Automobile controller

Abstract

An automotive controller for controlling a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a vehicle, the automotive controller configured to: receive radar data representative of an interior cabin of the vehicle; processing the radar data to identify blocked vents of the HVAC system; and outputting a control signal to the HVAC system for deactivating the blocked vent.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an automotive controller and a method for controlling a vehicle's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Background Technology

[0002] Modern electric vehicles (EVs) provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) functionality by consuming energy stored in batteries. Heating and cooling the cabin environment requires a significant amount of energy and thus reduces driving range between battery charging intervals, which is undesirable. For internal combustion engines (ICEs), heating is relatively flexible, but cooling also consumes a considerable amount of engine power and therefore a significant amount of fuel. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an automotive controller is provided for controlling a vehicle's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the automotive controller being configured to:

[0004] Receive radar data representing the interior cabin of the vehicle;

[0005] Process the radar data to identify obstructed vents in the HVAC system; and

[0006] A control signal is output to the HVAC system to disable the blocked vent.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, deactivating the obstructed vent may include: reducing or deactivating airflow through the obstructed vent; deactivating a heating element associated with the obstructed vent; or deactivating a cooling element associated with the obstructed vent; closing the obstructed vent or closing an input duct associated with the obstructed vent.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle controller may be configured to process the radar data to identify the obstructed vent by recognizing obstacles in the airflow path of the obstructed vent.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle controller can be configured to:

[0010] The radar data is processed to identify obstacles in the airflow path of the vent as one of the following:

[0011] Living obstacles; or

[0012] No inanimate obstacles; and

[0013] If the obstacle is an inanimate obstacle, the vent is identified as an obstructed vent.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, if the obstacle is a living obstacle, the vehicle controller can identify the vent as an unobstructed vent.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, the radar data may include multiple radar datasets, each captured at different times. The vehicle controller may be configured to identify the obstacle as a living obstacle by detecting its breathing and / or relative movement.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, the radar data may include multiple radar datasets, each captured at different times, and the vehicle controller may be configured to:

[0017] The radar data is processed to identify obstacles in the airflow path of the vent as one of the following:

[0018] Transient obstacles; or

[0019] Persistent obstacles; and

[0020] If the obstacle is a persistent obstacle, the vent is identified as a blocked vent.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, if the obstacle is a transient obstacle, the vehicle controller can identify the vent as an unobstructed vent.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the radar data may include Doppler radar data.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle controller may periodically receive each radar dataset. The vehicle controller may perform transformations on the plurality of radar datasets to detect object motion.

[0024] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle controller may be configured to process the radar data to detect one or more of the following:

[0025] Hanging clothes;

[0026] Cargo located within the aforementioned internal cabin;

[0027] The reclining seat; and

[0028] The object attached to the vent.

[0029] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle controller can be configured to:

[0030] The radar data is compared with reference radar data to determine differences in the internal cockpit; and

[0031] The blocked vents are identified based on the differences.

[0032] In one or more embodiments, the reference data may correspond to radar data captured when the cockpit is empty and free of obstacles.

[0033] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle controller can be configured to:

[0034] Processing the radar data to identify the reflective tag features of reflective tags located in the internal cockpit; and

[0035] The blocked vent is identified based on the presence or absence of the reflective label features.

[0036] In one or more embodiments, if the reflective tag feature is reduced or absent from radar data, the vehicle controller can identify an air vent including the reflective tag as an obstructed air vent. If the reflective tag feature corresponds to breathing motion at the seatbelt location, the vehicle controller can identify the obstacle as a living obstacle.

[0037] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle controller may be configured to output control signals to the HVAC system for one or more of the following:

[0038] Increase airflow through one or more unobstructed vents; and

[0039] Redirecting airflow through one or more unobstructed vents toward the obstructed areas of the cabin.

[0040] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle controller can be configured to output control signals to perform one or more of the following:

[0041] Reduce or disable airflow through the blocked vent; deactivate the heating element of the blocked vent;

[0042] Deactivate the cooling element that activates the blocked vent;

[0043] Close the blocked vents;

[0044] Close the input duct associated with the blocked vent; or

[0045] The warning signal is sent to the user of the vehicle.

[0046] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle controller can be configured to:

[0047] Receive updated radar data representing the interior cabin of the vehicle;

[0048] Process the updated radar data to identify that the blocked vent has become an unblocked vent; and

[0049] Reactivate the unobstructed vents.

