JP7494541B2 - Vehicle air conditioning control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air conditioning control device for a vehicle.

Vehicles are equipped with air conditioning devices to control the environment inside the vehicle cabin, such as the temperature. The vehicle air conditioning devices are equipped with an auto mode that automatically controls the temperature, volume, and direction of the air blown out, taking into account the environment inside the vehicle cabin, such as the temperature. When the occupant selects the auto mode, the air conditioning control is required to execute control so that the occupant feels that the environment inside the vehicle cabin is more comfortable.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a non-contact temperature sensor is provided inside the vehicle cabin, and the non-contact temperature sensor is used to detect the surface temperature of interior materials and the surface temperature of passengers. Patent Document 1 claims that the environment inside the vehicle cabin can be made to feel comfortable for passengers in the rear seats by controlling the air conditioning system based on the temperature of the interior materials under the rear window and the surface temperature of passengers in the rear seats detected by the non-contact temperature sensor.

JP 2005-329929 A

However, in the technology disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, air conditioning is controlled based on the surface temperature of the occupant detected using a non-contact temperature sensor, making it difficult to perform optimal air conditioning control. In other words, in order to make the occupant feel that the environment inside the vehicle is comfortable, it is important to take into account the amount of radiation (amount of radiant heat) from the glass surface to the occupant.

In contrast, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 detects the surface temperature of the occupant using a non-contact temperature sensor, but does not detect the amount of radiation from the glass surface to the occupant. The amount of radiation from the glass surface to the occupant varies depending on the physique and posture of the target occupant, as well as their clothing. For this reason, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not necessarily provide optimal air conditioning control.

In addition, if you want to accurately detect the amount of radiation from the glass surface to the occupant, it is theoretically possible to attach a biosensor to the occupant, for example.

However, using a biosensor to detect the amount of radiation to the occupant as described above is not practical because it requires attaching and detaching the biosensor every time the occupant gets in and out of the vehicle.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide an air conditioning control device for a vehicle that can accurately determine the amount of radiation to the occupants without using biosensors or the like, and can perform more optimal air conditioning control in the vehicle cabin.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioning control device for a vehicle that controls air conditioning in a vehicle cabin using a first radiation amount, which is an amount of radiation from a predetermined glass surface of the vehicle to at least a partial range in the vehicle cabin, and the air conditioning control device includes: a radiation amount detection unit that is provided on the predetermined glass surface and detects the first radiation amount; a surface temperature detection unit that has the at least a partial range as a detection range and detects a surface temperature in the detection range; and an air conditioning control unit that acquires detection results of the radiation amount detection unit and the surface temperature detection unit and controls air conditioning in the vehicle cabin ; The emissivity of the interior members is known in advance, and the air conditioning control unit extracts only the detection results for the interior members within the detection range based on the detection results from the surface temperature detection unit, calculates a second amount of radiation which is the amount of radiation from the glass surface to the interior members within the detection range in the vehicle cabin using the extracted results, subtracts the second amount of radiation from the first amount of radiation to obtain a third amount of radiation , sets the third amount of radiation as the amount of radiation from the glass surface to occupants within the detection range in the vehicle cabin, and controls the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin based on the third amount of radiation.

In the air conditioning control device of the above-mentioned aspect, the third radiation amount (amount of radiation from the glass surface to occupants within the detection range in the vehicle cabin) is calculated by subtracting the second radiation amount (amount of radiation from the glass surface to interior materials within the detection range ) from the first radiation amount (amount of radiation from the glass surface into the vehicle cabin), and the air conditioning is controlled based on this.Therefore, the amount of radiation to the occupants can be accurately determined without having to attach biosensors to the occupants, and more optimal air conditioning control can be performed in the vehicle cabin.

The second radiation amount can be accurately detected because the emissivity of the interior material used in the vehicle can be known in advance. Here, the target for detecting the surface temperature by the surface temperature detection unit is the detection range of the surface temperature detection unit in the vehicle cabin, which may be the entire interior of the vehicle cabin or a part of the interior of the vehicle cabin .

In the vehicle air conditioning control device according to the above aspect, the air conditioning control unit may control the air conditioning to flow air along the glass surface when the third radiation amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

As described above, if air conditioning control is performed to flow air along the glass surface when the third radiation amount (amount of radiation from the glass surface to the occupants in the vehicle cabin) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the temperature inside the vehicle cabin can be effectively controlled by flowing air (hot or cold air) along the glass surface (the surface on the inside of the vehicle cabin). In other words, by flowing air along the glass surface, the temperature of the glass surface can be controlled, and the amount of radiation from the glass surface to the occupants can be reduced.

