a bus, various input / output interfaces and drive circuits. It has a configuration.

  In the present embodiment, a description is given of a configuration including the slide roof device 60, the power window device 68, the wireless key device 76, and the like, but a configuration that does not include at least one of them may be used.

  By the way, as FIG. 1 shows, the vehicle which concerns on this Embodiment is provided with the storage battery (henceforth the battery 90). The battery 90 may have a large capacity for storing electric power for driving an electric motor provided as a driving source for traveling. In the present embodiment, the battery 90 is provided in a vehicle as an example. A general configuration of a storage battery that accumulates low-voltage (for example, a predetermined voltage such as 12 V) power used for driving various auxiliary machines and the like and operating electronic components will be described as an example.

  The battery 90 is charged with electric power generated when the alternator is driven by the engine, and supplies the charged electric power to various auxiliary machines. It should be noted that a known configuration can be applied to charge / discharge of the battery 90, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  In the air conditioner 10, the battery 90 is connected to the air conditioner ECU 40. Various auxiliary machines such as a slide roof device 60, a power window device 68, a wireless key device 76, and electronic components provided in the vehicle are also connected to the battery 90 as an electric load (not shown) and supplied from the battery 90. It can be activated by the generated power.

  In the air conditioner 10, the air conditioner ECU 40 is operated by the electric power of the battery 90, and the blower motor 28, the compressor motor 42, the actuators 44A to 44C, and the like are driven.

  On the other hand, a solar cell 92 is attached to the vehicle according to the present embodiment. This solar cell 92 is, for example, a battery roof top surface, trunk lid top surface, wind glass surface, etc. that does not interfere with the occupant's field of view and is attached to any part that is irradiated with sunlight. It may be.

  When the solar cell 92 receives sunlight, the solar cell 92 converts the light energy of the received sunlight into DC power and outputs it. At this time, the solar cell 92 outputs direct-current power corresponding to the amount of received sunlight. Note that a known general configuration can be applied to the solar cell 92, and detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  In the present embodiment, the power generated by the solar battery 92 is input to the air conditioner ECU 40 (air conditioner 10). The icon ECU 40 also has a function of monitoring the power generated by the solar battery 92. Thereby, the air conditioner 10 can be operated by the power generated by the solar battery 92.

  In the following description, the air conditioner ECU 40 is described to monitor the generated power of the solar battery 92. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a separate controller for monitoring the generated power of the solar battery 92 is provided, and the generated power is equal to or higher than the predetermined power. In this case, electric power may be supplied from the controller to the air conditioner ECU 40.

  A change-over switch 94 using a magnet relay, a switching element, or the like is provided between the air conditioner ECU 40 and the battery 90. The changeover switch 94 is normally energized, but the air conditioner ECU 40 and the battery 90 are disconnected by an operation signal from the air conditioner ECU 40.

  When the power generation of the solar battery 92 is started and the generated power is input, the air conditioner ECU 40 measures a current value at a predetermined voltage (for example, 12V) and acquires the generated power. The air conditioner ECU 40 operates using the generated power of the solar cell 92 by operating the changeover switch 94 to disconnect the battery 90 when the generated power exceeds preset power. Further, the air conditioner ECU 40 obtains the generated power by detecting the current value when operating with the generated power of the solar battery 92, and the power of the battery 90 is supplied when the generated power becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined power. The changeover switch 94 is operated as described above. A protective means such as a protective diode is provided between the air conditioner ECU 40 and the solar battery 92 to protect the solar battery 92. In addition, a known general configuration can be applied to monitoring and protecting the generated power of the solar cell 92.

  Here, in the vehicle applied to the present embodiment, pre-ventilation for ventilating the passenger compartment is possible by operating the wireless key 80 in a parked state. Here, the pre-ventilation is described by operating the wireless key 80, but for example, it may be possible to set whether or not to perform pre-ventilation by operating the switch on the operation panel 56, the start time, and the like. .