[0050] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle controller can be configured to:

[0051] Processing the radar data to determine the occupancy of one or more seats in the interior cabin; and

[0052] The control signal is output to disable one or more vents pointing to one or more unoccupied seats.

[0053] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle control system is provided, the vehicle control system comprising:

[0054] Radar; and

[0055] Any vehicle controller disclosed herein, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to receive radar data from the radar.

[0056] In one or more embodiments, the radar may include an ultra-wideband radar; a 24 GHz radar; or a 60 GHz radar.

[0057] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided for controlling a vehicle's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the method comprising:

[0058] Receive radar data representing the interior cabin of the vehicle;

[0059] Process the radar data to identify obstructed vents in the HVAC system; and

[0060] Control signals are output to the HVAC system to reduce airflow through the blocked vents.

[0061] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to perform any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0062] While this disclosure allows for various modifications and alternatives, its details have been illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail. However, it should be understood that other embodiments besides the specific embodiments described may also exist. All modifications, equivalents, and alternative embodiments falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims are also covered.

[0063] The foregoing discussion is not intended to present every example embodiment or every implementation within the scope of the present or future claims. The accompanying drawings and detailed description further illustrate various example embodiments. A more complete understanding of these various example embodiments can be achieved by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0064] One or more embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, in which:

[0065] Figure 1 An example embodiment of an automotive controller for a vehicle is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0066] In some vehicles, users can provide multiple manual inputs to set the vehicle's climate control for the current riding situation, and reduce the climate control when they want to extend the vehicle's mileage (a kind of "economy" mode). However, even when available, users often abandon this cumbersome task.

[0067] The disclosed apparatus and methods provide improved HVAC efficiency by using in-cabin radar data to detect obstructed vents and reduce airflow through these obstructed vents. Improved HVAC efficiency reduces HVAC energy consumption and thus extends mileage, which is particularly advantageous for EVs. The disclosed examples further improve HVAC efficiency by detecting unoccupied seats and reducing airflow toward them.

[0068] Figure 1 An automobile controller 100 for a vehicle 102 is shown according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0069] In this example, the vehicle controller 100 (which may be referred to herein as controller 100) is communicatively coupled to the in-cabin radar 104 via a communication network 106. The in-cabin radar 104 may include ultra-wideband (UWB) radar, 60 GHz radar, or any other known in-cabin radar or similar sensors (e.g., infrared, ultrasonic, or laser-based technologies) for detecting proximity or occupancy. For example, radar 104 may include existing radar sensors for child presence detection or seatbelt reminders. Although only a single radar antenna is shown, radar 104 may include multiple antennas or multiple radar sensors distributed throughout the interior cabin. Multiple antennas enable monitoring of hard-to-access areas such as footwells and also enable algorithms that process and combine radar results from multiple antennas to increase the quality of the overall output, such as increasing accuracy in harder-to-reach areas. The communication network 106 may include known automotive communication networks such as CAN bus or Ethernet. The controller 100 is also coupled via a communication network 106 to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system that includes a plurality of vents 108-1, 108-2, 108-3, 108-4, 108-5, and 108-6 (which may be collectively referred to as a plurality of vents 108, and herein may be referred to as vents or simply vents). Although only six vents are shown, it will be understood that there may be more or fewer vents, including vents in footwells (not shown). The controller 100 may be coupled to the plurality of vents 108 via an HVAC controller (not shown) of the HVAC system. In some examples, the controller 100 may perform the functionality of an HVAC controller.

[0070] Controller 100 receives radar data from radar 104. The radar data represents the interior cabin of vehicle 102. Controller 100 processes the radar data to identify one or more obstructed vents 108-1, 108-2 of the HVAC system. In response, controller 100 outputs a control signal to the HVAC system to disable the one or more obstructed vents 108-1, 108-2.

[0071] As disclosed herein, deactivating a blocked vent may include: deactivating a heating element associated with the blocked vent or deactivating a cooling element associated with the blocked vent; reducing or deactivating airflow through the blocked vent; closing the blocked vent or closing an inlet duct associated with the blocked vent.

[0072] By disabling the blocked vents, the controller advantageously improves the energy efficiency of the HVAC system and thus extends the mileage of vehicle 102.

