Device, system and method for ventilating the interior of a vehicle

Abstract

A device (3) for ventilating the interior of a vehicle is described. The device (3) comprises a processor (10), a memory unit (20) for storing data and machine-readable instructions for the processor (10), and an interface (30). The interface (30) is configured to receive sensor data from a sensor (2) for determining the current position of at least one body part of at least one vehicle occupant and to output control signals for controlling a ventilation system (4) with at least one controllable ventilation outlet (5). The memory unit (30) contains instructions for the processor (10) to evaluate the sensor data received from the sensor (2) to determine the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant.The storage unit also contains instructions to control the ventilation system (4) to adjust the at least one ventilation outlet (5) based on the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant. Furthermore, a system (1), a method (300), and a vehicle with the system (1) are specified.

Description

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a ventilation method. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus, system, and method for ventilating an interior of a vehicle.

[0002] Ventilation devices and air conditioning devices for ventilating or air-conditioning the interior of a vehicle are known. In particular, ventilation devices with ventilation outlets or air nozzles are known that can be manually adjusted or directed by vehicle occupants. By adjusting or directing the air nozzles, airflows in the vehicle interior can be influenced or directed to improve the well-being of the vehicle occupants. However, the known ventilation devices are limited in their functionality. Furthermore, fiddling with the air nozzles of the ventilation system can distract the driver, which can lead to dangerous traffic situations.

[0003] An object of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a device, a system and a method which enable flexible and user-friendly ventilation of the interior of the vehicle.

[0004] To achieve this object, according to a first aspect, a device for ventilating the interior of a vehicle is provided. The device comprises a processor, a memory unit for storing data and machine-readable instructions for the processor, and an interface. The interface is designed to receive sensor data or sensor signals from a sensor system for determining a current position of at least one body part of at least one vehicle occupant, in particular the vehicle driver. The interface is further designed to output control signals for controlling a ventilation system with at least one controllable or adjustable ventilation outlet.The memory unit contains instructions for the processor to evaluate the sensor data received from the sensor system to determine the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant and to control the ventilation system to adjust the at least one ventilation outlet based on the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant.

[0005] The ventilation system can be designed, in particular, as an air conditioning system for the vehicle with a heating and / or cooling function. The at least one ventilation outlet can, in particular, comprise one or more ventilation nozzles or air diffusers. In particular, two or more air outlets can be mounted at different locations so that the vehicle interior can be ventilated from different directions and the vehicle occupants can be exposed to differently directed air streams. The device can, in particular, be designed as a separate unit and / or as part of a vehicle control unit or be implemented in the vehicle control unit.

[0006] In particular, with the help of one or more driver monitoring cameras, the position of the body, head, eyes, and / or hands of the driver and / or other vehicle occupants can be recorded or detected. Based on this, the interior ventilation or the ventilation outlets can be aligned to the body parts of at least one vehicle occupant, so that the body parts can be ventilated or air-conditioned in an efficient and targeted manner. In particular, the ventilation nozzles of the ventilation system can be automatically aligned according to the current position of the body parts of the vehicle occupants. The driver of such a vehicle therefore does not need to operate the ventilation system, allowing them to concentrate better on driving the vehicle. The automatic adjustment of the ventilation system can also relieve the strain on other vehicle occupants or even occupants of an autonomously driving vehicle.This means they don't have to worry about air conditioning, or have to worry about it less, which can increase overall driving comfort.

[0007] The interface can further be configured to capture user inputs via a user interface for specifying a body-part-specific desired climate control for the at least one vehicle occupant. The memory unit can contain instructions for the processor to control the ventilation system to adjust the at least one ventilation outlet based at least partially on the body-part-specific desired climate control specified via the user interface. In particular, the user interface can be configured to allow the user or the vehicle driver and / or another vehicle occupant to specify the body-part-specific desired climate control or to specify the desired temperature for individual body parts.

[0008] The user interface can thus be used to specify the desired climate control for a specific body part of the driver and / or another vehicle occupant. The desired climate control can be automatically adjusted by controlling at least one ventilation outlet accordingly.

