Method for controlling a climate control system and climate control system for a vehicle

Abstract

A method for controlling a climate control system (110) of a vehicle, comprising the following steps: - determining the course of a solar azimuth angle associated with a respective point, wherein the determining of the course of the solar azimuth angle is based on the solar azimuth angle, wherein the solar azimuth angle is determined by means of a multi-cell solar sensor comprising a plurality of photodiodes by a comparison between outputs of each photodiode; - determining at least one intersection point between the course of the azimuth angle and at least one line defining at least one edge of a transparent element of the vehicle; - Determining whether the point in question is shaded or not based on the at least one intersection point; - automatically controlling the climate control system (110) based on the determination of whether the point in question is shaded or not; and - calculating a compensation value based on the determination of whether the point in question is shaded, and wherein the automatic control of the climate control system (110) is based on the compensation value, wherein the calculation of the compensation value is based on a cumulative moving average of the solar radiation.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The technical field generally concerns climate control systems and, more specifically, concerns automatic climate control systems that compensate for occupant sun exposure by changing air flow, air temperature and / or air distribution based on whether a point of interest, such as a sun sensor, is shaded or not. BACKGROUND

[0002] Automatic climate control systems are becoming increasingly common in vehicles. Such systems attempt to regulate the temperature inside the vehicle to a temperature set by the user. Generally, these climate control systems determine the temperature, airflow, and distribution necessary to regulate the temperature based on a lookup table tuned through iterative vehicle testing. Tuning can be subjective and may not accurately regulate the temperature. Additionally, ambient conditions can vary and can affect the automated control of the temperature inside the vehicle.

[0003] DE 10 2013 207 795 A1 relates to methods, systems, and vehicles for determining solar radiation inside a vehicle. A communication device is configured to receive information about the current angle of the sun. A process is coupled to the communication device. The processor is configured to use the information to define a ray from a point of interest inside the vehicle to the sun and determine whether the ray intersects a transparent surface of the vehicle to determine whether the point of interest is irradiated by solar rays when the ray intersects the transparent surface.

[0004] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide improved methods and systems for controlling climate. Furthermore, it is desirable to provide improved methods and systems for controlling climate based on solar exposure. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background. SUMMARY

[0005] A method for controlling a climate control system of a vehicle is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises the features of claim 1.

[0006] In another embodiment, a climate control system for a vehicle is provided. The climate control system comprises the features of claim 8. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The exemplary embodiments are described below in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein the same reference numerals denote the same elements. They show: Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary vehicle according to various embodiments; Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view of a vehicle according to various embodiments; Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of an interior of a vehicle according to an embodiment; Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are flowcharts illustrating methods for controlling a climate control system according to various embodiments; and Fig. 6, Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B illustrates the calculations associated with determining whether a point of interest is exposed to solar radiation, according to various embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the application and uses. Furthermore, it is not intended to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, summary, or the following detailed description. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference characters indicate similar or corresponding parts and features.As used herein, the term module refers to any hardware, software, firmware, electronic control components, processing logic, and / or processor devices, individually or in any combination, including, without limitation, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or grouped), and memory executing one or more software or firmware programs, combinational logic circuitry, and / or other suitable components that provide the described function.

[0009] With reference to Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of an exemplary vehicle 100 according to exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that vehicle 100 is shown as a non-limiting example of the various embodiments of the present disclosure, as the present disclosure is applicable to any enclosure that includes transparent elements, such as glass, and a climate control system.

[0010] In the example from Fig. 1, the vehicle 100 may be a motor vehicle, an aircraft, a spacecraft, a watercraft, or any other type of vehicle that utilizes heating and / or cooling systems. The vehicle 100 includes a climate control system, generally shown at 110. The climate control system 110 includes an air conditioning system 120 for providing cooled air to the interior of the vehicle 100 and a heating system 130 for providing heated air to the interior of the vehicle 100. The air conditioning system 120 and the heating system 130 of the climate control system 110 may generally include, without limitation, at least one air delivery motor, at least one blower motor, at least one heat exchanger, a compressor, at least one thermal expansion valve, and at least one coolant pump, and various conduits and vents for providing the cooled air to the interior of the vehicle 100.

