WO2021215275A1 - Vehicle control device and vehicle air purification system - Google Patents

Abstract

This vehicle control device is mounted in a vehicle having installed therein an occupant determination unit (4) that outputs a signal whereby the presence or absence of an occupant in the vehicle cabin can be determined. The vehicle control device controls the driving of an air purification unit (3) that irradiates a photocatalyst (6) with light and purifies the air in the vehicle cabin. The vehicle control device executes a control in which the air purification power of the air purification unit (3) when it is determined that an occupant is present on the basis of the output signal from the occupant determination unit (4) is less than the air purification power of the air purification unit (3) when it is determined that an occupant is not present on the basis of the output signal from the occupant determination unit (4).

Description

Vehicle control device and vehicle air purification system Cross-reference to related applications

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-76336 filed on April 22, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device that controls the drive of an air purification unit, and a vehicle air purification system that uses the control device.

Conventionally, an air purifier that purifies air with a photocatalyst is known. The device described in Patent Document 1 is for arranging a photocatalyst filter having a photocatalyst supported in an air passage through which air flows in a vehicle interior, and irradiating the photocatalyst filter with light from a light source to purify the air. The air that has passed through the photocatalytic filter in the air passage is blown into the vehicle interior.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-343427

An air purifier using a photocatalyst purifies the air by decomposing an odorous organic substance contained in the air by an oxidation reaction by the photocatalyst and finally converting it into carbon dioxide and water. Therefore, when an odorous organic substance is decomposed by a photocatalyst, an intermediate product having an odor different from the initial odor (hereinafter referred to as "intermediate odor") is produced. For example, when toluene is decomposed by a photocatalyst, toluene → benzaldehyde → salicylaldehyde → benzene → propane → carbon dioxide and water, or toluene → paracresol → acetone → ethanol, acetaldehyde, methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid → dioxide. It transforms into various intermediate products during the decomposition process, such as carbon and water. Therefore, when purifying the air in a narrow space such as the passenger compartment with a photocatalyst, it is easy for the occupant to notice that the first odor in the passenger compartment has changed to an intermediate odor, which is another odor, which causes discomfort to the occupant. There is a problem that it will end up.
Regarding such a problem, the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 described above is intended to enhance the air purification ability of the photocatalyst, and consideration of intermediate odor due to the intermediate product produced by the oxidation reaction of the photocatalyst is taken into consideration. It has not been.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle air purification system capable of suppressing occupant discomfort due to an intermediate odor generated by a photocatalyst.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle control device is mounted on a vehicle equipped with a occupant determination unit that outputs a signal capable of determining the presence or absence of an occupant in the vehicle interior. This vehicle control device controls the drive of an air purification unit that purifies the air in the vehicle interior by irradiating the photocatalyst with light. In this vehicle control device, the air cleaning ability of the air purifying unit when it is determined by the output signal of the occupant determination unit that the occupant is in the room is determined by the output signal of the occupant determination unit, and the presence of the occupant is determined by the output signal of the occupant determination unit. Perform control to make it less than the air purifying capacity of the air purifying unit at the time.

According to this, the vehicle control device controls so that the air cleaning capacity of the air cleaning unit is smaller when the occupant is in the room than when the occupant is absent. As a result, when the occupant is present in the passenger compartment, the speed at which the odorous organic matter is decomposed by the photocatalyst is slowed down. Therefore, the speed at which the intermediate product is produced by the decomposition of the organic substance is slowed down, and the intermediate product is also decomposed by the photocatalyst, so that the peak value of the intermediate odor due to the intermediate product can be lowered. Therefore, this vehicle control device can purify the air without causing discomfort due to the intermediate odor to the occupants in the vehicle interior or by suppressing the discomfort due to the intermediate odor.

Further, from another viewpoint, the vehicle air purifying system is mounted on the vehicle and includes an air purifying unit, an occupant determination unit, and a vehicle control device. The air purification unit includes a photocatalyst provided in an air passage through which air in the vehicle interior flows, and a light source device that irradiates the photocatalyst with light. The occupant determination unit outputs a signal capable of determining the presence or absence of the occupant in the vehicle interior. The vehicle control device determines the air cleaning ability of the air purifying unit when it is determined by the output signal of the occupant determination unit that the occupant is present, and when the output signal of the occupant determination unit determines that the occupant is absent. Perform control to make it smaller than the air cleaning capacity of the air cleaning unit.
According to this, this vehicle air purification system can also exert the same effect as the vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Note that the reference symbols in parentheses attached to each component or the like indicate an example of the correspondence between the component or the like and the specific component or the like described in the embodiment described later.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the vehicle control device and the vehicle air purification system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the air cleaning process by the vehicle control device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the air purification rate by a photocatalyst, and the illuminance of the light which irradiates a photocatalyst. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the current value supplied to a light source device, and the illuminance of the light which a light source device irradiates. It is a graph for demonstrating duty control of the electric current supplied to a light source apparatus. It is a graph for explaining the behavior image of the odor and the intermediate odor to be purified. It is a schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the vehicle control device and the vehicle air purification system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the air cleaning process by the vehicle control device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the vehicle control device and the vehicle air purification system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the air cleaning process by the vehicle control device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the following embodiments, the same or equal parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

(First Embodiment)
The first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle control device 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “control device 1”) according to the present embodiment constitutes the vehicle air purification system 2 together with an air purification unit that is mounted on the vehicle and purifies the air in the vehicle interior. It is a thing. In addition, in this specification, purification of air includes air purification by removing the odor contained in air.

