Vehicle system and method for surface temperature detection and selective climate control

Abstract

Vehicle systems and methods for surface temperature detection and selective climate control are disclosed. A vehicle system includes a plurality of temperature sensors positioned in a vehicle and a control module in communication with the plurality of temperature sensors. The plurality of temperature sensors are configured to measure a surface temperature of an object in a vehicle. The control module is configured to receive measured surface temperatures from the plurality of temperature sensors, determine whether any one of the measured surface temperatures is greater than a defined threshold, and transmit an alert signal to a user communication device in response to any one of the measured surface temperatures being greater than the defined threshold, the alert signal is indicative of an object in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than a defined threshold. Other example vehicle systems and methods for selectively controlling airflow in a vehicle and / or alerting a user of a vehicle object having a potentially hazardous surface temperature are also disclosed.

Description

[0001] introduction

[0002] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. The work of the presently named inventors is neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure to the extent it is described in this section nor in aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to vehicle systems and methods for surface temperature detection and selective climate control, and more particularly to vehicle systems and methods for selectively controlling airflow in a vehicle and alerting a user of objects in the vehicle having potentially hazardous surface temperatures. Background Art

[0004] The vehicle includes a climate control system, such as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The climate control system can be used to control the cabin air temperature in the vehicle. For example, the climate control system can be used to cool or heat the cabin of the vehicle based on user control. In such an example, the user can set the desired air temperature in the cabin, and the climate control system measures the air temperature in the cabin, and then compares the measured air temperature to the set air temperature. The climate control system can then adjust the air temperature and / or the amount of air provided through the vents in the vehicle to increase or decrease the actual air temperature in the cabin unit that meets the set air temperature. Such climate control can also be divided into zones in the cabin of the vehicle (e.g., driver zone, passenger zone, etc.). Summary of the invention

[0005] A vehicle system for selectively controlling airflow in a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle system includes a plurality of temperature sensors positioned in the vehicle and a control module in communication with the plurality of temperature sensors. The plurality of temperature sensors are configured to measure surface temperatures of objects in the vehicle. The control module is configured to receive measured surface temperatures from the plurality of temperature sensors, determine whether any of the measured surface temperatures is greater than a defined threshold, and in response to any of the measured surface temperatures being greater than the defined threshold, transmit an alert signal to a user communication device, the alert signal indicating an object in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold.

[0006] In other features, the control module is configured to, in response to one of the measured surface temperatures being greater than a defined threshold, identify at least one zone in the vehicle that directs airflow to an object having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold and selectively control the climate control module to cool the zone in the vehicle.

[0007] In other features, the control module is configured to selectively control the climate control module to cool a zone in the vehicle until the measured surface temperature is less than a defined threshold.

[0008] In other features, the controller is configured to determine whether one of the objects in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than a defined threshold has been touched for a defined time period, and in response to determining that one of the objects has been touched for the defined time period, transmit an emergency signal to a user communication device.

[0009] In other features, the plurality of temperature sensors includes at least one infrared temperature sensor.

[0010] In other features, at least one temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors is configured to measure a surface temperature of a seat, a center console, a steering wheel, an armrest, or a child car seat.

[0011] In other features, at least one temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors is an infrared temperature sensor configured to measure a surface temperature of a seat, a center console, a steering wheel, an armrest, or a child car seat.

[0012] In other features, the control module is configured to, in response to one of the measured surface temperatures being greater than a defined threshold, identify at least one zone in the vehicle that directs airflow to an object having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold and selectively control the climate control module to cool the zone in the vehicle until the measured surface temperature is less than the defined threshold.

[0013] A method for selectively controlling airflow in a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes receiving measured surface temperatures of objects in the vehicle from a plurality of temperature sensors, determining whether any of the measured surface temperatures is greater than a defined threshold, and in response to any of the measured surface temperatures being greater than the defined threshold, transmitting an alert signal to a user communication device, the alert signal indicating an object in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold.

[0014] In other features, the method further includes identifying at least one zone in the vehicle that directs airflow to at least one object having a measured surface temperature greater than a defined threshold and selectively controlling the climate control module to cool the zone in the vehicle.

[0015] In other features, selectively controlling the climate control module to cool a zone in the vehicle includes selectively controlling the climate control module to cool a zone in the vehicle until a measured surface temperature is less than a defined threshold.

[0016] In other features, the method further includes determining whether one of the objects in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than a defined threshold has been touched for a defined time period, and in response to determining that one of the objects has been touched for the defined time period, transmitting an emergency signal to a user communication device.

[0017] In other features, the plurality of temperature sensors includes at least one infrared temperature sensor.

[0018] In other features, receiving a surface temperature of an object in the vehicle includes receiving a surface temperature of a seat, a center console, a steering wheel, an armrest, and / or a child car seat.

[0019] A method for alerting a user of a vehicle object having a potentially hazardous surface temperature is disclosed. The method includes receiving data associated with the vehicle and data associated with the vehicle surroundings, estimating a surface temperature of the vehicle object based on the received data, determining whether the estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than a defined threshold, and in response to determining that the estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than the defined threshold, transmitting an alert signal to a user communication device to notify the user of the object having a potentially hazardous surface temperature.

[0020] In other features, the method further comprises generating one or more recommendations for reducing the estimated surface temperature of the object in response to determining that the estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than a defined threshold.

[0021] In other features, transmitting the alert signal to the user communication device includes transmitting the alert signal with one or more recommendations.

[0022] In other features, the method further includes controlling a climate control module in the vehicle to cool the object having the potentially hazardous surface temperature in response to determining that the estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than a defined threshold.

