Vehicle and method of controlling vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle comprising: an air conditioner; a display device configured to receive user input for air blowing discharge of the air conditioner capable of synchronous control and comprising a first area and a second area, each of the first area and the second area being configured to output at least one of an activation indication or a deactivation indication for air blowing discharge of the air conditioner; and a controller configured to: in response to receiving user input for air blowing discharge of the air conditioner capable of synchronous control, output at least one of an activation indication or a deactivation indication for air blowing discharge of the air conditioner in the first area; in response to a time point at which at least one of the activation indication or the deactivation indication for air blowing discharge of the air conditioner is output in the first area, output an activation indication for air blowing discharge of the air conditioner in the second area; and in response to arrival of a preset time, control the display device to change the activation indication to a deactivation indication in the second area and output the deactivation indication.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0070128 filed on June 10, 2020, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle and a method of controlling the vehicle, and more particularly, to a user interface for operating an air conditioner in a vehicle. Background Art

[0004] Vehicles are equipped with air conditioners to keep the air environment comfortable according to various changes in the surrounding environment. The air conditioner can include a cooling device to keep the temperature low and a heating device to keep the temperature high.

[0005] In an air conditioner that performs synchronous (SYNC) control of a driver seat and a passenger seat, wind comes in the direction of the passenger seat, but there is a problem that the user interface does not indicate that wind is being discharged, so that the user may misunderstand that wind is not being discharged.

[0006] Furthermore, even if the user interface indicates whether to operate the blowing air in the direction of the passenger seat, there is a disadvantage that the user may mistakenly believe that there is a malfunction because the user interface cannot receive a user input.

[0007] The information included in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the disclosure and is not to be considered as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle providing a user interface allowing a user to intuitively control an air conditioner and a method of controlling the vehicle.

[0009] Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle may include: an air conditioner; a display device configured to receive user input for blowing air discharge of the air conditioner capable of SYNC control, and the display device includes a first area and a second area, each of the first area and the second area being configured to output at least one of an activation indication or a deactivation indication for blowing air discharge of the air conditioner; and a controller configured to: in response to receiving user input for blowing air discharge of the air conditioner capable of SYNC control, output at least one of an activation indication or a deactivation indication for blowing air discharge of the air conditioner in the first area; in response to a time point at which at least one of the activation indication or the deactivation indication for blowing air discharge of the air conditioner is output in the first area, output an activation indication for blowing air discharge of the air conditioner in the second area; and in response to arrival of a preset time, control the display device to change the activation indication to a deactivation indication in the second area and output the deactivation indication.

[0011] The first area may include a plurality of buttons, and the plurality of buttons are configured to correspond to the blowing positions of the air conditioner, respectively. The second area may include a plurality of buttons, and the plurality of buttons are configured to correspond to the blowing positions of the air conditioner, respectively.

[0012] The first area may include a first button, a second button, and a third button. The second area may include a fourth button, a fifth button, and a sixth button.

[0013] The blowing direction according to the blowing position of the air conditioner corresponding to the first button of the first area and the fourth button of the second area may be a direction of a windshield of the vehicle.

[0014] Blowing discharge according to the blowing position of the air conditioner corresponding to the first button of the first zone and the fourth button of the second zone may be configured to enable interactive SYNC control.

[0015] The controller can be configured to: in response to receiving a user input for discharging blowing air in the direction of a windshield of the vehicle while the first button in the first area outputs a deactivation indication, output an activation indication to the first button in the first area and the fourth button in the second area; and in response to the arrival of a preset time, control the display device so that the first button in the first area maintains the activation indication, and the fourth button in the second area changes the activation indication to a deactivation indication and outputs the deactivation indication.

[0016] The controller can be configured to: in response to receiving a user input for stopping blowing air in the direction of the windshield of the vehicle while the first button in the first area outputs an activation indication, output a deactivation indication to the first button in the first area and output an activation indication to the fourth button in the second area; and in response to the arrival of a preset time, control the display device so that the fourth button in the second area changes the activation indication to a deactivation indication and outputs the deactivation indication.

[0017] In response to receiving user input from the first button of the first zone while the first button of the first zone outputs a deactivation indication, the controller can be configured to control the air conditioner so that the air conditioner discharges blowing air in a blowing position of the vehicle corresponding to the positions of the first button of the first zone and the fourth button of the second zone.

[0018] The controller can be configured to: output an activation indication to the first button of the first area, the third button of the first area, and the fourth button of the second area in response to receiving a user input for discharging blown air in the direction of the windshield of the vehicle and in the direction under the driver's seat while the first button of the first area outputs a deactivation indication; and in response to the arrival of a preset time, control the display device so that the first button of the first area and the third button of the first area maintain the activation indication, and the fourth button of the second area changes the activation indication to a deactivation indication and outputs the deactivation indication.

