Vehicle comfort system with efficient coordination of complementary thermal units

• US 9,758,015 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hoke, Paul B., Line, Johnathan A., Dage, Gary A., Sawyer, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US14/837,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20150360538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00285 for vehicle seats vehicle seats with heating or ventilation means independent from the HVAC system of the vehicle B60N2/56
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00292 for steering wheels steering wheels with heating or ventilation means independent from the HVAC system of the vehicle B62D1/065
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00764 the input being a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed B60H1/00828, B60H1/00864 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00785 by the detection of humidity or frost
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00835 Damper doors, e.g. position control construction or arrangement of damper doors B60H1/00664; 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: 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 2/56 Heating or ventilating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5628 coming from the vehicle ventilation system, e.g. air-conditioning system

Abstract

An HVAC comfort system operates in a cabin of a vehicle. A plurality of vehicle status parameters are measured including a cabin temperature and a seat occupancy configuration. The method detects whether the vehicle status parameters correspond to a predetermined override state. When the vehicle status parameters correspond to the predetermined override state, then a respective mandated setting is automatically activated. Unless prevented by the mandated setting, one of a plurality of HVAC modes is automatically selected in response to the cabin temperature and other inputs, wherein the HVAC modes include an extremity heating mode and a panel circulation mode. The extremity heating mode is comprised of automatic activation of a touchpoint heated surface and other outputs in response to the seat occupancy configuration. The panel circulation mode is comprised of automatic activation of one or more zones for convective cooling in response to the seat occupancy configuration and may include activating other cooling devices.

Claims

1. A method of operating an HVAC comfort system in a cabin of a vehicle, wherein the HVAC comfort system includes a plurality of touchpoint heated surfaces each delivering heat conductively to an occupant of a respective seat, a plurality of touchpoint cooled surfaces each removing heat conductively from an occupant of a respective seat, and an air handling unit for distributing conditioned air toward selected zones corresponding to respective seats, wherein the air handling unit includes a blower, a thermal heating unit, and a thermal cooling unit, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a plurality of vehicle status parameters including a cabin temperature and a seat occupancy configuration;

detecting whether the vehicle status parameters correspond to a predetermined override state;

when the vehicle status parameters correspond to the predetermined override state, then automatically activating a respective mandated setting of the HVAC comfort system;

unless prevented by the mandated setting, automatically selecting one of a plurality of HVAC modes in response to the cabin temperature, wherein the HVAC modes include an extremity heating mode selected when the cabin temperature is below a first predetermined temperature, a panel circulation mode selected when the cabin temperature is above a second predetermined temperature, and a core-plus mode selected when the cabin temperature is above the first predetermined temperature and below the second predetermined temperature;

wherein the extremity heating mode is comprised of automatic activation of at least one touchpoint heated surface in response to the seat occupancy configuration, wherein the extremity heating mode includes automatic activation of the thermal heating unit, and wherein the heat delivery by the touchpoint heated surfaces is greater than the heat delivery by the thermal heating unit of the air handling unit;

wherein the panel circulation mode is comprised of automatic activation of the thermal cooling unit for one or more zones for convective cooling in response to the seat occupancy configuration, wherein the panel circulation mode includes automatic activation of at least one touchpoint cooled surface in response to the seat occupancy configuration, and wherein the heat removal by the thermal cooling unit of the air handling unit is greater than the heat removal by the touchpoint cooled surfaces; and

wherein the core-plus mode is comprised of automatic activation of the blower at a selected speed determined in response to the cabin temperature, wherein the selected speed is less than a maximum speed of the variable speed blower and reaches a minimum predetermined speed when the cabin temperature equals a target temperature, and wherein the core-plus mode includes gradually increasing heat removal by the thermal cooling unit and gradually decreasing heat delivery by the touchpoint heated surfaces in response to increasing cabin temperature.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the vehicle status parameters is an engine coolant temperature, wherein the thermal heating unit is comprised of a heater core, wherein the automatic activation of the touchpoint heated surface includes a default energy consumption, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

comparing the engine coolant temperature to a predetermined threshold; and

if the engine coolant temperature is less than the predetermined threshold, then increasing the energy consumption of the touchpoint heated surface above the default energy consumption.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the vehicle status parameters is vehicle speed, and wherein the selected speed of the blower is reduced when vehicle speed is above a threshold speed.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the HVAC comfort system includes a blower input damper for providing a selectable recirculation position between 0% and 100%, wherein the extremity heating mode and the panel circulation mode provide respective default recirculation positions.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein one of the vehicle status parameters is cabin humidity, and wherein the method further comprises the step of:

decreasing the selected recirculation position in proportion to the cabin humidity.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein one of the vehicle status parameters is cabin pollution level, and wherein the method further comprises the step of:

decreasing the selected recirculation position in proportion to the cabin pollution level.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle status parameters are selected from a group comprising engine coolant temperature, battery state-of-charge, outside temperature, outside humidity, cabin humidity, cabin pollutant level, sun location, sun intensity, user target setting, vehicle speed, and engine status.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle status parameters include at least one of a battery state-of-charge and an engine status, wherein the predetermined override state is comprised of a limp-home state, and wherein the respective mandated setting forces deactivation of at least a portion of the HVAC comfort system.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle status parameters include a cabin pollutant level, wherein the predetermined override state is comprised of a purge state when the cabin pollutant level is above a predetermined level, and wherein the respective mandated setting forces the HVAC comfort system to introduce fresh outside air to the cabin.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the cabin pollutant level is comprised of a measurement of CO₂ concentration.