Vehicle air inlet control

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to a control system (10) for controlling a climate control system (60) of a vehicle (100). The climate control system (60) comprises: an air inlet door (30) configured to change position to control a ratio of external air (202) from outside the vehicle (100) to internal air (204) from within the vehicle (100) to be received by the climate control system (60); and a blower (40) configured to control the flow rate of air provided by the climate control system (60) to a cabin of the vehicle (100). The control system (10) comprises one or more processors (50) collectively configured to: receive an air pressure indicator (12) indicative of an air pressure incident on the air inlet door (30); receive a desired ratio (14) of external air to internal air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system (60); receive a desired flow rate (16) of air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system (60); determine a position of the air inlet door (30) in dependence on the air pressure indicator (12) and the desired ratio (14); determine a fan speed of the blower in dependence on the air pressure indicator (12) and the desired flow rate (16); output a door position control signal (18) to adjust the position of the air inlet door (30) to the determined position to provide air at the desired ratio (14); and output a blower control signal (20) to adjust the fan speed to the determined fan speed to provide air at the desired flow rate (16).

Description

[0001] VEHICLE AIR INLET CONTROL

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle air inlet control. Aspects of the invention relate to a control system for controlling a climate control system of a vehicle, to a system, to a vehicle, to a method for controlling a climate control system of a vehicle, and to computer readable instructions.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] It is known to provide air to a cabin of a vehicle through a climate control system. A control system for the climate control system may select a source of the air provided to the cabin from either external air (i.e. air from outside the vehicle), internal air (i.e. air from within the vehicle), or a fractional mixture of the two. However, delivering an accurate fractional mixture of air to the cabin is difficult. Further, the difficulty in delivering the fractional mixture increases as the vehicle begins to move. Conventionally, poor control over the fractional mixture of air can lead to inefficient power usage to control the climate control system. It would be beneficial to better control the climate control system to improve power usage in controlling the climate control system.

[0006] It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a control system, a system, a vehicle, a method, and computer-readable instructions as claimed in the appended claims.

[0009] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a control system for controlling a climate control system of a vehicle, the climate control system comprising an air inlet door configured to change position to control a ratio of external air from outside the vehicle to internal air from within the vehicle to be received by the climate control system; the control system comprising one or more processors collectively configured to: receive an air pressure indicator indicative of an air pressure incident on the air inlet door; receive a desired ratio of external air to internal air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system; determine a position of the air inlet door in dependence on the air pressure indicator and the desired ratio; and output a door position control signal to adjust the position of the air inlet door to the determined position to provide air at the desired ratio.

[0010] Advantageously, the control system aims to provide a climate control system with an improved control over the air supplied to a cabin of a vehicle. That is, by considering a pressure indicator and a desired ratio, the present invention delivers a consistent supply of accurately mixed inlet air by accounting for the effect of air pressure on the vehicle which in turn affects the flow rate of air into the vehicle from the outside of the vehicle. By providing accurately mixed inlet air, the climate control system is able to function in a more efficient manner, by taking account of the air pressure on the vehicle and air inlet.

[0011] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a control system for controlling a climate control system of a vehicle, the climate control system comprising: an air inlet door configured to changeposition to control a ratio of external air from outside the vehicle to internal air from within the vehicle to be received by the climate control system; and a blower configured to control the flow rate of air provided by the climate control system to a cabin of the vehicle, the control system comprising one or more processors collectively configured to: receive an air pressure indicator indicative of an air pressure incident on the air inlet door; receive a desired ratio of external air to internal air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system; receive a desired flow rate of air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system; determine a position of the air inlet door in dependence on the air pressure indicator and the desired ratio; determine a fan speed of the blower in dependence on the air pressure indicator and the desired flow rate; output a door position control signal to adjust the position of the air inlet door to the determined position to provide air at the desired ratio; and output a blower control signal to adjust the fan speed to the determined fan speed to provide air at the desired flow rate.

[0012] Advantageously, the control system provides a climate control system with improved control over the air supplied to a cabin of a vehicle. By considering the external air pressure on the vehicle (and on the air inlet of the vehicle), a desired ratio, and a desired flow rate when determining an air inlet door and a fan speed of a blower, the present invention delivers a consistent supply rate of accurately mixed inlet air in an energy efficient way. By providing accurately mixed inlet air, the climate control system is able to function in a more efficient manner, by expending less energy on providing air at a desired flow rate by utilising the pressure of external air on the vehicle. By considering the air inlet door and the blower together as an air provision system, an improved control system for a climate control system is achieved.

[0013] The control system comprises one or more controllers collectively comprising at least one electronic processor having an electrical input for receiving an input signal; and at least one memory device electrically coupled to the at least one electronic processor and having instructions stored therein; and wherein the at least one electronic processor is configured to access the at least one memory device and execute the instructions thereon so as to: receive an air pressure indicator indicative of an air pressure incident on the air inlet door; receive a desired ratio of external air to internal air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system; receive a desired flow rate of air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system; determine a position of the air inlet door in dependence on the air pressure indicator and the desired ratio; determine a fan speed of the blower in dependence on the air pressure indicator and the desired flow rate; output a door position control signal to adjust the position of the air inlet door to the determined position to provide air at the desired ratio; and output a blower control signal to adjust the fan speed to the determined fan speed to provide air at the desired flow rate.

[0014] In some examples, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to determine a fan speed of the blower in dependence on the air pressure indicator, the desired ratio, and the desired flow rate.

[0015] Optionally, the air pressure indicator may be indicative of one or more of: a forward vehicle speed, and a frontal air pressure incident on the vehicle. The air pressure indicator may be understood to be any metric indicative of vehicle movement, that may be used to determine the air pressure or used in place of the air pressure. In this way, the air pressure indicator may be a metric used as a proxy to air pressure.Advantageously, by taking into account the air pressure on the vehicle, the control system is able to determine an air inlet door position and a fan speed of a blower based on parameters that are more representative of the actual conditions for the climate control system, i.e. which take into account the effect of air blowing on / into the air inlet of the vehicle, thereby resulting in a more accurate control of the climate control system.

[0016] Optionally, the air inlet door may comprise an external air inlet door configured to change position to control an amount of external air from outside the vehicle to be received by the climate control system, and the climate control system may comprise: an internal air inlet door configured to change position to control an amount of internal air from within the cabin of the vehicle to be received by the climate control system. The one or more processors may be collectively configured to: determine a position for the external air inlet door and / or a position for the internal air inlet door, in dependence on the air pressure indicator, the desired ratio and the desired flow rate; and output an external air inlet door control signal and / or an internal air inlet door control signal to respectively adjust the position of the external air inlet door and the position of the internal air inlet door to the determined positions to provide air at the desired ratio.