[0019] In response to receiving user input for blowing discharge of the air conditioner in at least one of the direction of the driver's seat, the direction below the driver's seat, the direction of the passenger seat, or the direction below the passenger seat of the vehicle, the controller can be configured to control the display device to output at least one of an activation indication or a deactivation indication to at least one of the second button of the first area, the third button of the first area, the fifth button of the second area, or the sixth button of the second area corresponding to the blowing position.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a vehicle may include: in response to receiving user input for air blowing discharge of an air conditioner capable of synchronization (SYNC) control, outputting, by a controller, at least one of an activation indication and a deactivation indication for the air blowing discharge of the air conditioner in a first area of a display device; in response to a time point at which at least one of the activation indication and the deactivation indication for the air blowing discharge of the air conditioner is output in the first area, outputting, by the controller, an activation indication for the air blowing discharge of the air conditioner in a second area of the display device; and in response to arrival of a preset time, changing, by the controller, the activation indication to a deactivation indication in the second area and outputting the deactivation indication.

[0021] The first area may include a plurality of buttons, and the plurality of buttons are configured to correspond to the blowing positions of the air conditioner, respectively. The second area may include a plurality of buttons, and the plurality of buttons are configured to correspond to the blowing positions of the air conditioner, respectively.

[0022] The first area may include a first button, a second button, and a third button. The second area may include a fourth button, a fifth button, and a sixth button.

[0023] The blowing direction according to the blowing position of the air conditioner corresponding to the first button of the first area and the fourth button of the second area may be a direction of a windshield of the vehicle.

[0024] Blowing discharge according to the blowing position of the air conditioner corresponding to the first button of the first zone and the fourth button of the second zone may be configured to enable interactive SYNC control.

[0025] The method may further include: in response to receiving a user input for discharging blowing air in the direction of a windshield of the vehicle while the first button in the first area outputs a deactivation indication, the controller outputs an activation indication to the first button in the first area and the fourth button in the second area; and in response to the arrival of a preset time, the controller controls the display device so that the first button in the first area maintains the activation indication, and the fourth button in the second area changes the activation indication to a deactivation indication and outputs the deactivation indication.

[0026] The method may further include: in response to receiving a user input for stopping blowing air in the direction of the windshield of the vehicle while the first button in the first area outputs an activation indication, the controller outputs a deactivation indication to the first button in the first area and outputs an activation indication to the fourth button in the second area; and in response to the arrival of a preset time, the controller controls the display device so that the fourth button in the second area changes the activation indication to a deactivation indication and outputs the deactivation indication.

[0027] The method may further include: in response to receiving user input from the first button of the first area while the first button of the first area outputs a deactivation indication, controlling the air conditioner by the controller so that the air conditioner discharges blowing air in a blowing position of the vehicle corresponding to the positions of the first button of the first area and the fourth button of the second area.

[0028] The method may further include: in response to receiving a user input for discharging blown air in the direction of a windshield of the vehicle and in a direction under a driver's seat while the first button in the first area outputs a deactivation indication, the controller outputs an activation indication to the first button in the first area, the third button in the first area, and the fourth button in the second area; and in response to the arrival of a preset time, the controller controls the display device so that the first button in the first area and the third button in the first area maintain activation indications, and the fourth button in the second area changes the activation indication to a deactivation indication and outputs a deactivation indication.

[0029] The method may also include: in response to receiving user input for blowing discharge of the air conditioner in at least one of the direction of the driver's seat, the direction below the driver's seat, the direction of the passenger seat, or the direction below the passenger seat of the vehicle, the controller controls the display device to output at least one of an activation indication and a deactivation indication to at least one of the second button of the first area corresponding to the blowing position, the third button of the first area, the fifth button of the second area, and the sixth button of the second area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] These and / or other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent and more readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0031] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 2 is a control block diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 3 It shows that according to Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the configuration of an embodiment of the display device referenced in .

[0034] Figures 4A to 4C is a diagram illustrating a display screen controlled by an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figures 5A to 5C is a diagram illustrating a display screen controlled by an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figures 6A to 6C is a diagram illustrating a display screen controlled by an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] 7A to 7C is a diagram illustrating a display screen controlled by an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 8is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0039] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a vehicle according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In this specification, similar reference numerals refer to similar elements. All elements of the embodiments of the present disclosure will not be described, and descriptions that overlap with each other as known in the art or in exemplary embodiments will be omitted. The terms used throughout the specification, such as, "components," "modules," "members," "blocks," etc., can be implemented with software and / or hardware, and multiple "components," "modules," "members," or "blocks" can be implemented with a single element, or a single "component," "module," "member," or "block" can include multiple elements.