First, the configuration of the vehicle air purification system 2 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle air cleaning system 2 includes an air cleaning unit 3, an occupant determination unit 4, a control device 1, and the like.

The air purification unit 3 includes a photocatalyst 6 provided in an air passage 5 through which air in the vehicle interior flows, a light source device 7 for irradiating the photocatalyst 6 with light, and the like. The photocatalyst 6 contains, for example, titanium oxide or tungsten oxide, and some contains additives (for example, metals such as zeolite and copper). The photocatalyst 6 is provided in the air passage 5 in a state of being supported on the surface of the carrier 8. The carrier 8 may be provided along the inner wall of the air passage 5 as shown in FIG. 1, or may be provided so as to intersect the air flow of the air passage 5 (not shown). As a result, the air flowing through the air passage 5 comes into contact with the photocatalyst 6 supported on the surface of the carrier 8. The carrier 8 may be a photocatalytic filter that allows air to pass through.

The light source device 7 is composed of, for example, a light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as "LED") or the like. The light source device 7 has one or more LEDs. In FIG. 1, the light that the LED irradiates the photocatalyst 6 is indicated by the broken line arrow L. The type of light emitted by the LED is, for example, ultraviolet light. The light source device 7 may be provided along the inner wall of the air passage 5 as shown in FIG. 1, or may be provided so as to project into the air passage 5 (not shown).

The air passage 5 is provided with a blower 9 for allowing air in the vehicle interior to flow. The blower 9 may be provided on the upstream side of the carrier 8 in the air passage 5 as shown in FIG. 1, or may be provided on the downstream side of the carrier 8 in the air passage 5 (not shown). Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the air flow of the air passage 5 and the direction of light irradiation by the light source device 7 may intersect, or the air flow of the air passage 5 and the light source device 7 (not shown) may intersect with each other. It may be oriented in the same direction as the direction of irradiation of light by. As the blower 9, various types such as a centrifugal type, an axial flow type, and a mixed flow type can be adopted.

The air blown by the blower 9 and flowing through the air passage 5 comes into contact with the photocatalyst 6 supported on the surface of the carrier 8 and is purified. Specifically, the organic matter contained in the air flowing through the air passage 5 is finally decomposed into carbon dioxide and water by the oxidation reaction of the photocatalyst 6. As a result, the air is purified by the air purification unit 3. In FIG. 1, the contaminated air flowing through the air passage 5 (that is, the air containing an odorous organic substance) is indicated by the hatched arrow AF1, and the purified air is indicated by the white arrow AF2. The purified air is blown into the passenger compartment.

The above-mentioned air purifying unit 3 may be configured independently of the vehicle air conditioner mounted on the vehicle, or may be configured integrally with the vehicle air conditioner. good.
When the air purifying unit 3 and the vehicle air conditioner are integrally configured, the air passage 5 and the blower 9 provided in the vehicle air conditioner may be used as the above-mentioned air passage 5 and blower 9. That is, in that case, it is possible to install the carrier 8 carrying the photocatalyst 6 and the light source device 7 in the air passage 5 provided in the vehicle air conditioner.

The occupant determination unit 4 can use various devices that output signals capable of determining whether or not an occupant is present (that is, riding) in the vehicle interior. As the occupant determination unit 4, for example, at least one of a seating sensor installed in a seat, a shift lever used for a shift operation, an air conditioning control device for controlling an air conditioning device, or a door lock device can be used. The signal output by the occupant determination unit 4 is input to the control device 1.

The control device 1 is an electronic control device composed of a processor that performs control processing and arithmetic processing, a microcomputer that includes a storage unit such as a ROM and a RAM that stores programs and data, and peripheral circuits thereof. The storage unit of the control device 1 is composed of a non-transitional substantive storage medium. The control device 1 performs various control processes and arithmetic processes based on the program stored in the storage unit, and controls the operation of each device connected to the output port. Specifically, the control device 1 determines whether or not the occupant is present or absent in the vehicle interior based on the signal input from the occupant determination unit 4. Then, the control device 1 controls the drive of the light source device 7 and the blower 9 included in the air purifying unit 3 according to the presence or absence of the occupant in the vehicle interior.

Next, the air cleaning process executed by the control device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

This air cleaning process may be configured to be initiated at the direction of the occupant, may be configured to detect the occurrence of an odor and be initiated automatically, or the vehicle may be parked. It may be configured to start automatically when

First, in step S110, a signal is input to the control device 1 from the occupant determination unit 4. When the vehicle is parked and a vehicle switch such as an ignition switch is turned off, a signal is sent from the occupant determination unit 4 to the control device 1 after the occupant determination unit 4 is energized. Entered. As the occupant determination unit 4, at least one of the above-mentioned seating sensor, shift lever, air conditioning control device, and door lock device is exemplified.

