Vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle that is configured so that energy consumed by a heating device can be saved.SOLUTION: A vehicle comprises: an air conditioner that heats air in a vehicle; a local heater that locally heats a person on board seated on a seat; a control part that controls the air conditioner and the local heater; and a seating sensing part that senses seating of the person on board on the seat. When local heaters are provided on all seating seats sensed by the seating sensing part, the locale heaters are prompted to be used.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In order to contribute to carbon neutrality, decarbonization, sustainable development goals (SDGs), etc., reduction of energy consumption is also required in vehicles.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle heating device including a radiation heating device that warms the calves of passengers by radiant heat in addition to an air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as an air conditioner) in order to reduce energy consumption by heating.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] A vehicle includes, as heating equipment, a local heater such as a seat heater, a steering heater, a radiation heater, etc. in addition to an air conditioner. Since the air conditioner warms the entire interior of the vehicle, when only the driver is in the vehicle, for example, using a local heater instead of the air conditioner may save actual energy consumption.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a vehicle capable of reducing energy consumption by heating equipment.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A vehicle according to an aspect of the present disclosure is an air conditioner that warms the air inside the vehicle, and A local heater for locally warming a passenger seated on a seat, a control unit for controlling the air conditioner and the local heater, and a seating detection unit for detecting the seating of a passenger on the seat. When the local heater is provided on all the seated seats detected by the seating detection unit, it promotes the use of the local heater.

[0008] In the vehicle according to the present disclosure, when the local heater is provided on all the seated seats detected by the seating detection unit, the use of the local heater is promoted. Therefore, the energy consumption by the heating equipment in the vehicle can be reduced.

[0009] The local heater may include any one of a steering heater for warming a steering wheel, a seat heater provided inside the seat, and a radiation heater for warming a passenger sitting on the seat with radiant heat.

[0010] When the local heater is provided on all the seated seats detected by the seating detection unit, it further includes an environmental contribution degree evaluation unit for evaluating the environmental contribution degree based on the actual energy consumption by the air conditioner and the local heater, and the environmental contribution degree may be set higher as the actual energy consumption is smaller. With this configuration, by making the user aware of the environmental contribution degree that is set higher as the actual energy consumption by the heating equipment is smaller, the energy consumption by the heating equipment can be reduced.

[0011] The environmental contribution degree evaluation unit may give more incentives to the user as the environmental contribution degree is higher. With this configuration, as the actual energy consumption by the heating equipment is smaller, the environmental contribution degree becomes higher, and more incentives are given to the user, so the energy consumption by the heating equipment can be reduced.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the present disclosure, a vehicle capable of reducing energy consumption by a heating device can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. Also, for clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are simplified as appropriate.

[0015] (First Embodiment) <Configuration of the Vehicle> First, with reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of a vehicle according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle according to the present embodiment includes an air conditioner 10, a local heater 20, a control unit 30, and a seating sensor 40. Here, the air conditioner 10 and the local heater 20 are heating devices, and the local heater 20 includes a steering heater 21, a seat heater 22, and a radiant heater 23. Note that the vehicle is not limited to an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, etc. that can be driven by electricity, and may also be an engine vehicle that can be driven by an engine.

[0016] The air conditioner 10 is a heating device that warms the air inside the vehicle. More specifically, the air conditioner 10 circulates the warmed air inside the vehicle to bring the temperature of the entire vehicle interior closer to the set temperature. The set temperature of the air conditioner 10 is input, for example, by a passenger to the control unit 30.

[0017] The local heater 20 is a heating device that locally warms a passenger sitting on the seat. The use of the local heater 20 to locally warm a passenger sitting on the seat can suppress energy consumption compared to the use of the air conditioner 10 that warms the entire air inside the vehicle.

[0018] Therefore, by using the local heater 20 instead of the air conditioner 10, energy consumption can be suppressed. Alternatively, by using the air conditioner 10 and the local heater 20 in combination and lowering the set temperature of the air conditioner 10, overall energy consumption can be suppressed. Note that the local heater 20 does not necessarily include all of the steering heater 21, seat heater 22, and radiation heater 23 shown in FIG. 1, and may include any one of them.

[0019] The steering heater 21 is built into the steering wheel and warms the steering wheel. Therefore, it is possible to warm the palm of the driver who holds the steering wheel, that is, the passenger sitting in the driver's seat.