[0011] The climate control system 110 further includes a control module 140 for controlling the climate control system 110, as discussed in more detail below. It should be understood that the control module 140 may be shared by other systems in the vehicle 100 or may be specific to the climate control system 110.

[0012] The control module 140 communicates with one or more input / output devices 150. The I / O devices 150 may, for example, include a display device and one or more associated input devices. The display device displays a user interface to allow user control of one or more features of the climate control system 110. For example, the user interface may allow a user to set a different temperature for different areas of the vehicle 100, or to set a different temperature for different occupants, such as a driver and a passenger. A user may interact with the user interface via one or more associated input devices, such as, without limitation, control switches, control knobs, touch sensors, keypads, or any other input device.It is understood that the I / O devices 150 may be mounted on a dashboard (or other location) of the vehicle 100 or may be provided on an auxiliary device (i.e., a smartphone or other smart device) that communicates with the vehicle 100.

[0013] The control module 140 receives inputs from one or more solar sensors 160. The solar sensors 160 may be located at various locations on the vehicle 100 and may include a single-cell solar sensor and / or a multi-cell solar sensor. For example, the single-cell solar sensor includes a photodiode that outputs a voltage corresponding to an intensity of solar rays from the sun falling on the single-cell solar sensor. The multi-cell solar sensor includes multiple photodiodes that output a voltage corresponding to an intensity of solar rays from the sun falling on the respective photodiode in the multi-cell solar sensor. A comparison between the outputs of each photodiode of the multi-cell solar sensor may be used to determine a solar altitude (also called zenith) and an azimuth angle.

[0014] In various embodiments, the control module 140 further receives input from a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver 170. GPS is a space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information under all weather conditions anywhere on or near Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. Based on the signals from the GPS satellites, the GPS receiver 170 can calculate a precise location of the vehicle 100. Using the location of the vehicle 100 and the time information, a sun elevation angle and / or a sun azimuth angle can be determined.

[0015] In various embodiments, the control module 140 includes a data storage device 180 (or alternatively communicates with a remote storage device (not shown)). The data storage device 180 may be any non-volatile memory, including, without limitation, a hard drive, flash memory, read-only memory, or an optical drive. The data storage device 180 stores vehicle geometry data. In various embodiments, the vehicle geometry data includes a relative position of transparent elements of a vehicle, such as a windshield, side windows, a rear window, a sunroof, and a convertible top, with respect to a component within the vehicle, such as a solar sensor, a seat, or other surface within the vehicle 100. For example, Fig. 2 shows a partial perspective view of the vehicle 100 according to an embodiment. The vehicle includes a windshield 200 and at least one side window 210. The solar sensor 160 is positioned on an instrument panel 220 of the vehicle 100. The data storage device 180 shown in Fig. 1, stores vehicle geometry data associated with the windshield 200 and the at least one side window 210. For example, the data storage device 180 may store a series of multi-dimensional coordinate points 230. For example, each multi-dimensional coordinate point 230 may be measured relative to the position of the solar sensor 160. In other words, the position of the solar sensor 160 may be (0, 0, 0), and every other multi-dimensional coordinate point 230 is measured with respect thereto.

