Human body detection-based heating control system for vehicle in consideration of passenger safety

Abstract

The present invention relates to a human body detection-based heating control system for a vehicle in consideration of passenger safety. The heating control system for a vehicle, according to the present invention, comprises: a heating unit that is installed at a set position in the vehicle interior and emits radiant heat toward a passenger during an on-operation; a radiant heating panel including a touch sensor unit positioned over the heating unit to detect whether a touch occurs according to human body contact of the passenger; a main control unit (MCU) that controls on / off or heating temperature of the radiant heating panel according to a command signal from a higher-level controller and turns off the heating unit when the human body contact of the passenger is detected during the on-operation of the heating unit; and a state output unit that guides a temperature state of the heating unit and is directly installed on the radiant heating panel or mounted at a location in the vehicle interior adjacent to the radiant heating panel, wherein a mutual Tx or driven shield waveform is transmitted to a heating layer of the heating unit to charge a circuit pattern of the touch sensor unit with current, thereby causing the heating layer to operate as a touch sensor.

Description

Human body detection-based vehicle heat control system considering occupant safety

[0001] The present invention relates to a human body detection-based heat control system for vehicles that takes into account passenger safety, and more specifically, to a human body detection-based heat control system for vehicles that takes into account passenger safety, which is installed along the interior of the vehicle and emits radiant heat around the passenger when power is applied, and immediately cuts off the power to prevent potential danger when contact with the heat source is detected, and controls the heating function inside the vehicle more safely and intelligently to provide an optimal environment for the passenger.

[0002] Radiant heating systems in vehicles take a considerable amount of time to raise the temperature inside the vehicle. Particularly during the winter, the coolant does not heat up sufficiently during the initial startup, making it impossible to heat the interior quickly; therefore, heaters utilizing radiant heat are used in parallel.

[0003] Furthermore, since electric vehicles that do not use internal combustion engines cannot utilize engine heat, radiant heaters powered by electricity are being applied. These heaters, which utilize radiant heat, can rapidly heat the interior space by directly emitting radiant heat to the occupants.

[0004] These radiant heaters can be installed in multiple locations along the perimeter of the vehicle interior, and generally perform heating operations when power is applied during initial startup or in response to driver operation.

[0005] However, conventional radiant heater drive systems have the disadvantage that they can only be turned on / off from the driver's seat, making it impossible for passengers in the front passenger seat or rear seats to operate them at all.

[0006] In addition, operating a radiant heater for a long time or being continuously exposed to radiant heat at close range not only impairs passenger comfort but also poses a risk of low-temperature burns as radiant heat accumulates on the skin directly or indirectly.

[0007] Therefore, a vehicle heat sensor equipped with a function that allows a vehicle occupant to individually cut off or control the power of a radiant heater module installed adjacent to their surroundings, and a system for controlling the same are required.

[0008] The technology forming the background of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Published Patent No. 10-2018-0076375 (published July 6, 2018).

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a human body detection-based vehicle heating control system that considers passenger safety, capable of heating the interior space by emitting radiant heat around the passenger and cutting off the power to the heating element based on passenger operation and human body detection.

[0010] The present invention relates to a human body detection-based heating control system for a vehicle considering passenger safety, comprising: a radiant heating panel including a heating element installed at a set location in the vehicle interior and emitting radiant heat toward a passenger when the heating element is turned on, and a touch sensor element disposed above the heating element to detect whether a touch occurs due to human body contact by a passenger; and a main control unit (MCU) connected between an upper controller and the radiant heating panel, controlling the on / off or heating temperature of the radiant heating panel according to a command signal from the upper controller, and turning off the heating element when human body contact by a passenger is detected while the heating element is turned on. The system includes a state output unit that provides visual or auditory guidance on the temperature status of the heating unit through at least one means among an LED lamp or a buzzer, and is installed directly on the radiant heating panel or mounted in a vehicle interior location adjacent to the radiant heating panel. The MCU turns off the heating unit when human body contact of an occupant is detected during the ON operation of the heating unit, and controls the state output unit to immediately change the LED lamp from the current color to a set color, or gradually change it to the set color while adjusting at least one of saturation and brightness from the current color, and transmits a Mutual Tx or Driven Shield waveform to the heating layer of the heating unit to charge current to the circuit pattern of the touch sensor unit, thereby enabling the heating layer to operate as a touch sensor.

[0011] In addition, the circuit pattern of the touch sensor portion within the radiant heating panel is formed in a comb-like structure in which adjacent first and second patterns interlock with each other, wherein the first and second patterns have a line width of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm and are made of at least one conductive material among CNT (Carbon Nano Tube), Cu, and silver paste, and the spacing between the first pattern and the second pattern may have a range of 0.25 mm to 5 mm.

[0012] In addition, the vehicle heat control system may further include an MCU diagnostic unit that periodically transmits a test signal to the MCU to perform fault diagnosis and resets the MCU if no response is received in response to the test signal.

[0013] In addition, the vehicle heating control system may further include a communication unit responsible for communication with the upper controller and updating the MCU diagnostic unit and the MCU or transmitting data received from the MCU to the upper controller through the upper controller.

