JP4770275B2 - Vehicle air-conditioning control device and vehicle air-conditioning control method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air-conditioning control apparatus and a vehicle air-conditioning control method for cooling and heating air in a vehicle interior or exterior to air-condition the vehicle interior.

  In a vehicle air-conditioning control device mounted on a vehicle, the passenger comfort should be as much as possible after the occupant is seated in the passenger compartment of the vehicle under high-temperature conditions or low-temperature conditions such as midsummer days and midwinter days. It is required to control the temperature in the passenger compartment to recover quickly.

  As an example of such a conventional vehicle air conditioner, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known. In the vehicle air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1, a period from when an ignition switch for starting a vehicle engine is turned on until a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) elapses, or a temperature inside the vehicle is changed from an initial state. By controlling the direction of the louver (wind direction adjusting plate at the air outlet) for a period until it falls below a predetermined value (for example, 7 ° C), it is possible to quickly reduce the occupant's sense of temperature, for example, under high temperature conditions. Yes.

Specifically, the direction of the center louver disposed on the center grille is directed toward the occupant seated in the driver seat and the passenger seat, respectively, and the direction of the side louvers disposed on the grill provided on the driver seat side and the passenger seat side respectively. It is controlled so that it is directed toward the passenger seated in the driver's seat and passenger seat respectively. As a result, for example, even in a situation where an occupant gets into a passenger compartment where the temperature is relatively high, it is possible to blow cold air directly on the occupant immediately after boarding, thereby preventing the heat felt by the occupant after sitting in the passenger compartment. be able to.
JP 2002-046446 A

  However, in the above-described conventional vehicle air conditioner, since the conditioned air is controlled to be blown to the entire body of the occupant, the temperature in the passenger compartment deviates significantly from a comfortable temperature, such as a midsummer day or a midwinter day. Under such circumstances, there is a problem in that sufficient ventilation cannot be obtained especially for a part where the skin is exposed from the clothing, such as a face part or a limb part, and a comfortable feeling that the passenger is satisfied cannot be obtained.

  Therefore, the present invention is proposed in view of the above-described conventional situation, and the occupant is preferentially blown with conditioned air to body parts exposed from clothes such as the occupant's face and limb parts. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air-conditioning control device and a vehicle air-conditioning control method capable of improving the comfort of the vehicle.

  In the present invention, when air is cooled and heated and blown as conditioned air into the passenger compartment, the target temperature in the passenger compartment is set and the presence or absence of an occupant in the passenger compartment is detected. The surface temperature of the skin exposed part of the occupant is detected, the target surface temperature of the skin exposed part is calculated based on the target temperature in the passenger compartment, and the air blow target is preferentially based on the surface temperature of the occupant. Select the occupant's exposed skin area. Then, in the present invention, based on the selected skin exposure site, the surface of the selected skin exposure site is selectively opened / closed among the plurality of air conditioning air delivery ports, which is a target for sending the conditioned air. The above-described problems are solved by controlling the air temperature and the air volume of the conditioned air so that the temperature is the target surface temperature.

  According to the present invention, a skin exposure site that requires a reduction in the thermal sensation of the occupant is selected based on the surface temperature of the body part exposed from the clothing, such as a specific skin exposure site of the occupant, and the selected skin exposure is selected. Since the conditioned air can be blown in preference to the part, the thermal sensation of the occupant's whole body can be quickly reduced.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Configuration of vehicle air conditioning controller]
As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle air-conditioning control apparatus to which the present invention is applied includes a microcomputer 1, an infrared camera (hereinafter referred to as an IR camera) 2, a temperature setting device 3, and an outlet position control device 4. The blowout air temperature control device 5, the blowout airflow amount control device 6, and the blowout airflow direction control device 7 are connected to each other.

  The IR camera 2 is a far-infrared camera that receives far-infrared light emitted from an object. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the IR camera 2 is attached to the center portion in the width direction of a center console disposed in front of the vehicle interior of the vehicle 10, and takes a thermal image of the vehicle interior to capture a microcomputer. Output to 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the IR camera 2 captures a thermal image in an imaging range sufficient to capture the driver 100A and the passenger 100B seated in the driver seat and the passenger seat, respectively.

  The microcomputer 1 is connected to the respective units 2 to 7 constituting the vehicular air conditioning control device, performs processing according to a program stored in a memory (not shown), and sends control signals to the respective units 2 to 7. The entire vehicle air-conditioning control device is centrally controlled by transmitting and receiving and processing various information and data.

  Moreover, the microcomputer 1 acquires the thermal image imaged with the IR camera 2, performs image processing, and determines the presence or absence of the driver 100A and the passenger 100B for each of the driver seat and the passenger seat. Further, the microcomputer 1 analyzes the captured thermal image and corresponds to the passenger area corresponding to the driver 100A and the door of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. The vehicle is divided into a door region 101, a door glass region 102 corresponding to the door glass, a rear glass region 103 corresponding to the rear glass at the rear of the vehicle, and a roof region 104 corresponding to the ceiling of the vehicle. Further, for the occupant area corresponding to the driver 100A, the face area 100a and the hand area 100b corresponding to the face part and hand part of the occupant are extracted based on the surface temperature distribution of the captured image, and the face area 100a and A representative temperature of the hand region 100b is detected.

  The temperature setting device 3 is attached to, for example, a center console and has a function of inputting a target temperature in the passenger compartment when operated by an occupant. The temperature setter 3 outputs the input target temperature to the microcomputer 1.

