WO2018225439A1

WO2018225439A1 - Air-conditioning control device

Info

Publication number: WO2018225439A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/017719
Authority: WO
Inventors: 酒井　剛志
Original assignee: 株式会社デンソー
Priority date: 2017-06-05
Filing date: 2018-05-08
Publication date: 2018-12-13

Abstract

The air-conditioning control device (50) executes air-conditioning control when a determination result indicates that a vehicle is in both unmanned and traveling states, and stops the air-conditioning control when the determination result indicates that the vehicle is in both unmanned and stopped states.

Description

Air conditioning controller

Cross-reference of related applications

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-111018 filed on June 5, 2017 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-006224 filed on January 18, 2018. Claims the benefit of that priority, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

This disclosure relates to an air conditioning control device mounted on a vehicle capable of unmanned traveling.

Patent Document 1 discloses a control device that operates an air conditioning compressor or the like for personal control during manned traveling and stops the air conditioning compressor or the like during unmanned traveling. In vehicles that run unattended, there is a need to improve fuel efficiency by implementing efficient air-conditioning operation such as avoiding unnecessary air-conditioning.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-1787

In the configuration of the prior art, when it is determined that the vehicle is unmanned, the air conditioning compressor is stopped to stop the air conditioning operation. For this reason, it takes much time and energy for the occupant who has entered the vehicle after unmanned driving to complete air conditioning in a comfortable interior space. Further, if the air-conditioning operation is always performed even during the unattended operation, a lot of energy is consumed in the air-conditioning operation. In view of the above, or other aspects not mentioned, there is a need for further improvements in vehicle air conditioners.

The disclosed object is to provide an air conditioning control device that performs appropriate air conditioning control in advance in an unattended state.

The present disclosure is an air conditioning control device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a determination unit (52) that determines a passenger's boarding state and a traveling state of the vehicle, and temperature adjustment based on a determination result of the determination unit. And an output unit (53) for executing air conditioning control. The output unit executes air conditioning control when the determination result indicates an unmanned state and a traveling state of the vehicle, and stops executing the air conditioning control when the determination result indicates an unattended state and a stopped state of the vehicle. To do.

According to the present disclosure, the air conditioning operation is performed during unmanned traveling, and the air conditioning operation is stopped while the vehicle is stopped. Thereby, since the radiator can be cooled by the traveling wind, an efficient air conditioning operation is possible.

The reference numerals in parentheses described in the “Summary of the Invention” and “Claims” indicate the correspondence with the “Mode for Carrying Out the Invention” to be described later. It does not indicate that the “claims” are limited to the “modes for carrying out the invention” described below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle air conditioner. FIG. 2 is a flowchart regarding control of the vehicle air conditioner. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of step S151 in the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the vehicle air conditioner of the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart relating to the control of the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate the understanding of the description, the same constituent elements in the drawings will be denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and redundant description will be omitted.

1st Embodiment The vehicle air conditioner 1 is mounted in the vehicle. The vehicle air conditioner 1 provides cooling, heating, and / or ventilation in the passenger compartment. The vehicle air conditioner 1 performs cooling and heating by blowing temperature-conditioned air into the passenger compartment. The vehicle air conditioner 1 discharges the air inside the vehicle interior to the outside of the vehicle interior, and takes the air outside the vehicle interior into the vehicle interior for ventilation.

The driving of the vehicle is controlled by a vehicle control device (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle ECU) 10. In other words, the vehicle ECU 10 controls the traveling system of the vehicle and the cooling system necessary for traveling of the vehicle.

In FIG. 1, the vehicle ECU 10 is connected to a surrounding monitoring sensor 21, a human body detection sensor 22, a vehicle speed sensor 23, a first water temperature sensor 24, a reservation setting unit 25, and a car navigation device 26. A signal that is a detection result from each connection component is input to the vehicle ECU 10.

The perimeter monitoring sensor 21 is a sensor that acquires external environment data around the vehicle. The periphery monitoring sensor 21 is a camera provided toward the front of the vehicle that is the traveling direction of the vehicle. The surrounding monitoring sensor 21 may be a radar that detects the presence or absence of an obstacle in front of the vehicle. Further, both the camera and the radar may be used as the periphery monitoring sensor 21. The vehicle ECU 10 uses the periphery monitoring sensor 21 to acquire data necessary for unmanned traveling control of the vehicle such as external environment data around the vehicle.

The human body detection sensor 22 is an unmanned determination means for determining whether the passenger compartment is unmanned or manned. The human body detection sensor 22 is a seating sensor that is provided in the seat and determines whether or not the vehicle is in a manned state by receiving a load due to the seating of the occupant. The seating sensor is individually provided in a plurality of seats in the vehicle, and detects in which seat the occupant is seated. The human body detection sensor 22 is not limited to a seating sensor. The human body detection sensor 22 may be a seat belt sensor that detects whether or not a seat belt is worn. The human body detection sensor 22 may be an infrared sensor that detects infrared rays emitted from the human body. The infrared sensor can determine whether or not the passenger compartment is manned even when the passenger is not sitting on the seat.

The vehicle speed sensor 23 is a sensor that detects the traveling speed of the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 23 is provided on the wheel of the vehicle and detects the rotational speed of the wheel. Thereby, the vehicle speed that is the traveling speed of the vehicle is calculated.

