Interactive Air Vent Control Interface for Vehicle HVAC Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional HVAC systems in vehicles rely on physical buttons and knobs for air vent control, which limit design flexibility, increase mechanical failure risk, and complicate the dashboard layout, while also requiring multiple vents for effective airflow distribution.

Innovation Solution

A graphical user interface on a touchscreen is used to control airflow direction and intensity through a moveable object within a bounded region, allowing for customizable airflow patterns using high aspect ratio vents and a single rotary actuator to manage vanes, enabling more efficient airflow distribution and improved passenger comfort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If physical buttons and knobs are used for air vent control, then the control interface is simple and reliable, but the dashboard design flexibility is limited and mechanical failure risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol interface reliabilityVSAvoiddashboard design complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces physical mechanical buttons and knobs with a graphical user interface displayed on a touchscreen display. The control interface includes graphical representations of air vents and control elements that respond to user touches, eliminating mechanical moving parts while providing airflow control functionality. This substitution resolves the contradiction by improving reliability through elimination of mechanical failure points while enabling flexible dashboard design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical air vent control interface on the touchscreen display. The graphical user interface replicates the functionality of physical buttons and knobs through visual representations and touch-sensitive control elements, allowing users to control airflow without physical mechanical components. This copying approach maintains control functionality while eliminating mechanical complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Ease of operation

If physical buttons and knobs are used for air vent control, then the control functionality is straightforward, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair vent control ease of operationVSAvoidmanufacturing cost and complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical control components with a software-based graphical user interface on a touchscreen. This eliminates the need for manufacturing physical buttons, knobs, and their associated mechanical linkages, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and complexity while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive touch-based controls.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The touchscreen display serves multiple functions including air vent control, climate control, and potentially other vehicle information and entertainment functions. This multi-functionality consolidates what would traditionally require multiple separate physical control interfaces into a single universal interface, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If multiple air vents are used for effective airflow distribution, then the airflow coverage is improved, but the dashboard space and design flexibility are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveairflow distribution effectivenessVSAvoiddashboard available space

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamically adjustable air vents with rotatable vanes that can change their orientation and airflow direction electronically controlled through the graphical interface. This dynamic adjustment capability allows effective airflow distribution with fewer physical vent openings, as each vent can be precisely directed to optimize coverage without requiring multiple fixed vents that would consume dashboard space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters of air vents by enabling electronic control of vane rotation angles and airflow directions through the graphical user interface. This parameter control allows a smaller number of vents to achieve effective airflow distribution by optimizing the direction and intensity of airflow from each vent, thereby reducing the need for multiple vents and preserving dashboard space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20230176726A1Interactive air vent control interface

Publication Date: 2023.06.08 TESLA INC

AI summary

A moveable graphical user interface object is provided. The moveable graphical user interface object is moveable within a bounded graphical region. A current location of the moveable graphical user interface object in the bounded graphical region corresponds to an indicated direction of concentrated airflow. For example, the moveable graphical user interface object is used to control airflow direction of a HVAC air vent.