Microclimate system for a vehicle occupant and corresponding method

Abstract

A microclimate system for vehicle occupants includes multiple microclimate thermal effectors. Each microclimate thermal effector has a corresponding thermal effector controller and is configured to at least partially control the thermal comfort of the occupants. Each microclimate thermal effector includes at least one sensor configured to determine microclimate parameters corresponding to at least one of the multiple microclimate thermal effectors. A microclimate system controller communicates with each microclimate thermal effector and includes multiple first transfer functions. Each first transfer function models the corresponding microclimate thermal effector among the multiple microclimate thermal effectors. A system transfer function models the microclimate system. Each first transfer function is nested within a system transfer function.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 161712, filed on March 16, 2021. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to a microclimate system that provides increased thermal comfort to occupants, and more specifically, to a control system for using a microclimate system to drive thermal comfort. Background Technology

[0004] In traditional automotive HVAC or climate systems, the control system uses temperature data provided by sensors installed in different locations within the cabin, or calculates temperature using mathematical cabin thermal models. In recent years, seat-based microclimate systems have become increasingly popular because they achieve comfort more quickly and consume less energy compared to previous systems.

[0005] Microclimate systems based on automotive seats incorporate numerous conductive, convective, and radiative devices, such as heating pads located in and around the seat, thermoelectric devices (TED), positive temperature coefficient resistance thermometers (PTC), and small compressor systems. These various microclimate systems are collectively referred to here as "thermal effectors." Utilizing the control of multiple localized heating / cooling devices to drive thermal changes is important for managing localized thermal comfort, but current systems struggle to achieve this because they model and control each thermal effector independently.

[0006] Current methods for microclimate systems based on automotive seats rely on discrete on / off or modulated power (PWM) control (typically 3 to 5 discrete levels) at a fixed temperature setpoint. Each thermal effector is controlled based on the temperature setpoint using a control model that only considers the controlled thermal effector. These current control models do not account for thermal efficiency or power limitations, instead relying on user-selected combinations of devices or empirical testing to determine the grouping of thermal effectors to achieve the desired comfort level. Furthermore, current systems do not distinguish between "global" calorific value and local / individual calorific value, nor can they effectively prioritize or order thermal effectors within the system based on the desired comfort type. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In one exemplary embodiment, a microclimate system for vehicle occupants includes: a plurality of microclimate thermal effectors, each having a corresponding thermal effector controller and configured to at least partially control occupant thermal comfort, each microclimate thermal effector including at least one sensor configured to determine microclimate parameters corresponding to at least one of the plurality of microclimate thermal effectors; and a microclimate system controller communicating with each microclimate thermal effector, the microclimate system controller including: a plurality of first transfer functions, each first transfer function modeling a corresponding microclimate thermal effector among the plurality of microclimate thermal effectors; and a system transfer function modeling the microclimate system, wherein each first transfer function is nested within the system transfer function such that the system transfer function's modeling of the microclimate system includes at least a portion of the influence of each thermal effector on each other thermal effector.

[0008] In another example of the microclimate system described above for vehicle occupants, one less microclimate thermal effector corresponds to at least two first transfer functions.

[0009] In another example of any of the above-mentioned microclimate systems for vehicle occupants, the first of the at least two transfer functions models the heating operation of the at least one microclimate thermal effector.

[0010] In another example of any of the above-mentioned microclimate systems for vehicle occupants, the second of the at least two transfer functions models the cooling operation of the at least one microclimate thermal effector.

[0011] In another example of any of the above-mentioned microclimate systems for vehicle occupants, nesting the first transfer function within the system transfer function includes using the output of the nested first transfer function as the input of the system transfer function.

[0012] In another example of any of the above-mentioned microclimate systems for vehicle occupants, the microclimate system controller is configured to subtract the output of the system transfer function from the occupant setpoint to generate a thermal comfort error for each microclimate thermal effector, and to provide each thermal comfort error to the controller of the corresponding microclimate thermal effector.

[0013] In another example of any of the above-mentioned microclimate systems for vehicle occupants, each first transfer function provides an output to the corresponding thermal effector controller.

[0014] In another example of any of the above-mentioned microclimate systems for vehicle occupants, at least one thermal effector controller is a dedicated thermal effector controller.

[0015] In another example of any of the above-mentioned microclimate systems for vehicle occupants, at least one thermal effector controller is a dedicated sub-component of the microclimate system controller.