The first water temperature sensor 24 is a circulation path of engine cooling water and is a temperature sensor provided near the outlet of the engine 31. The first water temperature sensor 24 detects the temperature of the engine coolant immediately after the temperature has risen due to heat exchange with the engine 31.

The reservation setting means 25 is an operation means for a user to set a reservation for a vehicle. The vehicle ECU 10 performs control to automatically drive the vehicle to a place designated at a time designated in advance by reservation setting. The reservation setting means 25 is a communication terminal outside the passenger compartment such as a smartphone or a personal computer. The reservation setting means 25 may be an operation terminal provided in the vehicle interior. In this case, the reservation is set by inputting information such as a next boarding scheduled time and a boarding planned place by a passenger on board. The reservation setting means 25 can also set information such as the target temperature in the passenger compartment and the presence or absence of music in the passenger compartment.

The car navigation device 26 uses the set destination information and the current vehicle location information acquired by GPS to determine the optimum travel route and calculate the expected time. The required time to the destination is calculated by dividing the distance information calculated by multiplying the linear distance from the current position to the destination by a detour coefficient by speed information (for example, 40 km / h). In the calculation of the required time, traffic jam information may be acquired, and correction may be performed such as increasing the required time when the traffic jam occurs.

The vehicle ECU 10 is connected to an engine 31, an accelerator 33, a brake 34, and a steering 35 that are necessary for traveling. The vehicle ECU 10 is connected to an engine radiator fan 36 and an electric water pump 37, which are cooling devices for cooling devices necessary for traveling. From vehicle ECU10, the signal which controls each connection component is output.

Engine 31 is vehicle power for the vehicle to travel. The engine 31 is an internal combustion engine that obtains power by combustion gas generated when fuel is burned. The power generated by the engine 31 is also used for the power of the compressor that compresses and circulates the refrigerant in the cooling heat exchanger of the air conditioner.

Accelerator 33 is a device that accelerates the vehicle. The brake 34 is a device that decelerates the vehicle. The vehicle ECU 10 controls the accelerator 33 and the brake 34 to control the vehicle speed by accelerating or decelerating the vehicle.

Steering 35 is a device that controls the direction of the tire. The vehicle ECU 10 controls the traveling direction of the vehicle by controlling the steering 35.

The engine radiator fan 36 is a blower that blows air to the engine radiator, which is a radiator that circulates engine cooling water. The engine radiator fan 36 is provided in front of the engine radiator provided in the front portion of the vehicle. In other words, the engine radiator fan 36 is provided opposite to the engine radiator. The engine radiator fan 36 blows air rearward from the front of the vehicle. In other words, the air is blown in the same direction as the traveling wind received by the traveling vehicle.

The vehicle ECU 10 is connected to the electric water pump 37. The electric water pump 37 is a pump that is driven as power for circulating engine coolant that cools the engine 31 that is vehicle power. The electric water pump 37 is controlled by the vehicle ECU 10 in addition to on / off of the drive, as well as the strength of the output.

In addition, the vehicle ECU 10 controls all devices used for traveling, such as transmissions, headlights, blinkers, and wipers. The vehicle ECU 10 is connected to an air conditioning control device (hereinafter referred to as an air conditioning ECU) 50 that performs control related to the air conditioning operation so as to be able to communicate with each other.

The air conditioning ECU 50 includes an input unit 51, a determination unit 52, an output unit 53, and a storage unit 54. The input unit 51 receives a signal output from each connection component such as a sensor. The determination unit 52 performs a calculation based on information input to the input unit 51 to determine the air conditioning control content. The output unit 53 transmits the air conditioning control content determined by the determination unit 52 to each connection component that is a control target. The storage unit 54 stores information received by the input unit 51, determination results determined by the determination unit 52, and the like.

Connected to the air conditioning ECU 50 are an inside air sensor 61, an outside air sensor 62, a solar radiation sensor 63, an air conditioning setting means 64, and an evaporator temperature sensor 65. A signal that is a detection result from each connection component is input to the air conditioning ECU 50.

The inside air sensor 61 is a temperature sensor that measures the temperature in the passenger compartment. The inside air sensor 61 is disposed in an instrument panel in the vehicle interior. The outside air sensor 62 is a temperature sensor that measures the temperature outside the passenger compartment. The outside air sensor 62 is disposed on the back of the front bumper that is not easily affected by hot air in the engine room. The solar radiation sensor 63 is a sensor that measures the solar radiation intensity of sunlight irradiated on the vehicle. The solar radiation sensor 63 is provided on the upper surface of the dashboard.

The air conditioning setting means 64 is an operation panel that allows the occupant to set the target temperature in the vehicle, the strength of the blown air volume, and the like. The air conditioning setting means 64 is provided in the vehicle interior. The air conditioning setting means 64 can be operated while the occupant is traveling. The air conditioning setting means 64 is not limited to an operation panel provided in the vehicle interior. The air conditioning setting means 64 may be a communication terminal outside the passenger compartment such as a smartphone or a personal computer. The air conditioning setting unit 64 may enable air conditioning setting and reservation setting at the same terminal as the reservation setting unit 25.

