Thermal conditioning system comprising a sectionalized structure

Abstract

An example method of providing thermal conditioning includes providing a HAL having a plurality of input drivers to acquire input data from temperature sensors and a plurality of output drivers to control discrete thermal effectors in discrete OPZs in a vehicle cabin. An EVAL acquires the input data from the HAL and evaluates a thermal flux experienced by an occupant in each OPZ based on a vehicle profile. An OAL determines a first parameter based on a target thermal flux of the occupant across all OPZs, a second parameter based on the evaluated thermal flux of the occupant from the EVAL, and determines respective temperature set points for each of the plurality of OPZs to reduce a difference between the first and second parameters. The thermal effectors are controlled based on the temperature set points.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 970,439, filed February 5, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to thermal regulation in vehicle compartments, and more specifically to a software stack for thermal regulation controllers. The software stack is understood as a complete software system capable of independently controlling the main system. In this case, the software is arranged in layers according to a specific structural model and has interfaces conforming to specific configurations. This structure aims to minimize the workload of configuring specific vehicle applications while achieving easy portability to various electrical architectures and microcontrollers. Background Technology

[0004] An electronic control unit (ECU) in a vehicle can control multiple discrete thermal effectors to provide one or more microclimate zones within the vehicle cabin. Controlling a discrete thermal effector may involve communicating with the corresponding ECU of the discrete effector via a communication bus and also receiving input from various temperature sensors. This requires the use of software drivers to facilitate communication between the main ECU and the distributed ECUs.

[0005] The number and type of radiator may differ between different vehicle manufacturers and even between different vehicle models from the same manufacturer. This poses a challenge to code reuse across different vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A method for providing thermal regulation in a vehicle compartment according to an example of this disclosure includes providing a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) having multiple input drivers and multiple output drivers, the multiple input drivers acquiring input data from multiple temperature sensors, and the multiple output drivers controlling multiple discrete occupant personalized zones (OPZs) in the vehicle compartment. The method includes providing a vehicle and effector abstraction layer (EVAL) that acquires input data from the HAL and evaluates the heat flux experienced by an occupant in each OPZ based on a vehicle profile storing vehicle-specific attributes. The method includes providing an occupant application layer (OAL) that determines a first parameter based on a target heat flux of the occupant across all OPZs, determines a second parameter based on the evaluated heat flux of the occupant from the EVAL, and determines a corresponding temperature setpoint for each of the multiple OPZs to reduce the difference between the first and second parameters. The EVAL hides the vehicle profile from the OAL. The method includes controlling the multiple thermal effectors based on the temperature setpoint.

[0007] In another implementation of any of the foregoing implementations, the vehicle-specific properties include a number and type of thermal effectors in each OPZ.

[0008] In another implementation of any of the foregoing implementations, the vehicle profile includes a cabin solar load model for evaluating a solar load in a vehicle cabin, and the EVAL utilizes the cabin solar load model in evaluating the heat flux in at least one of the OPZs.

[0009] In another implementation of any of the foregoing implementations, the HAL converts at least a portion of the input data from a first type to a second type prior to providing the input data to the EVAL, the second type having a different unit than the first type.

[0010] In another implementation of any of the foregoing implementations, the first type includes at least one of a current and a voltage measurement, and the second type includes a temperature measurement.

[0011] In another implementation of any of the foregoing implementations, the EVAL determines a temperature in each OPZ based on the input data from the HAL, and for each OPZ, the EVAL controls each thermal effector in the OPZ based on a difference between a temperature setpoint for the OPZ and the determined temperature for the OPZ.

[0012] In another implementation of any of the foregoing implementations, the vehicle profile includes an indication of how aggressively a temperature setpoint should be reached, and the EVAL determines how aggressively the temperature setpoint is reached for each OPZ based on the indication.

[0013] In another implementation of any of the foregoing implementations, the OAL stores a first temperature range for each thermal effector, the first temperature range including a minimum setpoint and a maximum setpoint for the thermal effector. The EVAL stores a second temperature range for a particular one of the thermal effectors, the second temperature range being different from and constraining the first temperature range for the particular one of the thermal effectors. The EVAL adjusts a temperature setpoint for a particular OPZ in which the particular one of the thermal effectors is positioned based on the temperature setpoint falling outside the second temperature range.

[0014] In another implementation of any of the foregoing implementations, the method includes providing a graphical user interface to an occupant using an electronic display in the vehicle, wherein, based on receiving an OPZ disable command for a particular one of the OPZs, the OAL commands the EVAL to disable each thermal effector in the particular one of the OPZs.

[0015] In another embodiment of any of the preceding embodiments, the OAL determines the first and second parameters for the occupant based on a default occupant profile by default, the OAL updates the default occupant profile based on receiving occupant data through the graphical user interface, and the occupant data indicates at least one of occupant gender, occupant weight, and occupant clothing.

[0016] In another embodiment of any of the preceding embodiments, the method includes providing a graphical user interface (GUI) to the occupant, the graphical user interface displaying a visual indication of the temperature setpoint in each OPZ, and based on receiving a temperature offset for a particular OPZ, the OAL adjusts the determined temperature setpoint for the particular OPZ to accommodate the temperature offset.

[0017] In another embodiment of any of the preceding embodiments, the method includes providing a graphical user interface (GUI) to the occupant, the graphical user interface displaying a visual indication of the fan speed of the effector in a particular one of the OPZs, and wherein, based on receiving a fan speed offset for the particular OPZ from the GUI, the OAL transmits an indication of the fan speed offset to the EVAL, and the EVAL adjusts the fan speed of the effector based on the fan speed offset.