[0016] In another example of any of the above-mentioned microclimate systems for vehicle occupants, the system transfer function includes a heating operation model and a cooling operation model.

[0017] In another example of any of the above-mentioned microclimate systems for vehicle occupants, the microclimate thermal effector is selected from the group including climate-controlled seats, headrest / neck adjusters, climate-controlled headliners, steering wheels, heated gear shifters, heated pads, and small compressor systems.

[0018] In another example of any of the above-mentioned microclimate systems for vehicle occupants, the plurality of microclimate thermal effectors include at least one convective thermal effector and at least one conductive thermal effector.

[0019] An exemplary method for controlling a microclimate system having multiple thermal effectors includes: determining an occupant comfort level setpoint for the microclimate system; determining a device setpoint for each thermal effector based on the occupant comfort level setpoint; and controlling the thermal effectors to their corresponding device setpoints using a feedback control loop, the feedback control loop including a system transfer function and multiple device transfer functions, wherein each of the multiple device transfer functions is nested within the system transfer function, each device transfer function modeling an individual thermal effector, and the system transfer function modeling the effect of each individual thermal effector on the performance of each other thermal effector.

[0020] Another example of the method described above for controlling a microclimate system with multiple thermal effectors includes using multiple sensors to measure multiple parameters and providing the measured parameters as input to at least one of the multiple device transfer functions.

[0021] In another example of any of the above methods for controlling a microclimate system with multiple thermal effectors, each of the multiple transfer functions receives at least one of a plurality of measured parameters and provides at least one output to the input of the system transfer function.

[0022] In another example of any of the methods described above for controlling a microclimate system with multiple thermal effectors, the feedback control loop includes comparing the output of the system transfer function with a determined device setpoint to determine at least one error value corresponding to each thermal effector, and providing the error value to the corresponding thermal effector controller.

[0023] In another example of any of the above methods for controlling a microclimate system with multiple thermal effectors, the feedback control loop further includes providing at least one output of the transfer function of each device to the corresponding thermal effector controller, the at least one output providing a calculated current thermal state, including at least one of occupant temperature and heat flux.

[0024] In another example of any of the above methods for controlling a microclimate system with multiple thermal effectors, the calculated current thermal state at least defines the occupant temperature and heat flux.

[0025] In another example of any of the above methods for controlling a microclimate system with multiple thermal effectors, at least two of the multiple device transfer functions correspond to individual thermal effectors, the first of the at least two device transfer functions models the heating operation of the thermal effector, and the second of the at least two transfer functions models the cooling operation of the thermal effector.

[0026] In another example of any of the above methods for controlling a microclimate system with multiple thermal effectors, the multiple thermal effectors include at least one convective thermal effector and at least one conductive thermal effector.

[0027] In another example of any of the above microclimate systems, the controller determines a unique estimated local equivalent temperature for each selected microclimate thermal effector based on an equation. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Referring to the accompanying drawings, including Figures 1-12 This disclosure can be further understood.

[0029] Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates the vehicle's heating, ventilation, and cooling microclimate system.

[0030] Figure 2 An exemplary thermal effector transfer function is illustrated schematically.

[0031] Figure 3 The transfer function of a vehicle system including multiple thermal effectors is illustrated schematically.

[0032] Figure 4 schematically shown Figure 3 Another representation of a vehicle system.

[0033] Figure 5 schematically shown Figure 3 A more detailed representation of the vehicle system transfer function operations.

[0034] Figure 6 The diagram illustrates the control... Figure 3The control structure of the vehicle system transfer function.

[0035] Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 The flowchart of the operation of the control structure.

[0036] Figure 8 The diagram illustrates the control... Figure 3 The control structure of the vehicle system transfer function includes thermal effector optimization components.

[0037] Figure 9 It shows the use of Figure 8 An example weighted table of the control structure.

[0038] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating a weighted hot operation without specific weighting constraints.

[0039] Figure 11 The flowchart illustrates a thermal operation that minimizes energy consumption to reach the comfort setpoint.

[0040] Figure 12 It shows Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating the thermal operation under power budget constraints.

[0041] The embodiments, examples, and alternatives described in the claims or the following description and drawings, including their aspects or individual features, may be used individually or in any combination. The description of features associated with one embodiment applies to all embodiments unless those features are incompatible. Detailed Implementation

[0042] This disclosure relates to a microclimate system that increases the thermal comfort of occupants by controlling a microclimate thermal effector to produce a desired level of comfort.

