Pet mode control method for electric vehicle air conditioner

Abstract

The present invention discloses a pet mode control method for an electric vehicle air conditioner, comprising: determining whether a pet mode switch is turned on; if so, determining whether conditions for entering pet mode are met; if so, setting the pet mode flag to 1, at which point the vehicle controller does not execute the power-off process, and controls the air conditioner to automatically turn on; determining whether conditions for exiting pet mode are met, and if so, exiting pet mode. The pet mode control method for an electric vehicle air conditioner of the present invention, after the pet mode switch is turned on and the conditions for entering pet mode are met, sets the pet mode flag to 1, the vehicle controller does not execute the power-off process, and controls the air conditioner to automatically turn on. The vehicle can be kept powered on after the driver leaves the vehicle, ensuring that pets or children left in the vehicle will not cause safety accidents due to high temperatures in summer or low temperatures in winter, fully ensuring user safety, and the pet mode is not affected by charging or discharging.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of new energy vehicles, and in particular to a pet mode control method for an air conditioner of an electric vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, they are increasingly entering consumers' homes. One difference between electric vehicles and traditional cars is that they can be used to rest inside with the air conditioning on (regardless of internal or external circulation). However, due to the presence of the engine in gasoline-powered vehicles, sleeping with the air conditioning on can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. However, there is currently a lack of safety strategies that fully guarantee user safety.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a pet mode control method for an electric vehicle air conditioner. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a pet mode control method for an electric vehicle air conditioner to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art and to ensure that pets or children left in the car will not cause safety accidents due to high temperatures in summer or low temperatures in winter.

[0005] The present invention provides a pet mode control method for an electric vehicle air conditioner, which includes:

[0006] Determine whether the pet mode switch is turned on;

[0007] If so, determine whether the conditions for entering pet mode are met;

[0008] If the conditions are met, the pet mode flag is set to 1. The vehicle controller does not execute the power-off process and controls the air conditioner to turn on automatically.

[0009] Determine whether the conditions for exiting pet mode are met. If so, exit pet mode.

[0010] In the pet mode control method for the electric vehicle air conditioner as described above, preferably, when the pet mode switch is turned on, the determination of whether the conditions for entering the pet mode are met specifically includes:

[0011] The vehicle controller determines whether the conditions for entering pet mode are met.

[0012] As described above, in the pet mode control method for the electric vehicle air conditioner, preferably, the conditions for entering the pet mode include at least one of the driver leaving the vehicle and closing the door, pressing the power-off button, and locking the vehicle.

[0013] The pet mode control method for the electric vehicle air conditioner as described above, wherein preferably, when the pet mode flag is at position 1, the vehicle controller does not execute the power-off process and controls the air conditioner to automatically turn on, specifically includes:

[0014] The vehicle controller controls the air conditioner to turn on automatically and maintain the temperature in the car at the preset value. At the same time, the instrument cluster is in the off state, and the in-vehicle infotainment system prompts the air conditioner status.

[0015] The pet mode control method for the electric vehicle air conditioner as described above, wherein preferably, the vehicle controller controls the air conditioner to automatically turn on to maintain the temperature inside the vehicle at a preset value, while the instrument cluster is in an off-screen state and the in-vehicle infotainment system prompts the air conditioner status, specifically includes:

[0016] The vehicle controller arbitrates the key signal, and the key signal recognized and used by the vehicle controller is always the power-on signal;

[0017] Adjust the positions of the key signals received by the instrument cluster and the in-vehicle infotainment system on the CAN communication so that the instrument cluster continues to receive the key signal from the body controller. When the power-off button is pressed or the vehicle is locked, the signal sent by the body controller is a power-off signal. At this time, the instrument cluster is in the off state after receiving the power-off signal; the in-vehicle infotainment system receives the key signal after being intermediated by the vehicle controller. The key signal recognized and used by the vehicle controller is always a power-on signal. At this time, the in-vehicle infotainment system prompts the air conditioning status.