[0016] In another example, Fig. 3 shows a partial perspective view of an interior of the vehicle 100 according to one embodiment. The interior of the vehicle 100 includes a plurality of seats 300. As with the windshield and other windows of the vehicle 100, multi-dimensional coordinate points 310 corresponding to the position of the seats 300 with respect to the position of the solar sensor 160 are determined. In one embodiment, the multi-dimensional coordinate points 310 of the seats 300 may, for example, be variable. The seats 300 of the vehicle may be movable in multiple dimensions. In other words, the seats 300 could be slid forward or backward, raised or lowered. An angle of the backrest with respect to the seat bottom may also be variable. The seats 300 could be manually or electronically adjustable via a power seat system (not shown).In one embodiment, the position of the various components of the seat 300 may be tracked, for example, by the power seat system. In other embodiments, position sensors or cameras, for example, could track the position of the seats 300. The position of the seats 300 could be reported directly to the control module 140 or could be stored in the data storage device 180 (. Fig. 1).

[0017] Back with reference to Fig. 1, as discussed in more detail below, the control module 140 receives the various signals and determines whether a point, such as a point stored in the data storage device 180 defining a position of a solar sensor 160 or a seat 300, or any surface, is shaded from the sun's rays. The control module 140 determines whether the position is shaded from the sun's rays based on a comparison of a current sun elevation angle with a range of elevation angles. As discussed in more detail below, the current sun elevation angle may be determined by the control module 140 based on the GPS information from the GPS receiver 170 or may be received from the solar sensor 160.As discussed in more detail below, the range of elevation angles may be determined by the control module 140 based on an intersection of a solar azimuth path and distances corresponding to the edges of the see-through feature of the vehicle 100.

[0018] In one example, the control module 140 determines whether the solar sensor 160 is shaded. If it is determined that the solar sensor 160 is shaded, the control module 140 determines whether an occupant sitting in the seat 300 of the vehicle 100 is shaded. If the occupant is not shaded, the control module 140 compensates for the exposure to the sun's rays by adjusting a temperature, flow rate, and distribution of air from the vents to improve the occupant's thermal comfort.

[0019] As disclosed, the control module 140 compensates for exposure based on a cumulative moving average of solar radiation.

[0020] Now with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 and further with reference to Fig. 1 to 3, flowcharts of methods 400 and 500 for controlling a climate control system according to various embodiments are shown. The methods 400 and 500 may be used in conjunction with the vehicle 100 of Fig. 1 and can be controlled by the control module 140 from Fig. 1 according to various embodiments. As will be understood in light of the disclosure, the order of operations within the method is not limited to sequential execution as in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, but may be performed in one or more different orders as needed and in accordance with the present disclosure. As will be further understood, the methods of Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 may be scheduled to occur at predetermined time intervals during operation of the vehicle 100, and / or may be scheduled to occur based on predetermined events.

[0021] Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a method for controlling the climate control system 110 based on compensation values. As in Fig. 4, the method 400 may begin at 405. At 410, it is determined whether the solar sensor 160 is shaded for a particular elevation angle θ (as described with respect to the method 500 of Fig. 5 is discussed in more detail). If it is determined at 420 that the solar sensor 160 is not shaded for the particular elevation angle θ, no compensation is performed (or alternatively, other compensation methods are performed), and the method may end at 430.

[0022] However, if it is determined at 420 that the solar sensor 160 is shaded for the determined elevation angle θ, it is determined at 440 whether the occupant is shaded (as described with reference to the method 500 of Fig. 5). If the occupant is shaded at 450, no compensation is performed (or alternatively, other compensation methods are performed), and the method may end at 430. However, if it is determined at 450 that the occupant is not shaded, compensation values ​​that take into account the shaded solar sensor 160 are estimated at 460 based on a cumulative moving average of solar irradiance. The climate control system 110 is then controlled at 470 based on the compensation values, and the method may end at 430.

[0023] Fig. 5 is a flowchart of a method 500 for determining whether a point (either the solar sensor 160 or the occupant sitting on the seat 300) is shaded. For example, the method 500 corresponds to steps 410 and 440 in Fig. 4 according to various embodiments. As in Fig. 5, the procedure can start at 505.