  When instructed to start pre-ventilation, the air conditioner ECU 40 uses the power generated by the solar battery 92 to ventilate the passenger compartment while the vehicle is parked. At this time, the air conditioner ECU 40 sets the air introduction mode to the outside air introduction mode and introduces outside air into the vehicle interior. Further, the air conditioner ECU 40 operates the slide roof device 60 or the power window device 68. At this time, the slide roof device 60 operates so as to form an opening by slightly lifting the rear portion of the slide glass by the tilt-up function. In the power window device 68, the window motor 72 is operated to slightly lower the window glass (for example, about several centimeters) to form an opening.

  Accordingly, the air conditioner ECU 40 is configured to prevent discomfort caused by an increase in the temperature of the passenger compartment when ventilation of the passenger compartment is promoted and an occupant gets on the vehicle. Note that the slide roof device 60, the power window device 68, and the wireless key device 76 may be operated by the power of the battery 90. However, if the generated power of the solar cell 92 has a margin, this generated power May be used to operate.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the vehicle is provided with a navigation device 96. The navigation device 96 acquires the position information of the own vehicle from the position information of the GPS satellite and the traveling information of the vehicle, and displays the position of the own vehicle on a display (not shown) using the acquired position information and map data. It has a general configuration with various guidance functions.

  The navigation device 96 can acquire data such as date and time transmitted from a GPS satellite in addition to the vehicle position. Note that the navigation system 96 can adopt any known configuration as long as it can acquire the vehicle position (for example, latitude, longitude, altitude, etc.) and date / time data (date, time).

Here, in the air conditioner 10, an outside air temperature sensor 48 that detects the temperature outside the vehicle is provided at the front of the vehicle. The front part of the vehicle is an engine compartment in which an engine is disposed. For this reason, when the temperature of the air in the engine compartment rises due to exhaust heat of the engine, it becomes difficult to accurately detect the outside air temperature even if the outside air temperature sensor 48 is used. That is, an error occurs in the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48. Thus, without a proper target outlet air temperature T _AO is calculated, such as a decrease in air-conditioning efficiency.

  From here, in the air conditioner ECU 40, correction of the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 or the outside air temperature sensor using the generated power of the solar radiation sensor 50 or the solar battery 92 and the position information and date / time information acquired from the navigation device 96. Instead of 48, the outside air temperature is determined so that efficient air conditioning of the passenger compartment is possible.

  At this time, the air conditioner ECU 40 obtains position information (vehicle position data) of the own vehicle including at least latitude and altitude information and date / time data including the date and time from the navigation device 96.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner ECU 40 has an EEPROM (hereinafter referred to as a memory 98) that is a nonvolatile memory in which stored data can be rewritten and the stored data is held. Is provided. Here, an EEPROM is used as the memory 98, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any configuration that can rewrite data and hold written data can be applied.

  The air conditioner ECU 40 uses the data stored in the memory 98 to make it possible to determine an appropriate outside air temperature. At the same time, the air conditioner ECU 40 can determine the change in the power generation capacity of the solar cell 12 using the own vehicle position data and date / time data acquired from the navigation device 96.

  Hereinafter, various processes in the air conditioner ECU 40 applied to the present embodiment will be described.

  In the solar cell 92, the generated power with respect to the amount of solar radiation (the amount of received sunlight) decreases due to deterioration over time. From here, the air conditioner ECU 40 measures the power generated in the initial state of the solar battery 92 and stores it as a reference value, and compares the power generated by the solar battery 92 with the reference value at a predetermined timing. It is determined whether or not the power generation performance is degraded.

  The storage of the reference value of the solar battery 92 is performed, for example, in a state where the vehicle is parked at a reference position (for example, a designated parking lot) set to a position for determining the power generation state when the vehicle is delivered. This reference position is outdoors, and the time for setting the reference value is preferably a time zone in which sunlight is strong (the amount of solar radiation is large).

  For example, when the setting of the reference value (registration of the reference position) is instructed by operating the switch on the operation panel 56, the air conditioner ECU 40 acquires the position information (latitude, longitude, and altitude) acquired by the navigation device 96, date and time information ( Date and time). At the same time, the air conditioner ECU 40 measures the power generated by the solar battery 92. At this time, it is preferable that the outside air temperature sensor 48 measures the outside air temperature Ta and the solar radiation sensor 50 detects the solar radiation amount ST. Note that the detection of the outside air temperature Ta is preferably measured when the air in the engine compartment is cooled and is at substantially the same temperature as the ambient temperature.

