JPH10203138A - Air environment control system for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly and automatically control air environment in a car chamber according to a state outside a vehicle. SOLUTION: An air environment control system for a vehicle comprises a ceiling sensor 1 to detect the presence of a ceiling from a space distance above a vehicle, an electric wave sensor 2 to detect the intensity of broadcasting electric wave and a photo sensor 3 to detect brightness outside the vehicle. Further, a control device 5 is provided to control apparatuses related to air environment in the vehicle to decide a space state in which the vehicle is positioned is decided from the outputs of the three sensors. To control operation of the apparatuses by detecting it from the outputs of the three sensors that the vehicle enters a narrow space, such as a tunnel and an underground parking area, proper air environment is provided without needing manual operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle air environment control system for controlling an air environment in a vehicle such as an automobile or a train.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 2-310121 discloses a method for easily maintaining a good air environment in a passenger compartment. An arrangement for operating the air purifier is shown. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-201713, it is detected whether or not the vehicle is traveling in an air-contaminated area by using a GPS navigation device and air-contaminated area information such as a tunnel. A device in which the device is switched from the outside air intake state to the inside air circulation state is shown.

[0003]

However, in the former, the operation control of the air purifier at night is not shown, and the operation control using only the optical sensor cannot be adapted to the situation outside the vehicle. In the latter case, air pollution area information is required, and when traveling in an area without this information, a manual switching operation is required.

[0004] The air environment in the cabin of the vehicle depends on the operating condition of the air conditioner (particularly, switching between intake of outside air and circulation of inside air).
It depends not only on the operating condition of the air purifier, but also on the open / closed state of the window.
It is not always possible to maintain a proper air environment in the cabin, so if you enter a closed space such as a tunnel or an underground parking lot, open windows to prevent exhaust gas from entering the cabin. At present, it is necessary to perform an operation of closing the air conditioner, switching the air conditioner to the inside air circulation, and further switching the air purifier to the strong operation.

[0005] Every time the vehicle enters or exits a tunnel or an underground parking lot, the air conditioner switches between outside air intake and inside air circulation, switches the operation mode of the air purifier, and opens and closes windows. In addition, it is troublesome, and it is dangerous to distract the driver from driving due to these operations. The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air environment control system that can appropriately and automatically control an air environment in a vehicle compartment according to a situation outside the vehicle. It is in.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a ceiling sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a ceiling from a spatial distance above a vehicle, a radio wave sensor for detecting the intensity of a broadcast radio wave, and detecting the brightness outside the vehicle. It is characterized in that it is an air environment control system for a vehicle comprising an optical sensor and a control device for judging a spatial situation where the vehicle is located from the outputs of these three sensors and controlling devices related to an air environment in the vehicle. Have.

In order to detect the entry of a vehicle into a closed space such as a tunnel or an underground parking lot from the outputs of the above three sensors and control the operation of the equipment, it is necessary to manually operate an appropriate air environment. It is obtained without doing. Here, it is desirable that the equipment relating to the air environment in the vehicle is an air conditioner, an air purifier for purifying the air in the passenger compartment, and a device for opening and closing the window of the vehicle. By keeping all these devices under control, the air environment in the passenger compartment can be completely maintained in a desired state.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a ceiling sensor for detecting whether or not a ceiling exists above a vehicle, and the ceiling sensor is provided on the upper surface of the vehicle. And an obstacle sensor using a laser beam, and outputs a ceiling detection output if an object exists within several meters.

[0009] In the figure, reference numeral 2 denotes a radio wave sensor for detecting the intensity of a broadcast radio wave such as a radio broadcast or a television broadcast, and outputs an on / off output according to the magnitude of the intensity. As a radio wave to be detected, an FM broadcast radio wave is more preferable than an AM broadcast radio wave. In the figure, reference numeral 3 denotes an optical sensor for detecting the brightness outside the vehicle, which is installed on the outer surface of the vehicle or near the dashboard in the vehicle interior, detects the brightness outside the vehicle, and outputs an output when the brightness suddenly changes. It is something to switch. Note that only an output corresponding to the brightness may be output, and a sudden change in brightness may be determined by the control circuit 5 described later.

