Method for operating a heating system of a vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a heating system of a vehicle, wherein a flat heating element (11) with multiple heating regions is arranged on at least one interior component (7). According to the invention, the heating system has means for determining the position of a vehicle occupant (2) located on a vehicle seat (4), means for determining the heating requirement of a vehicle occupant (2) located on a vehicle seat (4), and means for specifying the heat output of the heating regions (13, 14, 15, 16) of a flat heating element (11) paired with a vehicle seat (4) on the basis of the heating requirement of the vehicle occupant (2), said heating requirement being determined at least using the position of the occupant (2) on the vehicle seat (4).

Description

[0001] Method for operating a heating system of a vehicle

[0002] The invention relates to a method for operating a heating system of a vehicle according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

[0003] To heat the interior of vehicles powered by combustion engines, the waste heat from the combustion engine is typically used for heating systems that regulate the temperature of the entire vehicle interior through convection. This option for heating the interior is no longer available, especially in electrically powered vehicles, so alternative heating types and systems must be used.

[0004] Among these alternative heating systems, heating systems that regulate the temperature of the vehicle's interior through radiant heat are particularly suitable. These heating systems generate heat through thermal radiation (infrared radiation) in a targeted and localized manner at a specific location in the vehicle, meaning that heating the entire interior of the vehicle, as is the case with convection heating, is no longer necessary.

[0005] DE 102021 103 399 A1 discloses a method for automatically adjusting a locally perceived temperature in a camping vehicle using radiant heating, relating to the heating of vehicle interiors. In this known method, a plurality of electric panel heaters are integrated into flat accessories in various usage areas inside the camping vehicle. The heating output of at least one of these electric panel heaters is regulated and / or controlled depending on the exact location of a person inside the camping vehicle. In particular, laminated materials, ceiling or wall paneling, furniture, doors, or similar objects are envisaged as flat accessories inside the camping vehicle.DE 102019 202 223 A1 discloses an arrangement for heating a vehicle interior, in particular a rail vehicle interior, in which infrared surface heaters are arranged in the interior to heat the vehicle interior. The infrared surface heaters are designed as integrated components of the interior surfaces.

[0006] US 11 363 683 B2 discloses systems and methods for radiant heating using PTC radiant panels. A radiant heating system for heating an occupant of an enclosed space includes panels for radiating heat into the enclosed space toward the occupant. A power supply supplies electrical power to the panels. A controller regulates the electrical power delivered to the panels based on a temperature in the enclosed space and the positions of the panels within the enclosed space.

[0007] US 2015 0 028 119 A1 relates to a method for heating the interior of a vehicle, in particular a hybrid or electric vehicle, wherein the vehicle has a central heating system and a plurality of decentralized heating surfaces designed as infrared radiators, and the vehicle interior can be tempered by the central heating system and / or the decentralized heating surfaces according to the heating requirements of at least one vehicle occupant. According to the invention, in order to temper the interior by means of the decentralized heating surfaces, the heating output of at least one decentralized heating surface is predetermined or influenced depending on the relative position of the vehicle occupant or a body part of the vehicle occupant to the respective decentralized heating surface or to a defined group of several decentralized heating surfaces.

[0008] Other relevant publications are DE 11 2016 006238 T5, JP 2009 178247 A, DE 11 2016 006238 T5, DE 102013 009 516 A1 and US 10 875428 B2.

[0009] Furthermore, EP 2 578423 B1 discloses a radiant heating device for a vehicle, in which a radiant heater interacting with the vehicle's air conditioning system has a plurality of heating sections, each of which independently radiates heat into areas of the lower body of a passenger in the vehicle. Based on this known prior art, the invention is based on the object of providing a generic method for operating a heating system of a vehicle, with which the heating output for a passenger of the vehicle can be easily and comfortably adjusted.

[0010] This object is achieved according to the invention by a method for operating a heating system of a vehicle having the features of patent claim 1.