[0043] Reference Figure 1Vehicle 100 has a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system 110 for conditioning air 112 and controlling the overall temperature of the air within the passenger compartment 102. A typical HVAC system 110 has ducts that utilize a blower 114 to blow air through a heat exchanger 116 to supply conditioned air 112 to the passenger compartment 102. Sensors 118 monitor the temperature of the conditioned air 112 in the passenger compartment, and a controller 120 adjusts the operation of the HVAC system 110 to a temperature setpoint, which is typically manually adjusted by the occupants 104. In many scenarios, such as when multiple different occupants 104 are in the same passenger compartment 102, the central HVAC system 110 is insufficient to provide thermal comfort for each specific occupant 104 and location. Therefore, microclimate devices or thermal effectors are used to create a unique microclimate for each occupant 104 in the passenger compartment 102, thereby enhancing overall thermal comfort for each occupant 104.

[0044] Another challenge in providing an effective climate control system is that each occupant 104 typically has unique individual comfort preferences. That is, one particular occupant 104 perceives a different level of thermal energy than another occupant 104. Therefore, the exact same thermal environment inside the vehicle 100 may be considered comfortable by one occupant 104, while being uncomfortable by another.

[0045] A microclimate thermal effector is a localized component capable of adjusting or maintaining the desired microclimate in corresponding regions 130, 132, 134, 136, and 138. For example, a microclimate thermal effector may include climate-controlled seats (e.g., U.S. Patent Nos. 5,524,439 and 6,857,697), headrest / neck adjusters (e.g., U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 039,125), climate-controlled headliners (e.g., U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 900334), steering wheels (e.g., U.S. Patent Nos. 6,727,467 and U.S. Publication No. 2014 / 0090513), heated gear shifters (e.g., U.S. Publication No. 2013 / 0061603, etc.), heated pads, miniature compressor systems, and / or any other system configured to achieve a personalized microclimate. The enumerated microclimate thermal effectors are exemplary in nature and are not limiting. The microclimate system automatically provides individual comfort to the corresponding occupant 104 with little or no input from the occupant. All or some of the microclimate thermal effectors can be arranged to optimize the control of the thermal environment around the occupant in any seat located within the passenger vehicle. Furthermore, the microclimate thermal effectors can also be used to adjust the thermal comfort of individual parts of the occupant's body separately.

[0046] exist Figure 1In the example, a series of thermal effectors are used to control occupant comfort. These effectors transfer heat to or from the occupant (heating) or remove heat (cooling) based on occupant preferences and local environmental conditions to achieve an ideal level of individual thermal comfort. Some effectors can provide both heating and cooling simultaneously, and different effectors utilize different methods to achieve their heating and cooling operations, including but not limited to radiation, conduction, or convection, or a combination of these methods. Furthermore, some effectors can affect the entire passenger compartment, while others have a localized effect on occupants near the effector or on a portion of their body.

[0047] The heat effector included in the occupant seat may have thermal characteristics depending on the seat installation. For example, a conduction device can transfer heat through layers of insulation material, such as foam, fabric, or leather trim; the amount and type of these materials can control the effectiveness of the heat effector. Similarly, a convection device can push or pull regulating air through the ventilation layers of the seat suspension system.

[0048] Furthermore, when heating devices are configured to affect the seat occupant in a dependent manner (i.e., the effectiveness of one heating effector depends on / depends on the operation of another heating effector), it is most efficient if thermal calculations and device control can take these dependencies into account. The control algorithm described in this paper (including an estimator and a controller) addresses three problems simultaneously. First, the controller determines how to most effectively distribute control signals among dependent devices. Second, the estimator determines the degree of influence of one device on another. Third, in order to control the entire system, the estimator determines the combined effects of several devices on the occupant so that the controller can ensure the achievement of the overall system objectives. These combined effects necessarily include the influence of each heating effector on the heat transfer rate and thermal efficiency of nearby heating effectors.

[0049] Figure 1 The HVAC system 110 uses a control algorithm that incorporates a thermodynamic model of heat transfer from the thermal effector to its environment. These calculated heat transfer rates are then combined with a seat-level model to determine the combined heat transfer rate to the occupant at the seat. The control algorithm uses nested transfer functions to account for dependencies affecting the control of the thermal devices and the modeling of the thermal state. Nested transfer functions refer to using component transfer functions to model the operation of each thermal effector and using a system-level transfer function to model the operation of the system, which includes the output of each component transfer function. In this way, the algorithm improves control effectiveness and efficiency. While this paper applies to thermal devices within a seat thermal control subsystem, the concepts described can be applied to any scenario where multiple thermal devices are combined to drive thermal changes in a single system.

