JP3438326B2 - Automotive air conditioners - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner for automobiles, which is a so-called automatic air conditioner for automatically air-conditioning a passenger compartment, and relates to an air conditioner adapted to the occupant's sensory characteristics with respect to changes in the amount of solar radiation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an air conditioner for automobiles, which is a so-called auto air conditioner, calculates an optimum blowing temperature according to a signal obtained from a thermal environment detecting sensor such as a room temperature sensor and an outside air temperature sensor, and calculates the optimum blowing temperature. Based on the value, the conditioned air was blown into the passenger compartment according to a predetermined control characteristic.

However, since there are individual differences in the thermal sensation, and the preference for the air conditioning control state such as the balance between the temperature and the volume of the blown air differs depending on the occupant, the predetermined control characteristics match the occupant's preference. In some cases, the occupant had to change the setting by the manual setting means each time the thermal environment changed.

To address such a problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-208
There is a vehicle air volume control device disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 610.
This is so that when the occupant manually changes the air volume, the occupant can learn this and change the predetermined control characteristic. With this air conditioner, it is expected that while it is in use, it will be gradually changed to the control characteristic that the occupant prefers, and the optimum control characteristic will be obtained.

Further, in this air conditioner, in order to prevent learning of an operation which should not be learned, such as an erroneous manual setting, a fixed learning delay time is not learned within a predetermined time immediately after the manual setting is made. Is set, and all the manual operations performed within this grace period are not learned, but only the manual setting immediately before the grace period is learned.

[0006]

As described above, since the learning delay time is a predetermined fixed time, the heat that changes momentarily such as during rapid cooling, early heating, or sudden change in solar radiation If the occupant, who tends to react sensitively to the environment, changes the settings manually during this grace period, the manual setting information during this period may be lost, and the occupant's preferences may not be truly extracted and learned. there were.

The present invention has been made by paying attention to such a conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to air-condition the air conditioner to sequentially learn setting changes of an occupant to correct a predetermined control characteristic. In the device, by setting a variable learning grace time depending on changes in thermal environment conditions, whether or not to learn the setting operation of the occupant, optimal air conditioning can be performed without missing the manual setting information of the occupant. To provide a device.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 supplies conditioned air into the vehicle compartment and the conditioned air supply means having variable supply conditions, and the vehicle interior. A calculation means for calculating a target air conditioning condition in the vehicle interior based on a thermal environment related element related to the heat environment, and a predetermined control of the air conditioning air supply means so that the air conditioning air supply condition maintains the target air conditioning condition. In an air conditioner for an automobile, which comprises a control means for controlling based on characteristics, a supply condition of the conditioned air supply means can be changed by a manual operation of an occupant.
Manual setting means, operation time measuring means for measuring an elapsed time from the time when the supply condition of the conditioned air is changed by the manual setting means, and at least the manual setting means when the elapsed time has passed the set time. Air-conditioning information storage means for storing the changed supply condition of the air-conditioning air, control characteristic correction means for correcting the control characteristic of the control means from the information stored in the air-conditioning information storage means, and the set time for the vehicle interior And a set time changing means for changing the set time according to the rate of change of the air-conditioning related condition.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the automobile air conditioner according to the first aspect, wherein the air conditioning information storage means has at least a preset room temperature as a supply condition of the conditioned air whose setting is changed by the manual setting means. It is characterized in that any one of the air volume, the air volume, and the air outlet mode is stored.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the automobile air conditioner according to the first or second aspect, wherein the setting time changing means changes the rate of the air conditioning-related condition to supply a condition of conditioned air. It is characterized by using the change rate of.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the air conditioner for an automobile according to the third aspect, the set time changing means sets a target blowing temperature of the conditioned air as a change rate of the supply condition of the conditioned air. Using the change rate, the set time is set shorter as the change rate of the target blowout temperature is larger, and the set time is set longer as the change rate is smaller.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the automobile air conditioner according to the first or second aspect, wherein the set time changing means is the thermal environment related element as a rate of change of the air condition related condition. It is characterized by using the change rate of.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the automobile air conditioner according to the fifth aspect, wherein the set time changing means changes the room temperature and the outside air temperature as a rate of change of the thermal environment related element.
Using the total environmental change rate obtained by treating the respective change rates of the amount of solar radiation equally, the larger the total environmental change rate, the shorter the set time is set, and the smaller the change rate, the longer the set time is set. An air conditioning system for automobiles, which is characterized in that

[0014]