[0009] The memory unit can contain instructions for the processor to evaluate the sensor data received from the sensor system to determine a current temperature of at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant and to control the ventilation system to adjust the at least one ventilation outlet based on the current temperature of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant. In particular, one or more thermal imaging cameras can be used to detect the temperature prevailing at the individual body parts of the at least one vehicle occupant, so that the ventilation system or the at least one ventilation outlet can be adjusted to specifically control the temperature of individual body parts. Thus, the desired body-part-specific desired air conditioning can be achieved automatically, efficiently, and purposefully by aligning or adjusting ventilation outlets or ventilation nozzles.

[0010] The memory unit can contain instructions for the processor to store user-specific settings made by vehicle occupants for the ventilation system or the at least one ventilation outlet, and to automatically restore settings made by a person in a seat if the evaluation of the sensor data shows that the same person is in the same seat. In particular, the sensor system can be configured to detect fingerprints, eye irises, body type, odor, and / or other distinguishing features of people and to identify vehicle occupants based on the distinguishing features. Automatically restoring the individual settings can simplify the adjustment of the ventilation system and increase overall user-friendliness.

[0011] In some embodiments, the memory unit contains instructions for the processor to evaluate the sensor data to determine the current occupancy of the vehicle and to control the at least one ventilation outlet at least partially according to the current occupancy. In particular, the ventilation system can be controlled such that ventilation of unoccupied seats is deactivated or the ventilation output at unoccupied seats is proportionally reduced. Thus, the desired air conditioning for occupied seats can be set more efficiently and quickly.

[0012] The memory unit can contain instructions for the processor to control the ventilation system for pre-conditioning or pre-heating and / or pre-cooling the interior of the vehicle, particularly before starting a journey. In particular, the ventilation system can be used as an auxiliary heater, whereby specific areas or locations (such as parts of the steering wheel) are specifically pre-heated by appropriately adjusting the ventilation outlets. This can efficiently reduce unpleasant temperature perceptions, particularly when entering the vehicle.

[0013] According to a second aspect, a system for ventilating the interior of a vehicle is proposed. The system comprises a device according to the first aspect and a sensor system for providing sensor data for determining a current position of at least one body part of at least one vehicle occupant. The system further comprises a ventilation system with at least one controllable ventilation outlet. The memory unit contains instructions for the processor to evaluate the sensor data received from the sensor system to determine the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant and to control the ventilation system to adjust the at least one controllable ventilation outlet based on the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant.In particular, the ventilation system's air vents can be automatically aligned or adjusted according to the current position of the vehicle occupants' body parts. Automatic alignment of the ventilation systems can increase overall driving comfort and safety.

[0014] The system may include a user interface for specifying a body-part-specific desired climate control for the at least one vehicle occupant, wherein the memory unit may contain instructions for the processor to control the ventilation system to adjust the at least one ventilation outlet based at least partially on the body-part-specific desired climate control specified via the user interface. By controlling the at least one ventilation outlet, the desired climate control can be set automatically.

[0015] According to a third aspect, a method for ventilating the interior of a vehicle is proposed. The method can be carried out in particular by means of a device according to the first aspect or by means of a system according to the second aspect. The method comprises providing sensor data for determining a current position of at least one body part of at least one vehicle occupant. The method also comprises evaluating the sensor data to determine the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant and controlling a ventilation system with at least one controllable ventilation outlet based on the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant. The method enables automatic alignment or adjustment of ventilation nozzles according to the position of the body parts of the vehicle occupants, thereby increasing driving comfort and driving safety.

[0016] According to a fourth aspect, a vehicle is provided, wherein the vehicle has a device according to the first aspect or a system according to the second aspect for ventilating the interior of the vehicle. By means of the system, the interior of the vehicle can be ventilated in a particularly convenient manner, in which the vehicle occupants do not have to intervene, or only minimally, to adjust the ventilation or air conditioning.

