Energy saving offset strategy for autonomous vehicle passenger cabin

• US 10,286,751 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2017
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Jackson, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US15/642,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20190009641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00357 Air-conditioning arrangements specially adapted for particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0075 the input being solar radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00764 the input being a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed B60H1/00828, B60H1/00864 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00785 by the detection of humidity or frost
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00792 Arrangement of detectors B60H1/00742, B60H1/0075, B60H1/00785 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/04 responsive to presence or absence of the driver, e.g. to weight or lack thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

A method for controlling a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system of an autonomous vehicle includes determining a vehicle operating status and operating the HVAC system according to the determined vehicle operating status. A control module comprising a sensor array and at least one controller operatively coupled to the sensor array and to the HVAC system controls operation of the HVAC system according to the determined vehicle operating status. The vehicle operating status is selected from one of vehicle occupied-in use, vehicle unoccupied-use requested, and vehicle unoccupied-standby. The HVAC system is operated at an operating setting providing a reduced energy consumption in a vehicle whose operating status is vehicle unoccupied-standby. The reduced energy consumption operating setting is determined according to a constant offset value or according to a variable offset value determined by inputs provided by the sensor array.

Claims

1. In an autonomous vehicle, a method for controlling a climate control system, comprising:

determining an autonomous vehicle operating status selected from the group consisting of vehicle occupied-in use, vehicle unoccupied-use requested, and vehicle unoccupied-standby; and

operating the climate control system according to the determined vehicle operating status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of operating the climate control system according to the determined vehicle operating status is performed by a control module operatively coupled to the climate control system, the control module comprising a sensor array and at least one controller.

3. The method of claim 2, including, by the at least one controller, operating the climate control system at a first operating setting on determining that the vehicle operating status is one of vehicle occupied-in use or vehicle unoccupied-use requested.

4. The method of claim 3, including, by the at least one controller, operating the climate control system at a second operating setting providing a lesser energy consumption than the first operating setting on determining that the vehicle operating status is vehicle unoccupied-standby.

5. The method of claim 4, including, by the at least one controller, determining the second operating setting by adjusting the first operating setting according to a predetermined offset value.

6. The method of claim 5, including, by the at least one controller, adjusting the first operating setting according to a constant offset value.

7. The method of claim 5, including, by the at least one controller, adjusting the first operating setting according to a variable offset value.

8. The method of claim 7, including providing the sensor array comprising a vehicle-exterior ambient temperature sensor and, by the at least one controller, determining the variable offset value according to a determined vehicle-exterior ambient temperature input provided by the vehicle-exterior ambient temperature sensor.

9. The method of claim 7, further including providing the sensor array comprising a passenger cabin solar load sensor and a passenger cabin humidity sensor and, by the at least one controller, determining the variable offset value according to a passenger cabin solar load input provided by the passenger cabin solar load sensor and/or a passenger cabin humidity input provided by the passenger cabin humidity sensor.

10. A system for controlling a climate control system of an autonomous vehicle, comprising a control module operatively coupled to the climate control system and comprising a sensor array and at least one controller configured to determine an autonomous vehicle operating status selected from the group consisting of vehicle occupied-in use, vehicle unoccupied-use requested, and vehicle unoccupied-standby and to operate the climate control system according to the determined vehicle operating status and one or more inputs from the sensor array.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one controller is configured to operate the climate control system at a first operating setting on determining by the control module that the vehicle operating status is one of vehicle occupied-in use or vehicle unoccupied-use requested.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one controller is configured to operate the climate control system at a second operating setting providing a lesser energy consumption than the first operating setting on determining by the control[ Red] module that the vehicle operating status is vehicle unoccupied-standby.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine the second operating setting by adjusting the first operating setting according to a predetermined offset value.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one controller is configured to adjust the first operating setting according to a constant offset value.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one controller is configured to adjust the first operating setting according to a variable offset value.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the sensor array comprises a vehicle-exterior ambient temperatures sensor and the at least one controller is configured to alter the variable offset value according to a determined vehicle-exterior ambient temperature input provided by the vehicle-exterior ambient temperature sensor.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the sensor array further comprises a passenger cabin solar load sensor and a passenger cabin humidity sensor, and the at least one controller is further configured to alter the variable offset value according to a determined passenger cabin solar load input provided by the solar load sensor and/or a passenger cabin humidity input provided by the passenger cabin humidity sensor.