Air conditioner for vehicle

Abstract

To provide an air conditioner for a vehicle capable of improving prediction accuracy of a period (timing) to start restricting outside air introduction in an intake unit and preventing uncomfortable odor from entering a cabin when traveling near a source of the uncomfortable odor.SOLUTION: An air conditioner for a vehicle 1 includes an intake unit 10A, and a controller 32 controlling the intake unit 10A. The intake unit 10A can switch an inside / outside air rate in a cabin between an inside air priority state where an inside air is greater in quantity than an outside air and an outside air prior state where the outside air is greater in quantity than the inside air. The controller 32 has: an odor information acquisition part 327 acquiring odor information outside the cabin on a travel route; a switch history information management part 326 recording and acquiring switch history of the inside / outside air rate; an odor state prediction part 328 predicting an odor state of the outside air on the basis of at least either the odor information or the switch history; and a switch period determination part 329 capable of determining a period to switch to the inside air priority state on the basis of a prediction result of the odor state prediction part 327.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a vehicle air conditioner, a technique for reducing malodors that enter the vehicle compartment from outside the vehicle compartment is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses a pollution information acquisition unit that acquires pollution information of outside air, an interior air determination unit that determines deterioration of the state of the interior air of the vehicle, a weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information of the traveling route of the vehicle, an outside air prediction unit that predicts pollution of outside air on the traveling route in the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the pollution information and the weather information, and a determination unit that determines control contents of outside air introduction and air purification based on the prediction result predicted by the outside air prediction unit and the weather information. When it is determined that the state of the interior air of the vehicle has deteriorated, and / or when pollution of outside air is predicted, an air conditioning control device that controls at least one of an air conditioning device, a window opening / closing unit, and an air cleaner is described.

[0004] The technique described in Patent Document 1 predicts a polluted area and a non-polluted area based on pollution information indicating whether there is a facility serving as a pollution source on the route, etc., and certain weather information around the pollution source. More specifically, based on the wind direction with respect to the pollution source and the threshold values of weather information (temperature, humidity, etc.) when the vehicle passes near the pollution source, a section where it is assumed that a person can perceive a malodor is predicted as a polluted area of outside air.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the technology (prior art) described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the prediction accuracy cannot be said to be sufficient from the viewpoint of preventing the introduction of unpleasant odors (malodors) into the vehicle interior.

[0007] Specifically, it is currently difficult to always accurately acquire and predict meteorological information (especially wind direction, wind speed, etc.) at the predicted driving location (future vehicle position) of the vehicle pinpointedly.

[0008] Moreover, even if meteorological information at the future vehicle position can be acquired pinpointedly, the comfort inside the vehicle actually depends on the perception of the occupants (whether they actually perceive the malodor). In a configuration where the state of malodor perception is predicted based on thresholds of meteorological information (wind direction, temperature, etc.), the prediction error tends to be large.

[0009] In addition, to keep the environment inside the vehicle comfortable, it is desirable to avoid introducing even a slight amount of malodor into the vehicle interior. If, like the prior art, the state of the internal air in the vehicle interior deteriorates and the state of the outside air is predicted, the prediction timing tends to be delayed, and as a result, for example, the timing to start restricting the introduction of outside air may be delayed, and there is also a risk that the introduction of malodor into the vehicle interior cannot be prevented.

[0010] In view of such circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an air conditioner for a vehicle that can improve the prediction accuracy of the timing to start restricting the introduction of outside air in the intake unit when traveling near the source of unpleasant odors, and prevent the introduction of unpleasant odors into the vehicle interior.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner including an intake unit that controls the ratio of outside air and inside air introduced into the vehicle interior (hereinafter referred to as "inside / outside air ratio"), and a control device that controls the intake unit. The intake unit can switch the inside / outside air ratio in the vehicle interior between an inside air priority state where inside air is more than outside air and an outside air priority state where outside air is more than inside air. The control device includes an odor information acquisition unit that acquires odor information outside the vehicle cabin on the driving route, a switching history information management unit that records and acquires the switching history of the inside / outside air ratio, an odor state prediction unit that predicts the odor state of the outside air based on at least one of the odor information and the switching history, and a switching timing determination unit that can determine the timing to switch to the inside air priority state based on the prediction result of the odor state prediction unit. The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner characterized by the above.

Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, when traveling near the source of unpleasant odor, it is possible to provide an excellent effect of improving the prediction accuracy of the timing (timing) to start restricting the introduction of outside air in the intake unit and preventing the introduction of unpleasant odor into the vehicle interior.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIGS. 1 to 7 are examples of embodiments of the present invention. In the figures, parts with the same reference numerals indicate parts having the same function, and duplicate descriptions in each figure are omitted as appropriate.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a vehicle air conditioner 1 (its air conditioning circuit A) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle air conditioner 1 can be applied to vehicles such as, for example, an electric vehicle (EV) not equipped with an engine (internal combustion engine) or a so-called hybrid vehicle that shares an engine and a driving electric motor. Such a vehicle is equipped with a battery 55 (for example, a lithium battery), and drives and runs by supplying the electric power charged from an external power source to the battery 55 to a motor unit 65 including a driving motor (electric motor). The vehicle air conditioner 1 is also powered from the battery 55 and driven.

[0016] The vehicle air conditioner 1 includes, for example, a refrigerant circuit R for performing heat pump operation, and heat generating devices (devices to be temperature-controlled) such as the battery 55 and the motor unit 65, and a device temperature adjustment circuit 61 for adjusting the temperature of the devices to be temperature-controlled. The device temperature adjustment circuit 61 is a heat medium circuit in which a different (separate) heat medium (for example, water) circulates, and is a parallel circuit with respect to the refrigerant circuit R via a refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger 64 described later. The vehicle air conditioner 1 selectively executes air conditioning operations such as heating operation and cooling operation by heat pump operation using the refrigerant circuit R, thereby performing air conditioning in the vehicle interior and temperature control of devices to be temperature-controlled such as the battery 55 and the motor unit 65.

[0017] The refrigerant circuit R includes an electric compressor (electric compressor) 2 that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser 4 provided in the air flow path 3 of the HVAC system 10 through which the air in the vehicle interior circulates, which serves as a heat radiating part (indoor heat exchanger, heating part) that radiates the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 and heats the air supplied to the vehicle interior, an outdoor expansion valve 6 that serves as a decompression part for decompressing and expanding the refrigerant during heating, an outdoor heat exchanger (radiator) 7 that functions as a radiator (condenser) for radiating the refrigerant during cooling and functions as an evaporator for absorbing heat from the refrigerant during heating to effect heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outside air, an indoor expansion valve 8 that serves as a decompression part for decompressing and expanding the refrigerant, and an evaporator 9 provided in the air flow path 3 that serves as a heat absorbing part for absorbing heat from the refrigerant from inside and outside the vehicle interior during cooling (dehumidification) to cool the air supplied to the vehicle interior. An accumulator 12 etc. are connected by refrigerant pipes 13A to 13H to form the circuit.

[0018] Both the outdoor expansion valve 6 and the indoor expansion valve 8 can apply electronic expansion valves. The outdoor expansion valve 6 decompresses and expands the refrigerant flowing out from the condenser 4 and flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 7, and can also be fully closed. The indoor expansion valve 8 decompresses and expands the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 9, and adjusts the heat absorption capacity of the refrigerant in the evaporator 9, that is, the cooling capacity of the passing air.