[0041] It will be further understood that the term "connected" and its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connections, and that an indirect connection includes a connection through a wireless communication network.

[0042] Unless otherwise mentioned, the terms "comprise" and "comprising" are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude other unrecited elements or method steps. It will be further understood that the term "component" and its derivatives refer to when a component is in contact with another component and when another component is present between the two components.

[0043] Further, when it is stated that a layer is "on" another layer or substrate, the layer can be directly on the other layer or substrate, or a third layer may be disposed therebetween.

[0044] It will be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe different elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section.

[0045] It is to be understood that the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0046] The reference numbers used for the method steps are only used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the order of the steps. Therefore, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the written order can be practiced in other ways.

[0047] Hereinafter, the operation principle and embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] The vehicle disclosed in the present disclosure may be a hybrid vehicle, but is not limited thereto.

[0049] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle and a method of controlling the vehicle according to aspects of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a control block diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 3 It shows that according to Figure 2 , and Figures 4A to 4C It shows that according to Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the configuration of another embodiment of the display device and air conditioner referenced in .

[0051] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The vehicle 1 may include: a display device 10 for receiving user input regarding operation and control of the air conditioner 30 and displaying a blowing state of the air conditioner 30; the air conditioner 30 for discharging blowing air based on the user input; and a controller 20 for controlling the display device 10 and the air conditioner 30.

[0052] The display device 10 may include a first area and a second area in order to receive a user input regarding a blowing position of the air conditioner 30 from a user.

[0053] The display device 10 may output an activation indication or a deactivation indication indicating whether the air conditioner 30 is blowing air in response to a user input in the first area and the second area.

[0054] Here, when the user input is a control signal for discharging air blown from the air conditioner 30 , the display apparatus 10 may output an activation indication to the first area of the display apparatus 10 to indicate that the air conditioner 30 blows air to the first and second areas.

[0055] When the user input is a control signal for stopping the blowing of the air conditioner 30 , the display device 10 may output an activation indication to the first area of the display device 10 to indicate that the air conditioner 30 does not blow air to the first and second areas.

[0056] The display device 10 can be provided in the vehicle 1 by various methods. As described above, the display device 10 can provide an input area through a plurality of buttons. Figure 3 As shown, the display device 10 may be configured as a touch display and may output and provide an input area on the screen. The touch display may correspond to an input device for displaying various types of information related to the vehicle 1 on the screen, allowing the user to provide various types of information and control various devices of the vehicle 1 through various input gestures.

[0057] Specifically, a touch display may be implemented using a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a cathode ray tube (CRT), etc. A touch display may include a display panel that displays an image and a touch screen panel that receives a user's gesture input.

[0058] The display device 10 may be arranged in various locations within the vehicle 1. For example, the display device 10 may be installed in at least one or more of the center panel areas of the instrument panel accessible to the user.

[0059] The air conditioner 30 may discharge blown air based on a user input.

[0060] When the air conditioner 30 receives a user input for blowing air from the air conditioner 30 , the air conditioner 30 may discharge the blowing air from a vent corresponding to a blowing position according to the user input among the plurality of vents.

[0061] In more detail, the air conditioner 30 can provide cooling or heating at various air blowing positions through multiple vents installed inside the vehicle 1. To this end, the air conditioner 30 may include a first vent 31, a second vent 32, and a third vent 33 located around the driver's seat. For example, the first vent 31 may be located between the windshield and the dashboard inside the vehicle 1 to discharge cooled and heated air to the upper part of the vehicle interior. The second vent 32 may be located at a height adjacent to the center panel area of the dashboard to discharge cooled and heated air to the middle part of the vehicle interior. The third vent 33 may be located at the bottom of the driver's seat to discharge cooled and heated air to the lower part of the vehicle interior.

[0062] Here, as described above, the air conditioner 30 may be provided with two vents in two or more rows of seats other than one row of the vehicle 1 .

[0063] Furthermore, the air conditioner 30 may include a fourth vent 34, a fifth vent 35, and a sixth vent 36 located around the passenger seat. For example, the fourth vent 34 may be positioned between the front windshield and the dashboard within the vehicle 1 to discharge cooled and heated air to the upper portion of the vehicle interior. The fifth vent 35 may be positioned at a height adjacent to the center panel area of the dashboard to discharge cooled and heated air to the middle portion of the vehicle interior. The sixth vent 36 may be positioned at the bottom of the passenger seat to discharge cooled and heated air to the lower portion of the vehicle interior.

[0064] The air conditioner 30 may be a device for providing cooling or heating of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the air conditioner 30 may include an air conditioning device that cools the air inside the vehicle 1 to provide a cooled state and a heater that keeps the air inside the vehicle 1 warm.

