Fully variable and holistic ventilation flap control

Abstract

Method for automatic and fully variable ventilation flap control in a vehicle, characterized by: - reading (100) a setpoint value for a flap position or strength of an air flow of each ventilation outlet; - providing (101) a plurality of configurations of vent flap positions, each configuration assigning a resulting noise level and a resulting energy demand to each combination of vent flap positions; - specifying (102) a weighting between noise level and energy demand; and - adjusting (103) each of the read-out setpoints for the respective flap position or strength of the respective air flow depending on the specified weighting.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for controlling the ventilation flap control. This method can advantageously influence, among other things, the noise development in the vehicle. Furthermore, a computer program product with control commands that implement the method is proposed.

[0002] EP 1 236 593 A2 shows an air conditioning system with a device for regulating thermal comfort in a motor vehicle with at least one temperature sensor and an outflow vent for the directed outflow of air into an outflow area, characterized in that the measuring area detected by the temperature sensor approximately corresponds to the air flow area predetermined by the orientation of the outflow vent.

[0003] EP 0 419 722 A1 shows an air conditioning system for ventilating the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle with a plurality of air outlet openings assigned to different seating positions of the vehicle occupants with associated adjusting elements for the air quantity and / or the air distribution and / or the air temperature, which can be actuated via a control device, characterized by a setting dependency of the control device on seat occupancy sensors assigned to the respective seating positions, such that the air outlet openings assigned to the occupied seating positions are supplied with a respective passenger-specific air flow and the air outlet openings assigned to the unoccupied seating positions are supplied with a different air flow, which is optimal in the sense of the fastest possible target / actual comparison of the interior temperature of the passenger compartment.

[0004] DE 10 2008 017 051 A1 discloses a method for controlling a vehicle's air conditioning system and an operating device for a vehicle's air conditioning system. The air conditioning system comprises a plurality of separate climate control units. These climate control units can be controlled via the operating device.

[0005] The disadvantage of the current technology is that ventilation flap control is often not intelligent and predictive, but rather the driver manually sets a suboptimal configuration. This can result in unnecessary noise pollution and higher energy consumption than necessary. One example is turning on the ventilation when the ventilation flap is essentially closed. Generally, many ventilation flaps have to be coordinated with each other, which is overwhelming for the driver, especially while driving.

[0006] Conventional air conditioning systems only provide locally adjusted air conditioning (e.g., by adjusting the degree of opening of the shut-off flaps on the respective air vents) at a preset temperature. The driver adjusts the local air flow, the air conditioning direction, and the temperature. Reconfiguring the air conditioning system distracts them from driving, requiring them to take at least one hand off the steering wheel. Often, the driver or a vehicle occupant cannot immediately find a comfortable temperature setting and must therefore constantly readjust it. The perception of a vehicle occupant also changes over time, and an initial cooling or heating sensation becomes unpleasant over time. Furthermore, changes in external influences, such as the direction and intensity of sunlight, may necessitate a modified air conditioning system.It is therefore particularly disadvantageous that a vehicle occupant is not always optimally air-conditioned or is distracted by a manual configuration of the air conditioning system.

[0007] EP 1 669 226 A1 and US 2016 / 0046171 A1 each disclose a method for automatic and fully variable ventilation flap control in a vehicle, which comprises the following steps: - reading a setpoint for a damper position or airflow strength of each ventilation outlet; - providing a plurality of configurations of vent flap positions, each configuration assigning a resulting noise level and a resulting energy demand to each combination of vent flap positions.

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to propose an improved, in particular a holistic, noise-optimizing, and energy-efficient method for adjusting a ventilation flap control. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to propose a computer program product with control commands that implement the method.

[0009] The object is achieved by a method having the features according to patent claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments are specified in the subclaims.

[0010] Accordingly, a method for automatic and fully variable ventilation flap control in a vehicle is proposed, comprising the following steps: - reading out the desired position or actual position of the ventilation flaps for each ventilation outlet; - providing a plurality of configurations of vent flap positions, each configuration assigning a resulting noise level and a resulting energy demand to each combination of vent flap positions; - specifying a weighting between noise level and energy demand; and - adjusting each of the read ventilation flap positions depending on the specified weighting.