[0017] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. The same reference numerals are used throughout the figures for identical or equivalent parts. Fig. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a system for ventilating an interior of a vehicle according to an embodiment, Fig. 2 shows a schematic partial view of a system for ventilating an interior of a vehicle according to an embodiment, Fig. 3 shows a schematic partial view of a user interface for specifying a body part-specific desired climate control according to an embodiment, and Fig. 4 shows a flowchart of a method for ventilating an interior of a vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0018] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a system for ventilating the interior of a vehicle according to one exemplary embodiment. The system 1 comprises a sensor system 2 or vehicle sensor system, a device 3 for ventilating the interior of a vehicle, and a ventilation system 4 with controllable ventilation outlets 5.

[0019] The sensor system 2 can be designed, in particular, as part of an ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) sensor system of the vehicle. The sensor system 2 can, in particular, comprise one or more sensor devices or observation devices or image acquisition systems, such as optical sensors, cameras, such as driver monitoring and / or passenger monitoring cameras. The sensor devices or cameras can be mounted at different locations on and / or in the interior of the vehicle.

[0020] The sensor system can in particular be part of a driver monitoring system which comprises one or more cameras which can detect the driver's position, head position and eye position. The driver monitoring system can be designed, among other things, to monitor the driver's attention in order to prompt the driver to take a break if necessary. The sensor system 2 can in particular be designed to provide sensor data or sensor signals for determining a current position of at least one body part of at least one vehicle occupant. The sensor system 2 can furthermore be designed to record individual characteristics of vehicle occupants for identifying the persons in the vehicle. The sensor system 2 can furthermore be designed to record a current seat occupancy in the vehicle.

[0021] In the exemplary embodiment shown, system 1 comprises a user interface 6. User interface 6 can, in particular, comprise one or more displays or touchscreens, for example, in the instrument cluster. User interface 6 can be designed as or as part of an HMI (human machine interface) of the vehicle. User interface 6 can be designed to allow the input of body-part-specific desired climate control, in particular for one or more vehicle occupants.

[0022] The device 3 comprises a processor 10, a memory unit 20 for storing data and machine-readable instructions for the processor 10, and an interface 30. The interface 30 is designed to receive sensor data or sensor signals from the sensor system 2 and to output control signals for controlling the ventilation system 4. The device 3 can, in particular, be designed as a separate unit and / or as part of a vehicle control unit or be implemented in the vehicle control unit. In particular, the memory unit 20 can contain instructions for the processor 10 to evaluate the sensor data received from the sensor system 2 to determine a current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant and to control the ventilation system 4 to adjust the ventilation outlets 5 based on the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant.

[0023] The ventilation system 4 can be designed, in particular, as an air conditioning system with a heating and / or cooling function for conditioning the interior of the vehicle. The ventilation system 4 can, in particular, comprise two or more ventilation outlets 5 with or in the form of ventilation nozzles and / or air diffusers. The ventilation outlets 5 can be mounted at different locations in or on the interior of the vehicle, so that the vehicle interior can be ventilated from different directions and the vehicle occupants can be exposed to air streams directed in different directions.

[0024] In some embodiments, sensor system 2 is configured to capture sensor data for determining a current temperature of at least one body part of at least one vehicle occupant, for example, the vehicle driver. The current temperature of the body parts or the temperature distribution across the body of a vehicle occupant can be captured, in particular, using one or more thermal imaging cameras.

[0025] The memory unit 20 can contain instructions for the processor 10 to save settings of the ventilation system 4 or the ventilation outlets 5 made by vehicle occupants, for example via the user interface, in order to restore the settings if necessary. In particular, the memory unit 20 can contain instructions for the processor to restore a setting made by a person if the analysis of the sensors shows that the same person is in the same place within the vehicle. The memory unit 20 can contain instructions for the processor 10 to evaluate the sensor data to determine the current occupancy of a seat in the vehicle and to control the ventilation system taking the current occupancy into account. The memory unit 20 can further contain instructions for the processor 10 to activate the ventilation system for pre-conditioning orPreheating and / or precooling of the vehicle interior, particularly before starting a journey.