[0018] As described above, the pet mode control method for the electric vehicle air conditioner, wherein preferably, the conditions for exiting the pet mode include: a failure of the vehicle controller, the power of the power battery is lower than a preset power threshold, the air conditioner is remotely turned off through an application, the car door is open, and at least one of the main driver and the passenger is present.

[0019] As described above, the pet mode control method for the electric vehicle air conditioner, wherein preferably, the pet mode control method for the electric vehicle air conditioner further comprises:

[0020] When the car door is open and no one is in the driver's seat, temporarily exit pet mode and re-enter pet mode after the car door is closed.

[0021] As described above, the pet mode control method for the electric vehicle air conditioner, wherein preferably, the pet mode control method for the electric vehicle air conditioner further comprises:

[0022] When the pet mode switch is not turned on or the conditions for exiting pet mode are met, the user is prompted through the application.

[0023] The present invention provides a pet mode control method for an electric vehicle air conditioner. When the pet mode switch is turned on and the conditions for entering the pet mode are met, the pet mode flag is set to 1, the vehicle controller does not execute the power-off process, and controls the air conditioner to automatically turn on. The vehicle can remain powered on after the driver leaves the vehicle, ensuring that pets or children left in the vehicle will not cause safety accidents due to high temperatures in summer or low temperatures in winter, protecting the safety of pets or children in the vehicle, fully ensuring user safety, and the pet mode is not affected by charging or discharging; at the same time, it reminds people outside the vehicle that the air conditioner in the vehicle is turned on; the pet mode is realized by modifying the ICM and IVI to receive key signals sent by different controllers, the ICM remains off, and the IVI remains on, and the pet mode is realized only by CAN modification of the key signal, reducing a large amount of R&D expenses caused by supplier modification; the user can check the temperature in the vehicle through a mobile phone and remotely end the air conditioner, thereby exiting the pet mode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 A flowchart of an embodiment of a pet mode control method for an electric vehicle air conditioner provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a logic diagram of an embodiment of the pet mode control method for an electric vehicle air conditioner provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description of the exemplary embodiments is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or use. The present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of parts and steps, the composition of materials, numerical expressions, and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments should be interpreted as being merely exemplary and not as limiting.

[0028] The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are simply used to distinguish different parts. Terms such as "include" or "comprising" mean that the elements preceding the term include the elements listed after the term, and do not exclude the possibility of also including other elements. Terms such as "upper," "lower," and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0029] In the present disclosure, when a specific component is described as being located between a first component and a second component, there may or may not be an intervening component between the specific component and the first component or the second component. When a specific component is described as being connected to another component, the specific component may be directly connected to the other component without an intervening component, or may not be directly connected to the other component but have an intervening component.

[0030] All terms (including technical or scientific terms) used in this disclosure have the same meaning as those understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in, for example, general dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or highly formal sense, unless explicitly defined herein.

[0031] Technologies, methods, and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0032] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the pet mode control method of the electric vehicle air conditioner provided in this embodiment includes the following steps during actual execution:

[0033] Step S1: Determine whether the pet mode switch is turned on.

[0034] Step S2: If yes, determine whether the conditions for entering pet mode are met.

[0035] Specifically, after the user turns on the Pet Mode switch, the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) determines whether the conditions for entering Pet Mode are met. These conditions include at least one of the following: the driver exiting the vehicle and closing the door, pressing the power button, or locking the vehicle. This invention provides three ways to enter Pet Mode: powering off, locking the vehicle, or leaving the driver's seat with the door closed, enhancing the convenience of Pet Mode.

[0036] Step S3: If the conditions are met, the pet mode flag is set to 1. At this time, the vehicle controller (VCU) does not execute the power-off process and controls the air conditioner to turn on automatically.