The air conditioning ECU 50 uses the measurement results of the inside air sensor 61, the outside air sensor 62, and the solar radiation sensor 63 and the target air temperature that is the target temperature in the vicinity of the air conditioning air outlet from the information such as the target temperature in the vehicle input by the air conditioning setting means 64. Calculate the mouth temperature. The air conditioning ECU 50 performs the air conditioning operation based on the calculated target outlet temperature.

The evaporator temperature sensor 65 is a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of an evaporator that is a heat exchanger for cooling. The evaporator temperature sensor 65 is provided near the outlet pipe of the evaporator. The air conditioning ECU 50 controls the cooling operation based on the evaporator temperature measured by the evaporator temperature sensor 65.

The air conditioning ECU 50 is connected with an indoor fan 71, an inlet door 72, an air mix door 73, a condenser fan 74, a clutch 75, a heater 77, and a window 78. The air conditioning ECU 50 outputs a signal for controlling each connection component.

The indoor fan 71 is a fan that blows conditioned air into the vehicle interior. The indoor fan 71 blows air to an evaporator that is a cooling heat exchanger and a heater core that is a heating heat exchanger. The air exchanged heat with the evaporator and the heater core is blown out from the outlet to the passenger compartment as conditioned air. The air conditioning ECU 50 controls the indoor fan 71 to control the air conditioning by blowing conditioned air into the vehicle interior.

The suction port door 72 is a door member that closes one of two types of suction ports, an inside air suction port and an outside air suction port. The inlet door 72 is a rotary door that rotates around a rotation axis to adjust the opening degree. When the outside air inlet is blocked, the conditioned air is circulated in the passenger compartment. The mode in which wind is circulated in the passenger compartment is the inside air mode. When the inside air suction port is blocked, the wind taken from outside the vehicle compartment is blown into the vehicle interior. The mode for taking in wind from outside the vehicle compartment to the vehicle interior is the outside air mode.

The air mix door 73 is a door member that controls the rate of heat exchange between the wind that has passed through the evaporator, which is a cooling heat exchanger, and the heater core, which is a heating heat exchanger. The air mix door 73 is provided in front of the heater core. The air mix door 73 is a plate door. When the air mix door 73 covers and covers the entire front surface of the heater core, the cold conditioned air that has been heat-exchanged only by the evaporator is blown into the vehicle interior. When the air mix door 73 is opened away from the front surface of the heater core, the conditioned air subjected to heat exchange by both the evaporator and the heater core is blown into the vehicle interior.

The condenser fan 74 is a blower that blows air to a condenser, which is a radiator that forms part of the refrigeration cycle for cooling. The condenser fan 74 is provided further forward of the condenser provided in the front portion of the vehicle. In other words, the capacitor fan 74 is provided to face the capacitor. The condenser fan 74 blows air from the front of the vehicle toward the rear. In other words, the air is blown in the same direction as the traveling wind received by the traveling vehicle. The condenser fan 74 and the engine radiator fan 36 are provided adjacent to each other.

The clutch 75 is a connecting device that controls the connection between the engine 31 and a compressor that forms a cooling refrigeration cycle. The clutch 75 is a magnet clutch that controls a connected state and a released state depending on the presence or absence of magnetic force. When performing the cooling operation, the clutch 75 is brought into a connected state. That is, the engine 31 and the compressor are connected to drive the compressor using the engine 31 as power. In other words, the compressor is an air conditioner that performs air conditioning using the engine 31 that is vehicle power as power. Therefore, when the cooling operation is performed while the vehicle is stopped, it is necessary to drive the engine 31 in order to drive the compressor. On the other hand, when the cooling operation is not performed, the clutch 75 is released. That is, the engine 31 and the compressor are separated and the compressor is not driven.

The heater 77 is a heat source used for heating the passenger compartment. The heater 77 is a PTC heater having a property that the value of electric resistance changes with a positive coefficient as the temperature rises. The heater 77 is a heater that is provided in addition to the heater core and contributes to the heating of the vehicle interior. The air conditioning ECU 50 increases the temperature by energizing the heater 77 when heating is required. The heater 77 may be a heater that contributes to heating. For example, a seat heater provided in the seat may be used.

The window 78 has a ventilation function for taking outside air into the passenger compartment. The window 78 is provided in the upper part of the door which a passenger | crew opens and closes for boarding / alighting. The air-conditioning ECU 50 opens the window 78 to release indoor air to the outside while performing ventilation operation, and takes in the outside air into the vehicle interior. The air conditioning ECU 50 closes the window 78 after completing the ventilation operation.

The air conditioning ECU 50 controls each device so that the conditioned air is blown out at the target outlet temperature. That is, the air conditioning ECU 50 controls the rotational speed of the indoor fan 71. The air conditioning ECU 50 controls switching of the suction port door 72. The air conditioning ECU 50 controls the opening degree of the air mix door 73. The air conditioning ECU 50 controls the rotational speed of the capacitor fan 74. The air conditioning ECU 50 controls switching between connection and release of the clutch 75. The air conditioning ECU 50 controls the output of the heater 77. The air conditioning ECU 50 controls the opening and closing of the window 78.