[0065] The controller 20 may control the output of the display device 10 and the operation of the air conditioner 30 in response to an input to the display device 10 .

[0066] In more detail, based on the received user input, the controller 20 may control the display device 10 to output an indication of whether the air conditioner 30 blows air in the first area 11 and the second area 12 .

[0067] In addition, the controller 20 may control the air conditioner 30 to change the position of the blowing air discharged from the air conditioner 10 .

[0068] Specifically, refer to Figure 3 The controller 20 can output activation instructions and deactivation instructions by controlling the on / off of the plurality of light emitting elements provided in the plurality of buttons, and control the image representing the state of the air conditioner 10 on the screen of the display device 10 to be changed. The plurality of light emitting elements can output activation instructions and deactivation instructions through the plurality of buttons according to user input.

[0069] The controller 20 may be implemented with a memory 21 storing programs or data about the programs for controlling the operations of the display device 10 and the air conditioner 30 and a processor performing the aforementioned operations to control the operations of the display device 10 and the air conditioner 30 according to the programs and data stored in the memory 21 .

[0070] The memory 21 and the processor may be implemented in separate chips. Alternatively, the memory 21 and the processor may be implemented in a single chip.

[0071] like Figure 3 As shown, the display device 10 may include a first button 101, a second button 102, and a third button 103 in the first area 11. The first button 101 may be provided with a first light emitting element 1001, the second button 102 may be provided with a second light emitting element 1002, and the third button 103 may be provided with a third light emitting element 1003.

[0072] The display device 10 may include a fourth button 104, a fifth button 105, and a sixth button 106 in the second area 12. The fourth light emitting element 1004 may be provided on the fourth button 104, the fifth light emitting element 1005 may be provided on the fifth button 105, and the sixth light emitting element 1006 may be provided on the sixth button 106.

[0073] The activation indication or the deactivation indication output to the first area 11 of the display device 10 may be controlled in response to whether air is blown from the plurality of vents around the driver's seat of the vehicle 1 .

[0074] The activation indication or the deactivation indication output to the second area 12 of the display device 10 may be controlled in response to whether the plurality of vents around the passenger seat of the vehicle 1 are blowing air.

[0075] For example, a user can control the blowing discharge of air from the first vent 31 or stop blowing air from the first vent 31 by inputting the first button 101, control the blowing discharge of air from the second vent 32 or stop blowing air from the second vent 32 by inputting the second button 102, and control the blowing discharge of air from the third vent 33 or stop blowing air from the third vent 33 by inputting the third button 103. It goes without saying that various methods can be used to control the blowing discharge or stop blowing air. Furthermore, the light-emitting element provided in the button can output an activation or deactivation indication for the vent corresponding to the button. For example, the light-emitting element can be a light-emitting diode, or can refer to various light-emitting devices capable of generating visible light.

[0076] Hereinabove, the configuration of the vehicle 1 for performing the control operation according to the embodiment has been described. Hereinafter, the output of the display device 10 performed by the control operation will be described in detail.

[0077] When the controller 20 receives a user input for air blowing of the air conditioner 30 , the controller 20 may control the display device 10 to output at least one of an activation indication and a deactivation indication for air blowing of the air conditioner 30 to the first area 11 .

[0078] When at least one of an activation instruction and a deactivation instruction for blowing air from the air conditioner 30 is output to the first area 11, the controller 20 may control the display device 10 to output a deactivation instruction for blowing air from the air conditioner 30 to the second area 12. When a preset time arrives, the controller 20 may control the display device 10 to change the activation instruction output to the second area 12 to a deactivation instruction and output it.

[0079] In an air conditioner that performs SYNC control of a driver seat and a passenger seat, wind comes in the direction of the passenger seat, but there is a problem that the user interface does not indicate that wind is being blown out, so that the user may misunderstand that wind is not being discharged.

[0080] Therefore, in the case of the air conditioner 30 performing synchronous (SYNC) control of the driver's seat and the passenger seat, when the air conditioner 30 around the passenger seat blows air toward the windshield, an activation indication is made on the user interface. When a preset time is reached, the activation indication is changed to a deactivation indication on the user interface, allowing the user to intuitively control the air conditioner around the passenger seat 30.

[0081] Hereinafter, a display method for air blown out from the air conditioner 30 capable of SYNC control will be described.

[0082] Figures 4A to 4C is a diagram illustrating a display screen controlled by an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] refer to Figure 4A When the air conditioner 30 is not in operation and the first, second, and third buttons 101, 102, and 103 output a deactivation indication to the first area 11 and a depth mode selection input is received from the user in the first area 11, the controller 20 may control the first light emitting element 1001 so that the first button 101 in the first area 11 outputs an activation indication. The depth mode may be a mode for discharging blown air from the air conditioner 30 in the direction of the windshield.