  The air conditioner ECU 40 stores the reference value of the generated power in the memory 98 including the position information of the registered reference position and the environment information. It is preferable to register a plurality of reference values by changing the date or time for each season.

  In general, the power generated by the solar cell 92 affects the amount of solar radiation, and the amount of solar radiation varies depending on environmental conditions such as season, time, and weather. For example, even when the position, season, and time are the same, when the weather is clear and when it is cloudy, the amount of solar radiation when it is cloudy decreases, and the generated power of the solar cell 92 also decreases.

  Here, the air conditioner ECU 40 determines the capacity of the solar battery 92 when the vehicle is parked at the registered position at a predetermined timing. In this capability determination, the date and time information is read from the navigation device 96 together with the position information, the season and time are acquired from the date and time information, and the reference value of the power generation amount with the same season and approximately the same time is read from the memory 98.

  At the same time, the air conditioner ECU 40 detects the generated power of the solar battery 92 and compares the detected generated power with a reference value. As a result, when the generated power is significantly lower than the reference value, it can be determined that the power generation capability of the solar cell 92 is reduced.

  When it is determined that the power generated by the solar battery 92 is low, the air conditioner ECU 40 next starts the vehicle travel (for example, when an occupant gets on and the ignition switch is turned on). A message indicating that the power generation capacity of the solar battery 92 is reduced is displayed on the display 58 of 56. At this time, an alarm or the like may be sounded in accordance with the display of the message, so that the decrease in the power generation capacity of the solar cell 92 can be reliably transmitted to the occupant and maintenance or the like can be promoted.

  Note that the generated power of the solar cell 92 changes due to changes in the amount of solar radiation due to differences in time, weather, and the like. From here, the correction value of the generated power with respect to the time, the correction value of the generated power corresponding to the weather conditions detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 and the solar radiation sensor 50 are set in advance, and when the reference value and the generated power are compared, In addition, the generated power may be corrected according to the weather, which makes it possible to determine the power generation capability of the solar cell 92 more accurately.

  On the other hand, in the air conditioner 10, ventilation (pre-ventilation) of the passenger compartment is possible before the passenger gets on by operating the wireless key 80 or the like. When the start of pre-ventilation is instructed by a switch operation of the wireless key 80 or the like, the air conditioner ECU 40 sets the outside air introduction mode and also sets the FOOT / DEF mode or the BI-LEVEL mode to obtain a predetermined air volume. The blower motor 28 is operated as follows. The blower air volume at this time is increased when the room temperature Tr exceeds a preset temperature (reference temperature) based on, for example, the room temperature Tr detected by the room temperature sensor 46 (for example, Hi level). ) In the vicinity of the reference temperature, an intermediate air volume (for example, Medium level), and if it is lower than the reference temperature, the air volume may be decreased (for example, Low level) or pre-ventilation may be stopped.

  At the same time, the air conditioner ECU 40 requests that the door glass be slightly lowered by the power window device 68. When the slide roof device 60 is provided in the vehicle, the air conditioner ECU 40 requests the slide roof device 60 to tilt up the slide roof.

  As a result, air outside the vehicle is introduced into the vehicle interior by the blower fan 24, and air in the vehicle interior is discharged from an opening formed by the door glass being lowered or an opening formed by tilting up the slide glass. A typical car interior is aroused. Therefore, even if the vehicle is parked under the hot sun, it is possible to reliably prevent the occupant riding in the vehicle from feeling uncomfortable.

On the other hand, when the operating condition is set by the occupant who is in the air conditioner and the start of the air conditioning operation is instructed, the air conditioner ECU 40 reads the set operating condition, and the room temperature sensor 46, the outside air temperature sensor 48, etc. An environmental condition is detected, and based on these, the target blowing temperature _TAO is set. After this, the air conditioning ECU40, post-evaporator temperature, while detecting the operating state of the water temperature or the like, and the air conditioning operation to blow the conditioned air of the target supply air temperature T _AO into the passenger compartment.