[0017] Accordingly, when the climate control system comprises an external inlet door and an internal air inlet door, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to determine the position for the external air inlet door and / or the position of the internal air inlet door, in dependence on the air pressure indicator, the desired ratio, and the desired flow rate.

[0018] Optionally, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to: determine an external air pressure on the external air inlet door based on the air pressure indicator; and determine the position for the external air inlet door and / or the position for the internal air inlet door dependence on the external air pressure on the external air inlet door, the desired ratio and the desired flow rate.

[0019] Advantageously, the control system is able to provide better control over the consistent supply of accurately mixed air. That is, by independently controlling each of the external air inlet door and the internal air inlet door, the control system has greater configurability over the climate control system. Furthermore, by considering the external air pressure on the external air inlet door, a more accurate input is utilised for determining the air inlet door position and the fan speed of the blower.

[0020] Optionally, the desired ratio may be determined based on one or more of: a humidity within the cabin of the vehicle, a temperature within the cabin of the vehicle, a humidity outside the cabin of the vehicle, and a temperature outside the cabin of the vehicle.

[0021] Advantageously, the control system may aim to provide air to the cabin that is less likely to cause mist formation on one or more surfaces within the cabin of the vehicle. Furthermore, by receiving input relating to measurements (i.e. humidity and temperature measurements), the control system may automatically, without input from a user, determine the desired ratio. As such, the present invention provides an improved automated climate control system.Optionally, the humidity within the cabin of the vehicle may be determined by one or more of: a humidity sensor within the cabin of the vehicle, and a virtual humidity sensor for one or more areas within the cabin of the vehicle. Optionally, the temperature within the cabin of the vehicle may be determined by one or more of: a temperature sensor within the cabin of the vehicle, and a virtual temperature sensor for one or more areas within the cabin of the vehicle.

[0022] A virtual sensor may be understood to relate to a simulated sensor, or a modelled sensed value at a first location with no physical sensor, determined based on a sensed value at a second location by a physical sensor at the second location, and some relationship between the first and second locations. The one or more processors may be collectively configured to determine sensor values for the virtual sensor, based on one or more indications received by the one or more processors. The determined sensor values for the virtual sensor may be used for subsequent processing steps. Accordingly, the virtual sensor provides signals for processing steps in relation to one or more areas within the cabin of the vehicle, without the presence of a physical sensor being located at said one or more areas within the cabin of the vehicle. Advantageously, a virtual sensor may reduce the amount of physical components within the cabin of the vehicle, facilitating easier vehicle and in-vehicle electronics manufacturing and design, while maintaining functions provided to the one or more areas within the cabin.

[0023] Optionally, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to determine the position of the air inlet door of the climate control system in dependence on one or more of the humidity within the cabin of the vehicle, and the humidity outside the cabin of the vehicle, and output the door position control signal to control the position of the air inlet doorto the determined position.

[0024] Advantageously, the control system may aim to provide air to the cabin that is less likely to cause mist formation on one or more surfaces within the cabin of the vehicle. Furthermore, by receiving input relating to humidity measurements for determination of the position of the air inlet door, the control system may automatically, without input from a user, determine the desired ratio. As such, the present invention provides an automated climate control system.

[0025] In some examples, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to determine the position of the air inlet door of the climate control system in dependence on one or more of: the air pressure indicator, the desired ratio, the desired flow rate, the humidity within the cabin of the vehicle, the humidity outside the cabin of the vehicle, the temperature within the cabin of the vehicle and the temperature outside the cabin of the vehicle. It will be appreciated that air inlet door may refer to the external air inlet door and / or the internal air inlet door depending on the door configuration of the climate control system. Furthermore, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to determine the fan speed of the blower in dependence on any one or more of: the air pressure indicator, the desired ratio, the desired flow rate, the humidity within the cabin of the vehicle, the humidity outside the cabin of the vehicle, the temperature within the cabin of the vehicle and the temperature outside the cabin of the vehicle.Optionally, the one or more processors may be collectively configured to, in response to a change in position of the air inlet door causing a reduction of pressure within the climate control system, output a blower control signal to control the fan speed of the blower to increase the pressure within the climate control system so as to maintain a consistent pressure of air provided by the climate control system to the cabin. The one or more processors may be collectively configured to, in response to a change in position of the air inlet door causing an increase of pressure within the climate control system, output a blower control signal to control the fan speed of the blower to decrease the pressure within the climate control system so as to maintain a consistent pressure of air provided by the climate control system to the cabin.

[0026] Advantageously, the present invention provides air to the cabin at a consistent pressure, so as to prevent (or reduce) abrupt changes to the climate and airflow environment within the cabin of the vehicle.

[0027] Optionally, the desired flow rate may be determined based on one or more of: a stored user setting associated with a user identified to be in the vehicle; a user input indicative of the desired flow rate; and automatically by the climate control system.

[0028] Advantageously, the control system for the climate control system may be configurable in different ways, providing a more flexible user-friendly system.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a system comprising any control system for controlling a climate control system of a vehicle as disclosed herein; an air inlet door configured to change position to control a ratio of external air from outside the vehicle to internal air from within the vehicle to be received by the climate control system; and a blower configured to control the flow rate of air provided by the climate control system.

[0030] In some examples, the air inlet door may comprise an external air inlet door configured to change position to control an amount of external air from outside the vehicle to be received by the climate control system, and the climate control system may further comprise an internal air inlet door configured to change position to control an amount of internal air from within the cabin of the vehicle to be received by the climate control system.

[0031] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a vehicle comprising any system as disclosed herein, or any control system as disclosed herein.

[0032] According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for controlling a climate control system of a vehicle, the climate control system comprising: an air inlet door configured to change position to control a ratio of external air from outside the vehicle to internal air from within the vehicle to be received by the climate control system; and a blower configured to control the flow rate of air provided by the climate control system to a cabin of the vehicle, the method comprising: receiving an air pressure indicator indicative of an air pressure incident on the inlet door, receiving a desired ratio of external air to internal air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system, receiving a desired flow rate of air to be provided to the cabin by theclimate control system; determining a position of the air inlet door in dependence on the air pressure indicator and the desired ratio; determining a fan speed of the blower in dependence on the air pressure indicator and the desired flow rate; outputting a door position control signal to adjust the position of the air inlet door to the determined position to provide air at the desired ratio; and outputting a blower control signal to adjust the fan speed to the determined fan speed to provide air at the desired flow rate.

[0033] In examples in which the climate control system comprises an external air inlet door configured to change position to control an amount of external air from outside the vehicle to be received by the climate control system, and an internal air inlet door configured to change position to control an amount of internal air from within the cabin of the vehicle to be received by the climate control system (i.e. in which the climate control system comprises an external air inlet door and an internal air inlet door), the method may comprise: determining a position for the external air inlet door and / or a position for the internal air inlet door, in dependence on the air pressure indicator, the desired ratio and the desired flow rate; and outputting an external air inlet door control signal and / or an internal air inlet door control signal to respectively adjust the position of the external air inlet door and the position of the internal air inlet door to the determined positions to provide air at the desired ratio.

