AUTOMOTIVE AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM WITH DIFFERENT USER-SELECTABLE OPERATING PROFILES

• US 20160229263A1
• Filed: 02/05/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCA Italy S.p.A. (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: FCA Italy S.p.A. (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Petrenga, Pietro
• Granted Patent: US 10,035,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00978 Control systems or circuits characterised by failure of detection or safety means; Diagnostic methods
• 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: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel

Abstract

An automotive air-conditioning system comprising an electronic control unit programmed to store different operating profiles of the air-conditioning system, each of which is defined by a temperature, air flow rate and air distribution in the passenger compartment; and a human-machine interface configured to allow a user to select one of the stored operating profiles; and wherein the electronic control unit is further programmed to automatically control the air-conditioning system operation based on the selected operating profile.

Claims

1. An automotive air-conditioning system comprising:

an electronic control unit programmed to store different user-selectable operating profiles for the air-conditioning system, each of which is defined by corresponding air temperature, air flow rate and air distribution in the passenger compartment; and

a human-machine interface configured to allow a user to select one of the stored operating profiles;

and wherein the electronic control unit is further programmed to automatically control the air-conditioning system operation based on the selected operating profile.

2. An automotive air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the stored operating profiles comprise:

one or more factory operating profiles.

3. An automotive air-conditioning system according to claim 2, wherein the factory operating profiles comprise an automatic operating profile;

and wherein, in response to the selection of the automatic operating profile, the electronic control unit is further programmed to determine comfort air-conditioning conditions in the passenger compartment based on physical quantities comprising one or more among internal air temperature, outside air temperature, air vent air temperature, internal air humidity and solar radiation, and to control the operation of the air-conditioning system accordingly.

4. An automotive air-conditioning system according to claim 3, wherein the factory operating profiles further comprise non-modifiable operating profiles configured in relative terms with respect to the automatic operating profile.

5. An automotive air-conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the stored operating profiles further comprise:

one or more user operating profiles, each associated to a corresponding user.

6. An automotive air-conditioning system according to claim 5, wherein the human-machine interface is further configured to allow a user to create a user operating profile and associate it to a corresponding user identifier.

7. An automotive air-conditioning system according to claim 5, wherein the user interface is further configured to allow a user to select a category of user operating profiles and select, within the category, one of the user operating profiles.

8. An automotive air-conditioning system according to claim 7, wherein the human-machine interface includes selection and activation buttons and/or a voice recognition system to select a user operating profile within the category of user operating profiles.

9. An automotive air-conditioning system according to claim 5, wherein the human-machine interface is further configured to automatically recognize a user and automatically select a user operating profile associated to the recognized user.

10. An automotive air-conditioning system according to claim 9, wherein the human-machine interface comprises a short-range wireless communication system configured to automatically detect and identify personal portable wireless communication devices within its communication field;

and wherein the electronic control unit is further programmed to allow a user to associate, a recognized user personal portable wireless communication device identifier upon creation of a user operating profile and through the human-machine interface.

11. An automotive air-conditioning system according to claim 4, wherein the human-machine interface comprises a selection knob configured to assume different selection positions, wherein a selection position is associated with the user operating profile category, a selection position is associated with the automatic operating profile, and other selection positions are associated with corresponding non-modifiable operating profiles.