[0023] In other features, receiving data associated with the vehicle includes receiving one or more of a color of an object in the vehicle, a heading of the vehicle, a pitch of the vehicle, a yaw of the vehicle, a latitude and longitude of the vehicle, and a material type of an object in the vehicle.

[0024] In other features, receiving data associated with the vehicle surroundings includes receiving one or more of current weather data, forecast weather data, time of year, sun angle, and time data.

[0025] In other features, the object comprises a component external to a vehicle.

[0026] In other features, the method further includes estimating a time when a surface temperature of an object in the vehicle will be greater than a defined threshold based on the received data, wherein transmitting the alert signal to the user communication device includes providing a notification identifying the estimated time when the surface temperature of the object in the vehicle will be greater than the defined threshold.

[0027] In other features, the method further includes estimating a time when a surface temperature of an object in the vehicle will be less than a defined threshold based on the received data, wherein transmitting the alert signal to the user communication device includes providing a notification identifying the estimated time when the surface temperature of the object in the vehicle will be less than the defined threshold.

[0028] The present disclosure also relates to the following aspects.

[0029] Solution 1. A vehicle system for selectively controlling airflow in a vehicle, the vehicle system comprising:

[0030] a plurality of temperature sensors positioned in the vehicle, the plurality of temperature sensors configured to measure surface temperatures of objects in the vehicle; and

[0031] a control module in communication with the plurality of temperature sensors, the control module being configured to:

[0032] receiving measured surface temperatures from the plurality of temperature sensors;

[0033] determining whether any of the measured surface temperatures is greater than a defined threshold; and

[0034] In response to any of the measured surface temperatures being greater than a defined threshold, an alert signal is transmitted to a user communication device, the alert signal indicating an object in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold.

[0035] Option 2. A vehicle system according to Option 1, wherein the control module is configured to identify at least one zone in the vehicle in response to one of the measured surface temperatures being greater than a defined threshold, the at least one zone directing airflow to an object having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold and selectively controlling the climate control module to cool the zone in the vehicle.

[0036] Embodiment 3. The vehicle system of embodiment 2, wherein the control module is configured to selectively control the climate control module to cool a zone in the vehicle until a measured surface temperature is less than a defined threshold.

[0037] Solution 4. The vehicle system according to Solution 1, wherein the control module is configured to:

[0038] determining whether one of the objects in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than a defined threshold has been touched for a defined period of time; and

[0039] In response to determining that one of the objects has been touched for a defined period of time, an emergency signal is transmitted to a user communication device.

[0040] Option 5. The vehicle system according to Option 1, wherein the plurality of temperature sensors include at least one infrared temperature sensor.

[0041] Option 6. The vehicle system of Option 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of temperature sensors is configured to measure a surface temperature of a seat, a center console, a steering wheel, an armrest, or a child car seat.

[0042] Solution 7. The vehicle system according to Solution 1, wherein:

[0043] At least one temperature sensor of the plurality of temperature sensors is an infrared temperature sensor configured to measure a surface temperature of a seat, a center console, a steering wheel, an armrest, or a child car seat; and

[0044] The control module is configured to, in response to one of the measured surface temperatures being greater than a defined threshold, identify at least one zone in the vehicle that directs airflow to an object having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold and selectively control the climate control module to cool the zone in the vehicle until the measured surface temperature is less than the defined threshold.

[0045] Embodiment 8. A method for selectively controlling airflow in a vehicle, the method comprising:

[0046] receiving measured surface temperatures of objects in the vehicle from a plurality of temperature sensors;

[0047] determining whether any of the measured surface temperatures is greater than a defined threshold; and

[0048] In response to any of the measured surface temperatures being greater than a defined threshold, an alert signal is transmitted to a user communication device, the alert signal indicating an object in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold.

[0049] Option 9. The method according to Option 8 further includes identifying at least one zone in the vehicle that directs airflow to at least one object having a measured surface temperature greater than a defined threshold and selectively controlling a climate control module to cool the zone in the vehicle.

[0050] Embodiment 10. The method of embodiment 9, wherein selectively controlling the climate control module to cool a zone in the vehicle comprises selectively controlling the climate control module to cool a zone in the vehicle until a measured surface temperature is less than a defined threshold.

[0051] Solution 11. The method according to Solution 10 further comprises:

[0052] determining whether one of the objects in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than a defined threshold has been touched for a defined period of time; and

[0053] In response to determining that one of the objects has been touched for a defined period of time, an emergency signal is transmitted to a user communication device.

[0054] Option 12. A method according to Option 8, wherein the plurality of temperature sensors include at least one infrared temperature sensor.

[0055] Option 13. A method according to Option 12, wherein receiving the surface temperature of an object in a vehicle includes receiving the surface temperature of a seat, a center console, a steering wheel, an armrest and / or a child car seat.

[0056] Embodiment 14. A method for alerting a user of a vehicle object having a potentially hazardous surface temperature, the method comprising:

[0057] receiving data associated with the vehicle and data associated with the vehicle's surroundings;

[0058] estimating a surface temperature of the vehicle object based on the received data;

[0059] determining whether an estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than a defined threshold; and

[0060] In response to determining that the estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than a defined threshold, an alert signal is transmitted to the user communication device to notify the user of the object having a potentially hazardous surface temperature.

[0061] Scheme 15. The method according to Scheme 14, wherein:

[0062] The method further includes, in response to determining that the estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than a defined threshold, generating one or more recommendations for reducing the estimated surface temperature of the object; and

[0063] Transmitting the alert signal to the user communication device includes transmitting the alert signal with one or more recommendations.