  The air outlet position control device 4 has a mechanism for controlling the open / closed states of a plurality of air outlets (not shown) disposed in the vehicle interior based on a control signal output from the microcomputer 1.

  The blowout air temperature control device 5 has a mechanism for controlling the temperature of the conditioned air sent from the blowout port by controlling the opening degree of the air mix damper of the air conditioning system based on the control signal output from the microcomputer 1. Have.

  The blowing air volume control device 6 has a function of controlling the air volume of the conditioned air sent from the blowing port by controlling the output of the blower motor of the air conditioning system based on the control signal output from the microcomputer 1. .

  The blowing air direction control device 7 controls the direction of a louver (adjustment plate) as a wind direction adjusting mechanism disposed at each blowing port based on a control signal output from the microcomputer 1, thereby It has a function of controlling the air direction of the conditioned air to be sent out.

  The microcomputer 1 acquires the target temperature in the passenger compartment set by the temperature setting device 3 and according to the surface temperature of the occupant's face part and hand part detected based on the thermal image captured by the IR camera 2. Determining the air outlet, to which the conditioned air is to be sent, and determining the air temperature, air volume, and air direction of the air conditioned air, the air outlet position control device 4, the air outlet air temperature controller 5, the air outlet air volume controller 6, and A control signal is output to the blowing air direction control device 7.

  Here, FIG. 4 shows a functional block diagram expressed mainly focusing on functions realized by the microcomputer 1.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle air-conditioning control device includes a thermal image capturing unit 21, a door opening / closing detection unit 22, an occupant detection unit 23, an occupant surface temperature detection unit 24, a temperature setting unit 25, a target A surface temperature calculation unit 26, a part selection unit 27, an approach detection unit 28, a wind direction determination unit 29, and a control unit 30 are provided.

  The thermal image capturing unit 21 corresponds to the IR camera 2 described above and has a function of capturing a thermal image in the passenger compartment.

  The door opening / closing detection unit 22 has a function of detecting the opening / closing state of a door disposed in the vehicle, and the occupant detection unit 23 has a function of detecting the presence / absence of an occupant in the passenger compartment, and an occupant surface temperature detection unit. Reference numeral 24 has a function of detecting the surface temperature of the exposed skin area of the occupant. The door opening / closing detection unit 22, the occupant detection unit 23, and the occupant surface temperature detection unit 24 are functions corresponding to the processing operation of the microcomputer 1.

  The temperature setting unit 25 corresponds to the temperature setting device 3 and has a function of setting a target vehicle interior temperature (target temperature).

  The target surface temperature detection unit 26 has a function of calculating the target surface temperature of the exposed skin portion based on the target temperature set by the temperature setting unit 25 and the surface temperature detected by the occupant surface temperature detection unit 24. is doing.

  The part selection unit 27 preferentially selects the body part of the occupant to be blown based on the target surface temperature calculated by the target surface temperature calculation part 26 and the surface temperature detected by the occupant surface temperature detection part 24. It has a function to select. The approach detection unit 28 has a function of detecting that an occupant's hand has approached at least one of the plurality of outlets. The wind direction determination unit 29 has a function of adjusting the wind direction for each of the plurality of outlets.

  The control unit 30 controls the air temperature and the air volume of the conditioned air based on the surface temperature detected by the occupant surface temperature detection unit 24 and the target surface temperature calculated by the target surface temperature calculation unit 26. Based on the body part selected by the selection unit 27, a function of selectively opening / closing a blower outlet to which air-conditioned air is to be sent out from a plurality of blower outlets is provided.

  In the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 4, the thermal image capturing unit 21 corresponds to the IR camera 2, and includes a door opening / closing detection unit 22, an occupant detection unit 23, an occupant surface temperature detection unit 24, a target surface temperature calculation unit 26, and a part The selection unit 27, the approach detection unit 28, the wind direction determination unit 29, and the control unit 30 correspond to the microcomputer 1, and the temperature setting unit 25 corresponds to the temperature setting device 3.

  Next, the relationship between the surface temperature of the occupant's face part and hand part and the thermal sensation of the whole body felt by the occupant will be described with reference to the graph shown in FIG. The graph shown in FIG. 5 shows that an occupant gets on a parked vehicle left outdoors in summer, operates the air conditioner with the maximum cooling capacity, and switches to automatic temperature adjustment control (steady control) after a predetermined time. This is the data when

  In the graph shown in FIG. 5, the horizontal axis indicates the elapsed time, the left vertical axis indicates the detected value of the surface temperature at each part of the occupant, and the right vertical axis indicates the thermal sensation felt by the occupant throughout the body. Indicates the declared value. The detected surface temperature was measured by attaching a thermocouple to the occupant's forehead, the back of the occupant's hand, and the occupant's forearm. In addition, the reported value related to the thermal sensation of the whole body is cold (-3), cool (-2), somewhat cool (-1), neither (0), somewhat with respect to the current thermal environment in the passenger compartment. It is scored as warm (+1), warm (+2), and hot (+3), and each is reported in subdivisions to the first decimal place.

  From the graph shown in FIG. 5, it is considered that there is a high correlation between the surface temperature of the part where the occupant's skin is exposed and the thermal sensation felt by the whole body. Therefore, if the surface temperature of each part can be set to an appropriate temperature in a short time, the occupant's whole body thermal sensation can be quickly reduced.

  The vehicle air-conditioning control apparatus according to the present embodiment is based on the above knowledge, and the occupant's thermal sensation is based on the surface temperature of the body part exposed from the clothing, such as the occupant's face part and limb part. By determining a portion that needs to be lowered and blowing conditioned air directly to the determined portion, it is possible to quickly reduce the thermal sensation of the occupant's whole body.

