KR100610552B1 - Apparatus for enhancing the performance of vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for improving performance of a vehicle, comprising: a power connection unit for introducing power in the vehicle; A voltage measuring unit measuring a varying voltage level of the power input through the power connection unit; A voltage adjusting unit which raises or lowers the level of the voltage drawn through the power connection unit; A voltage generation unit for supplying power for operation; And a microcontroller that controls the power connection unit, the voltage measuring unit, the voltage adjusting unit, the sensor unit, and the output unit, and adjusts the voltage level measured by the voltage measuring unit through the voltage adjusting unit to match a preset voltage level. It includes.

According to the present invention as described above, by stabilizing the voltage in the vehicle fluctuating according to the driving state of the vehicle, it is possible to increase not only the efficiency of the engine but also the stable operation and life of the electrical equipment, and also check the accumulation of pollutant gas inside the vehicle. By notifying the driver of this, there is an effect that allows the driver to drive safer.

Vehicle voltage stability, vehicle performance improvement, pollutant gas detection

Description

Vehicle performance improvement device {APPARATUS FOR ENHANCING THE PERFORMANCE OF VEHICLES}

1 is a block diagram showing an apparatus for improving performance of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2A to 2I are partial circuit diagrams of respective components of the performance improving apparatus for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the vehicle performance improving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

100: vehicle performance improvement device 110: power connection

120: voltage measuring unit 130: voltage control unit

132: equal charge control module 134: voltage down control module

140: sensor unit 142: gas sensor module

144: temperature sensor module 150: key input unit

160: output unit 162: voice output module

164: display module 166: LED module

168: remote control module 170: voltage generator

180: microcontroller

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for improving performance of a vehicle, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for improving performance of a vehicle capable of detecting voltage stabilization of a vehicle and polluting gas inside the vehicle and notifying a driver thereof.

In recent years, the performance of vehicles has increased due to electric and electronic electronic devices, for example, various sensors for measuring the state of the engine and circuits using the sensors, and the electronic devices have become more dense and highly integrated. .

The power supplied to the various electrical appliances as described above includes a battery that can be charged by driving the vehicle, a voltage generator for supplying the power for charging and the voltage required for driving the vehicle, and a voltage of the voltage generator up to 14.7 V. Generated by a voltage regulator that adjusts to a level of accuracy. In general, the voltage generator uses an electromagnetic alternator (generator), and adjusts the output voltage by applying or blocking a current to the rotor coil provided in the alternator as the engine rotation speed (RPM) increases. . Here, when generating a voltage by applying or blocking a current to the rotor coil of the alternator, a large current (starting current) is consumed when starting a general motor, the engine for driving the alternator has the starting current The corresponding load will be applied. The voltage generated in this way is varied in the range of 12.8 V to 14.7 V depending on the driving state (engine rotational speed, RPM) at the time of starting or starting of the vehicle.

As is well known, the quality of power supplied to electronics (stabilization) directly or indirectly affects the overall performance of the vehicle. For example, a malfunction may occur when the above unstable voltage is supplied to the electric equipment related to the engine system of the vehicle, and a significant decrease in engine efficiency is caused. In addition, there is a problem in that the lifespan of the electrical appliance is shortened due to power instability. Of course, in order to solve the above problems, it is possible to attempt to stabilize the voltage through the performance improvement of the battery, but the same problem occurs due to the aging of the battery, it is considered to be insufficient as a fundamental solution of the problem.

Meanwhile, various pollutant gases including carbon dioxide, which are hard to be recognized by the driver, may be accumulated in the vehicle while the vehicle is in operation. As a result, the driver may have difficulty driving safely due to drowsy driving or gradual dyspnea.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and to check and stabilize the change in the voltage of the current consumption and the alternator voltage according to the driving state of the vehicle to stabilize it, and also to An object of the present invention is to provide a device for improving performance of a vehicle that can check a traffic jam and notify a driver thereof.