Next, in step S120, the control device 1 determines whether or not the occupant is present or absent in the vehicle interior based on the signal input from the occupant determination unit 4. When the seating sensor is adopted as the occupant determination unit 4, the control device 1 determines that the occupant is present in the vehicle interior when the seating signal is input from the seating sensor. On the other hand, if the seating signal is not input from the seating sensor, the control device 1 determines that the occupant is absent in the vehicle interior.

Further, when the shift lever is adopted as the occupant determination unit 4, the control device 1 determines that the occupant is present in the vehicle interior when the shift lever is in a position other than parking. On the other hand, when the shift lever is in the parking position for a predetermined time or longer, the control device 1 determines that the occupant is absent in the vehicle interior.

Further, when the air-conditioning control device is adopted as the occupant determination unit 4, the control device 1 determines that the occupant is present in the vehicle interior when the operation signal of the air-conditioning device during parking is turned off. On the other hand, when the operation signal of the air conditioner is input, the control device 1 determines that the occupant is absent in the vehicle interior.

Further, when the door lock device is adopted as the occupant determination unit 4, the control device 1 determines that the occupant is present in the vehicle interior when the door lock is released. On the other hand, when the door is locked from outside the vehicle, the control device 1 determines that no occupant is present in the vehicle interior.

As described above, in the control device 1, the occupant is present in the vehicle interior based on a signal input from at least one of the seating sensor, the shift lever, the air conditioning control device, and the door lock device as the occupant determination unit 4. It is possible to determine if it is present or absent. When the control device 1 determines that the occupant is absent in the vehicle interior (that is, in the case of a negative determination in step S120), the control device 1 advances the process to step S130.

In step S130, the control device 1 operates the air cleaning unit 3 to maximize the air cleaning capacity of the photocatalyst 6, and purifies the air in the vehicle interior. Specifically, the control device 1 sets the illuminance of the light that the light source device 7 irradiates the photocatalyst 6 to the maximum value. Further, the control device 1 drives the blower 9 to blow the vehicle interior air into the air passage 5.

Here, the relationship between the air purification rate by the photocatalyst 6 and the illuminance of the light irradiating the photocatalyst 6 will be described with reference to the graph of FIG. FIG. 3 is an experimental result of investigating the purification rate of air by the photocatalyst 6 when the light source device 7 changes the illuminance of the light irradiating the photocatalyst 6.

In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis shows the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 to the photocatalyst 6, and the vertical axis shows the air purification rate by the photocatalyst 6. As shown in FIG. 3, it can be seen that the larger the illuminance of the light emitted from the photocatalyst 6 by the light source device 7, the faster the purification rate of air by the photocatalyst 6. Therefore, it is possible to control the purification rate of air by the photocatalyst 6 by adjusting the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 to the photocatalyst 6.

Next, the relationship between the current value supplied to the light source device 7 and the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 to the photocatalyst 6 will be described with reference to the graph of FIG.
In FIG. 4, the horizontal axis represents the current value supplied to the light source device 7, and the vertical axis represents the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 to the photocatalyst 6. As shown in FIG. 4, it can be seen that the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 increases as the current value supplied to the light source device 7 increases. Therefore, it is possible to control the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 by adjusting the current value supplied to the light source device 7.

Therefore, in step S130 of FIG. 2, when the control device 1 operates the air cleaning ability of the air cleaning unit 3 at the maximum, the current value supplied to the light source device 7 is set as the maximum value, and the light emitted by the LED is used. Maximize the illuminance. Then, when the light source device 7 has a plurality of LEDs, the control device 1 turns on all the LEDs. Further, the control device 1 drives the blower 9 to blow the vehicle interior air into the air passage 5.

On the other hand, when the control device 1 determines in step S120 described above that an occupant is present in the vehicle interior (that is, in the case of an affirmative determination in step S120), the control device 1 proceeds to step S140.

In step S140, the control device 1 operates the air cleaning unit 3 with the air cleaning capacity of the photocatalyst 6 smaller than the maximum, and purifies the air in the vehicle interior. In other words, the control device 1 executes a control that suppresses the air cleaning ability of the air cleaning unit 3 as compared with the case where the occupant is absent. Specifically, the control device 1 executes control to lower the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 from the maximum value. Further, the control device 1 drives the blower 9 to blow the vehicle interior air into the air passage 5.

As described with reference to FIG. 3, by reducing the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 to the photocatalyst 6, the purification rate of air by the photocatalyst 6 can be slowed down. Further, as described with reference to FIG. 4, by lowering the current value supplied to the light source device 7, the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 to the photocatalyst 6 can be reduced.

For example, the control device 1 can execute any of the following controls (A) to (F).
(A) When the light source device 7 has a plurality of LEDs, for example, half of the LEDs are turned off and the other LEDs are turned on.
(B) The current value supplied to the light source device 7 is controlled so that the illuminance of the light emitted by the LED is, for example, about 50%.
(C) The illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 to the photocatalyst 6 is changed according to the type and intensity of the odor. For example, if the amount of intermediate odor generated is large depending on the type of odor, or if the intensity of the odor is large, the illuminance is set low.
(D) When the light source device 7 has a plurality of LEDs, for example, less than half or more than half of the LEDs are turned off, and the other LEDs are turned on.
(E) The value of the current supplied to the light source device 7 is controlled so that the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 is less than 50% or 50% or more.
(F) As shown in FIG. 5, when the power supply method to the light source device 7 is PWM control, the air cleaning ability of the air cleaning unit 3 is reduced by reducing the duty ratio.