According to the invention described in claim 1, unlike the conventional case where the learning grace time after the manual setting of the occupant is set as a fixed time and only one manual setting operation immediately before the start of the grace time is learned. Since the setting time changing means can change the learning grace time setting in accordance with the change rate of the air-conditioning related condition, an appropriate amount of change operation information can be obtained according to the change of the thermal environment inside and outside the vehicle. Further, accordingly, it is not necessary to memorize short-time whimsical operations by the occupant, so that the capacity of the air-conditioning information storage means can be saved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, at least one of the set room temperature, the air volume, and the outlet mode can be stored in the air conditioning information storage means as the supply condition of the conditioned air whose setting has been changed. Then, based on this, the control characteristics of the set room temperature, the air volume, and the air outlet mode, which are related to the comfort, are corrected, so that it is possible to approach the passenger's favorite setting.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the rate of change of the air-conditioning air supply condition is used as the rate of change of the air-conditioning-related condition that serves as a reference for changing the set time (learning delay time). In other words, the set time (learning delay time) is changed according to the steady or unsteady state of the room temperature, which is the cause of the change in the air conditioning air supply condition. Therefore, when the learning delay time is shortened, the amount of information acquisition for learning is reduced. Will increase. Further, when the learning delay time is lengthened, it is not necessary to remember the whimsical operation that the occupant should not learn in a short time, so that the correction result of the control characteristic matches the occupant's preference.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the rate of change of the target outlet temperature of the conditioned air is used as the rate of change of the conditioned air supply condition. And the greater the rate of change of the target outlet temperature,
That is, the set time (learning delay time) is set shorter as the air conditioning state is in an unstable and unsteady state, so that the information acquisition amount of the setting change operation of the occupant increases. on the other hand,
Since the set time (learning delay time) is set longer as the air-conditioning state is stable and in the steady state, learning of operations that should not be learned, such as the occupant's whimsical operation or mistaken operation in the steady state, can be avoided.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the rate of change of the thermal environment-related element is used as the rate of change of the air conditioning-related condition, when the thermal environment-related element changes abruptly or slowly, the rate of change thereof. Depending on the set time (learning grace time)
Is changed, it is possible to improve the storage accuracy of information when learning the response operation of the occupant.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, as the change rate of the thermal environment-related element, the total change rate of the environment obtained by treating the change rates of the individual elements of room temperature, the outside air temperature and the amount of solar radiation equally is used. The larger the total environmental change rate is, that is, the less stable the thermal environment is, the shorter the set time (learning grace time) is. Therefore, the occupant's response operation can be performed when only one of the elements changes. Since learning is performed, learning accuracy can be improved. On the other hand, since the set time (learning grace time) is set longer when the thermal environment is stable, operations that should not be learned, such as occupant's whimsical operation or mistaken operation, when all the elements are stable Learning is avoided.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the first to fourth inventions will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the configuration will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the air conditioner of this embodiment. The air-conditioning apparatus is roughly classified into an air-conditioning apparatus main body 1 as an air-conditioning air supply unit, sensors 3 for detecting the states of thermal environment-related elements, an auto switch 5 as a main switch of the air-conditioning apparatus, a manual setting unit 7, and a thermal environment-related element. A control device (calculation means, control means) 9 for calculating a target air conditioning condition for the vehicle interior based on the above and controlling the air conditioner body 1 based on a predetermined control characteristic.
It has and.

The air conditioner body 1 includes a blower unit 11
And a cooling unit 13, a heater unit 15, and a duct unit 17.

The blower unit 11 includes an outside air inlet 21, an inside air inlet 23, an intake door 25, and a blower fan 2.
7 are provided. The outside air introduction port 21 receives the traveling wind pressure to introduce outside air. On the other hand, the inside air introduction port 23 introduces the air in the vehicle compartment. The intake door 25 selectively opens and closes the outside air introduction port 21 and the inside air introduction port 23 by an actuator 31 driven by the control device 9. Blower fan 27
Is rotated by a blower fan motor 33 as an actuator driven by the controller 9.

The cooling unit 13 is provided with an evaporator 35. The evaporator 35 cools the air passing through it by a refrigerant supplied from a refrigeration cycle composed of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and the like (not shown).

The heater unit 15 includes a heater core 37.
An air mix door 41 and an air mix chamber 43 are provided. The heater core 37 is an engine (not shown),
The hot water supplied from the heating cycle composed of a hot water cock or the like warms the air passing therethrough. The air mix door 41 is an actuator 45 driven by the control device 9.
As a result, the ratio of the cool air that has passed through the evaporator 35, bypassing the heater core 37 and remains cool, and the proportion of the warm air that has been warmed after passing through the evaporator core 35 and the heater core 37 is adjusted. , Open and close.

The duct unit 17 includes a defroster duct 47, a ventilator duct 51, a foot duct 53, a defroster door 55, a ventilator door 57, and a foot door 6.
1 and are provided. The defroster duct 47 is a defroster outlet 6 provided on the instrument panel 63.
It is connected to No. 5 and blows the conditioned air toward the front window (not shown). The ventilator duct 51 is connected to a ventilator outlet 67 provided in the instrument panel 63, and blows conditioned air toward the upper body of the occupant. The ventilator outlet 67 is provided with a louver 71 as a wind direction setting device. The air outlet 73 of the foot duct 53 blows out the conditioned air toward the feet of the occupant. The defroster door 55, the ventilator door 57, and the foot door 61 individually open and close the defroster duct 47, the ventilator duct 51, and the foot duct 53 by actuators 75, 77, and 81 driven by the controller 9.

The sensors 3 are composed of a room temperature sensor 83 which detects the room temperature, the outside air temperature, and the amount of solar radiation as elements related to the thermal environment, and outputs them to the control device 9, an outside air temperature sensor 85, and a solar radiation amount sensor 87. . Temperature sensor 83 detects the ambient temperature of the current in the cabin as detected room temperature T _ics, and outputs an electrical amount corresponding to the detected room temperature T _ics the control unit 9. The outside air temperature sensor 85 detects the current ambient temperature outside the vehicle _compartment as a detected outside air temperature T _amb , and outputs an electric quantity according to the detected outside air temperature T _amb to the control device 9. The solar radiation amount sensor 87 outputs to the control device 9 an electric amount corresponding to the received solar radiation amount Q _sun .

The auto switch 5 also functions as a start-up switch, constitutes the main switch of the air conditioner together with the manual setting means 7, and is attached to an air conditioning operation panel (not shown) near the driver's seat. .

The manual setting means 7 is a room temperature setting switch 9
1, fan air volume switch 93, outlet mode switch 9
5, an inside / outside air mode switch (suction port switch) 97, which sets the room temperature, the fan air volume, the outlet mode, and the inside / outside air mode as the conditioned air supply conditions desired by the occupant by operating the occupant, respectively, room temperature T _ptc , When the setting fan air volume V _set , the setting outlet mode, and the setting inside / outside air mode are set, an electric amount according to each set value is output to the control device 9.