In addition, if the vehicle is left in the hot sun and the glass is hot, cool air is blown along the glass surface to lower the temperature of the glass surface. Conversely, if the vehicle is left in a low-temperature environment and the glass is cold, warm air is blown along the glass surface to raise the temperature of the glass surface, creating an optimal environment inside the vehicle.

In the vehicle air conditioning control device according to the above aspect, the air conditioning control unit may be capable of controlling the air conditioning in an auto mode that controls the air volume, air direction, and outlet temperature based on a temperature set by the occupant, and when control in the auto mode is selected and the third radiation amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the air conditioning control unit may control the air conditioning in a defroster mode that causes air to flow along the glass surface of the front windshield of the vehicle.

As described above, if the third radiation amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and control in auto mode is selected, air conditioning control in defroster mode can be performed to prevent occupants from feeling uncomfortable about the air conditioning. In other words, if air conditioning control in defroster mode based on the third radiation amount is performed even when the occupant has selected manual mode, control will be performed against the occupant's will, but if air conditioning control in defroster mode based on the third radiation amount is performed only when auto mode is selected as described above, it is believed that occupants will not feel uncomfortable.

The vehicle air conditioning control device according to the above aspect may further include a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature inside the vehicle cabin, and the air conditioning control unit may acquire vehicle cabin temperature information related to the temperature inside the vehicle cabin and the time derivative of the temperature based on the detection result of the temperature detection unit, and may perform the air conditioning in the defroster mode when the state related to the temperature inside the vehicle cabin is determined to be a steady state based on the vehicle cabin temperature information and the third radiation amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

As described above, when the third radiation amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, air conditioning control is performed in defroster mode only when the temperature inside the vehicle cabin is in a steady state. For example, when an occupant gets into a vehicle that has been left in the hot sun, it is possible to alleviate discomfort by blowing cool air to the occupant's head and upper body until the temperature inside the vehicle cabin reaches a steady state. Then, once the steady state is reached, the air conditioning is controlled in defroster mode to reduce radiation from the front window, creating an optimal environment inside the vehicle cabin.

In the vehicle air conditioning control device according to the above aspect, the air conditioning control unit may stop the air conditioning in the defroster mode when the control in the auto mode is being executed and the control in the defroster mode is being executed and the third radiation amount is less than a predetermined value.

As described above, when control is being executed in both auto mode and defroster mode, and the third radiation amount is less than a predetermined value, air conditioning in defroster mode is stopped, thereby improving passenger comfort while reducing the energy consumption required for air conditioning.

The air conditioning control device according to each of the above aspects can accurately determine the amount of radiation to the occupants without using a biosensor or the like, and can perform more optimal air conditioning control within the vehicle cabin.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle interior of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to air conditioning control in a vehicle; 4 is a flowchart of air conditioning control executed by an air conditioning control unit. FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing an air conditioning mode when air conditioning is performed in vent mode and defroster mode in parallel, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing an air conditioning mode when air conditioning is performed in vent mode.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below except for its essential configuration.

[Embodiment]
1. Configuration of the interior of the passenger compartment 1a of the vehicle 1 Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the interior of the passenger compartment 1a of the vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, "FR" indicates the front of the vehicle, "RE" indicates the rear of the vehicle, "UP" indicates the upper side of the vehicle, and "LO" indicates the lower side of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 is provided with a front window 2 that separates the interior of the vehicle compartment 1a from the exterior of the vehicle. The front window 2 is made of glass. The vehicle 1 also has a front door 3 and a rear door 4. The front door 3 has an openable front side window 3a at the top, and a front door trim 3b, which is an interior member, at the bottom. The rear door 4 also has an openable rear side window 4a at the top, and a rear door trim 4b, which is an interior member, at the bottom.

Note that the vehicle 1 also has a front door 3 and a rear door 4 on the front side of the paper in FIG. 1, but these are not shown in FIG. 1. Also, FIG. 1 does not show a rear window or other components provided on the rear side of the vehicle 1.

A seat 500 for a passenger 500 to sit on is provided in the vehicle interior 1a. Note that FIG. 1 illustrates only the seat 5 in which the driver sits.