The present invention for achieving the above object, relates to an apparatus for improving the performance of the vehicle, the power supply for introducing a power supply inside the vehicle; A voltage measuring unit measuring a varying voltage level of the power input through the power connection unit; A voltage adjusting unit which raises or lowers the level of the voltage drawn through the power connection unit; A voltage generation unit for supplying power for operation; And a microcontroller that controls the power connection unit, the voltage measuring unit, the voltage adjusting unit, the sensor unit, and the output unit, and adjusts the voltage level measured by the voltage measuring unit through the voltage adjusting unit so as to correspond to a preset voltage level. It includes.

Preferably, the sensor unit for measuring the gas contained in the air in the vehicle and the temperature in the vehicle; And an output unit configured to output predetermined information to the driver by voice or visually or as a remote signal. The microcontroller may further output a predetermined measurement value measured by the microcontroller or the sensor to the driver through the output unit.

Also preferably, the power connection portion, characterized in that detachably connected to the cigar jack of the vehicle.

Also, preferably, the voltage adjusting unit may include an equalization charge control module configured to increase the voltage level so as to correspond to the predetermined voltage level when the voltage level measured by the voltage measuring unit is equal to or less than a predetermined voltage level, and the voltage measuring unit. When the voltage level measured through the predetermined voltage level or more, characterized in that it is configured with a voltage down control module for lowering the voltage level to meet the predetermined voltage level.

More preferably, a key input unit for receiving setting information related to the operation of the microcontroller from the driver; It further includes.

Also preferably, the sensor unit is characterized by consisting of a gas sensor module for measuring the concentration of the gas containing oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide accumulated in the vehicle, and a temperature measuring module for measuring the temperature in the vehicle.

Preferably, the output unit, a voice output module for outputting a predetermined signal received from the microcontroller to the driver, a display module for visually outputting the predetermined signal to the driver, LED module including a plurality of LEDs, And a remote control module for wirelessly driving the external device.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail the present invention.

Before describing the present invention in detail, it should be noted that the detailed description of known functions and configurations related to the present invention is omitted if it is determined that the gist of the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention. . A performance improving apparatus for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 2I as follows. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for improving performance of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2A to 2I are partial circuit diagrams of respective components of the apparatus for improving performance of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. .

As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus 100 for improving performance of a vehicle includes a power connection unit 110, a voltage measuring unit 120, a voltage adjusting unit 130, a sensor unit 140, a key input unit 150, The output unit 160, the voltage generator 170, and the microcontroller 180 are included. The power connection unit 110 is detachably connected to a so-called cigar jack provided in the vehicle, and performs a function of drawing out power supplied to the cigar jack. The circuit configuration for this is as shown in block "B110" in FIG. 2A. Here, the cigar jack is circuitry connected to the battery and voltage generator of the vehicle.

In addition, the voltage measuring unit 120 performs a function of detecting a voltage change value of the power connection unit 110. The voltage measuring unit 120 according to a characteristic aspect of the present invention is provided between a positive line and a ground (GND) of the power connection unit 110 as shown in block “B120” of FIG. 2A. Two resistors R23 and R15 are connected in series, and a common connection point of the two resistors R23 and R15, that is, a terminal "V_Detect", is connected to the microcontroller 180 described below. For reference, the factor of varying the voltage in the vehicle is due to the driving state of the vehicle (RPM, fluctuating power consumption of the electrical equipment, etc.) as described above, and the variation range is about 12.8V to 14.7V.

In the present embodiment, the voltage variation detection on the power connection unit 110 may be set through a voltage distribution circuit using a resistor as shown in block “B120” of FIG. 2A. Since the voltage variation detection function can be implemented by replacing the circuit, the present invention is not limited thereto.

In addition, the voltage adjusting unit 130, if the voltage measured by the voltage measuring unit 120 is above or below the reference level performs a function to adjust it to meet the reference level. More specifically, the voltage adjusting unit 130, the equality charge control module 132 for equally charging the battery to meet the reference level when the voltage measured by the voltage measuring unit 120 is less than the reference level, and the measurement When the voltage is higher than or equal to the reference level, it is composed of a voltage lowering control module 134 to adjust it down to meet the reference level.

