Intelligent control method and system for vehicle air conditioner

Abstract

The present invention relates to an intelligent control method and system for vehicle air conditioning. The intelligent control method includes the following steps: obtaining the average facial temperature of each occupant in each temperature zone at different ambient temperatures; performing cluster analysis on each temperature zone based on the different ambient temperatures and their corresponding average facial temperatures to obtain the median value of the average facial temperature within the cluster corresponding to the ambient comfort temperature, which serves as the occupant comfort temperature for that temperature zone; and controlling the air conditioning temperature according to the occupant comfort temperature in each temperature zone, so that the sum of the comfort levels of all occupants currently in the corresponding temperature zone meets a set condition. The present invention can take into account the thermal comfort of all occupants in each zone and achieve precise control of temperature and air volume in multiple zones.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to an intelligent control method and system for a vehicle air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] Existing multi-zone air conditioners in vehicles have air conditioning control displays in each temperature control zone. Passengers in each temperature zone can adjust the ambient temperature of each temperature zone to meet their thermal comfort needs by setting the temperature and air volume level, or setting the Auto temperature value (automatic air conditioning). Although multi-zone air conditioners can independently control the temperature of each zone, the corresponding position of each zone is not for one person (such as four-seater or more models with double, triple, and quad-zone air conditioning), making it difficult to take into account the thermal comfort of all people in each zone. There are problems of overcooling or overheating of passengers in some areas, and energy is wasted. In addition, although multi-zone air conditioners have automatic air conditioning modes, if passengers feel uncomfortable during use, they still need to manually set the air conditioning temperature according to their own needs. It cannot be intelligently adjusted according to the actual thermal sensation of the human body, and its intelligence is poor. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an intelligent control method and system for vehicle air conditioning, which can take into account the thermal comfort of all people in each area and achieve precise control of temperature and air volume in multiple areas.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem is to provide a vehicle air conditioner intelligent control method, including the following steps:

[0005] Obtain the average facial temperature of each occupant in each temperature zone under several different ambient temperatures;

[0006] For any temperature zone, cluster analysis is performed based on the different ambient temperatures and the corresponding average facial temperatures to obtain the median value of the average facial temperature within the cluster corresponding to the ambient comfort temperature as the occupant comfort temperature for that temperature zone;

[0007] The air conditioning temperature is controlled according to the passenger comfort temperature in each temperature zone so that the sum of the comfort levels of all current passengers in the corresponding temperature zone meets the set conditions.

[0008] Furthermore, the air conditioning temperature control according to the passenger comfort temperature in each temperature zone includes:

[0009] monitoring the average facial temperature of each occupant to obtain a plurality of monitored average temperatures;

[0010] Adjustment targets are set according to the number of occupants in each temperature zone and the occupant comfort temperature, and the air volume and air temperature of the air conditioner are then regulated based on the adjustment targets.

[0011] Furthermore, the step of setting the adjustment target according to the number of occupants in each temperature zone and the occupant comfort temperature may further include:

[0012] If the number of passengers is 1, the passenger comfort temperature of the temperature zone is set as the adjustment target;

[0013] If the number of occupants is greater than one, the adjustment target is set to minimize the sum of squares of the deviations between the monitored average temperature of all occupants in the temperature zone and the occupant comfort temperature.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes:

[0015] Within a set time period, if the monitored average temperature of an occupant continues to deviate from the occupant comfort temperature of the corresponding temperature zone, the auxiliary equipment at the occupant's location will be linked to perform temperature compensation.

[0016] Furthermore, when the monitored average temperature of the member is greater than the occupant comfort temperature of the corresponding temperature zone, the auxiliary equipment linked to the occupant's position performs temperature compensation, including turning on the seat ventilation at the occupant's position for cooling, and / or reducing the transmittance of the tinted glass in the upper area of ​​the occupant to reduce solar radiation.

[0017] Furthermore, when the monitored average temperature of the member is lower than the occupant comfort temperature of the corresponding temperature zone, the auxiliary equipment linked to the occupant's position performs temperature compensation, including turning on at least one of the seat heating, thermal radiation heating plate and steering wheel heating at the occupant's position.

[0018] Furthermore, it also includes:

[0019] The upper and lower facial temperature limits were set based on the cluster analysis results;

[0020] If the monitored average temperature of an occupant is continuously higher than the upper limit of the facial temperature or lower than the lower limit of the facial temperature, the linked vehicle system communicates with the occupant to confirm the physical condition and adjusts the air conditioning fresh air blowing according to the communication results.

[0021] Furthermore, the average facial temperature is calculated based on the collected cheek temperature and forehead temperature of the occupant.

[0022] Furthermore, the k-means algorithm is used for cluster analysis, and the number of clusters is set to Among them, round() is the rounding function, T jmax is the maximum ambient temperature, T jmin is the minimum ambient temperature.