[0073] The controller 100 can process radar data in a variety of ways to identify obstructed air vents. For example, the controller 100 can compare radar data with reference radar data. The reference radar data may include radar data captured by radar at a time when the cabin of vehicle 102 is known to be empty. For example, the reference radar data may be captured at night or as part of a calibration process during the manufacture of vehicle 102. The reference radar data may be stored in a memory (not shown). The controller 100 can determine the difference between the radar data and the reference data, and identify the obstructed air vent based on the difference.

[0074] Alternatively, the controller 100 may receive reference position data that defines the position of the radar within the cockpit and the position of each of the plurality of air vents 108 within the cockpit. The reference position data may also define the positions of other vehicle objects, such as the airflow path of each air vent, multiple seats, seat belts, doors, mirrors, etc. The reference position data may also be stored in a memory.

[0075] Controller 100 can process radar data, reference data, and / or reference position data to identify obstacles 110-1, 110-2 in the airflow of corresponding vents 108-1, 108-2, thereby identifying vents 108-1, 108-2 as obstructed vents. For example, controller 100 can directly identify obstacles 110-1, 110-2 that are closer to the vent locations 108-1, 108-2 than the vent locations 108-1, 108-2, along a line of sight toward the corresponding vent locations 108-1, 108-2 (e.g., identified by reference position data). In some examples, controller 100 can first determine the difference between radar data and reference data to identify candidate obstacles. If a candidate obstacle is located in the airflow path of the vent, the controller can then identify the vent 108 as an obstructed vent 108-1, 108-2.

[0076] In some examples, controller 100 can process radar data to identify reflective tag features resulting from highly reflective tags positioned within the interior cockpit. Reflective tags make objects easier to identify and have high accuracy in radar data. Reflective tags may include metallic tags. In some examples, reflective tags may be positioned on each of the vents 108. If reflective tag features are detected in radar data at the location of each vent 108 (identified by reference location data), controller 100 can identify each of the plurality of vents 108 as an unobstructed vent. Conversely, if reflective tag features are absent or diminished at the vent location, controller 100 can identify the vent 108 as an obstructed vent 108-1, 108-2.

[0077] Reflective tags can also be positioned on seat belts or seats. Controller 100 can detect the presence or absence of a corresponding reflective tag feature to identify whether the corresponding seat is occupied. For example, if a reflective tag positioned on the seat is obstructed, controller 100 can identify the seat as occupied, and vice versa. As discussed below, controller 100 can identify a passenger in the seat by detecting corresponding repeated movement of the seat belt reflective tag feature in radar data to identify breathing characteristics.

[0078] In some examples, controller 100 may monitor the airflow paths of the plurality of vents in a continuous or semi-continuous (e.g., periodic) manner. In this manner, radar data may include multiple radar datasets, each captured at different time points. Controller 100 may detect obstacles 110-1, 110-2 based on the appearance and / or movement of objects in the airflow path of one of the vents 108. For periodic monitoring, radar datasets may be captured every 5, 10, 50, or 100 ms. Each dataset may include data in a fast time (one frame / time point) called channel impulse response (CIR), which may contain branches representing reflections at a specific distance. These frames may be transmitted and received and stacked every 5, 10, 50, 100(etc.) ms. The branches along this dimension are called the slow time dimension. If multiple antennas / sensors are present, radar angle of arrival (elevation / azimuth) may also be calculated. All dimensions may subsequently provide a radar cube.

[0079] Controller 100 can stack the multiple radar datasets and analyze the stack to detect object movement (e.g., by transforming the stack using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT), and wavelet transform along a slow time axis, etc.). Controller 100 can perform this periodic acquisition and stacking of datasets, and subsequent object detection, within bursts. For example, the controller can acquire, stack, and analyze datasets every 10 ms within a burst period of, say, 5 seconds. Controller 100 can then periodically repeat this process with a burst interval of, say, 30 seconds. In this way, controller 100 can reduce power consumption.

[0080] In some examples, controller 100 can detect the movement of such objects to identify the appearance of obstacles in the airflow path of the vent. In some examples, controller 100 can detect the movement of objects to identify whether the obstacle is a living obstacle (i.e., a passenger). In some examples, the radar may include Doppler radar to achieve the same motion detection capability and resolution.

[0081] More generally, in some examples, controller 100 may process radar data to identify obstacles 110-1, 110-2 in the airflow path of vents 108-1, 108-2 as one of the following: (i) a living obstacle (i.e., a passenger or an animal); or (ii) an inanimate obstacle (e.g., cargo).

