Control device for vehicle heater
First Claim
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1. A control device for a vehicle heater, comprising:
- a camera configured to photograph an outside of a vehicle from an inside of the vehicle through a window glass of the vehicle;
a heater configured to generate heat upon energization and to heat a portion of the window glass located in front of the camera using the heat;
a temperature sensor configured to acquire a camera temperature correlation value that is a value correlated with temperature of the camera;
an illuminance acquisition unit configured to acquire an illuminance correlation value that is a value correlated with illuminance outside the vehicle; and
a control unit configured toexecute heater energization control that controls energization of the heater,determine that a control prohibition condition to prohibit execution of the heater energization control is satisfied when the camera temperature correlation value is equal to or larger than a prohibition threshold temperature correlation value,determine that a control permission condition to permit execution of the heater energization control is satisfied when the camera temperature correlation value is smaller than a permission threshold temperature correlation value that is equal to or smaller than the prohibition threshold temperature correlation value,execute the heater energization control when execution of the heater energization control is requested and the control permission condition is satisfied,prevent execution of the heater energization control when the control prohibition condition is satisfied, andwhen the illuminance correlation value is smaller than a threshold illuminance correlation value, set the prohibition threshold temperature correlation value to be smaller than when the illuminance correlation value is equal to or larger than the threshold illuminance correlation value.
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Abstract
A control device for a vehicle heater includes: a camera; a heater configured to heat a portion of the window glass located in front of the camera; a temperature sensor configured to acquire a camera temperature; an illuminance acquisition unit configured to acquire an illuminance outside the vehicle; and a control unit configured to determine that a control prohibition condition to prohibit execution of the heater energization control is satisfied when the camera temperature is equal to or larger than a prohibition threshold temperature, execute the heater energization control when execution of the heater energization control is requested, prevent execution of the heater energization control when the control prohibition condition is satisfied, and when the illuminance is lower than a threshold illuminance, set the prohibition threshold temperature to be lower than when the illuminance is equal to or larger than the threshold illuminance.
14 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A control device for a vehicle heater, comprising:
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a camera configured to photograph an outside of a vehicle from an inside of the vehicle through a window glass of the vehicle; a heater configured to generate heat upon energization and to heat a portion of the window glass located in front of the camera using the heat; a temperature sensor configured to acquire a camera temperature correlation value that is a value correlated with temperature of the camera; an illuminance acquisition unit configured to acquire an illuminance correlation value that is a value correlated with illuminance outside the vehicle; and a control unit configured to execute heater energization control that controls energization of the heater, determine that a control prohibition condition to prohibit execution of the heater energization control is satisfied when the camera temperature correlation value is equal to or larger than a prohibition threshold temperature correlation value, determine that a control permission condition to permit execution of the heater energization control is satisfied when the camera temperature correlation value is smaller than a permission threshold temperature correlation value that is equal to or smaller than the prohibition threshold temperature correlation value, execute the heater energization control when execution of the heater energization control is requested and the control permission condition is satisfied, prevent execution of the heater energization control when the control prohibition condition is satisfied, and when the illuminance correlation value is smaller than a threshold illuminance correlation value, set the prohibition threshold temperature correlation value to be smaller than when the illuminance correlation value is equal to or larger than the threshold illuminance correlation value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
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Original AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
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InventorsNagae, Hajime
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Primary Examiner(s)To, Tuan C
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Application NumberUS15/622,874Publication NumberTime in Patent Office706 DaysField of Search701 36US Class CurrentCPC Class CodesB60J 1/002 with means for clear vision...B60S 1/026 using electrical meansB60S 1/56 specially adapted for clean...H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a...H05B 1/0236 for vehiclesH05B 2203/008 with layout including a por...H05B 3/84 Heating arrangements specia...