[0050] Continue to refer to Figure 1Each thermal effector is modeled individually using a transfer function 210, which represents the physical operation of the thermal effector. Figure 2 This includes an illustrative example. The transfer function 210 is calculated in real time, using variables 220 to determine the current thermal state of the system 200 being modeled. Inputs 220 correspond to real-time measured parameters of the thermal effector, as well as inputs indicating the environment in which the thermal effector is located and thermal effector configuration data. The inputs are provided to a thermodynamic or physical model within the transfer function 210, and the transfer function 210 converts the data into a set of outputs 230, which represent the current thermal state of the thermal effector. The outputs provide feedback to the controller to drive the thermal effector. In conventional systems, the outputs 230 of the transfer function 210 are used in a feedback loop to drive the physical system of the thermal effector.

[0051] exist Figure 1 In this context, the thermodynamic characteristics of the entire seat system are similar to those of each heat effector, with the transfer function of each heat effector nested within the seat's transfer function. The seat system receives inputs from outside the subsystem (e.g., external temperature, seat occupancy, etc.) and outputs from the nested transfer functions (alternately referred to as component transfer functions). The transfer function provided by the seat system 310 includes a model of the influence of each heat effector in the system on other heat effectors.

[0052] The structural design method using nested subsystem models established by component transfer functions allows for efficient reuse of software with defined component transfer functions, and... Figure 3 As shown. The top-level transfer function 310 of the seat system determines the heat transfer rate and temperature at the point of contact with the seat occupant, and allows the influence of each component transfer function 210 on each other component transfer function 210 to be considered within the system transfer function 310.

[0053] Figure 4 An alternative illustration of system 310 applied to a convective hot air system 300 is provided. The convective hot air system 300 includes multiple component transfer functions 210 that define the operation of heat exchangers, air boosters (e.g., fans), auxiliary air heaters, and air valves. The alternative system includes alternative components, but is arranged in a similar structure and operates in a similar manner. Each component transfer function 210 provides an output to a thermal system transfer function 310. The output generated by the thermal system transfer function 310 drives human thermal balance and ultimately drives occupant thermal sensation 350. Utilizing the component transfer functions 210 throughout the thermal system transfer function 310 allows the algorithm to account for the influence of each component transfer function 210 on other component transfer functions 210.

[0054] Figure 5 Further expanded Figure 4Examples include a more detailed representation of the system-level transfer function 310 based on specific examples. As described above, the component transfer function 210 is a set of transfer functions, each receiving one or more measurements 212 corresponding to a specific component (e.g., heat exchanger, air booster, auxiliary heater, air valve, etc.) modeled by the transfer function 210. The component transfer functions 210 provide outputs to the system transfer function 310. The system transfer function 310 includes portions defining the effects of the air duct 312, seat foam 314, and seat surface material 316. In alternative embodiments, these portions may include other system factors depending on the factors affecting a given system. The calculations are performed in real time, so current estimates of the heat transfer rate and temperature at the seat-to-human interface 360 ​​can be adjusted to match real-time conditions. The transfer function 310 provides state estimates for the control of individual devices within the system (thermal effect transfer function 210) and for the system 300 itself.

[0055] Continue to refer to Figures 1-5 , Figure 6 A control system 600 for controlling the thermal effectors within a vehicle seat is schematically illustrated. Initially, input 610 is provided to a controller, including the control system 600. Input 610 corresponds to an occupant setpoint (e.g., temperature or comfort level) and can be generated directly by the seat occupant or automatically generated via a universal vehicle controller based on whether the seat is occupied and whether the occupant has a known comfort profile. In some examples, input 610 is based on the following... Figures 8-12 The weighting process described above performs weighting. In other examples, input 610 can be provided with a static weighted value preset by the controller.

