System and method for controlling a climate control system with remote start operation

• US 8,096,482 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dage, Gerhard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman, Marc
• Application Number:
  US12/234,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20100072290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 236/51, 621/80, 621/86, 622/43, 622/44, 165/202, 123/179.2, 123/179.3
• US Class Current: 236/51
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00657 Remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00778 the input being a stationary vehicle position, e.g. parking or stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00807 the input being a specific way of measuring or calculating an air or coolant temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00828 Ventilators, e.g. speed control B60H1/00864 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00849 for selectively commanding the induction of outside or inside air B60H1/00842 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3273 related to the operation of the vehicle, e.g. the compressor driving torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5678 characterised by electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/065 Steering wheels with heating and ventilating means heating and ventilation of steering wheel when connected to vehicle HVAC B60H1/00292
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0205 using an auxiliary engine speed control engine speed control per se F02D31/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0807 Remote means

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, a system for controlling a vehicle climate control system in response to starting an engine with a remote start operation is provided. The system includes a first sensor for generating a cabin temperature signal indicative of a temperature within the vehicle. The system further includes a controller for controlling idle speed of the engine in response to the cabin temperature signal such that the controlled idle speed enables the climate control system to achieve a desired temperature.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a vehicle climate control system in response to starting an engine with a remote start operation, the system comprising:

a first sensor for generating a cabin temperature signal indicative of a temperature within the vehicle; and

a controller configured to control an idle speed of the engine in response to the cabin temperature signal such that the controlled idle speed enables the climate control system to achieve a desired temperature and to decrease the idle speed in response to determining that a temperature exterior to a vehicle as indicated on an ambient temperature signal is increasing over a remote start time interval while the climate control system pre-heats the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second sensor for generating the ambient temperature signal.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to control the idle speed based on the ambient temperature signal and the cabin temperature signal such that the controlled idle speed enables the climate control system to achieve the desired temperature and the vehicle to minimize fuel consumption.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to control blower speed for blowers positioned within the climate control system based on at least one of the cabin temperature signal and the ambient temperature signal.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein controller is further configured to control at least one of climate control seat operation and heated steering wheel operation based on at least one of the cabin temperature signal and the ambient temperature signal.

6. The system of claim 2 further comprising a third sensor for generating a sun-load signal indicative of the amount of visible light that is present, wherein the controller is further configured to control a defrost operation based on at least one of the cabin temperature signal, the ambient temperature signal and the sun-load signal.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to control at least one of a mode schedule and a recirculation schedule of the climate control system based on at least one of the cabin temperature signal and the ambient temperature signal.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured to control temperature selection of the climate control system based on at least one of the cabin temperature signal and the ambient temperature signal.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second sensor for generating an engine coolant temperature (ECT) signal indicative of a temperature of engine coolant within the engine.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the controller is further configured to control the idle speed of the engine based on the ECT signal and the cabin temperature signal such that the controlled idle speed enables the climate control system to achieve the desired temperature.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to decrease the idle speed in response to determining that the ambient temperature signal is decreasing over a remote start time interval while the climate control system pre-cools the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to assess a state of charge of a battery and to selectively disable the operation of the climate control system in response to determining that the state of charge signal is below a predetermined state of charge.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote start time interval corresponds to an amount of time the engine runs while in a remote start mode after the remote start operation is triggered.

14. An apparatus for controlling a climate control system responsive to starting an engine with a remote start operation, the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive a signal indicative of a cabin temperature within a vehicle;

control an engine idle speed during a remote start time interval such that the engine idle speed decreases in the event the cabin temperature increases during the remote start time interval for a vehicle pre-heat operation; and

assess a state of charge of at least one battery and to disable at least a portion of the operation of the climate control system in the event the state of charge of the at least one battery is determined to be below a predetermined state of charge during the remote start time interval.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the controller is further configured to control the engine idle speed during the remote start time interval such that the engine idle speed decreases as the temperature within the vehicle decreases over the remote start time interval during a vehicle pre-cool operation.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the remote start time interval corresponds to an amount of time the engine runs while in a remote start mode after the remote start operation is triggered.

17. An apparatus for controlling a climate control system responsive to starting an engine with a remote start operation, the apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive a signal indicative of a cabin temperature within a vehicle;

control an engine idle speed during a remote start time interval such that the engine idle speed decreases in the event the cabin temperature decreases during the remote start time interval for a vehicle pre-cool operation; and

assess a state of charge of at least one battery and to disable at least a portion of the operation of the climate control system in the event the state of charge of the at least one battery is determined to be below a predetermined state of charge during the remote start time interval.