[0064] Embodiment 16. The method of embodiment 15 further comprises controlling a climate control module in the vehicle to cool the object having a potentially hazardous surface temperature in response to determining that the estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than a defined threshold.

[0065] Scheme 17. The method according to Scheme 16, wherein:

[0066] Receiving data associated with the vehicle includes receiving one or more of a color of an object in the vehicle, a heading of the vehicle, a pitch of the vehicle, a yaw of the vehicle, a latitude and longitude of the vehicle, a material type of an object in the vehicle; and

[0067] Receiving data associated with the vehicle's surroundings includes receiving one or more of current weather data, forecast weather data, time of year, sun angle, and time data.

[0068] Option 18. A method according to Option 14, wherein the object includes a component external to a vehicle.

[0069] Option 19. The method according to Option 14 further includes estimating the time when the surface temperature of an object in the vehicle will be greater than a defined threshold based on the received data, wherein transmitting an alarm signal to a user communication device includes providing a notification identifying the estimated time when the surface temperature of an object in the vehicle will be greater than the defined threshold.

[0070] Option 20. The method according to Option 14 further includes estimating the time when the surface temperature of an object in the vehicle will be less than a defined threshold based on the received data, wherein transmitting an alarm signal to a user communication device includes providing a notification, wherein the notification identifies the estimated time when the surface temperature of an object in the vehicle will be less than the defined threshold.

[0071] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0072] The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0073] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of an example vehicle system including a control module for selectively controlling airflow in a vehicle and / or predicting and warning a user of potentially hazardous surface temperatures of the vehicle in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0074] Figure 2 is included according to the present disclosure Figure 1A functional block diagram of a vehicle of a portion of a vehicle system;

[0075] Figure 3 is a flow chart of an example control process for selectively controlling airflow in a vehicle according to the present disclosure;

[0076] Figure 4 is a flow chart of another example control process for selectively controlling airflow in a vehicle according to the present disclosure; and

[0077] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an example control process for predicting and warning a user of potentially hazardous surface temperatures of a vehicle in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0078] In the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0079] A vehicle includes a climate control system for controlling cabin air temperature based on user input and measured air temperature in the vehicle cabin. However, such temperature control lacks the ability to adjust settings based on other measured temperatures in the vehicle. For example, while the cabin air temperature in the vehicle may be within a desired temperature range (e.g., set by a user, etc.), the surface temperatures of objects inside and / or outside the vehicle (e.g., seats, armrests, center consoles, child car seats, door handles, trim, etc.) may be much higher and potentially dangerous to the touch. Therefore, such high surface temperatures may pose a danger to the driver, passengers (e.g., children, etc.) of the vehicle, and / or other occupants.

[0080] Vehicle systems and methods according to the present disclosure provide solutions for enabling selective climate control in a vehicle based on measured surface temperatures of vehicle objects and / or user notification of potentially dangerous surface temperatures of objects. For example, the vehicle systems and methods herein can provide a reactive solution by detecting a potentially dangerous condition, automatically taking action to mitigate the condition, and alerting occupants of the vehicle of the detected condition. Additionally and / or alternatively, the vehicle systems and methods can provide a proactive or preventative solution by estimating the surface temperature of objects inside and / or outside the vehicle based on received internal and / or external data, and then alerting the user if the estimated surface temperature is potentially high, thereby allowing the user or the vehicle climate control to take action to help reduce the chance of objects inside or outside the vehicle reaching these unsafe temperatures. In this manner, through reactive and / or proactive solutions, potentially dangerous surface temperature conditions can be detected and mitigated, resulting in improved occupant safety.

[0081] For example, a vehicle system may include a control module that receives measured surface temperatures from temperature sensors in the vehicle, determines whether any of the measured surface temperatures is greater than a defined threshold, and if so, transmits an alert signal to a user communication device indicating an object in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold. In such an example, the control module may identify a zone in the vehicle to direct airflow to an object having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold, and selectively controls a climate control module to cool the zone in the vehicle. Additionally and / or alternatively, a control module of the vehicle system may receive vehicle data and environmental data, estimate a surface temperature of a vehicle object based on the received data, determine whether the estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than a defined threshold, and if so, transmits an alert signal to a user communication device to notify a user of the object having a potentially hazardous surface temperature.

[0082] Reference now Figure 1 , presents a functional block diagram of an example vehicle system 100. The vehicle system 100 may be employed with any suitable vehicle, such as an electric vehicle (e.g., a pure electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, etc.), an internal combustion engine vehicle, etc. Additionally, the vehicle system may be applicable to autonomous vehicles, semi-autonomous vehicles, or non-autonomous vehicles.

[0083] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , a vehicle system 100 generally includes a control module 102 and temperature sensors 104, 106, 108, 110, 112 in communication with the control module 102. For example, the temperature sensors 104, 106, 108, 110, 112 may be positioned in a vehicle to measure the surface temperature of various vehicle objects. More specifically, and as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the temperature sensors 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 , and 112 can measure the surface temperatures of the steering wheel 114 , the driver's seat 116 , the center console 118 , the passenger armrest 120 , and the child car seat 122 , respectively. Figure 1 The vehicle system 100 is shown as including five temperature sensors for measuring the surface temperature of a particular object, but it should be appreciated that the vehicle system 100 and / or other example vehicle systems may include more or fewer temperature sensors for measuring the same or different objects in the vehicle. Additionally, in some examples, the vehicle system 100 and / or other example vehicle systems may utilize multiple temperature sensors (e.g., temperature sensors 104, 106) to measure the surface temperature of one object (e.g., the driver's seat) or the surface temperature at different parts of the same object.