[Air conditioning control processing by the vehicle air conditioning controller]
Next, an example of the air-conditioning control processing of the conditioned air by the vehicle air-conditioning control device will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the power supply is turned on and the air conditioning control process is started, the microcomputer 1 of the vehicle air conditioning control apparatus initially initializes timers, counters, and flag values used in subsequent processes in step S1. Execute the process. At this time, it is determined whether or not the first process identification flag Flg_A indicating whether or not the process is the first process in this program and the time for suspending the determination regarding the presence or absence of an occupant (hereinafter referred to as a hold time) are awaited. A value “0” is set for each of the indicated hold time identification flags Flg_B.

  Next, in step S2, thermal image data in the passenger compartment is acquired by the IR camera 2 (thermal image capturing unit 21), and the acquired thermal image data is taken into the processing area of the microcomputer 1. The thermal image data acquired at this time is data consisting of pixels with higher density values at higher surface temperatures. Such thermal image data may be captured, for example, so that all the passengers in the vehicle cabin include a single image, or a plurality of IR cameras 2 are prepared for each seat such as a driver seat or a passenger seat. Alternatively, each of the occupants may be captured by each IR camera 2.

  In the present embodiment, it is assumed that two occupants sitting in the driver's seat and the passenger seat are imaged as shown in FIG. 3A by one IR camera 2 installed at the position shown in FIG. Yes. Further, since the processing on the passenger seat side is the same as that on the driver seat side, in the following description, the case where the processing on the driver seat side is performed using the thermal image data as shown in FIG. Further, as an occupant part to be detected, the face area 100a and the hand area 100b of the driver 100A seated in the driver's seat will be described as an example.

  In the next step S3, the presence or absence of the driver 100A is detected from the thermal image data acquired in step S2 by the occupant detection unit 23 of the microcomputer 1. In this process, the position of the driver 100A to be detected is specified from the image based on the attachment position of the IR camera 2 to the vehicle 10, and the presence or absence of the driver 100A is determined based on the temperature distribution in the specified region. Determine. Details of the process in the subroutine of step S3 will be described later.

  In the next step S4, branch processing based on whether or not it is determined in step S3 that an occupant is present in the driver's seat is performed. As a result of step S3, when it is determined that the driver 100A is present in the driver's seat, the process proceeds to step S5, and when it is determined that the driver 100A is not present in the driver's seat, the process is performed. Advances to step S22.

  In step S5, from the thermal image data read in step S2 by the occupant surface temperature detection unit 24 of the microcomputer 1, the detection temperature (ceiling temperature TR-msr) of the roof region 104 of the thermal image shown in FIG. The positions of the face area 100a and the hand area 100b of the driver 100A in the driver's seat, the surface temperature TF-msr of the face area 100a of the driver 100A, and the surface temperature TH-msr of the hand area 100b are detected. In this process, the presence position of the face area 100a and the hand area 100b of the driver 100A to be detected and the position of the roof area 104 are specified based on the attachment position of the IR camera 2 to the vehicle. Then, based on the temperature distribution in each region, for example, the average temperature or the maximum temperature in each region is used as the representative temperature of the region, the ceiling temperature TR-msr, the surface temperature TF-msr of the face region 100a, the hand region 100b The surface temperature TH-msr is detected.

  In the next step S6, the surface temperature and position of each part detected in step S5 by the occupant surface temperature detection part 24, the temperature setting part 25 and the target surface temperature calculation part 26 of the microcomputer 1, and the target surface temperature of each part. Based on the above, a parameter (COND) representing the thermal state of the passenger is calculated. Details of the process in the subroutine of step S6 will be described later.

  Next, in step S7, step S11, and step S15, the microcomputer 1 performs a branching process for determining a parameter (thermal state parameter COND) that represents the thermal state of the occupant calculated in step S6, and sends the conditioned air to be blown. Is selected from the entire body of the occupant, the hand region 100b, the face region 100a, or the face region 100a and the hand region 100b (step S8, step S12, step S16, step S19), and the target for the selected air blowing target is selected. A surface temperature (target temperature) is set (step S9, step S13, step S17, step S20), and a blowout outlet and a wind direction for blowing air are determined (step S10, step S14, step S18, step S21). The microcomputer 1 determines the blow target, the target surface temperature, the blow outlet, and the wind direction determined in steps S7 to S21. In step S26, the microcomputer 1 controls the blow outlet position control device 4, the blow air temperature control device 5, and the blow air flow control device 6. And the blowing air direction control device 7 is controlled to perform air conditioning control. Hereinafter, step S7 to step S21 will be sequentially described.

  In step S7, the microcomputer 1 performs a branching process based on the value of the thermal state parameter COND calculated in step S6, and when it is determined in step S6 that each part of the passenger feels comfortable (That is, COND = 0), the process proceeds to step S8, and if not, the process proceeds to step S11.

  In step S8, the part selection unit 27 of the microcomputer 1 determines that each part of the occupant feels comfortable in step S6. Therefore, the occupant's whole body is selected as a target for blowing conditioned air. The process proceeds to S9.

  In step S9, the part selection unit 27 of the microcomputer 1 sets TF-tgt, which is the target surface temperature in the occupant's face part calculated in step S6, as the target surface temperature, and the process proceeds to step S10. At this time, immediately after the driver 100A gets on the vehicle, that is, in a period from when the driver 100A is first detected in the passenger compartment until a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) elapses, the current face part is used as a reference. When the detected temperature value is low, a value corrected by a predetermined value (for example, 1 ° C.) is increased. Set as temperature. Thereby, the comfortable feeling of the driver 100A immediately after boarding can be improved more quickly.