[0011] Advantageous further developments of the invention are part of the further patent claims.

[0012] In the method according to the invention for operating a heating system, the interior of the vehicle is specifically heated by thermal radiation using at least one surface heating element arranged on an interior component of the vehicle and having multiple heating zones. In particular, at least one surface heating element is assigned to a vehicle seat and preferably arranged near this vehicle seat, so that the surroundings of this vehicle seat in a specific area around the vehicle seat can be specifically heated or tempered using at least one surface heating element with multiple heating zones.

[0013] Any surface of an interior component of the vehicle can be provided as a receiving surface for a surface heating element with multiple heating zones. These receiving surfaces for a surface heating element with multiple heating zones are preferably oriented toward a respective occupant of the vehicle.For example, for the occupants in the rear of a vehicle, surface heating elements with multiple heating areas can be provided in the backrest part (seat back) of a front seat of the vehicle and / or surface heating elements with multiple heating areas can be provided on a door trim of a side door of the vehicle and / or surface heating elements with multiple heating areas can be provided in a footwell of the vehicle and / or surface heating elements with multiple heating areas can be provided on the instrument panel of the vehicle and / or surface heating elements with multiple heating areas can be provided on the center console of the vehicle and / or surface heating elements with multiple heating areas can be provided on the roof lining of the vehicle.

[0014] Furthermore, for a vehicle seat occupant, the current position of that occupant on the vehicle seat is determined, particularly relative to the radiant area of ​​the heating zones of the at least one surface heating element assigned to that vehicle seat. This takes into account a significant factor influencing the individual current heating requirement of a vehicle seat occupant when specifying the heating output of the respective surface heating element.

[0015] For this purpose, the sitting position and / or posture and / or the position of certain limbs of the vehicle occupant sitting on a vehicle seat are determined and taken into account when specifying the heating output of the respective surface heating element and its heating areas. For example, it is determined whether this occupant sits with their legs apart or together, or whether the occupant has their arms crossed or not, or whether the occupant sits more upright or more reclining, etc.

[0016] Furthermore, the physical characteristics or personal parameters of the vehicle occupant sitting in a vehicle seat are determined and taken into account when specifying the heating output of the respective surface heating element and its heating areas. Such physical characteristics of the vehicle occupant sitting in a vehicle seat can, if necessary, also represent relevant influencing factors on the individual current heating requirement of a vehicle occupant. In particular, the body size of the vehicle occupant sitting in a vehicle seat and / or the clothing condition of the vehicle occupant sitting in a vehicle seat can be determined and taken into account when specifying the heating output of the respective surface heating element and its heating areas.

[0017] This prevents, for example, a tall occupant of the vehicle sitting close to the surface heating elements and their heating areas due to their body size from being too warm due to the strong heating by the heating areas of the surface heating elements, and a short occupant of the vehicle sitting further away from the surface heating elements and their heating areas due to their rather small body size from being too cold due to the weak heating by the heating areas of the surface heating elements.

[0018] When taking into account the clothing condition of the vehicle occupant sitting on a vehicle seat, it can be assumed, for example, that the individual current heating requirement in the leg area is lower for a vehicle occupant wearing shorts than for a vehicle occupant wearing long trousers, or that the individual current heating requirement is greater for a vehicle occupant wearing a jacket than for a vehicle occupant without a jacket.

[0019] In order to determine the positioning of the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat and to determine the physical characteristics of the vehicle occupant, a sensor unit designed as a capacitive sensor unit and / or as an optical sensor unit and / or as a lidar sensor unit and / or as an ultrasonic sensor unit and / or as a seat occupancy sensor unit is provided, wherein a sensor unit and in particular a capacitive sensor unit can be arranged on a surface heating element or on the interior component of the vehicle accommodating a surface heating element.

