AIR-CONDITION REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE, SERVER, MOBILE TERMINAL, AND VEHICLE

• US 20140100716A1
• Filed: 05/18/2011
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Naoya, Kawai, Hirohito, Tsunoda, Seiichi, Goto, Takaaki, Higuchi, Yoichiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,085,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00657 Remote control devices
• 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 1/00807 the input being a specific way of measuring or calculating an air or coolant temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/56 Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An estimated temperature range is calculated by adding a plus-side temperature width to the temperature detected by a temperature sensor within the cabin of a vehicle and subtracting a minus-side temperature width therefrom, and is displayed on the display of a mobile terminal as a temperature state of the cabin. When cooling is performed, the plus-side temperature width is made greater than the minus-side temperature width. Also, the plus-side temperature width is narrowed with elapse of time from the start of pre-air-conditioning. With this operation, the temperature state of the vehicle cabin from the start of the pre-air-conditioning can be properly communicated to a vehicle user.

Claims

1. An air-condition remote control system for a vehicle which transmits a remote operation instruction from a mobile terminal carried by a vehicle user to an onboard communication apparatus of a vehicle identified by the mobile terminal via a server provided at an information center which handles vehicle information, whereby an air conditioner of the vehicle is started before the user gets into the vehicle so as to perform pre-air-conditioning of the cabin of the vehicle, comprising:

temperature state estimation section which estimates a temperature state of the cabin; and

display control section which displays the temperature state estimated by the temperature state estimation section on a screen of the mobile terminal in a display state which is associated with its estimation accuracy.

2. An air-condition remote control system for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising estimation accuracy display changing section which changes the display state of the mobile terminal such that the estimation accuracy increases with elapse of time after the start of the pre-air-conditioning.

3. An air-condition remote control system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the temperature state estimation section includes:

detected temperature acquisition part which periodically acquires the cabin temperature detected by a cabin temperature sensor; and

temperature range estimation part which estimates, as the temperature state, a cabin temperature range determined on the basis of the cabin temperature acquired by the detected temperature acquisition part such that the cabin temperature range has a width corresponding to an error of the detected cabin temperature from the actual cabin temperature,

wherein the display control section represents the estimation accuracy by the width corresponding to the error of the detected cabin temperature from the actual cabin temperature.

4. An air-condition remote control system for a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising error-corresponding-width changing section which narrows the width corresponding to the error with elapse of time from the start of the pre-air-conditioning.

5. An air-condition remote control system for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the temperature range estimation part individually sets a plus-side width and a minus-side width which correspond to the error and which are respectively added to and subtracted from the detected cabin temperature to determine upper and lower boundaries of the cabin temperature range.

6. An air-condition remote control system for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the plus-side width corresponding to the error is rendered greater than the minus-side width corresponding to the error.

7. An air-condition remote control system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the temperature state estimation section includes initial estimation accuracy setting part which sets the estimation accuracy to a lower level when the temperature within the vehicle cabin at the start of the pre-air-conditioning is estimated to be high as compared with the case where the temperature within the vehicle cabin at the start of the pre-air-conditioning is estimated to be low.

8. A server used in an air-condition remote control system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the server includes the temperature state estimation section, and transmits information representing the estimated temperature state to the mobile terminal.

10. A mobile terminal used in an air-condition remote control system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal receives information transmitted from the server and representing the temperature state, and displays the temperature state on its screen.

11. A mobile terminal used in an air-condition remote control system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal includes the temperature state estimation section and the display control section.

13. A vehicle used in an air-condition remote control system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes the temperature state estimation section, and transmits information representing the estimated temperature state to the server.

9. A server which is provided at an information center for handling vehicle information, and is adapted to receive a remote operation instruction from a mobile terminal carried by a vehicle user and transmit, to an onboard communication apparatus of a vehicle identified by the mobile terminal, an instruction for starting an air conditioner of the vehicle before the user gets into the vehicle, to thereby perform pre-air-conditioning of the cabin of the vehicle, comprising:

temperature state estimation section which estimates a temperature state of the cabin; and

display control section which transmits to the mobile terminal information for displaying the temperature state estimated by the temperature state estimation section on the screen of the mobile terminal in a display state which is associated with its estimation accuracy.

12. A mobile terminal which transmits a remote operation instruction regarding pre-air-conditioning to an onboard communication apparatus of a specific vehicle via a server provided at an information center for handling vehicle information, so as to start an air conditioner of the vehicle before a vehicle user gets into the vehicle, to thereby perform pre-air-conditioning of the cabin of the vehicle, comprising:

temperature state estimation section which estimates a temperature state of the cabin; and

display control section which displays the temperature state estimated by the temperature state estimation section on the screen of the mobile terminal in a display state which is associated with its estimation accuracy.

14. A vehicle which receives through its onboard communication apparatus a remote operation instruction transmitted from a mobile terminal carried by a vehicle user via a server provided at an information center for handling vehicle information, so as to start an air conditioner of the vehicle before the user gets into the vehicle, to thereby perform pre-air-conditioning of the cabin of the vehicle, the vehicle comprising:

temperature state estimation section for estimating a temperature state of the cabin; and

display control section for transmitting to the server information for displaying the temperature state estimated by the temperature state estimation section on the screen of the mobile terminal in a display state which is associated with its estimation accuracy.