The seat 500 has a seat cushion 5a, a seat back 5b, and a headrest 5c.

An instrument panel 6 is provided below the front end of the windshield 2 within the vehicle interior 1a. The instrument panel 6 is provided with a meter cluster for displaying various information related to the driving of the vehicle 1, an input section for inputting various command information, and the like. The input section also includes an input section for the occupant 500 to input instructions related to air conditioning (not shown).

A steering wheel 7 is disposed in front of the seat back 5b of the seat 5. The steering wheel 7 is disposed in a position where the driver (passenger 500) seated in the seat 5 can grasp it by extending his/her arms.

In the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, a heat flux sensor (radiation amount detection unit) 11 is provided on the inner surface (glass surface) of the windshield 2. The heat flux sensor 11 is a sensor formed using a thermoelectric conversion material, and is a sensor for detecting the amount of radiation (first radiation amount) from the windshield 2 into the vehicle interior 1a.

In addition, in the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, an infrared camera (surface temperature detection unit) 12 is also provided in the vehicle interior 1a. The infrared camera 12 has pixels that detect infrared rays, and is a detection unit that detects the temperature of the imaging range in the vehicle interior 1a.

The vehicle 1 is also provided with an interior temperature sensor (temperature detection unit) 13 that detects the temperature inside the passenger compartment 1a.

2. Configuration Related to Air Conditioning Control in Vehicle 1 Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to air conditioning control in the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is equipped with an air conditioning control unit 15. The air conditioning control unit 15 has a microprocessor composed of a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. The detection results detected by the heat flux sensor 11, the infrared camera 12, and the vehicle interior temperature sensor 13 are input to the air conditioning control unit 15 in a timely manner.

In addition, the air conditioning control unit 15 also receives information from the air conditioning mode input unit 14, which accepts input from the occupant regarding air conditioning. The air conditioning mode input unit 14 allows the occupant to select the auto mode.

In the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, the air conditioning control device 10 is configured to include an air conditioning control unit 15, a heat flux sensor 11, an infrared camera 12, and an interior temperature sensor 13. The air conditioning control device 10 is a device that controls the air conditioning device 16 based on various information about the vehicle 1.

The air conditioner 16 has a blowing mode setting unit 161, a blowing temperature setting unit 162, an air volume setting unit 163, and an air direction setting unit 164. The blowing mode setting unit 161 is a setting unit that blows out hot air or cold air in a mode according to a command from the air conditioning control device 10. In this embodiment, a defroster mode, a vent mode, a foot mode, and a combination mode thereof are provided.

Here, in the defroster mode, air (hot or cold) is blown out along the inside of the front window 2 and the front side windows 3a. In the vent mode, air is blown out toward the upper body of the occupant, and in the foot mode, air is blown out toward the feet of the occupant.

3. Air conditioning control executed by the air conditioning control unit 15 Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the air conditioning control executed by the air conditioning control unit 15. Fig. 4(a) is a schematic diagram showing an air conditioning mode when air conditioning is executed in parallel in the vent mode and the defroster mode, and Fig. 4(b) is a schematic diagram showing an air conditioning mode when air conditioning is executed in the vent mode.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the operation of the air conditioner 16 is started, the air conditioner control unit 15 reads various information (step S1). In step 1, the air conditioner control unit 15 reads at least information from the heat flux sensor 11, the infrared camera 12, the vehicle interior temperature sensor 13, and the air conditioner mode input unit 14.

Next, the air conditioning control unit 15 determines whether or not the auto mode has been selected as the air conditioning mode (step S2). The air conditioning control unit 15 makes the determination in step S2 based on the information input by the occupant to the air conditioning mode input unit 14. If the air conditioning control unit 15 determines in step S2 that the auto mode has not been selected (step S2: NO), it operates the air conditioning device 16 in the mode selected by the occupant (step S10).

When the air conditioning control unit 15 determines in step S2 that the auto mode has been selected (step S2: YES), it determines whether the temperature in the vehicle compartment 1a is approximately the same as the set temperature (step S3) and whether the time derivative of the temperature in the vehicle compartment 1a is approximately 0 (step S4). The determinations in steps S3 and S4 are to determine whether the vehicle compartment 1a is in a steady state (step S5).