  Next, in step S10, the wind direction determining unit 29 of the microcomputer 1 arranges the warm air at the position where the cool air is sent to the occupant's upper body from the outlet provided at the position where the warm air is sent to the occupant's lower body. The air outlet is determined so that the conditioned air is blown from the air outlet, and the wind direction is calculated so that the conditioned air is blown evenly throughout the vehicle interior. After this process, the process proceeds to step S26.

  In step S11 after it is determined that the value of the thermal state parameter COND is not “0”, the microcomputer 1 performs a branching process based on the thermal state parameter COND calculated in step S6, and the driver If it is determined that the hand region 100b of 100A does not feel comfortable (COND = 1), the process proceeds to step S12, and if not, the process proceeds to step S15.

  In step S12, the region selection unit 27 of the microcomputer 1 determines that the driver 100A's hand region 100b does not feel comfortable in step S6. Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

  Next, in step S13, the part selection unit 27 of the microcomputer 1 sets TH-tgt, which is the target surface temperature of the occupant's hand part calculated in step S6, as the target surface temperature, and proceeds to step S14. At this time, immediately after the occupant gets on the vehicle, that is, in a period from when the occupant is first detected in the passenger compartment until a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) elapses, the detected temperature value of the current hand part with reference to the target surface temperature. If the detected temperature value is low, the value is increased by a predetermined value (for example, 1 ° C.), and if the detected temperature value of the current hand part is high, a value corrected by a predetermined value (for example, 1 ° C.) is set as the new target surface temperature. . Thereby, the passenger's comfort feeling immediately after boarding can be improved further quickly.

  Next, in step S14, the wind direction determination unit 29 of the microcomputer 1 determines a blowout outlet to be blown so that conditioned air is blown to the hand region 100b of the driver 100A detected in step S5. The wind direction is calculated and the process proceeds to step S26.

  On the other hand, in step S15 after it is determined that the value of the thermal state parameter COND is not “0” or “1”, the microcomputer 1 branches based on the thermal state parameter COND calculated in step S6. If it is determined in step S6 that the driver 100A does not feel comfortable in the face area 100a (COND = 2), the process proceeds to step S16; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S19. Proceed with the process.

  In step S16, the part selection unit 27 of the microcomputer 1 determines that the driver 100A does not feel comfortable in the face area 100a in step S6. Then, the process proceeds to step S17.

  Next, in step S17, the part selection unit 27 of the microcomputer 1 sets TF-tgt, which is the target surface temperature in the occupant's face part calculated in step S6, as the target surface temperature, and proceeds to step S18. At this time, immediately after the occupant gets on the vehicle, that is, in a period from when the occupant is first detected in the passenger compartment until a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) elapses, the detected temperature value of the current facial part with reference to the target surface temperature When the temperature is low, the value is corrected by a predetermined value (for example, 1 ° C.), and when the current detected temperature value of the facial part is high, a value corrected by a predetermined value (for example, 1 ° C.) is set as the new target surface temperature. . Thereby, the passenger's comfort feeling immediately after boarding can be improved further quickly.

  Next, in step S18, the wind direction determination unit 29 of the microcomputer 1 determines a blowout outlet to be blown so that conditioned air is blown to the face area 100a of the driver 100A detected in step S5. The wind direction is calculated and the process proceeds to step S26.

  On the other hand, in step S19 after it is determined that the value of the thermal state parameter COND is neither “0”, “1”, or “2”, the microcomputer 1 determines that the driver 100A determines that the driver 100A is in accordance with the result of step S6. Since it is determined that both the face area 100a and the hand area 100b do not feel comfortable, both the face part and the hand part are selected as the blowing target, and the process proceeds to step S20.

  Next, in step S20, the part selection unit 27 of the microcomputer 1 calculates TF-tgt which is the target surface temperature of the occupant's face part calculated in step S6 and TH-tgt which is the target surface temperature of the hand part of the occupant. For example, a value calculated by a mathematical expression {(TF−tgt) + (TH−tgt)} / 2 is set as a new target surface temperature, and the process proceeds to step S21. At this time, immediately after the occupant gets on the vehicle, that is, in a period from when the occupant is first detected in the passenger compartment until a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) elapses, the current face part and hand part with reference to the target surface temperature. When the detected temperature value is low, a value corrected by a predetermined value (for example, 1 ° C.) is increased. Set as a target surface temperature. Thereby, the passenger's comfort feeling immediately after boarding can be improved further quickly.

  Next, in step S21, the wind direction determining unit 29 of the microcomputer 1 causes the conditioned air to be blown to an area including both the face area 100a and the hand area 100b of the driver 100A detected in step S5. While determining the blowing outlet to be blown, the wind direction is calculated and the process proceeds to step S26.

  Further, in step S22 after it is determined in step S4 that no occupant is present, it is determined in step S4 that no occupant is present in the driver's seat, so the occupant surface temperature detection unit 24 of the microcomputer 1 is determined. Detects the temperature of the roof region 104 of the thermal image shown in FIG. 4 (ceiling temperature TR-msr) from the thermal image data read in step S2, and proceeds to step S23.

  Next, in step S23, the set temperature value set by the temperature setting device 3 (temperature setting unit 25) is fetched, and the process proceeds to step S24.