[0084] exist Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , the vehicle system 100 is shown as monitoring the surface temperature of a steering wheel 114, a driver's seat 116, a center console 118, a passenger armrest 120, and a child car seat 122. In other examples, the vehicle system 100 may monitor the surface temperature of other suitable objects, such as one or more handles (e.g., door handles, passenger safety handles, etc.), windows, and / or any other common contact points inside and / or outside the vehicle.

[0085] Each temperature sensor 104, 106, 108, 110, 112 may be any suitable type of sensor. Figure 1 In an embodiment of the present invention, the temperature sensors 104, 106, 108, 110, 112 may be integrated infrared (IR) sensors and / or thermal imaging temperature sensors. Regardless of the specific type, the temperature sensors 104, 106, 108, 110, 112 may measure the surface temperature of the monitored object and then send the measured surface temperature to the control module 102. Alternatively, the temperature sensors 104, 106, 108, 110, 112 may send data indicating the measured surface temperature to the control module 102, which may then calculate or otherwise determine the surface temperature.

[0086] In various embodiments, control module 102 may determine whether any of the received measured surface temperatures is greater than a defined threshold. For example, control module 102 may compare each received measured surface temperature to the same threshold or to a different threshold. In some examples, the defined threshold may be, for example, 118 degrees Fahrenheit or another suitable temperature (e.g., 100 degrees Fahrenheit, 110 degrees Fahrenheit, 115 degrees Fahrenheit, etc.). In such examples, the threshold may be stored in a memory, such as in a file such as Figure 1 The memory circuit 124 within the control module 102 as shown in FIG. 1 , or stored in a memory circuit external to the control module 102 .

[0087] The defined thresholds may be selected so that mitigating measures may be taken to prevent harm to a vehicle occupant. For example, at 118 degrees Fahrenheit, an occupant's skin may begin to suffer first degree burns. As such, the defined thresholds may be set at or below 118 degrees Fahrenheit to mitigate such harm. In some examples, the defined thresholds may be set and / or adjusted as desired. For example, an occupant of a vehicle may set and / or adjust the thresholds for each object based on user input.

[0088] After the control module 102 determines that one or more received measured surface temperatures are greater than the defined threshold value, the control module 102 can take various reactive actions to mitigate such high (and potentially dangerous) surface temperatures. For example, the control module 102 can identify the area (e.g., driver area, passenger area, rear area, front area, front driver area, front passenger area, rear driver area, rear passenger area, etc.) of the object that airflow is directed to the measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold value in the vehicle. In such an example, it is possible to identify the area that is best suitable for directing airflow (e.g., target airflow) to the hot object. For example, the control module 102 can usually know where each temperature sensor 104,106,108,110,112 is installed in the vehicle. In other examples, the control module 102 can know the association between each temperature sensor 104,106,108,110,112 and a specific known object in the vehicle, and the position of the object in the vehicle. In such an example, the control module 102 may associate a surface temperature received from any of the temperature sensors 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 with a particular zone in the vehicle.

[0089] The control module 102 may then selectively control the climate control module 126 to cool the identified zones in the vehicle associated with each measured surface temperature. For example, once the zones are identified, the control module 102 may automatically send a control signal 128 to the climate control module 126 to instruct the climate control module 126 to activate one or more cooling features for the identified zones. In such an example, the climate control module 126 may dynamically adjust the temperature and / or amount of air provided through vents in the vehicle to reduce the surface temperature of objects in the zone. Such adjustments of airflow (e.g., amount, temperature, etc.) may be accomplished using an HVAC system in the vehicle.

[0090] For example, the control module 102 may identify the driver zone as being associated with an elevated surface temperature of the steering wheel 114 as measured by the temperature sensor 104, the driver seat 116 as measured by the temperature sensor 106, and / or the center console 118 as measured by the temperature sensor 108. In such an example, the control module 102 may then instruct the climate control module 126 (via the control signal 128) to activate (one or more) cooling features to change the amount and / or temperature of airflow in the driver zone (indicated by arrow 130). Additionally and / or alternatively, the control module 102 may identify the passenger zone as being associated with an elevated surface temperature of the passenger armrest 120 as measured by the temperature sensor 110 and / or the center console 118 as measured by the temperature sensor 108, and then instruct the climate control module 126 to activate (one or more) cooling features to change the airflow in the passenger zone (indicated by arrow 132). In still other embodiments, the control module 102 may identify the rear zone as associated with an elevated surface temperature of the child car seat 122 as measured by the temperature sensor 112 , and then instruct the climate control module 126 to activate cooling feature(s) to change the airflow in the rear zone (shown by arrow 134 ).

[0091] In various embodiments, the control module 102 may continue to control the climate control module 126 to cool the identified zone until the surface temperature of the particular monitored object drops below a defined threshold. For example, if the climate control module 126 is controlled to change the airflow in the rear zone due to the elevated surface temperature of the child car seat 122, such control may continue until another measured surface temperature of the child car seat 122 is less than a defined threshold (e.g., 118 degrees Fahrenheit, etc.). At this point, the control module 102 may allow the climate control module 126 to revert to a default cooling operation, a previously set cooling operation, etc.

