JP2019064358A - Air-conditioning control system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an air-conditioning control system that can start pre air-conditioning at more exact timing.SOLUTION: An air-conditioning control system 1 comprises an air-conditioning ECU 14 that allows a vehicular air-conditioning device 15 to execute pre air-conditioning for air-conditioning a vehicle interior before an occupant gets in a vehicle. The air-conditioning control system 1 comprises a server device 30 having a control part 33 which includes, as functions, a distance calculating part 33b, a variation calculating part 33c and a threshold determining part 33d. The distance calculating part 33b sequentially calculates a distance between the vehicle 10 and the occupant. The variation calculating part 33c sequentially calculates a variation per unit time of the distance calculated by the distance calculating part 33b. The threshold determining part 33d calculates a threshold, a pre air-conditioning starting distance on the basis of the variation and target air-conditioning time Tp. The air-conditioning control system 1 starts pre air-conditioning when the distance between the vehicle 10 and the occupant reaches the threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The disclosure in this specification relates to an air conditioning control system that controls a vehicle air conditioner.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique relating to air conditioning of a vehicle interior performed before a passenger gets on the vehicle, so-called pre-air conditioning. In this technique, a transmitter carried by the passenger transmits both a pre-air conditioning request signal for instructing start of the pre-air conditioning and position information of the passenger to the vehicle. The ECU of the vehicle that has received the pre-air conditioning request signal estimates the distance from the occupant to the vehicle based on the position information of the occupant and the position information of the vehicle, and estimates the time until the occupant gets in the vehicle. Then, the remaining amount of the battery is detected to calculate the pre-air conditioning available time, and the start timing of the pre-air conditioning is determined based on the pre-air conditioning available time and the time until the passenger gets on the vehicle.

Patent No. 4265566

  In the technique of Patent Document 1, there are cases where the actual path taken when the occupant moves to the vehicle differs from the path when estimating the distance from the occupant to the vehicle. In this case, the actual time until the occupant reaches the vehicle deviates from the estimated time, and the timing of the start of the pre-air conditioning can not be determined accurately. In an air conditioning control system that controls execution of pre-air conditioning, it is required to start pre-air conditioning at more accurate timing.

  An object disclosed is to provide an air conditioning control system capable of starting pre-air conditioning at more accurate timing.

  Several aspects disclosed in this specification employ different technical means from one another in order to achieve each purpose. Further, the claims and the reference numerals in the parentheses described in this section are an example showing the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiment described later as one aspect, and the technical scope is limited. is not.

  One of the disclosed air conditioning control systems is an air conditioning control unit (14) capable of performing pre-air conditioning that air-conditions the passenger compartment before the passenger gets into the vehicle air conditioner (15); A distance calculation unit (33b) sequentially calculating the distance between the vehicle and the occupant, a change amount calculation unit (33c) sequentially calculating the amount of change per unit time of the distance between the vehicle and the occupant; And a start timing determination unit (33d) that determines the timing to start the pre-air conditioning based on the amount of change per unit time of the distance between the occupant and the pre-air conditioning securing time secured for the execution of the pre-air conditioning .

  According to the disclosure, the air conditioning control system performs pre-air conditioning based on the sequentially calculated variation amount per unit time of the linear distance between the vehicle and the occupant and the pre-air conditioning securing time secured for execution of the pre-air conditioning. Determine the start timing of the That is, it is possible to determine the start timing of the pre-air conditioning that can secure the pre-air conditioning securing time based on the change speed of the linear distance between the occupant and the vehicle regardless of the route taken by the occupant to reach the vehicle. As described above, it is possible to provide an air conditioning control system capable of starting pre-air conditioning at more accurate timing.

  One of the disclosed air conditioning control systems is an air conditioning control unit (14) capable of performing pre-air conditioning for air conditioning the passenger compartment before getting on the vehicle air conditioner (15); The timing to start the pre-air conditioning based on the route estimation unit (33g) that estimates the route to be passed until it reaches), the route estimated by the route estimation unit, and the pre-air conditioning securing time secured for execution of the pre-air conditioning And a start timing determination unit (33h) for determining

  According to this disclosure, the air conditioning control system can estimate a route taken by the occupant until the vehicle reaches the vehicle, and can determine the start timing of the pre-air conditioning based on the estimated route. Therefore, it is possible to provide an air conditioning control system capable of starting pre-air conditioning at more accurate timing.

It is a schematic diagram showing an air-conditioning control system concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a block diagram showing an air conditioning control system concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the air-conditioning control system of 1st Embodiment performs. It is a figure which shows an example of the mode of the change of the distance between a passenger | crew and a vehicle, and the change of the operating condition of a compressor. It is a figure which shows an example of the mode of the change of the distance between a passenger | crew and a vehicle, and the change of the operating condition of a compressor. It is a figure which shows an example of the notification displayed on a portable terminal. It is a flowchart which the air-conditioning control system of 2nd Embodiment performs.

First Embodiment
The air conditioning control system 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. The air conditioning control system 1 includes, for example, a vehicle 10, a portable terminal 20, and a server device 30. The air conditioning control system 1 can control the operation of a vehicle air conditioner 15 that performs air conditioning of a vehicle compartment of the vehicle 10. In particular, the air conditioning control system 1 controls the execution of pre-air conditioning that air-conditions the passenger compartment before the passenger gets on the vehicle 10.