[0020] When specifying the heating output of a surface heating element and in particular of the individual heating areas of the surface heating element, the specific individual situation of the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat is taken into account by taking into account the current positioning of the vehicle occupant in the vehicle seat and preferably also by taking into account the physical characteristics of the vehicle occupant in the vehicle seat. In particular, the individual heating areas of a surface heating element are controlled differently depending on the current situation of the vehicle occupant in the vehicle seat and are therefore activated or not activated, i.e. remain switched off, or their heating output is individually adjusted depending on the situation.

[0021] The heating output of the at least one surface heating element is specified by a control unit of the vehicle, by means of which the voltage and the current intensity of the respective surface heating element and in particular also of the individual heating areas of a surface heating element are regulated and / or controlled in accordance with the determined heating requirement of the respective occupant of the vehicle located on a vehicle seat, at least taking into account the occupant's positioning on the vehicle seat.

[0022] An optical sensor unit and / or a capacitive sensor unit and / or a thermal sensor unit are provided to determine the heating requirements of a vehicle occupant sitting in a vehicle seat. Using a thermal imaging camera as the thermal sensor unit for determining the heating requirements of a vehicle occupant sitting in a vehicle seat, the surface temperature of at least one illuminated body part of this occupant can be recorded.Based on the respective surface temperature of the body parts of the vehicle occupant, the heating requirement for the respective body part of the vehicle occupant can then be determined and the heating output of the heating areas of at least one surface heating element assigned to this vehicle seat can be controlled or regulated accordingly, taking into account the positioning of the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat and, if applicable, taking into account the physical characteristics of the vehicle occupant, such as their body size or clothing condition.

[0023] By means of an optical camera provided as an alternative to the thermal sensor unit or in addition to the thermal sensor unit as an optical image capture unit of an optical sensor unit for determining the heating requirement of the vehicle occupant sitting on a vehicle seat, the distance between at least one body part of this occupant and the at least one surface heating element assigned to this vehicle seat or the heating areas of the surface heating element is recorded and from this the heating requirement of this occupant is derived and in particular also the heating requirement of different body parts of this occupant. In particular, this also makes it possible to take into account that the thermal energy absorbed by the vehicle occupant depends on the distance to the radiation source and thus on the distance to a surface heating element assigned to this vehicle seat or to the heating areas of the surface heating element.As with the direct determination of the surface temperature of irradiated body parts of a vehicle occupant sitting in the vehicle seat, it can also be taken into account that different body parts of a vehicle occupant may have different heating requirements. For example, there may be significantly different heating requirements between the head area and the foot area of ​​a vehicle occupant. The heating output of the heating areas of at least one surface heating element assigned to this vehicle seat is controlled or regulated accordingly depending on this and taking into account the positioning of the vehicle occupant on the vehicle seat and, if applicable, the physical characteristics of the vehicle occupant, such as their height or clothing condition.A capacitive sensor unit is preferably provided to detect the distance between at least one body part of the vehicle occupant and the at least one surface heating element or to the heating areas of the surface heating element. This capacitive sensor unit can be arranged in a surface heating element, i.e., integrated into the surface heating element and, for this purpose, formed, for example, as a capacitive circuit in the surface heating element, or arranged on a surface heating element, or arranged in the area between a surface heating element and a vehicle seat, or integrated into a vehicle seat, or arranged on a vehicle seat.

[0024] Alternatively, sensor units using other measuring methods can also be provided to detect the distance between the at least one body part of the occupant and the at least one surface heating element or to the heating areas of the surface heating element, in particular also a combination of different such sensor units.

[0025] The surface heating elements of the vehicle's heating system and their heating areas provided in the vehicle can be part of a common heating circuit of the heating system or can be at least partially integrated into separate and thus distinct heating circuits of the heating system.

[0026] This makes it easy to control the different surface heating elements of the vehicle's heating system and, in particular, the individual heating areas of the respective surface heating elements of the vehicle's heating system individually depending on the current heating requirements of a vehicle occupant sitting on a vehicle seat.