[0092] In some embodiments, the control module 102 can warn (one or more) occupants inside or outside the vehicle of any object with an elevated and potentially dangerous surface temperature. For example, the control module 102 can send a signal 136 (e.g., an alarm signal) to a user communication device 138, which indicates any object of the vehicle with a measured surface temperature greater than a defined threshold. In such an example, the user communication device 138 can be a personal user device (e.g., a phone, a tablet device, etc.) that communicates with the control model 102 and can warn the user. For example, the user communication device 138 can be connected (e.g., wirelessly or wired) to a communication module in the vehicle. In some examples, the user communication device 138 can receive an alarm signal via a cellular network. In other examples, the user communication device 138 can be a user display in the vehicle (e.g., in a user control center of the vehicle, etc.). In such an example, the user communication device 138 can receive an alarm signal and then display or otherwise notify (e.g., via an auditory warning, another visual warning, etc.) the (one or more) occupants of the vehicle.

[0093] In various embodiments, the control module 102 can automatically notify emergency service providers when one or more conditions are met. For example, after determining that an object (e.g., a child car seat 122, etc.) has a surface temperature greater than a defined threshold, the control module 102 can determine whether the object is touched. Then, in response, the control module 102 can transmit a signal 136 (e.g., an emergency signal) to the user communication device 138. After receiving the emergency signal, the user communication device 138 automatically notifies (e.g., via signal 140) an emergency service provider (e.g., 911, first responders, etc.).

[0094] In some examples, the control module 102 may only notify the emergency service provider if the detected touch of the object lasts for a defined period of time. For example, if an occupant (e.g., a child, an animal, etc.) touches a hot object for a period of time, which would indicate a burn that may require emergency assistance, the control module 102 may automatically notify the emergency service provider via, for example, the user communication device 138. In such an example, the period of time may be any suitable duration, depending on, for example, a defined temperature threshold. For example, if the defined temperature threshold is less than 118 degrees Fahrenheit, the defined period of time may be greater than when the defined temperature threshold is at or greater than 118 degrees Fahrenheit. By way of example only, the defined period of time may be: three seconds, five seconds, seven seconds, ten seconds, etc., if the defined temperature threshold is at or greater than 118 degrees Fahrenheit, and may be five seconds, ten seconds, fifteen seconds, thirty seconds, one minute, etc., if the defined temperature threshold is less than 118 degrees Fahrenheit.

[0095] The control module 102 can determine whether an object is being touched in various ways. For example, one or more objects of the vehicle may include a dedicated sensor for detecting touch. Figure 1 , the center console 118 includes a sensor 142 that communicates with the control module 102. In such an example, the sensor 142 may be a touch sensor, a pressure sensor, etc. that is capable of detecting an occupant touching an object and then sending a signal to the control module 102. In other examples, the vehicle system 100 may include other sensors, such as a camera that monitors specific objects of the vehicle and then notifies the control module 102 when the object is touched.

[0096] In various embodiments, Figure 1 The vehicle system 100 may utilize data to predict whether a surface of a vehicle object has the potential to heat up to, for example, a dangerous level and then provide a proactive alert to a user (e.g., a driver, vehicle owner, potential vehicle occupant, etc.). For example, the surface temperature of a vehicle interior and / or exterior object (e.g., a child car seat, door handles, armrests, trim, etc.) may increase due to the vehicle's location (e.g., latitude and longitude) when stationary, the vehicle's orientation (e.g., heading, pitch, roll, yaw, etc.), the color and / or material of the object, weather, time of day, time of year, position of the sun, etc. As such, based on such data and / or other types of data, the control module 102 may estimate the potential surface temperature of the vehicle and then transmit a signal 136 (e.g., an alert signal) to a user communication device 138 (e.g., a user's cell phone, tablet device, etc.) to notify the user of the vehicle object having a potentially dangerous surface temperature. In such an example, the control module 102 may estimate the potential of hot surfaces with or without input from the temperature sensors 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 .

[0097] For example, the control module 102 may receive data from various internal and / or external sources. For example, the control module 102 may receive data associated with the vehicle from the memory circuit 124 and / or another memory circuit in the vehicle. In such examples, the vehicle data may include a parked vehicle position, a vehicle heading, a vehicle pitch, a vehicle roll, a vehicle yaw, the color and / or material (e.g., metal, plastic, etc.) of an object, etc. In other examples, such vehicle data may be stored at an external source (e.g., a server, etc.) and provided to the control module 102 via the data signal 144, such as Figure 1. Additionally, the control module 102 can receive data associated with the vehicle's surroundings. Such data can include, for example, the time of day (e.g., time data), the angle of the sun, current weather conditions (e.g., current air temperature at or near the vehicle's location, etc.), future weather conditions (e.g., forecasted air temperature at or near the vehicle's location, etc.), etc. In such examples, the environmental data can be received from the memory circuit 124 and / or another memory circuit in the vehicle, received from an external source via the data signal 144, etc.

[0098] Based on the received data, the control module 102 can then predict whether the surface of the vehicle object has the potential to heat to a dangerous level. In some examples, such a prediction can be determined by machine learning. For example, the received data can be analyzed by one or more machine learning algorithms together with previously collected data (e.g., from the same vehicle or a different vehicle). In doing so, the control module 102 can estimate the potential surface temperature of the vehicle object based on the received data, and then determine whether any of the estimated surface temperatures of the object is greater than a defined threshold (e.g., 118 degrees Fahrenheit, etc.) to predict whether the vehicle object has the potential to heat to a dangerous level.

[0099] The control module 102 may then transmit a signal 136 to the user communication device 138 in response to determining that the estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than the defined threshold. In doing so, the control module 102 provides a notification to the user that the vehicle object has the potential to have a hazardous surface temperature.