[0018] In another embodiment of any of the preceding embodiments, the providing the HAL and the providing the EVAL are performed by a first ECU associated with a first subset of the OPZs, and also performed by a second ECU associated with a second subset of the OPZs, wherein the second ECU is separate from the first ECU, and the first subset and the second subset are not associated with any of the same OPZs. In this embodiment, the providing the OAL is performed in the first ECU based on heat flux evaluations from the EVALs of both the first and second ECUs.

[0019] In another embodiment of any of the preceding embodiments, both the first parameter and the second parameter are overall thermal sensation (OTS) parameters quantified using the Berkeley Sensation Index.

[0020] A thermal conditioning system in a vehicle cabin according to examples of the present disclosure includes a plurality of thermal effectors arranged in a plurality of discrete occupant-personalized zones (OPZs) each associated with a different occupant body region, such that each OPZ includes at least one thermal effector. A controller is configured to provide a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) having a plurality of input drivers that acquire input data from a plurality of temperature sensors and a plurality of output drivers that control a plurality of discrete thermal effectors in the plurality of OPZs in the vehicle cabin. The controller is configured to provide a vehicle abstraction layer (EVAL) that acquires input data from the HAL and evaluates a heat flux experienced by an occupant in each OPZ based on a vehicle profile that stores vehicle-specific properties. The controller is configured to provide an occupant application layer (OAL) that determines a first parameter based on a target heat flux for the occupant, determines a second parameter based on an evaluated heat flux for the occupant from the EVAL, and determines a respective temperature setpoint for each of the plurality of OPZs to reduce a difference between the first and second parameters. The EVAL hides the vehicle profile from the OAL. The controller is configured to control the plurality of thermal effectors based on the temperature setpoints.

[0021] In another implementation of any of the foregoing implementations, the vehicle-specific properties include a number and type of thermal effectors in each OPZ.

[0022] In another implementation of any of the foregoing implementations, the vehicle profile includes a cabin solar load model for evaluating a solar load in the vehicle cabin, and the EVAL utilizes the cabin solar load model in evaluating the heat flux in at least one of the OPZs.

[0023] In another implementation of any of the foregoing implementations, the controller is configured to operate the EVAL to determine a temperature in each OPZ based on the input data from the HAL, and for each OPZ, the controller is configured to operate the EVAL to control each thermal effector in the OPZ based on a difference between the temperature setpoint for the OPZ and the determined temperature for the OPZ.

[0024] In another implementation of any of the foregoing implementations, the vehicle profile includes an indication of how aggressively the temperature setpoint should be reached, and the controller is configured to operate the EVAL to determine how aggressively the temperature setpoint is to be reached for each OPZ based on the indication.

[0025] In another embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the controller is configured to operate the OAL to: determine, by default, the first and second parameters for the occupant based on a default occupant profile, and update the default occupant profile based on occupant data received through the graphical user interface, the occupant data indicating at least one of occupant gender, occupant weight, and occupant clothing.

[0026] In another embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments, the first parameter and the second parameter are both overall thermal sensation (OTS) parameters quantified using the Berkeley Sensation Index.

[0027] A method of providing thermal conditioning in a vehicle cabin according to examples of the disclosure includes providing a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) in a first software application that acquires input data from a plurality of temperature sensors and controls a plurality of discrete thermal effectors in a plurality of discrete occupant personalized zones (OPZs) in the vehicle cabin. The method includes providing a vehicle abstraction layer (EVAL) in a second software application that acquires input data from the HAL and evaluates thermal flux experienced by an occupant in each OPZ based on a vehicle profile that stores vehicle-specific properties, wherein the EVAL hides the vehicle profile from the OAL. The method includes providing an occupant application layer (OAL) in a third software application that determines a respective temperature setpoint for each of the plurality of OPZs and controls the plurality of thermal effectors based on the temperature setpoints.

[0028] The foregoing paragraphs, claims, or embodiments, examples, and alternatives in the following description and drawings encompass any one of their respective aspects or corresponding individual features, independently or in any combination. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless incompatible therewith. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 A thermal conditioning system including an HVAC system and a microclimate thermal conditioning system is schematically illustrated.

[0030] Figure 2 is a flowchart depicting an example method for controlling a plurality of microclimate thermal effectors.

[0031] Figure 3 is a chart depicting an example of how overall thermal sensation (OTS) experienced by a vehicle occupant varies between seasons.

[0032] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing how Figure 4A , Figure 4B and Figure 4C are arranged.

[0033] Figure 4A -C is a portion of a combined schematic illustrating an example arrangement for determining OTS for a vehicle occupant.

[0034] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example arrangement for determining a corrected temperature setpoint based on Figure 4C OTS error as shown in

[0035] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example effect that solar load can have on OTS.

[0036] Figure 6 illustrates an example method for Figure 7 an example software structure for a controller of

[0037] Figure 1 -B illustrates Figure 8A an example implementation of a software structure for

[0038] Figure 7 is a flowchart depicting an example method of providing thermal conditioning in a vehicle cabin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The present disclosure describes a software structure for a controller in a microclimate thermal conditioning system (MTCS) for a vehicle. The MTCS includes a plurality of microclimate thermal effectors operable to provide thermal conditioning in a plurality of discrete occupant personalization zones (OPZs) (e.g., head, seat back, seat cushion, hand / arm, and foot / leg) in a vehicle cabin.

[0040] The controller includes a software stack having a real-time operating system and at least three discrete layers: a hardware abstraction layer (HAL), a vehicle and effector abstraction layer (EVAL), and an occupant application layer (OAL). The purpose of the HAL is to encapsulate all of the configuration for the specific microcontroller (MCU) that is executing the software. The HAL includes all of the low-level software required to properly configure and use the various components within the ECU microcontroller (e.g., device drivers). The HAL includes drivers and servers for handling all ECU inputs and outputs, and provides communication with discrete thermal effectors and temperature sensors. The EVAL takes input data from the HAL and evaluates the thermal flux experienced by the occupant in each of the multiple OPZs based on a vehicle configuration file that stores vehicle-specific properties. The EVAL also commands the HAL to implement temperature setpoints for thermal effectors, which can include devices not directly driven by the microclimate system, such as HVAC. The OAL determines temperature setpoints (e.g., minimum and maximum setpoints corresponding to a first temperature range) for various thermal effectors based on thermal flux and thermal physiological models from the EVAL. The EVAL hides vehicle configuration details from the OAL, abstracting details about the vehicle and discrete thermal effectors from the OAL. The calculations in the OAL and configuration rules applied to the application program interface (API) that manages the exchange of information between the EVAL and the OAL are designed to enable this abstraction.