  Next, in step S24, the target surface temperature calculation unit 26 of the microcomputer 1 sets the target room temperature TR-tgt, which is the set value taken in step S23, as the target surface temperature, and proceeds to step S25.

  Next, in step S25, the part selection unit 27 and the wind direction determination unit 29 of the microcomputer 1 determine a blowout outlet to be blown so that conditioned air is blown into the entire vehicle interior, and calculate the wind direction. The process proceeds to step S26.

  Thus, after performing Step S10, Step S14, Step S18, Step S21, or Step S25, the microcomputer 1 determines in Step S26 the surface temperature of each part detected in Step S5, and Steps S9, S13, The blower motor voltage and air mix damper opening are calculated so that the target surface temperature of the part to be blown by the conditioned air set in step S17, step S20, or step S24 matches, and the calculation result is blown out. Output to the air volume control device 6 and the blown air temperature control device 5. Moreover, while outputting a control signal with respect to the blower outlet position control apparatus 4 so that conditioned air may be ventilated from the blower outlet determined by step S10, step S14, step S18, step S21, or step S25, step S10 Then, a control signal is output to the blowing wind direction control device 7 so that the wind direction calculated in step S14, step S18, step S21, or step S25 is obtained, and then the process proceeds to step S27.

  Next, in step S27, branch processing is performed depending on whether or not the power supply of the vehicle air-conditioning control device is turned off. If the power is not turned off, the process returns to step S2, and the power is turned off. Then, the air conditioning control process ends.

"Passenger presence determination process"
Next, the passenger presence / absence determination processing in step S3 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  When the occupant presence / absence determination process is started, first, in step S31, the occupant detection unit 23 of the microcomputer 1 specifies the seating position of the occupant in the thermal image read in step S2, and the driver's seat is determined from the temperature distribution of the specified seating position. The presence or absence of the driver 100A is detected and the process proceeds to step S32.

  Next, in step S32, the microcomputer 1 determines whether or not it is the first process after the power supply of the vehicle air conditioning control device is turned on based on the value of the initial process identification flag Flg_A. Process. If it is the first process after the power is turned on (Flg_A = 0), the process proceeds to step S40, and if it is not the first process after the power is turned on (Flg_A = 1). The process proceeds to step S33.

  In step S40, since the microcomputer 1 is determined to be the first process after the power is turned on in step S32, the value of the initial process identification flag Flg_A is set to “1” for the subsequent process. ”And the process proceeds to step S41. In step S41, it is determined whether or not the detection result of the presence or absence of the passenger in the driver's seat detected in step S31 is the presence of an occupant, and branch processing is performed. If it is determined in step S31 that the occupant is present The process proceeds to step S39 to determine that there is an occupant. If it is determined that there is no occupant, the process proceeds to step S42 to determine that there is no occupant.

  On the other hand, in step S33, the occupant detection unit 23 determines whether the detection result of the presence or absence of the occupant detected in step S31 has changed from the previous detection result, performs branch processing, and there is a change in the presence or absence of the occupant Advances the process to step S34, and advances the process to step S43 if there is no change in the presence or absence of a passenger.

  In step S34, the microcomputer 1 resets the count value of the built-in timer Tx for measuring the holding time, starts counting the timer Tx, proceeds to step S35, and the started timer Tx is operating. A flag indicating that there is a hold time, that is, a value of a hold time identification flag Flg_B indicating whether or not waiting time has elapsed is set to “1”, and the process proceeds to step S36.

  On the other hand, in step S43, the microcomputer 1 determines whether or not the value of the hold time identification flag Flg_B indicating whether or not the hold time has elapsed is set to “0”, and performs branch processing. If the waiting time has elapsed (Flg_B = 1), the process proceeds to step S36. If the waiting time has not elapsed (Flg_B = 0), the process proceeds to step S41.

  In step S36, in order to determine whether the door opening / closing detector 22 has been opened / closed, the detected temperature of the door region 101 shown in FIG. 3 is determined based on the thermal image data read in step S2. It is determined whether or not the process has changed, and branch processing is performed based on the determination result. When the detected temperature of the door area 101 is changed in a short time by the door opening / closing detection unit 22, it is determined that the door has been opened / closed, and the process proceeds to step S44, and when it has not changed, the door is opened / closed. If not, the process proceeds to step S37.

  In step S37, the microcomputer 1 determines whether or not the measurement time by the timer Tx is equal to or longer than the predetermined time t1, and performs branch processing based on the determination result. When the timer Tx is equal to or longer than a predetermined time t1 (for example, 10 seconds), it is determined that the holding time has elapsed, and the process proceeds to step S44. On the other hand, if the timer Tx is less than the predetermined time t1, it is determined that the holding time is in progress, and the process proceeds to step S38.

  In step S44, the microcomputer 1 stops counting the timer Tx for measuring the holding time and proceeds to step S45. In step S45, the microcomputer 1 waits for the holding time to elapse. The value of the hold time identification flag Flg_B indicating “0” is set to “0” and the process proceeds to step S41, and the presence or absence of the occupant is determined in step S39 or step S42 depending on the presence or absence of the occupant determined in step S31. Let

  In step S38, the microcomputer 1 determines whether or not it is determined that the occupant is seated (existing) when the subroutine of step S3 was executed last time, and performs branch processing based on the determination result. If it is determined that the occupant is seated (existing) when the subroutine of step S3 was executed last time, the process proceeds to step S39 to confirm that the occupant is seated and the occupant is seated (existing) ), The process proceeds to step S42 to determine that no occupant is seated.

