Preconditioning for vehicle subsystems

• US 9,738,287 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bolger, Bryan Michael, Porras, Angel Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, LUAT T
• Application Number:
  US14/854,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20170072966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00778 the input being a stationary vehicle position, e.g. parking or stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00892 Devices specially adapted for avoiding uncomfortable feeling, e.g. sudden temperature changes B60H1/00885 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00971 Control systems or circuits characterised by including features for locking or memorising of control modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/56 Heating or ventilating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0014 Adaptive controllers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/10 Historical data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/30 Auxiliary equipments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/06 Rims, e.g. with heating means; Rim covers B62D1/11 takes precedence
• 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: F01P 7/16 : by thermostatic control
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0413 : Controlled cooling or heating of lubricant; Temperature control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/904 : Component specially adapted for hev

Abstract

A vehicle includes a subsystem conditioner and a controller. The controller is programmed to, in response to a difference between user specified and learned times of day being greater than a threshold, activate the conditioner a predetermined time before each of the times of day. The controller is also programmed to, in response to the difference being less than the threshold, activate the conditioner the predetermined time before the specified time of day but not the learned time of day.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a subsystem conditioner; and

a controller programmed to,

in response to a difference between user specified and learned times of day being greater than a threshold, activate the conditioner a predetermined time before each of the times of day, and

in response to the difference being less than the threshold, activate the conditioner the predetermined time before the specified time of day but not the learned time of day.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the learned time of day corresponds to a time of day on a specific day of the week that the user is expected operate the vehicle based on historical use of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the user specified time of day corresponds to a time of day on a specific day of the week that the user has manually scheduled to operate the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an engine cooling system, wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of a coolant within the engine cooling system such that the temperature is within a desired operating range.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a traction battery, wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of the traction battery such that the temperature is within a desired operating range.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the subsystem conditioner is a climate control system configured to adjust a climate of a vehicle cabin such that the climate of the vehicle cabin is adjusted to a desired comfort setting.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising contact points located in an interior of the vehicle that are configured to come into contact with a vehicle user, wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a surface temperature of the contact points such that temperatures are within a desired comfort setting.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the contact points are outer surfaces of a steering wheel.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the contact points are outer surfaces of a vehicle seat.

10. A vehicle subsystem conditioner controller comprising:

input channels configured to receive signals indicative of user specified and learned times of day;

output channels configured to provide first commands to activate a subsystem conditioner a predetermined time before each of the times of day and second commands to activate the conditioner the predetermined time before the user specified time of day but not the learned time of day; and

control logic configured to generate the first commands in response to a difference between the times of day being greater than a threshold and to generate the second commands in response to the difference being less than the threshold.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein the learned time of day corresponds to a time of day on a specific day of the week that the user is expected to operate the vehicle based on historical use of the vehicle.

12. The controller of claim 11, wherein the user specified time of day corresponds to a time of day on a specific day of the week that the user has manually scheduled to operate the vehicle.

13. The controller of claim 10, wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of a coolant within an engine cooling system such that the temperature is within a desired operating range.

14. The controller of claim 10, wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of a fluid within a transmission such that the temperature is within a desired operating range.

15. The controller of claim 10, wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of a traction battery such that the temperature is within a desired operating range.

16. The controller of claim 10, wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of an outer surface of a vehicle seat such that the temperature is within a desired comfort setting.

17. The controller of claim 10, wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of an outer surface of a steering wheel such that the temperature is within a desired comfort setting.

18. The controller of claim 10, wherein the subsystem conditioner is a climate control system configured to adjust a climate of a vehicle cabin such that the climate of the vehicle cabin is adjusted to a user'"'"'s desired comfort setting.

19. A vehicle climate controller comprising:

input channels configured to receive signals indicative of ambient and forecasted climate conditions;

output channels configured to provide commands to activate a climate control system a predetermined time before a scheduled time of day; and

control logic configured to generate the commands to activate the climate control system to condition a vehicle cabin based on a learned offset between the ambient and forecasted climate conditions.

20. The vehicle climate controller of claim 19, wherein the control logic is further configured to generate the commands to activate the climate control system to condition the vehicle cabin to a climate preference of one of a plurality of users based on a specific user'"'"'s scheduled time of day.