If the air conditioning control unit 15 determines that either step S3 or step S4 is NO, it operates the air conditioning unit 16 in vent mode (step S9). This is because, for example, when an occupant gets into a vehicle that has been parked under the hot sun, the air conditioning unit 16 operates in vent mode until the temperature inside the vehicle compartment 1a becomes substantially the same as the set temperature and the time derivative of the temperature inside the vehicle compartment 1a becomes substantially zero, thereby blowing cool air directly onto the upper half of the occupant's body and reducing the occupant's feeling of heat.

If the air conditioning control unit 15 determines that both steps S3 and S4 are YES, it calculates the amount of radiation from the windshield 2 to the occupants (step S6). The calculation of the amount of radiation from the windshield 2 to the occupants is performed using the following formula.

In the above formula, Q is the amount of radiation, σ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, ε is the emissivity, F is the shape factor, T is the temperature, and S _glass is the surface area of the windshield 2. The left side of the above formula indicates the "amount of radiation from the windshield 2 to the occupants (third amount of radiation)." The first term on the right side of the above formula, "Q _{glass→cabin} ," indicates the "amount of radiation from the windshield 2 to the entire interior of the vehicle compartment 1a (first amount of radiation)," and the second term on the right side, "σ·ε _glass ·ε _etc ·F _glass→etc ·S _glass ·(T ⁴ _glass -T ⁴ _etc )," indicates the "amount of radiation from the windshield 2 to the components (interior members) other than the occupants in the vehicle compartment 1a (second amount of radiation)."

Next, the air conditioning control unit 15 judges whether the "amount of radiation from the front window 2 to the occupants" calculated in step S6 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S7). The "predetermined value" used as the judgment criterion in step S7 is a value previously set through experience and experimentation, and is a threshold value for whether the occupants feel comfortable or uncomfortable, taking into account the physique and posture of the occupants, as well as their clothing. The predetermined value can also be set for each destination of the vehicle 1.

If the air conditioning control unit 15 determines that the "amount of radiation from the front window 2 to the occupant (third amount of radiation)" is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S7: YES), it controls the air conditioning in parallel in the vent mode and defroster mode as shown in FIG. 4(a) (step S8).

As shown in FIG. 4(a), when the windshield 2 is hot due to solar radiation SR, the amount of radiation to the head 500a and upper body 500b of the occupant 500 is large, making the occupant 500 feel uncomfortable. In this case, the air conditioning control unit 15 blows out air (Flow1) in vent mode to directly cool the head 500a and upper body 500b of the occupant 500, and blows out air (Flow2) in defrost mode to flow cool air along the glass surface of the windshield 2, thereby lowering the temperature of the windshield 2 and reducing the amount of radiation to the occupant 500.

On the other hand, if the air conditioning control unit 15 determines that the "amount of radiation from the front window 2 to the occupant (third radiation amount)" is less than a predetermined value (step S7: NO), it controls the air conditioning in vent mode as shown in FIG. 4(b) (step S9). As shown in FIG. 4(b), when the "amount of radiation from the front window 2 to the occupant (third radiation amount)" is less than a predetermined value, it is possible to sufficiently alleviate the discomfort of the occupant 500 by simply blowing out air (Flow 1) in vent mode (step S9) without cooling the front window 2 as in FIG. 4(a).

In the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, by executing the control as described above, the amount of radiation (third amount of radiation) for the occupant 500 can be accurately determined without using a biosensor or the like, and more optimal air conditioning control can be performed within the vehicle compartment 1a.

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, the vehicle 1 is parked under the blazing sun, and the temperature of the vehicle becomes high. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a vehicle in a cold environment to ensure the comfort of the passengers in the vehicle. Specifically, in a cold environment, cold radiation may be generated toward the passengers from the front window or front side windows of the vehicle. In such a case, even if the temperature inside the vehicle is raised by blowing warm air in the vent mode, the passengers feel cold due to the cold radiation. In response to this cold radiation, it is possible to reduce the cold radiation by blowing warm air along the front window or front side windows in the defroster mode.

In the above embodiment, "auto operation in vent mode and defroster mode" is performed in step S8, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, foot mode can be used instead of vent mode, and the air conditioner can be operated in vent mode, foot mode, and defroster mode in parallel.

In addition, in the above embodiment, "auto operation in vent mode" is executed in step S9, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the air conditioner may be operated in foot mode.

