System and method for remotely managing climate control systems of a fleet of vehicles

• US 10,427,496 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bergstrom Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bergstrom Incorporated
• Inventors: Connell, Brett Sean, Sullivan, Aaron D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaude, Gertrude Arthur
• Application Number:
  US15/722,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20180022187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00771 the input being a vehicle position or surrounding, e.g. GPS-based position or tunnel
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/003 for movable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1905 associated with tele control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

The various embodiments described herein include methods, devices, and systems for managing client control systems of a fleet of vehicles. In one aspect, a method is performed at a fleet server. The method includes: (1) receiving, from each vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in the fleet of road vehicles, at least one parameter relaying information about a performance of a climate control system of the respective vehicle, each climate control system having a distinct electrically-driven heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system; (2) determining based on the at least one parameter from each vehicle an efficient operational setting for at least one vehicle of the fleet of vehicles; and (3) transmitting an operational setting instruction to the at least one vehicle to control the climate control system of the at least one vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for simultaneously managing climate control systems of a fleet of vehicles, comprising:

at a fleet server, remote from the fleet of road vehicles, having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

receiving, from each vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in the fleet of road vehicles, at least one parameter relaying information about a performance of a climate control system of the respective vehicle, each climate control system having a distinct electrically-driven heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system;

determining, based on the at least one parameter from each vehicle, an efficient operational setting for at least one vehicle of the fleet of vehicles; and

transmitting an operational setting instruction to the at least one vehicle to control the climate control system of the at least one vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the efficient operational setting is further based on information received from at least one other source selected from the group consisting of:

a global positioning system (GPS);

a weather predication system;

a map provider; and

a road and traffic conditions system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational setting instruction further comprises a graphics instruction to display at a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display within the at least one vehicle, wherein the GUI depicts energy efficiency information associated with the climate control system of the at least one vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter received from each vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

a set temperature set by the user of the at least one vehicle;

an outside temperature measured external to the at least one vehicle;

an ambient temperature; and

an ambient pressure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter received from each vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

a parameter obtained from a thermal image of an occupant of the at least one vehicle;

a parameter associated with a loading of a condenser of the at least one vehicle'"'"'s climate control system;

an operating pressure of the at least one vehicle'"'"'s climate control system;

an operating temperature of the at least one vehicle'"'"'s climate control system;

available power of an auxiliary battery configured to be coupled to the electrically driven compressor of the at least one vehicle;

voltage of the auxiliary battery; and

a parameter associated with one or more zones of the at least one vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining from a database at least one reference parameter corresponding to a predetermined operational setting of a climate control system;

comparing the reference parameter to the at least one parameter received from the at least one vehicle;

determining that a performance inefficiency exists in the climate control system of the at least one vehicle based on the comparison; and

wherein the efficient operational setting for the at least one vehicle is determined in accordance with the determination that the performance inefficiency exists.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining whether the performance inefficiency is based on a faulty part or user operation of the climate control system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, in accordance with a determination that the performance inefficiency is based on the user operation of the climate control system, the operational setting instruction disables an ability of the user to adjust operational settings of the climate control system of the at least one vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, after a predetermined period of time or after determining that the climate control system of the at least one vehicle has been operating efficiently, transmitting a signal to the at least one vehicle to restore the user'"'"'s ability to adjust the operational settings.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein upon determining that the performance inefficiency is based on the faulty part, transmitting a notification to the at least one vehicle alerting the user of the at least one vehicle of the faulty part.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein upon determining that the performance inefficiency is based on the faulty part:

identifying the faulty part;

identifying at least one preferred service center (i) along a route of the at least one vehicle, and (ii) that can fix the identified faulty part; and

transmitting a notification of the at least one preferred service center to a user of the at least one vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

checking inventory for availability of the faulty part;

checking service appointment time availability; and

transmitting a notification to the at least one vehicle to alert the user of the available inventory for the faulty part and the available appointment times.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting a request to the at least one preferred service center to schedule an appointment during one of the available appointment times.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

aggregating the received at least one parameter from each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles;

storing the aggregated parameters in a database associated with the fleet of vehicles; and

using the stored aggregated information to predict future faults in the respective climate control systems of the plurality of vehicles.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one reference parameter from at least one reference vehicle of the fleet;

comparing the at least one parameter received from the at least one vehicle to the at least one reference parameter; and

determining that a performance inefficiency exists in the climate control system of the at least one vehicle based on the comparison; and

wherein the efficient operational setting for the at least one vehicle is determined in accordance with the determination that the performance inefficiency exists.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information regarding a rate of energy use and current HVAC conditions for the at least one vehicle;

and

wherein the efficient operational setting is determined based on the current HVAC conditions and the energy use rate.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a current location of the at least one vehicle;

determining a route of the at least one vehicle;

determining weather or traffic conditions along the route; and

wherein the efficient operational setting is determined based on the current location, the route, the weather and traffic conditions, the current HVAC conditions, and the energy use rate.

18. A method for displaying energy information of a vehicle climate control system of at least one vehicle, the vehicle climate control system comprising a controller configured to be coupled to an electrically driven compressor powered by an auxiliary power source, the method comprising:

receiving from a remote fleet server, via the controller, information relating to a state of the vehicle climate control system, including information regarding an energy efficiency of the vehicle climate control system;

displaying a graphical representation of the state of the vehicle climate control system;

after displaying the graphical representation, receiving from the remote fleet server updated energy efficiency information; and

adjusting at least one visual characteristic of the graphical representation based on the updated energy efficiency information.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, concurrent with displaying the graphical representation, displaying a visual representation of at least one of:

a percentage efficiency at which the climate control system for the at least one vehicle of the fleet of vehicles operates;

remaining power of the auxiliary power source;

remaining runtime; and

system health of the climate control system for the at least one vehicle.

20. A method for displaying vehicular climate control system energy information, the method comprising:

at a fleet server system remote from a fleet of vehicles, the fleet server system having one or more processors, a receiver, a transmitter, and memory coupled to the one or more processors;

for each vehicle in the fleet of vehicles;

receiving, from a controller configured to be coupled to an electrically driven compressor of a climate control system of the vehicle, information relating to a state of an auxiliary power source powering the electrically driven compressor;

based on the state of the auxiliary power source;

determining an energy parameter that includes one or more of;

an energy efficiency value, and a potential remaining runtime of the auxiliary power source; and

generating a graphics instruction to display a graphical representation of the state of the auxiliary power source, wherein at least one visual characteristic of the graphical representation is based on the energy parameter; and

transmitting the graphics instruction to a user of the vehicle.

21. A method for concurrently managing climate control systems of a fleet of road vehicles, comprising:

at a fleet server remote from the fleet of road vehicles, the fleet server having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors;

receiving, from each vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in the fleet of road vehicles, information about a performance of a climate control system of the respective vehicle, each climate control system having a distinct electrically-driven heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system;

determining based on the received performance information that a performance inefficiency exists for at least one vehicle of the fleet of vehicles;

determining that the performance inefficiency is due to a particular faulty part;

identifying a service center for the at least one vehicle based on a current route of the at least one vehicle; and

transmitting a notification to a user of the at least one vehicle, the notification including an identification of the service center.