Process for triggering a heater for motor vehicles

• US 7,477,971 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Webasto AG (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Original Assignee: Webasto AG (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Inventors: Lang, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/237,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/36
• 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 1/2206 controlling the operation of burners control of burners in general F23N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/2256 related to the operation of the heater itself, e.g. flame detection or overheating

Abstract

A process for triggering a heater (10) for motor vehicles having a data memory (16) in which a first computer (20) is connected via an Internet connection (22) to a second computer (24), and at the request of the first computer (20), the second computer (24) transmits a first heater operating data sequence (26) to the first computer (20). Then, the first computer (20) transmits a second heater operating data sequence (28) which is dependent on the first heater operating data sequence (26) to the data memory (16). The first and the second heater operating data sequences (26, 28) contain at least information about the number of starting processes permissible for the heater (10).

Claims

1. Process for activating an on-board heater in a motor vehicle, said motor vehicle heater having an associated heater housing and an associated data memory, comprising the steps of:

linking a first computer to a second computer via the Internet,

causing the first computer to send a request signal to the second computer via the Internet,

in response to said request signal causing the second computer to send to the first computer a first heater operating data sequence,

transmitting a second heater operating data sequence which is dependent on the first heater operating data sequence from the first computer to the data memory associated with the motor vehicle heater,

said first and second heater operating sequences having at least information about the number of permissible starting processes of the motor vehicle heater,

wherein said heater is activated.

2. Process for activating a motor vehicle heater of claim 1, wherein said transmitting step is performed by transmitting the second heater operating data sequence to the data memory of the motor vehicle heater which is located in a remote control.

3. Process for activating a motor vehicle heater of claim 2, wherein the motor vehicle heater has a remote control receiving unit, wherein the transmitting step comprises transmitting a heater activation command which is dependent on the second heater operating data sequence from the remote control, via the remote control receiving unit, to the data memory.

4. Process for activating a motor vehicle heater of claim 1, wherein said data memory is located in said heater housing and wherein said transmitting step is performed by transmitting the second heater operating data sequence to the data memory of the motor vehicle heater which is located in the heater housing.

5. Process for activating a motor vehicle heater of claim 1, wherein both the data memory and the first computer have a USB connection and the second heater operating data sequence is transmitted from the first computer to the data memory using a data storage medium with a USB connection.

6. Process for activating a motor vehicle heater of claim 1, wherein the data memory and the first computer each have an infrared interface, and the second heater operating data sequence is transmitted from the first computer to the data memory using the infrared interfaces.

7. Process for activating a motor vehicle heater of claim 1, wherein the second heater operating data sequence contains information about the duration of operation of the heater.

8. Process for activating a motor vehicle heater of claim 1, wherein the second heater operating data sequence contains information about the heat output of the heater.

9. Process for activating a motor vehicle heater of claim 1, wherein the second heater operating data sequence contains information about the time-dependent heat output profile of the heater.

10. Process for activating a motor vehicle heater of claim 1, wherein a password is required for enabling said transmitting of the first heater operating data sequence from the second computer to the first computer.

11. Process for activating a motor vehicle heater of claim 1, wherein a financial transfer from the user is required for enabling said transmitting of the first heater operating data sequence from the second computer to the first computer.