[0011] The proposed method is used for automatic and fully variable ventilation flap control, with the ventilation flaps being electronically adjustable. A target value for the air flow from the respective ventilation flap is read. This can be specified, for example, by the customer. Furthermore, it is possible to read the position of the ventilation flaps via a data interface and process it using the method according to the invention. Consequently, it is proposed to read the ventilation flap position of each ventilation outlet and subsequently determine the degree of opening.

[0012] While conventional methods require manual adjustment of the ventilation flaps on the respective air conditioning system outlets, the present invention allows them to be controlled electronically and then adjusted in a particularly advantageous manner. This is particularly advantageous because the proposed method controls all ventilation flaps, thus offering a holistic vehicle air conditioning concept.

[0013] The position of a ventilation flap can be read either directly from a control element of the ventilation flap or an element influencing it (e.g., a potentiometer or an incremental encoder), or by reading a data storage device that stores the corresponding flap positions. Since all ventilation flaps are read and taken into account, a holistic ventilation concept is implemented, among other things, by allowing the individual air outlets to be coordinated with one another, thus serving different application scenarios.

[0014] Application scenarios include, for example, particularly quiet ventilation or particularly energy-saving ventilation. However, this is not intended to be limiting. Rather, various configurations can be offered that serve freely configurable application scenarios.

[0015] To meet customer requirements, several configurations are provided, with ventilation flap positions being empirically combined and the resulting parameters measured. This can be carried out fully automatically in preparatory process steps. After such configurations have been created, it is known which flap positions generate which noise level and which energy consumption. In addition, the cooling performance or ventilation performance is known. If the driver now selects a specific interior ventilation program, a particularly advantageous balance can be struck between, among other things, noise level and energy consumption. For example, the driver requests a certain temperature in a certain zone in the vehicle interior, and this can determine whether the noise level is to be optimized or the energy consumption, or in what ratio these parameters should be taken into account.This is done by weighting the two parameters so that the value set for the ventilation flaps meets these requirements.

[0016] The weighting between noise level and energy consumption can be set by the driver themselves, or the manufacturer can supply corresponding configurations as ventilation programs. The weighting or the resulting settings can also be set automatically by the system, so that, for example, during preconditioning, i.e. ventilation during which the driver is not present, the noise level is neglected. If the driver wants to cool down their vehicle in summer before getting in, the noise level is irrelevant, as there are no people inside the vehicle. However, with an electric vehicle, energy consumption is particularly crucial, as the battery charge level directly affects the vehicle's range. Therefore, energy consumption should be given greater weight here.If the battery of an electric vehicle is almost discharged, the energy requirement is given greater weight and a higher noise level may be tolerated.

[0017] The configurations provide all possible flap positions and prevent, for example, the air conditioning from blowing against a (even partially) closed flap. Furthermore, it is possible to open only individual air outlets and close others. This may be particularly preferable to ventilate only the center of a vehicle or the sides. This can be adjusted using predefined programs.

[0018] Once the weighting has been selected, the ventilation flaps are adjusted accordingly, according to the invention. Thus, it is generally advantageous that the configuration that delivers the desired ventilation performance, depending on the noise level and energy consumption, is selected based on the user's preferences. The proposed method is applied iteratively, allowing adjustment of the settings at any time.

[0019] The individual setting of the throttles of the individual outlets can be reactivated depending on the occupant (e.g. via key recognition and / or occupant recognition or the like), for example if another driver has driven with different settings in the meantime.

[0020] Since the position of the shutoff is known, unlike with a mechanical knurl, this information can influence the air distribution control according to one aspect of the present invention. This can reduce noise because the air can be better distributed and only the necessary amount of air is delivered to the outlets. Thus, there is no air leakage or blowing against the closed grille.

[0021] The air volume can be varied between central ventilation and side ventilation, for example, depending on the outlet temperature. According to one aspect of the present invention, warm air is ventilated more towards the outside, near cold doors and windows, and cooling air is ventilated more towards the center.

[0022] The air volume can be varied between ventilation in the center and ventilation to the side of the driver. This divides the ventilation into indirect ventilation, central ventilation and / or side ventilation, for example depending on solar influences. The solar flux provides an indication of the solar radiation and is measured, for example, above the windshield, the side window and / or the glass roof. The air volume can be distributed in a fully variable manner between the left and right sides of the vehicle and between the external and centrally located ventilation outlets. This allows the climate style to be optimized and / or the air volume to be controlled per zone. Pre-conditioning of the vehicle can be made more efficient because all vents in the cockpit can be opened automatically.