[0019] The refrigerant outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 7 and the refrigerant inlet of the evaporator 9 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 13A. A check valve 18 and an indoor expansion valve 8 are provided in the refrigerant pipe 13A in order from the outdoor heat exchanger 7 side. The check valve 18 is provided in the refrigerant pipe 13A such that the direction toward the evaporator 9 is the forward direction. The refrigerant pipe 13A branches into a refrigerant pipe 13B at a position on the outdoor heat exchanger 7 side of the check valve 18.

[0020] The refrigerant pipe 13B branched from the refrigerant pipe 13A is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the accumulator 12. The refrigerant pipe 13B is provided with a solenoid valve 21 and a check valve 20 that are opened during heating, in order from the outdoor heat exchanger 7 side. The check valve 20 is connected such that the direction toward the accumulator 12 is the forward direction. Between the solenoid valve 21 and the check valve 20 of the refrigerant pipe 13B, it branches into a refrigerant pipe 13C. The refrigerant pipe 13C branched from the refrigerant pipe 13B is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the evaporator 9. The refrigerant outlet of the accumulator 12 and the compressor 2 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 13D.

[0021] The refrigerant outlet of the compressor 2 and the refrigerant inlet of the condenser 4 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 13E. One end of a refrigerant pipe 13F is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the condenser 4, and the other end side of the refrigerant pipe 13F branches into a refrigerant pipe 13G and a refrigerant pipe 13H in front of (the refrigerant upstream side of) the outdoor expansion valve 6. One of the branched refrigerant pipes 13H is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the outdoor heat exchanger 7 via the outdoor expansion valve 6. The other branched refrigerant pipe 13G is connected between the check valve 18 and the indoor expansion valve 8 of the refrigerant pipe 13A. A solenoid valve 22 is provided on the refrigerant upstream side from the connection point of the refrigerant pipe 13G with the refrigerant pipe 13A.

[0022] Thereby, the refrigerant pipe 13G is connected in parallel to the series circuit of the outdoor expansion valve 6, the outdoor heat exchanger 7, and the check valve 18, and becomes a circuit that bypasses the outdoor expansion valve 6, the outdoor heat exchanger 7, and the check valve 18.

[0023] The HVAC system 10 houses a heat exchanger inside thereof, and an (air) intake unit 10A is provided in the air flow path 3 on the air upstream side of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is a condenser 4 that serves as an air heater and an evaporator 9 that serves as a cooler. In this example, the intake unit 10A is disposed on the air upstream side of the evaporator 9. The intake unit 10A includes, for example, each intake port of an outside air intake port and an inside air intake port (represented by the intake port 25 in FIG. 1), an intake port switching damper 26, and an indoor blower (blower fan) 27. The intake unit 10A circulates (recirculates) the inside air, which is the air inside the vehicle compartment, or introduces (introduces outside air) the outside air, which is the air outside the vehicle compartment (outside the vehicle), into the vehicle compartment by means of the intake port switching damper 26.

[0024] Here, in the present embodiment, "recirculation of inside air" means cutting off the vehicle compartment from the outside of the vehicle and circulating the air only inside the vehicle compartment. In the introduction of outside air, the outside air and the inside air are mixed. The intake unit 10A can control the ratio of the outside air and the inside air introduced into the vehicle compartment (hereinafter referred to as "inside / outside air ratio"). That is, the intake unit 10A can switch the vehicle compartment to a state where the introduction ratio of the outside air is higher than that of the inside air (for example, outside air:inside air = 8:2, etc.), which is an outside air priority state, a state where the ratio of the inside air is higher than the introduction ratio of the outside air (for example, outside air:inside air = 2:8, etc.), which is an inside air priority state, and a state where the ratio of the outside air and the inside air is substantially equal (outside air:inside air = 5:5), which is an inside / outside air equal state.

[0025] Specifically, for example, the intake unit 10A of the present embodiment has, as an air introduction mode, an outside air introduction (mixing) mode for mixing outside air and inside air, and an inside air circulation mode for circulating the inside air without introducing outside air. In the outside air introduction mode, the ratio of outside air to inside air can be set to any one of an inside air priority state, an outside air priority state, and an equal state of outside air and inside air. On the other hand, in the inside air circulation mode, the state is an inside air priority state with outside air:inside air = 0:10. In this way, by switching between the outside air introduction mode and the inside air circulation mode, the intake unit 10A appropriately mixes the inside air and the outside air, or switches to inside air circulation and introduces it into the air flow path 3 from the suction port 25. Note that the switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode (adjustment of the ratio of outside air to inside air) can also be performed by a manual operation of the user (a vehicle occupant including the driver, the same hereinafter).

[0026] The indoor blower (blower fan) 27 is provided on the air downstream side of the suction port switching damper 26, and feeds the introduced inside air or outside air to the air flow path 3. Furthermore, in the air flow path 3 on the air downstream side of the condenser 4, air outlets for FOOT (foot), VENT (vent), and DEF (defroster) (represented by the air outlet 29 in FIG. 1) are formed, and an air outlet switching damper 31 for switching and controlling the blowing of air from each of the above air outlets is provided at the air outlet 29.

[0027] In FIG. 1, an auxiliary heater 23 is provided as an auxiliary heating device. The auxiliary heater 23 is composed of, for example, a PTC heater (electric heater), and is provided in the air flow path 3 on the air downstream side of the condenser 4 with respect to the air flow in the air flow path 3. When the auxiliary heater 23 is energized and generates heat, it can supplement the heating in the vehicle interior.

[0028] In the air flow path 3 on the air upstream side of the condenser 4, an air mix damper 28 is provided for adjusting the ratio of ventilating the air (inside air or outside air) in the air flow path 3 that has flowed into the air flow path 3 and passed through the evaporator 9 to the condenser 4 and the auxiliary heater 23.

[0029] The equipment temperature adjustment circuit 61 has heat-generating equipment (such as the battery 55 and the motor unit 65) which is the equipment to be temperature-adjusted, and is configured to be thermally connectable to at least one of a heat dissipation part (the condenser 4) or a heat absorption part (the evaporator 9). The equipment temperature adjustment circuit 61 is a heat medium circuit that circulates a heat medium through the equipment to be temperature-adjusted, such as the battery 55 and the motor unit 65, to adjust the temperature of the battery 55 and the motor unit 65. Note that the motor unit 65 also includes heat-generating equipment such as an electric motor for running and an inverter circuit for driving the electric motor. Note that the equipment to be temperature-adjusted is not limited to the battery 55 and the motor unit 65, and other equipment mounted on the vehicle that generates heat can be applied.

[0030] The equipment temperature adjustment circuit 61 includes a first circulation pump 62 and a second circulation pump 63 as circulation devices for circulating a heat medium through the battery 55 and the motor unit 65, a refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger (hereinafter referred to as a "chiller heat exchanger") 64, a heat medium heater 66, an air-heat medium heat exchanger 67, a three-way valve 81 as a flow path switching device, and a heat storage tank 85.

[0031] The equipment temperature adjustment circuit 61 is configured to be connectable to the refrigerant circuit R via the chiller heat exchanger 64. In the refrigerant circuit R, one end of a branch pipe 72 as a branch circuit is connected between the connection point of the refrigerant pipe 13A and the refrigerant pipe 13G and the indoor expansion valve 8, and the other end of the branch pipe 72 is connected to the refrigerant flow path of the chiller heat exchanger 64. An auxiliary expansion valve 73 is provided in the branch pipe 72. The auxiliary expansion valve 73 decompresses and expands the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant flow path of the chiller heat exchanger 64 and can also be fully closed.

