Control system for controlling the climate of a vehicle

• US 7,065,435 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Barnes, Sacha E, Wichlacz, John T, Gorman, Brian A
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behncke, Christine M.
• Application Number:
  US11/084,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20050165527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/1
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00828 Ventilators, e.g. speed control B60H1/00864 takes precedence

Abstract

A control system for controlling the climate of a vehicle includes a control element, a temperature sensor, a motor and a microprocessor. The microprocessor may receive a temperature signal indicative of the temperature at the control element and may receive at least one further input. The at least one further input may comprise an input signal indicative of a high side voltage of the motor, a low side voltage of the motor, and/or an electrical current applied to the motor. The control system controls the motor via an output of the microprocessor. The control system may control the motor in response to the temperature signal and the at least one further input. The control system may reduce occurrence of high-power dissipative modes in response to a detection of a temperature above a threshold level via intelligent power management.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling the climate of a vehicle, said control system comprising:

a motor;

a control element controlling the electrical current applied to said motor;

a microprocessor;

said control system controlling said motor via an output of said microprocessor; and

said control system comprising intelligent power management to reduce occurrence of high-power dissipative modes, wherein said control system reduces occurrence of high-power dissipative modes in response to a detection of a temperature at said control element.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein said control system reduces occurrence of high-power dissipative modes in response to a detection of the temperature at said control element that is at or above a threshold temperature level.

3. A control system for controlling the climate of a vehicle, said control system comprising:

a motor;

a control element controlling the electrical current applied to said motor;

a microprocessor;

said control system controlling said motor via an output of said microprocessor; and

said control system comprising intelligent power management to reduce occurrence of high-power disipative modes, wherein said control system comprises a temperature sensor operable to sense the temperature at said control element and to generate a temperature signal indicative of the temperature at said control element, said temperature signal being provided as an input to said microprocessor.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein said control system controls said motor in response to said temperature signal.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein said microprocessor is operable to adjust said output in response to said temperature signal being indicative of a temperature greater than or approximately equal to a threshold temperature.

6. The control system of claim 4, wherein said microprocessor receives at least one further input, said at least one further input comprising at least one of (a) an input signal indicative of a high side voltage of said motor, (b) an input signal indicative of a low side voltage of said motor, and (c) an input signal indicative of an electrical current applied to said motor, said control system controlling said motor in response to said temperature signal and said at least one further input.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein said control system is operable to adjust said output of said microprocessor in response to at least one of said temperature signal and said at least one further input reaching at least one threshold level.

8. The control system of claim 3, wherein said control system is operable to detect an over-current condition.

9. The control system of claim 8, wherein said control system is operable to deactivate said motor in response to a detection of an over-current condition.

10. The control system of claim 3, wherein said control system comprises a variable blower climate control system and said motor comprises a blower motor of said climate control system of a vehicle.

11. The control system of claim 3, wherein said output of said microprocessor comprises a pulse-width modulation output.

12. The control system of claim 3, wherein said microprocessor has an adjustable output performance curve.

13. The control system of claim 12, wherein said output performance curve of said microprocessor is adjustable to accommodate at least one of a linear function, a higher-order polynomial function and a combination function.

14. A control system for controlling the climate of a vehicle, said control system comprising:

a motor;

a control element controlling the electrical current applied to said motor;

a temperature sensor operable to sense the temperature at said control element and to generate a temperature signal indicative of the temperature at said control element;

a microprocessor;

said control system controlling said motor via an output of said microprocessor;

said temperature signal provided as an input to said microprocessor;

said microprocessor receiving at least one further input, said at least one further input comprising at least one of (a) an input signal indicative of a high side voltage of said motor, (b) an input signal indicative of a low side voltage of said motor, and (c) an input signal indicative of the electrical current applied to said motor; and

said control system controlling said motor in response to said temperature signal and said at least one further input.

15. The control system of claim 14, wherein said control system comprises a variable blower climate control system and said motor comprises a blower motor of said climate control system.