  The vehicle 10 is equipped with a positioning unit 22, a wireless communication unit 21, a DCU 13, an air conditioning ECU 14, and a vehicle air conditioner. The vehicle 10 is equipped with a motor as a traveling drive source and a battery for supplying power to the motor. The vehicle 10 is, for example, an electric vehicle using only a motor as a traveling drive source, a hybrid vehicle and a plug-in hybrid vehicle using both a motor and an internal combustion engine as a traveling drive source, and the like. The vehicle air conditioner 15 includes, for example, a heat pump cycle. The vehicle air conditioner 15 is composed of various air conditioning functional components for realizing air conditioning of the vehicle interior. For example, the vehicle air conditioner 15 includes an inside / outside air switching door that switches inside and outside air, a blower for blowing air, a heat pump cycle unit for cooling and heating air composed of an electric compressor or evaporator, a condenser, and the like. Be done. The vehicle air conditioner 15 is driven using the power from the above-described battery.

  The positioning unit 12 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver and an inertial sensor. A GNSS receiver is a receiver which receives the positioning signal which the positioning satellite which comprises GNSS transmits. The GNSS receiver can receive a positioning signal from each positioning satellite of at least one satellite positioning system among satellite positioning systems such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, IRNSS, QZSS, Beidou and the like. The inertial sensor is a gyro sensor that measures the angular velocity of the vehicle 10 or an acceleration sensor that measures the acceleration of the vehicle 10. The positioning unit 12 sequentially determines the position of the vehicle 10 by a combination of a positioning signal by the GNSS receiver and a measurement result by the inertial sensor. That is, the positioning unit 12 has a function of specifying the position of the vehicle 10. The positioning unit 12 can transmit the obtained vehicle position information from the wireless communication unit 21 to the server device 30.

  The wireless communication unit 11 performs wireless communication with the server device 30 and the mobile terminal 20 via the Internet, a public network such as a mobile phone network, and a base station. The wireless communication unit 11 can mutually communicate with the server device 30 and the portable terminal 20. Alternatively, the configuration may be such that direct communication with the portable terminal 20 is not performed.

  The DCU 13 and the air conditioning ECU 14 include, as main hardware elements, a microcomputer provided with a computer readable storage medium. The storage medium is a non-transitory tangible storage medium which stores non-temporarily a predetermined program readable by a computer. The storage medium may be provided by semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk or the like. The DCU 13 and the air conditioning ECU 14 have a function of performing various control processes by executing various programs stored in a storage medium by a processor such as a CPU. The DCU 13 and the air conditioning ECU 14 are respectively one of a plurality of ECUs (Electronic Control Units) mounted on the vehicle 10.

  The DCU 13 (Domain Control Unit) is a control device that controls control of on-vehicle equipment belonging to the corresponding domain. In general, a plurality of DCUs 13 are mounted on a vehicle 10. The DCU 13 shown in FIG. 2 is a DCU that generally controls the control of on-vehicle equipment in the domain to which the vehicle air conditioner belongs. The DCU 13 is communicably connected to the air conditioning ECU 14 and is configured to be able to transmit a predetermined instruction signal to the air conditioning ECU 14. It can also be said that the DCU 13 is an ECU higher than the air conditioning ECU 14. The DCU 13 transmits to the air conditioning ECU 14 the start instruction or the cancellation instruction of the pre-air conditioning transmitted from the server device 30.

  The air conditioning ECU 14 is a control device that controls the vehicle air conditioner 15. The air conditioning ECU 14 controls a blower, a compressor, an air mix door, an inside / outside air switching door, an outlet switching door, and the like in the vehicle air conditioner. The air conditioning ECU 14 can perform air conditioning by controlling the vehicle air conditioner 15 even when the ignition switch is off before the occupant gets on the vehicle 10. In response to an instruction from the DCU 13, the air conditioning ECU 14 executes the start of the pre-air conditioning execution or the cancellation of the pre-air conditioning during the execution. The air conditioning ECU 14 corresponds to an “air conditioning control unit”.

  Next, the mobile terminal 20 will be described. The portable terminal 20 includes a wireless communication unit 21, a control unit 23, and a touch panel 24. The portable terminal 20 is a communication device that can be carried by a passenger. The mobile terminal 20 can be provided by, for example, a smartphone, a wearable device, a tablet terminal, or the like, and a communication device owned by an occupant using the vehicle 10. The portable terminal 20 may be provided by a communication terminal having a function of permitting locking and unlocking of the door of the vehicle 10, such as an electronic key or a smart key. Similar to the wireless communication unit 11 of the vehicle 10, the wireless communication unit 21 performs wireless communication with the server device 30 via the public network and the base station. The positioning unit 22 includes a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. The positioning unit 22 determines the position of the mobile terminal 20 based on the positioning signal by the GNSS receiver. That is, the positioning unit 22 has a function of specifying the position of the portable terminal 20. The positioning unit 22 can transmit the obtained terminal position information from the wireless communication unit to the server device 30. Since the portable terminal 20 is carried by the occupant, the terminal position information can be regarded as the position information of the occupant.

  The touch panel 24 includes a display unit and a touch input unit. The display unit is a display for displaying visual information. The display unit can also be said to be a notification unit that notifies the occupant of predetermined information in the form of visual information. The touch input unit is integrally formed with the display, and outputs touch input position information to the control unit when an operation body such as a passenger's finger contacts the display surface of the display to perform touch input. The touch input unit can also be said to be an operation detection unit that detects touch input, which is a type of operation that the occupant causes.

