Adaptive control of automotive HVAC system using crowd-sourcing data

• US 9,849,751 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2015
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Stanek, Joseph, Lockwood, John A., Davison, Mark, Palic, Jeffrey A., Scott, Lisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y
• Application Number:
  US14/596,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20160200166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36, 701 1, 165203, 165266, 165267, 1231793
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00657 Remote control devices
• 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 1/00771 the input being a vehicle position or surrounding, e.g. GPS-based position or tunnel
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00778 the input being a stationary vehicle position, e.g. parking or stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00785 by the detection of humidity or frost
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00849 for selectively commanding the induction of outside or inside air B60H1/00842 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0807 Remote means
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/12 Starting of engines by means of mobile, e.g. portable, starting sets
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/306 with external senders or receivers, e.g. receiving signals from traffic lights, other vehicles or base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]

Abstract

A motor vehicle comprises an HVAC system including a climate control circuit coupled to onboard sensors, a human-machine interface, and climate actuators. The actuators are responsive to respective command parameters generated by the control circuit in response to the sensors and the human-machine interface. A wireless communication system transmits vehicle HVAC data to and receives crowd data from a remote server. The control circuit initiates a request for crowd data via the communication system to the remote server, wherein the request includes peer parameters for identifying a vehicle environment. The control circuit receives a response via the communication system from the remote server. The response comprises crowd data and at least one weight indicating a confidence level associated with the crowd data. The control circuit generates at least one command parameter using a set of fuzzy rules responsive to the crowd data and the weight from the response.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

a heating, ventilating, air conditioning (HVAC) system including a climate control circuit coupled to a plurality of onboard sensors, a human-machine interface, and a plurality of climate actuators, wherein the actuators are responsive to respective command parameters generated by the control circuit in response to the sensors and the human-machine interface;

a wireless communication system for transmitting vehicle HVAC data to and receiving crowd data from a remote server;

wherein the control circuit initiates a request for crowd data via the communication system to the remote server, and wherein the request includes peer parameters for identifying a vehicle environment;

wherein the control circuit receives a response via the communication system from the remote server, and wherein the response comprises crowd data and at least one weight indicating a confidence level associated with the crowd data; and

wherein the control circuit generates at least one command parameter using a set of fuzzy rules responsive to the crowd data and the weight from the response.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the peer parameters include location data of the vehicle.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the location data is comprised of geographic coordinates.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the location data is comprised of shelter identification.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the peer parameters include occupancy data.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 5 wherein the occupancy data includes a personal identification of an occupant of the vehicle.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 5 wherein the occupancy data includes a number and seating positions of occupants in the vehicle.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the peer parameters include identification of a vehicle type.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the weight is proportional to a similarity of the peer parameters contained in the request with peer parameters associated with vehicle HVAC data received by the remote server from other vehicles and used by the remote server to generate the crowd data.

10. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the weight is proportional to a statistical sample size associated with vehicle HVAC data received by the remote server from other vehicles and used by the remote server to generate the crowd data.

11. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the control circuit initiates the request during a preconditioning event prior to a driver entering the vehicle.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 11 wherein the control circuit initiates the request in response to a predetermined condition sensed by the onboard sensors, and wherein the request identifies an actuator function to which the requested crowd data relates.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 12 wherein the predetermined condition is comprised of an ambient temperature below a predetermined temperature, and wherein the actuator function identified in the request is comprised of a defrost function.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 13 wherein the crowd data for the defrost function includes a defrost setting of an air handling unit, operation of heated glass surfaces, and operation of window washers and wipers.

15. The motor vehicle of claim 11 further comprising a remote start system, wherein the preconditioning event is initiated by a remote start command received by the remote start system.