The control device 9 is composed of a microcomputer, and when the auto switch 5 is turned on or the manual setting means 7 is operated, according to a control program preset in the memory of the microcomputer,
The target air conditioning condition in the vehicle compartment is calculated so that the detected room temperature T _ic becomes the set room temperature T _{pt c,} and the air conditioner body 1 is drive-controlled.
Further, the control device 9 is provided with a control characteristic correction means 9a for calculating and storing a correction amount for correcting a preset control program on the basis of the information of the manual setting change of the occupant. Further, the control device 9 sets the blowout state by the use time measuring means 9b for measuring the use time of the air conditioner required for correction from the start of use, the room temperature setting switch 91 of the manual setting means 7, the fan air volume switch 93, and the like. Operation time measuring means 9c for measuring the elapsed time from the time of change
And a memory 9d and a buffer 9 as an air-conditioning information storage unit that stores the supply condition of the air-conditioning air set and changed by the manual setting unit 7 and the information on the thermal environment-related elements from the sensors 3.
f and setting time changing means 10 for changing the learning grace time after the setting change operation by the occupant, that is, the setting time, according to the change rate of the target outlet temperature (change rate of the conditioned air supply condition) (FIG. 12). Will be used later).

Further, in the drive control of the air conditioner body 1 by the above-mentioned preset control program, the air volume of the conditioned air is selected by the operation amount set by the occupant of the fan air volume switch 93, and the inside / outside air mode (intake port mode) is selected. ) Is operated by an occupant of the inside / outside air mode switch 97 to select one of an inside air circulation mode, an outside air introduction mode, a partial inside air circulation / partial outside air introduction mode. The outlet mode is configured such that one of the vent mode, the bi-level mode and the foot mode is selected by the operation of the occupant of the outlet mode switch 95. The blowout state of each mode is as follows, for example.

Vent mode: blows out only from the ventilator outlet 67 provided on the instrument panel 63. Bi-level mode: blows out from both the ventilator outlet 67 and the foot outlet 73. Foot mode: The air is blown out from the defroster blow-out port 65 that opens at the foot outlet 73 and the upper surface of the instrument panel 63 and blows out to the inner surface of the front window.

Next, the operation of the air conditioner thus configured will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 shows the main flow of control. First, an outline of the main flow will be described, and details of the processing in each step in the main flow will be subsequently described with reference to FIGS.

<< Main Flow Steps S201 to S2
07 >> First, when the auto switch 5 which is the start-up switch of the air conditioner body 1 is pressed, initialization processing is first performed in step S201. That is, the values of the predetermined constants A to U and the occupant setting change information used for the calculation of each step to be described later are read from the memory 9d built in the control device 9. Succeedingly, in a step S202, the output signals of the sensors 3, the set room temperature T _{ptc of the} occupant, the switches 93,
The states of 95 and 97 are read, and in step S203, the opening X of the air mix door 41 that controls the passage amount of the cool air after passing through the evaporator 35 is obtained. Here, the target air outlet temperature T _of required to set the room temperature to the set room temperature T _ptc under the current thermal environment is obtained, and then the air mix door required to bring the air outlet temperature to the obtained target air outlet temperature T _of. The opening X is calculated. Then, step S20.
In S4 and S205, the optimum outlet mode for the target outlet temperature T _{of and} the state of the intake door 25 at the inlet are determined. Next, in step S206, the blower fan voltage V _fan is determined based on the blower fan applied voltage characteristic that is preset so as to blow out the air volume according to the target outlet temperature T _of . Then, in step S207, the actuators 31, 33, 45, 7 are controlled so that the control amounts calculated in steps S203 to S206 are obtained.
After outputting the control signal to 5, 77, 81, step S2
Return to 02. Then, the processing cycle of steps S202 to S207 is repeated until the auto switch 5 is turned off.

The outline of the processing of the main flow has been described above. The details of the processing in each step will be described below with reference to FIGS.

<< Initialization Processing--Step S of Main Flow
Detailed Flow of 201 >> FIG. 3 shows a detailed flow of the initialization process. First, in step S301, constants A to E, F to H, I to L, M to Q, and R to U used in the calculation formula are set, respectively. Here, the constants A to E are constants used in the calculation of the target outlet temperature T _of for calculating the air mix door opening degree in the subsequent step S203 in the main flow of FIG. 2 (see FIG. 5).

The constants F to H are constants used for calculating the air mix door opening X in the subsequent step S203 (see FIG. 5).

The constants I to L are constants used for determining the outlet mode in the subsequent step S204 in the main flow of FIG. 2 (see FIG. 6).

The constants M to Q are constants used for determining the suction port mode in the subsequent step S205 (see FIG. 7).

The constants R to U are constants used to determine the blower fan voltage V _{fan in} the subsequent step S206 (FIG. 8).
reference).

Then, step S30 of this detailed flow.
2, the function values α (T _amb , T _ic ), β (T _amb ) used for calculating the air mix door opening X, the correction amounts ΔI, ΔK used for determining the outlet mode, and the function value γ (T _of ) is read from the memory 9d, and the process proceeds to the next step S202 of the main flow of FIG.

This function value α (T _amb , T _ic ) is the outside temperature,
It is a function value of room temperature and is a set room temperature correction amount determined by a combination condition of each outside temperature and room temperature, and β (T _amb ) is an increment with respect to the amount of solar radiation of the set room temperature for each outside temperature. ΔI, ΔK
Is a correction amount for correcting the switching point at which the outlet mode is automatically switched. Further, γ (T _of ) is a correction amount of the air volume. The function value and the correction amount are determined by a learning process based on the information about the setting change by the occupant, and the determination method will be described later with reference to FIG.