[0023] The present invention also provides a vehicle air-conditioning intelligent control system for implementing any of the above methods, comprising:

[0024] An acquisition module is used to obtain the average facial temperature of each occupant in each temperature zone under several different ambient temperatures;

[0025] an analysis module configured to perform cluster analysis on any temperature zone based on the different ambient temperatures and the corresponding average facial temperatures, and obtain a median value of the average facial temperature within the cluster corresponding to the ambient comfort temperature as the occupant comfort temperature for the temperature zone;

[0026] The control module is used to control the air conditioning temperature according to the passenger comfort temperature in each temperature zone so that the sum of the comfort levels of all passengers in the corresponding temperature zone meets the set conditions.

[0027] Beneficial effects

[0028] Due to the adoption of the above-mentioned technical solution, the present invention has the following advantages and positive effects compared to the prior art: Based on the thermophysiological changes of human facial skin temperature with the environment, the present invention combines infrared camera monitoring technology to collect the average forehead and cheek temperature of each occupant in each temperature zone, thereby obtaining the occupant's average facial temperature as a monitoring variable. The strongly correlated cabin temperature and average facial temperature are clustered and analyzed using the K-means clustering algorithm to obtain the individual comfortable skin temperature under the optimal environment. Compared with traditional automatic air conditioning control, the present invention incorporates human thermophysiological indicators into air conditioning control targets, achieving personalized dynamic thermal comfort monitoring and capture, and obtaining more accurate human comfort temperature in real-time scenarios. The present invention optimizes the thermal comfort of occupants in each temperature zone and links personal auxiliary cooling and heating equipment to compensate for personal thermal comfort, taking into account the thermal comfort of all people in each zone, reducing the problem of over-cooling and over-heating in local air conditioning, and reducing overall vehicle energy consumption. The present invention monitors special occupant conditions and provides intelligent reminders and corresponding measures, implementing human-oriented intelligent air conditioning control, improving passenger thermal comfort and safety. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 is a system schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the hardware system of the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Below in conjunction with specific embodiment, further set forth the present invention.Should be understood that these embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and are not used in limiting the scope of the present invention.In addition, should be understood that after reading the content taught by the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to the present invention, and these equivalent forms fall equally within the scope limited by the appended claims of the application.

[0033] The first embodiment of the present invention relates to a multi-temperature zone vehicle air conditioner intelligent control method based on thermal comfort monitoring, such as Figure 1 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0034] In the first step, the infrared camera is aimed at and recognizes the faces of the passengers in each temperature zone, and determines the passenger information in each temperature zone (facial comfortable skin temperature T FjiM , position and quantity), and linked to the electric air vents, the air vents are opened when there are passengers, and closed when there are no passengers.

[0035] The second step is to use infrared cameras to monitor the average forehead and cheek temperature of each passenger in each temperature zone. Fji , where j is the temperature zone number, i is the crew number of the corresponding temperature zone, and the temperature control sensor in the temperature zone cabin records the temperature value T j Because the cheeks and forehead of the human face are large and relatively flat, infrared cameras are easy to identify temperature with good stability. Considering that the occupants may wear masks to cover their cheeks, the average temperature of the cheeks and forehead is used as the monitoring variable.

[0036] The third step is to cluster the two variable sets (T Fji , T j ) is clustered, and the number of clusters is Round to the nearest integer, T jmax is the maximum ambient temperature, T jmin is the minimum ambient temperature, and finally T j (22~26℃) Median facial temperature of occupants in the cluster T FjiM The skin temperature of each passenger's comfort zone is calculated and saved. The blood vessels in the human skin are unevenly distributed, and the blood vessels in the facial area are dense. According to the changes in the environment and the body's own thermal sensation, the blood circulation can be adjusted accordingly, resulting in larger changes in skin temperature. When the human body feels hot, the facial blood vessels dilate to speed up the heat dissipation, and the skin temperature rises; when it feels cold, the facial blood vessels contract to reduce the heat dissipation, and the skin temperature drops. Because the human facial skin temperature is strongly correlated with the ambient temperature, the skin temperature in a suitable environment can be obtained through a clustering algorithm. In specific applications, passengers set the air conditioning to cool in high temperatures in summer, set the air conditioning to heat in low temperatures in winter, and set the cooling and heating settings accordingly according to the specific environment in spring and autumn. All of the above involve changes in ambient temperature. The cooling or heating process is monitored to obtain the corresponding data to calculate the facial comfortable skin temperature T. FjiM Historical data can also be used for calculation. In this case, it should be noted that human skin temperature will vary due to seasonal climate changes. Therefore, the relevant data can be updated according to climate changes caused by seasonal and location changes, and the comfortable facial skin temperature of each occupant can be re-obtained.