[0082] In some examples, controller 100 may identify an obstacle as a living obstacle based on the object motion detection described above. For example, if the object motion corresponds to displacement of an object in a seat and / or repetitive breathing movements, controller 100 may identify the obstacle as a living obstacle.

[0083] In some examples, controller 100 can identify an object as a living object (passenger) by detecting engaged seatbelt features in radar data. In some examples, controller 100 can detect seatbelt reflective tag features corresponding to reflective tags applied to the seatbelt, and thus identify that the seatbelt is engaged and the object corresponds to a passenger sitting in the seat. Controller 100 can also detect movement of such reflective tag features to detect repetitive breathing features and thus detect a living object.

[0084] In some examples, controller 100 can determine the presence of a passenger or living object by processing ranging data associated with radar data. The ranging data may include ranging information transmitted from radar 104 (e.g., a UWB radar sensor) to a user's smart device (smartphone, wearable device, etc.) entering or exiting vehicle 102. The ranging data may include the distance and angle of the smart device relative to the antenna of radar 104. If the smart device is in a seated position, controller 100 can determine the presence of a passenger in the seat.

[0085] In some cases, controller 100 can use object recognition algorithms that can identify human shapes to determine the presence of passengers.

[0086] If the controller 100 identifies obstacles 110-1 and 110-2 as living objects, the controller can determine the corresponding vents 108-1 and 108-2 as unobstructed vents. This is because the vents 108 are performing their intended function of providing HVAC airflow to passengers.

[0087] If, for example, due to the absence of movement or the absence of a seatbelt, the controller 100 does not identify an obstacle as a living obstacle, then the controller 100 may determine the obstacle as an inanimate obstacle. If no movement is detected within a threshold time period, the controller 100 may identify the obstacle as an inanimate obstacle. If the controller 100 identifies an obstacle 110-1 in the airflow path of vent 108-1 as an inanimate obstacle, the controller 100 may deactivate vent 108-1.

[0088] exist Figure 1 In the example, controller 100 can process radar data to identify a first obstacle 110-1 located in the airflow path of the first vent 108-1. Controller 100 can identify the first obstacle 110-1 as being in the airflow path based on reference position data that identifies the airflow path of the first vent 108-1. As described above, the radar data may include multiple radar datasets, each captured at different times, enabling controller 100 to perform motion detection on the radar data as described above. If no motion is detected in the radar data, controller 100 can identify the first obstacle 110-1 as an inanimate obstacle (e.g., a large cargo suitcase, package, etc.). Controller 100 can then identify the first vent 108-1 as an obstructed vent 108-1 and output a control signal to deactivate the first vent 108-1.

[0089] In a similar manner, the controller 100 can also process radar data to identify the suspended clothing 110-2 in the rear of the cockpit as a non-living obstacle, identify the second ventilation opening 108-2 as an obstructed ventilation opening 108-2, and deactivate the second ventilation opening 108-2.

[0090] The controller 100 can process radar data to identify inanimate objects including one or more of the following: boxes or luggage positioned in a footwell, on a seat, or leaning against a vent; hanging clothing covering a vent; a seat that is tilted back, collapsed, or repositioned to block a vent; or objects attached to a vent (e.g., a smartphone or satellite navigation device holder).

[0091] In some examples where the radar data includes multiple radar datasets, each acquired at different times, the controller 100 can process the radar data to identify obstacles 110-1, 110-2 in the airflow path of the vent 108 as one of the following: (i) transient obstacles; or (ii) persistent obstacles. If the obstacle is a persistent obstacle, the controller 100 can identify the vent 108 as an obstructed vent 108-1, 108-2. If the obstacles 110-1, 110-2 persist in the airflow path of the vents 108-1, 108-2 for a duration threshold, the controller 100 can identify the obstacles 110-1, 110-2 as persistent obstacles. Figure 1Cargo 110-1 and suspended clothing 110-2 are examples of persistent obstacles. If the obstacle moves away from the airflow path or disappears during the persistence time threshold, the controller 100 can identify obstacles 110-1 and 110-2 as transient obstacles. Examples of transient obstacles can include passenger limb movements, as their reach can be the entire cabin or vehicle. If the obstacle is a transient obstacle, the controller 100 can identify vent 108 as an unobstructed vent.