[0014] In addition, the vehicle heating control system may further include a heating control unit that controls whether to supply power or the amount of current to a heating element within the radiant heating panel according to a control signal received from the MCU based on the command signal, thereby controlling the on / off or heating temperature of the heating element.

[0015] Additionally, the vehicle heating control system may further include: a touch control unit connected between the MCU and the touch sensor unit, which controls the touch sensor unit and processes the detection value of the touch sensor unit and provides it to the MCU; and a heating circuit diagnostic unit connected between the MCU and the heating unit, which monitors the state of the heating unit and diagnoses a short or open state of the heating circuit and provides the diagnosis result to the MCU.

[0016] In addition, the status output unit can output the temperature status of the heating unit in real time through the LED lamp in conjunction with the temperature value of the temperature sensor installed in the heating unit or the current value of the heating unit being controlled by the MCU.

[0017] In addition, the MCU can gradually change the color of the LED lamp from the current color to the set color in conjunction with the temperature value of the heating unit when human body contact of the occupant is detected during the operation of the heating unit.

[0018] In addition, when the MCU detects human body contact of an occupant during the ON operation of the heating unit, it compares the touch sensitivity with a reference value; if the touch sensitivity is greater than or equal to the reference value, it immediately cuts off the power to the heating unit to immediately change the LED lamp from the current color to the set color, and if the touch sensitivity is less than the reference value, it gradually lowers the current value of the heating unit according to a set speed and changes the color of the LED lamp from the current color to the set color in conjunction with the change in the current value.

[0019] In addition, corresponding to multiple designated areas in the interior of the vehicle, multiple radiant heater modules including the MCU and the radiant heating panel are installed in the vehicle, and the multiple radiant heater modules can be connected to the upper controller.

[0020] In addition, the entire heating layer can be used as a human body detection sensor by utilizing a plurality of switches connected to the heating layer of the heating film included in the heating part.

[0021] [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025] In addition, the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part may be formed to include a comb-shaped structure in which adjacent first and second patterns interlock with each other, such as sensor pattern 1 shown in FIG. 7a.

[0022] [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025]

[0023] [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025] In addition, the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part may be formed to include a comb-shaped structure in which adjacent first and second patterns interlock with each other, such as sensor pattern 2 shown in FIG. 7a.

[0024] [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025]

[0025] [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025] In addition, the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part may be formed to include a comb-shaped structure in which adjacent first and second patterns interlock with each other, such as sensor pattern 3 shown in FIG. 7b.

[0026] [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025]

[0027] [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025] In addition, the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part may be formed to include a comb-shaped structure in which adjacent first and second patterns interlock with each other, as shown in sensor pattern 4 in FIG. 7b.

[0028] [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025]

[0029] [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025] In addition, the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part may be formed to include a comb-shaped structure in which adjacent first and second patterns interlock with each other, as shown in sensor pattern 5 of FIG. 7b.

[0030] [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025]

[0031] According to the present invention, the interior space can be heated by being installed inside the vehicle and emitting radiant heat around the occupants, and the power to the heating element can be immediately cut off upon contact with the occupants' bodies to prevent low-temperature burns, and the comfort and safety of the vehicle's heating can be enhanced as individual control of the radiant heating panel is possible for each occupant in the vehicle.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a human body detection-based heat control system for a vehicle that takes into account passenger safety according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 is a drawing specifically showing the configuration of the radiant heater module illustrated in Figure 1.

[0034] Figure 3 is a drawing showing an example of the installation of radiant heating panels for each part of the vehicle.

[0035] Figure 4 is a diagram briefly explaining the structure of the radiant heating panel shown in Figure 2.

[0036] Figure 5 is a drawing for specifically explaining the structure of a radiant heating panel according to Figure 4.

[0037] Figure 6 is a diagram showing a general capacitive sensor and an improved capacitive sensor.

[0038] FIGS. 7a and 7b are drawings illustrating an exemplary circuit pattern of a touch sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 8 is a drawing showing an example of the installation of an LED lamp for a radiant heating panel.

[0040] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the radiant heating panel control operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the initial operation of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating in detail the functional diagnosis of an MCU in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Then, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, in order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted, and similar parts throughout the specification have been given similar reference numerals.

[0044] Throughout the specification, when a part is described as being "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where they are "directly connected," but also cases where they are "electrically connected" with other components interposed between them. Furthermore, when a part is described as "including" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0045] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a human body detection-based heat control system for a vehicle that takes into account passenger safety according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle heating control system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of radiant heater modules (1000) installed corresponding to a plurality of designated areas (e.g., cockpit, door trim, console side, rear seat, floor) in the vehicle interior. Additionally, the plurality of radiant heater modules (1000) may be connected in parallel to an upper controller (2000) (e.g., vehicle ECU) within the vehicle. In the following embodiments of the present invention, the upper controller is exemplified as the vehicle's ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0047] In an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of radiant heater modules (1000) may be implemented by including a main control unit (MCU) (100) and a radiant heating panel (800). This radiant heating panel (800) corresponds to a radiant heater that is mounted in the interior of a vehicle and performs heating by emitting radiant heat.