[0032] One end of a refrigerant pipe 74 is connected to the outlet of the refrigerant flow path of the chiller heat exchanger 64, and the other end of the refrigerant pipe 74 is connected between the check valve 20 of the refrigerant pipe 13B and the accumulator 12. The chiller heat exchanger 64 constitutes a part of the refrigerant circuit R and at the same time also constitutes a part of the equipment temperature adjustment circuit 61.

[0033] One end of a heat medium pipe 68A is connected to the heat medium discharge side of a chiller heat exchanger 64. The heat medium pipe 68A is provided with a heat medium heater 66, a battery 55, a first circulation pump 62, and a check valve 82 in order from the chiller heat exchanger 64 side. The other end of the heat medium pipe 68A is connected to a heat medium pipe 68B, which will be described later. The heat medium pipe 68A branches into the heat medium pipe 68B at a position closer to the chiller heat exchanger 64 than the heat medium heater 66. The other end of the branched heat medium pipe 68B is connected to the heat medium inlet of the chiller heat exchanger 64. An air-heat medium heat exchanger 67 is provided in the heat medium pipe 68B. The air-heat medium heat exchanger 67 is arranged on the leeward side of the outdoor heat exchanger 7 with respect to the flow (air duct) of outside air (air) ventilated by an outdoor blower (not shown).

[0034] A three-way valve 81 is provided on the heat medium downstream side of the air-heat medium heat exchanger 67 in the heat medium pipe 68B, and the other end of the heat medium pipe 68A is connected between the three-way valve 81 in the heat medium pipe 68B and the heat medium inlet of the chiller heat exchanger 64. A heat storage tank 85 is connected between the connection point of the other end of the heat medium pipe 68A and the heat medium pipe 68B and the heat medium inlet of the chiller heat exchanger 64. The heat medium pipe 68B branches into a heat medium pipe 68C on the heat medium upstream side of the air-heat medium heat exchanger 67 in the heat medium pipe 68B, and the other end of the branched heat medium pipe 68C is connected to the three-way valve 81. The heat medium pipe 68C is provided with a second circulation pump 63 and a motor unit 65.

[0035] As the heat medium used in the equipment temperature adjustment circuit 61, for example, water, a refrigerant such as HFO-1234yf, a liquid such as a coolant, or a gas such as air can be adopted. In this embodiment, water is adopted as the heat medium as an example. In addition, it is assumed that a jacket structure is provided around the battery 55 and the motor unit 65 so that the heat medium can circulate in a heat exchange relationship with the battery 55 and the motor unit 65.

[0036] When the first circulation pump 62 is operated, the heat medium discharged from the first circulation pump 62 flows in the order of the heat medium pipes 68A, check valve 82, heat medium pipe 68B, heat storage tank 85, the heat medium flow path of the chiller heat exchanger 64, heat medium pipe 68A, heat medium heater 66, and battery 55, and is sucked into the first circulation pump 62. In such a flow path control state, the heat medium is circulated among the battery 55, heat storage tank 85, and chiller heat exchanger 64. Also, when the three-way valve 81 is switched to a state where the inlet and the outlet on the chiller heat exchanger 64 side communicate with each other and the second circulation pump 63 is operated, the heat medium discharged from the second circulation pump 63 flows in the order of the heat medium pipe 64C, motor unit 65, three-way valve 81, heat medium pipe 68B, heat storage tank 85, the heat medium flow path of the chiller heat exchanger 64, and heat medium pipe 68B, and is sucked into the second circulation pump 63. In such a flow path control state, the heat medium is circulated among the motor unit 65, heat storage tank 85, and chiller heat exchanger 64. The heat storage tank 85 can absorb heat from the heat medium circulating in the equipment temperature adjustment circuit 61 and store heat.

[0037] When the auxiliary expansion valve 73 is open, part or all of the refrigerant flowing out from the refrigerant pipe 13G or the outdoor heat exchanger 7 flows into the branch pipe 72, is decompressed by the auxiliary expansion valve 73, then flows into the refrigerant flow path of the chiller heat exchanger 64 and evaporates. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the heat medium flowing through the heat medium flow path during the process of flowing through the refrigerant flow path of the chiller heat exchanger 64, and then is sucked into the compressor 2 through the accumulator 12.

[0038] Fig. 2 shows a schematic of the hardware configuration of the control device 32 that controls the vehicle air conditioner 1. Note that Fig. 2 shows the main configuration extracted for explaining the present embodiment, and the hardware configuration of the control device 32 includes known configurations other than the illustrated configuration, but the illustration thereof is omitted.

[0039] When the vehicle air conditioner 1 is mounted on the vehicle, the control device 32 is in charge of overall vehicle control including drive control of the motor unit 65 and charge / discharge control of the battery 55. It is connected via a vehicle communication bus to a vehicle controller (vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit)) 35, a navigation device 25, and vehicle external information communication means 40, and information is transmitted and received mutually through in-vehicle networks such as CAN (Controller Area Network) and LIN (Local Interconnect Network). The vehicle external information communication means 40 is a means capable of information communication with the vehicle. For example, it can be an information communication device provided in another vehicle, but it can also be an information communication device provided in a traffic signal, or an information communication device such as an Advanced Cruise-Assist Highway System (AHS) installed on a road (or a structure such as a building).

[0040] The control device 32 of this embodiment includes a processor (or electric circuit) 321 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a memory 322 such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), a non-volatile storage unit 323 such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive), and a communication control unit 324. The CPU 321, the memory 322, the storage unit 323, and the communication control unit 324 are communicably connected to each other via an internal bus. The storage unit 323 stores various programs and various data including an intake unit control program (odor introduction reduction control program) described later.

[0041] The control device 32 can also be connected to a server (for example, a cloud server, etc.) via the communication control unit 324 and a communication line (not shown), and can acquire various driving support information from the server.

[0042] The control device 32 is connected to various sensors (detectors) 30 and an air-conditioning operation unit 53, and their outputs are input thereto. The various sensors 30 include at least a suction port switching sensor 42 that detects the opening degree of the suction port switching damper 26, a vehicle speed sensor 45, an acceleration sensor 46, and a gyro sensor 47. Although not shown, the various sensors 30 also include, for example, an inside air temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the air (inside air) in the vehicle interior, an outside air temperature sensor that detects the outside air temperature of the vehicle, an HVAC suction temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the air sucked from the suction port 25 into the air flow path 3, a blow-out temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle interior from the blow-out port 29, an evaporator temperature sensor 48 that detects the temperature of the evaporator 9, a rotation speed detection sensor that detects the rotation speed of the compressor 2, a discharge pressure sensor that detects the discharge refrigerant pressure of the compressor 2, and other known sensors that can be controlled by the control device 32 are also connected.

[0043] On the other hand, the outputs of the control device 32 are connected to, for example, the suction port 25, the suction port switching damper 26, and the indoor blower (blower fan) 27 that constitute the intake unit 10A. Also, other components of the vehicle air-conditioning device 1 shown in FIG. 1 (not shown) such as the compressor 2, the outdoor heat exchanger 7, the blow-out port switching damper 31, and the air mix damper 28 are connected. Then, the control device 32 controls each component of the vehicle air-conditioning device 1 based on the outputs of the various sensors 30, the values input by the air-conditioning operation unit 53, and the information from the vehicle ECU 35.

[0044] The navigation device 25 has, for example, a display unit 251, a map information storage unit 252, a position acquisition unit 253, a route information generation unit 254, an audio output unit 257, a communication control unit 258, and the like.

[0045] The map information storage unit 252 stores map information (digital data) having position information, road network data used for route search by the route information generation unit 254 and position acquisition by the position acquisition unit 253, audio data used for route and other audio guidance by the audio output unit 257, and the like.