[0056] Input 610 is compared with the output of system transfer function 310 via comparator 620 to generate an error value 622. Error value 622 represents the difference between the indicated value (input) and the actual system value (output of system transfer function 310). Error value 622 includes multiple signals, each provided to a corresponding thermal effector system 602, which includes a thermal effector controller 630 that converts the error value into a physical control signal 632 driving thermal effector 640. One or more sensors throughout the thermal system, and particularly at thermal effectors 640, measure the conditions at each thermal effector 640 and provide the measurements to the component transfer function 210 corresponding to each thermal effector 640. Component transfer function 210 then provides outputs to system transfer function 310 (the component transfer function is nested within the system transfer function) and the controller 630 that controls the thermal effector 640.

[0057] The thermal effector system 602 is repeated for each individual thermal effector system in the microclimate system. In some examples, the controller 630 is a dedicated controller for the corresponding thermal effector 640, while in other examples, the controller 630 is a sub-component of the microclimate system controller or the general vehicle controller, which is dedicated to controlling the corresponding thermal effector 640.

[0058] Figures 2-6 Visually illustrated control structures and algorithm generation Figure 7 The control operations are illustrated in flowchart 700. Initially, the occupant thermal comfort level is set in the "Desired Setpoint" step 710, where the controller uses the desired thermal comfort level to determine the desired seat surface temperature. In alternative examples that include components other than the seat system or that replace the seat system, the corresponding thermal comfort setpoint can be used instead of the seat surface temperature.

[0059] Once the controller calculates the required setpoint, it determines the transfer function for each device within the system in step 720, "Calculate Component Transfer Function". The transfer function is created using quasi-steady-state assumptions and conventional techniques. These assumptions are based on the specific thermal environment and the division of the carriage (or other controlled environmental area) into discrete regions. The calculation of heat transfer utilizes the concept of superimposed heat capacity and related assumptions, thereby mathematically merging certain parts of the thermal system. The mathematical reduction (i.e., merging) of the parts of the thermal system reflects the similarity in behavior of the parts and boundary conditions.

[0060] As above Figures 1-6 The component transfer function uses device output and heat transfer rate to model the behavior of the components. Then, the controller uses each component transfer function to generate a system transfer function, and in "Calculate System Transfer Function" 730, the system output (e.g., seat surface temperature and heat transfer rate) is determined from the output of each component transfer function.

[0061] In the "Calculate Device Setpoint" step 740, the device setpoint for each thermal effector is calculated using the current occupant temperature and heat transfer rate calculated by the system transfer function. The device setpoint is configured to minimize the difference between the occupant temperature and heat transfer rate calculated by the system transfer function and the desired setpoint value. Then, in the "Control Each Device to Setpoint" step 750, the device setpoint is used to control the device. The controller uses the component transfer function to provide the calculated feedback value in closed-loop feedback control. To prevent runaway thermal effectors or other potential hazards or inefficient operation, the controller sets a setpoint limit for each device in the "Limit Device Setpoint" step 760.

[0062] The above description defines an exemplary heat effector control system that takes into account the presence of multiple other heat effectors when controlling the driving thermal system. In some embodiments, Figures 2-6 The example implementation of control does not require consideration of available power, electrical efficiency, or other factors that may affect which heat effect(s)(s) are driven and how they are driven. The advent of electric and semi-electric vehicles adds the following additional considerations: electricity usage, electricity budget, and the efficiency of the thermal conversion required to convert electricity into any given heat effect(s).

[0063] Figure 8 An exemplary control system 800 is schematically shown, which includes controls for... Figure 6 The control system 600 is modified by adding an additional effector optimizer 810 between the comparator 620 and the thermal effector system 602. Optimizer 810 applies a ranking or weighting factor to each device, resulting in a higher weight for more efficient devices or preferred devices in a personalized profile compared to less efficient or less preferred devices. The weights applied by optimizer 810 cause controller 630 to apply more control "force" to preferred (or more efficient) devices and less control force to non-preferred (or less efficient) devices. The specific weights of the thermal effector system 602 are dynamic and can change over time, environmental conditions, or based on user preferences. For example, a specific weighted ranking or profile can be applied to the thermal effector system 602 when the external temperature is below a certain threshold temperature. Alternatively, a different weighted profile can be applied when the vehicle's power is below a certain threshold percentage, where energy conservation is more important than achieving a comfort level.

[0064] In one example, different graphs can be used for different heat effector operations, including heating operation, heating operation starting below the threshold temperature, cooling operation, and cooling operation starting above the threshold temperature.