The equal charge control module 132 and the voltage down control module 134 according to the characteristic aspect of the present invention are constituted by a circuit as shown in block “B130” of FIG. 2A, and the measured voltage is a reference level. In case of abnormality, the voltage is lowered to meet the reference level by applying a PWM signal to the terminal “PWM” using a high speed pulse width modulation circuit (PWM) through the control of the microcontroller 180 described below. When the voltage is below the reference level, as shown in the block “B130”, the voltage is increased to meet the reference level through the high frequency and low frequency inverting circuits to stabilize the voltage in the vehicle and improve battery performance. Therefore, like the general motor, when the engine is overloaded due to the rotor coil of the voltage generator which consumes a lot of current at the moment of starting, that is, when the voltage rises momentarily, the voltage down regulation module 134 as described above is By controlling the amount of current, the load on the engine can be reduced, thereby reducing the fuel consumed by the engine and extending the life of the engine system electronics. For reference, the PWM circuit for generating the PWM signal may be implemented using a plurality of devices, it may be implemented in software having such a PWM signal generation function. Of course, the software is preferably included in the microcontroller 180. In the present embodiment, the voltage adjusting unit 130, like the voltage measuring unit 120, can be replaced by a variety of circuits by those skilled in the art, the present invention is shown in block "B130" of FIG. Obviously, it is not limited to the circuit as shown.

In addition, the sensor unit 140 performs a function of detecting an air state in the vehicle, for example, gas concentrations such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen, and temperature. More specifically, the sensor unit 140 is composed of a gas sensor module 142 for detecting the concentration of the gas accumulated in the vehicle and a temperature sensor module 144 for detecting the temperature in the vehicle. Of course, the results detected through the gas sensor module 142 and the temperature sensor module 144 are transmitted to the microcontroller 180 as a predetermined signal. In this embodiment, the gas sensor module 142 and the temperature sensor module 144 may be set to various chips commonly used as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, respectively, and a plurality of discretes are described. The device may be set to perform the same function.

In addition, the key input unit 150 performs a function of transmitting predetermined setting information input by a user to the microcontroller 180 as a signal. The setting information is information including a temperature in a vehicle, a reference concentration of a gas, or a reference voltage to be detected according to logic programmed in the microcontroller 180. In the present embodiment, the key input unit 150 is composed of a circuit as shown in FIG. 2D, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In addition, the output unit 160 is measured by the gas concentration and room temperature in the vehicle measured by the sensor unit 140 and the voltage measuring unit 120 under the control of the microcontroller 180 described below. It outputs information related to the state of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "status information") including a numerical value of one voltage to the user in a voice or visual manner or as a remote signal for controlling an external device. More specifically, the output unit 160 according to the characteristic aspect of the present invention, the voice output module 162 for outputting the status information to the driver (user) by voice, and visually displaying the same status information to the driver It consists of a digital Numeric display module 164 and an LED module 166 including a plurality of LEDs, and a wireless remote control module 168 that can control the vibration seat of the driver's seat. . Herein, the remote control module 168 according to the characteristic aspect of the present invention wirelessly controls an external device including the above-mentioned vibration seat of the driver's seat, for example, an air purifier and a massage seat similar to the vibration seat. can do. Of course, in order to control such an external device, it is preferable that a predetermined control program be preset in the following microcontroller 180. In this embodiment, each of the audio output module 162, the display module 164, the LED module 166 and the remote control module 168 will be set to be composed of a circuit as shown in Figs. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

In addition, the voltage generation unit 170 performs a function of supplying power required for the operation of the voltage adjusting unit 130, the sensor unit 140, the output unit 160, and the microcontroller 180 described below. . More specifically, the voltage generation unit 170 receives a voltage output to the secondary side of the transformer T1 connected to the voltage adjusting unit 130 as shown in block “B170” of FIG. 2A. It is configured to convert and output a predetermined voltage via U2). Here, the regulator (U2) is a constant voltage regulator of + 5V output that is commonly used, for example, may be set to "LM7805" of National Semiconductor. As is well known, this "LM7805" regulator is a three-terminal regulator of the TO-220 type, and as shown, an output terminal for outputting a voltage input terminal (In) for receiving a predetermined voltage and a voltage inputted to + 5V. (Out) and ground terminal (G).