By the way, in the vehicle, the outside air temperature Ta detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 is easily affected by disturbances such as engine exhaust heat. For this reason, if the accurate outside air temperature Ta is not detected, for example, the target blowout temperature _TAO is set low, so that proper air conditioning operation and efficient air conditioning operation become difficult.

  From here, the air conditioner ECU 40 corrects the outside air temperature Ta detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 or determines the outside air temperature Ta based on the solar radiation amount ST detected by the solar radiation sensor 50 or the generated power of the solar battery 92.

  In general, the amount of solar radiation in fine weather varies with time. That is, the amount of solar radiation increases when the altitude (position) of the sun is high, but the amount of solar radiation decreases when the position of the sun is low in the morning or evening. In addition, in cloudy weather or rainy weather, the amount of solar radiation varies depending on the time of day, but the amount of solar radiation is less than in sunny weather. Furthermore, the outside air temperature is relatively high when the amount of solar radiation is large, and is relatively low when the amount of solar radiation is small.

  From here, as shown in FIG. 4 (A), the outside air temperature with respect to the solar radiation amount (solar radiation amount Ss) at a preset (registered) reference position in each season of summer, winter and spring / autumn is set. In the air conditioner 10, the memory 98 of the air conditioner ECU 40 stores a map of the outside air temperature (hereinafter referred to as the outside air temperature Tmap) with respect to the solar radiation amount Ss.

  For example, when the solar radiation sensor 50 detects the solar radiation amount ST (ST = Ss), the air conditioner ECU 40 acquires the outside air temperature Tmap from the solar radiation amount Ss. The outside air temperature Tmap also changes depending on the position and time of the vehicle. From here, the air conditioner ECU 40 acquires the vehicle position information and date and time rise from the navigation device 96, and corrects the outside air temperature Tmap based on the acquired position information and date and time information.

  The correction of the outside air temperature Tmap based on the position information is corrected so that the outside air temperature Tmap decreases as the latitude and altitude of the vehicle position increase with respect to the reference position, and the outside air temperature Tmap decreases as the latitude and altitude decrease. Is corrected to be higher. Further, the correction of the outside temperature Tmap with respect to the time is corrected so that the outside temperature Tmap in the morning is lower than in the afternoon. The correction of the outside air temperature Tmap with respect to the time is not limited to this. For example, the outside air temperature Tmap is set and stored with respect to the solar radiation amount Ss at a predetermined time interval and every time (for example, every 30 minutes). There may be.

  On the other hand, the generated power of the solar cell 92 (hereinafter referred to as the power generation amount P) changes in accordance with the solar radiation amount Ss. When the solar radiation amount Ss increases, the power generation amount P increases, and when the solar radiation amount Ss decreases, The amount P decreases. From here, the solar radiation amount Ss can be determined from the power generation amount P of the solar cell 92.

  In FIG. 4B, a map of the power generation amount P with respect to the solar radiation amount Ss applied to the determination at this time is set and stored in the memory 98 of the air conditioner ECU 40. The air conditioner ECU 40 can determine the outside temperature Ta from the power generation amount P of the solar battery 92 and the map of the power generation amount P with respect to the solar radiation amount Ss.

  Thus, the air conditioner ECU 40 can correct the outside air temperature Ta detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 or determine the outside air temperature Ta from the detection result of the solar radiation sensor 50 or the power generation amount P of the solar battery 92. Specific examples will be described below as the first to third embodiments. The basic configuration of the first to third embodiments is the same.

[First embodiment]
In the first embodiment described below, the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 is corrected based on the amount of solar radiation Ss detected by the solar radiation sensor 48. FIG. 5 shows an outline of processing in the air conditioner ECU 40 at this time. Hereinafter, the detection result by the outside air temperature sensor 48 is described as the outside air temperature Tas, and the correction result is described as the outside air temperature Ta.

  When the outside air temperature sensor 48 is provided in the engine compartment, the exhaust heat of the engine hardly affects the outside air temperature Tas detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 when the engine is stopped or immediately after the engine is started. From this point, when the ignition switch (not shown) is turned on and the engine is started, the air conditioner ECU 40 starts measuring an elapsed time (time t) from the start of the engine by a timer (not shown), and is set in advance. After the elapse of time ts, correction of the outside temperature Ta (outside temperature Tas) is started.