[0041] In one example, the EVAL stores a second temperature range for a particular one of the thermal effectors, the second temperature range being different from and constraining the first temperature range of the OAL for the particular one of the thermal effectors, and the EVAL adjusts the temperature setpoint for a particular OPZ based on the temperature setpoint falling outside the second temperature range for the particular one of the thermal effectors positioned within the particular OPZ. In this way, the first temperature range of the OAL can be used to represent occupant comfort limits, and the EVAL can limit the first temperature range to a second range for a particular thermal effector based on a temperature range that is safe for the particular thermal effector and / or the environment in which the particular thermal effector is located.

[0042] Figure 9 A thermal regulation system 10 is schematically illustrated, including an HVAC system 12 and a microclimate thermal regulation system (MTCS) 14. The HVAC system 12 includes a motor 16 driving a fan 18 that causes air to pass through a heat exchanger 20 to provide thermally regulated air 22 within a vehicle cabin 24. A cabin temperature sensor 26 provides temperature information to an HVAC controller 28, which is operable to adjust operation of the motor 16 based on temperature readings from the cabin temperature sensor 26. The HVAC controller 28 may, for example, also receive information from an outside air temperature sensor 30 and one or more additional sensors 32.

[0043] The HVAC controller 28 regulates the operation of the HVAC system 12 to a temperature setpoint that is typically manually adjusted by the occupants. In many cases, the central HVAC system 12 is not sufficient to achieve thermal comfort for each specific occupant and location, so the MTCS 14 is provided to generate a unique microclimate for each occupant in the cabin 24, thereby providing improved overall occupant thermal comfort.

[0044] Each occupant of a vehicle typically has unique personal comfort preferences. In other words, a particular occupant experiences a different level of thermal energy than another occupant. As a result, the exact same thermal environment within a vehicle can be considered comfortable by one occupant, but uncomfortable by another occupant. To this end, the present disclosure provides manual adjustment for the occupants to control the central HVAC 12 system and the MTCS 14 in an optimized and coordinated manner.

[0045] There are many sources of heating and cooling within a vehicle that affect occupant thermal comfort. In one example, the various sources of heating and cooling can be represented by an Equivalent Homogeneous Temperature (EHT) within the cabin. The EHT represents the overall thermal effect on an occupant as a measure of the occupant’s heat loss that results in a whole-body thermal sensation. The EHT accounts for the combined convective, conductive, and radiative effects on an occupant and combines these effects into one value, which is particularly useful for modeling non-uniform thermal environments. One example calculation of EHT can be found in the paper entitled “A Model for Relation a Thermal Comfort Scale to EHT Comfort Index” by authors Han, Taeyoung and Huang, Linjie, published in SAE Technical Paper 2004-01-0919, 2004, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. As explained in this SAE paper, the thermal environment being modeled is affected by the “breathing level” air temperature, the Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT), air velocity, solar load, and relative humidity.

[0046] The HVAC system of a vehicle regulates a large volume of air within the cabin to achieve a cabin temperature. Other environmental influences on the microclimate environment include the vehicle ambient temperature and the solar load on the vehicle. One example of using EHT to achieve occupant thermal comfort is described in U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 951,289, filed December 20, 2019, entitled “AUTOMATIC SEAT THERMAL COMFORT CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

[0047] The thermal condition of the occupant can be expressed using the Berkeley Sensation and Comfort Scale (“Berkeley scale”), which is described, for example, in Arens E. A., Zhang H. & Huizenga C. (2006) Partial- and whole-body thermal sensation and comfort, Part I: Uniform environmental conditions. Journal of Thermal Biology, 31, 53-59. The Berkeley scale numerically expresses thermal sensation as: -4 very cold, -3 cold, -2 cool, -1 slightly cool, 0 neutral, 1 slightly warm, 2 warm, 3 hot, 4 very hot. It should be understood that other methods can be used to quantify the thermal condition of the occupant. Overall Thermal Sensation (OTS) is a measure of the thermal sensation experienced by a particular occupant based on the rate of heat transfer to the body of the particular occupant. Each level of the Berkeley scale indicates the difference between the user’s current heat flux and the user’s desired heat flux.

[0048] The MTCS 14 can have a number of discrete occupant microclimate zones or occupant personalization zones (OPZs). According to ISO 145045-2:2006(E), the human body can be divided into different body parts such as the hands, head, or chest, each of which can have a different range of thermal comfort temperatures. Figure 1 Five example zones in the MTCS 14 are the head, back, cushion (thigh and hips), feet / legs, and arms / hands. Fewer, more, and / or different zones can be used if desired.

[0049] Still referring to Figure 1 , the MTCS 14 includes a plurality of discrete microclimate thermal effectors 40A-E, each of which is disposed in a respective OPZ 42A-E. In the example of Figure 1 , the OPZs 40 include a head zone 42A, a back zone 42B, a hands / arms zone 42C, a cushion zone 42D, and a feet / legs zone 42E. The various OPZs 42A-E can be used for different vehicles.