  The control unit 23 includes a microcomputer including a computer readable storage medium as a main hardware element. The storage medium is a non-transitory tangible storage medium which stores non-temporarily a predetermined program readable by a computer. The storage medium may be provided by semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk or the like. The control unit has a function of performing various control processes by executing various programs stored in the storage medium by a processor such as a CPU. The control unit 23 has a function of transmitting the position information acquired by the positioning unit 22 from the wireless communication unit 21 to the server device 30.

  Next, the server device 30 will be described. The server device 30 includes a wireless communication unit 31, a control unit 33, and a data storage unit 32. The server device 30 is provided by, for example, a host computer installed in a management center. The server device 30 is configured of one computer or a plurality of computers. The wireless communication unit 31 performs wireless communication with the vehicle 10 and the mobile terminal 20 via the Internet, a public network such as a mobile phone network, and a base station. The wireless communication unit 31 can mutually communicate with the vehicle 10 and the portable terminal 20.

  The data storage unit 32 is a storage unit that stores and accumulates data received by the wireless communication unit 31, calculation processing results by the control unit 33, and the like. The data storage unit 32 stores, for example, the behavior pattern of the occupant as data. As a more specific example, the data storage unit 32 has a schedule of steady actions such as when the crew visits on weekdays and when they go home, and in this case, from which route the departure place to the destination The travel route information, such as whether to drive the vehicle, is stored as data. In addition, the data storage unit 32 stores walking route information which is passed by the occupant until the vehicle reaches the vehicle. For example, it stores a walking route that a passenger uses regularly when going from a home to a vehicle parked in a parking lot. The data storage unit stores walking route information, for example, as a locus of the current position of the portable terminal. Further, the data storage unit stores map information. Map information particularly includes data on road shapes. In addition, it is desirable to store and store, as map information, information on structures that cause the occupant to change the moving speed of the occupant when heading toward the vehicle, such as traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, railroad crossings, and road signs.

  The control unit 33 includes, as a main hardware element, a microcomputer including a storage medium readable by a computer. The storage medium is a non-transitory tangible storage medium which stores non-temporarily a predetermined program readable by a computer. The storage medium may be provided by semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk or the like. The control unit has a function of performing various control processes by executing various programs stored in the storage medium by a processor such as a CPU.

  The control unit 33 has functions as a distance calculation unit 33b, a change amount calculation unit 33c, a threshold value determination unit 33d, and a distance determination unit 33e. The control unit 33 has functions as a route estimation unit 33g, a point setting unit 33h, and a position determination unit 33i. The control unit 33 has functions as a pre-air-conditioning start instruction unit 33j and a pre-air-conditioning stop instruction unit 33k.

  The distance calculation unit 33 b calculates a current distance Lnow between the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10. The distance calculation unit 33 b is calculated as a linear distance between the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 from the terminal position information transmitted from the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle position information transmitted from the vehicle 10. The distance calculation unit 33 b sequentially calculates the current distance Lnow at that time, for example, every predetermined time t determined in advance.

The change amount calculation unit 33c calculates a change amount S per unit time of the linear distance between the mobile terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 based on the current distance Lnow sequentially calculated by the distance calculation unit 33b. Specifically, assuming that the distance calculated at a point in time before the Lnow by a predetermined time t is L, the change amount S of the linear distance is expressed by the following equation.
(1)
S = (L-Lnow) / t

  The amount of change S can also be said to be the rate of change of the linear distance. The amount of change S is largest when the occupant passes the shortest straight path connecting the occupant and the vehicle when the moving speed of the occupant is constant, and passes the straight path when passing the detour not passing through the straight path. It will be smaller than the case. The change amount calculation unit 33c sequentially calculates, for example, the change amount S every time Lnow is calculated. The change amount calculation unit 33 c temporarily stores the sequentially calculated change amounts S in a storage medium such as a RAM and a ROM in the control unit 33. Alternatively, the calculated change amount S may be stored and accumulated in the data storage unit.

  The threshold determination unit 33 d determines a threshold for determining the start timing of the pre-air conditioning based on the change amount S. The threshold determination unit 33 d determines the threshold as the linear distance Ls from the vehicle. The threshold determination unit 33d determines the threshold Ls based on the change amount S and the target air conditioning time Tp. The target air conditioning time Tp is one of the pre-air conditioning securing times secured for the execution of the pre-air conditioning. The target air conditioning time Tp is the minimum time required for pre-air conditioning to make the temperature environment of the vehicle interior comfortable for the occupant. Here, the target air conditioning time Tp is set as the time of the pre-air conditioning necessary for the inside air temperature to reach a temperature at which the occupant can avoid discomfort when getting into the vehicle compartment. The target air conditioning time Tp is, for example, a time set and stored in the control unit 33 of the server device 30. Alternatively, the time stored in the data storage unit 32 may be used, or the time stored in the air conditioning ECU 14 or the control unit 23 of the portable terminal 20 may be used.

  An example of how to determine the target air conditioning time Tp will be described. For example, considering that pre-air conditioning is performed in summer, the vehicle interior temperature (hereinafter referred to as the inside air temperature) is the outside air temperature to suppress that the occupant feels discomfort due to heat when getting into the vehicle interior. It is desirable that it is equal to or less than Therefore, it is possible to determine the time required for the internal air temperature to reach the same temperature as the outside air temperature by the pre-air conditioning before the passenger gets on the vehicle as the above-mentioned necessary time. As a more specific example, when the vehicle 10 is parked in an environment where the outside temperature is 35 ° C. and the solar radiation can reach, the inside temperature rises to 50 ° C. in about 20 to 30 minutes. In this state, pre-air conditioning is started, and it takes about 3 minutes to reduce the internal temperature to the same as the external temperature, that is, 35 ° C. As described above, 3 minutes can be set as the time Tp required for pre-air conditioning in summer. In addition, in the case of winter, the target air conditioning time is the time required for the inside air temperature to reach a temperature higher than the outside air temperature by a predetermined temperature, for example, 10 ° C. higher than the outside air temperature by the pre-air conditioning before the passenger gets on. It may be determined in advance as Tp.