<< Data Input Process-Detailed Flow of Step S202 of Main Flow >> FIG. 4 is a detailed flow of the data input process, that is, the process of inputting and setting the input signal from each sensor and the setting state of the manual setting switches. Indicates.

In step S401, the detected room temperature is T _ic ,
The detected outside temperature is T _amb , the detected solar radiation is Q _sun , the passenger's set room temperature is T _ptc , and the manually set blower fan voltage setting value is V.
_The air outlet mode switch 95 for setting the _{fan and m} respectively to select the air outlet, the selected state of the inside / outside air mode switch 97 for switching the introduced air between the inside air and the outside air, and the auto switch 5 which is the main switch of the air conditioner. Enter the state of.

In step S402, it is determined whether or not the use of the air conditioner this time has ended, depending on whether the auto switch 5 of the air conditioner is off or the ignition key for starting the engine is off. This is for deciding whether to learn the manual setting change operation of the occupant or to store the setting change information for the learning process.
If ES (end of use), the process proceeds to step S408 to perform learning processing. If NO (in use), proceeds to step S403 to prepare for learning. A detailed description of the learning process when the use is completed will be described later with reference to FIG. On the other hand, when the air conditioner is in use, first, in step S403, the instantaneous insolation Q _sun and the average insolation Q _m at that time are calculated. The instantaneous solar radiation amount Q _sun is a value obtained by averaging short-term solar radiation sensor values such as 30 seconds, and the average solar radiation amount Q _m is a value obtained by averaging relatively long-term solar radiation sensor values such as 10 minutes. This solar radiation amount is used later in step S501 in FIG. Succeedingly, in a step S404, a learning process for deciding whether or not to perform a learning process for the current setting change after a sufficient time has elapsed since the occupant manually changed the setting switch (91, 93, 95, 97) Turn the flag on / off (O
Details of the N / OFF process will be described below with reference to FIG. Then, in step S405, if any learning flag is ON, the corresponding setting change operation is learned, so it is determined whether the learning flag is ON or OFF. If any of the learning flags is ON, the process proceeds to the next step S406, the setting change information is stored in the buffer 9f, and the OF
In the case of F, no processing is performed and the process proceeds to step S203 in the main flow of FIG.

Here, the above step S40 for learning.
Details of the learning flag ON / OFF processing in 4 will be described.

FIG. 11 shows a detailed flow of the learning flag process. First, in step S1101, it is determined whether or not the occupant, which is a prerequisite for learning, has undergone a setting change. If the setting has been changed, the process proceeds to step S1102,
If the setting has not been changed, step S1105
Go to.

In step S1102, since the setting has been changed, the value of the timer t of the operation time counting means 9c is reset to 0 and the measurement of the elapsed time is started in order to determine whether the time has sufficiently elapsed after the setting is changed. . Succeedingly, in a step S1103, the occupant manually sets a switch (9
1, 93, 95, 97), the operation flag is turned on to determine which one has been operated.

In step S1104, the next step S1
A set time (learning delay time) t ₁ used in 106 is calculated. This set time t ₁ by the set time changing means 10
The calculation method of will be described later with reference to FIG.

In step S1105, the operation flag is set to O.
If it is N, the changed operation is learned, so it is determined whether the operation flag is ON. If it is ON (the setting has been changed), the process proceeds to step S1106. If the operation flag is OFF (the setting has not been changed), the process proceeds to step S1110 to determine whether or not the thermal environment has changed.

In step S1106, it is determined whether or not the timer (elapsed time) t has exceeded a set time (learning delay time, which is a time determined according to the target outlet temperature change rate at that time as described later) t _1. However, if it exceeds, learning is performed, so the learning flag corresponding to the operation of the setting change operation is turned on in step S1107, and then step S110.
In step S11, the timer t that is no longer needed is stopped
At 09, the operation flag is also turned off. On the other hand, step S1
If the timer t does not exceed the set time t ₁ at 106, that is, if it is within the learning delay time, the process proceeds to step S1110. That is, as in the case where the setting has not been changed (hence the operation flag is OFF), the process proceeds to the determination of whether the thermal environment has changed (step S1110).

In step S1110, the numerical section of the outside air temperature T _amb and the room temperature T _ic (which will be described later with reference to FIG. 14) and the numerical section _of the target outlet temperature T _of the setting information storage memory 9d (see FIG. 17). (These will be described later)), it is determined whether each of these current temperatures is different from the numerical range of each temperature when the setting was changed in the previous cycle of the main flow. If not (that is, the thermal environment has changed), step S11.
Proceed to 11, the ON learning flag setting room temperature if that Hen' is the outside air temperature T _amb to or at room temperature T _ics in step S1111, the learning flag of air volume to ON if the target air temperature T _of which Hen' To do. Then, step S11
Proceed to 12. On the other hand, if the thermal environment at the time of changing the setting this time is in the same numerical value section as the thermal environment of the previous cycle, the state is left as it is (the learning flag is not turned on), and the process proceeds to the next step S1112. If the setting is not changed and the thermal environment is not changed, the process directly proceeds to the next step S1112.

