Control unit

Abstract

To provide a control unit with which, when it is desired to detect a temperature around a housing, it is not necessary to separately install a temperature sensor therefor.SOLUTION: A control unit 11 comprises a temperature sensor 15 which detects a temperature in a housing 13 and controls an LED 12 based on the temperature which is detected by the temperature sensor 15. The control unit 11 comprises a function which executes software 19. A control section 14 executes power detection processing 23 and ambient temperature calculation processing 24 of the software 19. The control section 14 is disposed in the housing 13. The control section 14 controls the LED 12 by regulating electric power to be supplied to the LED 12 based on the temperature which is detected by the temperature sensor 15. In the power detection processing 23, electric power to be supplied to the LED 12 is detected. In the ambient temperature calculation processing 24, the temperature around the housing 13 is calculated based on the temperature which is detected by the temperature sensor 15 and the electric power which is detected by the power detection processing 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a control unit that controls a cooling fan for cooling the inside of a housing of a display device. This control unit is equipped with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the housing, and controls the cooling fan based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2762592 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there is a demand for detecting the temperature of a space in which a control unit is installed, for example, for air conditioning of the space. The temperature sensor of the control unit detects the temperature inside the housing, and therefore cannot detect the temperature around the housing as the temperature of the space. Therefore, in order to detect the temperature of the space, a separate temperature sensor capable of detecting that temperature must be installed. However, the need to install such a separate temperature sensor requires securing space for the separate temperature sensor and incurs installation costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Next, various aspects of the control unit that solve the above problems will be described. (Aspect 1) A control unit has a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside a housing and controls a controlled object based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, the control unit comprising a control unit, a power detection unit, and a temperature calculation unit, wherein the control unit is disposed inside the housing, the control unit controls the controlled object by adjusting the power supplied to the controlled object based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, the power detection unit detects the power supplied to the controlled object, and the temperature calculation unit calculates the ambient temperature of the housing based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and the power detected by the power detection unit.

[0006] According to the above configuration, the temperature calculation unit can calculate the ambient temperature of the housing. Therefore, when it is necessary to detect the ambient temperature of the housing as the temperature of the space in which the control unit is installed, the temperature calculated by the temperature calculation unit can be used as that temperature. This eliminates the need to install a separate temperature sensor to detect the ambient temperature of the housing.

[0007] (Aspect 2) The control object is an LED attached to the housing, and the control unit controls the LED so that its lighting state becomes a desired state by adjusting the power supplied to the LED based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (control unit described in embodiment 1).

[0008] Since LEDs have the characteristic that their illumination state, such as brightness and color, changes depending on temperature, the temperature inside the housing affects the illumination state of the LED. To maintain the desired illumination state of the LED despite such effects, the power supplied to the LED is adjusted based on the temperature inside the housing detected by the temperature sensor. With the above configuration, the temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the housing can be used to calculate the temperature around the housing.

[0009] (Aspect 3) The control unit according to (Aspect 2), wherein the housing is capable of being mounted inside a vehicle interior.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the temperature around the housing can be calculated as the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. (Aspect 4) A control unit described in any one of (Aspect 1) to (Aspect 3), wherein the temperature calculation unit calculates the amount of temperature rise around the control unit due to heat generation by the control unit based on the power detected by the power detection unit, and calculates the temperature around the housing by subtracting the amount of temperature rise from the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

[0011] According to the above configuration, when the control unit controls the controlled object, the control unit generates heat in response to the power supplied to the controlled object, and the temperature rise around the control unit can be calculated based on the power.The temperature around the housing can then be calculated by subtracting the temperature rise from the temperature inside the housing detected by the temperature sensor.

[0012] (Aspect 5) The temperature calculation unit takes in the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and the power detected by the power detection unit every time a specified time period elapses, calculates the amount of temperature rise around the control unit due to heat generated by the control unit based on the latest power, and calculates the temperature around the housing by subtracting the amount of temperature rise from the latest temperature (control unit described in aspect 4).

[0013] According to the above configuration, the temperature calculation unit calculates the ambient temperature of the housing every time the predetermined time elapses. Therefore, by shortening the time, the ambient temperature of the housing can always be calculated up to date. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a control unit. [Figure 2] 2 is a flowchart showing a series of processes of software executed by a control unit of the control unit of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the peripheral configuration of the control unit of FIG. 1; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An embodiment of the control unit will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in Fig. 1, the control unit 11 controls an LED 12 as a control target. The control unit 11 includes a housing 13, a control unit 14, and a temperature sensor 15. The LED 12 is attached to the housing 13. The control unit 14 is disposed inside the housing 13. The control unit 14 is configured by a microcomputer or the like. The control unit 14 is provided with a temperature sensor 15. The temperature sensor 15 detects the temperature inside the housing 13.