[0020] The seat heater 22 is provided inside the seat and warms the seat. Therefore, it is possible to locally warm the buttocks of the passenger sitting on the seat. The seat heater 22 is provided, for example, on the driver's seat and the front passenger seat, but may be provided only on the driver's seat or may also be provided on the rear seats.

[0021] The radiation heater 23 warms a passenger sitting on the seat with radiant heat. The radiation heater 23 is installed, for example, to warm the feet of a passenger sitting on the driver's seat or the front passenger seat. The radiation heater 23 is provided, for example, on the driver's seat and the front passenger seat, but may be provided only on the driver's seat or may also be provided on the rear seats.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 30 controls the air conditioner 10 and the local heater 20 (steering heater 21, seat heater 22, and radiation heater 23). Here, although not shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 30 includes an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which various programs, various data, etc. are stored. That is, the control unit 30 has the function of a computer and controls the air conditioner 10 and the local heater 20 based on the above various programs and the like.

[0023] Therefore, as hardware, the control unit 30 shown in FIG. 1 can be composed of the above CPU, memory, and other circuits. Also, as software, the control unit 30 can be realized by a program stored in the memory or the like. That is, the control unit 30 can be realized in various forms by hardware, software, or a combination of both.

[0024] The seating sensor 40 is a seating detection unit that detects the seating of passengers in each seat (driver's seat, passenger seat, and each rear seat). The seating sensor 40 is not limited in any way and can be, for example, a load sensor, a photoelectric sensor, a camera, etc. As shown in FIG. 1, the detection result by the seating sensor 40 is input to the control unit 30.

[0025] The control unit 30 determines whether or not a local heater 20 (that is, any one of the steering heater 21, the seat heater 22, and the radiant heater 23) is provided in all the seated seats detected by the seating sensor 40. And as shown in FIG. 1, when a local heater 20 is provided in all the seated seats, the control unit 30 outputs a notification prompting the use of the local heater 20.

[0026] The notification prompting the use of the local heater 20 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, displayed on a display unit (not shown) provided on the instrument panel in the vehicle and notified to the passengers. Alternatively, the notification may be notified to the passengers by voice, for example.

[0027] As a specific example, consider a vehicle in which local heaters 20 are provided for the driver's seat and the front passenger seat, and no local heater 20 is provided for the rear seats. When a passenger is seated only in the driver's seat where the local heater 20 is provided or in the driver's seat and the front passenger seat, the control unit 30 outputs a notification prompting the use of the local heater 20. On the other hand, when a passenger is also seated in the rear seats where no local heater 20 is provided, the control unit 30 does not output a notification prompting the use of the local heater 20.

[0028] As described above, in the vehicle according to the present embodiment, when local heaters 20 are provided for all the seated seats detected by the seating sensor 40, the use of the local heaters 20 is promoted instead of the air conditioner 10. As described above, the use of the local heaters 20 can suppress energy consumption compared to the use of the air conditioner 10. Therefore, by using the local heaters 20 instead of the air conditioner 10, energy consumption can be suppressed. Alternatively, by using the air conditioner 10 and the local heaters 20 in combination and lowering the set temperature of the air conditioner 10, the overall energy consumption can be suppressed. That is, by promoting the use of the local heaters 20, the energy consumption by the heating equipment in the vehicle can be reduced.

[0029] (Second Embodiment) Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration of the vehicle according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle according to the present embodiment includes an environmental contribution degree evaluation unit 50 and a temperature sensor 60 in addition to the air conditioner 10, the local heaters 20, the control unit 30, and the seating sensor 40 shown in FIG. 1.

[0030] In the vehicle according to this embodiment, when the local heater 20 is provided in all seating positions, as shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 30 acquires the actual energy consumption by the air conditioner 10 and the local heater 20. Here, the actual energy consumption by the local heater 20 is the sum of the actual energy consumptions by the steering heater 21, the seat heater 22, and the radiation heater 23. Then, the control unit 30 outputs the actual energy consumption by the air conditioner 10 and the local heater 20 to the environmental contribution degree evaluation unit 50.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, the environmental contribution degree evaluation unit 50 evaluates the environmental contribution degree based on the actual energy consumption by the air conditioner 10 and the local heater 20, and outputs it to, for example, a display unit (not shown) inside the vehicle. Here, the smaller the actual energy consumption, the higher the environmental contribution degree is set. The temperature sensor 60 measures the temperature inside the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature inside the vehicle measured by the temperature sensor 60 is input to the environmental contribution degree evaluation unit 50.