[0034] According to another aspect of the present invention there are provided computer readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform any method as disclosed herein.

[0035] Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

[0036] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0038] Figures 1A-1C show a schematic representation of a climate control system in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0039] Figures 2A-2B show block diagrams illustrating a control system for controlling a climate control system of a vehicle in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0040] Figures 3A-3B show another schematic representation of a climate control system in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0041] Figure 4 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle comprising a plurality of sensors in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0042] Figure 5 shows a block diagram illustrating a system in accordance with embodiments of the invention;Figure 6 shows a vehicle in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and

[0043] Figure 7 shows a flow chart showing a method for controlling a climate control system of a vehicle in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

[0044] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a control system for controlling a climate control system, a system, a vehicle, a method for controlling a climate control system, and computer readable instructions.

[0046] A climate control system may provide one or more functions affecting the environment within a cabin of a vehicle 100. The term “cabin” may refer to the cavity inside a vehicle 100, occupied by one or more users (e.g. the driver and / or one or more passengers) during use of the vehicle 100. The cabin of the vehicle 100 may comprise one or more seats in which the users can sit. The one or more functions provided by the climate control system may relate to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, and may collectively be abbreviated as “HVAC”. The functions provided by the climate control system may include aiding user comfort, and prevention / overcoming of misting / fogging of windows within the cabin of the vehicle 100, for example.

[0047] In order to provide climate control functions, the climate control system provides or directs air to the cabin. The air provided to the cabin by the climate control system may have particular characteristics; for example, the climate control system may control one or more of a temperature, a moisture content, a source (e.g. external fresh air and internal recirculated air), and / or a flow rate of the air provided to the cabin, though it will be appreciated that this list is not exhaustive.

[0048] A flow rate of air provided to the cabin relates to an amount of air that is being expelled or provided into the cabin by the climate control system per unit time. For example, the volume (e.g. L, m3, or any other unit of volume) of air per unit time (e.g. second, minute, hours, etc) that is being output into the cabin. The climate control system comprises one or more blowers 40 configured to control the flow rate of air provided by the climate control system. In some examples, the blower 40 may comprise one or more rotating fans which, when operating, may output air at a desired flow rate 16. For example, a fan speed (e.g. rotations per unit time) may increase / decrease in order to increase / decrease a flow rate (to increase the flow rate, the fan speed may increase; to decrease the flow rate, the fan speed may decrease). The control system 10 may be configured to output a blower control signal 20 to the blower 40. In this way, the control system 10 may be configured to control and / or adjust the fan speed to provide air at the desired flow rate 16.

[0049] A source of air provided to the cabin relates to whether the air is from outside of the vehicle 100 (i.e. “external air” or “fresh air”), inside the vehicle 100 (i.e. “internal air” or “recirculated air”), or a fractional mix of the air from outside the vehicle 100 and the air from inside the vehicle 100. A source of air provided to the cabin being a fractional mix of air from outside the vehicle 100 and air from inside the vehicle 100 may be advantageous for altering moisture levels within the cabin of the vehicle 100 and prevent or overcome window misting, to provide a demisting function. For example, due to the presence of one or more users in the cabin of the vehicle 100, the internal air may comprise a greater moisture content (i.e. concentration of moisture) than the external air. As another example, external air has a reduced capacity to hold moisture in cold weather, thereforeexternal air being heated to a temperature of the cabin and / or internal air may be drier than internal air. Therefore, to reduce the moisture level within the cabin of the vehicle 100, and reduce likelihood of misting and / or fogging of one or more surfaces (e.g. windows), the control system 10 may be configured to include a greater amount of external air to internal air in the air provided to the cabin of the vehicle 100 to help provide a drier overall air. It may be more energy efficient for the control system 10 to have improved control over the source of the air provided to the cabin. For example, it may require a high amount of energy to include external air, because more energy may be required to heat up and / or condition external air in comparison to internal air (which may have already been heated and / or conditioned). As such, the desired ratio and control over the amount of external air 202 permitted past the air inlet door 30 in accordance with the desired ratio, is important, so as to not unnecessarily expend energy on heating / conditioning external air 202 above that which is required to provide a demisting / defogging, or prevention thereof, function.

[0050] The climate control system is configured to receive external air and internal air. In this way, the climate control system may be functionally connected to the outside of the vehicle 100 and the inside of the vehicle 100 such that the external air and the internal air may be received by the climate control system. In an example, the climate control system may be coupled to one or more respective vents which may interface with the outside and inside of the vehicle 100, functionally connecting the climate control system to the outside of the vehicle 100 and the inside of the vehicle 100. In some examples, to control the source of air provided to the cabin, the climate control system comprises an air inlet door 30. The air inlet door 30 is configured to receive external air from outside the vehicle 100 and to receive internal air from inside the vehicle 100. For example, the air inlet door 30 may be connected to the one or more respective vents. In some examples, the air inlet door 30 may be positioned on an external surface of the vehicle 100, e.g. a front grill of the vehicle 100, a grill at the base of a windscreen, and / or a leaf screen of the vehicle. However, the air inlet door 30 may be positioned on any surface of the vehicle 100 in which external air may be directed to the air inlet door 30. The air inlet door 30 may be configured to control a ratio of external air from outside the vehicle 100 to internal air from within the vehicle 100 to be received by the climate control system (for onward provision to the cabin of the vehicle 100). The control system 10 may be configured to output a door position control signal 18 to the air inlet door 30. In this way, the control system 10 may be configured to control and / or adjust the position of the air inlet door 30. Example air inlet doors 30 are discussed in relation to Figures 1 A-1C and Figures 3A-3B, below.