[0100] In some examples, the control module 102 can predict and notify the user which surfaces and / or zones of the vehicle will likely be hot at different times. For example, the control module 102 can predict whether objects (e.g., door handles, etc.) in a particular zone (e.g., driver zone, passenger zone, etc.) are likely to have elevated surface temperatures at different times of the day and for different durations. For example, if the vehicle is parked (and closed) at a particular location for 30 minutes, the driver's side door handle in the driver's zone may have the potential for elevated surface temperatures before 2 p.m., and if the vehicle is parked (and closed) at the same location for 45 minutes, the passenger's side door handle in the passenger zone may have the potential for elevated surface temperatures before 2 p.m. This analysis can be provided to the user via signal 136.

[0101] Additionally, in some examples, the control module 102 may recommend one or more corrective actions for mitigating such potential for elevated surface temperatures of the vehicle. For example, the control module 102 may generate one or more recommendations for reducing the estimated surface temperature of the vehicle object, and then transmit the recommendation(s) to the user communication device 138 via the signal 136. For example, the control module 102 may recommend moving the vehicle, adjusting (or adding) interior vehicle shades in a particular zone, powering up the vehicle to activate the climate control module 126, etc. In such examples, moving the vehicle may, for example, include positioning the vehicle at a different angle (e.g., relative to the sun), moving the vehicle to a different location, moving the vehicle at a particular time of day, etc.

[0102] In some embodiments, after determining that the estimated surface temperature of an object is greater than a defined threshold, the control module 102 can take action to reduce the chance that the vehicle object reaches an unsafe temperature. For example, the control module 102 can control a climate control module 126 in the vehicle to cool an object in the vehicle with a potentially dangerous surface temperature. In such an example, the climate control module 126 can be powered by a main battery and / or one or more auxiliary batteries in the vehicle. In other examples, the control module 102 can automatically lower interior vehicle shades (e.g., along windows, etc.) and / or take other remedial actions as desired.

[0103] In various embodiments, Figure 1 The vehicle system 100 or a portion thereof may be implemented in any suitable vehicle. For example, Figure 2 Yes Figure 1 side view of the vehicle 200 with the control module 102 and the climate control module 126. Figure 2 200 may also include other components, as shown above. Figure 1 For reference, the other components are such as various objects, user communication device 138, temperature sensors 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, etc.

[0104] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment of FIG. 2 , vehicle 200 is shown as a sport utility vehicle (SUV) having an internal combustion engine. In other embodiments, vehicle 200 may be another suitable type of vehicle, such as an electric vehicle (e.g., a pure electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, etc.). Additionally, although vehicle system 100 is shown as being included in vehicle 200, it should be appreciated that Figure 1 The vehicle system 100 or portions thereof may be implemented in other vehicles such as trucks, vans, cars, etc.

[0105] Figure 3 and Figure 4 The diagram shows Figure 1 The example control processes 300, 400 that may be used by the control module 102 to selectively control a device such as Figure 2 Airflow (eg, amount and / or temperature of airflow) in the vehicle 200. Although the example control processes 300, 400 are relative to a control module 102 including Figure 1 Although the vehicle system 100 is described in detail, one or both of the control processes 300, 400 may be used by any suitable system. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 1 , the control processes 300 , 400 may be initiated when the vehicle system 100 , the control module 102 , etc. are powered on and / or at another suitable time.

[0106] like Figure 3 As shown in , control begins at 304, where the control module 102 receives measured surface temperatures of various objects in the vehicle from one or more temperature sensors 104, 106, 108, 110, 112. For example and as explained above, the temperature sensors 104, 106, 108, 110, 112 may be positioned in the vehicle to measure the surface temperature of the steering wheel 114, the driver's seat 116, the center console 118, the passenger armrest 120, the child car seat 122, and / or other common touch points in the vehicle. Control proceeds to 306.

[0107] At 306, the control module 102 determines whether any of the measured surface temperatures is greater than a defined threshold. For example, the control module 102 may compare each received measured surface temperature (or representation of a measured surface temperature) to the same threshold or to a different threshold. As explained above, the threshold(s) may be, for example, 100 degrees Fahrenheit, 110 degrees Fahrenheit, 115 degrees Fahrenheit, 118 degrees Fahrenheit, etc. If any of the measured surface temperatures is greater than a defined threshold, control proceeds to 308. Otherwise, control may proceed as desired such as Figure 3 End or return to 304 as shown in.

[0108] At 308 , as explained above, the control module 102 identifies a zone in the vehicle to direct airflow to an object having a measured surface temperature greater than a defined threshold. For example, the control module 102 can identify a particular zone (e.g., a driver zone, a passenger zone, etc.) based on the stored locations of the temperature sensors 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 and the monitored objects, the stored associations between the temperature sensors 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 and the monitored objects, etc. Control proceeds to 310 .

[0109] At 310, as explained herein, the control module 102 sends a signal to a user communication device (e.g., Figure 1 The user communication device 138 of the vehicle transmits an alert signal indicating that an object in the vehicle has a measured surface temperature greater than a defined threshold. In this manner, the control module 102 can alert the occupant(s) in the vehicle of any object in the vehicle having an elevated and potentially dangerous surface temperature. Control proceeds to 312.

[0110] At 312 , the control module 102 selectively controls the climate control module (eg, Figure 1 The climate control module 126 of the vehicle) is configured to cool the zone in the vehicle associated with each measured surface temperature. For example, and as explained herein, once a particular zone is identified, the control module 102 can automatically (e.g., via a control signal) instruct the climate control module to activate one or more cooling features for the identified zone. In this manner, the climate control module can dynamically adjust the air temperature and / or air volume provided through the vents in the vehicle to reduce the surface temperature of objects in the zone. The control can then adjust the temperature as desired, such as Figure 3 End or return to 304 as shown in.