[0048] FIG. 2 is a drawing specifically showing the configuration of the radiant heater module illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an example of the installation of a radiant heating panel for each part of a vehicle, and FIG. 4 is a drawing explaining the structure of the radiant heating panel illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2, a radiant heater module (1000) for a human body detection-based vehicle heating control system considering passenger safety according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main control unit (100) (hereinafter, MCU) and a radiant heating panel (800), and may further include an MCU diagnostic unit (200), a communication unit (300), a touch control unit (400), a heating control unit (500), a heating circuit diagnostic unit (600), a status output unit (700), and a manual operation unit (900).

[0050] In an embodiment of the present invention, the MCU (100) can control each part (200 to 900) and control the data flow between each part. In the drawing, the MCU diagnostic part (200), touch control part (400), heat control part (500), heat circuit diagnostic part (600), and status output part (700) are shown as separate components from the MCU (100), but each can be implemented by being included in the functions of the MCU (100).

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, the radiant heating panel (800) is installed in a designated area of ​​the vehicle interior, namely the area around the occupants (e.g., cockpit, door trim, console side, rear seat, floor, etc.), and performs heating through the emission of radiant heat. Of course, the electronic devices shown in FIG. 1 can be mounted as a set on the rear of the radiant heating panel (800).

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the radiant heating panel (800) may be implemented to include a heating element (810) that emits radiant heat toward a passenger when turned on, and a touch sensor element (820) positioned above the heating element (810) to detect whether the passenger touches it.

[0053] The heating element (810) and the touch sensor element (820) can be implemented in the form of a flat pad. The heating element (810) may contain a heating circuit and may be implemented by including various known heating elements and heating means capable of converting electrical energy into radiant heat.

[0054] The touch sensor unit (820) can be implemented by stacking it on the upper side of the heating unit (810) as shown in FIG. 4 so that the passenger can recognize the touch. Accordingly, the radiant heating panel (800) can be composed of a two-layer structure of the heating unit (810) and the touch sensor unit (820). That is, the bottom layer of the radiant heating panel (800) includes a heating layer that performs heating, and the top layer includes a touch layer. At this time, an LED (ISELED or RGB LED) can be placed on the upper or lower part of the film or on the structure to indicate the temperature and operating status of the heating unit (810) in the form of color or LED lighting.

[0055] These radiant heating panels (800) are implemented to cover a large area, thereby enabling large-area heat control.

[0056] The touch sensor unit (820) may contain a touch circuit for detecting human contact and may include a circuit pattern structure for improving touch sensitivity and functional safety. The touch sensor unit (820) may perform capacitive touch sensing and may have a protective layer of a set material covered on the upper side for circuit protection.

[0057] Figure 5 is a drawing for specifically explaining the structure of a radiant heating panel according to Figure 4.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 5, the radiant heating panel (800) is implemented in the form of a heating film, and the heating part (810) is composed of a base film, a heating layer, and a cover layer. And, the touch sensor part (820) is composed of a cover layer and a touch layer.

[0059] Here, the heating layer is mounted on the base film by etching, printing, or spraying a heating material such as CNT, copper, SUS, or silver paste onto the base film. At this time, PI (polyimide) and heat-resistant materials are used for the base film to withstand the temperature of the heating material.

[0060] In addition, although it is possible to implement a sensor pattern together with the heating layer, in order to prevent a reduction in the heating area caused by the area of ​​the sensor pattern, a touch sensor may also be implemented by etching, printing, or spraying a conductive material (CNT, Cu, SUS, silver paste, etc.) on the upper part of the base film.

[0061] Here, the circuit pattern of the touch sensor must have sufficient sensitivity (rate of change) to the human body even on small contact surfaces to prevent burns to the human body.

[0062] Total sensor capacitance value C T (Including the capacitance value of the human body) is equal to Equation 1.

[0063]

[0064] Here, C P is the parasitic capacitance value (capacitance value of the sensor or film), C B represents the capacitance value of the human body.

[0065] Capacitance value (C) of the sensor (film) P : Since the parasitic capacitance value) is fixed, C T The value is human body contact (C B : It varies depending on the capacitance value of the human body, and in order to have sufficient sensitivity, the capacitance value (C) of the sensor (film) P : Parasitic capacitance value) must be designed to be small, or the contact area of ​​the human body (C) B : The capacitance value of the human body must increase.

[0066]

[0067] Mathematical Equation 2 is the capacitance formula, and this formula is C P (Parasitic capacitance value: capacitance value of the sensor or film) and C B It is applicable to all (human body capacitance values). In the case of a radiant heater film, the distance between the heating element and the human body detection sensor (d in Equation 2) is very close, whereas the size of the human body detection sensor (A in Equation 2) inevitably increases in proportion to the heating area. This is C P It becomes an item that reduces sensitivity by increasing the (parasitic capacitance value). Therefore, C P While minimizing (parasitic capacitance value: capacitance value of the sensor or film), C B We must consider methods to maximize (the human body's capacitance value).