[0050] Each OPZ 42 provides a microclimate for a particular area in contact with a particular vehicle occupant. Figure 1The example vehicle occupant 50 shown in the middle is a driver who can use a steering wheel. Other vehicle occupants can not have a steering wheel, but can still have other devices that affect the climate of the zone, such as heated and cooled surfaces, radiant heat panels, HVAC vents, solar loads, etc. For each OPZ shown as 42A-E, the software is configured to consider all methods of heat transfer affecting the zone in a thermodynamic manner, including controlled effectors such as HVAC and uncontrolled loads such as radiation from the sun. The climate in the zone is then controlled according to a comparison of the actual climate state in the zone to a desired climate state in the zone. Although only a single microclimate thermal effector 40 is shown in each OPZ 42, it is understood that multiple thermal effectors 40 can be included in a particular OPZ 42.

[0051] Various thermal effectors 40 can be used in each OPZ, such as resistive electric heaters, thermoelectric devices that provide heating or cooling using the Peltier effect, convective thermal conditioning devices that provide air flow (e.g., from within a vehicle seat to an OPZ 42), etc. Some example thermal effectors that can be used in the system 10 include, but are not limited to, for example, climate-controlled seats (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,524,439 and 6,857,697), neck adjusters mounted on headrests or upper seat backrests (see, e.g., U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 039,125), climate-controlled headliners (see, e.g., U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 900,334), climate-controlled (e.g., heated) door panels and / or instrument panels, heated steering wheels (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,467 and U.S. Pub. No. 2014 / 0090513), heated shifters (see, e.g., U.S. Pub. No. 2013 / 0061603, etc.), heating pads (which can be installed in seats and other surfaces that surround or contact the vehicle occupant 50), small-scale compression systems configured to transfer thermal effects to the vehicle occupant 50 through convective heat transfer from cooled and conditioned air (see, e.g., International Application No. WO2018049159A1), and / or convective thermal effectors in seat backrests or cushions that can be heated or cooled to achieve individualized microclimates.

[0052] The microclimate system provides the desired occupant personal comfort in an automated manner, with little or no input from the occupant. All or some of these devices can be arranged to optimally control the thermal environment around an occupant seated anywhere in a passenger vehicle. Furthermore, these components can be used to individually adjust the thermal comfort for individual segments or individualized zones of the occupant’s body.

[0053] The controller 44 controls each thermal effector 42. The controller 44 communicates with the HVAC system controller 28 over a communication bus 46, for example, the communication bus 46 can include a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus and / or a Local Interconnect Network (LIN) bus. The controller 44 also communicates with a plurality of distributed cabin temperature sensors 48A-D disposed in one or more OPZs 42. While Figure 1 Five local temperature sensors 48A-E are shown in FIG. 1, but it will be appreciated that other numbers of OPZ temperature sensors 48 (e.g., fewer or more than five OPZ temperature sensors) can be used. There are two purposes for dividing the body into multiple zones. First, the human body and its local environment can be modeled in order to determine the overall heat transfer rate to the body. This is used to assess the current thermal comfort state of each occupant in the vehicle. The more sections, the more accurate the thermal model. The ideal number of zones to make the thermodynamic model accurate can be limited by the number of sensors available in the current cabin. Second, occupants can prefer to differentiate the thermal environment around their body according to specific zones (e.g., head, feet, etc.). Even with the sensing limitation, the optimal number of thermodynamic zones can exceed the preferred number by the occupants for personalization and control. In fact, occupants typically prefer a more limited number of zones when considering preferences. Therefore, the control software decomposes the accurate thermodynamic multi-zone model for assessment into a smaller number of occupant- personalized zones in order to provide both automatic control and personalization.

[0054] Figure 1 is a flowchart 150 showing how the controller 44 controls the plurality of microclimate thermal effectors 40. The controller 44 is able to determine the optimal set points for devices not directly controlled by the microclimate system (e.g., HVAC or other effectors) by including mathematical models of the devices in the same way as devices directly under control (e.g., seat heaters, etc.). Alternatively, the controller 44 can cooperate with other climate control systems by partitioning and individually controlling zones within a certain power budget. In any of these scenarios, the controller 44 determines a thermal balance for the occupant 50 in the vehicle cabin 24 (step 152), which represents the total thermal effect on the occupant 50 as a measure of the occupant’s heat loss that produces a whole-body thermal sensation. In one example, the thermal balance is determined as an “equivalent homogeneous temperature” as described in co-pending application No. 62 / 951,289, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0055] After determining the thermal balance, the controller 44 evaluates the OTS experienced by the occupant 50 (“OTS est”) (step 154). The OTS est indicates the evaluated heat flux experienced by the occupant 50 (e.g., across some or all of the OPZs 42). The controller 44 also determines a target OTS for the occupant 50 (“OTS target”) (step 156). Similarly, the OTS target is calculated using an inversion of the same thermal physiology model as the evaluation, but with nominal conditions for the heat transfer rates and the occupant profile. The inversion of this heat transfer model allows the user to input a “set temperature” which the control software can convert to an equivalent target OTS. The occupant profile can be a default profile which assumes or infers details about the occupant’s weight, gender, and clothing, or can be customized by the occupant to provide these details. The OTS target indicates the desired heat flux for the occupant 50 (e.g., across some or all of the OPZs 42). The OTS target is also calculated based on a global temperature setpoint for the occupant across all of the OPZs 42, which can be provided based on a default value or based on a value provided by a particular occupant.

[0056] The controller 44 calculates the error between the two OTS metrics as OTS target - OTS est (step 158). A positive error indicates that the OTS est is lower than the OTS target, and accordingly that the vehicle occupant 50 should be given heat in some or all of the OPZs 42. Conversely, a negative error indicates that the OTS est is greater than the OTS target, and accordingly that the occupant 50 should be given cool in some or all of the OPZs 42. The controller 44 controls the plurality of thermal effectors 40 to reduce the error of step 158 (step 160).