[0023] Inequalities within the air conditioning unit and the air ducts can be compensated. The nonlinearities of the flow resistance of the ducts and air conditioning unit at different airflow rates can also be compensated. Furthermore, new air control options are available for innovative, customized climate experiences in the vehicle, such as targeted "blowing" depending on the occupant's precise position. In energy-saving mode, air distribution and airflow can be better adapted to the reduced demand.

[0024] Information about the degree of opening allows the control system to be adjusted to, for example, poorly flowing temperature sensors. For example, the invention allows only those temperature sensors with poor flow to be taken into account, and correction for poorly flowing temperature sensors is possible.

[0025] In the following, aspects are presented partly with reference to electrically powered vehicles, which, however, should not be interpreted as limiting. Rather, the present invention is generally directed to both electric vehicles and vehicles with internal combustion engines. In this respect, motor vehicles in general are further developed according to the invention. A motor vehicle can generally be any motor vehicle, in particular an automobile. The present invention can be used particularly advantageously in motor vehicles with hybrid drives.

[0026] According to one aspect of the present invention, the ventilation flap positions are electrically adjustable. This has the advantage that the ventilation flap settings can be made automatically, and the respective flap position can also be read automatically.

[0027] Consequently, a fully automated procedure is proposed which ensures that the driver is not distracted by the configuration of the ventilation flaps.

[0028] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the plurality of configurations is provided via a data storage device. This has the advantage that the manufacturer can empirically determine corresponding configurations and then store the configurations in a data storage device. Generally, it is also possible to access the data storage device via an air interface and also offer the configurations in the field. This also allows previously stored configurations to be updated or expanded.

[0029] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the plurality of configurations is determined empirically. This has the advantage that the configurations can be created under specific conditions and the noise level and energy consumption can be measured depending on the desired cooling or ventilation performance. For example, the driver can specify certain zones that should be particularly exposed to an air flow. For this purpose, the noise level and energy consumption are measured and a configuration can be created that provides the ventilation performance while still serving different weightings of noise level and energy consumption. For example, a flap can only ventilate a certain area indirectly, which leads to a lower noise level but increased energy consumption.If a zone is directly exposed to an air stream, the noise level may be higher but the energy consumption is lower because the flap can be opened wider.

[0030] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the configurations differentiate between direct ventilation, central ventilation, and / or side ventilation. This has the advantage that all ventilation scenarios can be accommodated and different ventilation directions can be tested. These configurations are then saved and applied to the respective situation.

[0031] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the weighting is provided by a user and / or specified by a provided set of rules. This has the advantage that any weighting is possible, either specified by the user during the journey or by the manufacturer creating a set of rules that, for example, specifies that the noise level is negligible when no one is in the vehicle. Seat occupancy can also be read out, and those unoccupied seats can then be assigned a higher noise level.

[0032] According to a further aspect of the present invention, if no occupants are present in the vehicle, the noise level is set to negligible during weighting. This has the advantage that initial cooling or purging of the vehicle interior can take place at full power, even if the noise level increases. Since a particularly strong airflow can be generated for this purpose, the energy requirement may be higher.

[0033] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the energy requirement is weighted depending on the battery charge level. This has the advantage that, when the battery charge level is low, the energy requirement can be given greater weight, and the noise level can also be neglected. In electromobility, this has a direct impact on the vehicle's range.

[0034] As is known, there exists a system arrangement for automatic and fully variable ventilation flap control in a vehicle, represented by an interface unit configured to read out a ventilation flap position of each ventilation outlet; a data memory configured to provide a plurality of configurations of ventilation flap positions, each configuration assigning a resulting noise level and a resulting energy requirement to each combination of ventilation flap positions; a further interface unit configured to specify a weighting between noise level and energy requirement; and at least one control unit configured to adapt each of the read-out ventilation flap positions depending on the specified weighting.

[0035] The problem is also solved by a computer program product with control commands which carry out the method when executed on a computer.