Next, the control process of the vehicle air conditioner 1 will be described. In FIG. 2, when the vehicle air conditioner 1 starts air conditioning control, first, in step S101, the presence or absence of a person in the passenger compartment is detected using the human body detection sensor 22. After detecting the presence or absence of a person, it is determined in step S102 whether or not the passenger compartment is unmanned. If it is determined that it is unattended, the process proceeds to step S103. On the other hand, if it is determined that the person is not unattended, the process proceeds to step S191.

In step S191, air conditioning control is performed in the manned air conditioning mode. In other words, air conditioning is performed so that the passenger currently on board feels comfortable. In other words, in the manned air conditioning mode, air conditioning operation is performed in consideration of comfort factors other than temperature such as noise. More specifically, in the manned air conditioning mode, the indoor fan 71 is set lower than the operating intensity of the indoor fan 71 in the unmanned state. In other words, the upper limit of the rotational speed of the indoor fan 71 is made lower than that in the unattended state. The seat heater is used only in the manned air conditioning mode. In this case, the seat heater is not energized in the unattended state, and the seat heater is energized after the occupant is seated to start use. After performing the air conditioning operation in the manned air conditioning mode, the process proceeds to step S199 with the air conditioning operation maintained.

In step S103, the boarding position information input by the user using the reservation setting means 25 is acquired. The boarding position information is boarding schedule information indicating information expected to be in the next manned state. The boarding position information is information indicating an address where the user intends to board. However, the user may search for an address by inputting a building name or a place name instead of directly inputting the address. In addition, a boarding place fixed as boarding position information may be set in advance, and the user may always get on from a predetermined boarding place. In this case, the boarding position information is not input by the user but is acquired by reading the boarding position information set in advance. After obtaining the boarding position information, the process proceeds to step S104.

In step S104, the boarding time information input by the user via the reservation setting means 25 is acquired. The boarding time information is boarding schedule information indicating information expected to be manned next. The boarding time information is information indicating the time when the user tries to board. For example, the time is 19:30. However, the user may input the elapsed time from the current time instead of directly inputting the time. That is, the elapsed time such as after 30 minutes. Further, the user may be allowed to input the current time instead of the future time. That is, the user who wants to get on as soon as possible inputs the current time. In this case, the current time or the past time is acquired as the boarding time information. After obtaining the boarding time information, the process proceeds to step S105.

The vehicle ECU 10 starts traveling control based on the acquired boarding position information and boarding time information. In other words, the travel control is performed so as to reach the boarding position by the boarding time. For example, if the current time is 19:00, the boarding time information is 19:30, and the boarding position information is set to a place that requires 15 minutes to move from the current location, until 19:15 Wait at your current location. After that, at 19:15, traveling toward the boarding position is started. The travel control may be performed so that it arrives slightly earlier than the boarding time. However, even when the current time is set as the boarding time information, even when it is not possible to arrive at the boarding position by the boarding time, the travel control is performed so as to reach the boarding position earliest.

In step S105, the estimated boarding time T1 is calculated. The scheduled boarding time T1 is the longer of the time required to move from the current location to the boarding position or the time from the current time to the boarding time. The time required to move from the current location to the boarding position is acquired from the car navigation device 26. For example, if the time required to move from the current location to the boarding position is 15 minutes and the time from the current time to the boarding time is 1 hour, the scheduled boarding time T1 is 1 hour. The time required to move from the current location to the boarding position may be calculated by the vehicle ECU 10 instead of being acquired from the car navigation device 26. In addition, a communication device may be provided, and a time required for movement from the current location to the boarding position calculated externally may be acquired. After the estimated boarding time T1 is calculated, the process proceeds to step S106.

In step S106, the scheduled air conditioning time T2 is calculated. The scheduled air conditioning time T2 is the time required from the start of air conditioning to the completion of air conditioning. The scheduled air conditioning time T2 is determined from the characteristic map stored in the air conditioning ECU 50 using the temperature difference between the current temperature in the passenger compartment measured by the room air sensor 61 and the target temperature. The target temperature is the temperature in the passenger compartment input by the user using the reservation setting means 25. The target temperature is 20 ° C., for example. The scheduled air conditioning time T2 is not determined by the characteristic map, but the temperature difference between the temperature in the passenger compartment and the target temperature may be calculated by a function stored in the air conditioning ECU 50. Further, instead of calculating the scheduled air conditioning time T2 from the target temperature or the like, a time sufficient to reach the target temperature may be set in advance as the scheduled air conditioning time T2. In this case, the scheduled air conditioning time T2 is a fixed time such as 30 minutes, for example. After calculating the air conditioning scheduled time T2, the process proceeds to step S107.

In step S107, it is determined whether the scheduled boarding time T1 is shorter than the total time of the scheduled air conditioning time T2 and the buffer time T0. If the scheduled boarding time T1 is shorter than the total time of the scheduled air conditioning time T2 and the buffer time T0, the process proceeds to step S108. On the other hand, if the scheduled boarding time T1 is longer than the total time of the scheduled air conditioning time T2 and the buffer time T0, the process proceeds to step S111. Here, the buffer time T0 is a time for completing the air conditioning earlier than the scheduled boarding time T1. The buffer time T0 is, for example, 10 minutes. For example, when the scheduled air conditioning time T2 is calculated as 20 minutes, the total time of the scheduled air conditioning time T2 and the buffer time T0 is 30 minutes. Therefore, if the scheduled boarding time T1 is less than 30 minutes, the process proceeds to step S108, and if the scheduled boarding time T1 is greater than 30 minutes, the process proceeds to step S111. The buffer time T0 may not be a fixed value. That is, it may be calculated as half the air conditioning scheduled time T2.