[0046] The position acquisition unit 253 receives radio waves transmitted by GPS (Global Positioning System (Satellite)) and information (signals) from various sensors 30 (for example, a vehicle speed sensor 45, an acceleration sensor 46, a gyro sensor 47, etc.) mounted on the vehicle (or the navigation device 25), and acquires the current location (position information) of the vehicle. Then, the position information acquired on the map information is corrected to the most appropriate position on the road by map matching or the like, and the map information and the current position of the vehicle are superimposed and displayed on the display unit 251.

[0047] When a destination is set by the user (hereinafter referred to as "when navigation is set"), the route information generation unit 254 uses a known algorithm such as Dijkstra's algorithm to calculate the optimal route between the points with the current location acquired by the position acquisition unit 253 as the departure point and the input point as the destination, and generates route information to the destination. The route information includes, for example, one or more route guidance information. Here, the route guidance information is information such as one or more key points (target points) on the route to the destination and information regarding each target point (position information of the target point, traveling direction at the target point, etc.), and information such as the recommended lane for traveling at the target point. The target points are, for example, the destination, intersections, bifurcations, buildings or points (landmarks), and road names.

[0048] The navigation device 25 acquires (measures) the position of the vehicle at any time at a predetermined interval by the position acquisition unit 253, and generates new route information at any time when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling on a route different from the route information at the time of navigation setting.

[0049] The voice output unit 257 is, for example, a speaker, and outputs the generated guidance information based on the voice data held in the map information storage unit 252. Also, the same content is displayed on the display unit 251 by image control as an image (display guidance) such as characters and arrows.

[0050] The navigation device 25 can transmit route information (route guidance information) to the control device 32 via the communication control unit 258. Note that the navigation device 25 has a known configuration other than those described above.

[0051] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functions of the control device 32. The control device 32 functions as an intake unit control unit 320 that controls, for example, the intake unit 10A. FIG. 2 is an example of a functional block diagram mainly when functioning as the intake unit control unit 320.

[0052] The control device 32 (intake unit control unit 320) of the present embodiment has, for example, a state acquisition unit 325, an odor information acquisition unit 327, a switching history information management unit 326, an odor state prediction unit 328, a switching timing determination unit 329, etc., and executes an odor introduction reduction control program stored in the storage unit 323, and can execute control (odor introduction reduction control) to reduce the odor introduced into the vehicle interior by controlling the intake unit 10A.

[0053] The state acquisition unit 325 constantly acquires the state of the vehicle and the outside of the vehicle at a predetermined cycle. The state of the vehicle includes, for example, the inside / outside air ratio of the intake unit 10A (the opening / closing degree of the intake port switching damper 26). The opening / closing degree of the intake port switching damper 26 is acquired based on the detection result of the intake port switching sensor 42. Further, the state acquisition unit 325 acquires the control mode of the intake unit 10A as the state of the vehicle. The control modes of the intake unit 10A include an auto mode in which the entire HVAC system 10 including the intake unit 10A is automatically controlled by the control device 32, and a manual mode in which control is performed according to the operation (manual operation) of the air conditioning operation unit 53 by the user. In the auto mode, for example, the intake port 25 and the intake port switching damper 26 are automatically controlled based on the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle and the temperature and humidity of the outside air, and the outside air introduction mode and the recirculation mode are automatically switched appropriately.

[0054] In addition, in this embodiment, as a control mode of the suction port, there is an odor introduction reduction mode for automatically reducing (suppressing) the odor introduced into the vehicle interior according to the state of the odor outside the vehicle compartment. The odor introduction reduction mode can be set in any case of the auto mode and the manual mode by a predetermined operation (turn-on operation of the odor introduction reduction mode) of the air conditioning operation unit 53 by the user. When the odor introduction reduction mode is not set (off), it becomes a suction port normal control mode that does not automatically reduce (suppress) the odor introduced into the vehicle interior.

[0055] Further, the state acquisition unit 325 acquires the position of the host vehicle, the vehicle speed, the acceleration, etc. as the state of the vehicle. The state acquisition unit 325 acquires the operating states of other HVAC systems 10, refrigerant circuits R, equipment temperature adjustment circuits 61, etc.

[0056] The switching history information management unit 326 stores the switching history of the inside / outside air ratio of the host vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "host vehicle_inside / outside air switching history") in the storage unit 323, and acquires it if there is a host vehicle_inside / outside air switching history stored in the storage unit 323. Specifically, when the opening / closing degree of at least the suction port switching damper 26 is controlled (changed) manually by the operation of the user's air conditioning operation unit 53 and the inside / outside air ratio is changed, the switching history information management unit 326 stores the inside / outside air ratio (which of the outside air introduction mode / inside air circulation mode, and the opening / closing degree of the suction port switching damper 26, etc.) in the storage unit 323 together with the location (position information) and the driving route during driving.

[0057] Specifically, when the inside / outside air ratio in the vehicle interior is changed, the switching history information management unit 326 stores, as the own vehicle's inside / outside air switching history, the position information of the switching (change) point and the new inside / outside air ratio in the storage unit 323. Further, when the inside / outside air ratio in the vehicle interior is switched from the outside air priority state to the inside air priority state, when switched from the inside air priority state to the outside air priority state, or when switched from the inside air priority state or the outside air priority state to the equal inside / outside air state, the switching history information management unit 326 stores, as the own vehicle's inside / outside air switching history, the position information of each switching point and the new inside / outside air ratio in the storage unit 323. Further, when the intake unit 10A is switched from the outside air introduction mode to the inside air circulation mode (when switched so that the inside air ratio becomes 100%), the switching history information management unit 326 stores the position information of the switching point and the fact that the intake unit 10A has been switched from the outside air introduction mode to the inside air circulation mode in the storage unit 323 as the own vehicle's inside / outside air switching history. When the intake unit 10A is switched from the inside air circulation mode to the outside air introduction mode, the switching history information management unit 326 stores the position information of the switching point and the fact that the intake unit 10A has been switched from the inside air circulation mode to the outside air introduction mode in the storage unit 323 as the own vehicle's inside / outside air switching history.

[0058] In addition, the switching history information management unit 326 stores the driving route together with the position information of the switching point in the storage unit 323 as the own vehicle's inside / outside air switching history. The driving route is the route to the destination included in the route information at the time of navigation setting, and is the predicted driving route (predicted route) when navigation is not set. The predicted route is predicted by the control device 32 for the position and route of the own vehicle in the near future in units of minutes or hours based on the driving history of the own vehicle (including date and time, day of the week, etc.) stored in the storage unit 323, the current position of the own vehicle, the direction in which the vehicle is facing, and the map information held by the navigation device 25.

[0059] In addition, when driving the own vehicle, the switching history information management unit 326 searches the information in the storage unit 323 and can acquire the own vehicle's inside / outside air switching history when there is an own vehicle's inside / outside air switching history on the driving route (that is, when there is a point where the user manually switched to the inside air priority state when driving the same driving route in the past).

[0060] The odor information acquisition unit 327 acquires odor information outside the vehicle compartment, particularly odor information outside the vehicle compartment on the driving route. The odor information outside the vehicle compartment includes map information. More specifically, the odor information is the position information of a point or facility assumed to be the source of the odor (particularly, an odor that the user feels unpleasant (bad odor), the same hereinafter) included in the map information held by the navigation device 25, and information regarding the point or facility (name, type of facility, etc.). Examples of the point or facility assumed to be the source of the odor include factories, sewage treatment facilities, waste treatment facilities, livestock breeding facilities, etc. that involve operations that generate odors.