[0037] Specifically, the vehicle control unit (VCU) controls the air conditioner to automatically turn on and maintain the temperature inside the car at a preset value (for example, 25°C). At the same time, the instrument cluster (ICM) is in the off-screen state, and the in-vehicle infotainment system (IVI) prompts the air conditioner status. It should be noted that the present invention does not specifically limit the temperature maintained in the car after the air conditioner is turned on. The present invention can protect the safety of pets or children in the car by controlling the air conditioner to automatically turn on after entering the pet mode. In one embodiment of the pet mode control method of the electric vehicle air conditioner of the present invention, the step S3 can specifically include:

[0038] Step S31: The vehicle controller (VCU) arbitrates the key signal. The key signal recognized and used by the vehicle controller (VCU) is always a power-on signal.

[0039] After power is cut off, the whole vehicle is controlled not to be powered off, that is, the high-voltage relay of the whole vehicle is controlled not to be disconnected, and the whole vehicle mode stops in the discharge mode.

[0040] Step S32: Adjust the positions of the key signals received by the instrument cluster (ICM) and the in-vehicle infotainment system (IVI) in the CAN (Controller Area Network) communication so that the instrument cluster (ICM) keeps receiving the key signal from the body controller (BCM). When the power-off button is pressed or the vehicle is locked, the signal sent by the body controller (BCM) is a power-off signal. At this time, the instrument cluster (ICM) is in a screen-off state after receiving the power-off signal. The in-vehicle infotainment system (IVI) receives the key signal after being intermediated by the vehicle controller (VCU). The key signal recognized and used by the vehicle controller (VCU) is always a power-on signal. At this time, the in-vehicle infotainment system (IVI) prompts the air-conditioning status.

[0041] The present invention utilizes the intermediary of the vehicle control unit (VCU) to achieve different power-off controls for the instrument cluster (ICM) and in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), thereby implementing a pet mode function. In implementations where the ICM and IVI are integrated (i.e., the ICM and IVI are connected to form a single screen), platform-based functionality can be achieved by simply modifying the CAN communication receiving signal. This newly added pet mode function fully integrates existing vehicle technologies, significantly improving user convenience and functional safety. When the user presses the power-off button or locks the vehicle, the key signal recognized and used by the vehicle control unit (VCU) remains the power-on (KeyOn) signal, while the body control unit (BCM) signals the power-off (KeyOff) signal, causing the instrument cluster (ICM) screen to turn off. The IVI prompt might, for example, be "Air conditioning is on, owner will be back soon." It should be noted that the present invention does not specifically limit the content of the IVI prompt; the IVI can be used to remind people outside the vehicle that the air conditioning is on.

[0042] Step S4: determine whether the conditions for exiting the pet mode are met. If so, exit the pet mode.

[0043] Among them, the conditions for exiting pet mode include: a failure of the vehicle controller, the power of the power battery is lower than the preset power threshold, the air conditioner is remotely turned off through the application (APP), the car door is open and at least one of the main driver and the passenger is present.

[0044] Since the driver is not in the car when the vehicle is in pet mode, the driver can remotely view the real-time temperature in the car through an application (APP), which can fully ensure the safety of pets or children in the car and take into account the driver's viewing needs. Therefore, the user can view the temperature in the car through a mobile phone and remotely end the air conditioning to exit the pet mode. In one embodiment of the present invention, the driver remotely turns off the air conditioning through an application (APP) to automatically exit the pet mode. In another embodiment of the present invention, when the temperature in the car exceeds the set maximum threshold or minimum threshold, the pet mode is automatically exited. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, when a vehicle failure occurs, the pet mode is automatically exited, the high voltage and the car locks are promptly cut off to ensure the safety of pets or children in the car.

[0045] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the pet mode control method of the electric vehicle air conditioner further includes:

[0046] Step S5: When the car door is open and no one is in the driver's seat, temporarily exit the pet mode and re-enter the pet mode after the car door is closed.

[0047] The present invention designs a strategy for temporarily exiting the pet mode when only opening or closing the door. The user can exit by opening the door and re-enter by closing the door, thereby improving the convenience of the pet mode function.