[0065] The optimizer 810 operates by ranking the thermal effector systems 602 according to preferences and applying these preferences as weighting factors to the control values. The overall ranking of each thermal effector system 602 is determined by multiplying user preference parameters by device performance parameters. The user preference parameters are stored values ​​representing a particular user's preference or dislike for a particular thermal effector system 602. The device performance parameters are scalar values ​​representing the efficiency of converting vehicle power into heating or cooling and the speed at which the device reaches the setpoint.

[0066] User preference parameters can be obtained from a stored user profile, which includes: a specific user whose preferences are learned over time; and at least one general user profile, which serves as a starting point for preference weighting. For a specific user, the user profile is learned over time and reflects possible tweaks the user might make to the thermal effector system 602. For example, if a user habitually turns off a specific thermal effector system 602, the user profile is updated to reduce the weighting applied to said thermal effector system 602.

[0067] Furthermore, the specific weighted average and efficiency of each heat effector system 602 depend on the operations performed by the heat effector system 602 and can vary depending on the operations performed. For example, a heat effector system 602 may be highly efficient at providing heat during heating operations but inefficient at removing heat during cooling operations. Such a heat effector system 602 would be assigned a higher ranking during heating and a lower ranking during cooling.

[0068] The combination of user preference and performance creates a single scalar weighted value for each thermal effector system 602, and the error signal provided by comparator 620 is multiplied by the scalar weighted value before the error signal is provided to the corresponding thermal effector system 602.

[0069] Continue to refer to Figure 8 , Figure 9 This includes an exemplary weighted table 900 contained within optimizer 810. Weighted table 900 includes a device index column 910, which defines a device index number that uniquely identifies each device for controller identification purposes. In the exemplary table 900, there are six devices, but actual implementations may include any number of devices. In addition to the index column 910, the device type column 920 identifies the device type corresponding to a specific index. For example, the device types for a heating system may include a head convection heater (A), a seat conduction heater (B), a seat convection heater (C), a local conduction heater (D), a bulk conduction heater (E), a floor conduction heater (F), and a local resistance heater (G).

[0070] Both user preference column 930 and thermal efficiency column 940 provide a ranking from 0 to 2 to indicate the weight applied to the corresponding user preference or thermal efficiency of the corresponding device, where 2 indicates the most preferred or most effective, and 0 indicates that the corresponding heatsink should not be used. The thermal efficiency of a heatsink is the power delivered to the occupants divided by the power consumed by the heatsink. This value is normalized within the range of 0-2. The combined weight column 950 provides a combined weight that is the result of multiplying the user preference value by the thermal efficiency value. The combined weight column 950 drives the ranking of the chart, with the highest combined weight (heatsink A) appearing at one end and the highest combined weight (heatsink G) at the other end. The combined weight from column 950 is the value of the feedback control signal applied by optimizer 810 to the corresponding heatsink. The weight is applied by multiplying the error value of the corresponding heatsink by the combined weighted value of that heatsink from column 950.

[0071] Unit power column 960 lists the amount of power predicted to be used by the thermal effector system to achieve thermal operation. Cumulative unit power column 970 lists the total power predicted to be used by the thermal effector system in this row, combined with the predicted power expenditure of all thermal effector systems below this row (i.e., all thermal effector systems ranked higher).

[0072] Power Limitation column 980 defines the power limits that the thermal system in a given row is allowed to use to prevent exceeding the vehicle's power budget. Power Budget column 980 contains three categories of entries: 982, 984, and 986. Entry 982, indicated as "No Limitation," defines that the thermal effector system in that row has no power budget limit. Entry 984, indicated as "0," defines that the thermal effector system in that row does not provide any power during hot operation and therefore will not operate.

[0073] Category 3 entry 986 represents a power budget that is less than the corresponding entry in the device power column 960 but greater than 0. The values ​​in Category 3 entries provide the amount of power that the corresponding thermal device can consume during thermal operation before it stops operating. Depending on the device type and control type, the power limit can be a cutoff threshold that stops the device when exceeded, or the power limit can be an average value over a period of time that reduces the thermal operation of the corresponding thermal effector while allowing continued operation throughout the thermal process. Power limit column 980 is only used in examples where the power budget of the thermal system is limited.

[0074] The specific values ​​in each column (930, 940, 950, 960, 970, and 980) are context-specific and change depending on the environment and conditions of the thermal operation. For example, the entries in column 930 (user preferences) are learned over time for each given user and adjusted based on the user's customized modifications to the thermal system. Similarly, column 940 (thermal performance) is adjusted based on external conditions, such as temperature and humidity, using established rules. These rules can be based on empirical testing, neural network learning, or any similar method.

