SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF A VEHICLE

• US 20120067559A1
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Greiner, Christopher, Dage, Gerhard, Wijaya, Halim, Buescher, Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 8,800,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/204
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00964 Control systems or circuits characterised by including features for automatic and non-automatic control, e.g. for changing from automatic to manual control

Abstract

A system and method for environmental management of a vehicle automatically operates a vehicle climate control system to quickly and efficiently defog a vehicle windshield, while still operating at or near environmental comfort guidelines determined by a vehicle occupant. The method may be executed by an HVAC control system that is configured with a preprogrammed algorithm to operate an HVAC to achieve the desired results. A number of sensors can provide inputs to the control system, which can also receive inputs from a number of manual overrides operable by an occupant of the vehicle. The preprogrammed algorithm is configured to act on the various inputs to operate the HVAC to strike an appropriate balance between occupant comfort and windshield defogging.

Claims

1. A system for environmental management of a vehicle, comprising:

a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system;

at least one manual override for controlling a respective function of the HVAC system; and

a controller configured to control the HVAC system to automatically effect defogging based on at least one measured input when the at least one manual override is not selected, and to prohibit defogging when at least one manual override of the at least one manual override is selected.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one manual override includes a fan override, an air conditioning override, and a recirculation override.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the HVAC system to automatically effect defogging with limited operation of at least one function of the HVAC system when at least one other manual override of the at least one manual override is selected.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one other manual override includes at least one of a fan override, an air conditioning override, and a recirculation override.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one other manual override includes the recirculation override, and the at least one function of the HVAC system having limited operation is at least one of the fan and the air conditioning.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one other manual override includes the air conditioning override, and the at least one function of the HVAC system having limited operation is the fan and the air conditioning.

7. A system for environmental management of a vehicle, comprising:

a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system;

a plurality of manual overrides for controlling respective functions of the HVAC system; and

a controller configured to control the HVAC system to automatically effect defogging based on at least one measured input when none of the manual overrides is selected, and to prohibit defogging when at least one of the manual overrides is selected.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the manual overrides include a fan override, an air conditioning override, and a recirculation override, the controller being configured to prohibit defogging when at least the fan override is selected.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the manual overrides include a fan override, an air conditioning override, and a recirculation override, the controller being configured to prohibit defogging when at least the air conditioning override is selected.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the manual overrides include a fan override, an air conditioning override, and a recirculation override, the controller being configured to prohibit defogging when at least the recirculation override is selected.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to control the HVAC system to automatically effect defogging with limited operation of at least one function of the HVAC system when at least one other of the manual overrides is selected.

12. A system for environmental management of a vehicle, comprising:

a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system;

a sensor for sensing an environmental condition;

a plurality of manual overrides for controlling respective functions of the HVAC system; and

a controller configured to receive inputs from the sensor and the manual overrides and to control the HVAC system based at least in part on the inputs to;

automatically effect defogging when none of the manual overrides is selected, and

automatically effect defogging with limited operation of at least one function of the HVAC system when at least one of the manual overrides is selected.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the manual overrides include a fan override, an air conditioning override, and a recirculation override.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one selected manual override includes the recirculation override, and the at least one function of the HVAC system having limited operation is at least one of the fan and the air conditioning.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one selected manual override includes the air conditioning override, and the at least one function of the HVAC system having limited operation is at least one of the fan and the air conditioning.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one selected manual override includes the fan override, and the at least one function of the HVAC system having limited operation is the air conditioning.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one selected manual override includes the fan override, the air conditioning override, and the recirculation override, and the at least one function of the HVAC system having limited operation is the air conditioning.