[0084] When the user touches the first button 101 of the first area 11, although the controller 20 is shown as determining that the depth mode for discharging air blown in the direction of the front windshield of the vehicle 1 is selected, it is not limited to touching the first button 101 to select the depth mode.

[0085] refer to Figure 4B When the first button 101 of the first area 11 outputs an activation indication, the controller 20 may control the fourth light emitting element 1004 so that the first button 101 and the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 capable of SYNC control output activation indications.

[0086] In this case, when the user input is a control signal for discharging air, the controller 20 may control the fourth light emitting element 1004 to output light from the entire area of the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 .

[0087] When controlling the blowing in the blowing position corresponding to the first button 101 of the first area 11, it goes without saying that the controller 20 can control the air conditioner 30 based on the first button 101 to control the blowing in the blowing position corresponding to the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 capable of SYNC.

[0088] refer to Figure 4C When the preset time arrives, the controller 20 may allow the first button 101 of the first area 11 to maintain the activation indication, and control the display device 10 so that the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 is deactivated.

[0089] Here, deactivation of the fourth button 104 may be a state in which the user does not recognize the fourth button 104 by not outputting light over the entire area of the fourth light emitting element 1004 of the fourth button 104 , but the display method of deactivating the fourth button 104 is not limited thereto.

[0090] Figures 5A to 5C is a diagram illustrating a display screen controlled by an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0091] refer to Figure 5A , while the air conditioner 30 is operating in a depth mode for discharging air in the direction of the front windshield and the first button 101 of the first area 11 outputs an activation indication, when a user input is received from the first button 101 in the first area 11, the controller 20 can control the display device 10 so that the first button 101 outputs a deactivation indication by determining it as a control signal for stopping the blowing of the air conditioner 30.

[0092] like Figure 5A As shown, when the user touches the first button 101 of the first region 11 , although it is shown that the controller 20 determines blowing as a control signal for stopping blowing in the depth mode, it is not limited to touching the first button 101 .

[0093] refer to Figure 5B , the controller 20 may control the display device 10 to simultaneously output a deactivation instruction to the first button 101 of the first area 11 and an activation instruction to the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 .

[0094] At this time, when the user input is a control signal for stopping the blowing of air, such as Figure 5B As shown, the fourth light emitting element 1004 may be controlled so that light is not output from the entire fourth button 104 but is output only from the outside.

[0095] refer to Figure 5C When the preset time arrives, the controller 20 may control the display device 10 so that the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 is deactivated 104 - 1 .

[0096] Here, when the fourth button 104 is deactivated, the controller 20 may be in a state where the user does not recognize the fourth button 104 by not outputting light from the entire area of the fourth light emitting element 1004 , but the display method of the deactivated fourth button 104 is not limited thereto.

[0097] Figures 6A to 6C is a diagram illustrating a display screen controlled by an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0098] refer to Figure 6A When the air conditioner 30 is not operating and the first, second, and third buttons 101, 102, and 103 output a deactivation indication to the first area 11 and a user hybrid mode selection input is received from the first area 11, the controller 20 may control the first and third light emitting elements 1001, 1003 so that the first and third buttons 101, 103 of the first area 11 output an activation indication. The hybrid mode may be a mode for discharging blown air from the air conditioner 30 toward the windshield and, at the same time, toward the direction under the driver's seat.

[0099] When the user touches the first button 101 of the first area 11, although the controller 20 is shown as determining that a mixed mode for discharging blowing air in the direction of the front windshield of the vehicle 1 and discharging blowing air in the direction under the driver's seat is selected, it is not limited to touching the first button 101.

[0100] refer to Figure 6B When the first button 101 of the first area 11 outputs an activation indication, the controller 20 may control the fourth light emitting element 1004 so that the first button 101 and the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 capable of SYNC control output activation indications.

[0101] In this case, when the user input is a control signal for discharging air, the controller 20 may control the fourth light emitting element 1004 to output light from the entire area of the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 .

[0102] When controlling blowing in the blowing position corresponding to the first button 101 of the first area 11 , it goes without saying that the controller 20 can control blowing in the blowing position corresponding to the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 capable of SYNC based on the first button 101 .

[0103] refer to Figure 6C When the preset time arrives, the controller 20 may allow the first button 101 and the third button 103 of the first area 11 to maintain activation indications, and control the display device 10 so that the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 is deactivated 104 - 1 .

[0104] Here, deactivation of the fourth button 104 may be a state in which the user does not recognize the fourth button 104 by not outputting light over the entire area of the fourth light emitting element 1004 of the fourth button 104 , but the display method of deactivating the fourth button 104 is not limited thereto.

