Method and system for managing the temperature of a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle and motor vehicle comprising such a system

Abstract

A method for managing the temperature of a motor vehicle's passenger compartment includes: monitoring (21) the open or closed position of a motor vehicle opening when the motor vehicle's air conditioning is in operation; upon detection (23) that the motor vehicle opening is in the open position; stopping (25) the operation of the air conditioning. A computer program product implementing the method, a temperature management system, and a motor vehicle including the system are also described. Figure to be published with the abbreviation: Fig 2

Description

Title of the invention: Method and system for managing the temperature of a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle and motor vehicle comprising such a system technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a method for managing the temperature of a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle and to a motor vehicle comprising such a system. State of the art

[0002] Whether for ecological or economic reasons, reducing energy consumption is a permanent issue for motor vehicle manufacturers, as well as for their users.

[0003] Apart from the motor, one of the most energy-intensive areas concerns the management of the temperature of the passenger compartment and in particular the air conditioning used to cool the passenger compartment when outside temperatures are high.

[0004] It is therefore important that air conditioning be used appropriately. However, it is often observed that users encounter difficulties in optimizing the operation of their vehicle's air conditioning.

[0005] There is therefore a real need to help these users. Description of the invention

[0006] To resolve one or more of the aforementioned drawbacks, according to a first embodiment, a method for managing the temperature of a motor vehicle's passenger compartment comprises: • monitoring the open or closed position of a motor vehicle opening when the motor vehicle's air conditioning is in operation; • upon detection that the opening of the motor vehicle is in the open position; • Air conditioning system stopped working.

[0007] Thus, stopping the air conditioning when the opening is in the open position allows for advantageous energy savings.

[0008] Specific features or embodiments, usable alone or in combination, are: • the air conditioning system is only switched off when the opening is detected in the open position for a predetermined period; • when the motor vehicle is in motion and the opening is detected in the open position, a comparison of energy consumption is carried out between a situation with the opening closed and the air conditioning in operation and a situation with the opening open and the air conditioning off, the method further including a presentation of the most energy-efficient situation to the vehicle user; • the comparison of energy consumption takes into account the speed of the vehicle; • The energy consumption comparison takes into account the temperature outside the vehicle; and / or • The presentation of the most energy-efficient situation is only carried out when the situation with the opening closed and the air conditioning in operation is the most energy-efficient situation.

[0009] In a second embodiment, a computer program product downloadable from a communication network and / or recorded on a computer-readable medium and / or executable by a processor, is characterized in that it includes program code instructions for the implementation of the above process.

[0010] In a third embodiment, a temperature management system for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle comprises: • a sensor for the open or closed position of a vehicle opening; and • a detector / actuator for the operation of a vehicle's air conditioning system; connected to • a suitable controller to, when the opening of the motor vehicle is in the open position and the air conditioning is detected to be in operation, send a command to stop the operation of the air conditioning to the actuator.

[0011] In a fourth embodiment, a motor vehicle includes a system according to the third embodiment. Brief description of the figures

[0012] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, given solely by way of example, and with reference to the figures in the appendix in which: • [Fig.1] represents a side view of a vehicle including a temperature management system according to a first embodiment; • [Fig.2] represents a flowchart of the system's operation [Fig.l]; • [Fig.3] represents a flowchart of a first variant of the implementation; • [Fig. 4] shows a side view of a vehicle including a temperature management system according to a second embodiment; and • [Fig.5] represents a flowchart of the operation of the second variant of [Fig.4]. Methods of implementation

[0013] The embodiments presented below refer to a motor vehicle, a car. However, those skilled in the art understand that they are also applicable to other types of vehicles such as vans, trucks, etc.

[0014] The terms "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "transverse" are understood in relation to the vehicle. When they apply to a component, they refer to the component integrated into the vehicle.

[0015] With reference to [Fig.1], a motor vehicle 1 includes an opening 3 illustrated here by a door window in a semi-open position.

[0016] Associated with this window 3, an opening detector 5 is connected to a controller 7 and transmits to it the information on the open or closed state of the window 3. In this described embodiment, the detector 5 considers that the window 3 is in the open position in all positions of the latter other than the closed position, for example when the window is half lowered as illustrated with [Fig.1].

[0017] The controller 7 of vehicle 1 is an advanced driver-assistance system, commonly called ADAS (for "Advanced Driver-Assistance System"), which makes all driving decisions based on the environment and the programmed destination. The motor vehicle is then described as an autonomous vehicle. However, it can also be a centralized vehicle management system that may or may not include driver assistance systems, or a subset thereof focused on temperature management.

[0018] Data transfer between the different elements is carried out by a CAN (for "Controller Area Network" in English, i.e. "controller area network") or LIN (for "Local Interconnect Network" in English, i.e. "Local interconnect network" in French) type data bus.

[0019] The controller 7 is connected to a detector / actuator 9 of the operation of an air conditioning unit of the motor vehicle 1. The detector / actuator 9 may include an air conditioning power switch or be integrated into the air conditioning control board.

[0020] The operation of the temperature management system is as follows, [Fig.2].