In step S130 or step S140, the control device 1 stops the current supply to the light source device 7 and stops the driving of the blower 9 after the air cleaning unit 3 executes the air cleaning for a predetermined time. As a result, the air cleaning by the air cleaning unit 3 is completed.

Next, regarding the air cleaning process executed by the control device 1 described above, regarding the significance of suppressing the air cleaning ability of the photocatalyst 6 when the occupant is present in the vehicle interior as compared with the case where the occupant is absent. This will be described with reference to the graph of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a graph for explaining the behavior image of the odor to be purified and the intermediate odor in the vehicle interior. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis represents the passage of time, and the vertical axis represents the odor level (that is, the intensity of the odor). Further, in FIG. 6, the minimum level at which a general occupant notices an odor is shown by a solid line with a symbol Th as an odor threshold value.

In FIG. 6, it is assumed that the odor to be purified is generated in the passenger compartment at time T1. At time T2, the air cleaning process in the vehicle interior by the photocatalyst 6 of the air cleaning unit 3 is started.

After time T2, the solid line A shows the behavior of the odor to be purified when the air cleaning unit 3 is operated with the maximum air cleaning ability of the photocatalyst 6. In this case, the odor to be purified is purified by the photocatalyst 6 in a short time, and becomes smaller than the odor threshold after time T3.

Here, the purification of air by the photocatalyst 6 is performed by decomposing an odorous organic substance by an oxidation reaction by the photocatalyst 6 and finally converting it into carbon dioxide and water. At that time, an intermediate product is produced while the odorous organic substance is decomposed by the photocatalyst 6. Some intermediate products have a different odor (ie, intermediate odor) than the initial odor (ie, the odor to be purified).

In FIG. 6, the behavior of the intermediate odor generated when the photocatalyst 6 is operated with the maximum air cleaning ability is shown by the alternate long and short dash line B. The intermediate odor generated in this case becomes larger than the odor threshold at time T5 and peaks at time T6. After that, the intermediate product is decomposed by the photocatalyst 6, so that the intermediate odor becomes smaller than the odor threshold at time T7. Therefore, if the air cleaning process is performed with the photocatalyst 6 maximizing the air cleaning capacity while the occupant is in the vehicle interior, the first odor is deodorized in a short time, but the intermediate odor is different from the first odor. Is strongly generated, which causes discomfort to the occupants.

On the other hand, the broken line C in FIG. 6 shows the behavior of the odor to be purified when the photocatalyst 6 is operated with the air purifying ability suppressed. Further, the alternate long and short dash line D shows the behavior of the intermediate odor generated in that case.

As shown by the broken line C in FIG. 6, when the air purifying ability of the photocatalyst 6 is suppressed and operated, the speed at which the photocatalyst 6 decomposes the organic substance having an odor to be purified becomes slow. The odor to be purified becomes smaller than the odor threshold after time T4. Along with this, the speed at which intermediate products are produced due to the decomposition of organic substances having an odor to be purified also slows down. Since the intermediate product is also decomposed by the photocatalyst 6, the intermediate odor due to the intermediate product peaks at time T8, but the intensity of the intermediate odor is smaller than the odor threshold. Therefore, if the air purifying ability of the photocatalyst 6 is suppressed while the occupant is in the vehicle interior, the peak value of the intermediate odor is lowered, or the occupant may be uncomfortable due to the intermediate odor. Alternatively, the discomfort caused by the intermediate odor is suppressed.

The control device 1 and the vehicle air purification system 2 of the first embodiment described above have the following effects.
(1) In the first embodiment, the control device 1 makes the air cleaning capacity of the air cleaning unit 3 when the occupant is present smaller than the air cleaning capacity of the air cleaning unit 3 when the occupant is absent. do.
As a result, when an occupant is present in the passenger compartment, the air purifying ability of the air purifying unit 3 is suppressed to reduce the decomposition speed of odorous organic substances, and the peak value of the intermediate odor due to the intermediate products. Can be lowered. Therefore, the control device 1 can purify the air without causing discomfort due to the intermediate odor to the occupants in the vehicle interior or by suppressing the discomfort due to the intermediate odor.

(2) In the first embodiment, the control device 1 maximizes the air cleaning ability of the air cleaning unit 3 by the photocatalyst 6 when the occupant is determined to be absent by the output signal of the occupant determination unit 4. On the other hand, the control device 1 makes the air cleaning ability of the air cleaning unit 3 by the photocatalyst 6 smaller than the maximum when it is determined by the output signal of the occupant determination unit 4 that the occupant is in the room.
According to this, when no occupant is present in the vehicle interior, the air cleaning capacity of the air cleaning unit 3 is maximized, so that the air cleaning can be efficiently performed in a short time. On the other hand, when an occupant is present in the passenger compartment, the air purifying ability of the air purifying unit 3 is made smaller than the maximum so that the occupant does not feel uncomfortable due to the intermediate odor or the discomfort due to the intermediate odor is caused. It can be suppressed and air can be cleaned.

