System and method for controlling the interior temperature of a vehicle

• US 6,345,767 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2000
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Temic Automotive of North America, Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Farley, Felipe J., Hopman, Nicholas C., Burrus, Philip H. IV
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, DANIEL LEON
• Application Number:
  US09/542,656
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 236/1.R, 621/32, 454/221, 454/265, 454/177, 454/335, 454/358, 318/280, 361/695
• US Class Current: 236/1.00R
• 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 1/00771 the input being a vehicle position or surrounding, e.g. GPS-based position or tunnel
• 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: G05D 23/1906 using an analogue comparing device

Abstract

A system and method for controlling the interior temperature within a vehicle. In a preferred embodiment of the system, the system responds to increases in exterior temperature by reducing the interior temperature of the vehicle passenger compartment. The system preferably includes a temperature sensor within the passenger compartment and a microprocessor programmed to respond to signals from the temperature sensor. The microprocessor operates to roll down windows and/or engage a fan or air conditioning unit until a desired and comfortable temperature is achieved within the passenger compartment. The user can pre-program the system with settings that are stored in a memory or use factory default settings. A moisture sensor can also be coupled to the microprocessor to respond to rainy conditions. In one alternate embodiment, a two-way paging and cellular network module is included to contact the vehicle operator when the system is engaged. In another alternate embodiment, the system is programmed to increase the interior vehicle temperature in response to decreases in the exterior ambient temperature by engaging the heater unit of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for detecting and communicating an undesirable condition inside a vehicle when the vehicle is off, the system comprising:

a temperature sensor disposed in the interior of the car;

a processor contained within the vehicle, the processor responsive to a signal from the temperature sensor and operative to compare the signal received from the temperature sensor to a temperature threshold and generate at least one control signal based on the comparison; and

a wireless communication module coupled to the processor operative to communicate with a vehicle operator in response to the at least one control signal.

2. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one control module comprises a window actuator module.

3. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one control module comprises a fan/air conditioning actuator module.

4. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the interior vehicle temperature is reduced.

5. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising an occupant sensor coupled to the processor.

6. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising a moisture sensor coupled to the processor, the moisture sensor operative to sense exterior moisture.

7. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one control module housed within the vehicle, the at least one control module responsive to the at least one control signal to modify interior vehicle temperature.

8. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor, the memory operative to store control parameters.

9. The system defined in claim 1, further comprising a user interface coupled to the processor.

10. A method for detecting and communicating an undesirable condition inside a vehicle when the vehicle is off, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing the interior of the vehicle through a temperature sensor disposed in the interior of the vehicle;

comparing the sensed interior to an interior threshold;

generating at least one control signal based on the comparison; and

transmitting a radio frequency signal to a vehicle operator in response to the at least one control signal.

11. The method defined in claim 10, further comprising the step of modifying an interior temperature of the vehicle based on the at least one control signal.

12. The method defined in claim 11, wherein the vehicle interior temperature is modified by accessing a window actuator module.

13. The method defined in claim 11, wherein the vehicle interior temperature is modified by accessing a fan/air conditioning actuator module.

14. The method defined in claim 11, wherein the step of modifying an interior temperature of the vehicle comprises a step of reducing an interior temperature of the vehicle based on the at least one control signal.

15. The method defined in claim 10, further comprising the step of sensing the presence of an occupant within the vehicle.

16. The method defined in claim 10, further comprising the step of sensing exterior moisture via a moisture sensor.

17. The method defined in claim 10, further comprising the step of storing system control parameters in a memory.

18. The method defined in claim 10, further comprising the step of communicating to the user of the vehicle through a user interface.