[0061] The odor information outside the vehicle compartment also includes the switching history of the internal and external air ratio of other vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "other vehicle_internal / external air switching history"). The content of the other vehicle_internal / external air switching history is the same as the above-mentioned own vehicle_internal / external air switching history except that it is information of other vehicles. For example, when the intake unit of another vehicle is switched from the outside air introduction mode to the internal air circulation mode (when it is switched so that the internal air ratio becomes 100%), information indicating that it has been switched from the outside air introduction mode to the internal air circulation mode, the position information of the switching point, and the information of the driving route at that time are collected (accumulated) as the other vehicle_internal / external air switching history by a predetermined means. The other vehicle_internal / external air switching history may be collected and accumulated, for example, in a server (not shown) that the vehicle (own vehicle) can connect to via a communication line, or may be stored in the storage unit of the control device of the other vehicle. The odor information acquisition unit 327 of the control device 32 in the present embodiment acquires the other vehicle_internal / external air switching history held by the server via the communication control unit 324, or directly receives the other vehicle_internal / external air switching history from the other vehicle via the vehicle external information communication means 40 during driving.

[0062] The odor state prediction unit 328 predicts the odor state outside the vehicle based on the odor information acquired by the odor information acquisition unit 327 and the own vehicle's inside / outside air switching history held in the storage unit 323. Specifically, when there is a point or facility assumed to be an odor source on the driving route of the own vehicle, the odor state prediction unit 328 acquires the position information of the source (hereinafter referred to as "odor source position information"). The odor source position information is acquired before reaching the source. Specifically, for example, if it is at the time of navigation setting, the odor state prediction unit 328 acquires the odor source position information based on the map information stored in the map information storage unit 252 of the navigation device 25 at the start of driving. Also, if navigation is not set, when there is an odor source on the predicted route, it is acquired a certain distance (e.g., in kilometers) before the source.

[0063] Furthermore, the odor state prediction unit 328 assumes that the odor spreads from the source to its surroundings due to terrain, weather, etc., and identifies (predicts) the area where the odor will be perceived by the occupant (the area where it is predicted that an odor that makes the occupant feel uncomfortable is generated, hereinafter referred to as the "odor perception area").

[0064] Also, the odor state prediction unit 328 acquires the inside / outside air switching history of other vehicles estimated to have traveled on the driving route of the own vehicle, or other vehicles traveling in the oncoming lane (other vehicle inside / outside air switching history), and identifies (predicts) the odor perception area. In particular, the history of switching to the inside air priority state (preferably, the history of switching from the outside air introduction mode to the inside air circulation mode (100% inside air in terms of the outside / inside air ratio)) of the other vehicle can be estimated as the point where the occupant of the other vehicle felt an unpleasant odor and performed the inside / outside air switching. For example, even when there is no odor source as map information on the driving route of the own vehicle, there is a possibility that the odor from a source existing far away due to terrain, weather, etc. may stagnate in a certain area on the driving route. The odor state prediction unit 328 can identify (predict) the odor perception area that may exist on the driving route by acquiring the other vehicle inside / outside air switching history regardless of whether there is a source on the driving route of the own vehicle.

[0065] The odor state prediction unit 328 acquires at least one of the odor source position information and the inside / outside air switching history of other vehicles as odor information outside the vehicle compartment, and predicts the odor state of the outside air based on at least one of the odor information and the inside / outside air switching history of the host vehicle. Specifically, it predicts whether there is an odor sensing area on the driving route of the host vehicle. The prediction method of the odor state prediction unit 328 will be described later.

[0066] Based on the prediction result of the odor state prediction unit 328, the switching timing determination unit 329 determines the timing to automatically switch the inside of the vehicle compartment to the inside air priority state. More preferably, based on the odor sensing area predicted by the odor state prediction unit 328 and the driving route of the host vehicle, when there is an odor sensing area on the driving route, the switching timing determination unit 329 determines the timing before reaching the odor sensing area as the timing to switch to the inside air priority state. Note that the inside air priority state may be a state that may include outside air. Depending on the type of odor, there may be cases where the occupant does not feel uncomfortable even if a small amount of outside air is included. On the other hand, in the case of an odor that makes the occupant feel uncomfortable, even a small amount introduced into the vehicle compartment will impair the comfort of the occupant.

[0067] Hereinafter, in this embodiment, as an example, the odor state prediction unit 328 identifies the odor sensing area based on the history of switching to the inside air priority state where the inside air ratio is 100% (that is, the inside / outside air switching history of the host vehicle in which the intake unit is switched from the outside air introduction mode to the inside air circulation mode and / or the inside / outside air switching history of other vehicles), and the switching timing determination unit 329 determines the timing (inside air circulation switching timing) to switch the intake unit 10A of the host vehicle to the inside air circulation mode based on the odor sensing area.

[0068] However, not limited to this, the odor state prediction unit 328 identifies the odor sensing area based on, for example, the switching history (the inside / outside air switching history of the host vehicle and / or the inside / outside air switching history of other vehicles) of switching to the inside air priority state including outside air according to the type of the odor source, etc., and the switching timing determination unit 329 may be configured to determine the timing to switch to the inside air priority state including outside air according to the type of the odor source, etc.

[0069] When the timing of the internal air circulation switch arrives, the control device 32 performs control to switch the intake unit 10A to the internal air circulation mode.

[0070] <Prediction method by the odor state prediction unit> With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, an example of the prediction method (method for specifying the odor sensing area) by the odor state prediction unit 328 will be described. FIG. 4 is an example of the information stored in the storage unit 323. FIG. 4(A) is an example of the map information of the odor generation source (odor generation source map information a (a1 to a3 in this example)) held by the map information storage unit 252 of the navigation device 25. FIG. 4(B) is an example of the own vehicle - internal / external air switching history b (b1 to b5 in this example) held by the storage unit 323 of the control device 32. FIG. 4(C) is an example of the other vehicle - internal / external air switching history c (c1 to c10 in this example) held by the server or another vehicle.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 4(A), the odor generation source map information a includes the odor generation source position information and the facility information, etc. The facility information, etc. is the type, name, etc. of the facility, etc., and is information for predicting the type and degree of the odor that may occur.

[0072] Also, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the own vehicle - internal / external air switching history b includes the position information of the switching point of the internal / external air ratio in the own vehicle, the content of the internal / external air switching, and the information of at least the driving route R (which driving route R was the internal / external air switched while driving) near the switching point.

[0073] Also, as shown in FIG. 4(C), the other vehicle - internal / external air switching history c includes the position information of the switching point of the internal / external air ratio in the other vehicle, the content of the internal / external air switching, and the information of at least the driving route R near the switching point.

[0074] Here, in FIGS. 4(B) and 4(C), the point where the mode is switched from the outside air introduction mode to the inside air circulation mode (only when the inside air ratio is 100%) is indicated as "outside → inside (0:10)", the point where the mode is switched from the inside air circulation mode to the outside air introduction mode is indicated as "inside → outside (ratio)", and in the case of changing the outside / inside air ratio other than 100% (outside air priority or inside air priority), it is indicated as "outside:inside = ratio". Also, the other vehicle's outside / inside air switching history C includes information on a plurality of other vehicles.