[0057] In one example, the OTS is determined using an equation in the form of a sigmoid function, which has terms related to the particular occupant thermal characteristics and incorporates the calculated heat loss to the occupant’s body, such as the following equation:

[0058]

[0059] where HeatLoss Body corresponds to the heat flux across the plurality of OPZs 42 by the occupant, and A and B are coefficients related to many environmental and occupant factors, such as the effect of season on the heat flux.

[0060] In one example, the control of step 110 is based on a relative ranking (e.g., on a scale of 0-1.5) for each thermal effector 40 that indicates a preferred order of the effector 40 and / or OPZ 42 for a given occupant. As an example, a given occupant can prefer thermal regulation primarily through effector 40A, and thus can assign a higher ranking to effector 40A than to the other effectors. Conversely, another occupant can wish to de-emphasize effector 40A and prefer thermal regulation more significantly through effector 40D. That occupant can assign a higher ranking to effector 40D than to effector 40A. The rankings allow the occupant 50 to indicate their desired priorities.

[0061] In the "Auto Comfort" mode, the ranking can be multiplied by the OTS error (e.g., using Equation 2 below) to determine the OPZ-specific OTS value.

[0062] OTSerrEffector = OTSerrNormalized * EffectorRanking (Equation 2)

[0063] In one example, if the occupant requests a change to the setpoint of that effector (e.g., increase during heating or decrease during cooling), the ranking for the thermal effector is increased by a first amount. If the occupant turns off the effector, the ranking is decreased by a second amount, the second amount being greater than the first amount.

[0064] In the "Auto Optimize" mode, the ranking is multiplied by an effectiveness value having the same range to reflect the power delivered / consumed by each thermal effector. The goal is to "weight" the corrections applied to the setpoint of each device according to the preference (in "Auto Comfort"), and the preference and effectiveness (in "Auto Optimize").

[0065] Figure 2 is a graph showing how OTS varies between summer and winter. The Y-axis represents OTS, and the X-axis represents heat transfer rate "q" measured in Watts (Joules per second). As shown, the occupant 50 experiences different OTS at the same heat transfer rate depending on the season, with winter weather typically causing the occupant 50 to experience a given OTS at a lower heat transfer rate than summer weather. Figure 3

[0066] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example arrangement for determining OTS_est and OTS_target, which includes Figure 4 , Figure 4A and Figure 4B Reference is now made to Figure 4C , Figure 4A and Figure 4B ​Each respective assessor 60A-E of each OPZ 42 calculates a total heat transfer rate (Q) for its respective OPZ 42. Optionally, some assessors 60 can take into account thermal conditioning from the HVAC system 12 and / or the solar load experienced by the vehicle when the HVAC system 12 and / or the solar load have a significant impact on the OPZ 42. In particular, assessor 60B can benefit from such considerations, as the upper torso 50 of the occupant is likely to be affected by these factors. The individual assessors 60 output their OPZ-specific heat transfer rates, which are summed by summation device 62 to determine an overall heat transfer rate 64. The summation device 62 combines the heat transfer for each OPZ zone to understand the total heat transfer to or from the vehicle occupant 50. The total heat transfer to the occupant 50 can then be used to calculate other scales to quantify the thermal comfort of the occupant (e.g., OTS, EHT, Predicted Mean Vote (PMV), and Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied (PPD), etc.), which are then used to control the system accordingly.

[0067] A first OTS calculator 66A takes the total heat transfer from summation device 62 and calculates OTS_est, and provides OTS_est as output 68A. A second OTS assessor 66B determines OTS_target for the vehicle occupant 50, and provides OTS_target as output 68B. Assessor 66A makes the determination based on user preferences (e.g., from a graphical user interface) and / or power budgets for the various microclimate thermal effectors 40.

[0068] Summation device 69 determines the difference between OTS_target and OTS_est to determine an OTS error 70, which is used by controller 44 to determine set points for the various thermal effectors 40. An OTS mode module 71 determines whether each thermal effector 40 will provide heating or cooling based on the OTS error 70 and further based on any occupant-provided temperature offsets (e.g., OPZ-specific temperature offsets).

[0069] Figure 4C is a schematic diagram illustrating an example arrangement for determining a corrected temperature set point based on the OTS error 70 shown in Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example arrangement for determining a corrected temperature set point based on the OTS error 70 shown in Figure 4C is a schematic diagram illustrating an example arrangement for determining a corrected temperature set point based on the OTS error 70 shown in Figure 5OTS error 70 as a function of time) is not shown. The examples discussed below assume that the integral and derivative terms are zero, but it will be appreciated that non-zero values can be used for those terms using known PID control techniques.

[0070] A thermal regulation range 74 is provided that includes a maximum temperature (t_max_comfort) and a minimum temperature (t_min_comfort). For example, assume that t_max_comfort for a particular OPZ 42 is 10°C, and that t_min_comfort for the particular OPZ 42 is 0°C. Block 75 determines the average (5°C in this example), and block 76 determines the range amplitude 77 (10°C in this example). Block 78 determines a corrected setpoint (tsetNom) 79 based on these inputs. In one example, block 78 uses the following Equation 3.

[0071]

[0072] where u(l) represents the nominal setpoint;

[0073] u(2) represents the range amplitude; and

[0074] u(3) represents the OTS error output 73.

[0075] Using the example values discussed above, u(l) would equal 5°C and u(2) would equal 10°C. For ease of discussion, assume that the OTS error output 76 corresponding to u(3) is a 20% error (indicating that OTS_target is 20% higher than OTS_est). Using these values, tsetNom would equal (5 + (10*20) / (100), or 7°C.

[0076] Figure 5 is a schematic showing an example effect that solar load can have on OTS. As Figure 6 shown in the example of FIG. 6, when there is no solar load for a particular outside temperature, OTS_est is less than OTS_target, but when there is solar load, OTS_est can be greater than OTS_target. Thus, solar load can cause the vehicle occupants 50 to feel warmer, and thus less thermally comfortable, than they would feel without the solar load. The effect of solar load on OTS_est is one example of how the control software uses the thermal-physiological based model to control the microclimate around each occupant by compensating for thermal disturbances.