[0027] In particular, this can also be used to specify that only those surface heating elements of the vehicle's heating system, and in particular only those heating areas of the surface heating elements, can be activated that can also reach a vehicle occupant sitting in a vehicle seat and their body parts or limbs with radiation and can thus contribute to the thermal comfort of a vehicle occupant sitting in a vehicle seat. Since the unused surface heating elements and their heating areas are inactive or remain deactivated, the resulting energy savings can also increase the efficiency of the vehicle's heating system overall.Advantageously, the invention presented can be used to achieve a high level of thermal comfort for the vehicle's occupants by taking into account different influencing factors on the current heating requirement of a vehicle occupant and the resulting predetermined heating output of the individual heating areas of surface heating elements, thus creating a pleasantly temperate environment for the vehicle's occupants.

[0028] Since the activation state and also the heating output of the individual heating areas of the surface heating elements are specified individually for the occupants of the vehicle and adequately for the respective application or the current boundary conditions in the interior of the vehicle, the interior of a vehicle can be heated very efficiently and energy-savingly, preferably in specific areas, which is of great relevance for the range of electrically powered vehicles in particular.

[0029] By taking into account key individual and characteristic factors influencing the current heating requirements of a vehicle occupant and the resulting specification of the heating output of individual heating areas, the overall heating output of the surface heating element can be reduced in many applications, which contributes to a further increase in the efficiency of the heating system.

[0030] Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment and from the drawing with the figures.

[0031] The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description, as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the two figures, can be used not only in the respective combinations specified, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the invention. The following shows:

[0032] Fig. 1 A schematic representation of the interior of a vehicle with an occupant of the vehicle in a specific seating position on a rear seat of the vehicle and

[0033] Fig. 2 Another schematic representation of the interior of a vehicle with an occupant of the vehicle in a different seating position on a rear seat of the vehicle.

[0034] Figure 1 and Figure 2 each show a schematic representation of a partial area of ​​the interior 1 of a vehicle with an occupant 2 located in the rear area 3 of the vehicle on a rear seat 4 of the vehicle.

[0035] The occupants 2 shown in Figures 1 and 2 are sitting in a different seating position on the rear seat 4 of the vehicle.

[0036] The occupant 2 shown in Figure 1 sits with his legs wide apart on the rear seat 4 of the vehicle, so that the legs 5 of the occupant 2 are also relatively far apart from each other at a fairly large distance 17 and rather in the outer area 8 of the front seat 7 of the vehicle.

[0037] The occupant 2 shown in Figure 2 sits with his legs close together on the rear seat 4 of the vehicle, so that the legs 5 of the occupant 2 are also relatively close together at a small distance 18 and rather in the central area 9 of the front seat 7 of the vehicle.

[0038] At specific positions in the interior 1 of the vehicle, surface heating elements 11 with multiple heating areas 13, 14, 15, 16 are arranged on interior components of the vehicle adjacent to the vehicle seats 4, 7 of the vehicle, the radiating surfaces of which are preferably directed towards the respective vehicle seat 4, 7 of the vehicle. In particular, for the individual heating of specific areas 10 for an occupant 2 located on the rear seat 4 of the vehicle, a surface heating element 11 with multiple heating areas 13, 14, 15, 16 is provided on the backrest 6 of the front seat 7 of the vehicle, which is integrated, for example, in the backrest tensioning part 12 in the backrest 6 of the front seat 5 of the vehicle.To individually specify the heating output for the occupant 2 on a rear seat 4 of the vehicle, for example by a control unit of the vehicle, the positioning of the occupant 2 on the rear seat 4 and in particular also the seating position of the occupant 2 on the rear seat 4 is determined, for example, among other things, the position of the legs 5 of the occupant 2 relative to the front seat 7 of the vehicle. This determination of the seating position of the occupant 2 on the rear seat 4 can be carried out, for example, by an optical camera, which is arranged, for example, in the area of ​​the vehicle roof, for example, integrated in the roof lining of the vehicle, or which is arranged in the area of ​​the center console of the vehicle.

