Vehicle air conditioning device

Abstract

[Problem] To perform pre-air conditioning such that an occupant is highly satisfied. [Solution] A vehicle air-conditioning device 1 comprises an air conditioner 30 capable of adjusting the temperature for each section within a vehicle, and a control device 40 configured to control the operation of the air conditioner 30. The control device 40 receives an instruction for pre-air conditioning for performing air conditioning before an occupant enters the vehicle 10. Upon receiving an instruction for pre-air conditioning, the control device 40: acquires information pertaining to air conditioning settings (S2); acquires information pertaining to the probability of usage of each section (S3); corrects the air conditioning settings in accordance with the usage probability, and determines post-correction settings that do not stop the air conditioning (S4); and controls the operation of the air conditioner 30 on the basis of the post-correction settings (S5).

Description

Vehicle air conditioning system

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioning system for a vehicle.

[0002] A pre-air conditioning function is known in vehicle air conditioners that remotely controls the temperature of the vehicle interior to a comfortable level before the driver gets in. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle air conditioner that performs pre-air conditioning control only on an air conditioning zone that is set as a priority zone among multiple air conditioning zones.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-015504

[0004] As described above, when pre-air conditioning control is performed only on a set priority zone among multiple zones, it is sufficient if the priority zone is designated by the occupant. However, if the priority zone is not designated, the zone desired by the occupant may not be air-conditioned. In such a case, the occupant may feel dissatisfied. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner that can perform pre-air conditioning that achieves high occupant satisfaction.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle air conditioning system includes an air conditioner capable of adjusting the temperature for each compartment within a vehicle, and a control device configured to control the operation of the air conditioner, wherein the control device is configured to receive an instruction for pre-air conditioning, which performs air conditioning before a passenger enters the vehicle, and upon receiving the instruction for pre-air conditioning, the control device is configured to obtain information on air conditioning settings, obtain information on utilization probability for each compartment, correct the air conditioning settings according to the utilization probability, determine a corrected setting that is not stopping the air conditioning, and control the operation of the air conditioner based on the corrected setting.

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle air conditioner that can perform pre-air conditioning that provides high passenger satisfaction.

[0007] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a control device for pre-air conditioning of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment.

[0008] [Configuration of Vehicle Air Conditioner] An embodiment of a vehicle air conditioner will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of an example configuration of a vehicle air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment. The vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 10, such as an electric vehicle. The vehicle air conditioner 1 has a function of adjusting the temperature, humidity, etc. of the air inside the vehicle cabin. The vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment is configured to be able to condition the space 20 inside the vehicle 10 before a passenger gets in.

[0009] The vehicle air conditioner 1 includes an air conditioner 30 and a control device 40 that controls the operation of the air conditioner 30. The vehicle air conditioner 1 also includes a receiver 52 for receiving remote control operations related to the vehicle air conditioner 1, and an occupant sensor 54 for detecting an occupant.

[0010] The air conditioner 30 is configured to be capable of air conditioning, including temperature control, for each compartment within the vehicle 10. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioner 30 can divide the space 20 within the vehicle 10 into four compartments and perform air conditioning therein. In this example, the four compartments are a right front compartment 21 that is a compartment including the driver's seat 11, a left front compartment 22 that is a compartment including the passenger seat 12, a right rear compartment 23 that is a compartment including the right rear seat 13, and a left rear compartment 24 that is a compartment including the left rear seat 14.

[0011] The air conditioner 30 includes an air conditioner main body 38. The air conditioner 30 also includes a right front air conditioner 31, a left front air conditioner 32, a right rear air conditioner 33, and a left rear air conditioner 34 that cooperate with the air conditioner main body 38 to individually adjust the temperature in each compartment. The right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34 are configured to air condition the right front compartment 21, the left front compartment 22, the right rear compartment 23, and the left rear compartment 24, respectively. The air conditioner 30 may have any configuration as long as it is capable of air conditioning each compartment within the vehicle 10.

[0012] For example, the air conditioner 30 may be configured to perform heating and cooling by blowing air whose temperature and other parameters have been collectively adjusted in the air conditioner main body 38 from each of the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34. In this case, the temperature and other parameters of the air blown out from each of the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34 are the same. The air conditioner 30 can individually adjust the temperature and other parameters of each compartment by, for example, varying the amount of air blown out from each of the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34. In other words, the air conditioner 30 adjusts the air conditioning of each compartment by adjusting the output, such as the amount of air blown out, of each of the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34.

