Vehicle Temperature Sensor Signal Evaluation Using Route Data

The patent applies dynamic adjustment of smoothing filter parameters based on vehicle location data. When the vehicle approaches locations known for abrupt temperature changes (bridges, tunnels, wooded areas), the system automatically reduces smoothing intensity, allowing rapid temperature changes to be detected. At other locations, stronger smoothing is applied to filter out disturbance variables. This dynamic parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the detection sensitivity to the specific environmental context.

The patent introduces route data and location information as an intermediary between the temperature sensor signals and the final temperature evaluation. This intermediary layer provides contextual information about upcoming environmental changes, allowing the system to anticipate and properly interpret temperature variations. The route data acts as a mediator that helps distinguish between actual temperature changes and disturbance variables without requiring direct manipulation of the sensor signals themselves.

The patent leverages the existing navigation system's route data functionality for a dual purpose: navigation guidance and temperature evaluation context. By reusing the route data infrastructure already present in modern vehicles, the system achieves improved temperature measurement precision without adding significant complexity. The same data structure that provides navigation information also provides environmental context for temperature interpretation.

The system performs preliminary analysis of route data to identify upcoming locations with abrupt temperature changes before the vehicle reaches them. By anticipating environmental changes in advance, the system can prepare appropriate evaluation parameters and alert the driver proactively. This preliminary action allows the system to maintain high measurement precision while using a relatively simple evaluation architecture.