Air-conditioning device

• US 6,220,517 B1
• Filed: 04/21/1999
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ichishi, Yoshinori, Ito, Yuji, Kawai, Takayoshi, Samukawa, Katsuhiko, Kajino, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): McDermott, Corrine
• Assistant Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US09/295,997
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 236/49.3, 236/91.C, 236/91.E, 236/91.R, 165/203, 165/204, 165/42, 621/86, 624/08, 621/44, 454/75
• US Class Current: 236/49.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00735 Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00814 Control systems or circuits characterised by their output, for controlling particular components of the heating, cooling or ventilating installation
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing

Abstract

Temperatures in a Dr side air-conditioning zone and a Pa side air-conditioning zone are controlled highly independently of each other without temperature interference between each zone. A room internal air temperature sensor and a room external air temperature sensor are provided. Dr side and Pa side temperature setters separately set room setpoint temperatures (Tset(Dr), Tset(Pa)) in each zone. First and second target blow-out temperature calculating portions, which include neural network, input the room setpoint temperatures and the temperature data. Then it calculates Dr side and Pa side target blow-out temperatures (TAO(Dr), TAO(Pa)) relative to each air-conditioning zones by using a neural network. Air-mixing doors separately adjusts the temperatures of conditioned air blown out from Dr side air passage and Pa side air passage to be the first and second target blow-out temperatures. Here, the neural network has the learning function, which adjusts its output to be desired data (teacher signal). Therefore, the output at a specific input condition can be adjusted without temperature interference between each zone.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning device, comprising:

an air passage in which air flows;

a blower disposed in the air passage;

a heat exchanger disposed in the air passage, for exchanging heat with air flowing through the air passage;

a face blow-out port arranged at a downstream side of the air passage, for blowing air in a FACE mode;

a foot blow-out port arranged at a downstream side of the air passage, for blowing air in a FOOT mode;

a temperature setter to set a room setpoint temperature;

a temperature data detector to detect temperature data including a room internal air temperature and a room external air temperature;

a radiation amount detector to detect a radiation amount to the room; and

an air amount calculating portion including a neural network, for calculating an air amount blown by the blower,

wherein the air amount calculating portion receives input signals including the room setpoint temperature, the room internal air temperature, the room external air temperature and the radiation amount, independently calculates an air amount in the FACE mode and an air amount in the FOOT mode via the neural network, selects one of the air amount in the FACE mode and the FOOT mode, and outputs a final air amount based on a mode signal input thereto.

2. An air-conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein both of the face blow-out port and the foot blow-out port output air in a B/L mode, and

a control characteristic of the air amount at the B/L mode is equal to that of the FACE mode.

3. An air-conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein the neural network inputs a previously calculated temperature difference between the room internal air temperature and the room setpoint temperature.

4. An air-conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein the foot blow-out port outputs air to the foot of a passenger, and the face blow-out port outputs air to an upper body of the passenger.

5. An air-conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein:

the air passage includes a driver seat side air passage for a driver seat side air-conditioning zone and a passenger seat side air passage for a passenger seat side air-conditioning zone,

a driver seat side temperature adjuster and a passenger seat side temperature adjuster are arranged in the driver seat side air passage and the passenger seat side air passage, respectively,

the face blow-out port and the foot blow-out port are arranged in both of the driver seat side air passage and the passenger seat side air passage, respectively, and

temperatures of the first and the second air-conditioning zones are controlled independently by air blown from both the driver seat side air passage and the passenger seat side air passage.