Also, as shown in block “B170” of FIG. 2A, a diode D2 for reducing the pulsation voltage Ripple is provided between the anode output terminal of the transformer T1 and the input terminal In of the regulator U1. And a capacitor C2 having a predetermined capacity for smooth operation of the regulator U2 between the input terminal In and the ground terminal G, and a conversion between the ground terminal G and the output terminal Out. A capacitor C3 having a predetermined capacity for smoothly outputting a voltage may be connected. It is preferable that the regulator U2 as described above is provided with a heat sink for smoothly dissipating heat generated during operation.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the voltage generation unit 170 may be configured to include the constant voltage regulator U2 as described above, but as is well known, a transistor or a field effect (FET) which performs the same function as the regulator U2. It can also be configured as a discrete circuit using a transistor.

As described above, the microcontroller 180 controls the voltage measuring unit 120, the voltage adjusting unit 130, the sensor unit 140, the key input unit 150, and the output unit 160. It performs the function. Such a microcontroller 180 is, as is known, similar or identical to the functionality of a programmable conventional control. A more specific circuit of the microcontroller 180 according to the characteristic aspect of the present invention is as shown in FIG. 2I, so that each terminal shown in FIGS. 2A and 2H corresponds to each of the terminals shown in FIG. 2I. Connected.

The performance improving apparatus 100 of the vehicle has a user's ease of use in which the characteristic operation of the present invention as described above is performed by the user connecting the power connection unit 110 to a cigar jack inside the vehicle. Of course, it is obvious that not only the shape of the external device but also the internal type that is inserted in a module form inside the vehicle can be easily modified or changed.

Hereinafter, a detailed operation of the performance improving apparatus 100 for a vehicle having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 3. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the vehicle performance improving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the microcontroller 180 of the performance improving apparatus 100 of the vehicle according to the characteristic aspect of the present invention initializes the system by itself (S110). As described above, the system initialization step is performed when the driver (user) puts the key holder in the power-on or start position to start the vehicle, after the power connection unit 110 is connected to the cigar jack. In addition, the power necessary for the initialization of the microcontroller 180 and the operation of the performance improving apparatus 100 of the vehicle is supplied through the voltage generation unit 170 as described above. After the initialization step (S110) as described above, the microcontroller 180 measures the power (voltage) of the vehicle through the voltage measuring unit 120 (S120). As will be described below, the voltage measurement refers to measuring the state of charge of the battery provided in the vehicle and the level of the voltage which varies during vehicle operation.

Thereafter, the microcontroller 180 compares and determines whether the level (voltage measurement value) of the voltage measured by the voltage measuring unit 120 is higher or lower than the predetermined voltage level and is the same (S130). As a result of the determination in step S130, if the voltage measurement value is lower than the predetermined voltage level, the microcontroller 180 raises the voltage through the equalization charge control module 132 as described above (S140), the determination result, If the voltage measurement value is higher than the predetermined voltage level, the microcontroller 180 drops the voltage through the voltage down regulation module 134 (S150). On the other hand, if the voltage measurement value and the predetermined voltage level is the same, the microcontroller 180 measures the concentration of oxygen or gas such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen in the vehicle through the gas sensor module 142 (S160). ).

In the present embodiment, the predetermined voltage level is about + 14V as a voltage of a typical battery of a vehicle. As described above, the battery voltage changes before and after starting the engine, and the engine speed (RPM) that changes during operation, and It varies from about 12.8V to 14.7V depending on the power consumption of the electronics.