  Here, the time ts is set to the time from when the engine is started until the outside air temperature Tas detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 provided in the engine compartment receives the exhaust heat of the engine. That is, until the time ts elapses after the engine is started, the outside air temperature Tas detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 can be determined as needing no correction considering the exhaust heat of the engine.

  The flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is executed at predetermined time intervals when the outside air temperature Ta needs to be detected, for example, when the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 10 is started. When the vehicle has a function of displaying the outside air temperature Tas detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 on a display (not shown) provided on the instrument panel, for example, it is executed when the ignition switch is turned on. May be.

  In this flowchart, the outside air temperature Tas detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 is read in the first step 100. At the same time, in step 102, the time t from the start of the engine is read.

  In the next step 104, it is confirmed whether or not the time t has reached the predetermined time ts. If the time t has not reached the time ts (t <ts), a negative determination is made in step 104, and the step 106. In this step 106, the outside air temperature Ta detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 is set to the outside air temperature Ta (Ta = Tas).

  On the other hand, when the time t from the start of the engine reaches the time ts (t ≧ ts), an affirmative determination is made in step 104 and the routine proceeds to step 108. In this step 108, the solar radiation amount Ss detected by the solar radiation sensor 50 is read, and in the next step 110, the position information and date / time information of the own vehicle are read from the navigation device 96.

  Thereafter, in step 112, a season is determined from the date and time information, and a map that is preset and stored in the memory 98 based on the amount of solar radiation Ss detected by the solar radiation sensor 50 (see FIG. 4A). To read the outside temperature Tmap.

In the next step 114, the corrected outside temperature Ta is obtained from the outside temperature Tas and the outside temperature Tmap. For example,
Ta = Tas + β · (Tas−Tmap)
Can be computed as At this time, the correction coefficient β is set based on the position information (latitude, longitude and altitude) of the own vehicle and date / time information (date and time). This correction coefficient β is a constant set so as to reduce the influence of correction by the solar cell 92 based on the reliability of the solar cell 92, that is, the degree of deterioration of the solar cell 92 (the degree of decrease in power generation performance). From here, the correction coefficient β may be set based on a change in the power generation capacity of the solar cell 92.

  Thus, the correction value is calculated based on the outside air temperature Tmap based on the solar radiation amount Ss, the outside air temperature Tas detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48, the vehicle position and the date and time, and the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48. An outside temperature Ta based on Tas is obtained.

As a result, even when the outside air temperature sensor 48 is affected by the exhaust heat of the engine or the like, when the air conditioning operation is performed by the air conditioner 10, the target blowing temperature _TAO is appropriately set, and the efficient air conditioning operation is performed.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, the solar radiation amount ST detected by the solar radiation sensor 50 is used as the solar radiation amount Ss. However, in the second embodiment, the generated power of the solar cell 92 is used.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of the outside air temperature setting process applied to the second embodiment. This flowchart is executed, for example, when the ignition switch is turned on, reads the outside air temperature Tas detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 in the first step 100, and the time t read in step 102 does not reach the predetermined time ts. In this case, a negative determination is made in step 104, and the outside air temperature Tas detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 is set to the outside air temperature Ta.

  On the other hand, when the time t reaches the time ts, an affirmative determination is made at step 104 and the routine proceeds to step 120. In step 120, the amount of power P generated by the solar cell 92 is read. At the same time, in step 110, the position information and date / time information detected by the navigation device 96 are read.

  Thereafter, in step 122, for example, the solar radiation amount Ss is determined from the map of the power generation amount P with respect to the solar radiation amount Ss shown in FIG. 4B and the generated power P of the solar battery 92.

  In the next step 124, the season is determined from the date and time information read from the navigation device 96, and the map of the outside temperature Tmap with respect to the solar radiation amount Ss based on the solar radiation amount Ss determined from the power generation amount P (for example, FIG. 4A). In step 126, the outside temperature Ta is calculated from the correction information β, the outside temperature Tas, and the outside temperature Tmap set based on the position information, the power generation capability of the solar battery 92, and the like.

