Air-conditioner controlling device

• US 20100292893A1
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Kazunao, Mizuno, Yusuke, Sakai, Tadashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,234,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• 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 1/00971 Control systems or circuits characterised by including features for locking or memorising of control modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3208 Vehicle drive related control of the compressor drive means, e.g. for fuel saving purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/327 related to a compressing unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3292 Compressor drive is electric only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

An air-conditioner controlling device includes a first control unit and a second control unit. The first control unit changes an air-conditioner operation from a standard to an energy-saving, when a vehicle is determined to be located in a target area. The target area is defined by a predetermined interval from a target point of the vehicle. The second control unit changes the air-conditioner operation from the energy-saving to the standard, after the first control unit changes the air-conditioner operation from the standard to the energy-saving, in a case that a destination of the vehicle is estimated to be different from the target point.

Claims

1. An air-conditioner controlling device to control an air-conditioner of a vehicle comprising:

a specifying portion to specify a present position of the vehicle;

a determining portion to determine whether the vehicle is located in a target area based on the present position, the target area being defined by a predetermined interval from a target point of the vehicle;

a first control unit to change an operation state of the air-conditioner from a standard mode to an energy-saving mode so as to reduce a consumption electricity of the air-conditioner, when the determining portion determines the vehicle to be located in the target area;

an estimating portion to estimate a destination of the vehicle; and

a second control unit to change the operation state of the air-conditioner from the energy-saving mode to the standard mode, after the first control unit changes the operation state from the standard mode to the energy-saving mode, in a case that the estimated destination is different from the target point.

2. The air-conditioner controlling device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a searching portion to search a route from the present position to the destination, wherein

the estimated destination is different from the target point, when the vehicle is determined to be out of the route.

3. The air-conditioner controlling device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a searching portion to search a route from the present position to the destination; and

a guiding portion to guide the route, wherein

the estimated destination is different from the target point, when the guiding portion receives an indication to stop the guiding.

4. The air-conditioner controlling device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an obtaining portion to obtain vehicle stop information; and

a memorizing portion to specify a stop point of the vehicle based on the present position and the vehicle stop information, and to memorize the stop point of the vehicle as a candidate point of the destination, wherein

the determining portion determines whether the vehicle is located in a candidate area based on the present position and the candidate point, the candidate area being defined by a predetermined interval from the candidate point, and

the second control unit changes the operation state of the air-conditioner from the energy-saving mode to the standard mode, when the estimated destination is different from the candidate point.

5. The air-conditioner controlling device according to claim 4, wherein

the estimated destination is different from the candidate point, when the vehicle is determined to be out of the candidate area.

6. The air-conditioner controlling device according to claim 4, wherein

the estimated destination is different from the candidate point, when the vehicle is determined to be traveling in a direction separating from the candidate point.

7. The air-conditioner controlling device according to claim 4, wherein

the memorizing portion memorizes a plurality of the stop points as a plurality of the candidate points, and

the first control unit again changes the operation state of the air-conditioner from the standard mode to the energy-saving mode, after the second control unit changes the operation state from the energy-saving mode to the standard mode, in a case that the determining portion determines the vehicle to be located in at least one of the candidate areas.

8. The air-conditioner controlling device according to claim 1, wherein

the first control unit changes the operation state of the air-conditioner from a first air-sending mode to a second air-sending mode, when the determining portion determines the vehicle to be located in the target area,

the first air-sending mode is defined by turning on a switch of the air-conditioner, and

the second air-sending mode is defined by turning off the switch of the air-conditioner.

9. The air-conditioner controlling device according to claim 1, wherein

the first control unit changes the operation state of the air-conditioner from an air-sending mode to an air-stopped mode, when the determining portion determines the vehicle to be located in the target area,

the air-sending mode is defined by turning off a switch of the air-conditioner, and

the air-stopped mode is defined by turning off the switch of the air-conditioner.

10. The air-conditioner controlling device according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined interval defining the target area is defined by a predetermined distance from the target point.

11. The air-conditioner controlling device according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined interval defining the target area is defined by a time period necessary for arriving at the target point.