[0068] C P The factors affecting the value of (parasitic capacitance) are related to d (the distance between the two metal plates) and A in Equation 2. The greater the distance between d and the smaller A (the area of ​​the two metal plates), the higher C P The value can be reduced. However, due to the characteristics of the heating panel (thickness: 0.05mm ~ 0.5mm & large area), human body detection is not possible with a typical capacitive sensor pattern.

[0069] Therefore, while reducing the sensing area of ​​the capacitive sensor pattern, C B A method to increase (the human body's capacitance value) is necessary. This is, overall, C B While maintaining (the human body's capacitance value), C P A design that reduces (parasitic capacitance value) is required, and to achieve this, a compromise design is needed that efficiently reduces the sensor area while maintaining the overall size of the sensor where the human body is detected.

[0070] Figure 6 is a diagram showing a typical capacitive sensor and an improved capacitive sensor. Generally, capacitive sensors have a solid form as shown in Figure A. The size of a typical sensor basically ranges from approximately 6mm x 6mm to 12mm x 12mm, while the size of a heating panel ranges from as small as 200mm x 300mm to as large as 480mm x 800mm or larger. Accordingly, a typical C P The value will have a value of at least 420 times to over 11,000 times. Therefore, when these two conditions exist simultaneously, the touch area of ​​the heating film forms a CP value of at least 800 times to 440,000 times that of a typical touch sensor environment, making it difficult to detect the human body.

[0071] Therefore, while maintaining the sensing area of ​​the human body detection sensor, C P To reduce , design a mesh-fill type capacitive sensor as shown in <Figure B>, and C P Reduce the value and C B The value must be designed to be large. Since the pattern line width itself forms an area when densely packed together, it can be fabricated with a line width of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm using conductive materials such as CNT (Carbon Nano Tube), Cu, and silver paste through methods such as etching and printing.

[0072] In addition, large CP values ​​can be compensated for by applying a Driven Shield or Mutual Sensing method to configure sensor patterns in the form of Tx (transmission) and Rx (reception). In this case, let T be the uniform spacing between the Tx (transmission) and Rx (reception) patterns, where T can range from 0.25 mm to 5 mm. C in the form shown in <Figure C> PIn order to reduce the value, Rx (first circuit pattern) and Tx (second circuit pattern) can detect the human body with uniform sensitivity through a repetitive pattern while maintaining a constant gap T in the range of 0.25 mm to 5 mm.

[0073] FIGS. 7A and 7B are drawings illustrating an exemplary circuit pattern of a touch sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 7A and 7B show circuit patterns of five embodiments, and in each embodiment, the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part (820) can be implemented by including a comb-like structure or a symmetrical structure in which two adjacent patterns, namely a first pattern and a second pattern, are interlocked.

[0074] At this time, each of the first pattern and the second pattern has a line width of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm, and the gap between the first pattern and the second pattern can range from 0.25 mm to 5 mm. In addition, the first and second patterns can be fabricated by etching, printing, etc., using at least one conductive material among CNT (Carbon Nano Tube), Cu, and silver paste.

[0075] Here, the range of line widths is considered in relation to laser and film printing methods, where 0.05 mm represents the minimum line width that can be produced by laser method and 0.3 mm represents the minimum line width that can be produced by film printing (stencil method).

[0076] In addition, the range of the gap between the first and second patterns is based on the power supply voltage range (3.8V to 5V), where 0.25mm is the allowable gap when using a low-voltage Mutual TX (Driven Shield) and 5mm is the minimum allowable gap when using a high-voltage Mutual TX (Driven Shield). This is because the higher the power supply, the greater the mutual capacitance value, allowing the gap between patterns to be wider.

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b, the first pattern and the second pattern can be appropriately spaced apart with a spacing of 0.25 mm to 5 mm to reduce the value of Cp (parasitic capacitance) and increase the touch area in contact with the human body, thereby increasing touch sensitivity. When sensing is performed using the first pattern and the second pattern in a Mutual Sensing or Driven Shield method, Cp (parasitic capacitance) can be reduced and the sensitivity of the sensor can be improved. In addition, when switches S1 and S2 in FIG. 9 are turned off and switch S3 is turned on via Touch_Con0, the first pattern and the second pattern of the Touch Layer can be used as a Tx for charging current to operate the Heating Layer of the heating film in FIG. 5 as a human body detection sensor, or conversely, the Heating Layer of the heating film in FIG. 5 can be utilized as a Tx for charging current to use the first pattern and the second pattern of the Touch Layer for charging current to detect the human body. In particular, when the Heating Layer is utilized as a Tx for charging current, the first pattern and the second pattern can each be used for human body detection. In addition, the symmetrical sensor structure is designed so that two adjacent patterns have nearly identical characteristics, which enables the diagnosis of whether each sensor is functioning normally by comparing the normal data with the values ​​input to each sensor.

[0078] The first and second patterns may be implemented to be internally connected to form a single circuit, or each pattern may be implemented to independently form a human body (touch) detection circuit. In the latter case, even if either of the two patterns is interrupted or malfunctions, touch recognition can be performed using the remaining pattern.