In step S111, the air conditioning operation is stopped. In other words, when the air conditioning operation is not originally performed, the stopped state is maintained, and when the air conditioning operation has already been started, the air conditioning operation is stopped. In the air conditioning stop state, the driving of the indoor fan 71 and the condenser fan 74 is stopped, the connection of the clutch 75 is released, and the energization to the heater 77 is stopped. In other words, energy consumption is suppressed for all devices used for air conditioning operation. However, in the air conditioning stop state, it is not necessary to suppress energy consumption for all devices used for air conditioning operation. For example, only the clutch 75 having a large energy consumption reduction effect may be released. Alternatively, only the driving of the indoor fan 71 may be stopped while maintaining the cooling preparation by the refrigeration cycle by rotating the condenser fan 74 while the clutch 75 is in a connected state. After the air conditioning is stopped, the process proceeds to step S199 with the air conditioning stopped being maintained.

In step S108, it is determined whether the scheduled boarding time T1 is longer than the scheduled air conditioning time T2. If the scheduled boarding time T1 is longer than the scheduled air conditioning time T2, the process proceeds to step S151. On the other hand, if the scheduled boarding time T1 is shorter than the scheduled air conditioning time T2, the process proceeds to step S121.

In step S121, pre-air-conditioning operation before manned traveling is performed in the early air-conditioning mode. The early air conditioning mode is a mode in which air conditioning is completed in a time shorter than the calculated scheduled air conditioning time T2. In the early air-conditioning mode, the air-conditioning operation is performed in the inside-air mode in which wind is taken from the inside-air intake port. In the early air conditioning mode, the rotational speed of the indoor fan 71 is set higher than in the energy saving air conditioning mode. In the early air-conditioning mode, the apparatus used for the air-conditioning operation such as the indoor fan 71 is set to the continuous operation without providing a stop time. That is, the operating time of the device used for air conditioning operation such as the indoor fan 71 is set longer than the energy saving air conditioning mode.

The control content in the early air conditioning mode is not limited to the method described above. For example, in an air conditioning apparatus including a plurality of indoor fans 71, the number of operating indoor fans 71 may be increased in the early air conditioning mode than in the energy saving air conditioning mode. Alternatively, the rotational speed of the condenser fan 74 is set higher than that in the energy saving air conditioning mode, and the rotational speed of the engine 31 is increased to set the rotational speed of the compressor higher than that in the energy saving air conditioning mode. Alternatively, the output of the heater 77 may be set larger than that in the energy saving air conditioning mode. After performing the air conditioning operation in the early air conditioning mode, the process proceeds to step S199 with the air conditioning operation maintained.

In step S151, a pre-air conditioning operation before manned traveling is performed in an energy saving air conditioning mode described later. After performing the air conditioning operation in the energy saving air conditioning mode, the process proceeds to step S199 with the air conditioning operation maintained.

In step S199, state quantities related to air conditioning control are stored. State quantities to be stored include human body detection information, boarding position information, boarding time information, scheduled boarding time T1, air conditioning scheduled time T2, running air conditioning mode, vehicle speed, engine 31 speed, engine coolant temperature, outside air temperature, etc. It is. The air conditioning ECU 50 maintains the air conditioning operation based on the state quantity stored in step S199. Then, it returns to step S101 again and repeats the flow of air-conditioning control. In the second and subsequent flows, when the latest state quantity is newly acquired in step S101 or the like, air conditioning control is performed using the latest state quantity instead of the stored state quantity. The stored state quantity is shared with the vehicle ECU 10 and is also used for control other than air conditioning control such as travel control.

Next, the control process of the vehicle air conditioner 1 in the energy saving air conditioning mode which is step S151 will be described. In FIG. 3, when the operation in the energy saving air conditioning mode is started, first, vehicle speed information is acquired in step S161. The vehicle speed information is measured by the vehicle speed sensor 23. In step S162, it is determined whether the acquired vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The predetermined value is, for example, 30 km / h. If the vehicle speed is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S163. On the other hand, if the vehicle speed is smaller than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S174. Here, the state where the vehicle is stopped is a state where the vehicle speed is zero and the vehicle speed is lower than a predetermined value.

In step S163, cooling air blowing is stopped. In other words, the driving of the engine radiator fan 36 and the condenser fan 74 is stopped. As a result, the engine radiator and the condenser are cooled by receiving only the traveling wind accompanying the traveling of the vehicle. Instead of completely stopping the blowing in step S163, the rotational speed may be lowered to reduce the energy consumed by the fan. After the fan drive is stopped, the process proceeds to step S171.

