Selectable cabin conditioning during electrified vehicle charging

• US 9,701,200 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dhillon, Jaswant S., Lucas, Marc Jonathon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US14/814,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20170028851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 701 324, 701 22, 701 36, 701 48, 701487, 180 6521, 320104, 320109, 320153
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00392 for electric vehicles having only electric drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle cabin conditioning system may include an ambient temperature sensor, a cabin temperature sensor, a user interface, and a controller programmed to present, via the interface, an alert in response to a cabin conditioning demand created by a temperature difference between ambient and cabin temperatures as detected by the sensors, wherein the alert indicates impact of the demand on vehicle charging.

Claims

1. A vehicle cabin conditioning system comprising:

an ambient temperature sensor;

a cabin temperature sensor;

a user interface; and

a controller programmed to present, via the interface, an alert in response to a cabin conditioning demand created by a temperature difference between ambient and cabin temperatures as detected by the sensors, wherein the alert indicates impact of the demand on vehicle charging.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert includes at least one selectable charge option based on the temperature difference.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further programmed to classify an ambient temperature detected by the ambient temperature sensor according to whether the ambient temperature falls within a predetermined range.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the predetermined range includes temperatures less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit or temperatures greater than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the alert includes a message indicating that the ambient temperature falls within the predetermined range.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert includes selectable options including one option for continuing vehicle conditioning during vehicle charging and one option for discontinuing vehicle conditioning during vehicle charging.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a GPS module programmed to recognize a charge station for vehicle charging, wherein the controller is further programmed to present the alert in response to an approach toward the charge station.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the GPS module is programmed to recognize the charge station based on historical vehicle charging at the charge station.

9. A system for creating cabin conditioning alerts during vehicle charging at a charge station, comprising:

a vehicle interface; and

a controller programmed to receive a waypoint, and to present via the interface at least one alert to indicate impact of vehicle conditioning on vehicle charging based on a distance between the waypoint and charge station.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further programmed to estimate a vehicle conditioning demand based on ambient temperatures and the distance, and wherein the impact increases as the demand increases.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the demand increases as a temperature difference between ambient and cabin temperatures increases.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one alert includes a selectable charge option dictated by the difference.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further programmed to classify an ambient temperature according to whether the ambient temperature falls within a predetermined range.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined range includes temperatures less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit or temperatures greater than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further programmed to present the at least one alert in response to receiving an indication that a vehicle speed is decreasing as the waypoint approaches.

16. A vehicle interface system comprising:

a vehicle interface, and

a controller programmed to present, via the interface, a cabin conditioning screen including at least one alert that indicates a change to vehicle charge time based on predicted cabin conditioning during vehicle charging.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further programmed to detect a temperature difference between an ambient temperature and a cabin temperature, and wherein the cabin conditioning screen includes at least one selectable option dictated by the temperature difference.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the cabin conditioning screen includes a selectable option for continuing to condition a vehicle cabin during charging and for discontinuing conditioning of the vehicle cabin during charging.