Climate Control Head With Fuel Economy Indicator

• US 20100274394A1
• Filed: 04/23/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wijaya, Halim, Dage, Gerhard A., Greiner, Christopher Mark, Buescher, Wayne Frank
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00735 Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models
• 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: B60K 2360/172 Driving mode indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0236 for economical driving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration

Abstract

A climate control system having a control head including a display providing at least one comfort level indicator and a fuel economy indicator is provided. The comfort level indicator displays a plurality of comfort level settings corresponding to relative thermal comfort in all weather conditions. Each comfort level setting corresponds to a range of temperatures so that once a comfort range is obtained, the climate control system will be reluctant to consume additional energy, thereby maintaining or improving the current fuel economy state. The fuel economy indicator provides for direct communication of the impact of comfort level settings on fuel economy.

Claims

1. A climate control system for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) comprising:

a climate control head unit including;

one or more comfort level indicators configured to display a current selected comfort level setting, and

at least one fuel economy indicator configured to display the impact on fuel economy of the current selected comfort level setting; and

a controller electrically coupled to the climate control head unit configured to;

receive at least one input from the climate control system corresponding to the current selected comfort level setting,

determine the impact on fuel economy based at least in part upon the current selected comfort level setting, and

transmit an output to the climate control head unit corresponding to the determined impact on fuel economy so that the fuel economy indicator displays the impact on fuel economy.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the climate control head unit further includes one or more passenger comfort level buttons associated with the one or more passenger comfort level indicators, the passenger comfort level buttons configured to communicate the at least one input corresponding to the current selected comfort level setting to the controller.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one input from the climate control system further includes a heating, venting and air conditioning (HVAC) blower speed and a recirculation door position, the controller further being configured to determine the impact on fuel economy of the current comfort level setting based at least in part upon the HVAC blower speed and the recirculation door position.

4. The system of claim 3 configured to operate in an air conditioning mode wherein the impact on fuel economy corresponds to power consumption of an electric compressor, the power consumption based at least in part upon the current comfort level setting, the HVAC blower speed and the recirculation door position.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein an increase in the selected comfort level setting corresponds to a decrease in fuel economy such that the fuel economy indicator displays the impact on fuel economy based at least in part upon the increase in the selected comfort level setting.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a decrease in the selected comfort level setting corresponds to an increase in fuel economy such that the fuel economy indicator displays the impact on fuel economy based at least in part upon the decrease in the selected comfort level setting.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the climate control system includes a minimum comfort level setting and a maximum comfort level setting, the climate control system providing a plurality of discrete selectable passenger comfort levels ranging from the minimum comfort level setting to the maximum comfort level setting, the fuel economy indicator having a minimum fuel economy state, a maximum fuel economy state, and a plurality of discrete fuel economy state indicators therebetween.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the climate control system is configured to operate in an air conditioning mode such that a decrease in the selected comfort level setting corresponds to an increase in passenger cabin temperature.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the climate control system is configured to operate in a heating mode such that a decrease in the selected comfort level setting corresponds to a decrease in the passenger cabin temperature.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein maximizing driver comfort minimizes fuel economy.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein selecting the maximum comfort level setting generally corresponds to the fuel economy indicator displaying the climate control system in the minimum fuel economy state.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein selecting the minimum comfort level setting generally corresponds to the fuel economy indicator displaying the climate control system in the maximum fuel economy state.

13. A method for operating a climate control system, the method comprising:

receiving at least one input corresponding to a passenger-selected comfort level setting, the passenger-selected comfort level setting selected from a plurality of selectable relative passenger comfort levels;

displaying the selected comfort level setting through a passenger comfort level indicator;

determining an impact on fuel economy based at least in part upon the selected comfort level setting; and

displaying the impact on fuel economy through a fuel economy indicator.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein an increase in the selected comfort level setting corresponds to a decrease in fuel economy such that the fuel economy indicator displays the impact on fuel economy based at least in part upon the increase in the selected comfort level setting.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein a decrease in the selected comfort level setting corresponds to an increase in fuel economy such that the fuel economy indicator displays the impact on fuel economy based at least in part upon the decrease in the selected comfort level setting.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving at least one input corresponding to a heating, venting and air conditioning (HVAC) blower speed or a recirculation door position;

wherein the step of determining the impact on fuel economy includes determining the impact on fuel economy of the selected comfort level setting based at least in part upon the HVAC blower speed or the recirculation door position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the impact on fuel economy corresponds to power consumption of an electric compressor, the power consumption based at least in part upon the current comfort level setting, the HVAC blower speed and the recirculation door position.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the climate control system is configured to operate in an air conditioning mode such that a decrease in the selected comfort level setting corresponds to an increase in passenger cabin temperature.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the climate control system is configured to operate in a heating mode such that a decrease in the selected comfort level setting corresponds to a decrease in the passenger cabin temperature.

20. A climate control head unit comprising:

one or more comfort level indicators corresponding to a selectable passenger comfort level, and configured to display a current selected comfort level setting;

one or more passenger comfort level buttons associated with the one or more passenger comfort level indicators, and configured to communicate the current selected comfort level setting to a climate control system controller; and

at least one fuel economy indicator configured to display the impact on fuel economy based at least in part upon the current selected comfort level setting;

wherein the climate control head unit is configured to receive at least one input corresponding to the impact on fuel economy from the climate control system controller so that the fuel economy indicator displays the impact on fuel economy.