[0075] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the prediction method by the odor state prediction unit 328. FIG. 5(A) is a conceptual diagram when predicting (specifying) the odor sensing region X by the first prediction method, and FIG. 5(B) is a conceptual diagram when predicting (specifying) the odor sensing region X by the second prediction method.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 5(A), the first prediction method (method for specifying the odor sensing region X) will be described. In the first prediction method, the odor source map information a, the own vehicle's outside / inside air switching history b, and the other vehicle's outside / inside air switching history c are used. First, for a certain odor source in the odor source map information a, a range with a radius r1 (indicated by the dashed circle) is specified from the odor source position information, and all the own vehicle's outside / inside air switching history b and the other vehicle's outside / inside air switching history c having the position information (coordinates) of the switching points included within that range are extracted. Then, within the range of the radius r1, the position information of the history of switching from the outside air introduction mode to the inside air circulation mode (in the example of FIG. 4, the own vehicle's outside / inside air switching history b3, b4 in FIG. 4(B) and the other vehicle's outside / inside air switching history c1, c3, c5, c6, c8, c10 in FIG. 4(C)) is made continuous, for example, by numerical prediction or the like, to specify the odor sensing region X indicated by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 5(A).

[0077] In this case, it is also associated with the facility information or the like in the odor source map information a, and the cause of the odor generation is also specified from the facility information or the like. That is, considering whether the odor from the source is unpleasant to the user and the degree of unpleasantness, etc., the range of the odor sensing region X is appropriately adjusted. Also, the radius r1 may be appropriately adjusted from the facility information or the like.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 5(B), the second prediction method (method for specifying the odor sensing region Y) will be described. The second prediction method is a method for specifying the odor sensing region Y, for example, when the odor source map information a cannot be obtained. Specifically, for example, factories, sewage treatment facilities, waste treatment facilities, livestock breeding facilities, etc. can be obtained as the odor source map information a. On the other hand, although a garbage disposal site in a residential area may not be included in the odor source map information a (map information held by the navigation device 25), it may be an area where there is a possibility of malodor generation in the vicinity. That is, although it is difficult to identify the odor source, there may be a region where the occupants feel uncomfortable by taking in odor (outside air) on the driving route. In the second prediction method, such an odor sensing region Y is specified using the in-vehicle / outside air switching history b and the other-vehicle / outside air switching history c. For example, in the vicinity of the front of the driving route R1, although the odor source map information a cannot be obtained, if there is a region Y' where the in-vehicle / outside air switching history b and / or the other-vehicle / outside air switching history c is more concentrated than in other regions, the region Y' is included, and a range with a radius r2 from its approximate center (indicated by the dashed circle) is specified. Then, all the in-vehicle / outside air switching history b and the other-vehicle / outside air switching history c having the position information of the switching points included within that range are extracted, and within the range of the radius r2, the history of switching from the outside air introduction mode to the inside air circulation mode (in the example of FIG. 4, the in-vehicle / outside air switching history b3, b4 shown in FIG. 4(B) and the other-vehicle / outside air switching history c1, c3, c5, c6, c8, c10 shown in FIG. 4(C)) is made continuous by, for example, numerical prediction, etc., to specify the odor sensing region Y shown by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 5(B).

[0079] Note that the odor sensing region may be specified by the first prediction method, or may be specified by the second prediction method, or may be specified by the second prediction method when it cannot be specified by the first prediction method.

[0080] <Method for determining the switching timing by the switching timing determination unit> Next, with continued reference to Fig. 5(A), the method for determining the internal air circulation switching timing by the switching timing determination unit 329 will be described. In Fig. 5(A), the thick solid line arrow indicates the current traveling route R1 of the host vehicle. In this case, the traveling route R1 reaches the odor sensing region X at point P1 and passes through a part of the odor sensing region X here so as to traverse it vertically. That is, if the control device 32 switches the intake unit 10A to the internal air circulation mode at point P1, there is a risk that the odor will be introduced into the vehicle interior. For this reason, the control device 32 switches to the internal air circulation mode at point PS before reaching the odor sensing region X. That is, the switching timing determination unit 329 determines the timing at which the host vehicle reaches point PS (the internal air circulation switching start point). Hereinafter, point PS will be referred to as the internal air circulation switching start point PS.

[0081] For the determination of the internal air circulation switching start point PS, among the host vehicle's inside / outside air switching history b and the other vehicle's inside / outside air switching history c used for specifying the odor sensing region X, information on the traveling route (in this case, the traveling route R6 indicated by the thick broken line) that is the same as the current traveling route R1 and / or approximates including the traveling direction is extracted. Here, the approximating traveling route means, for example, a route in which the entrance and exit of the odor sensing region X are within a predetermined distance (e.g., 1 km, 3 km, etc.) and are in the same direction, or a route in which at least 50% or 75% or 90% or more within the odor sensing region X or in a predetermined region including the odor sensing region X coincides. In the example of Fig. 4, they are the host vehicle's inside / outside air switching history b3, b4 in Fig. 4(B) and the other vehicle's inside / outside air switching history c5, c6, c8 in Fig. 4(C). Here, the other vehicle's inside / outside air switching history c1, c3, c10 are also the information used for specifying the odor sensing region X, but since their routes R2, R8 (indicated by the thick broken line) do not approximate the route R1 including the traveling direction, they are not adopted when determining the internal air circulation switching start point PS.

[0082] And, for example, when there is a history of the same driving route R1, among that information (in this example, the own vehicle's inside / outside air switching history b3, b4 and the other vehicle's inside / outside air switching history c5, c6), identify the switching position (c6 in this example) that is farthest from the odor source. Then, further determine a point (in front) that is at a predetermined distance α from there and away from the odor source as the starting point PS for the inside air circulation switch. In this example, from the intersection P1 of the driving route R1 and the odor sensing area X, the point at a distance Z1 in the front direction becomes the starting point PS for the inside air circulation switch.

[0083] Alternatively, among all the information (in this example, the own vehicle's inside / outside air switching history b3, b4 and the other vehicle's inside / outside air switching history c5, c6, c8) with a history of the same driving route R1 and a driving route R6 similar to it, identify the switching position (c8 in this example) that is farthest from the odor source, and determine the intersection (the intersection closest to the current position) of the circle (indicated by the dashed line) with a radius of the distance Z2 from the odor source and the driving route R1 as the starting point PS for the inside air circulation switch.

[0084] The control device 32 detects at any time whether the vehicle has reached the starting point PS for the inside air circulation switch based on the position of the own vehicle acquired by the state acquisition unit 325. At the timing when the position of the own vehicle reaches the starting point PS for the inside air circulation switch on the driving route R1 (the timing when the distance to the point P1 becomes the distance Z1, or the timing when the straight-line distance from the source a becomes the distance Z2), start the control to switch the intake unit 10A to the inside air circulation mode (inside air 100% in terms of the inside / outside air ratio).

[0085] By doing so, even when the control device 32 is in a state of switching the intake unit 10A during the running of the vehicle, it is possible to surely complete the switching to the inside air circulation mode before reaching the odor sensing area X, and avoid the intrusion of unpleasant odors into the vehicle interior.

[0086] Note that the method for determining the starting point PS for the inside air circulation switch is the same even when the odor sensing area Y is specified by the method shown in FIG. 5(B).

[0087] The specific method of the odor sensing region X(Y) and the method of determining the starting point PS of the internal air circulation switching described above are merely examples. In this embodiment, it is sufficient that the odor state prediction unit 328 acquires at least one of the odor source position information and the history of the inside / outside air switching of other vehicles as odor information outside the vehicle compartment, and specifies the odor sensing region X(Y) based on at least one of the odor information and the history of the inside / outside air switching of the host vehicle. Further, it is sufficient that the switching timing determination unit 329 determines the timing (starting point PS of the internal air circulation switching) for switching the intake unit 10A to the internal air circulation mode based on the odor sensing region X(Y) and the traveling route of the host vehicle.