(3) In the first embodiment, the control device 1 increases the air purifying ability of the photocatalyst 6 by increasing the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7. On the other hand, the control device 1 reduces the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 to reduce the air cleaning ability of the photocatalyst 6.
According to this, there is a correlation between the air purifying ability of the air purifying unit 3 and the illuminance of the light applied to the photocatalyst 6. Therefore, the control device 1 can easily control the air cleaning ability by the air cleaning unit 3 by adjusting the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7.

(4) In the first embodiment, the control device 1 is based on at least one of the output signal of the seating sensor, the output signal of the shift lever, the on / off signal of the air conditioning device by the air conditioning control device, and the output signal of the door lock device. , Determine whether the occupant is present or absent in the passenger compartment.
According to this, it is possible to generally use a device mounted on the vehicle as the occupant determination unit 4.

(Second Embodiment)
The second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is a modification of a part of the configuration of the vehicle air cleaning system 2 and a part of the air cleaning process executed by the control device 1 with respect to the first embodiment, and the other parts are the first. Since it is the same as the embodiment, only the part different from the first embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle air purification system 2 includes an odor sensor 10. The odor sensor 10 is a sensor that outputs a signal according to the concentration of a predetermined substance having an odor contained in air. The odor sensor 10 is provided, for example, in front of the air outlet of the air passage 5 of the air cleaning unit 3. The signal output by the odor sensor 10 is input to the control device 1.

Next, the air cleaning process executed by the control device 1 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step S200, the signal output by the odor sensor 10 is input to the control device 1. When the vehicle is parked and a vehicle switch such as an ignition switch is turned off, the signal output by the odor sensor 10 is sent to the control device 1 after the odor sensor 10 is energized. Entered.

Next, in step S210, the signal output by the occupant determination unit 4 is input to the control device 1.
Subsequently, in step S220, the control device 1 determines whether or not the occupant is present or absent in the vehicle interior based on the signal input from the occupant determination unit 4. Since the processes of steps S210 and S220 of the second embodiment are the same as the processes of steps S110 and S120 described in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

When the control device 1 determines in step S220 that the occupant is absent in the vehicle interior (that is, in the case of a negative determination in step S220), the process proceeds to step S230.
In step S230, the control device 1 operates the air cleaning unit 3 to maximize the air cleaning capacity of the photocatalyst 6, and purifies the air in the vehicle interior. Since the process of step S230 of the second embodiment is the same as the process of step S130 described in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

On the other hand, when the control device 1 determines in step S220 described above that an occupant is present in the vehicle interior (that is, in the case of an affirmative determination in step S220), the process proceeds to step S225.

In step S225, the control device 1 determines whether or not the signal output by the odor sensor 10 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. The predetermined threshold value is, for example, the intensity of the odor in the vehicle interior (that is, the intensity of the odor in the vehicle interior, which is less than the odor threshold even when the intermediate odor generated when the air cleaning capacity of the air cleaning unit 3 is maximized and the air cleaning is performed reaches the peak value. , The concentration of the odor substance detected by the odor sensor 10). The odor threshold is the minimum level at which a general occupant notices an odor, as described in the first embodiment.

When the control device 1 determines in step S225 that the signal output by the odor sensor 10 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value (that is, in the case of an affirmative determination in step S225), the process proceeds to step S230.

In step S230, as described above, the control device 1 operates the air cleaning unit 3 to maximize the air cleaning capacity of the photocatalyst 6, and purifies the air in the vehicle interior. In this case, since the output value of the odor sensor 10 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the intermediate odor generated when the organic substance having the odor is decomposed by the photocatalyst 6 becomes less than the odor threshold value even when the peak value is reached. Therefore, the occupants in the passenger compartment are not uncomfortable due to the intermediate odor.

On the other hand, when the control device 1 determines in step S225 that the signal output by the odor sensor 10 is larger than a predetermined threshold value (that is, in the case of a negative determination in step S225), the control device 1 proceeds to step S240.
In step S240, the control device 1 operates the air purifying unit 3 with the air purifying capacity of the photocatalyst 6 smaller than the maximum, and purifies the air in the vehicle interior. Since the process of step S240 of the second embodiment is the same as the process of step S140 described in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

In step S230 or step S240, the control device 1 executes the air cleaning by the air cleaning unit 3 for a predetermined time, and then finishes the air cleaning by the air cleaning unit 3.

In the control device 1 of the second embodiment described above, when the output value of the odor sensor 10 is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the light emitted by the light source device 7 is emitted regardless of whether the occupant is present or absent. Performs control that maximizes illuminance.
According to this, when the output value of the odor sensor 10 is small, the intermediate odor generated when the organic substance having the odor is decomposed by the photocatalyst 6 is also small, so that it is intermediate with respect to the occupants in the vehicle interior. Does not cause discomfort due to odor. Therefore, the control device 1 can efficiently clean the air in a short time by maximizing the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7.

(Third Embodiment)
A third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment is also a modification of a part of the configuration of the vehicle air cleaning system 2 and a part of the air cleaning process executed by the control device 1 with respect to the first embodiment and the like. Since it is the same as the first embodiment and the like, only the parts different from the first embodiment and the like will be described.