[0077] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of an example method for Figure 7FIG. 1 illustrates an example software architecture 80 of the controller 44. The controller 44 includes a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) 82, a vehicle and effector abstraction layer (EVAL) 84, and an occupant application layer (OAL) 86. An application programming interface (API) 85 supports communication between the HAL 82 and the EVAL 84, and the API 85 supports communication between the EVAL 84 and the OAL 86.

[0078] The HAL 82 includes input drivers 88, output drivers 90, and bus drivers 91. The input drivers 88 are software drivers that enable the HAL 82 to receive inputs from the distributed temperature sensors 48 in the vehicle cabin 24. The output drivers 90 are software drivers that enable the HAL 82 to directly control the various microclimate thermal effectors 40 in the vehicle cabin 24. The bus drivers 91 are software drivers that enable the HAL 82 to utilize the communication bus 46, which can be a CAN or LIN bus as discussed above. Bus communications include sharing data with vehicle systems including HVAC, as well as sending commands to ECUs that can control various microclimate thermal effectors within the vehicle cabin. ECUs that directly control various thermal effectors can also return various effector status parameters (temperature, current, flow, operating status, etc.) as well as ECU, sensor, and effector fault and default operating information.

[0079] The EVAL 84 includes a vehicle configuration file 92, a state evaluator 94, transfer functions and setpoint controls 96. The vehicle configuration file 92 stores vehicle-specific properties and is hidden from the OAL 86. The EVAL 84 can include any one or combination of the following items discussed below.

[0080] (A) Figure 1 — This can vary between vehicle product lines of a given vehicle original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and can also vary based on the specific option package selected for a particular model.

[0081] (B) Number and type of thermal effectors in each OPZ 42 — This can be used to evaluate the solar load on various portions of the vehicle cabin 24 and can vary according to the size and geometry of the vehicle’s windshield and other windows (e.g., presence or absence of sunroofs). For example, this can include the glass area and thermal resistivity of the vehicle cabin 24.

[0082] (C) Cabin solar load model — A particular OEM can wish to approach the thermal setpoint more aggressively in their vehicles, while another OEM can wish to be more conservative and gradual in reaching the thermal setpoint (e.g., to avoid overshooting the thermal setpoint).

[0083] (D) Indication of aggressiveness of thermal regulation setpoint— The system 10 can have preset thermal regulation ranges {t_max_comfort, t_min_comfort} for each OPZ 42 that are considered comfortable for a typical passenger for each OPZ. However, OEMs can have different ranges that are either wider or narrower. The vehicle profile can address these differences by either narrowing or expanding the preset thermal regulation ranges for a given OPZ.

[0084] (E) OEM-acceptable thermal regulation range — This can vary from vehicle to vehicle. Also, some seats, while present, can not have microclimate thermal regulation functionality.

[0085] (F) Number of seats in the cabin 24 that include thermal effectors Power capacity and thermal characteristics of various thermal effectors, including those not directly controlled by the microclimate system, e.g., HVAC 40 and / or OPZ 42 – One OEM can allow 90 watts of power for a neck warmer, but another OEM can allow 120 watts of power.

[0086] (G) Volume of foot space corresponding to foot / leg OPZ 42E — This can affect how much heat is needed to achieve a temperature setpoint in the foot / leg OPZ 42E.

[0087] (H) Thermal characteristics of seats and padding — This can affect how much heat is needed to achieve a temperature setpoint on the seat surface.

[0088] Because the EVAL 84 hides the vehicle profile 92 from the OAL 86, the OAL 86 can remain unaware of these factors and their impact on thermal regulation.

[0089] The state evaluator 94 of the EVAL 84 receives input data from the input driver 88 and uses the input data to determine the temperature in each OPZ 42, as well as the heat flux experienced by the occupant in each OPZ 42. Thus, the EVAL 84 can provide Figure 4A - the evaluator 60A-E of C, which includes mapping input data from the HAL 82 to a particular OPZ 42.

[0090] In one example, the HAL 82 converts data from a first type to a second type (e.g., from amps, volts, hertz, or some heat effector device unit to temperature values) before providing the input data to the state evaluator 94. The HAL 82 can provide the same unit conversion in reverse (e.g., converting temperature to amps, volts, and / or hertz values) when providing commands to the heat effectors 40.

[0091] The setpoint control 96 receives discrete OPZ 42 temperature setpoints from the OAL 86 and determines how to implement these setpoints. This determination is based on various factors, including the difference between the temperature setpoint for each OPZ 42 and the actual temperature in each OPZ 42 (as here, "actual" can be measured in the OPZ or inferred from nearby sensors), the type of thermal effector 40 in the OPZ, and / or the vehicle profile 92. Determining how to implement the setpoints may include determining the fan speed, power / current / voltage supplied to a specific thermal effector 40, such as a particular thermal effector 40.

[0092] OAL 86 includes an occupant profile 98, which contains information about a specific occupant. This may include default information such as default weight, default gender, default clothing, and / or may be customized by occupant 50 via a graphical user interface (GUI) 100. In some examples, GUI 100 may also be used to receive additional input from occupant 50, such as which OPZ 42s are enabled / disabled, and a specific thermal regulation offset used in a particular OPZ 42. Based on the enable / disable command, OAL 86 can enable or disable all thermal regulation effectors 40 in a particular OPZ 42. GUI 100 may also be used to provide visual indication of the thermal regulation setpoint for each OPZ, allowing occupant 50 to adjust the setpoint by introducing temperature offsets and / or fan speed offsets.