[0024] The sun elevation angle θ (also referred to as the zenith angle) and the sun azimuth angle Φ are received or determined at 510 relative to a vehicle coordinate system, which is a spherical coordinate system having a specific point (the point of interest) as the origin (e.g., either the solar sensor 160 for step 410 or a point on the seat 300 for step 440). The sun elevation angle θ corresponds to an angle of the tracked sunbeam with respect to a horizon (i.e., the ground) and a zenith. The sun azimuth angle Φ corresponds to an angle of the sunbeam with respect to a reference vector, such as a vector corresponding to the vehicle's heading.

[0025] A constant azimuth angle profile is calculated at 520 for the given solar azimuth angle Φ relative to a vehicle coordinate system having a point of interest (e.g., either the solar sensor 160 for step 410 or a point on the seat 300 for step 440) as the origin. A constant azimuth angle profile corresponds to a line half-disk drawn toward the origin (the point of interest) with a line elevation angle ranging from -90 to +90°. The solar azimuth angle is received from the solar sensor, as disclosed.

[0026] The boundaries of the transparent elements, such as the windshield 200 and the side window half 210, are determined at 530 based on the four coordinate points 230 stored in the data storage device 180, respectively, for the windshield 200 and the side window 210. For example, each boundary may be defined by two of the coordinate points 230 associated with the edge. The three coordinates (x, y, z) of the coordinate points 230 associated with the edges are converted from the Cartesian coordinate system to a spherical coordinate (r, θ, Φ) system using the following relationships: tanθ=P_z / P_x, and tanΦ=P_y / P_x.

[0027] The intersection points of the azimuth angle curve with each of the boundaries are then determined at 540. As in Fig. 6, for example, an intersection of a line defined by the spherical coordinates P1-P2 (edge ​​of the windshield 200 or the side window 210) and the constant course of the azimuth angle defined by (r, θ, Φ) can be determined by applying the three equality relations: x1+t(x2−x1)=r cos θ cosϕ, y1+t(y2−y1)=r cos θ sinϕ, and z1+t(z2−z1)=r sin θ for t, where ρ is the relative weight of an intersection point PI on the line P1-P2. The value of t can be determined as follows: t=y1−x1 tan ϕ(x2−x1) tan ϕ-(y2−y1).

[0028] The value of t is then used to calculate an intersection point. The value of t is calculated for each line defined by the points associated with each edge of the windshield 200 and the side window 210. For example, t is calculated for the four edges of the side window 210, and t is calculated for the three edges of the windshield 200. The value of t is then evaluated to see if the corresponding intersection point PI falls on the line between points P1 and P2. If t is greater than or equal to zero and less than or equal to one (0 <= t <= 1), then the intersection point PI is determined to lie on the line between P1 and P2, which defines the edge of the windshield 200 or the side window 210, and this value of t is used to calculate an intersection point PI.

[0029] Back with reference to Fig. 5, at 550, a range of elevation angles for which the solar sensor is exposed to the sun's rays is determined using the stored intersection points. For example, solving the three equality relations again yields: x1+t(x2−x1)=r cos θ cosϕ, y1+t(y2−y1)=r cos θ sinϕ, and z1+t(z2−z1)=r sin θ for the elevation angle θ: θ=tan−1{(1x2−x1)((z2−z1)cos ϕ+(z1x2−x1z2y1x2−y1x1)((x2−x1)sin ϕ−(y2−y1)cos ϕ)}.

[0030] This yields (x1, y1, z1) and (x2, y2, z2) for the origin (the relevant point) of the intersection point PI. The elevation angle is therefore calculated for a given intersection point PI and a known azimuth angle from a constant azimuth angle.

[0031] Using this relation, the elevation angles θ for the intersection points associated with t are determined. For example, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 7A, the elevation angle θ1 is calculated for the first edge of the side window 210 having the intersection point PI, and the elevation angle θ3 is calculated for the second edge of the side window 210 having the intersection point PI''. An elevation angle maximum θmax is set to the maximum of θ1 and θ3; and an elevation angle minimum θmin is set to the minimum of θ1 and θ3. The range is then defined as the elevation angles between the elevation angle minimum θmin and the elevation angle maximum θmax.