  Here, the solar cell 92 has a larger light receiving area than the solar radiation sensor 50 described above. For this reason, the solar radiation sensor 50 is susceptible to partial changes in solar radiation, such as a shade, but the solar cell 92 is less susceptible to such partial changes in solar radiation. Correction is possible.

Therefore, when performing the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 10, it is possible to more appropriately set the target outlet air temperature T _AO.

[Third embodiment]
In the first and second embodiments described above, either the solar radiation sensor 50 or the solar battery 92 is used. In the third embodiment, both the solar radiation sensor 50 and the solar battery 92 are used.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of the outside air temperature setting process according to the third embodiment. This flowchart reads the outside temperature Tas detected by the outside temperature sensor 48, reads the power generation amount P, and sets the outside temperature Ta to the outside temperature Ta when the time t has not reached the time ts (step 100 to step 106). ).

  On the other hand, when the time t reaches the time ts, an affirmative determination is made at step 104 and the routine proceeds to step 120. In step 120, the power generation amount P of the solar cell 92 is read. In step 108, the solar radiation amount Ss of the solar radiation sensor 48 is read. In step 110, position information and date / time information are read from the navigation device 96.

  Next, in step 130, the solar radiation amount Ss (solar radiation amount ST) detected by the solar radiation sensor 50 is used, and the outside air temperature Tmap (based on the detection result of the solar radiation sensor 50 from the map of the outside air temperature Tmap with respect to the solar radiation amount Ss). Hereinafter, the outside air temperature Tmap1) is determined.

  In step 132, the solar radiation amount Ss based on the power generation amount P is determined from the map of the outside air temperature Tmap with respect to the power generation amount P and the solar radiation amount Ss, and in step 134, the solar radiation amount Ss is used to From the map of the temperature Tmap, an outside temperature Tmap (hereinafter referred to as an outside temperature Tmap2) based on the power generation amount P of the solar battery 92 is determined.

  Thereafter, in step 136, the difference between the outside air temperature Tmap1 determined based on the detection result of the solar radiation sensor 50 and the outside air temperature Tmap2 determined based on the power generation amount P of the solar battery 92 is compared. Here, when the absolute value of the difference between the outside air temperature Tmap1 and the outside air temperature Tmap2 is smaller than a preset reference value γ (−γ <(Tmap1−Tmap2) <γ), an affirmative determination is made in step 136. Control goes to step 138.

  The reference value γ is a constant used to determine whether to use the solar sensor 50 or the solar battery 92. For example, for each vehicle, the reference value γ is set based on the solar sensor 50, the mounting part of the solar battery 92, or the like. Thus, appropriate determination as to which of the solar radiation sensor 50 and the solar battery 92 is used is performed in accordance with the difference in the vehicle and the portion where the solar radiation sensor 50 and the solar battery 92 are mounted.

In this step 138, the outside air temperature Tmap1 determined based on the solar radiation amount Ss detected by the solar radiation sensor 50 is used, and the outside temperature Tmap1 is set based on the correction coefficient β and the outside air temperature Tmap1 set based on the position information and the date information. Set the temperature Ta. For example,
Ta = Tas + β · (Tas−Tmap1)
As shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, when the absolute value of the difference between the outside air temperature Tmap1 and the outside air temperature Tmap2 exceeds a preset reference value γ ((Tmap1-Tmap2) ≦ −γ or γ ≦ (Tmap1-Tmap2 )), A negative determination is made at step 136 and the routine proceeds to step 140.

In this step 140, the outside air temperature Tmap2 determined based on the power generation amount P of the solar battery 92 is used, and the outside air temperature Ta is set based on the correction coefficient β and the outside air temperature Tmap1 set based on the position information and the date and time information. To do. For example,
Ta = Tas + β · (Tas−Tmap2)
As shown in FIG.