[0048] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the pet mode control method of the electric vehicle air conditioner further includes:

[0049] Step S6: When the pet mode switch is not turned on or the conditions for exiting the pet mode are met, the user is prompted through the application program (APP).

[0050] The pet mode control method for the air conditioner of an electric vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present invention sets the pet mode flag to 1 after the pet mode switch is turned on and the conditions for entering the pet mode are met, and the vehicle controller does not execute the power-off process, and controls the air conditioner to turn on automatically. The vehicle can keep the power on after the driver leaves the vehicle, ensuring that pets or children left in the vehicle will not cause safety accidents due to high temperatures in summer or low temperatures in winter, protecting the safety of pets or children in the vehicle, fully ensuring the safety of users, and the pet mode is not affected by charging or discharging; at the same time, it reminds people outside the vehicle that the air conditioner in the vehicle is turned on; the pet mode is realized by modifying the ICM and IVI to receive key signals sent by different controllers, the ICM remains off, and the IVI remains on, and the pet mode is realized only by CAN modification of the key signal, reducing a large amount of R&D expenses caused by supplier modifications; the user can check the temperature in the vehicle through a mobile phone and remotely end the air conditioner to exit the pet mode.

[0051] Thus far, various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail. To avoid obscuring the concept of the present disclosure, some details known in the art have not been described. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein.

[0052] Although some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail through examples, those skilled in the art will understand that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments may be modified or some technical features may be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A pet mode control method for an electric vehicle air conditioner, characterized in that: include: Determine whether the pet mode switch is turned on; If so, determine whether the conditions for entering pet mode are met; If the conditions are met, the pet mode flag is set to 1. The vehicle controller does not execute the power-off process and controls the air conditioner to turn on automatically. Determine whether the conditions for exiting pet mode are met. If so, exit pet mode. When the pet mode flag is set to 1, the vehicle controller does not execute the power-off process and controls the air conditioner to automatically turn on, specifically including: The vehicle controller automatically turns on the air conditioner to maintain the vehicle's interior temperature at the preset value. Meanwhile, the instrument cluster is off, and the in-vehicle infotainment system provides prompts about the air conditioner status, including: The vehicle controller arbitrates the key signal, and the key signal recognized and used by the vehicle controller is always the power-on signal; Adjust the positions of the key signals received by the instrument cluster and the in-vehicle infotainment system on the CAN communication so that the instrument cluster continues to receive the key signal from the body controller. When the power-off button is pressed or the vehicle is locked, the signal sent by the body controller is a power-off signal. At this time, the instrument cluster is in the off state after receiving the power-off signal; the in-vehicle infotainment system receives the key signal after being intermediated by the vehicle controller. The key signal recognized and used by the vehicle controller is always a power-on signal. At this time, the in-vehicle infotainment system prompts the air conditioning status.

2. The pet mode control method of the electric vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the pet mode switch is turned on, the determination of whether the conditions for entering the pet mode are met specifically includes: The vehicle controller determines whether the conditions for entering pet mode are met.

3. The pet mode control method of the electric vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conditions for entering the pet mode include at least one of a driver leaving the vehicle and closing the door, pressing a power-off button, and locking the vehicle.

4. The pet mode control method of the electric vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conditions for exiting the pet mode include: a failure of the vehicle controller, the power of the power battery is lower than a preset power threshold, the air conditioner is remotely turned off through an application, the car door is open, and at least one of the main driver and the passenger is present.

5. The pet mode control method of the electric vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pet mode control method of the electric vehicle air conditioner further includes: When the car door is open and no one is in the driver's seat, temporarily exit pet mode and re-enter pet mode after the car door is closed.

6. The pet mode control method of the electric vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pet mode control method of the electric vehicle air conditioner further includes: When the pet mode switch is not turned on or the conditions for exiting pet mode are met, the user is prompted through the application.

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