[0092] In some examples, controller 100 can output control signals to the HVAC system to modify airflow through one or more unobstructed vents 108-3, 108-4, 108-5, 108-6 to compensate for the effects of disabling obstructed vents 108-1, 108-2. For example, controller 100 can increase airflow through one or more unobstructed vents 108-3, 108-4, 108-5, 108-6. Figure 1 In some examples, controller 100 may increase airflow through the fourth vent 108-4 and the sixth vent 108-6 to compensate for the lack of airflow through the blocked second vent 108-2. In some examples, controller 100 may at least partially redirect airflow from one or more unblocked vents 108-3, 108-4, 108-5, 108-6 toward an interior area (the blocked area) that is currently receiving no airflow due to the blocked and now-discontinued vents. Figure 1 In the example, controller 100 can redirect the airflow of the sixth vent 108-6 at least partially toward the rightmost rear passenger seat to compensate for the obstructed and deactivated second vent 108-2.

[0093] In some examples, controller 100 may receive updated radar data representing the interior of the vehicle cabin at a later time. Controller 100 can process the updated radar data and identify that previously blocked vents 108-1, 108-2 are no longer blocked and have become unblocked vents. Controller 100 can output updated control signals to re-enable the unblocked vents. For Figure 1 For example, the first obstacle 110-1 can be delivered to its destination and disappear from the cabin. The controller 100 can detect the disappearance of the first obstacle 110-1, recognize that the previously blocked first vent 108-1 has become an unblocked vent, and output a control signal to the HVAC system to re-enable the first vent 108-1.

[0094] In some examples, controller 100 can process radar data to determine the occupancy of one or more seats in the interior cabin. In other words, controller 100 can process radar data to determine whether each seat in the cabin is occupied or not. Controller 100 can output control signals to the HVAC system to disable one or more vents 108 pointing to unoccupied seats.

[0095] In this way, the controller 100 can further reduce the power consumption of the HVAC system by selectively avoiding servicing (heating, cooling, ventilation) seats that are not occupied by any passengers or animals.

[0096] Seat occupancy detection can be performed using one or more of the following in the same manner as described above: in-cabin radar 104, a ranging tag in the form of a user smart device, and a reflective tag on the seat belt or seat.

[0097] The controller 100 may perform the following functions in response to detecting an unoccupied seat:

[0098] 1. If the airflow vent cannot be redirected toward the seat being occupied, the controller 100 may deactivate the vent 108 that directs the airflow toward the unoccupied seat.

[0099] 2. Controller 100 can disable the seat heating function of unoccupied seats. This is particularly useful for global seat heating on / off switches that do not have a per-seat on / off option.

[0100] 3. If a seat occupant requests stronger cooling / heating, the controller 100 can redirect the airflow vents 108 of nearby unoccupied seats toward the occupied seat. Therefore, the airflow to the vents in all functions can be reduced, thus saving power.

[0101] In some examples, the controller can output control signals to control the HVAC system to perform multiple functions. After one or more blocked vents 108-1, 108-2 and / or one or more vents 108 pointing to unoccupied seats are deactivated, the controller 100 can control the HVAC system to servic only a portion of the vehicle and reduce its power consumption. For example:

[0102] 1. Controller 100 can output a control signal to control the heat pump. Heat pumps are frequently used for cooling and heating, especially in EVs, and can operate at variable power. Controller 100 can output a control signal to reduce the power of the heat pump based on the number of deactivated vents.

[0103] 2. The controller 100 can output control signals to disable or reduce the power / current to the resistive or infrared heaters of the HVAC system. The controller can output control signals to deactivate or reduce the power to the individual heating element of each disabled vent.

[0104] 3. Controller 100 can output a control signal to reduce the speed of the central HVAC fan based on the number of vents that are disabled. The central HVAC fan distributes airflow across all vents in the cabin. If airflow is concentrated on a limited number of vents or seats, the fan can operate at a lower speed. In vehicles equipped with a fan for each vent, controller 100 can output a control signal to disable the fan of the disabled vent.

[0105] 4. The controller 100 can output a warning signal to the vehicle's user interface indicating that the vents 108-1 and 108-2 are obstructed. The controller 100 can output the warning signal before deactivating the obstructed vents to provide the user with an opportunity to move the obstruction.

[0106] The disclosed HVAC control and resulting energy-saving functionality advantageously allow for more frequent increases in vehicle mileage (even if the user forgets about the HVAC) and reduce the amount of manual input required from the user to set the system based on the current state of the cabin seating (thus providing automated comfort and energy savings). The controller can advantageously result in a higher EV battery range (or reduced fuel consumption in ICE vehicles) because HVAC power is concentrated only in the area of ​​interest.