[0088] Also, in the same manner as the determination of the starting point PS of the internal air circulation switching, the ending point PE of the internal air circulation switching (see FIG. 5(A)) after passing through the odor sensing region X(Y) is determined (determined at a position separated from the odor sensing region X(Y) by a predetermined distance), and after reaching the ending point PE of the internal air circulation switching, it may be automatically switched to the normal control mode of the intake port.

[0089] <Intake Unit Control Process> The intake unit control process of the vehicle air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIGS. 6 and 7 are flowcharts showing an example of the flow of the intake unit control process. Here, in particular, an example of the flow of the odor introduction reduction control process by executing the odor introduction reduction control program in the intake unit control process will be described. The intake unit control process shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle while the vehicle is running (while the engine is started).

[0090] Referring to FIG. 6, in step S01, the state acquisition unit 325 acquires the state of the vehicle and the outside of the vehicle compartment. The state acquisition unit 325 acquires, for example, the inside / outside air ratio (internal air circulation mode / external air introduction mode) of the intake unit 10A, the overall operation mode of the HVAC system 10 (auto mode / manual mode), the odor introduction reduction mode (on / off), the position of the host vehicle, the vehicle speed, the acceleration, and the traveling route if it is at the time of navigation setting.

[0091] In step S03, it is determined whether the overall operation mode of the HVAC system 10 is the auto mode. If it is not the auto mode, the process proceeds to step S05. If it is the auto mode, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0092] In step S05, the switching history information management unit 326 searches the information in the storage unit 323 to determine whether the vehicle interior / exterior air switching history including the points on the current driving route (for example, the driving route R1 shown in FIG. 5) is stored in the storage unit 323 of the vehicle. If the vehicle interior / exterior air switching history including the points on the driving route is stored in the storage unit 323, the switching history information management unit 326 proceeds to step S07 to acquire the vehicle interior / exterior air switching history. If the vehicle interior / exterior air switching history including the points on the driving route is not stored in the storage unit 323, the process proceeds to step S13. The driving route is the route to the destination included in the route information when the navigation is set, and in the case where the navigation is not set, it is the predicted route (predicted route) where the driving is predicted.

[0093] Separate from the intake unit control process shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the switching history information management unit 326 periodically monitors, at an arbitrary timing, the control of the opening / closing degree of the intake switching damper 26 by the user (for example, the switching operation from the outside air introduction mode to the recirculation mode, etc.). When the control of the opening / closing degree of the intake switching damper 26 by the user is performed, regardless of whether it is the auto mode or the manual mode, the position information of the point where the switching operation is performed, the control content of the intake switching damper 26, and the driving route during driving are stored in the storage unit 323 as one information group (vehicle interior / exterior air switching history) shown in FIG. 4(B).

[0094] When the switching history information management unit 326 acquires the vehicle interior / exterior air switching history in step S07, it proceeds to step S09 and notifies that the odor introduction reduction mode can be set. This notification is made, for example, via the voice output unit 257 of the navigation device 25. Specifically, for example, voices such as "The odor introduction reduction mode can be set. To set the odor introduction reduction mode, turn on the setting button." are output. Note that the odor introduction reduction mode can be set (turned on) as an initial value. If it is set as the initial value, this notification may not be made, or it may be made.

[0095] In step S11 following step S09, it is determined whether the odor introduction reduction mode is on. If it is on, the process proceeds to step S21 shown in FIG. 7. The odor introduction reduction mode may be set (for example, set at engine startup) as an initial value as described above, or the user who has received the mode setting notification in step S09 may set it to on manually after the notification. If the odor introduction reduction mode is not set (not on) in the determination of step S11, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the HVAC system 10 (intake unit 10A) is controlled in the intake normal control mode, and the process ends.

[0096] In the control in the intake normal control mode of step S15, regardless of the odor state outside the vehicle compartment, in the auto mode, the opening / closing degree of the intake damper is appropriately adjusted based on the detection results of various sensors 30 as part of the overall control of the HVAC system 10. In the manual mode, the opening / closing degree of the intake damper is appropriately adjusted according to the user's operation.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 7, in step S21 which proceeds when the determination in step S11 shown in FIG. 6 is "Yes", the odor state prediction unit 328 acquires odor information outside the vehicle cabin on the driving route. Specifically, based on the map information stored in the map information storage unit 252 of the navigation device 25, if there is a point or facility on the driving route that is assumed to be an odor generation source, the map information of the generation source (odor generation source map information, see FIG. 4(A)) is acquired, and the process proceeds to step S23.

[0098] In step S23, the odor state prediction unit 328 acquires the inside / outside air switching history (other vehicle_inside / outside air switching history) of other vehicles estimated to have traveled on the driving route of the host vehicle or other vehicles traveling in the oncoming lane, and proceeds to step S25. In this way, the odor state prediction unit 328 acquires at least one of the odor generation source map information and the other vehicle_inside / outside air switching history as the odor information outside the vehicle cabin.

[0099] In step S25, based on at least one of the acquired odor information and the host vehicle_inside / outside air switching history, the odor state of the outside air is predicted. Specifically, the odor sensing region X or the odor sensing region Y (see FIG. 5) on the driving route of the host vehicle is specified.

[0100] In step S27, for example, the switching timing determination unit 329 determines whether there is an odor sensing region on the driving route (whether passing through the odor sensing region). If there is (if passing through), the process proceeds to step S29; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S37.

[0101] In step S29, the switching timing determination unit 329 determines the inside air circulation switching start point PS (the distance Z1 from the nearest odor sensing region on the driving route to the current position of the host vehicle), which is the start position of the switching control to the inside air circulation mode, based on the prediction result (specified odor sensing region) of the odor state prediction unit 328 and the host vehicle_inside / outside air switching history and / or the other vehicle_inside / outside air switching history, and proceeds to step S31. In step S31, it is determined whether the position of the host vehicle has reached the inside air circulation switching start point PS. If not, step S31 is repeatedly executed; if so, the process proceeds to step S33.

[0102] In step S33, it is determined whether the opening / closing degree of the intake port switching damper 26 has been manually operated by the user. If it has been operated, the process proceeds to step S37; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S35.

[0103] In step S35, the control device 32 executes odor introduction reduction control and ends the process. In the odor introduction reduction control, the intake unit 10A is set to the internal air circulation mode. That is, when the intake unit 10A is in the outside air introduction mode, the switching process to the internal air circulation mode is ended.

[0104] In step S37, the HVAC system 10 (intake unit 10A) is controlled in the normal intake port control, and the process ends. Also, for example, in step S37, when the control device 32 is about to execute the odor introduction reduction control and a user operation occurs, it may be possible to provide voice guidance to end the odor introduction reduction process. Also, as a result of the voice guidance, it may be possible to request the user to make a decision on whether to execute the odor introduction reduction process. Alternatively, it may be possible to forcibly switch to the auto mode.

[0105] Although not shown in the figure, in the same way as the determination of the internal air circulation switching start point PS, for example, after passing through the odor sensing region X(Y) in step S29 or the like, the internal air circulation switching end point PE is determined, and it is also determined whether the internal air circulation switching end point PE has been reached in step S31 or the like. When the internal air circulation switching end point PE has been reached, it is desirable to shift to step S37 and switch to the normal intake port control mode.

[0106] In the intake unit control process described above, if an interruption occurs due to a manual operation by the user (such as an operation of the opening / closing degree of the intake port switching damper 26) during the process, the manual operation takes precedence. For example, if the internal air circulation mode is manually switched before reaching the internal air circulation switching start point PS, the operation takes precedence.