[0093] As described above, the thermal adjustment offset can be received from the user as a temperature offset (e.g., increasing by 2°C or decreasing by 1°C) or a general offset (e.g., making the OPZ hotter or cooler by X units, where X corresponds to a scale presented in a user interface accessible to vehicle occupants, such as a dial or slider, which has units mapped to discrete temperature offsets).

[0094] OAL 86 also includes a thermophysiological algorithm 102 for determining parameters, such as OTS, based on heat flux values ​​from EVAL 84, as described above. Figure 2 As discussed in the article.

[0095] Figure 8A and Figure 8B Together they showed Figure 7 The example implementation of software architecture 80 is shown in two halves, divided into two diagrams for illustrative purposes only. For example... Figure 8A-B, input drivers 88 receive input from negative temperature coefficient (NTC) temperature sensors, and bus drivers 91 can include CAN and LIN bus drivers. Output drivers 90 can control fans, positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heaters, resistive heaters, thermoelectric devices, and servo devices (e.g., flaps and / or airflow mixers). HAL 82 provides memory management, security (e.g., allowing or disallowing memory re-flashing of controller 44), and electrical diagnostics (e.g., detecting fault conditions of various thermal effectors 40. While in Figure 8A -Not shown in -B, but understood to be present, is an interface between HAL-EVALs that follows a strict configuration to ensure abstraction and portability of the software.

[0096] EVAL 84 provides signal conditioning discussed above (e.g., converting from volts or amps to a particular temperature). Setpoint control 96 can determine particular control commands for thermal effectors 40 (e.g., temperature, current value, voltage value, power value, etc.).

[0097] OAL 86 includes a gain table 110 that can indicate how OTS can change over time. For example, a typical occupant 50 can enjoy a certain level of thermal conditioning in a particular OPZ 42 (e.g., hand and / or neck warming) when first entering the vehicle, but that level can change after a certain period of time (e.g., 10 or 20 minutes) when the occupant can want to reduce the level of thermal conditioning provided in the OPZ 42.

[0098] A preference and / or learning module 112 provides for storing or learning the preferences of occupant 50 over time. For example, if a driver and their front seat passenger always use the same temperature offsets in many driving sessions, OAL 86 can store these offsets for future use and can automatically use them as default values.

[0099] While only a single occupant 50 is described in most of the discussion above, it should be understood that the same functionality can be provided for each of multiple occupants in a vehicle 50 that are seated in a vehicle cabin area that provides microclimate thermal conditioning. Thus, OAL 86 can have multiple instances running on controller 44, each supporting a particular occupant 50.

[0100] Software structure 80 improves portability of source code to other systems because the OAL is completely or mostly the same, and the main adjustments are in vehicle configuration file 92. If a particular ECU is replaced by a different type or model of ECU, the main and possibly only update will be in HAL 82. Software structure 80 effectively constructs (see Figure 8A- the items in -B) so that when a particular effector or car specification changes, the associated software or calibration changes, but other elements remain the same.

[0101] Structure 80 also provides for conveniently implementing distributed control in MTCS 14. For example, HAL 82 and EVAL 84 can run on multiple ECUs, but provide input to a main ECU that runs OAL 86 for both ECUs. Thus, the computational burden that can be imposed on a single ECU can be conveniently distributed throughout the vehicle.

[0102] Figure 9 is a flowchart 200 that depicts an example method of providing thermal conditioning in car 24. In one example, controller 44 is configured to perform the individual steps in flowchart 200. The method includes providing HAL 82 (step 202), which includes a plurality of input drivers 88 that acquire input data from a plurality of temperature sensors, and a plurality of output drivers 90 that control a plurality of discrete thermal effectors 40 in a plurality of discrete OPZs 42 in vehicle car 24 (see, e.g., FIG. 1). Figure 7 ).

[0103] The method includes providing EVAL 84 (step 204) that acquires input data from HAL 84, and evaluates the thermal flux experienced by occupants 50 in each OPZ 42 based on a vehicle configuration file 92 that stores vehicle-specific properties (see, e.g., OTS est in Figure 2 ).

[0104] The method includes providing OAL 86 (step 206) that determines a first parameter based on a target thermal flux of occupants 50 across all OPZs 42 (see, e.g., OTS target in Figure 2 ), determines a second parameter based on the evaluated thermal flux of occupants from EVAL 84 (see, e.g., OTS est in Figure 2 ), and determines a respective temperature setpoint for each of the plurality of OPZs 42 (see output from OAL 86 to setpoint control 96 in Figure 6 ) to reduce a difference between the first and second parameters. In one example, EVAL 84 hides vehicle configuration file 92 from OAL 86. The method includes controlling the plurality of thermal effectors 40 based on the temperature setpoint (step 208).

[0105] Using the techniques discussed herein, the same OAL 86 can be used to provide software functionality and calibration for multiple applications and achieve the same occupant experience due to the software structure and abstraction. Similarly, the same HAL 84 can be used for different electrical hardware groups regardless of what vehicle or application or seat, etc. is being thermally conditioned. Further, the same EVAL 84 can be used for the same effector in a variety of different vehicle environments.