In step S1112, it is determined whether or not the outlet mode is automatically switched. If the outlet mode is automatically switched in accordance with the setting change, the learning flag of the outlet mode is turned on in step S1113. Then, the process proceeds to step 405 in FIG. Thus, the learning flag process in step 404 of FIG. 4 is completed. Then, returning to the flow of the data input process in FIG. 4, in step S405 in FIG. 4, it is confirmed which learning flag is ON. If either is ON, the process proceeds to step S406, and the learning flag is OFF. In this case, the process directly proceeds to step S203 of the main flow of FIG. One of the learning flags is ON
In this case, in step S406, as the setting change information used in the learning process, the time at the time of operation (use time clock means 9b
(Elapsed time from the start of use of the air conditioner), the setting contents before and after the setting change, the room temperature, the set room temperature, the outside air temperature, the solar radiation amount, and the target outlet temperature are stored in the setting change information storage buffer 9f. When the memory for learning is over, step S407
Then, turn off the learning flag of the operation whose setting has been changed,
The process proceeds to step S203 in the main flow of FIG. In this way, the data input process of FIG. 4 is completed.

Here, in step S1 of FIG.
A method of calculating the set time (learning delay time) t ₁ determined by the set time changing unit 10 in 104 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

FIG. 12 shows how the rate of change of the target outlet temperature T _of, which is the rate of change of the conditioned air supply condition, is plotted on the horizontal axis, and the set time t ₁ (vertical axis) is changed according to the magnitude of the change. When the rate of change _of the target outlet temperature T _of is large, it means that the room temperature is in an unsteady state when the air conditioner is started. When the rate of change is small, it means that the air conditioning operation time has elapsed and the room temperature is in the steady state. is there. Note that how to obtain the target outlet temperature T _of itself will be described later in step 504 of FIG.

The set time t ₁ is changed according to the magnitude _{of the} time differential value | dT _of / dt | which is the rate of change _of the target outlet temperature T _of . That is, the larger the T _of change rate on the horizontal axis, the t
₁ is made smaller (shorter) and asymptotically _approaches t _1min, and as the rate _of change of T is smaller, t _1max is set as a limit value and t ₁ is set larger (longer). The value of t _1min is several seconds (for example, 2 to 3).
Seconds) and the value of t _1max is, for example, about 10 to 30 seconds. If t _1min = 2 seconds and t _1max = 10 seconds,
For example, if you board a vehicle that has been left in the hot summer sun,
If the air volume and the set temperature are adjusted in accordance with the decrease in room temperature at the initial stage of the start of the air conditioner, all operations with an interval of about 2 seconds or more are stored in the buffer 9f as independent operations, but the room temperature becomes steady after the air conditioning time has elapsed. In the setting change operation when the state is set, the setting when about 10 seconds have elapsed since the change operation was first performed is regarded as the operation in the environment. That is, FIG.
Assuming that the set temperature is operated in the unsteady state and in the steady state at exactly the same time interval as shown in, the four times operations shown by the arrows in the figure are independently stored in the buffer 9f in the unsteady state, and the subsequent learning is performed. Although it is used for learning in each room temperature environment in the processing, the operation in the steady state is stored in the buffer 9f as an operation only once.

<< Detailed Flow of Air Mix Door Opening Process-Main Flow Step S203 >> FIG. 5 shows a detailed flow of the air mix door opening process, that is, a method of calculating the opening X of the air mix door 41.

In step S501, the currently set room temperature T _ptc is corrected by the following equation.

[0060]

## _EQU1 ## T _{ptc, new} = T _ptc + α (T _amb , T _ic ) + β
(T _amb ) × Q _m Here, α (T _amb , T _ic ), β (T _amb ) are the set room temperature correction amounts read in step S302 in FIG.

Next, in step S502, the first-order lag processing of the correction setting room temperature _{Tptc, new} obtained in the previous step S501 is performed. This is due to changes in the thermal environment T _{ptc, new}
This is a process for preventing a sudden change in control when the value of changes stepwise. Room temperature T set 1 cycle before
_{Using ptc, old} and T _{ptc, new} calculated this time, the target set room temperature T _ptc 'is determined by the following equation.

T _ptc ′ = w × T _{ptc, old} + (1-w) × T _{ptc, new} where w is a default value that satisfies 0 <w <1.

In step S503, the above step S5 is performed.
The T _{ptc, new} obtained in 01 is set as T _{ptc, old} for use in the next cycle.

In step S504, the above step S5 is performed.
A target setting room temperature T _{pt c 'determined} in 02, with the sensor values, the target air temperature T _of a target blowing conditions determined by the following equation.

[0065]

[ _Formula 2] T _of = A × T _ptc ′ + B × T _amb + C × Q _sun
+ D × T _ic + E Here, since T _ptc ′ is a value that takes into account the preference of the set room temperature for the occupant's solar radiation, the target outlet temperature T _of is also corrected to reflect the occupant's preference for the environmental conditions. It will be.

In step S505, the target outlet temperature T _of
Air mix door opening X required to blow out the air conditioning airflow
Is calculated by the formula shown in step S505.

<< Outlet Mode Processing-Detailed Flow of Step S204 of Main Flow >> FIG. 6 shows a detailed flow of the outlet mode processing.

In step S601, predetermined constants I, J, K and L for determining the outlet mode are set in FIG.
Is corrected in step S302, and I + ΔI, J + ΔI, K + ΔK, and L + ΔK are set as the values of I ′, J ′, K ′, and L ′ used in the next step S602. As a result, the initial control program determined in advance based on the value calculated based on the change operation of the occupant is corrected, so that the outlet that matches the preference of the occupant in the outlet mode is selected. .

In step S602, the target outlet temperature T _of
According to, the air outlet is selected using a predetermined air outlet mode map.

In step S603, if the air outlet mode is fixed by the occupant, it is determined whether or not the air outlet mode switch 95 is fixed so as to correspond to that. If fixed, steps S604 to S
At 607, the corresponding outlet modes are selected, and the process proceeds to step S205 of the main flow of FIG. If it is not fixed, the process directly proceeds to step S205 of the main flow. The conditioned air blowing condition in each outlet mode is as described above.