[0026] Fig. 2 shows a schematic partial view of a system for ventilating an interior of a vehicle according to an embodiment. In the partial view of Fig. Figure 2 shows part of the ventilation system 4 with four ventilation outlets 5. The ventilation outlets 5 each have a controllable ventilation nozzle 5 with slats 8. In some embodiments, the ventilation nozzles 7 and the slats 8 are controllable such that both the direction of the air flowing from the nozzle and the flow intensity can be controlled. In some embodiments, the ventilation system 4 is designed so that the temperature of the air flowing from different ventilation nozzles 5 can be regulated differently.

[0027] The ventilation outlets 5 can be arranged at different locations in or on the interior of the vehicle. For example, ventilation outlets 5 can be arranged near side mirrors, in the leg areas of vehicle occupants, and / or in the roof area of ​​the interior. In particular, the ventilation outlets 5 can be arranged and configured such that individual body parts of the vehicle occupants can be ventilated or air-conditioned in a targeted and individual manner.

[0028] In the illustrated embodiment, the user interface 6 is designed as a touchscreen. In particular, a body-part-specific desired climate control can be entered via the user interface 6. This is described in Fig. 2 is shown by way of example using the user interface 6 to set the head temperature of a vehicle occupant.

[0029] Fig. Figure 3 shows a schematic partial view of a user interface for specifying a body-part-specific desired climate control according to one exemplary embodiment. User interface 6 is designed to symbolically represent a vehicle occupant, with different target temperatures being assignable to individual body regions. To assign a temperature, the individual body parts can be clicked or tapped, after which a desired temperature for the corresponding body part can be set via the touchscreen or a rotary knob (not shown).

[0030] Fig. 4 shows a flowchart of a method for ventilating an interior of a vehicle according to an embodiment. The vehicle can, in particular, have a system 1 with a device 3 and with a ventilation system 4 with at least one controllable ventilation outlet 5 according to Fig.1. According to the method 300, in a method step 400, sensor data are provided by the sensor system 2 for determining a current position of at least one body part of at least one vehicle occupant.

[0031] In a method step 500, the sensor data are evaluated to determine the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant. In a method step 600, the ventilation device 4 can be controlled based on the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant.

[0032] In method step 400, body-part-specific desired climate control for one or more vehicle occupants entered via a user interface 6 can be detected. In method step 600, the ventilation system 4 can be controlled to adjust the at least one ventilation outlet based at least partially on the body-part-specific desired climate control entered via the user interface 6.

[0033] In method step 400, a current temperature of at least one body part of at least one vehicle occupant can be detected. In method step 600, the ventilation system 4 can be controlled to adjust the at least one ventilation outlet 5, at least partially based on the current temperature of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant.

[0034] In method step 400, individual characteristics of persons in the vehicle, such as fingerprints, irises, body type, smell, and / or other distinguishing features of persons, can be recorded. In evaluation step 500, the vehicle occupants can be identified based on the distinguishing features. Method 300 can further include storing settings made by vehicle occupants. In method step 600, a setting of the ventilation system 4 made by a person can be restored if the evaluation of the sensor data shows that the same person is located in the same place in the vehicle.

[0035] In some embodiments, automatic pre-conditioning or pre-cooling and / or pre-heating of the vehicle's interior is performed. In particular, pre-conditioning can be activated a few minutes before the expected start of the journey using a timer pre-programmed in the device. The timer can be implemented as part of the device and / or as part of the vehicle's control unit. Due to the pre-heating function, the need for a heated steering wheel or seat can be eliminated, thus saving vehicle costs.

[0036] The user interface 6 can, in particular, be designed to contain airflow displays, such as flow direction information for the footwell, the central area of ​​the interior, and the window area. Instead of and / or in addition to such information, a menu can be provided or activated in which body parts of individual vehicle occupants are displayed along with the respective target and / or actual temperature. Using the menu, the driver or another vehicle occupant can independently set their desired air conditioning for each body part.

[0037] The system described here thus enables automatic and convenient sensor- or camera-based control of the ventilation system's air vents. The air conditioning can thus be better tailored to the vehicle occupants, and in particular to the driver. This saves the driver from having to constantly readjust the orientation of the air vents. If, for example, a desired air conditioning setting for a specific body part is specified, the system or the air conditioning system can automatically align the air vents to the selected body parts, in particular using servo motors. If the driver wants to warm their hands on the steering wheel, for example in winter, the center vents and the side window vent are automatically aligned to the steering wheel area and the hands. It may also happen that the driver wants to cool their upper body and not have drafts on their head or eyes.The actuators of the air vents can then be automatically aligned accordingly so that the driver's body is cooled without experiencing an unpleasant draft on the head or eyes.