[0032] In another example, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 7B, the elevation angle θ is calculated for the first edge of the windshield 200, which has the intersection point PI. An elevation angle minimum θmin is set equal to this elevation angle θ. The range is then defined as the elevation angles that are smaller than the elevation minimum θmin.

[0033] Back with reference to Fig. 5, the actual sun elevation angle (calculated in step 510) is then compared to the ranges to determine at 560 whether or not the solar sensor 160 is exposed to the sun's rays. For example, if at 560 the sun elevation angle θ is within the range defined by the minimum θmin and the maximum θmax associated with the side window 210 and / or the sun elevation angle θ is outside the range associated with the windshield 200 (e.g., greater than or equal to the minimum), it is determined at 570 that the solar sensor 160 or the occupant (depending on which point is used as the origin in step 510) is not shaded and is exposed to the sun's rays. The method may then end at 580.

[0034] However, if the sun elevation angle θ at 560 is outside the range defined by the minimum θmin and the maximum θmax associated with the side window 210, or the sun elevation angle θ is within the range defined by the minimum θmin associated with the windshield 200 (e.g., less than the minimum θmin), it is determined at 590 that the solar sensor 160 or the occupant (whichever is used as the origin in step 510) is shaded and not exposed to the sun's rays. The method may then end at 580.

[0035] It is understood that the calculations and evaluations of the Fig. 5 can be carried out for all or some of the transparent elements of the vehicle 100, and the invention is thus not limited to the present example of using the windshield 200 and the side window 210.

Claims

[1] A method for controlling a climate control system (110) of a vehicle, comprising the following steps: - determining the course of a solar azimuth angle associated with a respective point, wherein the determining of the course of the solar azimuth angle is based on the solar azimuth angle, wherein the solar azimuth angle is determined by means of a multi-cell solar sensor comprising a plurality of photodiodes by a comparison between outputs of each photodiode; - determining at least one intersection point between the course of the azimuth angle and at least one line defining at least one edge of a transparent element of the vehicle; - Determining whether the point in question is shaded or not based on the at least one intersection point; - automatically controlling the climate control system (110) based on the determination of whether the point in question is shaded or not; and - calculating a compensation value based on the determination of whether the point in question is shaded, and wherein the automatic control of the climate control system (110) is based on the compensation value, wherein the calculation of the compensation value is based on a cumulative moving average of the solar radiation. [2] The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an area based on the at least one intersection point, and wherein determining whether or not the point in question is shaded is based on the area. [3] The method of claim 2, further comprising determining a sun elevation angle for the at least one intersection point, and wherein determining the range is based on the sun elevation angle. [4] The method of claim 2, wherein determining the range comprises determining a minimum sun elevation angle from a first intersection point. [5] The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the point in question is shaded is based on whether a sun elevation angle is not in the range. [6] Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the point in question is a solar sensor of the vehicle. [7] A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the point in question is an occupant of the vehicle. [8] Climate control system (110) for a vehicle (100), comprising: - a heating system (130); - an air conditioning system (120); and - a control module (140) communicatively coupled to at least one of the heating system (130) and the air conditioning system (120), the control module (140) being configured: - to determine the course of a solar azimuth angle associated with the point in question, wherein the determination of the course of the solar azimuth angle is based on the solar azimuth angle, wherein the solar azimuth angle is determined by means of a multi-cell solar sensor comprising a plurality of photodiodes by a comparison between outputs of each photodiode; - to determine at least one intersection point between the course of the azimuth angle and at least one line defining at least one edge of a transparent element of the vehicle (100); - to determine whether the point in question is shaded or not based on the at least one intersection point; and - calculating a compensation value based on determining whether the point in question is shaded, and wherein the automatic control of the climate control system (110) is based on the compensation value, wherein the calculation of the compensation value is based on a cumulative moving average of the solar radiation.

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