[0051] Figures 1A-1C illustrate a climate control system 60 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The climate control system 60 comprises a control system 10 as illustrated in Figures 2A-2B. The climate control system 60 comprises an air inlet door 30 and a blower 40. The climate control system 60 may comprise a supporting member 22. The climate control system 60 may comprise further components in some examples, such as an air conditioning unit, a heating unit, and / or a refrigerant / cooler unit. The climate control system 60 may receive external air 202 from outside the vehicle 100 and may receive internal air 204 from within the vehicle 100, and may provide output air 206 to the cabin. In the example illustrated in Figures 1A-1C, the air inlet door 30 is a quadrant door, which may rotate about a rotation centre R to alter an airflow aperture for the external air 202 and the internal air 204. In the example illustrated in Figures 1A-1C, an airflow aperture may be a space D between the air inlet door 30 and the supporting member of the climate control system 60. That is, the airflow aperture for the external air 202 may be a space between the supporting member 22 and anedge of the air inlet door 30 on which the external air 202 is incident, and the airflow aperture for the internal air 204 may be a space between the supporting member 22 and an edge of the air inlet door 30 on which the internal air 204 is incident. For example, based on a desired ratio 14 of external air 202 to internal air 204 to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system 60, the air inlet door 30 may be controlled to change position. By rotating clockwise, the air inlet door 30 increases the airflow aperture for the external air 202, while decreasing the airflow aperture for the internal air 204. As shown in Figure 1A, the air inlet door 30 may allow for a combination of external air 202 and internal air 204, while Figure 1B illustrates the air inlet door 30 providing external air 202 only and Figure 1C illustrates the air inlet door 30 providing internal air 204 only. The air inlet door 30 may be controllable to allow for ratios of external air 202 to internal air 204 between 100:0 and 0:100 in a plurality of intervals and / or over a continuum from only internal air to only external air. In this way, the air inlet door 30 provides variable airflow apertures, causing a restriction or opening of the airflow apertures, for the external air 202 and the internal air 204, so that a particular fractional ratio of internal air to external air can be provided in the cabin.

[0052] Characteristics of a fluid, such as a gas (e.g. air) are influenced by the geometry through which they move. For example, by way of varying airflow apertures through which the external air 202 and internal air 204 travel, the output air 206 may have different characteristics to the output air 206 provided prior to varying the airflow apertures. This may be understood through Bernoulli’s equation modified for mechanical loss, which relates to the balancing of static pressure, kinetic energy, and potential energy of a fluid, before and after a change in an airflow geometry. For example, Bernoulli’s equation may be represented as:

[0053]

[0054] wherein P indicates static pressure, p indicates fluid density, v indicates fluid velocity, g indicates the gravitational constant, h indicates elevation and k indicates a constant. The subscript 1 denotes quantities before a geometry change occurs, and the subscript 2 denotes quantities after the geometry change occurs. In the example illustrated of Figures 1A-1C and 3A-3B, the elevation of the climate control system 60 may be assumed to be constant before and after the geometry change and, therefore, the term representing potential energy (pgh) may cancel. The term

[0055]

[0056] represents the kinetic energy of the fluid, while ^pv2k represents a correctional term for energy lost in passing through a geometry change. As an example, by restricting the airflow aperture of the external air 202, the velocity of the external air 202 airflow may increase, while a pressure at the air inlet door 30 associated with the external air 202 may decrease. As such, if air inlet quadrant door 30 rotates to restrict the airflow aperture of the external air 202, the air inlet door 30 opens the airflow aperture of the internal air 204, causing a pressure increase at the air inlet door 30 associated with the internal air 204 and a decrease in the velocity of the internal air 204. In this way, due to the changing of airflow pressures and velocities in the airflows of the internal air 204 and external air 202 received by the air inlet door 30 and the climate control system 60, the appropriate air inlet door 30 position affects the flow rate and ratio of air delivered to the cabin of the vehicle 100. As such, it is a technical challenge to provide air with the desired properties (e.g. in accordance with a user’s request for internal climate control, or to provide a function of the climate control system 60 such as demisting a surface within the cabin of the vehicle 100).Such effects may be exaggerated when a vehicle 100 begins moving. For example, as the vehicle 100 moves faster through the air, the velocity of the external air 202 and therefore the pressure of the external air 202 incident on the vehicle 100, and on an inlet door of the climate control system 60, increase. This effect may be called a “ram” pressure, caused by the vehicle 100 moving through a fluid medium (i.e. air). The pressure drop, given from Bernoulli’s equation, is proportional to the square of the velocity of an airflow. Furthermore, the vehicle velocity is a dynamic quantity, and may change frequently as the vehicle is driven. Therefore, due to sensitivity of the climate control system 60 to the external air 202 during vehicle 100 motion, the flow rate of air delivered to a user in the cabin may be a challenge to control accurately and in an energy efficient way.

[0057] Further to the above, issues can arise in instances where the pressure of the external air 202 is high (e.g. due to high vehicle velocity (i.e. ram pressure), high external air 202 velocity, and / or a change in the air inlet door 30 position). In these instances, the external air 202 may flow past the air inlet door 30 without being channelled into the vehicle 100 by the blower 40, leading to poor control over both the ratio and the flow rate of the air provided to the cabin of the vehicle.

[0058] Examples disclosed herein provide a control system 10 for controlling a climate control system 60 of a vehicle 100 which addresses the above drawbacks.

[0059] With reference to Figure 2A, there is illustrated a control system 10 for controlling a climate control system 60 of a vehicle 100 (as seen illustrated in Figures 4 and 6). The climate control system 60 comprises an air inlet door 30 and a blower 40. The air inlet door 30 is configured to change position to control a ratio of external air from outside the vehicle 100 to internal air from within the vehicle 100 to be received by the climate control system 60. The blower 40 is configured to control the flow rate of air provided by the climate control system 60 to a cabin of the vehicle 100. The control system 10 comprises one or more processors 50. The one or more processors 50 are collectively configured to receive an air pressure indicator 12 indicative of an air pressure incident on the air inlet door 30, receive a desired ratio 14 of external air to internal air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system 60, and receive a desired flow rate 16 of air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system 60.

[0060] The control system 10 is configured to then determine a position of the air inlet door 30 in dependence on the air pressure indicator 12 and the desired ratio 14, and determine a fan speed of the blower 40 in dependence on the air pressure indicator 12 and the desired flow rate 16.

[0061] The control system 10 is configured to then output a door position control signal 18 to adjust the position of the air inlet door 30 to the determined position to provide air at the desired ratio 14; and output a blower control signal 20 to adjust the fan speed to the determined fan speed to provide air at the desired flow rate 16.

[0062] With reference to Figure 2B, there is illustrated a control system 10 for a vehicle. The control system 10 comprises one or more controller 110. As shown in Figure 2A, the control system 10 is configured to receive an air pressure indicator 12, a desired ratio 14, and a desired flow rate 16; and determine a position of the air inlet door 30 in dependence on the air pressure indicator 12 and the desired ratio 14, and determine a fanspeed of the blower 40 in dependence on the air pressure indicator 12 and the desired flow rate 16. The control system 110 may then output a control signal 155 to control one or more of a position of the air inlet door 30 and a fan speed of the blower. For example, the control system 10 outputs a door position control signal 18 to adjust the position of the air inlet door 30 to the determined position to provide air at the desired ratio 14; and output a blower control signal 20 to adjust the fan speed to the determined fan speed to provide air at the desired flow rate 16.