[0075] The entries in device power column 960 are estimates of the amount of power used by the thermal effector to achieve the required temperature and flow rate. These estimates are based on specific thermal operation and conditions and are determined by the controller used for the thermal device based on any known estimates. As described above, the entries in cumulative device power column 970 are based on the entries in device power column 960 and the column order determined by combined weight column 950.

[0076] Continue to refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 The control system Figure 10 , Figure 11 and Figure 12 This is for Figure 8 The control system creates a sorting table 900 ( Figure 9 The flowchart of ) in which Figure 10 The general operation is shown. Figure 11 The operation that minimizes power consumption to reach the occupant thermal comfort setpoint is shown, and Figure 12 The operation is shown to be limited by the power budget.

[0077] Figure 10 The general operation 1000 begins by determining user preferences in the "Determine User Preferences" step 1010. User preferences can be manually entered by the user or based on stored user profiles or general user preferences. Once user preferences are determined, the controller determines the estimated power required for thermal operation by each thermal device in the "Estimate Power Consumption" step 1020. After determining the power required to reach the comfort setting, the controller determines the amount of power supplied to the occupants from each thermal device in the "Determine Power Provided to Occupants" step 1030. In the "Determine Efficiency" step 1040, once the power used and the power provided for the thermal effectors are estimated, the performance or efficiency of the thermal effectors can be determined by dividing the power provided to the occupants by the estimated power used.

[0078] After determining the efficiency of each heat effector in the thermal system, the controller sorts the devices by multiplying the determined efficiency by a determined preference value in the "Determine Device Sequencing" step 1050. Depending on the operating mode (e.g., power optimization, power budget, etc.), the controller adjusts the device sorting in the "Adjust Sequencing" step 1060. Once any adjustments have been made, in the "Control Devices" step 1070, the heat effectors are controlled according to the error value modified by the device sorting, as described above. Figure 8 As stated above.

[0079] Figure 11 It shows Figure 10 The sorting adjustment step 1060 is shown in flowchart 100 when it is applied to minimize power consumption. The sorting adjustment begins with normalized sorting, which is determined by multiplying efficiency by power consumption in the "sorting normalization" step 1162. The normalized sorting is then applied to the power minimization function (Formula 1, below):

[0080]

[0081] In Formula 1, the first term (f) bias1 ) including T set T refers to the air temperature or surface temperature of a given heat-emitting device; min This refers to the minimum acceptable value within the selected heat effector range; and T max This refers to the maximum acceptable value within the selected range of heat effectors, applicable to both conductive and convective systems. The second term (f) bias2 ) including h set This refers to the set heat flux for a given heat effector; h max , refers to the maximum heat flux for a given heat effector; and h min This refers to the minimum heat flux for a given heat effector. The second term and the division by 2 are only used for convection devices.

[0082] The minimization function (Equation 1) determines the P value, which represents the estimated power consumption of the heat effector, and adjusts the order of each heat effector by changing the device setpoint within preset limits to identify the minimum power consumption required to achieve the setpoint in step 1166, "Adjusting the setpoint to minimize power". Figure 10 As shown, the minimized power sorting will be used for the control device.

[0083] When the thermal effector system is allocated a limited amount of power, the vehicle controller operates to ensure not only that power consumption is minimized but also that the allocated power budget is not exceeded. For example, this might occur when the electric vehicle's remaining charge is below a certain level, and the controller needs to ensure sufficient power to operate the vehicle before reaching a charging station. To ensure that the power budget is not exceeded, Figure 11The process in the document has been modified; the modified process 1200 is now in... Figure 12 As shown in the image. Initially, according to... Figure 10 The process describes sorting the devices, and in step 1262, the devices are ranked according to their sorting. The ranking provides an ordered list of devices sorted based on power minimization. Once the ranking is complete, the expected power consumption of each device can be estimated in step 1263, and the cumulative device power of each device can be determined in step 1266, which calculates the cumulative device power consumption.

[0084] After determining the cumulative device power, the controller identifies which thermal effector's estimated power consumption would cause the cumulative power to exceed the provided power limit in the "Identify where the cumulative power exceeds the power limit" step. In the "Apply Power Limit" step 1270, the identified thermal effectors are indexed to provide power limits for their operation. Each thermal effector below the indexed thermal effector is not subject to a limit, while each thermal effector above the indexed thermal effector is disabled and / or turned off.