Further, in the figure, reference numeral 4 denotes a vehicle speed sensor for switching the output depending on whether the vehicle speed obtained from a speed meter of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. This vehicle speed sensor 4 is for canceling a stop. The above four types of sensors 1, 2,
3 and 4 are connected to the control circuit 5. The control circuit 5 determines whether or not the vehicle is located in a closed space such as a tunnel based on the outputs of the four types of sensors 1, 2, 3, and 4. The air purifier 7 and the electric window switch 8 are operated.

That is, the control circuit 5 determines that the vehicle is located in a closed space where the possibility that the air is dirty is high.
Switches the air conditioner 6 from the outside air intake mode to the inside air circulation mode, switches the air purifier 7 to the strong operation mode if it is off or in the weak operation mode, and operates the opening / closing device 8 if the window is opened. Close the window. The interior air circulation mode is set and the windows are closed to prevent outside air from entering the passenger compartment. The purifier 7 is operated strongly.

If it is determined that the vehicle has exited the closed space, the control circuit 5 returns the air conditioner 6 to the outside air intake mode, sets the air purifier 7 to the weak operation mode or stops the operation, and furthermore, the window. Leave the glass as it is or return to the window opening just before entering the tunnel. As other devices 9 in the figure, for example, in the case of a sunroof specification vehicle, a sunroof opening / closing device or the like can be raised.

Here, the control circuit 5 does not judge whether or not the user is in the closed space only by a sudden change of the output of the optical sensor 3 but also outputs the outputs of the ceiling sensor 1, the radio wave sensor 2 and the speed sensor 4. The judgment is made comprehensively with reference to the following table. An example of the judgment is shown in the following table.

[0014]

[Table 1]

As described above, in order to determine whether or not the vehicle is in the closed space in consideration of the outputs of the four types of sensors 1, 2, 3, and 4, the situation cannot be determined only by the optical sensor 3, for example, when the vehicle is outside. Even when the brightness in the tunnel is the same, it is possible to determine whether or not the vehicle has entered the tunnel from the outputs of the ceiling sensor 1 and the radio wave sensor 2. Can be determined from the output of the brightness sensor 3 or the radio wave sensor 2 as to whether or not the space is a closed space.

If an optical sensor 3 having sensitivity to a specific wavelength range of light emitted from a high-pressure sodium lamp, which is widely used as an illumination lamp in a tunnel, is used in combination, the output of the optical sensor 3 can be used for tunnel detection at night. Can also be referred to.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, a ceiling sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a ceiling from a spatial distance above a vehicle, a radio wave sensor for detecting the intensity of a broadcast radio wave, and a light for detecting the brightness outside the vehicle are provided. An appropriate air environment is used in order for the control circuit to control equipment related to the air environment in the vehicle by detecting that the vehicle has entered a closed space such as a tunnel or an underground parking lot from the outputs of the three sensors. Can be obtained without requiring a manual operation. Therefore, an appropriate air environment can always be obtained, and at the same time, the influence of the manual operation on the driving operation can be eliminated.

When the equipment relating to the air environment in the vehicle is an air conditioner, an air purifier for purifying the air in the passenger compartment, and an opening / closing device for a window of the vehicle, the entry of dirty air into the passenger compartment is ensured. In addition, it is possible to purify the air in the vehicle interior at the same time, and it is possible to completely maintain the air environment in the vehicle interior in a desired state.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 ceiling sensor 2 radio wave sensor 3 optical sensor 5 control circuit 6 air conditioner 7 air purifier 8 window opening / closing device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A ceiling sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a ceiling from a spatial distance above a vehicle, a radio wave sensor for detecting the intensity of a broadcast radio wave, an optical sensor for detecting brightness outside the vehicle, and outputs of these three sensors. And a control device for determining a spatial condition in which the vehicle is located from and controlling a device related to an air environment in the vehicle. 2. The vehicle air according to claim 1, wherein the devices related to the air environment in the vehicle are an air conditioner, an air purifier for purifying the air in the passenger compartment, and a window opening / closing device of the vehicle. Environmental control system.