6. An air-conditioning device, comprising:

an air passage in which air flows;

a blower disposed in the air passage;

a heat exchanger disposed in the air passage, for exchanging heat with air;

a face blow-out port disposed at a downstream side of the air passage, for blowing air in a FACE mode;

a foot blow-out port disposed at a downstream side of the air passage, for blowing air in a FOOT mode;

a temperature setter to set a room setpoint temperature;

a temperature data detector to detect temperature data including a room internal air temperature and a room external air temperature;

a radiation amount detector to detect a radiation amount to the room; and

an air amount calculating portion for calculating an air amount blown from the blower,

wherein the air amount calculating portion receives input signals including the room setpoint temperatures, the room internal air temperature, the room external air temperature and the radiation amount, reduces the air amount blown by the blower in proportion to lowering of the room internal air temperature, wherein;

when an air-conditioning load based on the room external air temperature and the radiation amount is large, a decreasing point, at which the amount of air blown by the blower starts to decrease from a maximum area to the small amount area, is set to a high temperature side with respect to the room internal air temperature, and

when an air-conditioning load based on the room external air temperature and the radiation amount is small, the decreasing point is set to a low temperature side with respect to the room internal air temperature.

7. An air-conditioning device according to claim 6, wherein the air amount calculating portion includes a neural network.

8. An air-conditioning device, comprising:

an air passage in which air flows;

a first and second blow-out port disposed at a downstream side in the air passage, for blowing conditioned air;

a temperature setter to set a room setpoint temperature;

a surrounding data detector to detects a surrounding physical quantity data in the room;

an air amount calculating portion includes a neural network, for calculating an air amount blown to the room,

wherein the air amount calculating portion receives the surrounding physical quantity data as input data, and independently calculates an air amount to be supplied to the first and the second air passages, via the neural network.

9. An air-conditioning device, comprising:

an air passage in which air flows;

a blower disposed in the air passage;

a heat exchanger disposed in the air passage, to exchange heat with air;

a plurality of blow-out ports disposed at a downstream side in the air passage, to blow air to different directions;

a blow-out port changer to control an opening and a closing of each of the blow-out ports;

a temperature adjuster to adjust temperatures of air blown from the blow-out ports;

a temperature setter to set a room setpoint temperature;

a temperature data detector to detect temperature data including a room internal air temperature and a room external air temperature;

a target blow-out temperature calculating portion that receives the room setpoint temperature and the temperature data, and calculates a target blow-out temperature of air blown to the room;

a blow-out port mode calculating portion including a neural network, that receives the target blow-out temperature and a heat indication factor that influences a heating condition as input data, and calculates a blow-out port mode signal to control the blow-out port changer via the neural network.

10. An air-conditioning device according to claim 9, wherein the heat indication factor includes a radiation amount in the room.

11. An air-conditioning device according to claim 9, wherein:

the heat exchanger includes a heating heat exchanger for heating air by using hot water, and

the heat indication factor includes the room external air temperature and a hot water temperature.

12. An air-conditioning device according to claim 9, wherein the heat indication factor includes the room internal air temperature.

13. An air-conditioning device according to claim 9, wherein the heat indication factor includes user skin temperature.

14. An air-conditioning device according to claim 9, wherein the signal indicating surrounding factor includes the room external air temperature.

15. An air-conditioning device for automobile, comprising:

an air passage in which air flows;

a blower disposed in the air passage;

a heat exchanger disposed in the air passage, to exchange heat with air;

a foot blow-out port disposed at a downstream side in the air passage, for blowing air in a FOOT mode;

a face blow-out port disposed at a downstream side in the air passage, for blowing air in a FACE mode;

a blow-out port changer to control an opening and a closing of each the blow-out ports;

a temperature adjuster to adjust temperatures of air blown from the blow-out ports;

a temperature setter to set a room setpoint temperature;

a temperature data detector to detects temperature data including a room internal air temperature and a room external air temperature;

a target blow-out temperature calculating portion that receives the room setpoint temperature and the temperature data, and calculates a target blow-out temperature of air blown to the room; and

a blow-out port mode calculating portion includes a neural network, that receives the target blow-out temperature and a heat indication factor that influences a heating condition, and calculates a blow-out port mode signal to control the blow-out port changer via the neural network,

wherein the blow-out port mode signal includes a FOOT mode signal for blowing air from the foot blow-out port, a FACE mode signal for blowing air from the face blow-out port, and a B/L mode signal for blowing air from both the foot blow-out port and the face blow-out port.