As shown in FIG. 9, the vehicle air purification system 2 includes a temperature / humidity sensor 11. The temperature / humidity sensor 11 is a sensor that detects the temperature and humidity in the vehicle interior. The signal output by the temperature / humidity sensor 11 is input to the control device 1.

The vehicle air purification system 2 may include at least one of a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the vehicle interior and a humidity sensor that detects the humidity inside the vehicle interior, instead of the temperature / humidity sensor 11.

Next, the air cleaning process executed by the control device 1 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step S300, the signal output by the temperature / humidity sensor 11 is input to the control device 1. When the vehicle is parked and a vehicle switch such as an ignition switch is turned off, the signal output by the temperature / humidity sensor 11 is a control device after the temperature / humidity sensor 11 is energized. Entered in 1.

Next, in step S310, the signal output by the occupant determination unit 4 is input to the control device 1.
Subsequently, in step S320, the control device 1 determines whether or not the occupant is present or absent in the vehicle interior based on the signal input from the occupant determination unit 4. Since the processes of steps S310 and S320 of the third embodiment are the same as the processes of steps S110 and S120 described in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

When the control device 1 determines in step S320 that the occupant is absent in the vehicle interior (that is, in the case of a negative determination in step S320), the process proceeds to step S330.
In step S330, the control device 1 operates the air cleaning unit 3 to maximize the air cleaning capacity of the photocatalyst 6, and purifies the air in the vehicle interior. Since the process of step S330 of the third embodiment is the same as the process of step S130 described in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

On the other hand, when the control device 1 determines in step S320 described above that an occupant is present in the vehicle interior (that is, in the case of an affirmative determination in step S320), the process proceeds to step S325.

In step S325, the control device 1 determines whether or not the signal output by the temperature / humidity sensor 11 satisfies a predetermined temperature condition or a predetermined humidity condition. This predetermined condition is set to a temperature or humidity that reduces the odor sensitivity of the occupant.

Here, it is generally known that the temperature and humidity of the environment affect the human sense of smell. Specifically, the human sense of smell sensitivity is highest in an environment where the temperature is 20 to 30 ° C. and the relative humidity is 60 to 70%. On the other hand, in an environment where the temperature is 10 ° C. or lower, the human sense of smell sensitivity is reduced to about 0.3 times as compared with the case where the sensitivity is the highest. Further, even in an environment where the relative humidity is 20% or less, the human sense of smell sensitivity is reduced to about 0.3 times as compared with the case where the sensitivity is the highest. From this, for example, the temperature inside the vehicle interior can be set to 10 ° C. or lower as the predetermined temperature condition used in the determination in step S325. Further, as a predetermined humidity condition, for example, the relative humidity in the vehicle interior can be set to 20% or less. The predetermined conditions are not limited to this, and it is possible to appropriately set the temperature or humidity at which the occupant's sense of smell is lowered by an experiment or the like.

When the control device 1 determines in step S325 that the signal output by the temperature / humidity sensor 11 satisfies a predetermined temperature condition or humidity condition (that is, in the case of an affirmative determination in step S325), the process proceeds to step S330.

In step S330, as described above, the control device 1 operates the air cleaning unit 3 to maximize the air cleaning capacity of the photocatalyst 6, and purifies the air in the vehicle interior. In this case, even if the occupant is present in the vehicle interior, the occupant hardly feels an intermediate odor because the odor sensitivity of the occupant is lowered.

On the other hand, when the control device 1 determines in step S325 that the signal output by the temperature / humidity sensor 11 does not satisfy the predetermined condition (that is, in the case of a negative determination in step S325), the process proceeds to step S340. Proceed.
In step S340, the control device 1 operates the air purifying unit 3 with the air purifying capacity of the photocatalyst 6 smaller than the maximum, and purifies the air in the vehicle interior. Since the process of step S340 of the third embodiment is the same as the process of step S140 described in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

In step S330 or step S340, the control device 1 executes air cleaning by the air cleaning unit 3 for a predetermined time, and then ends the air cleaning by the air cleaning unit 3.

The control device 1 of the third embodiment described above is based on the output value of the temperature / humidity sensor 11, and when the temperature condition or the humidity condition that the odor sensitivity of the occupant is equal to or less than the predetermined odor threshold is satisfied, the occupant is in the room. Regardless of the absence, the control that maximizes the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 is executed.
According to this, when the condition that the odor sensitivity of the occupant is equal to or less than the predetermined odor threshold is satisfied, the occupant is less likely to feel the intermediate odor. It can be done efficiently in time.

(Other embodiments)
(1) In the second embodiment, the strength of the odor is directly detected by using the odor sensor 10, and when the level of the odor is low, the air cleaning ability of the air cleaning unit 3 is maximized. Further, in the third embodiment, when the odor sensitivity of the occupant is low due to the output value of the temperature / humidity sensor 11, the air cleaning ability of the air cleaning unit 3 is maximized.
On the other hand, as a combination of the second and third embodiments, even when the odor level is high due to the output value of the odor sensor 10, air purification is performed when the output value of the temperature / humidity sensor 11 determines that the odor sensitivity of the occupant is low. The air cleaning capacity of the unit 3 may be maximized.