The threshold value Ls can be calculated by the following equation using, for example, the time Tp required for the pre-air conditioning determined as described above and the change amount S.
(2)
Ls = Tp × S

  That is, the threshold Ls is determined not based on the moving speed of the occupant but on the basis of the amount of change in the linear distance between the occupant and the vehicle. In other words, the threshold Ls is determined based on the rate of change of the linear distance. The threshold determination unit 33 d sequentially calculates the threshold Ls, for example, each time the amount of change S is calculated. Alternatively, the threshold Ls may be calculated only when the amount of change S fluctuates by a predetermined value or more. Alternatively, while the amount of change S does not change by a predetermined value or more, the threshold Ls may be calculated from the cumulative average of the amounts of change S. The threshold determination unit 33d temporarily stores the calculated threshold Ls in a storage medium such as a RAM and a ROM in the control unit 33. Alternatively, the calculated change amount S may be stored and accumulated in the data storage unit. The threshold Ls is a pre-air conditioning start distance at which the pre-air conditioning is started. The threshold determination unit 33 d corresponds to a “start timing determination unit”.

  The distance determination unit 33e compares the threshold Ls determined by the threshold determination unit 33d with the current distance Lnow to determine whether the current distance Lnow is equal to or less than the threshold Ls. In other words, the distance determination unit 33e determines whether the occupant is closer to the vehicle than the threshold Ls. If the distance determination unit 33e determines that the current distance Lnow is equal to or less than the threshold Ls, the pre-air-conditioning start instructing unit 33j transmits a pre-air-conditioning start instruction.

  The pre-air-conditioning start instructing unit 33 j transmits an instruction to start the pre-air conditioning to the vehicle 10 from the wireless communication unit 31. The pre-air-conditioning start instruction unit 33j instructs the air-conditioning ECU to start the pre-air conditioning based on the determination of the distance determination unit 33e or the position determination unit 33i. More specifically, the air conditioning instruction is transmitted when it is determined in the distance determination unit 33e that Lnow is equal to or less than Ls. When it is determined by the position determination unit 33i that the occupant has reached the point P, the air conditioning instruction is transmitted. The preliminary air conditioning start instructing unit 33 j wirelessly transmits the air conditioning instruction from the wireless communication unit 31 and transmits the air conditioning instruction to the air conditioning ECU 14 via the DCU.

  The pre-air-conditioning time determination unit 33f determines whether the upper limit time Tp2 has elapsed since the start of the pre-air conditioning. The upper limit time Tp2 is a time longer than the target air conditioning time Tp. The upper limit time Tp2 is, for example, an upper limit value of the pre-air conditioning time which can tolerate deterioration of fuel efficiency or electricity cost of the vehicle after the start. The upper limit time Tp2 is set to, for example, about 8 minutes. The upper limit time Tp2 is a second preliminary air conditioning securing time when the target air conditioning time Tp is the first preliminary air conditioning securing time.

  The pre-air-conditioning stop instruction unit 33k transmits an instruction to stop the pre-air conditioning to the vehicle 10 from the wireless communication unit 31. The pre-air-conditioning stop instruction unit 33k instructs the air-conditioning ECU to stop the pre-air conditioning when the distance determination unit 33e determines that the current distance Lnow exceeds the threshold Ls during the execution of the pre-air conditioning. The pre-air-conditioning stop instruction unit 33k instructs the air-conditioning ECU 14 to stop the pre-air conditioning when it is determined that the upper limit time Tp2 has elapsed since the start of the pre-air conditioning in the pre-air conditioning time determination unit 33f.

  The route estimation unit 33g estimates a route through which the occupant travels toward the vehicle. The route estimation unit 33g searches for a route passing from the occupant to the vehicle based on, for example, the map information stored in the data storage unit, the position information of the occupant, and the position information of the vehicle. At this time, when a plurality of routes are searched and it can not be estimated which route the occupant passes, it may be determined that the route can not be estimated.

  Alternatively, the route estimation unit 33g may estimate the route based on the past route information passed by the occupant to reach the vehicle. For example, the walking route information stored in the data storage unit may be acquired, and the stored walking route information may be used as a walking route through which the occupant passes. For example, when it can be considered that the occupant travels through a path substantially the same as a walking path taken when the occupant moves toward the parked vehicle 10, a path along which the occupant passes the stored walking path It can be estimated that By estimating the route based on the past walking route of the occupant, it is possible to estimate a route at a place not included in the map information, for example, a route of the occupant at the home site. In this case, the route estimation unit 33g determines that the route until the occupant reaches the vehicle can not be estimated while the behavior pattern substantially matching the behavior pattern of the normal occupant before getting on is not observed. It is also good.

  Alternatively, the route estimation unit 33g may estimate the route from the walking route information of people other than the passenger. Specifically, for example, in the estimation of the route between the parking lot and the store, walking route information of people between the parking lot and the store is stored in the data storage unit 32, and the occupant moves based on the stored data. The path may be estimated.

