Cross-Vehicle Cabin Climate Settings for Outdoor Condition Changes

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing in-vehicle environment setting systems do not consider outdoor environments and transient setting changes, leading to inconvenient temperature settings when users switch between vehicles, as they primarily focus on user preferences for steady-state conditions without accounting for differences in vehicles or outdoor conditions.

Innovation Solution

An in-vehicle environment setting system that includes a receiving unit for gathering setting and outdoor environment information, a learning unit to analyze user preferences, a generation unit to create recommended settings based on learned data, and a transmission unit to adjust settings in a new vehicle, taking into account both steady-state and transient changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If steady-state setting information is transferred between vehicles, then user preference consistency is improved, but adaptability to outdoor environment and transient conditions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser preference consistencyVSAvoidadaptability to outdoor environment and transient conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The setting information is segmented into multiple components: outdoor environment information (temperature, humidity, weather), transient setting information (time-based changes, conditional adjustments), and steady-state preference information. This segmentation allows each component to be processed and applied independently, enabling the system to maintain user preferences while adapting to different environmental conditions and transient states.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow setting information to change based on outdoor environment conditions and transient states. Instead of applying static steady-state settings, the system dynamically modifies settings according to current temperature, humidity, weather conditions, and time-dependent factors, enabling adaptability while preserving core user preferences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If setting information is converted based on vehicle component differences, then compatibility across vehicles is improved, but environmental adaptability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility across vehiclesVSAvoidenvironmental mismatch

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces outdoor environment information and transient setting information as intermediary layers between vehicle component specifications and user preference settings. These intermediaries carry environmental context and temporal dynamics, allowing the system to adjust settings based on both vehicle capabilities and environmental conditions, thus preventing environmental mismatch while maintaining cross-vehicle compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If air-conditioning temperature is set to steady-state value immediately, then system simplicity is improved, but user comfort during transient periods deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoiduser comfort during transient periods

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies preliminary action by pre-planning transient setting adjustments based on outdoor environment information before the user enters the vehicle. When outdoor temperature or humidity indicates extreme conditions, the system proactively adjusts the air-conditioning settings during the transient period, then transitions to steady-state preferences once conditions stabilize. This preliminary adjustment ensures user comfort during transition without requiring complex real-time control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements periodic action through time-based transient settings that automatically adjust settings during specific periods (e.g., initial cooling/heating phase) and then transition to steady-state preferences. This periodic approach maintains simplicity by using time-based rules rather than complex continuous control, while still providing enhanced comfort during transient periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS12139151B2In-vehicle environment setting system, in-vehicle environment setting method and in-vehicle environment setting program

Publication Date: 2024.11.12 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

An in-vehicle environment setting system 10 includes: a receiving unit 210 that receives, from a vehicle 50, setting information regarding a setting for an in-vehicle environment of the vehicle 50 and environment information regarding an outdoor environment of the vehicle 50 in a manner associated with an identity of a user 52 who boards the vehicle 50; a learning unit 220 that learns a preference of the user 52 related to the setting for the in-vehicle environment based on the setting information and the environment information; a generation unit 230 that generates recommended setting information regarding a recommended setting for the in-vehicle environment preferred by the user 52 based on a learning result of the preference; and a transmission unit 240 that transmits the recommended setting information to a vehicle 60 which is different from the vehicle 50.