[0039] According to Figure 1, the distance 17 between the two legs 5 of the occupant 2 on the rear seat 4 in the wide-legged sitting position is quite large, so that in order to heat the leg area of ​​the occupant 2, only the two outer heating areas 13, 15 in the area of ​​the legs 5 of the occupant 2 are activated on the surface heating element 11, for example with a heating output of the two heating areas 13, 15 of the surface heating element 11 of 200 W each. The two other heating areas 14, 16 of the surface heating element 11 are not activated, so that only the heating areas 13, 15 of the surface heating element 11 that contribute to heating the legs 5 of the occupant 2 require energy.

[0040] According to Figure 2, the distance 18 between the two legs 5 of the occupant 2 on the rear seat 4 in the close-legged seating position is quite small, so that in order to heat the leg area of ​​the occupant 2, only the middle heating area 14 in the area of ​​the legs 5 of the occupant 2 is activated in the surface heating element 11, for example with a heating output of the heating area 14 of the surface heating element 11 of 250 W. The two outer heating areas 13, 15 of the surface heating element 11 are not activated, so that only the heating area 14 of the surface heating element 11 that contributes to heating the legs 5 of the occupant 2 requires energy.

[0041] Additionally, in the illustration in Figure 2, the heating area 16 of the surface heating element 11 located in the upper part of the backrest tensioning part 12 in the backrest 6 of the front seat 5 of the vehicle is also activated, thus specifically heating the area of ​​the upper half of the body of the occupant 2 on the rear seat 4 through thermal radiation. For this purpose, for example, a heating output of the heating area 16 of the surface heating element 11 is specified at a value of 180 W.

Claims

Patent claims Method for operating a heating system of a vehicle, with at least one surface heating element (11) arranged on an interior component (7) of the vehicle and assigned to a vehicle seat (4) with a plurality of heating areas (13, 14, 15, 16), wherein the method comprises determining a sitting position and / or a posture and / or the position of the limbs of the occupant (2) of the vehicle located on a vehicle seat (4) by means of a sensor unit designed as a capacitive sensor unit and / or as an optical sensor unit and / or as a lidar sensor unit and / or as an ultrasonic sensor unit and / or as a seat occupancy sensor unit, determining the heating requirement of the occupant (2) of the vehicle located on a vehicle seat (4) by means of a further optical sensor unit and / or a capacitive sensor unit and / or a thermal sensor unit and specifying the heating output of the heating areas (13, 14, 15,16) of the surface heating element (11) assigned to the vehicle seat (4) as a function of the heating requirement of the occupant (2) of the vehicle, which is determined at least on the basis of the positioning of the occupant (2) on the vehicle seat (4), characterized in that a determination of physical properties of the occupant (2) of the vehicle located on a vehicle seat (4) is additionally included and that a specification of the heating power of the heating areas (13, 14, 15, 16) of a vehicle seat, (4) associated surface heating element (11) depending on the heating requirement determined based on the positioning of the occupant (2) on the vehicle seat (4) and the physical characteristics of the occupant (2), and further comprising the determination of the distance (8, 9) between at least one body part (5) of the occupant (2) of the vehicle and the surface heating element (11) by means of the optical sensor unit and / or the capacitive sensor unit. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the thermal sensor unit is provided for detecting the surface temperature of at least one body part (5) of the vehicle occupant (2) located on a vehicle seat (4). Method according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that a control unit of the vehicle is provided for specifying the heating power of the heating areas (13, 14, 15, 16) of the at least one surface heating element (11). Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one surface heating element (11) is provided with a plurality of heating areas (13, 14, 15, 16) is arranged on a backrest (6) of a front seat (7) of the vehicle and / or on a door trim of a side door of the vehicle and / or in a footwell of the vehicle and / or on the instrument panel of the vehicle and / or on the center console of the vehicle and / or on the roof lining of the vehicle.

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