  The point setting unit 33 h sets a point at which the pre-air conditioning is to be started, using the information of the estimated route estimated by the route estimating unit 33 g. The point setting unit 33h sets a point P at which the time from the passing of the occupant to the arrival at the vehicle is the target air conditioning time Tp. That is, if the pre-air conditioning is started at the point P, the point P is set such that the pre-air conditioning can be performed at least for the target air conditioning time Tp until the occupant reaches the vehicle.

  For example, in the case where the point P is set based on the map information by the route estimation unit 33g, the moving speed of the occupant moving on the estimated route and the information of the structure that causes the moving speed of the occupant on the estimated route to change Set the point P based on. More specifically, for example, the time taken to cross an intersection with a traffic light, the time taken to cross a high traffic road, etc. can be considered as factors to slow the moving speed of the occupant moving along the estimated route. . Therefore, the point P can be set more accurately by taking into consideration the influence of these factors. The moving speed of the occupant here can be an average walking speed of a person. Alternatively, the average walking speed of the occupant may be calculated from walking data of the occupant collected by the portable terminal 20 or the like.

  The position determination unit 33i determines whether the occupant has reached the point P set by the point setting unit 33h. The position determination unit 33i can determine, for example, whether or not the occupant has reached the point P by acquiring positioning information from the portable terminal as position information of the occupant and comparing the position information with the map information. If it is determined by the position determination unit 33i that the passenger has reached the point P, the pre-air-conditioning start instruction unit 33j transmits a start instruction to the vehicle.

  Next, an example of processing executed by the air conditioning control system 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3. The air conditioning control system 1 executes the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 3 when the power of the portable terminal 20 is turned on.

  First, in step S1, the air conditioning control system 1 determines whether or not it is possible to estimate a route through which the occupant travels toward the vehicle. If it is determined in step S1 that the route can not be estimated, the process proceeds to step S10.

  In step S10, the distance L between the occupant and the vehicle is calculated. When the distance L is calculated, the distance L is temporarily stored in the control unit 33, and the process proceeds to step S20. In step S20, a linear distance Lnow between the occupant and the vehicle at a time point t seconds after the calculation of the distance L in step S10 is calculated. The processes in step S10 and step S20 correspond to the process executed by the distance calculation unit.

  After the process of step S20, the process proceeds to step S30, and the change amount S is calculated from the linear distances Lnow and L. The process of step S20 corresponds to the process of the change amount calculation unit 33c. After step S30, the process proceeds to step S40, and a threshold Ls is calculated based on the change amount S and the target air conditioning time Tp. The process of step S40 corresponds to the process of the threshold value determination unit 33d.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S50, and it is determined whether the linear distance Lnow is equal to or less than the threshold Ls. The process in step S50 corresponds to the distance determination unit 33e. If it is determined in step S50 that the linear distance Lnow is equal to or less than the threshold Ls, the process proceeds to step S60, and pre-air conditioning is started. The process in step S60 corresponds to the process of the preliminary air conditioning start instructing unit 33j. When pre-air conditioning has already been started at the time of step S60, the process proceeds to step S70 while maintaining the execution of the pre-air conditioning. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S50 that the linear distance Lnow is larger than the threshold Ls, the process proceeds to step S80 to stop the pre-air conditioning. The process of step S80 corresponds to the process of the preliminary air conditioning stop instruction unit 33k. When the process of step S80 ends, the process proceeds to step S90.

  After step S60, the process proceeds to step S70. In step S70, it is determined whether the upper limit time Tp2 has elapsed since the start of the pre-air conditioning. The process of step S70 corresponds to the pre-air conditioning time determination unit 33f. If it is determined in step S70 that the upper limit time Tp2 has not elapsed, the process proceeds to step S90. If it is determined in step S70 that the upper limit time Tp2 has elapsed, the deterioration of the fuel consumption can not be tolerated if the pre-air conditioning is further continued, so the process proceeds to step S80 to stop the pre-air conditioning.

  In step S90, it is determined whether the occupant has got on the vehicle. Here, boarding means that a passenger gets in the vehicle to start the vehicle. Whether or not the occupant gets into the vehicle is determined, for example, by whether an ignition switch for starting the engine or a power switch for driving the traveling drive motor of the electric vehicle is turned on. Alternatively, it may be determined whether the occupant has opened the door of the vehicle. Alternatively, it may be determined based on whether the occupant is seated at the driver's seat. If it is determined in step S90 that the user does not get on the vehicle, the process returns to step S10 again. That is, the processing from step S10 to step S80 is repeated until the passenger gets on the vehicle. The variation amount S and the threshold value Ls are sequentially calculated by this repetitive processing. Therefore, when the amount of change S changes, the threshold Ls also changes accordingly. If it is determined in step S90 that the passenger gets on the vehicle, the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 3 is ended, and the operation shifts from the pre-air conditioning to the air conditioning while riding or ends the air conditioning itself in the passenger compartment.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S1 that the route can be estimated, the process proceeds to step S100. In step S100, estimation of a route through which the occupant travels toward the vehicle is performed. The processing in step S1 and step S100 corresponds to the processing in the route estimation unit 33g. When the route estimation is performed, the process proceeds to step S110, and a point P at which pre-air conditioning is started is set. The process of step S110 corresponds to the process of the point setting unit 33h.

  After step S110, the process proceeds to step S120, and it is determined whether the occupant has reached the set point P. The process in step S120 corresponds to the process in the position determination unit 33i. If it is determined in step S120 that the occupant has reached the point P, the process proceeds to step S130 to cause the vehicle air conditioner to start pre-air conditioning. The process in step S130 corresponds to the process of the pre-air-conditioning start instruction unit 33j. When pre-air conditioning has already been started at the time of step S130, the process proceeds to step S140 while maintaining the execution of the pre-air conditioning.