In step S171, the rotational speed of the engine 31 is acquired as vehicle power information. The rotational speed of the engine 31 is measured by electrically detecting and counting the voltage applied to the ignition coil. The state where the rotational speed of the engine 31 is low is a state where the cooling loss of the engine 31 is large and the efficiency is not good. The state where the engine 31 is high is a state where the mechanical loss of the engine 31 is large and the efficiency is not good. The state where the rotational speed of the engine 31 is medium is the most efficient state in which the cooling loss and the mechanical loss are improved in a balanced manner.

The temperature of the engine 31 may be acquired as vehicle power information. The temperature of the engine 31 is acquired by measuring the temperature of the engine coolant using the first water temperature sensor 24. When the temperature of the engine cooling water is low, the warm-up is not completed and the combustion efficiency of gasoline is poor, so the efficiency of the engine 31 is low. When the temperature of the engine cooling water is high, the warm-up is completed and the combustion efficiency of gasoline is high, so the efficiency of the engine 31 is high. After obtaining the vehicle power information, the process proceeds to step S172.

In step S172, it is determined whether or not the vehicle power efficiency is high. When determining based on the rotational speed of the engine 31, it is determined whether or not the rotational speed of the engine 31 is in an intermediate rotational speed range. That is, if the rotation speed of the engine 31 is in an intermediate rotation speed range, it is determined that the efficiency of the engine 31 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The medium rotation speed range is a rotation speed range of 500 rpm before and after the rotation speed including the maximum efficiency. Here, the maximum efficiency means the efficiency when the ratio of output energy obtained as power to input energy in the engine 31 is the largest. If the rotation speed at which the maximum efficiency is obtained is 2000 rpm, 1500 rpm to 2500 rpm is an intermediate rotation speed range. However, the rotational speed region where the vehicle power efficiency is high may be a rotational speed region including the maximum efficient rotational speed, and is not limited to the above range.

When determining based on the temperature of the engine 31, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the engine coolant is equal to or higher than the warm-up completion temperature. That is, if the temperature of the engine coolant is equal to or higher than the warm-up completion temperature, it is determined that the efficiency of the engine 31 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The warm-up completion temperature is 80 ° C., for example. However, the warm-up completion temperature may be a temperature that can be regarded as the completion of warm-up, and it may be determined that the vehicle power efficiency is high at a temperature slightly lower than the warm-up completion temperature. If the vehicle power efficiency is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S173. On the other hand, when the vehicle power efficiency is smaller than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S174.

In step S173, the air conditioning operation is started. In the energy saving air-conditioning mode, the driving time of the indoor fan 71 is made shorter than in the manned air-conditioning mode to reduce the energy required for the air-conditioning operation in total. Specifically, the indoor fan 71 is driven at a higher rotational speed than the rotational speed of the indoor fan 71 in the manned air conditioning mode, and a large amount of conditioned air is sent into the vehicle interior at once.

In the energy-saving air-conditioning mode, air-conditioning operation is performed in the inside-air mode in which wind is taken from the inside-air intake port. The compressor is driven with the clutch 75 connected. Energization of the heater 77 is started. By adjusting the air mix door 73 to an appropriate opening degree, cold air and hot air are mixed to create conditioned air at a target temperature. If the target temperature for air conditioning is low, the heater 77 may not be energized, and the cooling operation may be performed only by the operation of the refrigeration cycle by driving the compressor and the ventilation. When the target temperature for air conditioning is high, the compressor may not be driven and the heating operation may be performed only by energizing the heater 77 and blowing air. With this air conditioning operation maintained, the process returns to the start of the energy saving air conditioning mode and repeats a series of air conditioning control again.

In step S174, the air conditioning operation is temporarily stopped. In the air conditioning stop state, the driving of the indoor fan 71 is stopped, the connection of the clutch 75 is released, and the energization to the heater 77 is stopped. In other words, the air conditioning stop state is a state in which energy consumption is suppressed for all devices used for the air conditioning operation. However, in the air conditioning stop state, the energy consumption may not be suppressed for all devices used for the air conditioning operation, but may be controlled so as to suppress the energy consumption only for a specific device.

According to the above-described embodiment, the air conditioning operation is performed in the unmanned traveling state before the manned traveling, and the air conditioning operation is not performed while the vehicle is not traveling even in the unmanned state. For this reason, it is possible to cool the radiator such as the condenser by utilizing the traveling wind of the vehicle, and to reduce the energy consumption by driving the radiator fan 36 for the engine and the condenser fan 74. Further, since the vehicle power is not used to perform the air conditioning operation while the vehicle power is not used for traveling, energy consumption can be reduced. In other words, since the engine 31 is not driven only for air conditioning operation, energy consumption can be reduced.

空調 Air conditioning operation with temperature adjustment is performed when the vehicle speed is above a predetermined value. For this reason, air-conditioning operation with much energy consumption will be performed at the timing which receives much driving | running | working wind of a vehicle. Therefore, the energy consumption for driving the engine radiator fan 36 and the condenser fan 74 can be reduced and efficient air conditioning can be performed. In addition, energy consumption can be reduced because the engine 31 is not driven for the purpose of air conditioning operation while the vehicle is stopped or traveling at a low speed.