<< Inlet Processing-Step S of Main Flow
Detailed Flow of 205 >> FIG. 7 shows a detailed flow of the suction port processing.

In step S701, the target outlet temperature T _of
In accordance with the above, the state of the suction port is selected using a predetermined inside / outside air mode map. Here, each state is as follows.

Inside air circulation: 100% Inside air circulation 20% Outside air: 20% Outside air introduction, 80% Inside air circulation Outside air introduction: 100% Outside air introduction In step S702, the inside and outside air mode is set to correspond to the operation of the inside and outside air mode switch 97. It is determined whether or not it is fixed, and if it is fixed, step S70.
The corresponding suction port is selected in each of S3 and S704, and the process proceeds to step S206 of the main flow. If it is not fixed, leave the selection of the suction port as above and repeat step S
Proceed to 206.

<< Air Volume Processing-Step S2 of Main Flow
Detailed Flow of 06 >> FIG. 8 shows a detailed flow of the air volume processing.

In step S801, the target outlet temperature T _of
According to the above, the blower fan applied voltage V _fan is selected using a predetermined blower fan voltage map.

In step S802, step S in FIG.
The value of V _fan is corrected by the function γ (T _of ) read in 302, and the blower fan voltage V based on the setting change information of the occupant.
Calculate _{fan and cor} .

Next, in step S803, it is determined whether or not the fan air volume switch 93 is fixed so that the blower fan voltage corresponds to the operation of the fan air volume switch 93. If it is fixed, the process proceeds to step S804. , The output value V _fan ′ to the blower fan motor 33 is set to the manually fixed voltage V _{fan, m} , and the process proceeds to step S207 of the main flow. Further, when not fixed advances the V _{fa n} 'in step S805 blower fan voltage V _fan determined in step _S802, the to step S207 of the main flow is set to _cor.

<< Output Processing--Step S2 of Main Flow
Detailed Flow of 07 >> FIG. 9 shows a detailed flow of the output processing.

In step S901, the air mix door is set so that the opening X of the air mix door 41, the air outlet mode, and the intake door 25 of the suction port set in steps S203 to S205 of the main flow of FIG. Four
1. Output drive signals to the actuators 31, 75, 77 and 81 of the doors 25, 55, 57 and 61 of the inlet and outlet.

In step S902, the blower fan voltage V set in step S206 of the main flow of FIG. 2 is set.
_The drive signal is output to the blower fan motor 33 so as to be _fan '. In this way, the output process ends, and step S2
Returning to 02, the main flow is repeated.

<< Learning Process-Detailed Flow of Step S408 of FIG. 4 >> Next, referring to FIG. 10, step S4 of FIG.
Details of the learning process of 08 will be described.

FIG. 10 shows a detailed flow of the learning process. In the learning process, the control characteristic correction means 9a calculates and stores the correction amount of the control characteristic based on the setting change information stored in the buffer 9f. That is, in step S1001, the buffer 9
The change information of the set room temperature is processed from the data when the air conditioner is used this time stored in f, and the function values α (T _amb , T _ic ) and β (T _amb ) which are the set room temperature correction amounts are determined. α (T _amb , T _ic ) is a set room temperature correction amount under each outside temperature and room temperature condition, and β (T _amb ) is an increment with respect to the amount of solar radiation of the set room temperature for each outside temperature. These determination methods will be described later with reference to FIGS. Succeedingly, in a step S1002, a correction function value γ (T _of ) _of the air volume is determined. A method of determining γ (T _of ) will be described later with reference to FIG.

In step S1003, the correction amounts ΔI and ΔK for correcting the automatic switching point of the outlet mode are calculated, and the learning process ends. A method of calculating ΔI and ΔK will be described later with reference to FIG.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16, α (T _amb , which is determined in step S1001 of FIG. 10)
A method of determining T _ic ) and β (T _amb ) will be described.

The control characteristic correcting means 9a firstly stores the data stored in the buffer 9f as numerical values at the time of storage at the numerical values of the horizontal axis (outside air temperature axis) and the vertical axis (room temperature axis) in FIG. (J = 1, 2, ..., I = 1, 2, ...) Depending on where it corresponds, it is classified into the corresponding section, and the set room temperature data in the same (j, i) section is weighted by the setting operation time. Then, the average set room temperature T _m obtained by time averaging is obtained. Then, T _m and the reference temperature 2 are stored in the corresponding address (j, i) of the memory 9d of the set room temperature information storing the contents shown in FIG.
The difference from 5 ° C. (= T _m −25) is stored. The memory 9d can store a maximum of N pieces of set room temperature information at the same address (j, i). When N pieces of stored room temperature information have already been stored, the oldest data (T _m -25) is always erased to erase them. This means that the latest N times of data are stored. Then, when the set room temperature information is updated, the set room temperature data stored in the corresponding address (j, i) is averaged,
The average value α _m of the set room temperature information of each address (j, i) is calculated and stored. After the above processing is performed for all addresses (j, i) that have been experienced while using the air conditioner this time, the value of α _m at all addresses (j, i) in FIG. By linearly interpolating about α
Determine (T _amb , T _ic ).

Subsequently, the set room temperature T _ptc when the set room temperature is changed
And the average amount of insolation Q _m are stored in a maximum of N sets of corresponding outside air temperature sections (outside air temperature addresses) of the memory 9d storing the setting room temperature information for solar radiation reaction operation shown in FIG. A regression equation T _ptc = β _m × Q _m + T _ptc0 is obtained based on the stored data of the set room temperature T _ptc and the average insolation Q _m ,
The regression coefficient β _m is stored. However, in order to increase the significance of the regression equation, calculation is performed only when 5 or more sets of data are stored in the same outside temperature section, and β _m =
Set to 0. When β _m is updated, β
_Linearly interpolate _m to calculate β (T _amb ).