  In step S140, similarly to step S70, it is determined whether or not the upper limit time Tp2 has elapsed since the start of the pre-air conditioning. The process of step S140 also corresponds to the process of the pre-air conditioning time determination unit 33f. If it is determined in step S140 that the upper limit time Tp2 has not elapsed, the process proceeds to step S160. If it is determined in step S140 that the upper limit time Tp2 has elapsed, the deterioration of the fuel consumption can not be tolerated if the pre-air conditioning is further continued, so the process proceeds to step S150 to stop the pre-air conditioning.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S120 that the point P has not been reached, the process proceeds to step S150 to stop the pre-air conditioning. The process of step S150 corresponds to the process of the preliminary air conditioning stop instruction unit 33k. When the pre-air conditioning is stopped, the process proceeds to step S160. If pre-air conditioning has not been performed at the time of step S150, the state in which the pre-air conditioning is stopped is continued, and the process proceeds to step S160.

  In step S160, as in step S90, it is determined whether the occupant has got on the vehicle. If it is determined in step S160 that the user does not get on the vehicle, the process returns to step S120 again. That is, the processing of step S120 to step S150 is repeated until the passenger gets on the vehicle. If it is determined in step S160 that the passenger gets on the vehicle, the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 3 is ended, and either the pre-air conditioning shifts to the air conditioning while riding or the air conditioning itself in the passenger compartment ends.

  Next, the operation of the air conditioning control system 1 in a specific situation will be described with reference to the graphs of FIGS. 4 and 5. The graphs in the upper part of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show an example of the change in the distance Lnow with the passage of time. The graphs in the lower part of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show changes in the operating state of the compressor of the air conditioner for a vehicle as time passes. Although only the operating state of the compressor is shown in the graphs of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, other air conditioning functional parts that operate when performing air conditioning such as a blower also operate and stop in the same manner as the compressor.

  First, the graph of FIG. 4 will be described. In the graph in the upper part of FIG. 4, when the occupant moves toward the vehicle 10, the change speed of the linear distance Lnow, that is, the change amount S decreases at time t2. This situation may occur, for example, when the pedestrian's walking speed is reduced due to, for example, going uphill or passing a crowded road. In this case, since the change amount S becomes smaller after t2, the threshold Ls also becomes smaller after t2. For example, when the current distance Lnow reaches the threshold Ls at t1, the process proceeds from step S50 to step S60, and pre-air conditioning is started. However, when t2 passes, the threshold Ls becomes smaller. If the threshold Ls becomes smaller than the current distance Lnow at time t2, the process proceeds from step S50 to step S80, so the pre-air conditioning is stopped. Thereafter, when the current distance Lnow reaches the threshold Ls when t3 has elapsed, the process proceeds from step S50 to step S60 at this time, and pre-air conditioning is resumed.

  As described above, the air conditioning control system 1 changes the timing of the start of the pre-air conditioning from t1 to t3 in response to the change amount S becoming smaller after t2, ie, the arrival of the occupant to the vehicle 10 being delayed. It can be delayed. Furthermore, even if the pre-air conditioning is started at t1, the pre-air conditioning can be temporarily stopped at t2, so power used for the pre-air conditioning between t2 and t3 can be saved.

  Next, the graph of FIG. 5 will be described. In the graph in the upper part of FIG. 5, when the occupant moves toward the vehicle 10, the change speed of the linear distance Lnow, that is, the change amount S increases at time t4. This situation may occur, for example, when the moving route of the occupant changes at t4. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, an occupant who travels on a straight route not directly facing the vehicle 10 from t0 to t4 moves on the shortest straight route connecting the vehicle and itself after t4. Such a situation may occur when approaching the Alternatively, the situation shown in the graph of FIG. 5 may occur, for example, when the walking speed of the occupant is increased due to, for example, a downhill or a path with a relatively small amount of traffic. In this case, since the amount of change S increases after t4, the threshold Ls also increases after t4. For example, when the threshold Ls is larger than the linear distance Lnow at t4, the process proceeds from step S50 to step S60 at time t4, and pre-air conditioning is started.

  As described above, the air conditioning control system 1 changes the timing of the start of the pre-air conditioning from t5 to t4 in response to the change amount S becoming larger after t4, that is, the arrival of the occupant to the vehicle 10 becomes earlier. It can be early. Furthermore, if Ls is larger than Lnow at time t4, that is, even if the start timing of the pre-air conditioning has passed at the time of t4, the pre-air conditioning can be performed immediately so that the pre-air conditioning can be performed as close as possible to the target air conditioning time Tp. Pre-air conditioning can be started.

  Next, the effect brought about by the air conditioning control system 1 of the first embodiment will be described. In the air conditioning control system of the first embodiment, an air conditioning ECU 14 capable of performing pre-air conditioning that air-conditions the passenger compartment before getting on the vehicle air conditioner 15 and a linear distance Lnow between the vehicle 10 and a passenger And a distance calculation unit 33 b that sequentially calculates The air conditioning control system 1 starts the pre-air conditioning based on the change amount calculation unit 33c that sequentially calculates the change amount S per unit time of the linear distance Lnow and the change amount S and the target air conditioning time Tp. And a threshold determination unit 33d that determines the threshold Ls.