∙ Air conditioning operation with temperature adjustment is performed when the vehicle power efficiency is above a predetermined value. For this reason, the power of air-conditioning driving | operation is securable in the state with the high efficiency of the engine 31 which is vehicle power. Therefore, energy consumed in the air conditioning operation can be reduced and air conditioning can be performed efficiently.

In the manned air-conditioning mode, air-conditioning operation is performed in consideration of comfort factors other than temperature such as noise. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a decrease in silence due to the sound of the indoor fan 71. For this reason, the comfort in a vehicle interior can be improved.

シート Use the seat heater only in the manned air conditioning mode. That is, a heating appliance that exhibits a high effect in a state where the occupant is seated is not used in an unattended state where the occupant is not seated. For this reason, it is possible to efficiently perform the heating operation while suppressing excessive energy consumption in the heating operation.

In the energy saving air conditioning mode and the early air conditioning mode, the rotational speed of the indoor fan 71 is increased as compared with the manned air conditioning mode. Thereby, since the air volume in the vehicle interior can be increased and air conditioning can be performed quickly in an unattended state where it is not necessary to ensure quietness, the temperature in the vehicle interior can be quickly brought close to the target temperature. Therefore, since the total time for performing the air conditioning operation can be shortened, the energy consumed in the air conditioning operation can be reduced.

The vehicle air conditioner 1 performs an air conditioning operation in an unmanned state based on boarding schedule information indicating information expected to be in a manned state next. For this reason, since pre-air-conditioning can be performed when air-conditioning is required, the energy consumed can be reduced compared with the case where air-conditioning operation is always continued in the pre-air-conditioning state. In addition, since the pre-air conditioning is performed before entering the manned state, the comfort in the passenger compartment when the occupant gets in can be improved. In addition, even if the scheduled boarding time T1 becomes longer due to a sudden event such as traffic jams, unnecessary pre-air conditioning can be stopped and air-conditioning operation can be performed at the optimal timing at which pre-air conditioning should be started. it can.

As the boarding schedule information, a boarding scheduled time T1 based on the boarding position information and the current location is calculated, and the boarding scheduled time T1 and the air conditioning scheduled time T2 are compared to determine the start of pre-air conditioning. For this reason, pre-air conditioning can be started at an appropriate timing before reaching the boarding position. Therefore, it is possible to improve the comfort of the passenger who gets into the passenger compartment while suppressing the energy consumption during the air conditioning operation.

As the boarding schedule information, a boarding scheduled time T1 based on the boarding time information and the current time is calculated, and the boarding scheduled time T1 and the air conditioning scheduled time T2 are compared to determine the start of pre-air conditioning. For this reason, prior air conditioning can be started at an appropriate timing before the boarding time is changed. Therefore, it is possible to improve the comfort of passengers getting into the passenger compartment while suppressing energy consumption in air-conditioning operation.

When it is determined that the scheduled air conditioning time T2 exceeds the scheduled boarding time T1, pre-air conditioning is performed in the early air conditioning mode. For this reason, the deterioration of the comfort in the vehicle interior due to the fact that the air conditioning is not completed when the passenger gets in can be reduced.

Second Embodiment This embodiment is a modified example based on the preceding embodiment. In this embodiment, a motor 332 is used instead of the engine 31 as vehicle power. That is, the vehicle air conditioner 1 is mounted on a vehicle that uses the motor 332 as vehicle power, such as an electric vehicle.

In FIG. 4, the vehicle ECU 10 is connected not with the first water temperature sensor 24 but with the second water temperature sensor 324. The second water temperature sensor 324 is a temperature sensor provided in a cooling water circulation path for cooling heat generating components such as the motor 332, the inverter 339, and the battery. The second water temperature sensor 324 detects the temperature of the cooling water immediately after the heat is exchanged with the motor 332 and the temperature is increased.

The vehicle ECU 10 is connected to a battery monitoring unit 327. The battery monitoring unit 327 is a unit that monitors a battery that supplies electric power to an electric component such as the motor 332. The battery monitoring unit 327 detects the amount of electricity stored in the battery. The vehicle ECU 10 takes out electricity from the battery during acceleration and drives the motor 332. On the other hand, at the time of deceleration, the motor 332 generates power and stores electricity in the battery.

The vehicle ECU 10 is connected to the motor 332 via the inverter 339 instead of the engine 31. The inverter 339 is a device that converts a direct current into an alternating current. The motor 332 is vehicle power for the vehicle to travel. The motor 332 converts electrical energy supplied from the battery into mechanical energy.

The vehicle ECU 10 is connected not to the engine radiator fan 36 but to the motor radiator fan 336. The motor radiator fan 336 is a blower that blows air to the motor radiator, which is a radiator that circulates cooling water that cools the motor 332 and the like. The motor radiator fan 336 is provided in front of the motor radiator provided in the front portion of the vehicle. In other words, the motor radiator fan 336 is provided to face the motor radiator. The motor radiator fan 336 blows air from the front of the vehicle toward the rear. In other words, the air is blown in the same direction as the wind received by the traveling vehicle.

The air conditioning ECU 50 is connected to the electric compressor 376 instead of the clutch 75. The electric compressor 376 is a compressor that forms a refrigeration cycle for cooling. The electric compressor 376 is controlled by the air-conditioning ECU 50 in addition to driving on / off, as well as the strength of the output. The driving of the electric compressor 376 is independent of the driving of the motor 332. That is, vehicle power is not used for control related to air conditioning operation. When performing the cooling operation, the electric compressor 376 is driven to supply the refrigerant to the evaporator.