Next, referring to FIG. 17, the air volume correction function value γ (T _of ) determined in step S1002 of FIG.
The method of determining will be described. This determination method is
This is almost the same as the method of determining (T _{am b} , T _ic ), and is set within the same target outlet temperature T _of section in the current use of the air conditioner in the memory 9d storing the air flow rate change information shown in FIG. Time average blower fan voltage V _{fan m}
And the reference voltage V corresponding to the median value of the section
The difference from the _fan (calculated from the map in step S801 in FIG. 8) V _{fan m} −V _fan is the maximum N as the air volume change information.
Remember each. Next, the past N pieces of air volume change information are averaged for the section where the air volume change information exceeds N pieces and are updated, and stored as a corrected average value γ _m in the corresponding target outlet temperature section. Then, γ _m in all target outlet temperature sections is linearly interpolated to
Determine (T _of ).

Next, the method of calculating ΔI and ΔK calculated in step S1003 of FIG. 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

When the setting of the outlet mode is changed,
For example, change the pattern as shown in the figure is in the air outlet mode change memory 9d, which is divided by either a vent → ← bi-level or bi-level → ← foot, and stores the target outlet air temperature T _of the time change. However, when changing from vent to bi-level or bi-level to foot, the target outlet temperature T _of itself at that time is stored, but when it is changed from bi-level to vent or foot to bi-level in the opposite direction. Is
The values of J-I and L-K are subtracted from the target blow-out temperature T _of and then stored. This is because, as shown in step S602 in FIG. 6 described above, hysteresis is set depending on the direction of change in determining the change of each mode.
When the number of pieces of change information on the outlet mode exceeds N, the average change point I _m or K _m obtained by averaging the target outlet temperatures stored in the corresponding change pattern is calculated. And
The values of I _m −I or K _m −K are stored as ΔI and ΔK, respectively.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when learning the change operation when the occupant manually changes the setting during the air conditioning control based on the predetermined control characteristics, the learning as in the conventional example is performed. Unlike the case of learning only one manual setting operation immediately before the start of the grace time with the grace time set as a fixed time, depending on the steady or unsteady state of the air conditioning state, that is, according to the rate of change of the target outlet temperature with respect to time. Learning grace time is changing. Since the learning grace time is set shorter when the room temperature is in a non-steady state such as when air conditioning is started, a proper amount can be obtained without running out of setting change operation information. In addition, the learning grace time is set longer when the room temperature is in a steady state, so it is possible to avoid learning occupant operations that should not be learned, such as whimsical operations that are performed in a short time. 9f capacity can be saved. Further, as the setting change operation information, all the information about the set room temperature, the air volume, and the outlet mode is stored together with the information from the sensors 3. In this way, the correction result of the control characteristic matches the occupant's preference.

Next, one embodiment of the fifth and sixth inventions is shown in FIG.
This will be described using 9. This embodiment is different from the above embodiment only in the method of calculating the set time (learning delay time) t ₁ in step S1104 of FIG. 11 of the same embodiment. Therefore, only this difference will be described.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, the target outlet temperature T _of the abscissa of FIG. 12 used in the description of the above embodiment is set.
Instead of the change rate, the set time t ₁ is calculated using the total environment change rate (change rate of thermal environment-related elements) D _env calculated by the following equation, which is the change rate of other air conditioning-related conditions.

[0093]

## _EQU3 ## D _env = w ₁ × (dT _ic / dt) + w ₂ × (d
T _amb / dt) + w ₃ × (dQ _sun / dt) Here, w ₁ , w ₂ , and w ₃ are constants different from the constants A to C (see step S504 in FIG. 5) when the target outlet temperature T _of is obtained. And includes weights for treating (standardizing) the room temperature, the outside air temperature, and the rate of change of the amount of solar radiation equally.

The total environmental change rate D _env is the target outlet temperature T
Unlike the rate _of change, it is the rate _of change of pure thermal environment conditions.
Therefore, at the target outlet temperature T _of change rate, the target outlet temperature T _of calculation formula (step 50 in FIG.
4), since the amount of solar radiation is treated as a correction amount, the value _of | dT _of / dt | does not increase due to the influence of the constant C, but if the total environmental change rate D _env is used, the amount of solar radiation is It is treated as if it were the outside temperature, and if the amount of solar radiation changes suddenly, it can be considered that the thermal environment conditions have changed suddenly.

Thus, according to the present embodiment, the total environmental change rate D _env is used as the change rate of the thermal environment related elements, and the set time t ₁ (learning delay time) is set shorter as the total environmental change rate D _env is larger. However, since the setting time is set longer as the rate of change is smaller, the value of the set time t ₁ becomes smaller (shorter) even when the amount of insolation suddenly changes, and the operation is sensitive to changes in the amount of insolation. It is possible to obtain more operation information of the occupant who carries out, and it is possible to improve the learning accuracy.