[0063] The control system 10 as illustrated in Figure 2B comprises one controller 110, although it will be appreciated that this is merely illustrative. The controller 110 comprises processing means 120 (e.g. processor 50) and memory means 130. The processing means 120 may be one or more electronic processing device which operably executes computer-readable instructions. The memory means 130 may be one or more memory device. The memory means 130 is electrically coupled to the processing means 120. The memory means 130 is configured to store instructions, and the processing means 120 is configured to access the memory means 130 and execute the instructions stored thereon.

[0064] The controller 110 comprises an input means 140 and an output means 150. The input means 140 may comprise an electrical input of the controller 110. The output means 150 may comprise an electrical output of the controller 110. The input means 140 is arranged to receive a signal 165 from a component of the vehicle. In some examples, the signal 165 may represent one or more of an air pressure indicator 12, a desired ratio 14, and a desired flow rate 16. In some examples, each respective input signal 165 to the controller 110 may have a respective input means 140 associated thereto. The output means 150 is arranged to output a control signal 155 to control one or more of a position of the air inlet door 30 and a fan speed of the blower. For example, the output means 150 is configured to output a door position control signal 18 to adjust the position of the air inlet door 30 to the determined position to provide air at the desired ratio 14; and output a blower control signal 20 to adjust the fan speed to the determined fan speed to provide air at the desired flow rate 16. In some examples, the door position control signal 18 and the blower control signal 20 may be associated with respective outputs 150.

[0065] In this way, examples disclosed herein aim to control a climate control system to deliver an air mixture having a desired ratio of external air 202 to internal air 204, delivered at a consistent, desired flow rate 16, by considering the internal air 204 control, external air 202 control, and blower 40 control all together as a complete inlet air provision system. This approach differs to conventional as other climate control systems may crudely account for an increase in pressure and velocity cause by vehicle 100 motion by reducing a blower fan speed to subsequently prevent increase airflow in to the cabin. However, such approaches do not account for the ratio of external air 202 to internal air 204. A further drawback of such a conventional system is that a blower fan speed may be insufficient at drawing air into the climate control system, thereby increasing difficulty in precisely controlling both of the mixture of the air provided to the cabin and the flow rate at which it is delivered. That is, conventional systems do not account for maintaining both the ratio of external air 202 to internal air 204 and the flow rate of air provided to the cabin.However, for the present invention, the control system 10 may be configured to, in response to a change in position of the air inlet door 30 causing a reduction of pressure within the climate control system 60, output a blower control signal 20 to control the fan speed of the blower 40 to increase the pressure within the climate control system 60 so as to maintain a consistent pressure of air provided by the climate control system 60 to the cabin. In some examples, the control system 10 may be configured to, in response to a change in position of the air inlet door 30 causing an increase of pressure within the climate control system 60, output a blower control signal 20 to control the fan speed of the blower 40 to decrease the pressure within the climate control system 60 so as to maintain a consistent pressure of air provided by the climate control system 60 to the cabin.

[0066] The advantageous effects of the examples disclosed herein become more evident when adverse weather conditions are experienced. For example, in cold weather, external air 202 carries a low amount of moisture compared to internal air 204, which carries more moisture than the external air 202 in this environment (e.g. due to an occupant’s breath). As such, to prevent or mitigate against mist forming on a surface within the cabin (e.g. the wind screen), conventional control systems, not having an advanced control on the ratio of the air provided to the cabin, err on the side of introducing more external air 202 in the air provided to the cabin of the vehicle 100. However, heating and / or conditioning external air 202 is more energy intensive for a climate control system 60, when compared to heating and / or conditioning internal air 204. As such, by having better control over the ratio of air provided to the cabin, the examples disclosed herein provide more energy efficient function of a climate control system 60, while maintaining sufficient function. That is, the present invention may operate to have as much internal air 204 as possible being used in the air provided to the cabin to reduce energy expenditure on conditioning external air 202, while still preventing misting within the cabin of the vehicle 100.

[0067] As above, the control system 10 takes into account the air pressure indicator 12 for determining a position of the air inlet door 30 and determining a fan speed of the blower 40. That is, as the vehicle 100 begins to move, the pressure incident on the vehicle 100 may increase. The air pressure indicator 12 may be determined by one or more device in communication with the control system 10. For example, the climate control system 60 may comprise a pressure sensor, proximal to the air inlet door 30, such that a pressure measurement from the pressure sensor and the pressure experienced by the air inlet door 30 are comparable. In this way, the pressure sensor may determine the air pressure indicator 12 based on the pressure measurement from the pressure sensor and transmit the air pressure indicator 12 to be received by the control system 10. In another example, the vehicle 100 may comprise a pressure sensor on a surface of the vehicle 100 on which a pressure is incident. For example, the vehicle 100 may comprise one or more pressure sensors on a frontal surface (e.g. on a front grill of the vehicle 100). In this way, the one or more pressure sensors may determine the air pressure indicator 12 based on the pressure measurement from one or more pressure sensors and may collectively transmit the air pressure indicator 12 to the control system 10. In another example, the control system 10 may be in communication with a speed sensor of the vehicle 100. The control system 10 may be configured to receive the air pressure indicator 12 as a speed indicator, indicating a current speed of the vehicle 100. For example, the speed indicator may indicate a rotation rate of one or more wheels of the vehicle 100, a wind speed indicator, and / or a velocity of the vehicle 100. In this example, the control system 10 may be configured to convert the speed indicator into an indication of an air pressure incident on the air inlet door 30.For example, the control system 10 may be configured to access a memory of the control system 10, storing one or more of a mapping, a look-up table, and a model, to determine a pressure incident on the air inlet door 30 based on the speed indicator. As such, in the above examples, the air pressure indicator 12 may indicate the movement of the vehicle 100 as a proxy to air pressure. In some examples, the air pressure indicator 12 may comprise any combination of the aforementioned examples and may comprise one or more of a pressure measurement from one or more pressure sensor of the climate control system 60, a pressure measurement from one or more pressure sensor of the vehicle 100, and / or a speed sensor of the vehicle 100.

[0068] Figures 3A-3B illustrate a climate control system 60 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The climate control system 60 comprises a control system 10 as illustrated in Figures 2A-2B. In this example, the air inlet door 30 comprises an external air inlet door 32 and an internal air inlet door 34. The external air inlet door 32 may be configured to change position to control an amount of external air from outside the vehicle 100 to be received by the climate control system 60. The internal air inlet door 34 may be configured to change position to control an amount of internal air 204 from within the cabin of the vehicle 100 to be received by the climate control system 60. In other words, the climate control system 60 may comprise an external air inlet door 32 and an internal air inlet door 34. The climate control system 60 may also comprise further components, which are not illustrated, such as air conditioning unit, a heating unit, and / or a refrigerant / cooler unit.