[0032] In the environmental contribution degree evaluation unit 50 shown in FIG. 2, based on the temperature inside the vehicle measured by the temperature sensor 60 at the time of starting the vehicle system and a predetermined set temperature (for example, 25°C, etc.) of the air conditioner 10 determined in advance for evaluating the environmental contribution degree, the reference energy consumption is determined. For example, the energy consumption of the air conditioner 10 required to raise the temperature inside the vehicle from the temperature inside the vehicle measured at the time of starting the vehicle system to the set temperature and maintain the temperature inside the vehicle at the set temperature until the system shuts down is used as the reference energy consumption.

[0033] Therefore, the smaller the actual energy consumption and the larger the difference from the reference energy consumption, the higher the environmental contribution degree of the user (e.g., the driver) output by the environmental contribution degree evaluation unit 50. With this configuration, the smaller the actual energy consumption by the heating device, the more the user can be made aware of the high environmental contribution degree set, and the energy consumption by the heating device in the vehicle can be reduced. Specifically, for example, when using the local heater 20 instead of the air conditioner 10, the actual energy consumption becomes smaller and the environmental contribution degree becomes higher. Note that if neither the air conditioner 10 nor the local heater 20 is used, the actual energy consumption becomes zero and the environmental contribution degree becomes the highest.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the environmental contribution degree evaluation unit 50 gives more incentives (e.g., points, cashback) to the user as the evaluated environmental contribution degree is higher, and outputs them to a display device (not shown) in the vehicle together with the environmental contribution degree, for example. Although not limited in any way, the incentives can be used, for example, when the user repairs the vehicle, when the user purchases vehicle parts, or when the user rents the vehicle.

[0035] In this way, the smaller the actual energy consumption by the heating device, the higher the environmental contribution degree, and more incentives are given to the user, so the energy consumption by the heating device can be reduced.

[0036] Note that the environmental contribution degree evaluation unit 50 may be included in the control unit 30. Although not shown, the environmental contribution degree evaluation unit 50 also includes, for example, an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a storage unit such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which various programs and data are stored. That is, the environmental contribution degree evaluation unit 50 has a function as a computer and executes an evaluation process based on the above various programs and the like.

[0037] Further, the environmental contribution degree and incentives may be transmitted from the environmental contribution degree evaluation unit 50 to the server of the vehicle manufacturer (not shown). The vehicle manufacturer can confirm the environmental contribution degree and incentives of each user. The user can access the server from a user terminal such as a mobile communication terminal (smartphone, tablet terminal), PC (Personal Computer), etc., and confirm the environmental contribution degree and incentives. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0038] Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist thereof. In addition, the present disclosure contributes to reducing energy consumption in vehicles and achieving carbon neutrality, decarbonization, and sustainable development goals (SDGs: Sustainable Development Goals).

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0039] 10 Air conditioner 20 Local heater 21 Steering heater 22 Seat heater 23 Radiation heater 30 Control unit 40 Seating sensor 50 Environmental contribution degree evaluation unit 60 Temperature sensor

Claims

1. An air conditioner for warming the air inside the vehicle, A local heater for locally warming a passenger seated on the seat, A control unit for controlling the air conditioner and the local heater, A seating detection unit for detecting the seating of a passenger on the seat, and comprising: When the local heater is provided on all the seated seats detected by the seating detection unit, promoting the use of the local heater, A vehicle.

2. The local heater is A steering heater for warming the steering wheel, A seat heater provided inside the seat, Including any one of a radiant heater for warming a passenger seated on the seat with radiant heat, The vehicle according to Claim 1.

3. When the local heater is provided on all the seated seats detected by the seating detection unit, further comprising an environmental contribution evaluation unit for evaluating the environmental contribution based on the actual energy consumption by the air conditioner and the local heater, The smaller the actual energy consumption, the higher the environmental contribution is set, The vehicle according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. The environmental contribution evaluation unit gives more incentives to the user as the environmental contribution is higher, The vehicle according to Claim 3.

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