[0111] refer to Figure 4 Control begins at 402 , as explained above, where the control module 102 receives measured surface temperatures of various objects in the vehicle from one or more temperature sensors 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 .

[0112] Control then proceeds to 404, 406, 408, 410, 412, where various determinations are made by the control module 102 with respect to different objects in the vehicle, respectively and in parallel. For example, the control module 102 determines whether the surface temperature of the passenger seat is greater than a defined threshold (e.g., 100 degrees Fahrenheit, 110 degrees Fahrenheit, 115 degrees Fahrenheit, 118 degrees Fahrenheit, etc.) at 404, determines whether the surface temperature of the center console is greater than a defined threshold at 406, determines whether the surface temperature of the steering wheel is greater than a defined threshold at 408, determines whether the surface temperature of the driver's seat is greater than a defined threshold at 410, and determines whether the surface temperature of the driver's armrest is greater than a defined threshold at 412. If any of 404, 406, 408, 410, 412 is no, then control ends for that particular path. For example, if the surface temperatures of the passenger seat and the driver's seat are less than defined thresholds at 404, 410, then control ends for both paths. If yes at any of 404 , 406 , 408 , 410 , 412 , control may proceed to a different path.

[0113] For example, if the surface temperature of the passenger seat is greater than a defined threshold at 404, control proceeds to 414 where the control module 102 selectively controls the climate control module (eg, Figure 1 The control module 102 may be configured to control the climate control module 126 to cool the passenger area in the vehicle. Additionally, if the surface temperature of the steering wheel, driver seat, and / or driver armrest is greater than a defined threshold at 408, 410, 412, control proceeds to 416, where the control module 102 selectively controls the climate control module to cool the driver area in the vehicle. Furthermore, if the surface temperature of the center console is greater than a defined threshold at 406, control may proceed to 414, 416. Control then proceeds to 418.

[0114] At 418, control includes waiting for a period of time before returning to 402 to receive a new measured surface temperature. For example, the control module 102 may initiate a timer at 418. Once the period of time has elapsed, control may return to 402.

[0115] Figure 5 The diagram shows Figure 1 The example control process 500 that the control module 102 may use to predict and warn the user of such Figure 2 The vehicle 200 has a potentially hazardous surface temperature. Although the example control process 500 is relative to a control module 102 including Figure 1 Although the control process 500 is described with reference to the vehicle system 100, any suitable system may be used. Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 5 , the control process 500 may be initiated when the vehicle system 100 , the control module 102 , etc. are powered on and / or at another suitable time.

[0116] like Figure 5 As shown in , control begins at 502, where the control module 102 determines whether the vehicle is off. For example, the control module 102 can determine when the vehicle is transitioning to an off mode (e.g., when the vehicle engine, motor, etc. are not running). In such an example, the vehicle is stationary and the control module 102 (and other accessories in the vehicle) can be powered. If no at 502, control can proceed as follows Figure 5 If yes at 502 , control proceeds to 504 .

[0117] At 504, the control module 102 receives data from internal and / or external sources. For example, and as explained herein, the control module 102 may receive data associated with the vehicle and data associated with the vehicle's surroundings. For example, the control module 102 may receive data from internal sources within the vehicle (e.g., Figure 1The vehicle data and the environmental data are received from an external source (e.g., a server, etc.) external to the vehicle (e.g., a memory circuit 124 of the vehicle and / or another memory circuit in the vehicle) and / or external to the vehicle. In such an example, the vehicle data may include, for example, a parked vehicle position, a vehicle heading, a vehicle pitch, a vehicle roll, a vehicle yaw, the color and / or material of an object, etc. Additionally, the environmental data may include, for example, the time of day (e.g., time data), the angle of the sun, current weather conditions (e.g., current air temperature at or near the vehicle location, etc.), future weather conditions (e.g., forecast air temperature at or near the vehicle location, etc.), etc. Control then proceeds to 506.

[0118] At 506, the control module 102 may predict whether a surface of a vehicle object has the potential to heat to a dangerous level. For example, at 506, the control module 102 estimates the potential surface temperature of a vehicle object (e.g., a seat, armrest, center console, child car seat, interior / exterior door handle, trim, etc.) based on the received data. In such an example, such a prediction of the surface temperature may be determined by machine learning, as explained herein. Control then proceeds to 508.

[0119] At 508, the control module 102 determines whether any of the estimated surface temperatures of the object is greater than a defined threshold (e.g., 118 degrees Fahrenheit, etc.). If no at 508, control may proceed as desired, such as Figure 5 The process ends as shown in FIG. 5 or returns to 502 . If yes at 508 , control proceeds to 510 .

[0120] At 510 , the control module 102 can generate one or more recommendations for reducing the surface temperature of objects in the vehicle. For example, and as explained above, the control module 102 can recommend moving the vehicle, adjusting interior vehicle shades in a particular zone, powering up the vehicle to activate a climate control module, etc. Control then proceeds to 512 .

[0121] At 512, the control module 102 sends a signal to the user communication device (eg, Figure 1 In some examples, the alert signal may be transmitted to the user's communication device 138 of 510. In doing so, the control module 102 provides a notification to the user that an object in the vehicle may have a potentially dangerous surface temperature. Additionally, in some examples, the alert signal may be transmitted along with the (one or more) recommendations generated at 510. Control then proceeds to 514.

[0122] At 514, the control module 102 may take actions to reduce the chance of vehicle objects reaching unsafe temperatures. For example, at 514, the control module 102 may automatically control a climate control module (e.g., Figure 1The climate control module 126) can be used to cool specific areas therein, thereby reducing the temperature of potentially hazardous surfaces. The control can then be performed as desired, such as Figure 5 End as shown in or return to 502.