[0013] Furthermore, for example, the air conditioner 30 may be configured to send a heat medium fluid, the temperature of which has been adjusted in the air conditioner main body 38, to a heat exchanger provided in each of the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34, and perform heating or cooling using the air cooled or heated by this heat exchanger. In this case, the air conditioner 30 can individually adjust the temperature of each compartment, for example, by varying the amount or temperature of the heat medium fluid passing through the heat exchanger provided in each of the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34. Furthermore, the air conditioner 30 can individually adjust the temperature of each compartment, for example, by varying the amount of air blown out from each of the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34. That is, the air conditioner 30 adjusts the air conditioning of each section by adjusting the output, such as the amount or temperature of the heat transfer fluid passing through the heat exchanger of each of the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34, or the amount of air blown out.

[0014] Furthermore, for example, the air conditioner 30 may be configured such that a condenser and an evaporator of a refrigerant circuit are provided in each of the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34, and heating and cooling are performed using air heated or cooled by these. In this case, the air conditioner 30 can individually adjust the temperature of each compartment by, for example, varying the amount of refrigerant passing through the condenser or evaporator provided in each of the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34. Furthermore, the air conditioner 30 can individually adjust the temperature of each compartment by, for example, varying the amount of air blown out from each of the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34. That is, the air conditioner 30 adjusts the air conditioning of each section by adjusting the output, such as the amount of refrigerant passing through the condenser or evaporator, or the amount of air blown out, of each of the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34.

[0015] The air conditioner 30 may be configured to individually adjust the temperature of each compartment using other methods. The air conditioner 30 may be configured to individually adjust the temperature of each compartment using a combination of various methods. In any case, the right front air conditioner 31, the left front air conditioner 32, the right rear air conditioner 33, and the left rear air conditioner 34 can each adjust their output separately.

[0016] [Operation of Vehicle Air Conditioner] The vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment has a pre-air conditioning function that conditions the space 20 inside the vehicle 10 before a passenger gets into the vehicle 10. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of an example of operation of the control device 40 related to the pre-air conditioning of the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment. The operation related to the pre-air conditioning of the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2. This operation is started, for example, when the vehicle 10 is parked.

[0017] In step S1, the control device 40 receives an instruction to perform pre-AC and determines whether or not the instruction is present. The instruction to perform pre-AC is issued, for example, using a wireless device. For example, a passenger transmits an instruction to perform pre-AC using a specific device, and the control device 40 receives the instruction via the receiver 52. The device used by the passenger may be a device dedicated to the vehicle 10. For example, the device may be capable of performing operations such as locking and unlocking the vehicle 10, starting and stopping the vehicle 10, and permitting these operations. Alternatively, the vehicle 10 may be connected to a network, and the passenger may use any communication device, such as a smartphone, as the device. Alternatively, the instruction to perform pre-AC may be issued within the control device 40 based on a preset execution date and time. Alternatively, the instruction to perform pre-AC may be issued by the control device 40 or a server connected via a network based on a predetermined algorithm. The control device 40 waits until an instruction to perform pre-AC is received. When an instruction to perform pre-AC is received, the process proceeds to step S2.

[0018] In step S2, the control device 40 acquires information about pre-air conditioning settings that have been previously stored in the storage device of the control device 40. These settings include, for example, a set temperature previously set by the passenger. The set temperature may be specified for the entire space 20, or may be set for each seat. The settings may also include information about the air outlet, air volume, and the like previously set by the passenger.

[0019] In step S3, the control device 40 acquires information on the occupancy probability of each of the driver's seat 11, passenger seat 12, right rear seat 13, and left rear seat 14, which is recorded, for example, in a storage device. That is, the control device 40 acquires information on the occupancy probability of each of the right front compartment 21, left front compartment 22, right rear compartment 23, and left rear compartment 24. Generally, the occupancy probability of the driver's seat 11 is 100%. The occupancy probability of the other seats may be calculated, for example, based on the usage history. For example, the history of seats used is recorded in association with the date and time, etc. The occupancy probability may be calculated based on the usage history and the day of the week, time, etc. corresponding to the current time. The occupancy probability may also be calculated using other methods.