[0016] A power supply voltage is applied to the control unit 14, and an instruction to turn on the LED 12 is input from outside the control unit 11. The control unit 14 adjusts the current flowing through the LED 12 based on the input instruction to turn on the LED 12, in other words, adjusts the power supplied to the LED 12, thereby controlling the LED 12 to be in a lighting state corresponding to the lighting instruction. Examples of the lighting state of the LED 12 include brightness and color. However, since the LED 12 has the characteristic that its lighting state, such as brightness and color, changes depending on temperature, the temperature inside the housing 13 affects the lighting state of the LED 12.

[0017] In order to maintain the lighting state of LED 12 at a desired state despite such influence, control unit 14 adjusts the power supplied to LED 12 based on the temperature inside housing 13 detected by temperature sensor 15. That is, control unit 14 controls LED 12 so that its lighting state is at a desired state by adjusting the power supplied to LED 12 based on the temperature detected by temperature sensor 15. In this way, the lighting state of LED 12, such as brightness and color, is maintained at a desired state regardless of the temperature of LED 12.

[0018] The control unit 11 is installed, for example, in the passenger compartment of a vehicle. In this case, the housing 13 of the control unit 11 can be mounted inside the passenger compartment. The LED 12 mounted on the housing 13 is illuminated inside the passenger compartment. In a vehicle, there is a need to detect the temperature inside the passenger compartment for purposes such as air conditioning. However, if a temperature sensor is installed to detect the temperature inside the passenger compartment in response to such a need, it is necessary to secure a space for installing the temperature sensor and the installation costs money.

[0019] Therefore, by providing the control unit 11 of this embodiment with a function to calculate the temperature around the housing 13 as the temperature inside the vehicle cabin, the temperature inside the vehicle cabin can be calculated by the control unit 11. In this case, there is no need to install a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the vehicle cabin in addition to the control unit 11, so there is no need to secure a space for installing the temperature sensor or to incur installation costs.

[0020] <Configuration for Calculating Vehicle Interior Temperature in Control Unit 11> The control unit 14 includes an A / D converter 18 and a function for executing software 19. The A / D converter 18 A / D converts the value detected by the temperature sensor 15 as the temperature inside the housing 13 and outputs the converted value to the software 19, and also A / D converts the power supply voltage input to the control unit 14 and outputs the converted value to the software 19. The software 19 receives the detected value and the voltage value from the A / D converter 18, as well as the turn-on instruction input to the control unit 14 from outside the control unit 11.

[0021] The software 19 executes a sensor temperature detection process 20 to determine the temperature inside the housing 13 based on the detection value input from the A / D converter 18. The software 19 also executes a power supply voltage detection process 21 to determine the power supply voltage based on the voltage value input from the A / D converter 18. The software 19 also executes an LED command current determination process 22 to determine an LED command current, which is a command value for the current to be flowed through the LED 12, based on the lighting command input from outside the control unit 11.

[0022] The software 19 executes a power detection process 23 that detects the power supplied to the LED 12 based on the power supply voltage and the LED indicator current thus determined. When the software 19 executes the power detection process 23, the control unit 14 functions as a power detection unit that detects the power supplied to the LED 12.

[0023] The software 19 executes an ambient temperature calculation process 24 that calculates the temperature around the housing 13 as the temperature inside the vehicle cabin based on the power detected as described above and the temperature inside the housing 13 obtained above. When executing the ambient temperature calculation process 24 of the software 19, the control unit 14 functions as a temperature calculation unit that calculates the temperature around the housing 13 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 15 and the power detected by the power detection process 23.

[0024] 2 is a flowchart showing a series of processes executed by the software 19. This series of processes is repeatedly executed every time a predetermined time has elapsed. Step 101 (S101) in the flowchart corresponds to the sensor temperature detection process 20. Furthermore, S102, S103, S104, and S105 in the flowchart correspond to the power supply voltage detection process 21, the LED indicator current determination process 22, the power detection process 23, and the ambient temperature calculation process 24.

[0025] In the ambient temperature calculation process 24, the temperature inside the housing 13 determined by the sensor temperature detection process 20, in other words, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 15, is acquired every time a predetermined time elapses. Furthermore, in the ambient temperature calculation process 24, the power detected by the power detection process 23 is also acquired every time a predetermined time elapses. In the ambient temperature calculation process 24, the amount of temperature rise around the control unit 14 due to heat generation by the control unit 14 is calculated based on the latest power, and the amount of temperature rise is subtracted from the latest temperature to calculate the ambient temperature of the housing 13.

[0026] Specifically, if the temperature inside the housing 13 is T1, the temperature rise is ΔT, and the temperature around the housing 13 is T2, there is a relationship between T1, ΔT, and T2 as shown in the following equation: "T1 = T2 + ΔT ... (1)." By modifying equation (1), the equation for calculating the temperature T2 around the housing 13 is obtained: "T2 = T1 - ΔT ... (2)." If the latest power is W, the temperature rise ΔT can be calculated using the following equation: "ΔT = a W + b ... (3)" based on the power W, coefficient a, and constant b. Then, based on the temperature T1 inside the housing 13 and the temperature rise ΔT, the temperature T2 around the housing 13 is calculated using equation (2).

[0027] The control unit 14 outputs the ambient temperature of the housing 13 calculated as described above as the temperature inside the vehicle compartment to the outside of the control unit 11. The temperature thus output is used for air conditioning, etc. inside the vehicle compartment.