[0096]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the invention described in claim 1, conventionally, all setting operations within a certain grace period after manual setting by the occupant are regarded as one operation. It is possible to change the learning delay time setting according to the change rate of the air conditioning related condition, which is different from the one stored in memory. can get. Further, as a result, the capacities of the air conditioning information storage means can be saved because the occupant's short whimsical operations in a steady state at room temperature where the rate of change in air conditioning related conditions is small. In this way, the corrected control characteristic can be brought closer to the occupant's preference.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, at least one of the set room temperature, the air volume, and the outlet mode can be stored in the air conditioning information storage means as the supply condition of the air-conditioning air whose setting has been changed. Based on this, it becomes possible to correct the control characteristics of the room temperature, the air volume, and the air outlet mode, which are related to comfort, and bring them closer to the occupant's favorite settings.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the rate of change of the air conditioning air supply condition is used as the rate of change of the air conditioning related condition,
That is, since the learning grace time is changed depending on whether the room temperature is steady or unsteady, the information acquisition amount for learning increases when the learning grace time is shortened. Further, when the learning delay time is lengthened, it is not necessary to remember the whimsical operation that the occupant should not learn in a short time, so that the correction result of the control characteristic matches the occupant's preference.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the rate of change of the target outlet temperature of the conditioned air is used as the rate of change of the conditioned air supply condition. And the greater the rate of change of the target outlet temperature,
That is, the set time (learning delay time) is set shorter as the air conditioning state is in an unstable and unsteady state, so that the information acquisition amount of the setting change operation of the occupant increases. on the other hand,
Since the set time (learning delay time) is set longer as the air-conditioning state is stable and in the steady state, learning of operations that should not be learned, such as the occupant's whimsical operation or mistaken operation in the steady state, can be avoided. In this way, the correction result of the control characteristic matches the occupant's preference.

According to the invention described in claim 5, since the rate of change of the thermal environment-related element is used as the rate of change of the air conditioning-related condition,
When the thermal environment related element changes rapidly or slowly, the set time (learning delay time) is changed according to the rate of change, so improve the accuracy of information storage when learning the response operation of the occupant. You can

According to the invention described in claim 6, as the rate of change of the thermal environment-related element, the total rate of environmental change obtained by treating the rate of change of each element of room temperature, the outside air temperature, and the amount of solar radiation equally is used, Since the set time (learning delay time) is shortened as the rate of change is larger, that is, when the thermal environment is not stable, the occupant's response operation when only one of the elements changes is also learned. Therefore, learning accuracy can be improved. On the other hand, since the set time (learning grace time) is set longer when the thermal environment is stable, operations that should not be learned, such as occupant's whimsical operation or mistaken operation, when all the elements are stable Can be avoided and the capacity of the air conditioning information storage means can be saved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 2 is a main flowchart of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 3 is a detailed flowchart of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 4 is a detailed flowchart of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 5 is a detailed flowchart of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 6 is a detailed flowchart of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 7 is a detailed flowchart of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 8 is a detailed flowchart of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 9 is a detailed flowchart of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 10 is a detailed flowchart of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 11 is a detailed flowchart of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of first to fourth inventions.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the fifth and sixth inventions.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Air Conditioner Main Unit (Air Conditioning Air Supply Means) 3 Sensors 5 Auto Switch 7 Manual Setting Means 9 Control Device (Calculation Means, Control Means) 9a Control Characteristic Correction Means 9b Operation Time Clock Means 9c Operation Time Clock Means 9d Memory (Air Conditioning Information Storage means 9f Buffer (air-conditioning information storage means) 10 Setting time changing means 83, 85, 87 Sensors 91, 93, 95, 97 Switch (manual setting means) t ₁ Setting time | dT _of / dt | Target blowout temperature change rate (Change rate of air conditioning related conditions, change rate of air conditioning air supply conditions) D _env Total environmental change rate (change rate of thermal environment related elements)

Continuation of front page (56) Reference JP-A-6-16028 (JP, A) JP-A-5-278436 (JP, A) JP-A-63-269715 (JP, A) JP-A-1-145219 (JP , A) JP-A-5-208610 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60H 1/00 101

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A target air conditioning condition for the vehicle interior is calculated based on an air conditioning air supply means that supplies the air conditioning air into the vehicle interior and the supply condition is variable, and a thermal environment related element related to the thermal environment inside the vehicle interior. A vehicle occupant comprising an arithmetic means and a control means for controlling the conditioned air supply means based on a predetermined control characteristic so that the conditioned air supply condition maintains the target air conditioning condition. According to the supply conditions of the conditioned air supply means
The setting condition of the conditioned air can be changed by the manual setting means that can change the setting
Operation time measuring means for measuring the elapsed time from the time when
And at the time when the elapsed time reaches a set time, at least the air-conditioning information storage unit that stores the supply condition of the air-conditioned air whose setting is changed by the manual setting unit, and the control based on the information stored in the air-conditioning information storage unit. For a motor vehicle, comprising: a control characteristic correction unit that corrects a control characteristic of the unit; and a set time changing unit that changes the set time according to a rate of change of an air conditioning related condition related to an air conditioning condition in a vehicle interior. Air conditioner. 2. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning information storage means has at least a room temperature set as a supply condition of the conditioned air whose setting is changed by the manual setting means,
An air conditioner for a vehicle, which stores either the air volume or the outlet mode. 3. The automobile air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the set time changing means uses the change rate of the conditioned air supply condition as the change rate of the air conditioning related condition. A characteristic air conditioning system for automobiles. 4. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the set time changing means uses a rate of change of a target outlet temperature of the conditioned air as a rate of change of a supply condition of the conditioned air. An air conditioner for an automobile, characterized in that the set time is set shorter as the change rate of the blowout temperature is larger, and the set time is set longer as the change rate is smaller. 5. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the set time changing means uses the change rate of the thermal environment related element as the change rate of the air conditioning related condition. A characteristic air conditioning system for automobiles. 6. The automobile air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein the set time changing unit equalizes the change rates of the room temperature, the outside air temperature, and the solar radiation amount as the change rates of the thermal environment-related elements. An automotive air conditioner characterized by using a comprehensive environmental change rate obtained by handling, and setting the set time shorter as the total environmental change rate increases and setting the longer set time as the same rate of change decreases.