[0105] 7A to 7C is a diagram illustrating a display screen controlled by an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0106] refer to Figure 7A , when the air conditioner 30 is operated in a mixed mode for discharging blowing air in the direction of the front windshield and discharging blowing air in the direction under the driver's seat and the first button 101 and the third button 103 of the first area 11 output activation indications, when a user input is received from the first button 101 in the first area 11, the controller 20 can control the first light-emitting element 1001 by determining a control signal as a control signal for stopping blowing air in the direction of the front windshield of the air conditioner 30 so that the first button 101 of the first area 11 outputs a deactivation indication.

[0107] At this time, the controller 20 may control the air conditioner 30 to maintain the blowing air discharge in the direction below the driver's seat, and the third button 103 of the first area 11 may be controlled to maintain the activation indication output.

[0108] When the user touches the first button 101 of the first area 11 , although the controller 20 is shown as determining a control signal for stopping blowing air in the direction of the front windshield of the air conditioner 30 of the vehicle 1 , it is not limited to touching the first button 101 .

[0109] refer to Figure 7B , the controller 20 can maintain the activation indication output of the third button 103 of the first area 11, and can control the display device 10 to simultaneously output a deactivation indication to the first button 101 of the first area 11 and an activation indication to the fourth button 104 of the second area 12.

[0110] When the user input is a control signal for stopping blowing air, such as Figure 7B As shown, the light emitting element 1004 may be controlled so that light is not output from the entire fourth button 104 but is output only from the outside.

[0111] refer to Figure 5C When the preset time arrives, the controller 20 may control the display device 10 so that the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 is deactivated 104 - 1 .

[0112] Here, when the fourth button 104 is deactivated, the controller 20 may be in a state where the user does not recognize the fourth button 104 by not outputting light from the entire area of the fourth light emitting element 1004 , but the display method of the deactivated fourth button 104 is not limited thereto.

[0113] Although not shown, when the user touches the second button 102 of the first area 11 , the controller 20 may control the second light emitting element 1002 so as to activate the second button 102 by determining that a mode for discharging blown air at the center of the driver's seat of the vehicle 1 is selected.

[0114] When user input is received at the second button 102 while the second button 102 is outputting an activation indication, the controller 20 can control the second light emitting element 1002 so as to deactivate the second button 102 by determining it as a signal for stopping blowing air at the center of the driver's seat of the vehicle 1.

[0115] When the user touches the fifth button 105 of the second area 12 , the controller 20 may control the fifth light emitting element 1005 such that the fifth button 105 is activated by determining that a mode for discharging blown air at the center of the passenger seat of the vehicle 1 is selected.

[0116] While the fifth button 105 is outputting an activation indication, when user input is received at the fifth button 105, the controller 20 can control the fifth light-emitting element 1005 so that the fifth button 105 is deactivated by determining it as a signal for stopping the blowing air in the center of the passenger seat of the vehicle 1.

[0117] As described above, the second button 102 , the third button 103 , the fifth button 105 , and the sixth button 106 corresponding to the blowing position of the air conditioner 30 not performing SYNC control may output activation and deactivation indications respectively corresponding to user inputs.

[0118] It goes without saying that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be similarly applied to various modes of the air conditioner 30, such as the depth mode, the mixed mode, and the ventilation depth mode.

[0119] Figure 8 1 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling a vehicle according to an embodiment. However, this is only a preferred embodiment for achieving the purpose of the present disclosure, and of course, some steps may be added or deleted if necessary.

[0120] The controller 20 may receive a control signal for changing the air-conditioning mode of the air-conditioner 30 (step 110 ).

[0121] The controller 20 may determine whether a depth mode for discharging blown air in the direction of the windshield is selected (step 120 ).

[0122] When it is determined that the depth mode is selected, the controller 20 can control the display device 10 so that the first button 101 of the first area 11 of the display device 10 outputs an activation indication, and can control the display device 10 so that the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 outputs an activation indication (step 140).

[0123] Here, the second area 12 may be a partial area of the display device 10 corresponding to the passenger seat.

[0124] When no user input is received before the preset time expires while the first button 101 of the first area 11 and the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 output activation indications, the controller 20 may control the display device 10 so that the first button 101 becomes a deactivation indication in the second area 12 of the display device 10 (step 150). At this time, when the user input is received before the preset time expires, the controller 20 may control the display device 10 so that the plurality of buttons in the first area 11 and the second area 12 output activation indications or deactivation indications based on the user input.