[0021] If the air conditioning of the motor vehicle is detected, step 21, in operation by the detector 9, the sensor 5 monitors, step 23, the open or closed position of the window 3;

[0022] If the opening of the motor vehicle is detected in the open position, then the controller 7 sends, step 25, a command to stop the air conditioning to the actuator 9;

[0023] Figure 1 illustrates a system according to certain embodiments. The breakdown presented is for pedagogical purposes to highlight the different functions. However, it is understood that each block can be implemented using different means or combinations thereof, such as hardware components, software, one or more computers, and / or electronic circuits. Each component may include at least one computer or a control unit. At least one memory may be included in each component. The memory may include computer program instructions or software code.

[0024] The computers can be implemented by any type of data processing device, such as a central processing unit, a signal processing unit, a specific application integrated circuit, a programmable gate network, etc. The computers can be implemented in the form of a single controller, or a plurality of controllers or computers.

[0025] The different modules are connected to each other by data links adapted to the environment. These can be wired or wireless.

[0026] For the software, the implementation may comprise modules or units distributed in the form of procedures, functions, etc. The memories may be any type of storage circuit. They may be part of the processor circuit, or separate from it and connected via electrical data links. These may be non-volatile memories, hard drives, RAM, flash memory, etc.

[0027] Furthermore, the program instructions stored in memory and processed by the computers can be any type of program code, for example, a compiled or interpreted program written in a suitable programming language.

[0028] The computer program instructions stored in memory are such that, when executed by the computer, the latter carries out one or more of the steps of the processes described above.

[0029] The invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the preceding description. This description is to be considered illustrative and given by way of example and not as limiting the invention to this single description. Numerous embodiments are possible.

[0030] In a first embodiment, [Fig. 3], a time delay, step 31, is triggered by the detection of the open window 3, step 23. At the end of the time delay, if the window is still detected in the open position, step 33, then the air conditioning is stopped, step 25; otherwise, the process returns to the monitoring step 23. The time delay is of a predetermined duration chosen to avoid stops followed by rapid restarts which These features reduce the use of air conditioning and tend to lead to increased energy consumption. For example, the duration can be set from 1 to 5 minutes. This allows, for instance, the user to lower their window to pay a toll or parking fee without turning off the air conditioning.

[0031] In a second variant, [Fig.4], the system further includes, connected to the controller 7, a thermometer 41 for measuring the temperature outside the vehicle and a sensor 43 for the speed of the vehicle.

[0032] The controller 7 is also connected to an interface 45 which allows in particular for information to be communicated to the user by visual or audible means.

[0033] The system then includes the following additional steps, [Fig.5].

[0034] In step 51, the controller calculates energy consumption for two situations: a first situation with the air conditioning off and the window open, and a second situation with the air conditioning on and the window closed. This calculation is performed using the vehicle speed and the outside temperature of the vehicle as input parameters, and optionally the air conditioning setpoint temperature.

[0035] At step 53, it compares the two results and if the calculation shows that the second situation is more energy-efficient, it sends a message, step 55, to interface 45 to advise the user to close the window and turn on the air conditioning.

[0036] Indeed, above a certain speed, the turbulence generated by open windows creates aerodynamic braking forces which increase the consumption of propulsion energy, this increase in consumption being able to become greater than the consumption of air conditioning.

[0037] Considering the outside temperature, when it is very high, it may conversely be more advantageous to create cooling by convection by leaving the windows open.

[0038] This calculation can be prepared during vehicle development using simulations and modeling so that the controller is limited to reading a two-input table, outside temperature and speed.

[0039] In the embodiment described above, it is stated that the window is considered to be in the open position, regardless of its degree of opening. It is also possible to consider different degrees of opening and to define an opening threshold above which the system considers the window to be open. For example, the system may consider a window that is open with a gap of a few millimeters to be in the closed position.

[0040] The opening may be another element of the motor vehicle than a window, if this element can have a closed position and an open position to the outside during the operation of the motor vehicle. For example, the opening could be a sunroof.

Claims

Demands

1. Method of managing the temperature of a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle (1) comprising: • monitoring (21) of the open or closed position of a motor vehicle opening when a motor vehicle air conditioning system is in operation; • on detection (23) that the motor vehicle opening is in the open position; • stopping (25) the operation of the air conditioning system wherein the stopping of the operation of the air conditioning system is effected only when the opening is detected in the open position for a predetermined time (33).characterized in that, when the motor vehicle is in motion and the opening is detected in the open position, an energy consumption comparison is carried out (51, 53) between a situation with the opening closed and the air conditioning in operation and a situation with the opening open and the air conditioning off, the method further comprising a presentation (55) of the most energy-efficient situation to the vehicle user.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the comparison of energy consumption takes into account the speed of the vehicle.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the comparison of energy consumption takes into account the temperature outside the vehicle.

4. Method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the presentation of the most energy-efficient situation is only achieved when the situation with the opening closed and the air conditioning in operation is the most energy-efficient situation.

5. Product computer program downloadable from a communication network and / or recorded on a computer-readable medium and / or executable by a processor, characterized in that it includes program code instructions for implementing the method according to any one of the preceding claims.

6. A motor vehicle passenger compartment temperature management system (1) comprising:

7. • a sensor (5) for the open or closed position of an opening of the motor vehicle; and • a detector / actuator (9) for the operation of a motor vehicle's air conditioning system; connected to • a controller (7) adapted to, when the opening of the motor vehicle is in the open position and the air conditioning is detected to be in operation, send a command to stop the operation of the air conditioning to the actuator. Motor vehicle comprising a system according to claim 6.

Images