(2) For example, the air cleaning unit 3 is not limited to the one having the photocatalyst 6 and the light source device 7, and may be combined with a device having an air cleaning means different from the photocatalyst 6 such as an ion generator and a deodorizing filter.

(3) For example, another air purifier built in the in-vehicle air conditioner may be combined with an independent photocatalytic air purifying unit 3.

(4) For example, a photocatalytic air purifier unit 3 built in an in-vehicle air conditioner may be combined with another independent air purifier.

(5) In the third embodiment, the control device 1 controls the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 based on the output value of the temperature / humidity sensor 11, but the control device 1 is not limited to the output of the temperature sensor or the humidity sensor. The illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device 7 may be controlled based on the value.

As described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate. Further, the above-described embodiments are not unrelated to each other, and can be appropriately combined unless the combination is clearly impossible. Further, in each of the above embodiments, it goes without saying that the elements constituting the embodiment are not necessarily essential except when it is clearly stated that they are essential and when they are clearly considered to be essential in principle. stomach. Further, in each of the above embodiments, when numerical values such as the number, numerical values, quantities, and ranges of the constituent elements of the embodiment are mentioned, when it is clearly stated that they are particularly essential, and in principle, the number is clearly limited to a specific number. It is not limited to the specific number except when it is done. Further, in each of the above embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of a component or the like, the shape, unless otherwise specified or limited in principle to a specific shape, positional relationship, etc. It is not limited to the positional relationship.

The control device and its method in the present disclosure are realized by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. May be good. Alternatively, the control device and its method in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated computer provided by configuring the processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control device and its method in the present disclosure are configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor composed of one or more hardware logic circuits. It may be realized by one or more dedicated computers. Further, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium as an instruction executed by the computer.

(summary)
According to the first aspect shown in part or all of the above-described embodiment, the control device is a vehicle provided with an occupant determination unit that outputs a signal capable of determining the presence or absence of an occupant in the vehicle interior. It is installed in. This control device controls the drive of the air purifying unit that purifies the air in the vehicle interior by irradiating the photocatalyst with light. This control device determines the air cleaning ability of the air purifying unit when it is determined by the output signal of the occupant determination unit that the occupant is present, and when the output signal of the occupant determination unit determines that the occupant is absent. Perform control to make it smaller than the air cleaning capacity of the air cleaning unit.

According to the second aspect, when the occupant is determined to be absent by the output signal of the occupant determination unit, the control device operates the air purification unit with the maximum air cleaning ability by the photocatalyst. Further, the control device executes control to make the air cleaning ability of the air cleaning unit by the photocatalyst smaller than the maximum when it is determined by the output signal of the occupant determination unit that the occupant is in the room.
According to this, when no occupant is present in the vehicle interior, the air cleaning capacity of the air cleaning unit is maximized, so that the air cleaning can be performed efficiently in a short time. On the other hand, when an occupant is present in the passenger compartment, the air cleaning capacity of the air purifying unit is made smaller than the maximum so that the occupant does not feel discomfort due to the intermediate odor or the discomfort due to the intermediate odor is suppressed. And can clean the air.

According to the third aspect, the air purifying unit has a photocatalyst provided in an air passage through which air in the vehicle interior flows, and a light source device for irradiating the photocatalyst with light. The control device executes control to increase the air cleaning ability of the photocatalyst by increasing the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device. On the other hand, the control device executes control to reduce the air cleaning ability of the photocatalyst by lowering the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device.
According to this, there is a correlation between the air purifying ability of the air purifying unit and the illuminance of the light applied to the photocatalyst. Therefore, the control device can easily control the air cleaning ability by the air cleaning unit by adjusting the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device.

According to the fourth viewpoint, the vehicle is equipped with an odor sensor that detects the strength of the odor in the vehicle interior. When the output value of the odor sensor is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the control device executes control that maximizes the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device regardless of whether the occupant is present or absent.
According to this, when the output value of the odor sensor is small, the intermediate odor generated when the organic matter having the odor is decomposed by the photocatalyst is also small, so even if the occupant is in the passenger compartment, the occupant is intermediate. There is almost no odor. Therefore, the vehicle control device can efficiently clean the air in a short time by maximizing the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device.
It should be noted that the predetermined threshold value is set so that, for example, a general occupant does not notice the intermediate odor even when the intermediate odor generated when the air purifying capacity of the air purifying unit is maximized to purify the air inside the vehicle interior is the peak value. It is set to the level of odor intensity in the passenger compartment.

According to the fifth aspect, the vehicle has at least one of a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the vehicle interior, a humidity sensor that detects the humidity inside the vehicle interior, or a temperature / humidity sensor that detects the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle interior. It is installed. The control device is based on the output value of at least one of the temperature sensor, the humidity sensor, or the temperature / humidity sensor. Instead, control is performed to maximize the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device.
According to this, it is generally known that the olfactory sensitivity of the occupant decreases depending on the temperature or humidity in the vehicle interior. Therefore, when the condition that the odor sensitivity of the occupant is equal to or less than the predetermined odor threshold is satisfied, the occupant is less likely to feel the intermediate odor. Can be done.