  According to this, the air conditioning control system 1 determines the start timing of the pre-air conditioning based on the change amount per unit time of the linear distance between the vehicle and the occupant, which is sequentially calculated, and the target air conditioning time Tp. That is, it is possible to determine the start timing of the pre-air conditioning that can secure the target air conditioning time Tp based on the change speed of the linear distance between the occupant and the vehicle regardless of the route taken by the occupant to reach the vehicle. As described above, the air conditioning control system 1 capable of starting the pre-air conditioning at a more accurate timing can be provided.

  The threshold determination unit 33d sequentially corrects the threshold Ls based on the sequentially calculated change amount. According to this, it is possible to sequentially correct the threshold Ls following the change of the change amount S when the occupant actually moves toward the vehicle 10. That is, the threshold value Ls can be corrected in accordance with the actual movement speed of the occupant and the movement conditions such as the movement route. Therefore, the accuracy of the start timing of the pre-air conditioning can be further improved.

  A pre-air conditioning stop instruction unit 33k is provided to stop the pre-air conditioning when the threshold Ls is corrected to a value larger than the current distance Lnow after performing the pre-air conditioning according to the threshold determination unit 33d. According to this, even after the pre-air conditioning is started, the pre-air conditioning can be stopped if the threshold Ls is corrected to a value larger than Lnow. As a result, when the start timing of the pre-air conditioning becomes later than the current time in the state where the pre-air conditioning is started, the pre-air conditioning can be stopped and the power used for the pre-air conditioning can be reduced.

  The air conditioning control system 1 further includes a pre-air conditioning time determination unit 33f that determines whether or not an upper limit time Tp2, which is a time longer than the target air conditioning time Tp, has elapsed. If it is determined in the pre-air-conditioning time determination unit 33f that the pre-air-conditioning time determination unit 33f has started the pre-air-conditioning and the upper limit time Tp2 has elapsed, the pre-air-conditioning stop instruction unit 33k issues a pre-air-conditioning stop instruction. According to this, it is possible to stop the pre-air conditioning when the pre-air conditioning starts and the upper limit time Tp2 passes. Therefore, pre-air conditioning can be performed longer than upper limit time Tp2, and it can suppress that the residual amount of the battery of the vehicle 10 falls.

  The air conditioning control system 1 includes a server device 30 that communicates with the air conditioning ECU 14 and the portable terminal 20. The server device 30 includes a distance calculation unit 33 b, a change amount calculation unit 33 c, and a threshold value determination unit 33 d. According to this, the air conditioning control system 1 can realize the functions of the distance calculation unit 33 b, the change amount calculation unit 33 c, and the threshold value determination unit 33 d by the server device 30. Therefore, the on-board ECU and the portable terminal 20 do not need to have these functions, and the processing cost of the on-board ECU and the portable terminal 20 can be reduced.

  The air conditioning control system 1 determines the start timing of the pre-air conditioning based on the route estimation unit 33g that estimates the route that the occupant passes before reaching the vehicle 10, the route estimated by the route estimation unit 33g, and the target air conditioning time Tp. And a point setting unit 33h to be determined. According to this, the air conditioning control system 1 can estimate a route taken by the occupant until the vehicle reaches the vehicle, and can determine the start timing of the pre-air conditioning based on the estimated route. Therefore, it is possible to provide the air conditioning control system 1 capable of starting the pre-air conditioning at a more accurate timing.

Second Embodiment
In the second embodiment, a modification of the air conditioning control system in the first embodiment will be described. Constituent elements in FIG. 7 to which the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment are attached are similar constituent elements, and the same function and effect can be obtained.

  The air conditioning control system 1 of the second embodiment is applied to an electric car, a plug-in hybrid car, etc. which can be externally charged. If it is determined in step S50 that the current distance Lnow exceeds the threshold Ls, the air conditioning control system 1 of the second embodiment proceeds to step S55.

  In step S55, it is determined whether pre-air conditioning is already in progress and the vehicle is charged from the outside. If it is determined that the pre-air conditioning is in progress and the vehicle is charged from the outside, the process proceeds to step S60. As a result, even if, for example, the threshold value Ls is changed to be larger than the current distance Lnow, it can be continued without interrupting the pre-air conditioning, assuming that the occupant is approaching the vehicle. Therefore, pre-air conditioning of the vehicle interior can be sufficiently performed. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S55 is negative, the process proceeds to step S80.

  The air conditioning control system 1 of the second embodiment proceeds to step S65 after step S60. In step S65, it is determined whether the vehicle 10 is charging. If it is determined that charging is in progress, the process proceeds to step S90 without performing the process of step S70. If the vehicle 10 is charging, even if the execution time of the pre-air conditioning exceeds Tp2, the decrease in the remaining amount of the battery due to the execution of the pre-air conditioning can be compensated by external charging. That is, if the vehicle 10 is being charged, even if the pre-air conditioning is performed for a time exceeding Tp2, it is possible to avoid the deterioration of the fuel efficiency or the electricity cost at the time of traveling. In this case, by not performing the process of step S70, it is possible to avoid stopping the pre-air conditioning even if Tp2 has elapsed from the start of the pre-air conditioning, and make the vehicle interior comfortable by the pre-air conditioning until the passenger gets on. You can keep it. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S65 that the vehicle 10 is not charging, the process proceeds to step S70, and it is reliably determined whether Tp2 has elapsed since the start of the pre-air conditioning.

  Furthermore, the air conditioning control system 1 of the second embodiment proceeds to step S135 after step S130. Step S135 is the same processing as step S65, and has the same function and effect, so the description is omitted.

