Vehicle Rear HVAC Control via Child Lock Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing climate control systems in vehicles require an additional switch on the master control panel to prevent rear seat air conditioning adjustments by children, which increases complexity and space usage on the panel.
Innovation Solution
The activation/deactivation of the child lock system is used to also control the rear seat air conditioning unit, eliminating the need for an extra switch by transmitting a signal to the rear air conditioning unit via a dedicated line or communication bus, such as CAN or LIN bus, and displaying the status on both front and rear control panels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an additional switch is added to the master control panel to lock out the rear control panel, then parental control capability is improved, but device complexity and panel space requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The existing child lock switch on the master control panel is made multi-functional by programming it to control both the door latch mechanism and the rear air conditioning control panel. This single switch now serves dual purposes: securing the rear door against unauthorized opening by children and disabling the rear climate control to prevent unauthorized adjustment by children.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the child lock function for the air conditioning system with the existing child lock function for the door. Instead of creating a separate control mechanism, the system merges these two safety functions into a single integrated control feature, reducing the number of switches and simplifying the user interface.
2Reliability
If an additional switch is added to the master control panel, then parental control capability is improved, but ease of operation worsens due to increased number of control elements
Solution Approach 1:
The existing child lock switch on the master control panel is made multi-functional by programming it to control both the door latch mechanism and the rear air conditioning control panel. This single switch now serves dual purposes: securing the rear door against unauthorized opening by children and disabling the rear climate control to prevent unauthorized adjustment by children.
3Device complexity
If the child lock system is integrated with the air conditioning control, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability worsens due to coupled functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the functionality of the rear air conditioning control panel based on the state of the child lock. When the child lock is activated, the rear control panel transitions to a disabled state where no adjustments can be made. When the child lock is deactivated, the rear control panel becomes fully functional again, allowing independent control by rear passengers or adults.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle has front and rear seats and an air conditioning system. There is an auxiliary control accessible from the rear seat for adjusting the air conditioning system. A rear entry door has a child locked state and a child unlocked state. There is a lock control element accessible from the front seat for setting the child locked state. The lock control element is coupled to the air conditioning system for selectably defeating the auxiliary control. Thus, the activation by a driver/parent of a rear-door child protection door lock system is also used for locking out child access to a rear air conditioning unit.