[0037] Step 4: When there is only one person in the temperature zone, the comfortable skin temperature of the occupant’s face is T FjiM To control the target, the air volume and temperature of the air conditioner are adjusted. When there are multiple people in the temperature zone (n>1), since each person has different thermal preferences and the average facial skin temperature T Fji As the environment changes in real time, there may be a situation where the passengers' thermal sensations show opposite trends under certain air conditioning settings. For example, passenger A feels hot and his facial skin temperature is higher than the comfortable temperature T Fja >T FjaM ; b Passengers feel cold, and their facial skin temperature is lower than the comfortable temperature T Fjb <T FjbM It is difficult for air conditioners in the same temperature zone to meet the thermal preferences of all people at the same time. In order to maximize the thermal comfort of the passengers, The minimum value of is the control target, and the air volume and temperature of the air conditioner are adjusted. Because there are multiple people with different thermal sensations in the same temperature zone, when the skin temperature of a certain passenger deviates from T FjiM , link the auxiliary cooling and heating equipment at the current occupant position to compensate. Fji >T FjiM When T Fji <T FjiM When the vehicle is in the driving state, the auxiliary equipment such as seat heating, corresponding heat radiation heating plate and steering wheel heating are turned on for heating.

[0038] Step 5: Abnormal Situation Handling: If a passenger experiences persistent high or low temperatures or persistent discomfort during air conditioning operation, and their facial temperature remains abnormally above or below the previously defined upper and lower limits for skin temperature, the connected vehicle system will provide a friendly voice consultation. Upon confirmation that the passenger is experiencing discomfort, the air conditioner blower in the corresponding temperature zone will be opened, increasing the fresh air volume to freshen the cabin air, reduce passenger discomfort, and minimize potential airborne viruses, ensuring thermal comfort and safety.

[0039] The second embodiment of the present invention relates to a multi-temperature zone vehicle air conditioning intelligent control system based on thermal comfort monitoring, such as Figure 2 Shown, including:

[0040] An acquisition module is used to obtain the average facial temperature of each occupant in each temperature zone under several different ambient temperatures;

[0041] An analysis module is used to perform cluster analysis on different ambient temperatures and their corresponding average facial temperatures in any temperature zone, and obtain the median value of the average facial temperature within the cluster corresponding to the ambient comfort temperature as the occupant comfort temperature in that temperature zone;

[0042] The control module is used to control the air conditioning temperature according to the passenger comfort temperature in each temperature zone, so that the sum of the comfort levels of all passengers in the corresponding temperature zone meets the set conditions.

[0043] The acquisition module connects to an infrared camera and cabin temperature control sensors. When applying this system for temperature control, the infrared camera first focuses on and identifies the faces of occupants in each temperature zone. This determines occupant information (comfort skin temperature TFjiM, location, and number of occupants in each zone) and activates the electric air vents, opening them where occupants are located and closing them where no occupants are located.

[0044] The second step is to use infrared cameras to monitor the average forehead and cheek temperature of each passenger in each temperature zone. Fji , where j is the temperature zone number, i is the crew number of the corresponding temperature zone, and the temperature control sensor in the temperature zone cabin records the temperature value T j Because the cheeks and forehead of the human face are large and relatively flat, infrared cameras are easy to identify temperature with good stability. Considering that the occupants may wear masks to cover their cheeks, the average temperature of the cheeks and forehead is used as the monitoring variable.

[0045] Then the analysis module performs the third step, clustering the two variable sets (T Fji , T j ) is clustered, and the number of clusters is Round to the nearest integer, T jmax is the maximum ambient temperature, T jmin is the minimum ambient temperature, and finally T j (22~26℃) Median facial temperature of occupants in the cluster T FjiM The skin temperature in each occupant's comfort zone is stored. Human skin has an uneven distribution of blood vessels, with the facial area being densely vascularized. Blood circulation responds to environmental changes and the individual's thermal perception, resulting in significant fluctuations in skin temperature. When a person experiences heat, facial blood vessels dilate to accelerate heat dissipation, causing skin temperature to rise. When a person experiences cold, facial blood vessels constrict to reduce heat dissipation, causing skin temperature to fall. Because facial skin temperature is strongly correlated with ambient temperature, a clustering algorithm can be used to determine the optimal skin temperature for each occupant. Skin temperature can vary with seasonal changes, and each occupant's comfortable facial skin temperature can be updated and re-read based on changes in climate, such as seasonal and locational changes.