[0125] When it is not determined that the depth mode is selected, when the controller 20 receives user input to the plurality of buttons of the first and second areas 11 and 12 , the controller 20 may repeatedly output activation or deactivation indications of the plurality of buttons corresponding to the user input (step 130 ).

[0126] For example, when a user input is received at the fifth button 105 of the second area 12, the controller 20 may control the display device 10 so that the fifth button 105 outputs an activation indication. When a user input is received again at the fifth button 105 while the fifth button 105 outputs the activation indication, the controller 20 may control the display device 10 so that the fifth button 105 outputs a deactivation indication.

[0127] Figure 9 1 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. However, this is only a preferred embodiment for achieving the purpose of the present disclosure, and of course, some steps can be added or deleted as needed.

[0128] The controller 20 may receive a control signal for changing the air-conditioning mode of the air-conditioner 30 (step 110 ).

[0129] The controller 20 may determine whether a depth mode off for stopping the blowing air in the direction of the windshield is selected (step 160 ).

[0130] When it is determined that the depth mode off is selected, the controller 20 can control the display device 10 so that the first button 101 of the first area 11 of the display device 10 outputs a deactivation indication, and can control the display device 10 so that the fourth button 104 of the second area 12 outputs an activation indication (step 140).

[0131] Here, the second area 12 may be a partial area of the display device 10 corresponding to the passenger seat.

[0132] When the preset time arrives, the controller 20 may control the display device 10 so that the fourth button 104 becomes a deactivation indication in the second area 12 of the display device 10 (step 180 ).

[0133] When it is not determined that depth mode off is selected, when controller 20 receives user input to a plurality of buttons of first area 11 and second area 12 , controller 20 may repeatedly output activation indications or deactivation indications of the plurality of buttons corresponding to the user input (step 130 ).

[0134] For example, when a user input is received at the fifth button 105 of the second area 12, the controller 20 may control the display device 10 so that the fifth button 105 outputs an activation indication. When a user input is received again at the fifth button 105 while the fifth button 105 outputs the activation indication, the controller 20 may control the display device 10 so that the fifth button 105 outputs a deactivation indication.

[0135] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in an air conditioner that performs SYNC control of a driver's seat and a passenger seat, when blow air is discharged in the direction of the passenger seat, an activation indication is displayed on the user interface, and when a preset time arrives, the activation indication on the user interface changes to a deactivation display, so that the user can intuitively control the air conditioner around the passenger seat.

[0136] The disclosed embodiments can be implemented in the form of a recording medium storing computer-executable instructions that can be executed by a processor. The instructions can be stored in the form of program code, and when executed by the processor, the instructions can generate a program module to perform the operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium can be implemented non-transitory as a computer-readable recording medium.

[0137] The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may include all types of recording media that store commands that can be interpreted by a computer. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may be a ROM, RAM, magnetic tape, magnetic disk, flash memory, optical data storage device, etc.

[0138] Thus far, embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced in other forms besides the embodiments described above without changing the technical concept or basic features of the present disclosure. The above embodiments are intended only as examples and should not be interpreted in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: air conditioner; a display device configured to receive a user input for air discharge of the air conditioner capable of synchronous control, the display device comprising a first area and a second area, each of the first area and the second area being configured to output at least one of an activation indication or a deactivation indication for the air discharge of the air conditioner; as well as A controller configured to: in response to receiving the user input for the air blowing of the air conditioner capable of synchronous control, outputting at least one of the activation indication or the deactivation indication for the air blowing of the air conditioner in the first area, in response to a point in time when at least one of the activation instruction or the deactivation instruction for air blowing discharge of the air conditioner is output in the first area, outputting the activation instruction for air blowing discharge of the air conditioner in the second area, and In response to the arrival of a preset time, controlling the display device to change the activation indication to the deactivation indication in the second area and output the deactivation indication, The first area includes a plurality of buttons respectively corresponding to the blowing positions of the air conditioner, and The second area includes a plurality of buttons respectively configured to correspond to the blowing positions of the air conditioner. Wherein, the first area includes a first button, a second button and a third button, and The second area includes a fourth button, a fifth button, and a sixth button. Wherein, the controller is configured to: in response to receiving the user input for discharging blown air in the direction of a windshield of the vehicle while the first button of the first area outputs the deactivation indication, outputting the activation indication to the first button of the first area and the fourth button of the second area; and In response to the arrival of the preset time, the display device is controlled so that the first button of the first area maintains the activation indication, and the fourth button of the second area changes the activation indication to the deactivation indication and outputs the deactivation indication.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The blowing direction according to the blowing position of the air conditioner corresponding to the first button of the first area and the fourth button of the second area is a direction of a windshield of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The air blowing discharge according to the air blowing position of the air conditioner corresponding to the first button of the first area and the fourth button of the second area is configured to enable interactive synchronous control.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The controller is configured to: in response to receiving the user input for stopping blowing air in the direction of the windshield of the vehicle while the first button of the first area outputs the activation indication, outputting the deactivation indication to the first button of the first area and outputting the activation indication to the fourth button of the second area; and In response to the arrival of the preset time, the display device is controlled so that the fourth button of the second area changes the activation indication to the deactivation indication and outputs the deactivation indication.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein In response to receiving the user input from the first button of the first area while the first button of the first area outputs the deactivation indication, the controller is configured to control the air conditioner so that the air conditioner discharges blowing air in a blowing position corresponding to the positions of the first button of the first area and the fourth button of the second area.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The controller is configured to: in response to receiving the user input for discharging blown air in a direction of a windshield of the vehicle and in a direction under a driver's seat while the first button of the first area outputs the deactivation indication, outputting the activation indication to the first button of the first area, the third button of the first area, and the fourth button of the second area; and In response to the arrival of the preset time, the display device is controlled so that the first button of the first area and the third button of the first area maintain the activation indication, and the fourth button of the second area changes the activation indication to the deactivation indication and outputs the deactivation indication.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: In response to receiving the user input for blowing discharge of the air conditioner in at least one of the direction of the driver's seat, the direction under the driver's seat, the direction of the passenger seat, or the direction under the passenger seat of the vehicle, the controller is configured to control the display device to output at least one of the activation indication or the deactivation indication to at least one of the second button of the first area corresponding to the blowing position, the third button of the first area, the fifth button of the second area, or the sixth button of the second area.