  Thus, even if it is determined in step S36 that the door has not been opened or closed, until the predetermined time t1 elapses, it is detected in step S38 that an occupant is present in the previous time. In step S39, it can be determined that an occupant is present.

  The microcomputer 1 that performs such processing performs steps S31 to S42 in step S3 each time thermal image data is captured in step S2. Thereby, in the first process, by performing step S31, step S32, step S40, and step S41, the presence or absence of the passenger is determined only by the determination result in step S31. On the other hand, if the door is opened and closed instead of the first process, the process from step S36 to step S44, step S45, and step S41 is performed, and the presence / absence of the occupant is determined only by the determination result at step S31. Let Furthermore, when the predetermined time t1 has not elapsed since the door has not been opened and closed and a change in the presence or absence of an occupant has been detected, the processing of step S36, step S37 and step S38 is performed in the previous time. The presence or absence of a passenger is determined according to the presence or absence of a passenger.

"Thermal state calculation process"
Next, the process for calculating the thermal state of the occupant in step S6 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  When the process for calculating the thermal state of the occupant is started, first, in step S51, the hand region of the driver 100A detected by the approach detection unit 28 of the microcomputer 1 for the past predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds). The branching process is performed based on whether or not 100b has approached a blowout port (side vent port) provided in the driver's seat side or a blowout port (center vent port) provided in front of the driver's seat. If the hand region 100b of the driver 100A is approaching any one of the outlets during the past predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) (that is, if the predetermined time has not elapsed), the process proceeds to step S61. If the predetermined time has passed, the process proceeds to step S52.

  In step S52, it is determined whether or not the hand has approached the outlet based on the position of the hand region 100b of the driver 100A detected in step S5, and branch processing is performed based on the determination result. In this branching process, a determination is made based on the information regarding the position of the hand region 100b obtained by the process in step S5, and if the hand is not approaching the outlet, the process proceeds to step S53. On the other hand, if the hand is approaching the outlet, it is estimated that the occupant motion is caused by insufficient occupant comfort, and the process proceeds to step S61.

  If it is determined in step S51 that the predetermined time has not elapsed since the hand approaches, or if it is determined in step S52 that the hand is approaching, the driver 100A in step S61. Therefore, the occupant's thermal state parameter COND is set to “1” and the process proceeds to step S7. Thereby, determination in step S11 in FIG. 6 can be set to “YES”, and step S12 to step S14 can be performed to preferentially set the hand part as a blow target.

  On the other hand, in step S53 in which an affirmative determination is made in step S51 and a negative determination is made in step S52, the driver is based on the target room temperature TR-tgt which is the temperature setting value set in the passenger compartment by the temperature setting device 3. The target surface temperature TF-tgt of the face area 100a of 100A is calculated, and the process proceeds to step S54. In the calculation process of the target surface temperature TF-tgt of the face region 100a, for example, the target surface temperature TF-tgt as the surface temperature of the face part that the passenger feels comfortable according to the target room temperature TR-tgt is previously mapped or a table. And by referring to this map or table, the target surface temperature TF-tgt of the occupant's face may be determined according to the set target room temperature TR-tgt.

  Next, in step S54, the surface temperature difference ΔTF is calculated from the surface temperature TF-msr of the face area 100a of the driver's seat driver 100A detected in step S5 and the target surface temperature TF-tgt calculated in step S53. Calculation is performed according to Equation 1 below, and the process proceeds to step S55.

ΔTF = (TF−tgt) − (TF−msr) (Formula 1)
Next, in step S55, branch processing is performed based on the absolute value of the surface temperature difference ΔTF calculated in step S54. If the absolute value of the surface temperature difference ΔTF is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value Th, it is determined that the occupant is thermally in a steady state and does not feel uncomfortable on the face part, and the process proceeds to step S56. If so, the process proceeds to step S62. In this embodiment, branch determination is performed based on the difference between the passenger surface temperature TF-msr and the target surface temperature TF-tgt. However, for example, branch determination may be performed based on the rate of change of the passenger surface temperature. .

  In step S56, since it is determined in step S55 that the occupant is thermally in a steady state and does not feel uncomfortable in the facial part, the value of the thermal state parameter TF-COND in the occupant's facial part is set to “ “0” is set, and the process proceeds to step S57.

  In step S62, since it is determined in step S55 that the occupant is not thermally in a steady state and feels uncomfortable on the face part, the thermal state parameter TF− representing the thermal state of the occupant's face part is determined. The value of COND is set to “2”, and the process proceeds to step S57.

  In step S57, the target surface temperature TH-tgt of the hand region 100b of the driver 100A is calculated based on the target room temperature TR-tgt which is the temperature set value in the passenger compartment set by the temperature setting device 3, and step S58 is performed. Proceed with the process. In this calculation process, for example, similarly to the target surface temperature TF-tgt of the face part, the surface temperature of the hand part that the passenger feels comfortable according to the target room temperature TR-tgt is stored in advance as a map or table. Alternatively, the target surface temperature TH-tgt of the occupant's hand according to the target room temperature TR-tgt may be determined by referring to the table.

  Next, in step S58, a branching process is performed based on the value of the surface temperature TH-msr of the hand region 100b of the driver 100A detected in step S5. When the value of the surface temperature TH-msr of the hand region 100b of the driver 100A is between the low temperature side predetermined temperature value THL (for example, 30 ° C.) and the high temperature side predetermined temperature value THH (for example, 35 ° C.), the process proceeds to step S59. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S63.