According to the sixth aspect, the control device executes control that maximizes the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device when the temperature in the vehicle interior is 10 ° C. or less or the relative humidity in the vehicle interior is 20% or less. do.
According to this, it is generally known that when the temperature inside the vehicle becomes 10 ° C. or lower, the olfactory sensitivity of the occupant is reduced to about 0.3 times as compared with the time when the sensitivity is the highest. Further, it is known that even when the relative humidity in the vehicle interior is 20% or less, the olfactory sensitivity of the occupant is reduced to about 0.3 times as compared with the case where the sensitivity is the highest. Therefore, when the odor sensitivity of the occupant is so low, the occupant is less likely to feel the intermediate odor. Therefore, the air purifying capacity of the air purifying unit can be maximized to efficiently purify the air in a short time. can.

According to the seventh aspect, the occupant determination unit is at least one of a seating sensor installed in the seat, a shift lever used for the shift operation, an air conditioning control device for controlling the air conditioning device, or a door lock device. The control device is based on at least one of the output signal of the seating sensor, the output signal of the shift lever, the on / off signal of the air conditioning device by the air conditioning control device, and the output signal of the door lock device. Determine if it is present or absent.
According to this, it is possible to generally use a device mounted on a vehicle as an occupant determination unit.

According to the eighth aspect, the vehicle air purification system is mounted on the vehicle and has the following configuration. The air purification unit includes a photocatalyst provided in an air passage through which air in the vehicle interior flows, and a light source device that irradiates the photocatalyst with light. The occupant determination unit outputs a signal capable of determining the presence or absence of the occupant in the vehicle interior. The control device determines the air cleaning ability of the air purifying unit when it is determined by the output signal of the occupant determination unit that the occupant is present, and the air when the occupant is determined to be absent by the output signal of the occupant determination unit. Perform control to make it smaller than the air cleaning capacity of the cleaning unit.
According to this, this vehicle air purification system can also have the same effect as the control device described in the first aspect.
It is also possible to combine the second to seventh viewpoints with the eighth viewpoint.

Claims (8)

1. It is mounted on a vehicle equipped with a occupant determination unit (4) that outputs a signal capable of determining the presence or absence of an occupant in the vehicle interior, and irradiates a photocatalyst (6) with light to purify the air inside the vehicle interior. In the vehicle control device that controls the drive of the air purification unit (3)
   The air cleaning ability of the air purifying unit when it is determined by the output signal of the occupant determination unit that the occupant is present, and the air when the occupant is determined to be absent by the output signal of the occupant determination unit. A vehicle control device that performs control that is smaller than the air cleaning capacity of the cleaning unit.
2. When it is determined by the output signal of the occupant determination unit that the occupant is absent, the air cleaning unit is operated with the maximum air cleaning ability of the photocatalyst, and the occupant is present according to the output signal of the occupant determination unit. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein when a determination is made, control is performed to reduce the air cleaning capacity of the air cleaning unit by the photocatalyst to be smaller than the maximum.
3. The air purifying unit includes the photocatalyst provided in an air passage through which air in the vehicle interior flows, and a light source device (7) that irradiates the photocatalyst with light.
   By increasing the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device, the air purifying ability of the photocatalyst is increased.
   The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device for reducing the air purifying ability of the photocatalyst is executed by lowering the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device.
4. The vehicle is equipped with an odor sensor (10) that detects the strength of the odor in the vehicle interior.
   3. When the output value of the odor sensor is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, control for maximizing the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device is executed regardless of whether the occupant is present or absent. The vehicle control device according to.
5. The vehicle is equipped with at least one of a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the vehicle interior, a humidity sensor that detects the humidity inside the vehicle interior, or a temperature / humidity sensor (11) that detects the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle interior. And
   If the temperature condition or humidity condition that the olfactory sensitivity of the occupant is equal to or less than the predetermined olfactory threshold value is satisfied based on at least one output value of the temperature sensor, the humidity sensor, or the temperature / humidity sensor, is the occupant present in the room? The vehicle control device according to claim 3 or 4, which performs control that maximizes the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device regardless of the absence.
6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein when the temperature in the vehicle interior is 10 ° C. or less or the relative humidity in the vehicle interior is 20% or less, the control for maximizing the illuminance of the light emitted by the light source device is executed. Control device for.
7. The occupant determination unit is at least one of a seating sensor installed in a seat, a shift lever used for a shift operation, an air conditioning control device for controlling an air conditioning device, or a door lock device.
   An occupant is present in the passenger compartment based on at least one of the output signal of the seating sensor, the output signal of the shift lever, the on / off signal of the air conditioning device by the air conditioning control device, and the output signal of the door lock device. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which determines whether or not the vehicle is present or absent.
8. In the vehicle air purification system installed in the vehicle
   An air purification unit (3) having a photocatalyst (6) provided in an air passage through which air flows in the vehicle interior and a light source device (7) for irradiating the photocatalyst with light.
   The occupant determination unit (4) that outputs a signal capable of determining the presence or absence of the occupant in the passenger compartment, and the occupant determination unit (4).
   The air cleaning ability of the air purifying unit when it is determined by the output signal of the occupant determination unit that the occupant is present, and the air when the occupant is determined to be absent by the output signal of the occupant determination unit. A vehicle air cleaning system including a vehicle control device (1) that executes control that is smaller than the air cleaning capacity of the cleaning unit.

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