[0028] <Peripheral configuration of control unit 11> 3, the vehicle equipped with the control unit 11 is equipped with an air conditioning control device 25 for controlling the air conditioning equipment of the vehicle, and a lamp control device 26 for controlling lamps in the vehicle cabin. The lamp control device 26 is connected to the air conditioning control device 25 and also to the control unit 11.

[0029] The lamp control device 26 outputs the lighting instruction for the LED 12 to the control unit 11. When the lighting instruction is input from the lamp control device 26, the control unit 11 adjusts the power supplied to the LED 12 based on the lighting instruction, thereby controlling the LED 12 to be in a lighting state corresponding to the lighting instruction. The control unit 11 also calculates the ambient temperature of the housing 13 as the temperature inside the vehicle cabin based on the power supplied to the LED 12 and the temperature inside the housing 13. The control unit 11 outputs the calculated ambient temperature of the housing 13 to the lamp control device 26 as the temperature inside the vehicle cabin.

[0030] The lamp control device 26 outputs the temperature input from the control unit 11 to the air conditioning control device 25. The air conditioning control device 25 performs air conditioning in the vehicle cabin based on the temperature input from the lamp control device 26.

[0031] <Actions and Effects of Control Unit 11> Next, the effects of the control unit 11 of this embodiment will be described. (1) The control unit 14 in the control unit 11 can calculate the temperature around the housing 13 in the control unit 11 through the execution of the ambient temperature calculation process 24 in the software 19. Therefore, when it is necessary to detect the temperature around the housing 13 as the temperature of the vehicle compartment in which the control unit 11 is installed, the temperature around the housing 13 calculated through the ambient temperature calculation process 24 can be used as that temperature. This eliminates the need to install a separate temperature sensor for detecting the temperature around the housing 13.

[0032] (2) The LED 12 has the characteristic that its illumination state, such as brightness and color, changes depending on the temperature, and therefore the temperature inside the housing 13 affects the illumination state of the LED 12. In order to maintain the illumination state of the LED 12 at the desired state despite such an effect, the power supplied to the LED 12 is adjusted based on the temperature inside the housing 13 detected by the temperature sensor 15. The control unit 11 can calculate the ambient temperature of the housing 13 through the ambient temperature calculation process 24 using the temperature sensor 15 installed for the above-mentioned purpose.

[0033] (3) When the control unit 14 of the control unit 11 controls the LEDs 12, the control unit 14 generates heat in response to the power supplied to the LEDs 12, and the temperature rise ΔT around the control unit 14 can be calculated based on that power. Then, through the ambient temperature calculation process 24, the temperature rise ΔT is subtracted from the temperature T1 inside the housing 13 detected by the temperature sensor 15, thereby calculating the temperature around the housing 13.

[0034] (4) In the ambient temperature calculation process 24, the ambient temperature of the housing 13 is calculated every time a predetermined time has elapsed. Therefore, by shortening the time, the latest ambient temperature of the housing 13 can always be calculated.

[0035] The above embodiment can be modified as follows, for example: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility. The ambient temperature of the housing 13 calculated by the control unit 11 may be used for purposes other than air conditioning.

[0036] The housing 13 of the control unit 11 does not necessarily have to be mounted inside the vehicle interior. For example, if the LEDs 12 controlled by the control unit 11 are used as interior lighting for a house or the like, the housing 13 may be mounted inside the house or the like.

[0037] The object to be controlled by the control unit 11 does not necessarily have to be the LED 12. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 11...Control unit 12...LED 13. Housing 14...Control unit 15...Temperature sensor 18...A / D converter 19…Software 20...Sensor temperature detection processing 21...Power supply voltage detection processing 22...LED indication current judgment processing 23...Power detection process 24...Ambient temperature calculation process 25...Control device 26...Control device

Claims

1. A control unit includes a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature inside a housing, and controls a controlled object based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, The power supply includes a control unit, a power detection unit, and a temperature calculation unit, The control unit is disposed within the housing, the control unit controls the controlled object by adjusting the power supplied to the controlled object based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor; the power detection unit detects power supplied to the controlled object; The temperature calculation unit is a control unit that calculates the ambient temperature of the housing based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and the power detected by the power detection unit.

2. the controlled object is an LED attached to the housing, 2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the LED so that its lighting state becomes a target state by adjusting the power supplied to the LED based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

3. 3. The control unit according to claim 2, wherein the housing is mountable within a passenger compartment of a vehicle.

4. A control unit described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature calculation unit calculates the amount of temperature rise around the control unit due to heat generation from the control unit based on the power detected by the power detection unit, and calculates the temperature around the housing by subtracting the amount of temperature rise from the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

5. The control unit of claim 4, wherein the temperature calculation unit takes in the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and the power detected by the power detection unit every time a predetermined time elapses, calculates the amount of temperature rise around the control unit due to heat generation by the control unit based on the latest power, and calculates the temperature around the housing by subtracting the amount of temperature rise from the latest temperature.

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