Air conditioning control system for vehicles for common use

• US 6,357,244 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2000
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mori, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad M.
• Application Number:
  US09/524,489
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 622/31, 622/44, 236/51, 165/266, 165/202, 165/43, 237/12.3 C
• US Class Current: 62/231
• 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: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

An air conditioning control system for vehicles for common use, includes: a reservation unit for reserving a rentals of the vehicles for common use with corresponding delivery times therefor; and an activating unit for activating an air conditioner of each of the vehicles so reserved when the corresponding delivery time therefor approaches so that a comfortable condition is produced in the passenger compartment of the vehicle when it is rented out a user who has reserved it.

Claims

1. An air conditioning control system for vehicles for common use, comprising:

reservation means for reserving rental of said vehicles with corresponding delivery times of said vehicles; and

activating means for automatically activating all air conditioner of each said vehicle so reserved when said corresponding delivery time approaches based on reservations made by said reservation means.

2. An air conditioning control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said vehicles for common use are electric vehicles, and

wherein said activating means activates said air conditioners of only those of said electric vehicles that are waiting for delivery and which are equipped with batteries having a residual capacity equal to or greater than a predetermined amount.

3. An air conditioning control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said activating means starts the activation of said air conditioner of each said vehicle so reserved at a predetermined time prior to said corresponding delivery time therefor.

11. An air conditioning control system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said activating means discontinues operation of the air conditioner of each said vehicle so reserved at another predetermined time prior to said corresponding delivery time therefor.

12. An air conditioning control system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said activating means activates operation of the air conditioner of each said vehicle so reserved up to said corresponding delivery time therefor.

13. An air conditioning control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said activating means receives a reservation from said reservation means, and determines a vehicle for delivery and a operation starting time for an air conditioner of said vehicle based on said reservation.

4. An air conditioning control system for vehicles for common use, comprising:

reservation means for reserving rental of said vehicles with corresponding delivery times of said vehicles; and

activating means for activating an air conditioner of each said vehicle so reserved when said corresponding delivery time approaches;

wherein said activating means comprises;

a supervision radio device provided on a supervision side, for transmitting a command for self-operation to each said reserved vehicle; and

self-operation controlling radio devices provided on said vehicles, respectively, for receiving said command from said supervision radio device.

5. An air conditioning control system for vehicles for common use, comprising:

reservation means for reserving rental of said vehicles with corresponding delivery times of said vehicles; and

activating means for activating an air conditioner of each said vehicle so reserved when said corresponding delivery time approaches;

wherein said vehicles for common use are electric vehicles; and

wherein said air conditioner of each said reserved electric vehicle is activated by a battery charger.

6. An air conditioning control system for vehicles for common use, comprising:

a vehicle supervision which receives reservations of said vehicles with corresponding delivery times and which selects those of said vehicles to be rented out for said reservations, respectively;

air conditioners respectively mounted on said vehicles for common use; and

vehicle controlling devices respectively mounted on said vehicles for common use, for controlling said air conditioners; and

wherein said vehicle supervision sends a command for activating said air conditioner to said vehicle controlling device of each of said vehicles for common use which has been selected.

7. An air conditioning control system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said vehicles for common use are electric vehicles, and

wherein selected by said vehicle supervision is such that said air conditioners of only said electric vehicles that are waiting for delivery and which are equipped with batteries having a residual capacity equal to or greater than a predetermined amount are activated.

8. An air conditioning control system as set forth in claim 6, wherein activation of said air conditioner of each of said vehicles for common use which has been selected to be rented out is started at a predetermined time prior to said corresponding delivery time therefor.

9. An air conditioning control system as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:

a supervision radio device provided in said vehicle supervision, for transmitting a command for self-operation to each of said vehicles for common use which has been selected to be rented out; and

self-operation controlling radio devices respectively connected to said vehicle controlling devices on said vehicles for common use, for receiving said command from said supervision radio device.

10. An air conditioning control system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said vehicles for common use are electric vehicles, and

wherein said air conditioner of each of said electric vehicles which has been selected to be rented out is activated by a battery charger.