8. A method of controlling a vehicle, comprising: in response to receiving a user input for air discharge of an air conditioner capable of synchronous control, outputting, by a controller, at least one of an activation indication or a deactivation indication for the air discharge of the air conditioner in a first area of a display device; outputting, by the controller, the activation instruction for blowing air discharge of the air conditioner in a second area of the display device in response to a point in time when at least one of the activation instruction or the deactivation instruction for blowing air discharge of the air conditioner is output in the first area; and In response to the arrival of a preset time, the controller changes the activation indication to the deactivation indication in the second area and outputs the deactivation indication, The first area includes a plurality of buttons respectively corresponding to the blowing positions of the air conditioner, and The second area includes a plurality of buttons respectively configured to correspond to the blowing positions of the air conditioner. Wherein, the first area includes a first button, a second button and a third button, and The second area includes a fourth button, a fifth button, and a sixth button. The method further comprises: outputting, by the controller, the activation indication to the first button of the first area and the fourth button of the second area in response to receiving the user input for discharging blown air in the direction of a windshield of the vehicle while the first button of the first area outputs the deactivation indication; and In response to the arrival of the preset time, the controller controls the display device so that the first button of the first area maintains the activation indication, and the fourth button of the second area changes the activation indication to the deactivation indication and outputs the deactivation indication.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The blowing direction according to the blowing position of the air conditioner corresponding to the first button of the first area and the fourth button of the second area is a direction of a windshield of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein The air blowing discharge according to the air blowing position of the air conditioner corresponding to the first button of the first area and the fourth button of the second area is configured to enable interactive synchronous control.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: in response to receiving the user input for stopping blowing air in the direction of the windshield of the vehicle while the first button in the first area outputs the activation indication, outputting, by the controller, the deactivation indication to the first button in the first area and the activation indication to the fourth button in the second area; as well as In response to the arrival of the preset time, the controller controls the display device so that the fourth button of the second area changes the activation indication to the deactivation indication and outputs the deactivation indication.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: In response to receiving the user input from the first button of the first area while the first button of the first area outputs the deactivation indication, the controller controls the air conditioner so that the air conditioner discharges blowing air in a blowing position corresponding to the positions of the first button of the first area and the fourth button of the second area.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: outputting, by the controller, the activation indication to the first button of the first area, the third button of the first area, and the fourth button of the second area in response to receiving the user input for discharging blown air in the direction of a windshield of the vehicle and in a direction under a driver's seat while the first button of the first area outputs the deactivation indication; as well as In response to the arrival of the preset time, the controller controls the display device so that the first button of the first area and the third button of the first area maintain the activation indication, and the fourth button of the second area changes the activation indication to the deactivation indication and outputs the deactivation indication.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: In response to receiving the user input for blowing discharge of the air conditioner in at least one of the direction of the driver's seat, the direction under the driver's seat, the direction of the passenger seat, or the direction under the passenger seat of the vehicle, the controller controls the display device to output at least one of the activation indication or the deactivation indication to at least one of the second button of the first area corresponding to the blowing position, the third button of the first area, the fifth button of the second area, or the sixth button of the second area.

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