  Thus, when the difference between the outside air temperature Tmap1 determined using the solar radiation sensor 50 and the outside air temperature Tmap2 determined based on the generated power of the solar battery 92 is smaller than the preset reference value γ, the outside air temperature Tmap1. When the temperature is larger than the reference value γ, the outside air temperature Ta can be more accurately obtained by correcting the outside air temperature Tas using the outside air temperature Tmap2. That is, by using the double measurement values of the solar radiation sensor 50 and the solar cell 92 under the same solar radiation environment, it is possible to improve the reliability of the correction and obtain an appropriate outside temperature Ta.

  In the present embodiment described above, the outside air temperature Tas detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 is corrected after a preset time ts has elapsed since the engine was started. Alternatively, the outside air temperature Tas detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 may be corrected regardless of whether the engine is started. At this time, steps 102 to 106 may be omitted in FIGS.

  In the present embodiment, the outside air temperature Tas detected by the outside air temperature sensor 48 includes the solar radiation amount ST (Ss) detected by the solar radiation sensor 50 or the generated power (power generation amount P) of the solar battery 92 and the position information. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is not limited thereto. The solar radiation amount ST (Ss) detected by the solar radiation sensor 50 or the generated power (power generation amount P) of the solar battery 92, the position information, and the date information. The outside air temperature Ta may be determined based on the above. Thereby, the outside air temperature sensor 48 becomes unnecessary.

  At this time, the outside air temperature Tmap (outside air temperature Tmap1) based on the solar radiation amount Ss detected by the solar radiation sensor 50 or the outside air temperature Tmap (outside air temperature Tmap2) based on the power generation amount of the solar battery 92 is based on the position information and the date and time information. And the outside air temperature Ta may be calculated.

  In the present embodiment, the vehicle including the slide roof device 60, the power window device 68, and the wireless key device 76 has been described as an example. However, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention, at least one of these is provided. The structure which does not contain may be sufficient.

  Furthermore, although the air conditioner 10 has been described as an example in the present embodiment, the present invention can be applied to a vehicle air conditioner that is provided in a vehicle and performs an air conditioning operation while detecting an outside air temperature. it can.

It is the schematic which shows the control system of the air conditioner which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram of an air conditioner. It is the schematic which shows an example of a connection with an air conditioner and the main functional apparatuses of a vehicle. (A) is a diagram which shows an example of the external temperature with respect to the amount of solar radiation. It is a flowchart which shows the outline of the external temperature setting which concerns on 1st Example. It is a flowchart which shows the outline of the external temperature setting which concerns on 2nd Example. It is a flowchart which shows the outline of the external temperature setting which concerns on 3rd Example.

Explanation of symbols

10 Air conditioner (Vehicle air conditioner)
20 Air conditioner unit 24 Blower fan 28 Blower motor 40 Air conditioner ECU (correction means, generated power detection means)
48 Outside air temperature sensor (outside air temperature detection means)
50 Solar radiation sensor (solar radiation detection means)
90 battery 92 solar cell 96 navigation device (position information acquisition means, date and time information acquisition means)
98 memory (memory means)

Claims (3)

A vehicle air conditioner that performs an air conditioning operation in a passenger compartment based on environmental conditions and operating conditions including outside air temperature,
Solar radiation detecting means for detecting the amount of solar radiation;
Position information acquisition means for acquiring vehicle position information including at least latitude and altitude;
Date and time information acquisition means for acquiring date and time information;
Storage means for storing map data of outside air temperature with respect to a predetermined amount of solar radiation;
An outside air temperature detecting means for detecting the outside air temperature as the environmental condition;
The outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting means includes the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation detecting means, the map data stored in the storage means, the position information acquired by the position information acquiring means, and Correction means for correcting based on the date information acquired by the date information acquisition means;
A vehicle air conditioner including: As the solar radiation detection means, a solar cell that outputs generated power corresponding to the amount of received light by receiving sunlight.
Generated power detection means for detecting the generated power of the solar cell;
When the map data of the generated power of the solar cell with respect to the preset amount of solar radiation is stored in the storage means,
The correction means is applied to the correction of the outside air temperature based on the generated power of the solar cell detected by the generated power detection means and the map data of the generated power with respect to the amount of solar radiation stored in the storage means. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the solar radiation amount to be determined is determined.   The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the solar radiation detection means is a solar radiation sensor that outputs an electrical signal corresponding to an amount of solar radiation.

Images