In FIG. 5, steps denoted by the same step numbers as those in the preceding embodiment are similar processes and exhibit the same operational effects. The contents different from the preceding embodiment will be described below.

In step S162 in the energy saving air conditioning mode, it is determined whether or not the acquired vehicle speed is a predetermined value or more. The predetermined value is, for example, 30 km / h. If the vehicle speed is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S363. On the other hand, if the vehicle speed is lower than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S374. Here, the state where the vehicle is stopped is included when the vehicle speed is lower than a predetermined value.

In step S363, the cooling air flow is stopped. In other words, the driving of the motor radiator fan 336 and the condenser fan 74 is stopped. As a result, the motor radiator and the condenser are cooled by receiving only the traveling wind accompanying the traveling of the vehicle. Instead of completely stopping the blowing in step S363, the rotational speed may be lowered to reduce the energy consumed by the blower. After the fan drive is stopped, the process proceeds to step S373.

In step S373, the air conditioning operation is started. Specifically, the indoor fan 71 is driven at a higher rotational speed than the rotational speed of the indoor fan 71 in the manned air conditioning mode. Further, the electric compressor 376 is driven. Alternatively, energization of the heater 77 is started. In addition, by appropriately adjusting the opening degree of the air mix door 73, the cold air and the hot air are mixed to create an air conditioned air having a target temperature. While maintaining this air conditioning operation, the system returns to the start of the energy saving air conditioning mode and repeats a series of air conditioning control again.

In step S374, the air conditioning operation is temporarily stopped. In the air conditioning stop state, driving of the indoor fan 71 is stopped, and energization to the electric compressor 376 and the heater 77 is stopped. That is, the air conditioning stop state is a state in which energy consumption is suppressed for all devices used for air conditioning operation. However, in the air conditioning stop state, the energy consumption may not be suppressed for all of the devices used for the air conditioning operation, but control may be performed so as to suppress the energy consumption only for specific parts. That is, the driving of the two devices of the electric compressor 376 and the heater 77 used for temperature adjustment may be stopped, and driving may be continued otherwise. While maintaining this stop state, the process returns to the start of the energy saving air conditioning mode and repeats a series of air conditioning control again.

According to the above-described embodiment, the pre-air conditioning operation before the manned traveling is not performed while the vehicle is not traveling even in the unmanned state. For this reason, cooling can be performed by utilizing the traveling wind of the vehicle, and energy consumption due to driving of the radiator fan 336 and the condenser fan 74 can be reduced.

空調 Air conditioning operation with temperature adjustment is performed when the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the specified value. For this reason, the air-conditioning operation which consumes a lot of energy is performed at the timing of receiving a lot of vehicle wind. Therefore, efficient air conditioning can be performed by reducing energy consumption by driving the motor radiator fan 336 and the condenser fan 74.

Other Embodiments The disclosure herein is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. The disclosure encompasses the illustrated embodiments and variations by those skilled in the art based thereon. For example, the disclosure is not limited to the combinations of parts and / or elements shown in the embodiments. The disclosure can be implemented in various combinations. The disclosure may have additional parts that can be added to the embodiments. The disclosure includes those in which parts and / or elements of the embodiments are omitted. The disclosure encompasses the replacement or combination of parts and / or elements between one embodiment and another. The technical scope disclosed is not limited to the description of the embodiments. Some technical scope disclosed is indicated by the description of the claims, and should be understood to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the description of the claims.

The description has been given by taking as an example two vehicles, a vehicle equipped with an engine and a vehicle equipped with a motor. However, the vehicle air conditioner 1 is applied to a vehicle such as a hybrid vehicle that travels by using two vehicle powers of the engine and the motor. May be applied.

Claims

An air conditioning control device mounted on a vehicle capable of unmanned traveling,
A determination unit (52) for determining a ride state of a passenger in the vehicle and a running state of the vehicle;
An output unit (53) that performs air conditioning control with temperature adjustment using a radiator that exchanges heat with air outside the vehicle based on the determination result of the determination unit;
The output unit executes the air conditioning control when the determination result indicates an unmanned state and a traveling state of the vehicle, and when the determination result indicates an unmanned state and a stop state of the vehicle. An air conditioning control device that stops execution of the air conditioning control.
The air conditioning control device according to claim 1,
The said output part performs the said air-conditioning control when the vehicle speed of the said vehicle is more than predetermined value, and stops the said air-conditioning control when the vehicle speed of the said vehicle is less than predetermined value.
The air-conditioning control device according to claim 1 or 2,
The air conditioning control is to control an air conditioner that performs air conditioning using vehicle power used to travel the vehicle,
The said output part is an air-conditioning control apparatus which performs the said air-conditioning control when the efficiency of the said vehicle motive power is more than predetermined value, and stops the said air-conditioning control when the efficiency of the said vehicle motive power is less than predetermined value.
The air conditioning control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The said output part is an air-conditioning control apparatus which performs the inside air mode which circulates the air in a vehicle interior in execution of the said air-conditioning control.