[0079] The MCU (100) is connected between the upper controller, the ECU (2000), and the radiant heating panel (800), and can control the on / off or heating temperature of the radiant heating panel (800) according to the command signal of the ECU (2000) corresponding to the upper controller.

[0080] For example, when the ECU (2000) receives a heater on or off command from the driver through the control panel on the front of the vehicle, it can process this and transmit a corresponding command to the MCU (100). The MCU (100) can control the power supply through a power supply unit (not shown) according to the command to drive the operation of the radiant heating panel (800) on or off. The power supply unit may use the vehicle's internal power, its own power, or a battery. Similarly, when a temperature control command is input from the driver through the control panel on the front of the vehicle, the ECU (2000) processes the relevant command and sends a command to the MCU (100), thereby allowing the MCU (100) to change the current amount of the radiant heating panel (800) according to the command to control the heating temperature.

[0081] In this way, each radiant heating panel (800) installed in the vehicle can be turned on and off according to a driver operation signal through the control panel in the driver's seat, and temperature control can be performed. Here, the control panel may include all input means such as a touch display panel and mechanical buttons.

[0082] Here, the radiant heating panel (800) according to an embodiment of the present invention can immediately cut off the power to the heating unit (810) when a touch is detected upon physical contact by a passenger, thereby preventing low-temperature burns. To this end, the MCU (100) can turn off the heating unit (810) when physical contact by a passenger is detected by the touch sensor unit (820) while the heating unit (810) is in operation.

[0083] According to this, since local control of the radiant heating panel (800) is possible for each occupant at each location within the vehicle rather than centralized control, the comfort and safety of heating can be increased for all occupants.

[0084] Previously, if there was no off operation from the driver's seat, the radiant heating panel (800) was left in the on state, and there was a risk of low-temperature burns if the occupant came into direct or indirect contact with or was exposed to the radiant heat of the radiant heating panel (800) for a long time in this state. However, in the embodiment of the present invention, the occupant at the corresponding location can turn off the radiant heating panel (800) locally at a time they want, without direct control by the driver, using a simple touch recognition operation method or a manual control method of the manual control unit (900).

[0085] Below, the configuration of the MCU diagnostic unit (200), communication unit (300), touch control unit (400), heat control unit (500), heat circuit diagnostic unit (600), and status output unit (700) illustrated in FIG. 2 will be explained in more detail.

[0086] The MCU diagnostic unit (200) is a part that performs fault diagnosis by periodically transmitting a test signal to the MCU (100), and if no response is received in response to the test signal, it determines that an operational abnormality has occurred in the MCU (100) and can directly reset the MCU (100).

[0087] The MCU diagnostic unit (200) may be configured as an IC including a Watchdog Reset function outside the MMCU (100), or may be implemented in a Multi-Core form inside the MCU (100).

[0088] The MCU diagnostic unit (200) plays a role in ensuring the safety of the system in conjunction with the MCU (100). The MCU diagnostic unit (200) determines the normal operating state of the MCU (100) through periodic signal exchange with the MCU (100), and if no periodic signal is generated from the MCU (100), it determines this as a malfunction and can System Reset the MCU (100) through a Reset signal. The communication unit (300) is responsible for communication with the ECU (2000) and can use at least one communication method among CAN, CAN-FD, LIN, I2C, SPI, and Ethernet (10Base-T1). The communication unit (300) can update the firmware (F / W) of the MCU diagnostic unit (200) and the MCU (100) through the ECU (2000), and can transmit various data received from the MCU (100) (e.g., sensor status value, error information, etc.) to the ECU (2000).

[0089] The touch control unit (400) is connected between the MCU (100) and the touch sensor unit (820), and can control the touch sensor unit (820) and process the detection value of the touch sensor unit (820) to provide it to the MCU (100).

[0090] The touch control unit (400) can control the power supply of the touch sensor unit (820) and process a human body detection signal output from the circuit of the touch sensor unit (820) and provide it to the MCU (100). At this time, the processing value of the human body detection signal may include whether a human body is detected, touch signal sensitivity, etc.

[0091] The touch control unit (400) may be integrated into the MCU (100) or configured using a logic IC outside the MCU (100). The touch sensing method may vary depending on the structure of the sensor, but a self method (self-capacitance type), a mutual method (mutual capacitance type), and a modified mutual method with good RE characteristics and sensing sensitivity may be used. In addition, the open / short of the touch detection sensor may be used in combination in the form of a self or mutual method.

[0092] The heating control unit (500) controls whether to supply power or the amount of current to the heating unit (810) within the radiant heating panel (800) based on the command signal of the ECU (2000) and the control signal received from the MCU (100), thereby controlling the on / off or heating temperature of the heating unit (810).

[0093] In this way, the heat control unit (500) can be used to control the heat temperature of the radiant heating panel (800), and for this purpose, it may be configured to include an electronic switch (FET, SiC: silicon carbide, relay, transistor, etc.) for controlling the power. At this time, the power can be controlled by positioning electronic switches on the High Side and Low Side. In addition, for stable temperature control of the heat sensor, the heat control unit (500) may check the temperature value from a temperature sensor (NTC, PTC, etc.) (830) installed inside the radiant heating panel (800) and control the temperature by controlling the electronic switch.