[0123] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because after studying the drawings, the specification and the appended claims, other modifications will become clear. It should be understood that one or more steps in the method can be performed in different orders (or simultaneously) without changing the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the features of any other embodiment and / or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the embodiments described are not mutually exclusive, and the replacement of one or more embodiments with each other is still within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0124] The spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms, including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "next to," "on top," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless explicitly described as "direct," when describing the relationship between a first and a second element in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship between the first and second elements with no other intervening elements, but can also be an indirect relationship between the first and second elements with one or more intervening elements (spatially or functionally) present. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be interpreted to mean a logical (A or B or C) using a non-exclusive logical "or," and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0125] In the various figures, the direction of the arrows, as indicated by the arrows, generally indicates the flow of information (such as data or instructions) of interest to the illustration. For example, when element A and element B exchange a variety of information, but the information transmitted from element A to element B is relevant to the illustration, the arrow may be directed from element A to element B. The unidirectional arrow does not imply that no other information is transmitted from element B to element A. In addition, for information sent from element A to element B, element B may send a request or receipt confirmation to element A for the information.

[0126] In this application, including the definitions below, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced with the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to or include the following, or part of or including the following: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0127] The module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuit may include a wired or wireless interface connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functionality of any given module of the present disclosure may be distributed in multiple modules connected via the interface circuit. For example, multiple modules may allow load balancing. In another example, a server (also referred to as a remote or cloud) module may complete certain functionality on behalf of a client module.

[0128] The term code as used above may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to a program, a routine, a function, a class, a data structure, and / or an object. The term shared processor circuit includes a single processor circuit that executes some or all code from multiple modules. The term group processor circuit includes a processor circuit that, in combination with additional processor circuits, executes some or all code from one or more modules. References to multiple processor circuits include multiple processor circuits on discrete dies, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the above. The term shared memory circuit includes a single memory circuit that stores some or all code from multiple modules. The term group memory circuit includes a memory circuit that, in combination with additional memory, stores some or all code from one or more modules.

[0129] The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium as used herein does not include transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagated through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); therefore, the term computer-readable medium may be considered to be tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital magnetic tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0130] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in whole by a special-purpose computer created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in a computer program. The functional blocks, flow chart components, and other elements described above serve as software specifications that can be translated into computer programs by a skilled technician or programmer in the routine work of a computer program.

[0131] The computer program includes processor executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer program may also include or rely on stored data. The computer program may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of the special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0132] A computer program may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation); (ii) assembly code; (iii) object code generated by a compiler from source code; (iv) source code executed by an interpreter; (v) source code compiled and executed by a real-time compiler, etc. By way of example only, the source code may be compiled using languages ​​including C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language Fifth Revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and The grammar of the language is used to write it.

Claims

1. A vehicle system for selectively controlling airflow in a vehicle, the vehicle system comprising: a plurality of temperature sensors positioned in the vehicle, the plurality of temperature sensors configured to measure surface temperatures of objects in the vehicle; and a control module in communication with the plurality of temperature sensors, the control module being configured to: receiving measured surface temperatures from the plurality of temperature sensors; determining whether any of the measured surface temperatures is greater than a defined threshold; as well as In response to any of the measured surface temperatures being greater than a defined threshold, an alert signal is transmitted to a user communication device, the alert signal indicating an object in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold.

2. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein: The control module is configured to, in response to one of the measured surface temperatures being greater than a defined threshold, identify at least one zone in the vehicle that directs airflow to an object having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold and selectively control the climate control module to cool the zone in the vehicle.

3. The vehicle system according to claim 2, wherein: The control module is configured to selectively control the climate control module to cool a zone in the vehicle until a measured surface temperature is less than a defined threshold.

4. The vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein: The control module is configured to: determining whether one of the objects in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than a defined threshold has been touched for a defined period of time; and In response to determining that one of the objects has been touched for a defined period of time, an emergency signal is transmitted to a user communication device.

5. A method for selectively controlling airflow in a vehicle, the method comprising: receiving measured surface temperatures of objects in the vehicle from a plurality of temperature sensors; determining whether any of the measured surface temperatures is greater than a defined threshold; as well as In response to any of the measured surface temperatures being greater than a defined threshold, an alert signal is transmitted to a user communication device, the alert signal indicating an object in the vehicle having a measured surface temperature greater than the defined threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising identifying at least one zone in the vehicle that directs airflow to at least one object having a measured surface temperature greater than a defined threshold and selectively controlling a climate control module to cool the zone in the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: Selectively controlling the climate control module to cool a zone in the vehicle includes selectively controlling the climate control module to cool a zone in the vehicle until a measured surface temperature is less than a defined threshold.

8. A method for alerting a user of a vehicle object having a potentially hazardous surface temperature, the method comprising: receiving data associated with the vehicle and data associated with the vehicle's surroundings; estimating a surface temperature of the vehicle object based on the received data; determining whether an estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than a defined threshold; as well as In response to determining that the estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than a defined threshold, an alert signal is transmitted to a user communication device to notify the user of the object having a potentially hazardous surface temperature.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The method further includes, in response to determining that the estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than a defined threshold, generating one or more recommendations for reducing the estimated surface temperature of the object; and Transmitting the alert signal to the user communication device includes transmitting the alert signal with one or more recommendations. 10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising controlling a climate control module in the vehicle to cool the object having the potentially hazardous surface temperature in response to determining that the estimated surface temperature of the object is greater than a defined threshold.

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