[0069] The climate control system 60 may receive external air 202 from outside the vehicle 100 and may receive internal air 204 from within the vehicle 100, and may provide output air 206 to the cabin. In the example illustrated in Figures 3A-3B, the external air inlet door 32 and the internal air inlet door 34 may be hinged doors, each rotatable about a respective rotation centre R1, R2. In this way, the external air inlet door 32 may alter an airflow aperture for the external air 202, and the internal air inlet door 34 may alter an airflow aperture for the internal air 204. For example, based on a desired ratio of external air 202 to internal air 204 to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system 60, the external air inlet door 32 and the internal air inlet door 34 may be independently controlled to change position to provide the desired air flow. In this example, the external air inlet door 32 and the internal air inlet door 34 are shown as hinged doors, but in other examples may be a different adjustable aperture cover, such as a shutters, slider, or other means.

[0070] In this example, the control system 10 may be configured to determine a position for the external air inlet door 32 and / or a position for the internal air inlet door 34, in dependence on the air pressure indicator 12, the desired ratio 14, and the desired flow rate 16. They may be then configured to output an external air inlet door 32 control signal and / or an internal air inlet door 34 control signal to respectively adjust the position of the external air inlet door 32 and the position of the internal air inlet door 34 to the determined positions to provide air at the desired ratio 14. In this way, the control system 10 may be configured to independently control and / or adjust the positions of the external air inlet door 32 and the internal air inlet door 34. This can be seen illustrated in Figures 3A-3B, wherein, between the two figures, the position of the external air inlet door 32 (i.e. the airflow aperture of the external air 202) remains constant, while the position of the internal air inlet door 34 (i.e. the air flow aperture of the internal air 204) is moved from being partially open to being closed. In this way, the climate control system 60 of Figures 3A-3B provides a greater control for providing an air mixture having a desired ratio 14 of external air 202 to internal air 204, delivered at a consistent, desired flow rate 16. For example,through respective control of the external air inlet door 32 and the internal air inlet door 34, the control system 10 used for the climate control system 60 of Figures 3A-3B, may be able to consider the air pressure indicator 12, the desired ratio 14, and the desired flow rate 16.

[0071] In some examples, the control system 10 may be configured to determine an external air pressure on the external air inlet door 32 based on the air pressure indicator 12; and determine the position for the external air inlet door 32 and / or the position for the internal air inlet door 34 in dependence on the external air pressure on the external air inlet door 32, the desired ratio 14 and the desired flow rate 16. Therefore, by accounting for the external air pressure on the external air inlet door 32, the control system 10 may more comprehensively account for and compensate for the dynamic pressure levels experienced by the climate control system 60.

[0072] In some examples, the desired ratio 14 is determined based on one or more of: a humidity within the cabin of the vehicle 100, a temperature within the cabin of the vehicle 100, a humidity outside the cabin of the vehicle 100, and a temperature outside the cabin of the vehicle 100. For example, the control system 10 may be configured to determine the desired ratio 14 of external air 202 to internal air 204 by considering a likelihood of moisture forming within the cabin of the vehicle 100 and causing the windows to fog up. In this way, by aiming to prevent moisture formation on a surface (e.g. glass) within the cabin of the vehicle 100, the control system 10 disclosed herein may result in a vehicle 100 having improved safety and improved user experience, due to better mitigation against condensation formation on surfaces (e.g. windows) within the vehicle 100 to aid user visibility outside the cabin from within. As above, internal air 204 may comprise a greater moisture content than external air 202 and, as such, too much internal air 204 in an air mixture provided to the cabin may result in misting and / or condensation formation. However, conditioning external air 202 is more energy intensive than conditioning internal air 204. Therefore, the desired ratio 14 may be determined based on a mixture of air that includes as less external air 202 and as much internal air 204 as possible, to efficiently use energy from the vehicle in powering the climate control system 60, and still work to prevent moisture formation within the cabin of the vehicle 100. The consideration of energy usage is particularly pertinent in the case of electric vehicles 100 (e.g. battery electric vehicles), because excessive energy expenditure of the climate control system directly affects the longevity of the propulsion system of the electric vehicle 100. That is, the climate control system and propulsion system of an electric vehicle 100 may have the same energy source. Such advantages are possible due to the improved control of air source of the air provided by the control system 10 disclosed herein.

[0073] In some examples, as illustrated in Figure 4, the humidity within the cabin of the vehicle 100 may be determined by one or more of: a humidity sensor 52 within the cabin of the vehicle 100, and a virtual humidity sensor 52b of one or more areas within the cabin of the vehicle 100. For example, the humidity sensor 52 may be positioned within the cabin of the vehicle 100 at a location where moisture is likely to form (e.g. near a windscreen). In other examples, the humidity sensor 52 may be positioned within the cabin of the vehicle 100 at a location where a user is present, for example, in a passenger zone and / or a driver zone. In this way, the control system 10 may be configured to account for a user location in the vehicle 100 (e.g. ensuring that a user is not exposed to excessively humid air or very dry air, and accounting for a user present in the cabin as asource of moist air). In some examples, the vehicle 100 may comprise one or more humidity sensors 52 to account for user location and to account for moisture formation on a surface within the cabin.

[0074] A virtual humidity sensor 52b may be understood to relate to a simulated humidity sensor, corresponding to a specific location within the cabin of the vehicle 100. A reading of the simulated humidity sensor may be determined by the control system 10 based on one or more received indications. For example, the control system 10 may receive a humidity indication from a physical humidity sensor located at a driver zone within the cabin. Based on the humidity indication, the control system 10 may determine a virtual (i.e. simulated) humidity value for a passenger zone within the cabin, in which a physical humidity sensor 52 is not located. The control system 10 may be configured to access a memory of the control system 10, storing one or more of a mapping, a look-up table, and a model, to determine a virtual humidity sensor 52b value. In this way, the control system 10 may provide humidity values for more than one location within the cabin, while using one physical humidity sensor 52 (or at least, fewer physical sensors than locations in which a sensed reading is determined, through sensing and modelling of a virtual sensor). As such, a virtual sensor may reduce the amount of physical components within the cabin, facilitating easier vehicle and in-vehicle electronics manufacturing and design. As the driver is likely always present during use of the vehicle 100, a physical humidity sensor 52 may correspond to the driver zone, while the virtual humidity sensor 52b may correspond to a passenger zone. However, in other examples, a physical sensor may be positioned in a passenger zone, and the virtual humidity sensor 52b may correspond to a driver zone or other vehicle zone, such as a boot space.

[0075] In some examples, also illustrated in Figure 4, the temperature within the cabin of the vehicle 100 may be determined by one or more of: a temperature sensor 54 within the cabin of the vehicle 100, and a virtual temperature sensor 54b for one or more areas within the cabin of the vehicle 100. For example, the temperature sensor 54 may be positioned within the cabin of the vehicle 100 at a location where moisture is likely to form (e.g. near a surface of the cabin). In other examples, the temperature sensor 54 may be positioned within the cabin of the vehicle 100 at a location where a user is present. In some examples, the vehicle 100 may comprise one or more temperature sensors 54 to account for user location and to account for moisture formation on a surface within the cabin.