[0094] The heating circuit diagnostic unit (600) is connected between the MCU (100) and the heating unit (810) to monitor the state of the heating unit (810) and to diagnose a short or open state of the heating circuit and provide the diagnosis result to the MCU (100).

[0095] The heating circuit diagnostic unit (600) can detect whether there is an abnormality by periodically monitoring the condition of the heating unit at the beginning of the heating operation and during the operation. For example, the Open / Short state of the heating unit (810) can be monitored based on the amount of current passing through the electronic switch and the temperature value of the temperature sensor (830), and the presence or absence of an abnormality can be determined using this. In addition, if an error occurs, it is transmitted to the MCU (100) so that the ECU (2000) can be notified. If the temperature value is not as high as the amount of current, or if it remains below a reference value for a long time, it is determined to be in a short state and error information regarding it can be transmitted.

[0096] The status output unit (700) can provide visual or auditory guidance on the temperature status of the heating element (810) currently operating within the radiant heating panel (800) through an LED lamp (840) or a buzzer (at least one means not shown). Here, the LED lamp (840) or the buzzer may be installed directly on the radiant heating panel (800) or mounted at a location inside the vehicle adjacent to the radiant heating panel (800). Additionally, the LED lamp (840) may be implemented as an ISELED or an RGB LED.

[0097] In this way, the status output unit (700) can display the change in the heating state according to the temperature change in color, or indicate the current state of the system by lighting an LED or sound through a buzzer.

[0098] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing an example of the installation of an LED lamp for a radiant heating panel. FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which an LED lamp (840) is installed on the vehicle body interior material portion surrounding the radiant heating panel (800). Here, as shown in FIG. 8, a manual operation button (e.g., physical switch, touch) may be added to the radiant heating panel (800) so that a user can manually turn the radiant heating panel (800) on and off, adjust the temperature, etc. This manual operation button may correspond to a manual operation unit (900).

[0099] The status output unit (700) can output the temperature status of the heating unit (810) in real time through the LED lamp (840) in conjunction with the temperature value of the temperature sensor (830) installed in the heating unit (810) or the current value of the heating unit (810) being controlled by the MCU (100). This operation can be performed through the control of the MCU (100) corresponding to the main controller.

[0100] More specifically, when the MCU (100) turns off the heating unit (810) when human contact resulting from contact with the occupant's body is detected by the touch sensor unit (820) during the operation of the heating unit (810), it can control the status output unit (700) to immediately change the LED lamp (840) from the current color to a set color (e.g., blue color) or gradually change it from the current color to a set color (e.g., blue color) while adjusting at least one of the saturation and brightness from the current color.

[0101] For example, in the former case, the lamp color can be changed immediately from red to blue, and in the latter case, the lamp color can be changed gradually from red, orange, yellow, light green, to blue, and the color can be changed according to a preset speed.

[0102] In another example, when the MCU (100) detects physical contact of a passenger while the heating element (810) is in operation, it can turn off the heating element by gradually lowering the current value of the heating element (810) according to a set speed. At this time, the MCU (100) can gradually change the color of the LED lamp from the current color to a set color (e.g., blue color) in conjunction with the temperature value of the heating element (810). As such, the speed at which the color changes may be pre-set, but it may also be linked in real-time to the rate of change of the temperature value or current value of the heating element (810).

[0103] In addition, when the MCU (100) detects contact with the occupant's body while the heating unit (810) is on, it compares the touch sensitivity with a reference value. If the touch sensitivity is greater than or equal to the reference value, it immediately cuts off the power to the heating unit (810) and immediately changes the LED lamp (840) from the current color to a set color (e.g., blue). If the touch sensitivity is less than the reference value, it gradually lowers the current value of the heating unit (810) according to a set speed and changes the color of the LED lamp (840) from the current color to a set color (e.g., blue) in conjunction with the change in the current value.

[0104] The manual control unit (900) is used to physically control the function of the radiant heating panel (800). The manual control unit (900) is connected to the MCU (100) and can be used in the form of a button such as a physical switch or as a touch button. According to this, the occupant can turn the heating function on or off by directly controlling the manual control unit (900) and directly transmitting a command to the MCU (100) to turn the radiant heating panel (800) ON or OFF. At this time, the MCU (100) can check the change in the heating state in real time and transmit it to the upper controller (ECU) through the communication unit (300).

[0105] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the radiant heating panel control operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0106] FIG. 9 illustrates that an MCU (100), which corresponds to the main controller of a radiant heater module (1000), controls a heating element (810) and a touch sensor element (820) within a radiant heating panel (800) or diagnoses various functions using various switches and sensing values. S1 and S2 correspond to switches for supplying power to each element within the radiant heating panel (800). Here, sensing of the current value may be performed at S2. S3 may correspond to a switch to which a signal for controlling the touch sensor element (820) is applied. Terminal B1, where manual input is performed, may correspond to a manual operation unit (900). Here, each switch may be an electronic switch such as a relay, mechanical switch, FET, SiC, or transistor.

