Method and apparatus for automatic control of motor vehicle climate control having several operating modes

• US 6,298,911 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1998
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Volz, Wolfgang, Heinle, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Ford, John K.
• Application Number:
  US09/167,983
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 165/202, 165/42, 165/43, 236/91.C, 236/51, 236/49.3, 237/8.R, 701/213, 701/36
• US Class Current: 165/202
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00642 Control systems or circuits; Control members or indication devices for heating, cooling or ventilating devices B60H1/3201 - B60H1/3208, B60H1/3225 take precedence
• 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 1/00771 the input being a vehicle position or surrounding, e.g. GPS-based position or tunnel

Abstract

A method and apparatus for automotive climate control includes a control unit which automatically sets the particular operating mode of the automotive climate control system according to a predeterminable region of operation for the motor vehicle or to the region in which the vehicle is currently situated. The automotive climate control system has a plurality of operating modes which can be selected by the control unit.

Claims

1. A climate control system for a vehicle, comprising:

a control unit having stored therein information defining a plurality of geographic regions, and for each one of said geographic regions at least one operating characteristic for controlling operational parameters of said climate control system, which at least one characteristic is adapted to satisfy climatic preferences of a population indigenous to said one of said geographic regions; and

a device for indicating a geographic region in which said vehicle is to be operated;

wherein the control unit automatically operates the climate control system according to an operating characteristic based on information concerning a geographic region indicated via said device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit automatically establishes a set value for at least one of an interior temperature of the motor vehicle, a temperature of an air stream to be blown into the motor vehicle interior, an output power of an air blower, an output power of a refrigeration machine and an output power of a heating system of the climate control system.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a navigation system coupled to the control unit for automatic determination of the geographic region in which the motor vehicle is situated.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the device comprises a navigation system coupled to the control unit for automatic determination of the geographic region in which the motor vehicle is situated.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the navigation system comprises a GPS system.

6. An automatic climate control system for a vehicle, comprising:

a control unit having stored therein information defining a plurality of geographic regions, and for each one of said geographic regions at least one operating characteristic for controlling operational parameters of said climate control system, which at least one characteristic is adapted to satisfy climatic preferences of a population indigenous to said one of said geographic regions;

a refrigeration machine coupled to the control unit;

a heating system coupled to the control unit;

at least one ambient climate condition sensor coupled to said control unit;

a blower coupled to the heating system and the control unit; and

a device coupled to the control unit for indicating a geographic region in which said vehicle is to be operated;

wherein said control unit automatically operates the climate control system according to an operating characteristic based on information concerning a geographic region indicated via said device.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the device comprises a navigation system having a second sensor for receiving GPS signals.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the navigation system is a GPS system for an automatic determination of a region in which the motor vehicle is situated.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the control unit automatically establishes a set value for at least one of an interior temperature of the motor vehicle, a temperature of an air stream to be blown into the motor vehicle interior, an output power of an air blower, an output power of a refrigeration machine and an output power of a heating system of the climate control system.

10. A method for operating an automatic climate control system for a vehicle, having a control unit, comprising:

storing in said control unit information defining a plurality of geographic regions, and for each one of said geographic regions at least one operating characteristic for controlling operational parameters of said climate control system, which at least one characteristic is adapted to satisfy climatic preferences of a population indigenous to said one of said geographic regions; and

identifying a geographic region in which the vehicle is currently situated, from among said plurality of geographic regions;

said control unit operating the climate control system according to an operating characteristic for an identified geographic region.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

establishing in the control unit a set value for at least one of an interior temperature of the motor vehicle, a temperature of an air stream to be blown into a motor vehicle interior, an output power of an air blower, an output power of a refrigeration machine, and a heating system of the climate control system, in accordance with the identified geographic region.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the act of:

providing a vehicle position identifying system coupled to the control unit, for automatically determinating the region in which the motor vehicle is situated.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the act of:

providing a vehicle position identifying system coupled to the control unit, for indicating the region in which the motor vehicle is situated.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle position identifying system is a GPS system.

15. A method of operating a climate control system for a vehicle, comprising:

determining representative climatic preferences of populations indigenous to a plurality of geographic regions in which the vehicle may be operated;

for each of said geographic regions, determining at least one operating characteristic for controlling operational parameters of said climate control system, which at least one characteristic is adapted to satisfy the climatic preferences of the population indigenous thereto;

determining a geographic region in which the vehicle is to be operated; and

operating said climate control system in accordance with an operating characteristic for the geographic region in which the vehicle is currently operated.

16. A climate control system for a vehicle, comprising:

a control unit having stored therein information defining a plurality of geographic regions in which the vehicle may be operated, and for each one of said geographic regions at least one operating characteristic for controlling operational parameters of said climate control system, which at least one characteristic is adapted to satisfy climatic preferences of a population indigenous to said one of said geographic regions;

wherein the control unit automatically operates the climate control system according to an operating characteristic based on information on the geographic region in which the vehicle is currently operated.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit automatically establishes a set value for at least one of an interior temperature of the motor vehicle, a temperature of an air stream to be blown into the motor vehicle interior, an output power of an air blower, an output power of a refrigeration machine and an output power of a heating system of the climate control system.

18. The system according to claim 16, further comprising a navigation system coupled to the control unit for automatic determination of the geographic region.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the navigation system comprises a GPS system.