In the above embodiment, air conditioning control is performed taking into account the amount of radiation for the occupant 500 in the front seat, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in a vehicle, an outlet capable of blowing air along the rear window can be provided, and the amount of radiation from the rear window to an occupant (e.g., an occupant in the rear seat) can be calculated in the same manner as in the above embodiment. This allows optimal air conditioning for the occupants in the rear seat.

In addition, an air outlet can be provided to allow air to flow along the rear side window, and air conditioning control can be performed based on the amount of radiation from the rear side window to passengers (e.g. passengers in the rear seats).

In addition, an air outlet can be provided to allow air to flow along the sunroof, and air conditioning control can be performed based on the amount of radiation from the sunroof to the occupants.

In the above embodiment, an infrared camera 12 is provided as an example of a surface temperature detection unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. Thermometers capable of detecting the surface temperatures of major parts in the vehicle interior may be provided. It is not necessary to detect the surface temperatures of all interior members in the vehicle interior. The surface temperatures of some interior members may be detected and the surface temperatures of all interior members in the vehicle interior may be calculated based on a predefined relational expression.

In the above embodiment, no specific mention was made of switching between internal air circulation and external air introduction in air conditioning control, but it is also possible to control the switching appropriately depending on the environment inside the vehicle cabin (temperature, humidity, oxygen concentration, etc.).

1 Vehicle 1a Vehicle compartment 2 Front window 3b Front door trim (interior member)
4b Rear door trim (interior parts)
5. Seats (interior parts)
6. Instrument panel (interior parts)
10 Air conditioning control device 11 Heat flux sensor (radiation amount detection unit)
12 Infrared camera (surface temperature detection unit)
13 Vehicle interior temperature sensor (temperature detection unit)
16 Air conditioner 161 Air outlet mode setting section 162 Air outlet temperature setting section 163 Air volume setting section 164 Air direction setting section

Claims (5)

An air conditioning control device for a vehicle that controls air conditioning in a vehicle cabin using a first radiation amount, which is an amount of radiation from a predetermined glass surface of the vehicle to at least a part of a range in the vehicle cabin,
a radiation amount detection unit provided on the predetermined glass surface and configured to detect the first radiation amount;
a surface temperature detection unit having at least the part of the range as a detection range and detecting a surface temperature in the detection range ;
an air conditioning control unit that acquires the detection results of the radiation amount detection unit and the surface temperature detection unit and controls air conditioning in the vehicle interior;
Equipped with
The emissivity of the interior members in the vehicle interior is known in advance,
The air conditioning control unit is
extracting only the detection result for the interior member within the detection range based on the detection result from the surface temperature detection unit, and calculating a second radiation amount, which is a radiation amount from the glass surface to the interior member within the detection range in the vehicle cabin , using the extracted result;
a third radiation amount is obtained by subtracting the second radiation amount from the first radiation amount, and the third radiation amount is set as an amount of radiation from the glass surface to an occupant within the detection range in the vehicle interior;
controlling air conditioning in the vehicle cabin based on the third radiation amount;
Vehicle climate control device. 2. The vehicle air conditioning control device according to claim 1,
The air conditioning control unit controls the air conditioning so as to cause air to flow along the glass surface when the third radiation amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
Vehicle climate control device. 3. The vehicle air conditioning control device according to claim 2,
The air conditioning control unit is capable of controlling the air conditioning in an auto mode in which an air volume, an air direction, and an outlet temperature are controlled based on a temperature set by the occupant,
When the control in the auto mode is selected and the third radiation amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the air conditioning control unit controls the air conditioning in a defroster mode in which air flows along the glass surface of the front window of the vehicle.
Vehicle climate control device. 4. The vehicle air conditioning control device according to claim 3 ,
A temperature detector for detecting a temperature inside the vehicle compartment is further provided.
The air conditioning control unit is
acquiring vehicle interior temperature information related to the temperature inside the vehicle interior and a time derivative of the temperature based on a detection result of the temperature detection unit;
performing the air conditioning in the defroster mode when it is determined that the state related to the temperature in the vehicle interior is a steady state based on the vehicle interior temperature information and when the third radiation amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value;
Vehicle climate control device. The vehicle air conditioning control device according to claim 3 or 4,
The air conditioning control unit stops the air conditioning in the defroster mode when the control in the auto mode and the control in the defroster mode are being executed and the third radiation amount is less than a predetermined value.
Vehicle climate control device.

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