On the other hand, the microcontroller 180 determines whether the gas concentration measured in step S160 is higher than the preset gas concentration (S170), and if the determination result is high, the microcontroller 180 controls the gas concentration. The voice output module 162, the display module 164, the LED module 166, and the remote control module 168 are converted into numerical information or voice information corresponding to the numerical value or a remote signal so as to be recognized. Output through the output unit 160 (S180). Here, the digitized information or voice information is notified to the driver as a kind of warning message, so that the driver can visually or audibly recognize the concentration of a polluting gas that is difficult to recognize, that is, a gas such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen. Accordingly, the driver can open the window of the vehicle to ventilate the air in the vehicle. In addition, appropriate measures can be taken for factors that threaten safe operation, such as drowsiness or gradual dyspnea caused by polluting gases. In this embodiment, the signal output to the remote control module 168 will be set to a predetermined signal for driving the vibration seat of the driver's seat, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Next, if the determination result of step S170 is low, that is, the normal gas concentration, the microcontroller 180 measures the temperature in the vehicle through the temperature sensor module 144 (S190). The main reason for measuring the temperature in the vehicle as described above is that, as the temperature in the vehicle increases, the driver becomes physiologically drowsy, which also hinders safe driving. Therefore, the microcontroller 180 determines whether the measured temperature is higher than the preset temperature (S200), and if the determination result is high, the microcontroller 180 outputs 160 in the same manner as the step S180. In step S210, the driver notifies the driver of the current temperature and warning voice information.

As a result of the determination in step S200, if the measured temperature is lower than the preset temperature, the microcontroller 180 measures the voltage level of the battery through the voltage measuring unit 120 (S220), and the measured voltage level is It is determined whether the preset voltage level is matched (S230). As a result of the determination, if the measured voltage level of the battery does not correspond to the preset voltage level, that is, the microcontroller 180 converts the measured voltage level into numerical information or warns corresponding to the voltage level. The voice information is output through the output unit 160. On the other hand, if the determination result is normal, the microcontroller 180 returns the procedure to the step S120. In this embodiment, such a series of steps (S220, S230, S240) can be easily retrofitted by the person skilled in the art between the above-described step S130 to step S150, the present invention is limited to the execution order of these steps Or not.

The present invention described above is capable of various substitutions, modifications, and changes without departing from the spirit of the present invention for those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. It is not limited to the drawing.

According to the present invention as described above, by stabilizing the voltage in the vehicle fluctuating according to the driving state of the vehicle, it is possible to increase not only the efficiency of the engine but also the stable operation and life of the electrical equipment, and also check the accumulation of pollutant gas inside the vehicle. By notifying the driver of this, there is a remarkable effect that allows the driver to drive safer.

Claims (7)

In the performance improvement device of a vehicle, A power connection unit for introducing power in the vehicle; A voltage measuring unit measuring a varying voltage level of the power input through the power connection unit; A voltage adjusting unit which raises or lowers the level of the voltage drawn through the power connection unit; A voltage generation unit for supplying power for operation; And A microcontroller controlling the power connection unit, the voltage measuring unit, the voltage adjusting unit, the sensor unit, and the output unit, and adjusting the voltage level measured using the voltage measuring unit to correspond to a preset voltage level; Performance improvement device for a vehicle comprising a. The method of claim 1, Sensor unit for measuring the gas contained in the air in the vehicle and the temperature in the vehicle; And An output unit for outputting predetermined information to the driver in a voice or visual manner or as a remote signal; Including more, And the microcontroller outputs a predetermined measurement value measured by the voltage measuring unit or the sensor unit to the driver through the output unit. The method of claim 1, The power connection portion, A device for improving performance of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is detachably connected to the cigar jack of the vehicle. The method of claim 1, The voltage control unit, An equalization charge control module for raising the voltage level to meet the preset voltage level when the voltage level measured by the voltage measuring unit is equal to or less than a preset voltage level; And a voltage lowering control module configured to lower the voltage level so as to correspond to the predetermined voltage level when the voltage level measured by the voltage measuring unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined voltage level. The method of claim 1, A key input unit configured to receive setting information related to the operation of the microcontroller from a driver; Performance improvement device for a vehicle, characterized in that it further comprises. The method of claim 2, The sensor unit, A gas sensor module for measuring a concentration of gas including oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide accumulated in the vehicle; An apparatus for improving performance of a vehicle, comprising: a temperature measuring module measuring a temperature in the vehicle; The method of claim 2, The output unit, A voice output module for outputting a predetermined signal received from the microcontroller to a driver by voice; And a display module for visually outputting the predetermined signal to a driver, an LED module including a plurality of LEDs, and a remote control module for wirelessly driving an external device.

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