[0085] While the different examples all feature the specific components shown in the figures, embodiments of the invention are not limited to these specific combinations. Certain components or features from one example may be combined with features or components from another example.

[0086] Although exemplary embodiments have been disclosed, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain modifications will fall within the scope of the claims. Therefore, the following claims should be examined to determine their true scope and content.

Claims

1. A microclimate system for vehicle occupants, comprising: Multiple microclimate thermal effectors, each having a corresponding thermal effector controller and configured to at least partially control occupant thermal comfort, each microclimate thermal effector including at least one sensor configured to determine microclimate parameters corresponding to at least one of the multiple microclimate thermal effectors; as well as A microclimate system controller communicating with each microclimate thermal effector, the microclimate system controller comprising: a plurality of first transfer functions, each first transfer function modeling a corresponding microclimate thermal effector among the plurality of microclimate thermal effectors; and a system transfer function modeling the microclimate system, wherein each first transfer function is nested within the system transfer function such that the system transfer function's modeling of the microclimate system includes at least a portion of the influence of each microclimate thermal effector on each other microclimate thermal effector, and wherein the microclimate system is configured to control each microclimate thermal effector using the system transfer function and each of the first transfer functions.

2. The microclimate system according to claim 1, wherein, At least one microclimate thermal effector corresponds to at least two first transfer functions.

3. The microclimate system according to claim 2, wherein, The first of the at least two first transfer functions models the heating operation of the at least one microclimate thermal effector.

4. The microclimate system according to claim 3, wherein, The second of the at least two first transfer functions models the cooling operation of the at least one microclimate thermal effector.

5. The microclimate system according to claim 1, wherein, Nesting each first transfer function within the system transfer function includes using the output of each nested first transfer function as the input of the system transfer function.

6. The microclimate system according to claim 1, wherein, The microclimate system controller is configured to subtract the output of the system transfer function from the occupant setpoint to generate a thermal comfort error for each microclimate thermal effector, and to provide each thermal comfort error to the controller of the corresponding microclimate thermal effector.

7. The microclimate system according to claim 6, wherein, Each first transfer function provides an output to the corresponding thermal effector controller.

8. The microclimate system according to claim 7, wherein, At least one thermal effector controller is a dedicated thermal effector controller.

9. The microclimate system according to claim 8, wherein, The at least one thermal effector controller is a dedicated sub-component of the microclimate system controller.

10. The microclimate system according to claim 1, wherein, The microclimate thermal effector is selected from a group including climate-controlled seats, headrest / neck adjusters, climate-controlled headliners, steering wheel, heated gear shifter, heated pads, and a small compressor system.

11. The microclimate system according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of microclimate thermal effectors include at least one convection thermal effector and at least one conduction thermal effector.

12. A method for controlling a microclimate system having multiple thermal effectors, the method comprising: Determine the occupant comfort level setpoints for the microclimate system; The target setpoint for each thermal effector is determined based on the occupant comfort level setpoint. as well as The feedback control loop controls each heat effector to its corresponding target setpoint. The feedback control loop includes a system transfer function and multiple device transfer functions, each of which is nested within the system transfer function. Each device transfer function models an individual heat effector, and the system transfer function models the effect of each individual heat effector on the performance of each other heat effector.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising measuring multiple parameters using multiple sensors and providing the measured parameters to the input of at least one of the multiple device transfer functions.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Each of the plurality of device transfer functions receives at least one of the plurality of measured parameters and provides at least one output of each device transfer function to the input of the system transfer function.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The feedback control loop includes comparing the output of the system transfer function with a determined target setpoint to determine at least one error value corresponding to each heat effector, and providing the error value to the corresponding heat effector controller.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The feedback control loop also includes providing at least one output of the transfer function of each device to the corresponding thermal effector controller, the at least one output providing the calculated current thermal state, including at least one of occupant temperature and heat flux.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The calculated current thermal state at least defines the occupant temperature and heat flux.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein, At least two of the plurality of device transfer functions correspond to a single thermal effector, the first of the at least two device transfer functions modeling the heating operation of the thermal effector, and the second of the at least two device transfer functions modeling the cooling operation of the thermal effector.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The plurality of heat effectors includes at least one convection heat effector and at least one conduction heat effector.

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