Segmented Vehicle Seat Heating Control via NTC Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat heating systems struggle to quickly reach and stabilize at an expected temperature, often resulting in slow heating, overheating, or excessive temperature fluctuations, affecting user comfort.
Innovation Solution
A temperature control method and apparatus that segmentally control the seat heating apparatus into initial, approaching, and steady stages, using NTC sensor data to determine heating periods and adjust the on-off strategy to rapidly reach and maintain the desired temperature, preventing excessive fluctuations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the controller intervenes temperature control early when NTC resistance approaches target resistance, then the seat surface temperature can be prevented from exceeding expected value, but the heating rate is slowed down and the seat surface temperature takes a relatively long time to reach the expected temperature value
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the temperature control process into three distinct stages: rapid heating stage (controller does not intervene, heating element operates continuously), approach stage (controller intervenes when temperature reaches 80% of target, uses duty cycle control), and steady state stage (controller maintains temperature within fluctuation range). This segmentation allows the system to achieve both rapid heating and precise temperature stabilization by applying different control strategies to different phases of the heating process.
2Productivity
If the controller intervenes temperature control too late, then the heating rate is maintained, but the seat surface temperature exceeds the expected value (overshoot)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by predicting the temperature trend and intervening before overshoot occurs. The controller monitors NTC resistance changes and determines the approach stage when temperature reaches 80% of target resistance, proactively switching to duty cycle control. This preliminary intervention prevents the temperature from exceeding the expected value while maintaining efficient heating throughout the process.
3Temperature
If the control method is not perfect during the process from controller intervention to temperature stabilization, then the seat surface temperature can reach expected value, but the fluctuation range of seat surface temperature is relatively large (beyond ±1°C)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by continuously monitoring NTC resistance and comparing it with target resistance values. In the approach stage, the controller adjusts duty cycle based on the difference between current and target resistance. In the steady state stage, the controller maintains heating within a precise fluctuation range (±1°C) by responding to real-time resistance changes, ensuring stable temperature control throughout the heating process.
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
This approach allows the seat surface temperature to quickly reach and stabilize at the expected value, improving comfort by ensuring quicker and steadier heating.
Implementation Method 1
a seat heating pad supplier generally measures corresponding resistances of an Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) temperature sensor in a seat heating apparatus
Implementation Method 2
the controller in the HVSM module starts to intervene the temperature control, turns off/on the seat heating at a certain duty ratio
Data Source
AI summary
A temperature control method for vehicle seat heating includes: when turning on or switching to a heating level, determining a heating period at present according to a temperature value corresponding to a current Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) sensor, the heating period including an initial heating stage, an approaching stage and a steady stage; and segmentally controlling the on-off of a seat heating apparatus according to a heating strategy corresponding to each heating period, so that the seat surface temperature reaches to and stabilizes at an expected target temperature of the level. Further disclosed are a corresponding temperature control apparatus for the vehicle seat heating and a temperature control system for the vehicle seat heating. By adopting the temperature control method for the vehicle seat heating, the seat surface temperature can quickly reach to and stabilize at the expected temperature value, and thus the use experience of a user is improved.