[0036] According to the invention, it is particularly advantageous that the method can be used to operate the proposed devices and units. Furthermore, the proposed devices and units are suitable for implementing the method according to the invention. Thus, each device implements structural features suitable for executing the corresponding method. However, the structural features can also be configured as method steps. The proposed method also provides steps for implementing the function of the structural features.

[0037] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, in which aspects of the invention are described in detail with reference to the drawings. The features mentioned in the claims and in the description may be essential to the invention individually or in any combination. Likewise, the features mentioned above and those further explained here may be used individually or in combination. The embodiments shown and described are not to be understood as exhaustive, but are exemplary in nature to explain the invention. The detailed description serves to inform the person skilled in the art; therefore, known circuits, structures, and methods are not shown or explained in detail in order not to complicate understanding of the present description. The figure shows: Fig. 1: a schematic flow diagram of a method for automatic and fully variable ventilation flap control according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0038] Fig. 1 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method for automatic and fully variable ventilation flap control in a vehicle, characterized by reading 100 a ventilation flap position of each ventilation outlet; providing 101 a plurality of configurations of ventilation flap positions, each configuration assigning a resulting noise level and a resulting energy requirement to each combination of ventilation flap positions; specifying 102 a weighting between noise level and energy requirement; and adjusting 103 each of the read ventilation flap positions depending on the specified weighting.

[0039] Fig.1 shows, according to a further aspect, a method for automatic and fully variable ventilation flap control in a vehicle, characterized by reading out 100 a setpoint value for a flap position or strength of an air flow of each ventilation outlet, providing 101 a plurality of configurations of ventilation flap positions, each configuration assigning a resulting noise level and a resulting energy requirement to each combination of ventilation flap positions, specifying 102 a weighting between noise level and energy requirement and adjusting 103 each of the read-out setpoint values ​​for the respective flap position or strength of the respective air flow depending on the specified weighting.

[0040] As is known, there exists a system arrangement for automatic and fully variable ventilation flap control in a vehicle, represented by an interface unit configured to read out 100 a setpoint value for a flap position or strength of an air flow of each ventilation outlet, a data memory configured to provide 101 a plurality of configurations of ventilation flap positions, each configuration assigning a resulting noise level and a resulting energy requirement to each combination of ventilation flap positions, a further interface unit configured to specify 102 a weighting between noise level and energy requirement and at least one control unit configured to adapt 103 each of the read-out setpoint values ​​for the respective flap position or strength of the respective air flow depending on the specified weighting.

[0041] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the adjustment is performed iteratively, and the air conditioning direction and / or the air conditioning temperature is adjusted in each iteration. This has the advantage that the air conditioning can follow the movements of the occupants and can also adjust the temperature over time.

[0042] Over time, the climate control system also adjusts the occupant to their desired temperature, or a preset or individually configured target temperature, and can therefore be throttled back. Contrary to this scenario, the driver can always be subjected to maximum climate control when entering the vehicle, in order to adjust them to the target temperature as efficiently as possible.

[0043] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the steps may include further substeps and, in particular, that the method steps may each be executed iteratively and / or in a different order. Thus, the steps including reading 100 a ventilation flap position, providing 101 a plurality of configurations, and / or specifying 102 a weighting may be executed in parallel.

[0044] Not shown here is a data storage device or a computer-readable medium with a computer program product having control commands which implement the proposed method or operate the known system arrangement when executed on a computer.

Claims

[1] Method for automatic and fully variable ventilation flap control in a vehicle, characterized by : - reading (100) a setpoint value for a flap position or strength of an air flow of each ventilation outlet; - providing (101) a plurality of configurations of vent flap positions, each configuration assigning a resulting noise level and a resulting energy demand to each combination of vent flap positions; - specifying (102) a weighting between noise level and energy demand; and - adjusting (103) each of the read-out setpoints for the respective flap position or strength of the respective air flow depending on the specified weighting. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the ventilation flap positions are electrically adjustable. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the majority of configurations are provided by means of a data store. [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the majority of configurations are determined empirically. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the configurations differentiate between direct ventilation, central ventilation and / or side ventilation. [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the weighting is provided by a user and / or specified by a provided set of rules. [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that if there is no occupant in the vehicle, the noise level is set as negligible during weighting. [8] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the energy requirement is weighted depending on the charge level of a battery. [9] Computer program product with control commands which carry out the method according to one of claims 1 to 8 when executed on a computer.

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