[0107] Unless a specific order is explicitly stated, the instructions and / or flowchart steps in the above diagrams may be performed in any order. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that while one example set of instructions / methods has been discussed, the material in this specification can be combined in various ways to produce other examples, and should be understood within the context of the detailed description provided herein.

[0108] In some example embodiments, the instruction set / method steps described above are implemented as functional and software instructions embodied in an executable instruction set, which is implemented on a computer or a machine programmed and controlled by the executable instructions. Such instructions are loaded to execute on a processor (e.g., one or more CPUs). The term processor includes a microprocessor, microcontroller, processor module or subsystem (including one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers), or other control or computing device. A processor may refer to a single component or multiple components.

[0109] In other examples, the instruction sets / methods illustrated herein, along with their associated data and instructions, are stored in appropriate storage devices, which are implemented as one or more non-transitory machine- or computer-readable or computer-usable storage media. Such computer-readable or computer-usable storage media are considered part of an article (or article of manufacture). An article or article of manufacture can refer to any single or multiple manufactured components. Non-transitory machine- or computer-usable media as defined herein does not include signals, but such media may be capable of receiving and processing information from signals and / or other transient media.

[0110] Example embodiments of the materials discussed in this specification may be implemented, in whole or in part, via networks, computers, or data-based devices and / or services. These may include cloud, Internet, intranet, mobile devices, desktop computers, processors, lookup tables, microcontrollers, consumer devices, infrastructure, or other enabling devices and services. As may be used herein and in the claims, the following non-exclusive definitions are provided.

[0111] In one example, one or more instructions or steps discussed in this article are automated. The terms automated or automatic (and similar variations) mean using computers and / or mechanical / electrical devices to control the operation of equipment, systems, and / or processes without human intervention, observation, effort, and / or decision-making.

[0112] It should be understood that any components that are to be coupled can be coupled or connected directly or indirectly. In the case of indirect coupling, another component may be placed between the two components that are said to be coupled.

[0113] In this specification, exemplary embodiments have been presented according to a selected set of details. However, those skilled in the art will understand that many other exemplary embodiments, including different selected sets of details, can be practiced. It is intended that the appended claims cover all possible exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. An automotive controller for controlling the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle controller is configured to: Receive radar data representing the interior cabin of the vehicle; The radar data is processed to identify obstructed vents in the HVAC system; as well as A control signal is output to the HVAC system to disable the blocked vent.

2. The vehicle controller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vehicle controller is configured to process the radar data to identify the obstructed vent by recognizing obstacles in the airflow path of the obstructed vent.

3. The vehicle controller according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that, The vehicle controller is configured to: The radar data is processed to identify obstacles in the airflow path of the vent as one of the following: Living obstacles; or No inanimate obstacles; and If the obstacle is an inanimate obstacle, the vent is identified as an obstructed vent.

4. The vehicle controller according to claim 2, characterized in that, The radar data includes multiple radar datasets, each captured at different times, and the vehicle controller is configured to identify the obstacle as a living obstacle by detecting its breathing and / or relative movement.

5. The vehicle controller according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The radar data includes multiple radar datasets, each captured at different times, and the vehicle controller is configured to: The radar data is processed to identify obstacles in the airflow path of the vent as one of the following: Transient obstacles; or Persistent obstacles; and If the obstacle is a persistent obstacle, the vent is identified as a blocked vent.

6. The vehicle controller according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The vehicle controller is configured to: The radar data is compared with reference radar data to determine differences in the internal cockpit; and The blocked vents are identified based on the differences.

7. The vehicle controller according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The vehicle controller is configured to: Processing the radar data to identify the reflective tag features of reflective tags located in the internal cockpit; and The blocked vent is identified based on the presence or absence of the reflective label features.

8. A vehicle control system, characterized in that, The vehicle control system includes: Radar; and The vehicle controller according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to receive radar data from the radar.

9. A method for controlling a vehicle's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive radar data representing the interior cabin of the vehicle; Process the radar data to identify obstructed vents in the HVAC system; and Control signals are output to the HVAC system to reduce airflow through the blocked vents.

10. A device, characterized in that, The device includes one or more processors configured to perform the method of claim 9.

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