[0038] Although at least one exemplary embodiment has been shown in the foregoing description, various changes and modifications may be made. The recited embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoing description provides those skilled in the art with a road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment; numerous changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Furthermore, multiple modules or multiple products may be connected together in accordance with the principles described herein to obtain additional functions. List of reference symbols 1 system 2 Sensor technology 3 Device 4 Ventilation system 5 Ventilation outlet 6 User interface 7 Ventilation nozzle 8 slats 10 processor 20 storage units 30 Interface 300 procedures 400 process steps 500 process steps 600 process steps

Claims

[1] Device (3) for ventilating an interior of a vehicle, comprising: - a processor (10), - a memory unit (20) for storing data and machine-readable instructions for the processor (10), and - an interface (30), wherein the interface (30) is designed to receive sensor data from a sensor system (2) for determining a current position of at least one body part of at least one vehicle occupant and to output control signals for controlling a ventilation system (4) with at least one controllable ventilation outlet (5), wherein the memory unit (30) contains instructions for the processor (10) to evaluate the sensor data received from the sensor system (2) for determining the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant and to control the ventilation system (4) for adjusting the at least one ventilation outlet (5) based on the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant. [2] Device according to claim 1, wherein the interface (30) is further configured to detect user inputs via a user interface (6) for specifying a body-part-specific desired air conditioning of the at least one vehicle occupant, and wherein the memory unit (20) contains instructions for the processor (10) to control the ventilation system (4) for adjusting the at least one ventilation outlet (5) at least partially based on the body-part-specific desired air conditioning specified via the user interface (6). [3] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the memory unit (20) contains instructions for the processor (10) to evaluate the sensor data received from the sensor system (2) to determine a current temperature of at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant and to control the ventilation system (4) to adjust the at least one ventilation outlet (5) at least partially based on the current temperature of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant. [4] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the memory unit (20) contains instructions for the processor (10) to store settings of the ventilation system (4) made by vehicle occupants in a user-specific manner and to automatically restore settings made by a person located at a location if the evaluation of the sensor data shows that the same person is located at the same location. [5] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the memory unit (20) contains instructions for the processor (10) to evaluate the sensor data to determine a current seat occupancy in the vehicle and to control the ventilation system (4) to adjust the at least one ventilation outlet (5) at least partially based on the current seat occupancy. [6] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the memory unit (20) contains instructions for the processor (10) to control the ventilation system (4) for pre-conditioning the interior of the vehicle, in particular before starting a journey. [7] System (1) for ventilating an interior of a vehicle, comprising: - a device (3) according to one of the preceding claims, - a sensor system (2) for providing sensor data for determining a current position of at least one body part of at least one vehicle occupant, and - a ventilation system (4) with at least one controllable ventilation outlet (5), wherein the memory unit (20) contains instructions for the processor (10) to evaluate the sensor data received from the sensor system (2) to determine the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant and to control the ventilation system (4) to adjust the at least one controllable ventilation outlet (5) based on the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant. [8] System according to claim 7, wherein the system (1) further comprises a user interface (36) for specifying a body part-specific desired climate control of the at least one vehicle occupant, and wherein the memory unit (20) contains instructions for the processor (10) to control the ventilation system (4) for adjusting the at least one ventilation outlet (5) at least partially based on the body part-specific desired climate control specified via the user interface (6). [9] A method for ventilating an interior of a vehicle, comprising: - Providing (400) sensor data for determining a current position of at least one body part of at least one vehicle occupant, - evaluating (500) the sensor data to determine the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant, and - controlling (600) a ventilation system (4) with at least one controllable ventilation outlet based on the current position of the at least one body part of the at least one vehicle occupant. [10] Vehicle, the vehicle comprising an interior space and a system (1) according to one of claims 7 and 8 for ventilating the interior space.

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