[0076] A virtual temperature sensor 54b may be understood to be similar to the virtual humidity sensor, discussed above, instead relating to a simulated temperature sensor, corresponding to one or more areas within the cabin of the vehicle 100. A reading of the simulated temperature sensor may be determined by the control system 10 based on a temperature indication from a physical temperature sensor located within the cabin. The control system 10 may be configured to access a memory of the control system 10, storing one or more of a mapping, a look-up table, and a model, to determine a virtual temperature sensor 54b value. In this way, the control system 10 may provide temperature values for more than one location within the cabin, while only using one physical temperature sensor. As such, the virtual sensor may reduce the amount of physical components within the cabin. A physical temperature sensor may correspond to the driver zone area, while the virtual temperature sensor 54b may correspond to a passenger zone area. However, a physical sensor may bepositioned in a passenger zone area, and the virtual temperature sensor 54b may correspond to a driver zone area.

[0077] Figure 4 shows a vehicle 100 comprising one of each of a humidity sensor 52, a virtual humidity sensor 52b, a temperature sensor 54, and a virtual temperature sensor 54b, but in other examples the numbers of each of the sensor types may be different.

[0078] The control system 10 may be configured to determine the position of the air inlet door of the climate control system 60 in dependence on one or more of the humidity within the cabin of the vehicle 100, and the humidity outside the cabin of the vehicle 100; and output the door position control signal 18 to control the position of the air inlet door to the determined position. In this way, by accounting for the moisture content outside and / or within the cabin via the humidity, the control system 10 may be configured to ensure the door position is appropriately determined to prevent excessive moisture content in the air provided into the cabin of the vehicle 100. In some examples, the climate control system 60 may comprise an external air inlet door 32 and an internal air inlet door 34. In this example, the control system 10 may be configured to determine a position of the external air inlet door 32 and / or a position for the internal air inlet door 34 in dependence on one or more of the humidity within the cabin of the vehicle 100, and the humidity outside the cabin of the vehicle 100; and output an external air inlet door 32 control signal and / or an internal air inlet door 34 control signal to respectively adjust the position of the external air inlet door 32 and the position of the internal air inlet door 34 to the determined positions to provide air at the desired ratio 14. As above, the control system 10 may prevent mist forming on one or more surfaces within the vehicle 100 by taking into account the humidity inside and outside of the vehicle 100.

[0079] The air provided by the climate control system 60 to the cabin may be at a desired flow rate 16. The desired flow rate 16 may be determined based on a stored user setting associated with a user identified to be in the vehicle 100. For example, a memory of the control system 10 may store a user setting corresponding to a user-preferred rate of air delivered to the cabin of the vehicle 100. In this way, a user input is not required in order for air to be provided to the cabin of the vehicle 100 at a flow rate, desired by the user. The vehicle 100 may comprise a user identification module configured to identify a user proximal to the vehicle 100 and / or within the cabin of the vehicle 100. In some examples, the user identification module may comprise one or more of a camera, and a biometric sensor, configured to identify the user. The user identification module may be configured to communicate with one or more devices associated with a user (e.g. a mobile phone device, a wearable device, a car key, etc).

[0080] The desired flow rate 16 may be determined based on a user input indicative of the desired flow rate 16, such as a setting input to a control element (button, dial, etc) in the vehicle. For example, the cabin of the vehicle 100 may comprise one or more of a touch screen, a button, a variable rotary switch, etc. The one or more input devices may be configured to receive a user input indicating the desired flow rate 16. For example, the user may want to change a current rate of delivery of air to the cabin to increase / decrease and therefore interact with the one or more input devices to improve their comfort within the cabin of the vehicle 100.The desired flow rate 16 may be determined automatically in some cases by the climate control system 60, for example based on a detected humidity level. In some examples, the control system 10 may be configured to determine the desired flow rate 16. For example, the control system 10 may determine that moisture is likely to form in the cabin of the vehicle 100 (e.g. condensation on one or more window of the cabin) based on current climate control system 60 configurations. Therefore, the control system 10 may be configured to determine that air having demisting characteristics should be provided to the cabin as quickly as possible to prevent misting. Due to the importance, the control system 10 may be configured to determine a high desired flow rate so as to demist one or more surfaces within the vehicle 100 as quickly as possible. It will be appreciated that one or more of these examples may be taken in combination or in isolation.

[0081] Figure 5 illustrates a block diagram illustrating a system 500 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The system 500 comprises the control system 10 for controlling a climate control system 60 of a vehicle 100 of any example disclosed herein; an air inlet door 30 configured to change position to control a ratio of external air 202 from outside the vehicle 100 to internal air 204 from within the vehicle 100 to be received by the climate control system 60; and a blower 40 configured to control the flow rate of air provided by the climate control system 60. In some examples, the air inlet door may comprise an external air inlet door 32 configured to change position to control an amount of external air 202 from outside the vehicle 100 to be received by the climate control system 60, and the climate control system 60 may further comprise: an internal air inlet door 34 configured to change position to control an amount of internal air 204 from within the cabin of the vehicle to be received by the climate control system 60.

[0082] Figure 6 illustrates a vehicle 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The vehicle 100 comprises the system 500 as disclosed herein, or the control system 10 as disclosed herein. In some examples, the vehicle 100 is a battery-powered vehicle. As such, the energy usage and conservation is of paramount importance. In this way, a vehicle 100 comprising the system 500 or the control system 10 as disclosed herein, may operate more efficiently.

[0083] Figure 7 illustrates a method 70 according to an embodiment of the invention. The method 70 is a method of a climate control system 60 of a vehicle 100, such as the vehicle 100 illustrated in Figure 6. In particular, the method 70 is a method of controlling a climate control system 60 of a vehicle 100, the climate control system 60 comprising: an air inlet door configured to change position to control a ratio of external air 202 from outside the vehicle 100 to internal air 204 from within the vehicle 100 to be received by the climate control system 60; and a blower 40 configured to control the flow rate of air provided by the climate control system 60 to a cabin of the vehicle 100. The method 70 may be performed by the control system 10 illustrated in Figure 1. There is also provided computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the control system 10, cause the control system 10 to perform the method 70 as disclosed herein. In some examples, the computer-readable instructions may be stored in a memory accessible by the one or more processors.