[0106] While example implementations have been disclosed, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that certain modifications can come within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A method of providing thermal conditioning in a vehicle cabin, comprising: providing a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) that includes a plurality of input drivers that obtain input data from a plurality of temperature sensors and a plurality of output drivers that control a plurality of discrete thermal effectors in a plurality of discrete occupant- personalized zones (OPZs) in the vehicle cabin; providing a vehicle and effector abstraction layer (EVAL) that obtains the input data from the HAL and evaluates a thermal flux experienced by an occupant in each OPZ based on a vehicle profile that stores vehicle-specific properties; providing an occupant application layer (OAL) that determines a first parameter based on a target thermal flux of the occupant across all OPZs, determines a second parameter based on an evaluated thermal flux of the occupant from the EVAL, and determines a respective temperature setpoint for each of the plurality of OPZs to reduce a difference between the first and second parameters, wherein the EVAL hides the vehicle profile from the OAL; and controlling the plurality of thermal effectors based on the temperature setpoints.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The vehicle-specific properties include a number and type of thermal effectors in each OPZ.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The vehicle profile includes a cabin solar load model for evaluating a solar load in the vehicle cabin, and the EVAL utilizes the cabin solar load model in evaluating the thermal flux in at least one of the OPZs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, The HAL converts at least a portion of the input data from a first type to a second type before providing the input data to the EVAL, the second type having different units than the first type.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The first type includes at least one of a current and a voltage measurement, and the second type includes a temperature measurement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein: the EVAL determines a temperature in each OPZ based on the input data from the HAL; and for each OPZ, the EVAL controls each thermal effector in the OPZ based on a difference between the temperature setpoint for the OPZ and the determined temperature for the OPZ.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein: the vehicle profile includes an indication of how aggressively the temperature setpoint should be reached; and the EVAL determines how aggressively the temperature setpoint is reached for each OPZ based on the indication.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein: the OAL stores a first temperature range for each thermal effector, the first temperature range including a minimum setpoint and a maximum setpoint for the thermal effector; the EVAL stores a second temperature range for a particular one of the thermal effectors, the second temperature range being different from and constraining the first temperature range for the particular one of the thermal effectors; and the EVAL adjusts the temperature setpoint for a particular OPZ based on the temperature setpoint falling outside the second temperature range, the particular one of the thermal effectors being positioned within the particular OPZ.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising: providing a graphical user interface to the occupant using an electronic display in the vehicle; ​ wherein, based on receiving an OPZ disable command for a particular one of the OPZs, the OAL commands the EVAL to disable each thermal effector in the particular one of the OPZs.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein: by default, the OAL determines the first and second parameters for the occupant based on a default occupant profile; and the OAL updates the default occupant profile based on receiving occupant data through a graphical user interface, the occupant data indicating at least one of an occupant gender, an occupant weight, and an occupant clothing.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising: providing a graphical user interface to the occupant, the graphical user interface displaying a visual indication of a temperature setpoint in each of the OPZs; and wherein, based on receiving a temperature offset for a particular one of the OPZs, the OAL adjusts the determined temperature setpoint for the particular one of the OPZs to accommodate the temperature offset.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising: providing a graphical user interface (GUI) to the occupant, the graphical user interface displaying a visual indication of a fan speed of an effector in a particular one of the OPZs; and wherein, based on receiving a fan speed offset for the particular one of the OPZs from the GUI, the OAL transmits an indication of the fan speed offset to the EVAL, and the EVAL adjusts the fan speed of the effector based on the fan speed offset.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein: the providing the HAL and the providing the EVAL are performed by a first ECU associated with a first subset of the OPZs, and are further performed by a second ECU associated with a second subset of the OPZs, wherein the second ECU is separate from the first ECU, and the first subset and the second subset are not associated with any same OPZ; and the providing the OAL is performed in the first ECU based on the heat flux evaluation by the EVAL from both the first ECU and the second ECU.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein, both the first parameter and the second parameter are overall thermal sensation (OTS) parameters quantified using the Berkeley Sensation Index.

15. A thermal regulation system in a vehicle cabin, comprising: a plurality of thermal effectors arranged in a plurality of discrete occupant- personalized zones (OPZs) each associated with a different occupant body region, such that each OPZ includes at least one thermal effector; and a controller configured to: provide a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) including a plurality of input drivers to acquire input data from a plurality of temperature sensors, and a plurality of output drivers to control a plurality of discrete thermal effectors in a plurality of OPZs in the vehicle cabin; provide a vehicle abstraction layer (EVAL) to acquire input data from the HAL and to evaluate a heat flux experienced by an occupant in each of the OPZs based on a vehicle profile storing vehicle-specific properties.

16. The thermal regulation system of claim 15, wherein: the first parameter is an overall thermal sensation (OTS) parameter quantified using the Berkeley Sensation Index; and the second parameter is an overall thermal comfort (OTC) parameter quantified using the Berkeley Comfort Index. An occupant application layer (OAL) is provided that determines a first parameter based on a target heat flux for an occupant, determines a second parameter based on an evaluated heat flux for the occupant from an EVAL, and determines a respective temperature setpoint for each of the plurality of OPZs to reduce a difference between the first and second parameters, wherein the EVAL is hidden from the OAL a vehicle profile; and controls the plurality of thermal effectors based on the temperature setpoints.

16. The thermal regulating system of claim 15, wherein, The vehicle-specific attributes include a number and type of thermal effectors in each OPZ.

17. The thermal regulating system of claim 15, wherein, The vehicle profile includes a cabin solar load model for evaluating a solar load in a vehicle cabin, and the EVAL utilizes the cabin solar load model in evaluating the heat flux in at least one of the OPZs.

18. The thermal regulation system of claim 15, wherein: the controller is configured to operate the EVAL to determine a temperature in each OPZ based on input data from the HAL; and for each OPZ, the controller is configured to operate the EVAL to control each thermal effector in the OPZ based on a difference between the temperature setpoint for the OPZ and the determined temperature for the OPZ.

19. The thermal regulation system of claim 18, wherein: the vehicle profile includes an indication of how aggressively the temperature setpoint should be reached; and the controller is configured to operate the EVAL to determine how aggressively the temperature setpoint is to be reached for each OPZ based on the indication.

20. The thermal regulating system of claim 15, wherein, the controller is configured to operate the OAL to: determine the first and second parameters for the occupant based on a default occupant profile by default; and update the default occupant profile based on occupant data received through a graphical user interface, the occupant data indicating at least one of an occupant gender, an occupant weight, and an occupant clothing.

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