METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SETTING A THERMAL COMFORT STATE

• US 20170282685A1
• Filed: 09/07/2015
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: BADER, Viktor, WLLER, Christoph
• Granted Patent: US 10,759,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0073 Control systems or circuits characterised by particular algorithms or computational models, e.g. fuzzy logic or dynamic models
• 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 1/0075 the input being solar radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00757 by the input of sound, e.g. by using a voice synthesizer
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00792 Arrangement of detectors B60H1/00742, B60H1/0075, B60H1/00785 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/008 the input being air quality

Abstract

A method for setting a thermal comfort state of at least one user of a vehicle, wherein, at a starting time, at least one actual state variable of the user is detected by at least one device for detecting the at least one state variable and a starting comfort state of the user is determined depending on the at least one actual state variable, wherein a target comfort state is determined, wherein at least one target state variable is determined depending on the target comfort state, wherein at least one vehicle-end device for changing the state variable is controlled so that a deviation in the actual state variable from the target state variable is minimized when the target comfort state deviates from the starting comfort state, wherein the at least one state variable is detected by a device carried by the user for detecting the at least one state variable.

Claims

1. A method for setting a thermal comfort state of at least one user of a vehicle, wherein at a start time at least one actual state variable of the user is acquired by at least one acquisition unit for acquiring the at least one state variable, and an initial comfort state of the user is defined based on the at least one actual state variable, wherein a target comfort state is defined, wherein at least one target state variable is defined based on the target comfort state, wherein at least one vehicle-based variation unit for varying the state variable is controlled such that a difference between the actual state variable and the target state variable is minimized, if the target comfort state differs from the initial comfort state,

wherein the at least one state variable is acquired by an acquisition unit for acquiring the at least one state variable, which unit is worn by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit for acquiring the at least one state variable is in contact with the skin of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit for acquiring the at least one state variable is a watch or integrated in a watch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one target state variable is defined based on the at least one initial state variable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one state variable is additionally acquired prior to the start time, wherein the at least one variation unit for varying the state variable is additionally controlled based on the state variable acquired prior to the start time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one auxiliary variable is determined in addition to the at least one state variable, wherein the at least one variation unit for varying the state variable is controlled based on the acquired auxiliary variable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one control profile for controlling the at least one variation unit for varying the state variable is associated with a number of state profiles, wherein the association of the state profile with the particular control profile is known in advance, wherein at the start time, the control profile that has a state profile having a minimum difference from the state profile that exists at the start point is selected for controlling the at least one variation unit for varying the state variable.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a state profile is defined at the start time, wherein a variation over time of the at least one state variable is additionally acquired after the start time, wherein a control profile for controlling the at least one variation unit for varying the state variable is defined based on the variation over time and is assigned to the state profile.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the control profiles are already associated with a user and/or are assigned to a user.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the control profiles are stored in at least one memory unit of the vehicle or in at least one memory unit of the acquisition unit for acquiring the at least one state variable.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein an energy consumption required to attain the target state variable is determined based on the difference between the actual state variable and the target state variable.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a skin temperature and a skin humidity are determined as the state variables.

13. An apparatus for setting a thermal comfort state of at least one user of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising at least one acquisition unit for acquiring at least one state variable, and at least one analysis unit, wherein at a start time, at least one actual state variable of the user is acquired by an acquisition unit for acquiring the at least one state variable, and the analysis unit is define an initial comfort state of the user based on the at least one actual state variable, wherein a target comfort state is defined, wherein a target state variable is defined based on the target comfort state, wherein at least one vehicle-based variation unit for varying the state variable is controlled so as to minimize a difference between the actual state variable and the target state variable, if the target comfort state differs from the initial comfort state,

wherein the acquisition unit for acquiring the at least one state variable is a unit that is worn by the user.