(Other embodiments)
The disclosure in this specification is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. The disclosure includes the illustrated embodiments and variations based on them by those skilled in the art. For example, the disclosure is not limited to the combination of parts and / or elements shown in the embodiments. The disclosure can be implemented in various combinations. The disclosure can have additional parts that can be added to the embodiments. The disclosure includes those in which parts and / or elements of the embodiments have been omitted. The disclosure includes replacements or combinations of parts and / or elements between one embodiment and another embodiment. The disclosed technical scope is not limited to the description of the embodiments. The technical scopes disclosed are set forth by the description of the claims, and should be understood to include all the modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the descriptions of the claims. .

  In the above embodiment, the control unit of the server device 30 executes the distance calculation unit, the change amount calculation unit 33 c, the threshold value determination unit 33 d, and the distance determination unit 33 e. Instead of this, on-vehicle ECUs such as the DCU 13 and the air conditioning ECU 14 may be configured to have these functions. In addition, the route estimation unit 33g, the point setting unit 33h, and the pre-air conditioning time determination unit 33f may be configured to be included in the on-vehicle ECU. Since the on-board ECU has the above-described functions, the vehicle 10 and the portable terminal 20 can directly communicate and execute the respective functions without intervention of the server device 30.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the linear distance between the occupant and the vehicle is calculated from the acquired position information by acquiring the position information of each of the portable terminal 20 and the vehicle 10 based on the positioning signal transmitted by the positioning satellite did. Instead of this, the linear distance may be calculated by near field communication performed between the mobile terminal and the vehicle. The short distance communication is, for example, communication conforming to a short distance wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or ZigBee (registered trademark).

  In the above embodiment, the threshold value determination unit 33 d determines the threshold value Ls based on the change amount S and the target air conditioning time Tp. Instead of this, a time other than the target air conditioning time Tp may be used as the pre-air conditioning securing time to determine the threshold Ls. For example, the pre-air conditioning available time calculated from the remaining amount of the battery of the vehicle 10 may be set as the pre-air conditioning securing time. Alternatively, a desired pre-air-conditioning execution time set by the occupant in advance via the portable terminal 20 or the like may be set as the pre-air-conditioning securing time. The pre-air conditioning securing time may be a time that can be appropriately changed by the air conditioning control system 1 by calculation, or may be a time preset as a fixed value.

    Reference Signs List 1 air conditioning control system 10 vehicle 14 air conditioning ECU (air conditioning control unit) 15 vehicle air conditioner 20 portable terminal 30 server device 32 data storage unit (storage unit) 33 b distance calculation unit 33 c change amount calculation unit , 33d threshold determination unit (start timing determination unit), 33f pre-air conditioning time determination unit, 33 g route estimation unit, 33 h point setting unit (start timing determination unit), 33 k pre-air conditioning stop instruction unit.

Claims (8)

An air conditioning control unit (14) capable of performing pre-air conditioning for air conditioning the vehicle cabin before the passenger gets into the vehicle air conditioner (15);
A distance calculation unit (33b) that sequentially calculates the distance between the vehicle (10) and the occupant;
A variation calculation unit (33c) that sequentially calculates the variation per unit time of the distance between the vehicle and the occupant;
A start timing determination unit (33d) that determines a timing to start the pre-air conditioning based on the change amount and a pre-air conditioning securing time secured for execution of the pre-air conditioning;
An air conditioning control system comprising:   The start timing determination unit starts the pre-air conditioning when the distance between the vehicle and the occupant reaches a pre-air conditioning start distance calculated based on the change amount and the pre-air conditioning securing time. The air conditioning control system according to claim 1, wherein timing is used.   The air conditioning control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the start timing determination unit sequentially corrects the timing of starting the pre-air conditioning based on the change amount sequentially calculated by the change amount calculation unit. It further comprises a pre air conditioning stop instruction unit (33k) for outputting an instruction to stop the pre air conditioning to the air conditioning control unit,
The pre-air conditioning stop instruction unit outputs an instruction to stop the pre-air conditioning, when the timing to start the pre-air conditioning is corrected to a timing delayed from the current time in the state where the pre-air conditioning is performed. An air conditioning control system according to item 3. A storage unit (32) for storing the change amount calculated by the change amount calculation unit;
The air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the start timing determination unit determines the timing based on the change amount accumulated in the storage unit. A server device (30) that communicates with the air conditioning control unit and a portable terminal (20) carried by the occupant;
The air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the server device comprises the distance calculation unit, the change amount calculation unit, and the start timing determination unit. An air conditioning control unit (14) capable of performing pre-air conditioning for air conditioning the vehicle cabin before boarding the vehicle air conditioner (15);
A route estimation unit (33g) for estimating a route through which the occupant passes before reaching the vehicle (10);
A start timing determination unit (33h) that determines a timing to start pre-air conditioning based on the route estimated by the path estimation unit and a pre-air conditioning securing time secured for execution of the pre-air conditioning;
An air conditioning control system comprising: The pre-air conditioning securing time is a first pre-air conditioning securing time, and
A pre-air-conditioning time determination unit (33f) that determines whether or not a second pre-air-conditioning securing time that is longer than the first pre-air-conditioning securing time has started by starting the pre-air conditioning;
A pre-air-conditioning stop instruction unit (33k that outputs an instruction to stop the pre-air conditioning to the air-conditioning control unit when it is determined in the pre-air-conditioning time determination unit that the pre-air conditioning is started and the second pre-air conditioning securing time has elapsed. )When,
The air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising:

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