[0107] To explain the control operation of the radiant heating panel (800) in more detail, the entire heating layer of the heating film can be used as a human body detection sensor by using a plurality of switches. That is, in the heating film structure of FIG. 5, switches S1 and S2 connected to the heating layer can be turned OFF, and the heating layer can be made to a floating state to enable human body detection. At this time, switch S3 can be turned ON to use the entire heating layer as a touch sensor. Meanwhile, the switches can be transistors, silicon carbide, IGBTs, FETs, and relays.

[0108] As such, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the entire heating layer is used as a mutual Tx or driven shield area for touch to sufficiently charge the current of the first pattern and the second pattern of the touch layer of the heating film, and the human body detection sensing sensitivity can be increased.

[0109] That is, the heating layer receives a Mutual Tx or Driven Shield waveform from the MCU (100) and acts to supply current to the first pattern and the second pattern to improve the touch sensitivity for detecting the human body, and the heating layer itself can be used as another touch sensor pattern.

[0110] In this way, the MCU (100) can transmit a Mutual Tx or Driven Shield waveform to the heating layer to charge current to the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part, thereby enabling the heating layer to operate as a touch sensor.

[0111] This allows for the recovery of function and stability from damage to the human body detection pattern by pluralizing the functions of the existing human body detection sensor. Additionally, it can be utilized as a structure that integrates the first and second patterns into a single touch pattern, thereby improving touch sensitivity and increasing system efficiency.

[0112] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the initial operation of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0113] First, when power is applied to the radiant heater module (1000) by starting the vehicle or by user operation, the initialization of the program memory and peripheral devices is performed first in the initial stage of the system. Specifically, the MCU (100) can perform the functions of the memory's BIST (Built In Self Test), diagnosis of the touch sensor unit's sensor (Open, Short), and diagnosis of the heating unit (Open, Short).

[0114] If there is an abnormality in the diagnosis results, the system enters the alarm stage, and in addition to lighting up via the LED (ISELED) and sound using the buzzer, an error message is transmitted to the upper controller (ECU) via the communication unit (300), and the system can be terminated. If there is no abnormality in the diagnosis results, heating operation and touch sensing are performed via the radiant heating panel (800). After a certain period of time has elapsed, the diagnosis function can be operated again by the MCU diagnosis unit (200).

[0115] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating in detail the functional diagnosis of an MCU in an embodiment of the present invention. The MCU (100) first performs memory BIST (Built In Self Test) and ECC (Error Correction Code Memory), and if there is a problem, it moves to an alarm stage and can either activate an alarm through an LED (ISELED) or a buzzer or transmit a diagnosis error to a higher-level controller (ECU) through a communication unit (300).

[0116] If there are no abnormalities after the memory BIST process, the MCU (100) proceeds to the heating element diagnosis process. In the heating element diagnosis, when the S1 switch and S2 switch are turned on in FIG. 8, the current flowing through S2 is measured through the Current sensor. If no current flows, it is known that the circuit of the heating element (810) is open, and if an overcurrent flows more than usual, it is known that there is a partial short circuit in the circuit. In this way, if there is an abnormality as a result of determining whether there is an abnormality, the process proceeds to the alarm stage, and the system's fault status is notified by flashing or displaying a set color through a buzzer or an LED (ISELED) placed on the heating element (or above the sensor). If there are no abnormalities, the process proceeds to the touch sensor diagnosis process.

[0117] For the diagnosis of the touch sensor unit, the Touch_Con0 signal can be adjusted to transmit (Mutual TX) and receive (Mutual RX) the Touch0 signal through the S3 switch. When the Touch0 signal performs Mutual TX, the entire heating area on the heating layer (Bottom layer) side of the radiant heating panel (800) can be used as Mutual TX while the S1 and S2 switches are in the Off state. At this time, the signal is received (Mutual RX) through Touch1 and Touch2 of the touch sensor unit (820) on the upper layer (Top layer) side, and the normality of the sensor can be determined by comparing the input capacitance values ​​of the Touch1 and Touch2 sensors that are normally input. If a problem is found as a result of the touch sensor unit diagnosis, an alarm step is performed; if there is no problem, the operation following the diagnosis mode of FIG. 10 is performed.

[0118] According to the present invention as described above, the interior space can be heated by being installed inside the vehicle and emitting radiant heat around the occupants, and the power to the heating element can be immediately cut off upon detection of an occupant's body, thereby preventing low-temperature burns. Additionally, since individual control of the radiant heating panel is possible for each occupant within the vehicle, the comfort and safety of the vehicle interior heating can be enhanced.