  Here, the low temperature side temperature value THL and the high temperature side temperature value THH are the vehicle interior temperature in a period immediately after the occupant gets on the vehicle, that is, until a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) elapses after the occupant is first detected in the vehicle interior. When TR-msr or the outside air temperature is low, the value is corrected by a predetermined value (for example, 1 ° C.), and when the vehicle interior temperature TR-msr or the outside air temperature is high, the value is corrected and set to a high value by a predetermined value (for example, 1 ° C.). Also good. Thereby, a passenger's comfort feeling immediately after boarding can be improved in a short time regardless of a season and outside temperature.

  In this embodiment, in order to determine the thermal state of the hand region 100b of the driver 100A, the surface temperature TH-msr of the hand region 100b detected in step S5 is a predetermined temperature range (a low temperature side temperature THL and a high temperature). The method of determining based on whether or not the temperature is included in the temperature of the side temperature THH has been described. Similar to the case of the face part, the absolute value of the surface temperature difference ΔTH calculated by the following equation 2 is used. You may determine based on. At this time, if the surface temperature difference ΔTH is small, the process proceeds to step S59, and if the surface temperature difference ΔTH is large, the process proceeds to step S63.

ΔTH = (TH−tgt) − (TH−msr) (Formula 2)
In the next step S59, since it is determined in step S58 that the occupant is thermally in a steady state and does not feel uncomfortable in the hand part, the thermal state parameter representing the thermal state of the occupant's hand part is determined. The value of TH-COND is set to “0”, and the process proceeds to step S60.

  On the other hand, in step S63, since it is determined in step S58 that the occupant is not in a thermally steady state and feels discomfort in the hand region, the thermal state parameter representing the thermal state of the occupant's hand region is determined. The value of TH-COND is set to “1”, and the process proceeds to step S60.

  In step S60, based on the thermal state parameter TF-COND of the occupant's face region and the thermal state parameter TH-COND of the occupant's hand region determined in the series of processes so far, The parameter COND representing the target state is calculated by the following expression 3, and the process proceeds to step S7.

COND = TF−COND + TH−COND (Formula 3)
Thus, when the value of the thermal condition parameter TF-COND of the facial part is “2” in step S62 and the value of the thermal condition parameter TH-COND of the hand part is “1” in step S63. The result of Equation 3 can be set to “3”. In FIG. 6, the determination in Step S15 can be “NO”, and Steps S19 to S21 are performed to give priority to the face part and the hand part. It can be. Further, when the value of the thermal condition parameter TF-COND of the facial part is “0” in step S62 and the value of the thermal condition parameter TH-COND of the hand part is “1” in step S63, The result of Equation 3 can be set to “1”, and in FIG. 6, the determination in Step S11 can be “YES”, and Step S12 to Step S14 can be performed to prioritize the hand part as the air blowing target. it can. Further, when the value of the thermal condition parameter TF-COND of the facial part is “2” in step S62 and the value of the thermal condition parameter TH-COND of the hand part is “0” in step S63, The result of Equation 3 can be set to “2”, and in FIG. 6, the determination in Step S15 can be “YES”, and Step S16 to Step S18 can be performed to prioritize the face part as a blow target. it can. Furthermore, when the value of the thermal condition parameter TF-COND of the facial part is set to “0” in step S62 and the value of the thermal condition parameter TH-COND of the hand part is set to “0” in step S63. The result of Equation 3 can be set to “0”, and in FIG. 6, the determination in step S7 can be set to “YES”, and the whole body can be preferentially selected as the blow target by performing steps S8 to S10. it can.

  In the air conditioning control processing of the conditioned air by the vehicle air conditioning control device described above, it is determined whether or not the occupant is feeling comfortable about the face part and the hand part. Even for the foot part, it is determined whether or not the user feels comfortable in the same way as the hand part, and if it is determined that the user does not feel comfortable, air-conditioned air is blown to the foot part. Good.

[Effect of the embodiment]
As described above, according to the vehicle air-conditioning control apparatus to which the present invention is applied, the body that needs to reduce the thermal sensation of the occupant based on the surface temperatures of the exposed parts of the skin such as the occupant's face and limbs. It is possible to select a part and to blow air directly in preference to the determined part, to reduce the thermal sensation of the entire body of the occupant in a short time, and to improve the comfort of the occupant Become.

  In addition, according to the vehicle air conditioning control device, since at least one of the occupant's face part, the limb part, and the face and limb part is selected as the skin exposure part selection target, the conditioned air is given priority. As a portion to be blown, a portion where the occupant's skin is exposed from the clothes can be selected, and the thermal sensation of the occupant's whole body can be further quickly reduced to provide a comfortable environment.

  Further, according to this vehicle air-conditioning control device, the target surface temperature is increased or decreased by a predetermined value during a period until a predetermined time elapses after the occupant is detected in the passenger compartment. Immediately after boarding, the target surface temperature of the selected body part can be emphasized, so that a comfortable environment can be created in a shorter time, and the thermal sensation of the seated occupant can be quickly reduced. it can.

  Furthermore, according to this vehicle air-conditioning control device, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of an occupant using a thermal image obtained by the IR camera 2 or the like. The presence / absence of the occupant and the skin exposed portion of the occupant can be detected based on the thermal image, and air can be effectively and reliably blown to the skin exposed portion.

  Furthermore, according to this vehicle air-conditioning control device, it is possible to preferentially determine the skin exposed part to be blown and blow the conditioned air toward the position where the skin exposed part of the subject occupant is present. The comfort of the occupant can be improved by effectively applying the conditioned air to the target skin exposed portion.