[0107] Also, even when set to manual mode, if the odor introduction reduction mode is turned on (step S11), it automatically switches to the internal air circulation mode at the timing when the internal air circulation switching start point PS is reached.

[0108] Although it is repetitive, the intake unit control process (especially the odor introduction reduction control process) shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. For example, after specifying the odor detection area and determining the internal air circulation switching start point PS, if the driving route is changed, or when there is no odor detection area on the driving route, multiple controls can be considered according to the cycle at which the intake unit control process is executed.

[0109] For example, when the cycle of the intake unit control process is short, the determination in step S27 of the next cycle will be "No", and the HVAC system 10 (intake unit 10A) will be controlled in the normal suction port control mode.

[0110] On the other hand, when the cycle is long, in the processes shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, for example, even when there is no odor detection area on the driving route, the odor introduction reduction mode remains on as it is. However, since, for example, the timing (the time until reaching the internal air circulation switching start point PS) when reaching the internal air circulation switching start point PS is determined in step S31, a notification may be made that the odor introduction reduction mode is switched on at this timing to prompt the user's operation.

[0111] Note that the cycle of the intake unit control process can be shortened by, for example, performing calculations of specifying the odor detection area and determining the internal air circulation switching start point PS in the server.

[0112] Also, the switching history information management unit 326 may accumulate the position information of the point automatically switched to the internal air circulation mode by the control device 32 of the present embodiment as the own vehicle - internal / external air switching history.

[0113] As described above, as long as the configuration has the HVAC system 10 including the intake unit 10A, the configuration of the vehicle air conditioner 1 is not limited to the above example. Further, the heat exchangers (cooler and heater) of the HVAC system 10 may be heat exchangers of the refrigerant circuit R or heat exchangers of the heat medium circuit.

[0114] As described above, according to the present embodiment, based on the odor information (map information and / or other vehicle - inside / outside air switching history) on the driving route and the own vehicle - inside / outside air switching history, the odor state is predicted and switched to the inside - air - priority state (preferably to the inside - air circulation mode).

[0115] By combining the switching history of the inside / outside air ratio of the own vehicle traveling on the driving route and the odor information, the accuracy of the timing for detecting an odor can be improved. Also, at an appropriate timing, that is, before the occupant detects an odor, it is possible to switch to the inside - air circulation mode that can suppress the introduction of unpleasant odors, thereby improving the comfort of the occupant.

[0116] Further, based on the odor information and the switching history of the inside / outside air ratio, by switching to the inside - air circulation mode (inside air 100% in terms of the inside / outside air ratio) before reaching the odor detection area, it is possible to block (suppress) the introduction of outside air before the occupant feels a bad odor, thereby improving the comfort inside the vehicle cabin.

[0117] Also, the own vehicle - inside / outside air switching history is a history in which the occupant of the own vehicle switches to the inside - air circulation mode based on their own sense (olfactory sense). Although the sense of smell (degree of feeling an odor) varies from person to person, it is possible to perform inside / outside air switching control that reflects the sense of smell of the occupant (driver) with respect to the odor information.

[0118] Also, in order to predict the odor state by acquiring the other vehicle - inside / outside air switching history, even when the own vehicle - inside / outside air switching history is not stored on the first driving route or the like, it is possible to effectively predict the odor state.

[0119] In addition, by setting the internal air circulation mode only in the specified odor detection area and returning to the normal intake port control mode after passing through the odor detection area, it is possible to prevent the introduction of malodors and prevent the odor from becoming stagnant due to internal air circulation in areas where no malodor is generated, thus providing a comfortable cabin space for the passengers.

[0120] The spread of odors varies greatly depending on, for example, the terrain and weather, and it is difficult to suppress the introduction of unpleasant odors based solely on map information (distance to the source). In this embodiment, by combining the map information with the vehicle's internal / external air switching history and the other vehicle's internal / external air switching history, the passengers' senses (sense of smell) can be reflected in the prediction (specification) of the area where the odor spreads (periodic detection area). Instead of predicting whether it is in a state of detecting malodors based on the threshold of meteorological information (whether it has been exceeded) as in the prior art, the prediction is made by reflecting the passengers' physical sensations, so the prediction accuracy can be improved at each stage.

[0121] In addition to the odor information (map information and / or the other vehicle's internal / external air switching history) and the vehicle's internal / external air switching history, information such as seasonal information and meteorological information (wind direction, wind direction, temperature, humidity, etc.) may be added to predict the odor state. In that case, it is desirable to obtain the meteorological information as (local) real-time information around the vehicle or on the driving route as much as possible. Also, the other vehicle's internal / external air switching history and the vehicle's internal / external air switching history may be updated for each season and the switching history according to the season may be referred to.

[0122] Note that the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0123] 1 Vehicle air conditioner 2 Compressor (electric compressor) 3 Air flow path 4 Heat dissipation part 6 Outdoor expansion valve (pressure reducing part) 7 Outdoor heat exchanger (radiator) 8 Indoor expansion valve 9 Heat Absorbing Section (Evaporator) 10 HVAC System 10A Intake Unit 12 Accumulator 13A - 13H Refrigerant Pipes 25 Navigation Device 26 Suction Port Switching Damper 27 Indoor Blower (Blower Fan) 28 Air Mixing Damper 29 Air Outlet 30 Various Sensors 31 Air Outlet Switching Damper 32 Control Device 35 Vehicle ECU 42 Suction Port Switching Sensor 53 Air Conditioning Operation Unit 61 Heat Medium Circuit 251 Display Unit 252 Map Information Storage Unit 253 Position Acquisition Unit 254 Route Information Generation Unit 257 Voice Output Unit 258 Communication Control Unit 320 Intake Unit Control Unit 324 Communication Control Unit 325 State Acquisition Unit 327 Switching History Information Management Unit 328 Odor State Prediction Unit 329 Switching Timing Determination Unit

Claims

1. An intake unit that controls the ratio of outside air and inside air introduced into the vehicle interior (hereinafter referred to as "inside / outside air ratio"), and a vehicle air conditioner including a control device that controls the intake unit, wherein the intake unit can switch the inside / outside air ratio in the vehicle interior between an inside-air-priority state in which the inside air is more than the outside air and an outside-air-priority state in which the outside air is more than the inside air, the control device includes an odor information acquisition unit that acquires odor information outside the vehicle on the driving route, a switching history information management unit that records and acquires the switching history of the inside / outside air ratio, an odor state prediction unit that predicts the odor state of the outside air based on at least one of the odor information and the switching history, and a switching timing determination unit that can determine the timing to switch to the inside-air-priority state based on the prediction result of the odor state prediction unit. A vehicle air conditioner characterized by the above.

2. The switching history is a history of the points where the inside-air-priority state was switched when the vehicle traveled the driving route in the past. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The odor information includes map information. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

4. The odor information includes the other switching history of other intake units in other vehicles. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

5. The odor state prediction unit identifies an odor sensing area where odor is predicted to occur, and the switching timing determination unit determines the timing to switch to the inside-air-priority state based on the odor sensing area and the driving route. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

6. The odor state prediction unit identifies an odor sensing area where odor that is predicted to make the occupants feel uncomfortable is predicted to occur based on at least the map information, and the switching timing determination unit determines the timing to switch to the inside-air-priority state based on the odor sensing area and the driving route. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized by the above.

7. When the odor sensing area exists on the driving route, the switching timing determination unit determines the timing before reaching the odor sensing area as the timing to switch to the inside-air-priority state. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterized by the above.

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