16. The control system of claim 14, wherein said control system is operable to adjust said output of said microprocessor in response to at least one of said temperature signal and said at least one further input reaching at least one threshold level.

17. The control system of claim 14, wherein said control system is operable to detect an over-current condition.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein said control system is operable to deactivate said motor in response to a detection of an over-current condition.

19. The control system of claim 14, wherein said control system is operable to adjust said output of said microprocessor in response to said temperature signal being indicative of a temperature greater than or approximately equal to a threshold temperature.

20. The control system of claim 14, wherein said output of said microprocessor comprises a pulse-width modulation output.

21. The control system of claim 14, wherein said microprocessor has an adjustable output performance curve.

22. The control system of claim 21, wherein said output performance curve of said microprocessor is adjustable to accommodate at least one of a linear function, a higher-order polynomial function and a combination function.

23. The control system of claim 14, wherein said control system comprises intelligent power management to reduce occurrence of high-power dissipative modes.

24. The control system of claim 23, wherein said intelligent power management of said control system reduces occurrence of high-power dissipative modes in response to said temperature signal being indicative of a temperature at or above a threshold level.

25. The control system of claim 14, wherein said control system is operable to reduce an operating load of said motor in response to a detection of a temperature that is greater than or approximately equal to a threshold temperature.

26. A control system for controlling the climate of a vehicle, said control system comprising:

a motor;

a control element controlling the electrical current applied to said motor;

a microprocessor;

said control system controlling said motor via an output of said microprocessor; and

said control system comprising intelligent power management to reduce occurrence of high-power dissipative modes, wherein said control system is operable to reduce an operating load of said motor in response to a detection of a temperature at said control element that is greater than or approximately equal to a threshold temperature.

27. A variable blower control system for controlling the climate of a vehicle, said control system comprising:

a variable blower motor;

a control element controlling the electrical current applied to said variable blower motor;

a temperature sensor operable to sense a temperature at said control element and to generate a temperature signal indicative of the temperature at said control element;

a microprocessor;

said control system controlling said variable blower motor via an output of said microprocessor; and

said control system comprising intelligent power management to reduce occurrence of high-power dissipative modes in response to said temperature signal.

28. The variable blower control system of claim 27, wherein said control system reduces occurrence of high-power dissipative modes in response to said temperature signal being indicative of a temperature at said control element that is at or above a threshold temperature.

29. The variable blower control system of claim 27, wherein said control system controls said variable blower motor in response to said temperature signal.

30. The variable blower control system of claim 27, wherein said microprocessor is operable to adjust said output in response to said temperature signal being indicative of a temperature greater than or approximately equal to a threshold temperature.

31. The variable blower control system of claim 27, wherein said microprocessor receives at least one further input, said at least one further input comprising at least one of (a) an input signal indicative of a high side voltage of said variable blower motor, (b) an input signal indicative of a low side voltage of said variable blower motor, and (c) an input signal indicative of an electrical current applied to said variable blower motor, said control system controlling said variable blower motor in response to said temperature signal and said at least one further input.

32. The variable blower control system of claim 31, wherein said control system is operable to adjust said output of said microprocessor in response to at least one of said temperature signal and said at least one further input reaching at least one threshold level.

33. The variable blower control system of claim 31, wherein said control system is operable to detect an over-current condition.

34. The variable blower control system of claim 33, wherein said control system is operable to deactivate said variable blower motor in response to a detection of an over-current condition.

35. The variable blower control system of claim 27, wherein said output of said microprocessor comprises a pulse-width modulation output.

36. The variable blower control system of claim 27, wherein said microprocessor has an adjustable output performance curve.

37. The variable blower control system of claim 36, wherein said output performance curve of said microprocessor is adjustable to accommodate at least one of a linear function, a higher-order polynomial function and a combination function.

38. The variable blower control system of claim 27, wherein said control system is operable to reduce an operating load of said variable blower motor in response to a detection of a temperature at said control element that is greater than or approximately equal to a threshold temperature.