[0046] Finally, the control module executes the fourth step. When there is one person in the temperature zone, the comfortable skin temperature of the occupant’s face is T FjiM To control the target, adjust the air volume and temperature of the air conditioner; when there are multiple people in the temperature zone (n>1), The minimum value of is the control target, and the air volume and temperature of the air conditioner are adjusted. Because there are multiple people with different thermal sensations in the same temperature zone, when the skin temperature of a certain passenger deviates from T FjiM, link the auxiliary cooling and heating equipment at the current occupant position to compensate. Fji >T FjiM When T Fji <T FjiM When the vehicle is in the driving state, the auxiliary equipment such as seat heating, corresponding heat radiation heating plate and steering wheel heating are turned on for heating.

[0047] Furthermore, handling of abnormal situations also needs to be considered, such as persistent high or low temperatures due to passenger discomfort. If, during normal air conditioning operation, a passenger's facial temperature consistently and abnormally exceeds or falls below the previously defined upper or lower limits for skin temperature, the connected vehicle system will provide a friendly voice consultation. Upon confirmation of the passenger's discomfort, the air conditioner blower's fresh air door in the corresponding temperature zone will be opened, increasing the fresh air volume to freshen the cabin air, reduce passenger discomfort and potential airborne viruses, and ensure passenger thermal comfort and safety.

[0048] The above-mentioned intelligent algorithms such as K-means clustering algorithm and air conditioning control algorithm, as well as data such as the number and location of passengers, facial temperature and cabin temperature in the temperature zone are stored in the storage medium, and the processor implements the above-mentioned control method by running the computer program code in the memory. Figure 3 As shown, the storage medium and processor are both placed in the vehicle terminal to realize intelligent control of the vehicle air conditioner.

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioner intelligent control method, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Obtain the average facial temperature of each occupant in each temperature zone at several different ambient temperatures during cooling or heating; For any temperature zone, the k-means algorithm is used to perform cluster analysis based on the different ambient temperatures and their corresponding average facial temperatures, and the number of clusters is set to Obtain the median value of the average facial temperature in the cluster corresponding to the ambient comfort temperature as the occupant comfort temperature in this temperature zone, where round() is a rounding function, T jmax is the maximum ambient temperature, T jmin is the minimum ambient temperature; Controlling the air conditioning temperature according to the occupant comfort temperature in each temperature zone so that the sum of the comfort levels of all occupants currently in the corresponding temperature zone meets the set conditions; If the monitored average temperature of an occupant continuously deviates from the occupant comfort temperature of the corresponding temperature zone within a set time period, the auxiliary equipment at the occupant's location is linked to perform temperature compensation; when the monitored average temperature of the occupant is greater than the occupant comfort temperature of the corresponding temperature zone, the auxiliary equipment at the occupant's location is linked to perform temperature compensation, including turning on the seat ventilation at the occupant's location to cool the seat, and / or reducing the transmittance of the tinted glass in the area above the occupant to reduce solar radiation; when the monitored average temperature of the occupant is less than the occupant comfort temperature of the corresponding temperature zone, the auxiliary equipment at the occupant's location is linked to perform temperature compensation, including turning on at least one of the seat heating, thermal radiation heating panel, and steering wheel heating at the occupant's location; The air conditioning temperature adjustment is controlled according to the passenger comfort temperature in each temperature zone, including: monitoring the average facial temperature of each occupant to obtain a plurality of monitored average temperatures; Adjustment targets are set according to the number of occupants in each temperature zone and the occupant comfort temperature, and the air volume and air temperature of the air conditioner are then regulated based on the adjustment targets.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of setting the adjustment target according to the number of occupants in each temperature zone and the occupant comfort temperature further includes: If the number of passengers is 1, the passenger comfort temperature of the temperature zone is set as the adjustment target; If the number of occupants is greater than one, the adjustment target is set to minimize the sum of squares of the deviations between the monitored average temperature of all occupants in the temperature zone and the occupant comfort temperature.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: The upper and lower facial temperature limits were set based on the cluster analysis results; If the monitored average temperature of an occupant is continuously higher than the upper limit of the facial temperature or lower than the lower limit of the facial temperature, the linked vehicle system communicates with the occupant to confirm the physical condition and adjusts the air conditioning fresh air blowing according to the communication results.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The average facial temperature is calculated based on the collected cheek temperature and forehead temperature of the occupant.

5. An intelligent control system for vehicle air conditioning, characterized in that: Used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, include: The acquisition module is used to obtain the average facial temperature of each occupant in each temperature zone at several different ambient temperatures during cooling or heating; an analysis module configured to perform cluster analysis on any temperature zone based on the different ambient temperatures and the corresponding average facial temperatures, and obtain a median value of the average facial temperature within the cluster corresponding to the ambient comfort temperature as the occupant comfort temperature for the temperature zone; The control module is used to control the air conditioning temperature according to the passenger comfort temperature in each temperature zone so that the sum of the comfort levels of all passengers in the corresponding temperature zone meets the set conditions.

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