[0020] In step S4, the control device 40 corrects the settings, such as the set temperature, acquired in step S2 according to the utilization probability acquired in step S3, and determines the corrected settings. The corrected settings are, for example, settings that have been corrected to reduce the power consumption of the air conditioner 30 for air-conditioning a section with a low utilization probability. That is, this correction is, for example, a correction to bring the set temperature closer to the outside temperature. For example, when the outside temperature is higher than the target temperature and cooling operation is performed, the control device 40 corrects the set temperature to increase. When the outside temperature is lower than the target temperature and heating operation is performed, the control device 40 corrects the set temperature to decrease. However, the corrected settings are not settings that stop air conditioning.

[0021] For example, assume that the outside air temperature is 32°C. Also, assume that the temperature set by the passengers is 24°C throughout the entire space 20 inside the vehicle 10. Here, assume that the probability of occupancy of the driver's seat 11 is 100%, the probability of occupancy of the passenger seat 12 is 50%, and the probability of occupancy of the right rear seat 13 and the left rear seat 14 is 20%. In this case, as the corrected settings, the corrected set temperature for the right front compartment 21 is determined to be 24°C, the corrected set temperature for the left front compartment 22 is determined to be 26°C, and the corrected set temperatures for the right rear compartment 23 and the left rear compartment 24 are determined to be 28°C, etc.

[0022] In step S5, the control device 40 controls the operation of the air conditioners 30 based on the determined corrected settings. For example, as in the example described above, when the corrected set temperature for the right front compartment 21 is 24° C., the corrected set temperature for the left front compartment 22 is 26° C., and the corrected set temperatures for the right rear compartment 23 and the left rear compartment 24 are 28° C., the right front air conditioner 31 may operate at maximum output, the left front air conditioner 32 may operate at an output lower than that of the right front air conditioner 31, and the right rear air conditioners 33 and left rear air conditioners 34 may operate at an output lower than that of the left front air conditioner 32. Alternatively, the right front air conditioner 31 may operate for a long time by operating from the beginning, the left front air conditioner 32 may start operating later than the right front air conditioner 31 or stop operating earlier, so that it operates for a shorter time than the right front air conditioner 31, and the right rear air conditioner 33 and the left rear air conditioner 34 may start operating later than the left front air conditioner 32 or stop operating earlier, so that it operates for a shorter time than the left front air conditioner 32. In this way, the air conditioner 30 is controlled by adjusting the output and operating time so that the temperature of each compartment becomes the corrected set temperature. Note that even if the air outlets and air volume are set, the air outlets and air volume can be adjusted appropriately for efficiency because no passengers are yet in the car.

[0023] In step S6, the control device 40 determines whether a passenger has boarded the vehicle based on the detection result of the passenger sensor 54, etc. If a passenger has not boarded the vehicle, the process of step S5 is repeated. That is, the air conditioner 30 is controlled based on the corrected setting. If it is determined that a passenger has boarded the vehicle, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0024] In step S7, the control device 40 performs control appropriate for when the driver is in the vehicle. For example, when the driver has set the air outlets, air volume, etc., the control device 40 switches the air outlets, air volume, etc. to those settings. Also, for example, when the driver is in the air-conditioning mode but the temperature in the right front compartment 21 has not yet dropped to the target temperature, the control device 40 may blow out strong air so that the driver feels that the temperature is at the target temperature.

[0025] In step S8, the control device 40 determines whether or not there is a passenger in the section where air conditioning has been suppressed by the corrected settings due to a low utilization probability or the like. If there is no passenger in the section where air conditioning has been suppressed, the process proceeds to step S10. If there is a passenger in the section where air conditioning has been suppressed, the process proceeds to step S9.

[0026] In step S9, the control device 40 controls the air conditioner 30 to perform powerful air conditioning in the section where the air conditioning is suppressed and where a passenger is present, so that the passenger feels as if the air conditioning is being performed according to the settings before the correction. For example, during cooling operation, a strong wind may be blown out so that the passenger feels as if the temperature is at the target temperature. Furthermore, air conditioning is performed according to the settings before the correction. For example, air conditioning is performed to achieve the set temperature before the correction. The process then proceeds to step S10.

