Automobile Window Control for Low Power Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automobiles in warmer climates face excessive heat, leading to uncomfortable conditions for occupants and potential damage to interior components, with existing solutions requiring significant cooling efforts that consume energy and fuel.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method for low power environment management in automobiles, which includes an environment module to sense conditions, a threshold module to compare these conditions to set values, and a cooling module to adjust window openings based on sensed data, utilizing reserve power efficiently and initiating cooling only when necessary.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If remote air conditioning is started to cool the automobile, then the temperature comfort is improved, but the energy consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterior temperatureVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary cooling actions by opening windows before the user enters the vehicle, rather than waiting for the user to request cooling. This preliminary action takes advantage of the temperature differential between inside and outside the vehicle to initiate natural convection cooling, reducing the overall energy required compared to running the air conditioning system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system utilizes natural environmental forces (wind, convection currents, temperature differentials) to cool the vehicle interior without requiring the energy-intensive air conditioning compressor. The window opening mechanism harnesses these natural forces to achieve cooling, making the system self-serving rather than requiring significant external energy input.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Use of energy by moving object

If windows are opened to cool the automobile, then the energy consumption is reduced, but the temperature control precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidtemperature control

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts window positions based on real-time temperature sensor feedback. The window opening distance is not fixed but varies continuously to maintain the desired temperature range, allowing precise temperature control while minimizing energy consumption through adaptive response to changing environmental conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates temperature sensors that continuously monitor the interior temperature and feed this information back to the window control mechanism. This feedback loop enables the system to make real-time adjustments to window openings, ensuring precise temperature control while optimizing energy efficiency by opening windows only when and how much is necessary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Temperature

If sun shade is placed at windows to reduce temperature increase, then the temperature rise is slowed, but the air circulation is blocked

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature increase rateVSAvoidair stagnation

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the window opening function from the sun shading function. Rather than using a single sun shade that blocks both sunlight and air flow, the system uses separate mechanisms: electronic window controls for air circulation and independent sun shade controls for solar radiation blocking. This segmentation allows both functions to operate simultaneously without interfering with each other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary control system that independently manages sun shade positioning and window opening. The control module acts as an intermediary between the conflicting requirements of sun blocking and air circulation, coordinating the operation of sun shades and windows to achieve both objectives simultaneously - blocking solar heat gain while maintaining air flow for cooling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Effectively manages the internal environment by reducing heat without excessive energy consumption, maintaining comfort while conserving power and minimizing damage to vehicle components.

Implementation Method 1

an environment module to sense conditions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTemperature sensing:

Implementation Method 2

temperature, humidity, and precipitation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHumidity sensing:

Implementation Method 3

adjusting window openings and air flow

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectNatural convection: Convection

Implementation Method 4

Effectively cools the automobile using minimal energy by adjusting window openings and air flow

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal convection: Free Convection

Data Source

PatentUS9915091B2Low power environment management for an automobile

Publication Date: 2018.03.13 LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH

AI summary

For low power environment management for an automobile, a method is disclosed that includes sensing an environmental condition at an automobile, comparing a level of the environmental condition to a selected threshold value, and adjusting the opening of one or more windows of the automobile based on the sensed environmental condition.