[0119] The present invention has been described with reference to embodiments illustrated in the drawings, but this is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. In a human body detection-based vehicle heat control system considering occupant safety, A radiant heating panel including a heating element installed in a designated area of ​​the vehicle interior that emits radiant heat toward a passenger when turned on, and a touch sensor element positioned above the heating element to detect whether a touch occurs due to human contact with the passenger; A main control unit (MCU) connected between an upper controller and the radiant heating panel, which controls the on / off or heating temperature of the radiant heating panel according to a command signal from the upper controller, and turns off the heating unit when human body contact of an occupant is detected while the heating unit is in operation; and The temperature status of the heating element is guided visually or audibly through at least one means among an LED lamp or a buzzer, and includes a status output unit that is installed directly on the radiant heating panel or mounted at a vehicle interior location adjacent to the radiant heating panel. The above MCU is, When human body contact of an occupant is detected during the ON operation of the heating unit, the heating unit is turned OFF, and the state output unit is controlled to immediately change the LED lamp from the current color to the set color, or to gradually change it from the current color to the set color while adjusting at least one of saturation and brightness. A vehicle heating control system that transmits a Mutual Tx or Driven Shield waveform to the heating layer of the heating part above, thereby charging current to the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part, so that the heating layer operates as a touch sensor.

2. In Claim 1, A vehicle heat control system in which the circuit pattern of the touch sensor portion within the radiant heating panel is formed in a comb-like structure in which adjacent first patterns and second patterns interlock, wherein the first patterns and second patterns have a line width of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm and are made of at least one conductive material among CNT (Carbon Nano Tube), Cu, and silver paste, and the spacing between the first pattern and the second pattern is in the range of 0.25 mm to 5 mm.

3. In Claim 1, A vehicle heat control system further comprising an MCU diagnostic unit that periodically transmits a test signal to the MCU to perform fault diagnosis, and resets the MCU if no response is received in response to the test signal.

4. In Claim 3, A large-area heat control system for a vehicle, further comprising a communication unit responsible for communication with the upper controller and updating the MCU diagnostic unit and the MCU through the upper controller or transmitting data received from the MCU to the upper controller.

5. In Claim 1, A vehicle heating control system further comprising a heating control unit that controls whether to supply power to or the amount of current of a heating element within a radiant heating panel according to a control signal received from the MCU based on the above command signal, thereby controlling the on / off or heating temperature of the heating element.

6. In Claim 1, A touch control unit connected between the above MCU and the above touch sensor unit, controlling the above touch sensor unit and processing the detection value of the touch sensor unit and providing it to the above MCU; and A vehicle heating control system further comprising a heating circuit diagnostic unit connected between the MCU and the heating unit, which monitors the state of the heating unit and diagnoses the short or open state of the heating circuit and provides the diagnosis result to the MCU.

7. In Claim 1, The above status output unit is, A vehicle heating control system that outputs the temperature status of the heating element in real time through the LED lamp in conjunction with the temperature value of a temperature sensor installed in the heating element or the current value of the heating element being controlled by the MCU.

8. In Claim 1, The above MCU is, When human body contact of an occupant is detected during the operation of the above heating element, A vehicle heating control system that gradually changes the color of the LED lamp from the current color to the set color in conjunction with the temperature value of the heating element.

9. In Claim 1, The above MCU is, When human body contact of an occupant is detected during the operation of the heating unit, the touch sensitivity is compared with a reference value, and if the touch sensitivity is greater than or equal to the reference value, the power to the heating unit is immediately cut off so that the LED lamp is immediately changed from the current color to a set color. A vehicle heating control system that, when the touch sensitivity is below a reference value, gradually lowers the current value of the heating element according to a set speed and gradually changes the color of the LED lamp from the current color to a set color in conjunction with the change in the current value.

10. In Claim 1, Corresponding to multiple designated areas in the interior of the vehicle, a plurality of radiant heater modules including the MCU and the radiant heating panel are installed in the vehicle. The above plurality of radiant heater modules are a vehicle heating control system connected to the above upper controller.

11. In Claim 1, A vehicle heating control system that utilizes the entire heating layer as a human body detection sensor by using a plurality of switches connected to the heating layer of a heating film included in the heating part.

12. [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025] A vehicle heat control system wherein the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part of Claim 1 is formed to include a comb-shaped structure in which adjacent first patterns and second patterns are interlocked, as shown in the sensor pattern 1 of FIG. 7a.

13. [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025] A vehicle heat control system wherein the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part of Claim 1 is formed to include a comb-shaped structure in which adjacent first patterns and second patterns are interlocked with each other, as shown in the sensor pattern 2 of FIG. 7a.

14. [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025] A vehicle heat control system wherein the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part of Claim 1 is formed to include a comb-shaped structure in which adjacent first patterns and second patterns are interlocked with each other, as shown in sensor pattern 3 of FIG. 7b.

15. [Correction pursuant to Rule 91 25.11.2025] A vehicle heat control system wherein the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part of Claim 1 is formed to include a comb-shaped structure in which adjacent first patterns and second patterns are interlocked with each other, as shown in the sensor pattern 4 of FIG. 7b.

16. [Correction pursuant to Rule 91, Nov.

25. [2025] A vehicle heat control system according to Claim 1, wherein the circuit pattern of the touch sensor part is formed to include a comb-shaped structure in which adjacent first patterns and second patterns are interlocked with each other, as shown in the sensor pattern 5 of FIG. 7b.

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