[0027] In step S10, the control device 40 updates the above-mentioned usage history and the usage probability based on the detection results of the passenger sensor 54 and the like.

[0028] This completes the pre-air conditioning operation, and the system then transitions to normal air conditioning operation.

[0029] [Modification] In the above example, seats and compartments are paired, but this is not limiting. For example, if the air conditioner 30 is capable of adjusting the temperature in two compartments, the front seats and the rear seats, the acquisition of the usage probability, the determination of the corrected settings, and the control of the air conditioner 30 may be performed for the front compartment including the driver's seat 11 and the passenger seat 12, and the rear compartment including the right rear seat 13 and the left rear seat 14. The compartments may be set as appropriate.

[0030] In the above example, the set temperature is corrected, but the output or operating time settings of the air conditioner 30 may also be corrected.

[0031] In the above example, a correction is made to reduce the power consumption of the air conditioner 30 for sections with a low utilization probability compared to the setting made by the occupant, but this is not limited to this. For example, even if the overall power consumption of the air conditioner 30 is the same, a corrected setting may be made such that the air blowing volume is increased for sections with a high utilization probability and decreased for sections with a low utilization probability. Furthermore, for example, a corrected setting may be made such that sections with a high utilization probability reach the target temperature quickly and sections with a low utilization probability reach the target temperature slowly. In either case, the power consumption per unit time for sections with a low utilization probability is lower than the power consumption for sections with a high utilization probability.

[0032] The above-described operation example is merely an example and may be modified as appropriate. The order of the processes may be changed, some of the processes may be deleted, or other processes may be added.

[0033] [Regarding the Vehicle Air Conditioner] The vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment improves energy efficiency by correcting the air conditioning settings according to the utilization probability. By reducing the air conditioning for sections with low utilization probability more than for sections with high utilization probability, power consumption can be reduced compared to when all sections are air-conditioned in the same way as sections with high utilization probability. In this way, power consumption in unused sections is reduced. In particular, in electric vehicles, there is a strong demand for reducing power consumption, so the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment is effective.

[0034] By also accommodating sections with low occupancy rates, the time it takes for the temperature in sections with high occupancy rates to reach the target temperature can be shortened compared to when only sections with high occupancy rates are accommodating. Furthermore, even when a passenger enters a section with low occupancy rates, the air conditioning is still present, so discomfort felt by the passenger can be reduced. As a result, passengers are always highly satisfied.

[0035] The present invention has been described above by showing preferred embodiments, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0036] 1: Vehicle air conditioning system 10: Vehicle, 11: Driver's seat, 12: Passenger seat, 13: Right rear seat, 14: Left rear seat 20: Space, 21: Right front compartment, 22: Left front compartment, 23: Right rear compartment, 24: Left rear compartment 30: Air conditioner, 31: Right front air conditioner, 32: Left front air conditioner, 33: Right rear air conditioner, 34: Left rear air conditioner, 38: Air conditioner main body 40: Control device 52: Receiver, 54: Occupant sensor

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioning system comprising: an air conditioner capable of adjusting the temperature for each compartment within a vehicle; and a control device configured to control the operation of the air conditioner, wherein the control device is configured to receive an instruction for pre-air conditioning to condition the air before a passenger gets into the vehicle, and upon receiving the instruction for pre-air conditioning, the control device is configured to: acquire information on air conditioning settings; acquire information on utilization probability for each compartment; correct the air conditioning settings in accordance with the utilization probability and determine a corrected setting that does not stop the air conditioning; and control the operation of the air conditioner based on the corrected setting.

2. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to determine the corrected setting so as to reduce the power consumption of the air conditioner for the section with a low utilization probability.

3. The vehicle air conditioning system of claim 2, wherein when the control device determines that a passenger has entered a section where the utilization probability is low and operation of the air conditioner has been suppressed, the control device is configured to operate the air conditioner in such a way that the passenger feels as if the air conditioning is being performed in accordance with the settings before correction for the section.

4. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to determine a target temperature as the corrected setting.

5. The vehicle air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control device is configured to adjust the output of the air conditioner in accordance with the corrected setting.

6. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control device is configured to adjust the operating time of the air conditioner in accordance with the corrected setting.

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