[0084] The method 70 comprises receiving 700 an air pressure indicator 12 indicative of an air pressure incident on the inlet door, receiving 710 a desired ratio 14 of external air 202 to internal air 204 to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system 60, receiving 720 a desired flow rate 16 of air to be provided to the cabin by theclimate control system 60; determining 730 a position of the air inlet door in dependence on the air pressure indicator 12 and the desired ratio 14; determining 740 a fan speed of the blower 40 in dependence on the air pressure indicator 12 and the desired flow rate 16; outputting 750 a door position control signal 18 to adjust the position of the air inlet door to the determined position to provide air at the desired ratio 14; and outputting 760 a blower control signal 20 to adjust the fan speed to the determined fan speed to provide air at the desired flow rate 16.

[0085] In some examples, the air inlet door may comprise an external air inlet door 32 configured to change position to control an amount of external air from outside the vehicle 100 to be received by the climate control system 60, and the climate control system 60 may comprise: an internal air inlet door 34 configured to change position to control an amount of internal air 204 from within the cabin of the vehicle 100 to be received by the climate control system 60. In this example, the method may comprise determining a position for the external air inlet door 32 and / or a position for the internal air inlet door 34, in dependence on the air pressure indicator 12, the desired ratio 14 and the desired flow rate 16; and outputting an external air inlet door 32 control signal and / or an internal air inlet door 34 control signal to respectively adjust the position of the external air inlet door 32 and the position of the internal air inlet door 34 to the determined positions to provide air at the desired ratio 14.

[0086] Throughout, reference to the control system being configured to perform some function may be understood that the one or more processors of the control system are collectively configured to perform the function.

[0087] It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A control system for controlling a climate control system of a vehicle, the climate control system comprising: an air inlet door configured to change position to control a ratio of external air from outside the vehicle to internal air from within the vehicle to be received by the climate control system; and a blower configured to control the flow rate of air provided by the climate control system to a cabin of the vehicle, the control system comprising one or more processors collectively configured to:receive an air pressure indicator indicative of an air pressure incident on the air inlet door; receive a desired ratio of external air to internal air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system;receive a desired flow rate of air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system; determine a position of the air inlet door in dependence on the air pressure indicator and the desired ratio;determine a fan speed of the blower in dependence on the air pressure indicator and the desired flow rate;output a door position control signal to adjust the position of the air inlet door to the determined position to provide air at the desired ratio; andoutput a blower control signal to adjust the fan speed to the determined fan speed to provide air at the desired flow rate.

2. The control system of any preceding claim, wherein the air pressure indicator is indicative of one or more of: a forward vehicle speed, and a frontal air pressure incident on the vehicle.

3. The control system of any preceding claim, wherein the air inlet door comprises an external air inlet door configured to change position to control an amount of external air from outside the vehicle to be received by the climate control system, and wherein the climate control system further comprises:an internal air inlet door configured to change position to control an amount of internal air from within the cabin of the vehicle to be received by the climate control system, andwherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to:determine a position for the external air inlet door and / or a position for the internal air inlet door, in dependence on the air pressure indicator, the desired ratio and the desired flow rate; andoutput an external air inlet door control signal and / or an internal air inlet door control signal to respectively adjust the position of the external air inlet door and the position of the internal air inlet door to the determined positions to provide air at the desired ratio.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to:determine an external air pressure on the external air inlet door based on the air pressure indicator; anddetermine the position for the external air inlet door and / or the position for the internal air inlet door dependence on the external air pressure on the external air inlet door, the desired ratio and the desired flow rate.

5. The control system of any preceding claim, wherein the desired ratio is determined based on one or more of: a humidity within the cabin of the vehicle, a temperature within the cabin of the vehicle, a humidity outside the cabin of the vehicle, and a temperature outside the cabin of the vehicle.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein one or more of:the humidity within the cabin of the vehicle is determined by one or more of: a humidity sensor within the cabin of the vehicle, and a virtual humidity sensor for one or more areas within the cabin of the vehicle; andthe temperature within the cabin of the vehicle is determined by one or more of: a temperature sensor within the cabin of the vehicle, and a virtual temperature sensor for one or more areas within the cabin of the vehicle.

7. The control system of any one of claims 5 and 6, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured to:determine the position of the air inlet door of the climate control system in dependence on one or more of the humidity within the cabin of the vehicle, and the humidity outside the cabin of the vehicle; and output the door position control signal to control the position of the air inlet door to the determined position.

8. The control system of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more processors are collectively configured toin response to a change in position of the air inlet door causing a reduction of pressure within the climate control system, output a blower control signal to control the fan speed of the blower to increase the pressure within the climate control system so as to maintain a consistent pressure of air provided by the climate control system to the cabin; and / orin response to a change in position of the air inlet door causing an increase of pressure within the climate control system, output a blower control signal to control the fan speed of the blower to decrease the pressure within the climate control system so as to maintain a consistent pressure of air provided by the climate control system to the cabin.

9. The control system of any preceding claim, wherein the desired flow rate is determined based on one or more of: a stored user setting associated with a user identified to be in the vehicle, a user input indicative of the desired flow rate, and automatically, by the climate control system.

10. A system comprising:the control system for controlling a climate control system of a vehicle of any preceding claim; an air inlet door configured to change position to control a ratio of external air from outside the vehicle to internal air from within the vehicle to be received by the climate control system; and a blower configured to control the flow rate of air provided by the climate control system.

11. A vehicle comprising the system of claim 10 or the control system of any of claims 1 to 9.

12. A method for controlling a climate control system of a vehicle, the climate control system comprising: an air inlet door configured to change position to control a ratio of external air from outside the vehicle to internal air from within the vehicle to be received by the climate control system; and a blower configured to control the flow rate of air provided by the climate control system to a cabin of the vehicle,the method comprising:receiving an air pressure indicator indicative of an air pressure incident on the inlet door, receiving a desired ratio of external air to internal air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system,receiving a desired flow rate of air to be provided to the cabin by the climate control system; determining a position of the air inlet door in dependence on the air pressure indicator and the desired ratio;determining a fan speed of the blower in dependence on the air pressure indicator and the desired flow rate;outputting a door position control signal to adjust the position of the air inlet door to the determined position to provide air at the desired ratio; andoutputting a blower control signal to adjust the fan speed to the determined fan speed to provide air at the desired flow rate.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the air inlet door comprises an external air inlet door configured to change position to control an amount of external air from outside the vehicle to be received by the climate control system, and wherein the climate control system further comprises:an internal air inlet door configured to change position to control an amount of internal air from within the cabin of the vehicle to be received by the climate control system, wherein the method comprises:determining a position for the external air inlet door and / or a position for the internal air inlet door, in dependence on the air pressure indicator, the desired ratio and the desired flow rate; andoutputting an external air inlet door control signal and / or an internal air inlet door control signal to respectively adjust the position of the external air inlet door and the position of the internal air inlet door to the determined positions to provide air at the desired ratio.

14. Computer readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method according to any of claims 12 to 13.

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