  Furthermore, according to this vehicle air conditioning control device, when the hand part of the occupant approaches at least one of the plurality of outlets, the hand part is preferentially blown over a predetermined period. It can be. Thereby, due to the approach of the hand part to the outlet, it is possible to perform the blowout control towards the hand part, due to the movement of the occupant when the occupant has not obtained sufficient comfort in the hand part, A body part that does not provide a comfortable feeling can be intensively targeted.

  Furthermore, according to this vehicle air-conditioning control device, when there is no change in the open / closed state of the door disposed in the vehicle and the detection result regarding the presence or absence of an occupant changes, the previous detection result is predetermined. Therefore, even if the occupant's posture temporarily changes and the occupant cannot be detected, the operation mode of the air conditioning control process can be continued without switching.

  The above-described embodiment is an example of the present invention. For this reason, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made depending on the design and the like as long as the technical idea according to the present invention is not deviated from this embodiment. Of course, it is possible to change.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle air-conditioning control apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is a schematic diagram which shows the attachment position of IR camera with which the vehicle air-conditioning control apparatus to which this invention is applied is provided. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the thermal image imaged with IR camera with which the vehicle air-conditioning control apparatus to which this invention is applied is equipped. It is a functional block diagram which shows the function implement | achieved by the vehicle air-conditioning control apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the vehicle air conditioner control apparatus to which this invention is applied, and is a graph which shows about the relationship between the surface temperature of a passenger | crew's face part and hand part, and the thermal sensation of the whole body which a passenger | crew feels. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the air-conditioning control process by the vehicle air-conditioning control apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the subroutine process regarding the passenger | crew presence determination by the vehicle air conditioner control apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the subroutine process regarding the process which calculates the passenger | crew's thermal state by the vehicle air conditioner control apparatus to which this invention is applied.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Microcomputer 2 IR camera 3 Temperature setting device 4 Outlet position control device 5 Outlet air temperature control device 6 Outlet air volume control device 7 Outlet air direction control device 10 Vehicle 21 Thermal image pick-up part 22 Door opening / closing detection part 23 Crew detection part 24 Crew Surface temperature detection unit 25 Temperature setting unit 26 Target surface temperature calculation unit 27 Site selection unit 28 Approach detection unit 29 Wind direction determination unit 30 Control unit 100a Face area 100b Hand area

Claims (2)

In a vehicle air-conditioning control device that is mounted on a vehicle and that cools and heats air to blow air as conditioned air into the vehicle interior,
Thermal image capturing means for capturing a thermal image in the vehicle interior;
Temperature setting means for setting a target temperature in the vehicle compartment;
Occupant detection means for detecting the presence or absence of an occupant in the passenger compartment based on the thermal image captured by the thermal image capturing means;
When an occupant is detected by the occupant detection means, an occupant surface temperature detection means for detecting a surface temperature of the skin exposed portion of the occupant;
Target surface temperature calculating means for calculating a target surface temperature of the exposed skin portion based on the target temperature in the vehicle interior set by the temperature setting means;
Based on the surface temperature detected by the occupant surface temperature detection means, a part selection means for preferentially selecting a skin exposure part of the occupant to be blown,
Based on the exposed skin part selected by the part selection unit, the outlet to be sent out of the conditioned air among a plurality of conditioned air outlets is selectively opened and closed, and selected by the part selection unit. Control means for controlling the air temperature and the air volume of the conditioned air so that the surface temperature of the exposed skin portion detected by the occupant surface temperature detecting means is the target surface temperature calculated by the target surface temperature calculating means. When,
When the detected temperature of the door area corresponding to the door of the vehicle in the thermal image captured by the thermal image capturing means changes, it is determined that the door has been opened and closed, and corresponds to the vehicle door in the thermal image. A door opening / closing detection means for detecting that the door is not opened and closed when the detected temperature of the door area is not changed, and detecting the opening / closing state of the door disposed in the vehicle,
When the occupant detection means detects a change in the presence / absence state of the occupant and determines that there is no change in the detection result by the door opening / closing detection means, the occupant detection means A vehicle air-conditioning control apparatus, wherein a detection result is held for a predetermined period to determine the presence or absence of an occupant . In the vehicle air conditioning control method for cooling and heating air and blowing air as conditioned air into the vehicle interior,
Taking a thermal image of the passenger compartment,
When the target temperature in the passenger compartment is set and the presence or absence of an occupant in the passenger compartment is detected based on the captured thermal image, and the occupant is detected, the surface temperature of the skin exposed portion of the occupant is determined. Detect
Based on the target temperature in the passenger compartment, the target surface temperature of the exposed skin part is calculated,
Based on the surface temperature of the occupant, select the occupant's skin exposure site to be preferentially blown,
Based on the selected exposed skin area, the air outlet to be sent out of the conditioned air is selectively opened and closed, and the surface temperature of the selected exposed skin area is determined. In controlling the air temperature and air volume of the conditioned air so as to be the target surface temperature,
When the detected temperature of the door area corresponding to the vehicle door in the captured thermal image changes, it is determined that the door has been opened and closed, and the door area corresponding to the vehicle door is detected from the thermal image. When the temperature has not changed, it is determined that the door has not been opened and closed, and an open / closed state of the door disposed in the vehicle is detected,
When it is determined that there is no change in the detection result by the door opening / closing detection means when a change in the presence / absence state of the occupant is detected by the occupant detection means, the previous detection result of the presence / absence state of the occupant is determined for a predetermined period. A vehicle air-conditioning control method characterized by holding and determining the presence or absence of an occupant.

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