HVAC reset logic improvement for rear control usability

• US 7,886,815 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Errington, Bradley C., Burns, Trevor, Kanemaru, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric; Ljiljana (Lil) V
• Application Number:
  US11/677,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20080196878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 165/42, 165/43, 165/44, 165/202, 165/203, 165/204, 621/15, 622/44, 237/12.3 A, 237/12.3 B, 236/51
• US Class Current: 165/203
• 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 1/00985 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

Abstract

A vehicle heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system includes front and rear HVAC systems. A controller receives data from front and rear control panels and controls the front and rear HVAC systems. Actuating a rear manual button on the front control panel allows control of the rear HVAC system via the rear control. Engine coolant temperature is used to judge if the vehicle has been inoperative for a long time. If the vehicle has not been inoperative for long, and the rear manual button was actuated prior to the vehicle shut down, rear manual control over the rear HVAC system is enabled. If the vehicle has been inoperative for a long time, or if the rear manual button was not actuated immediately prior to vehicle shut down, rear manual control is not enabled, thereby preventing operation of the rear HVAC system by the rear control panel.

Claims

1. An HVAC control system for a vehicle with front and rear HVAC systems, comprising:

a coolant temperature sensor that senses engine coolant temperature;

said front HVAC system include a front control panel that includes input devices that a user may manipulate in order to input control parameters, said front control panel including a rear manual switch that selectively enables rear manual control over the rear HVAC system;

said rear HVAC system including a rear control panel that includes input devices to permit a rear user, when rear manual control is enabled via the rear manual switch on the front control panel, to control operation of the rear HVAC system; and

,

a controller that receives user inputs via the front and rear control panels as well as signals indicative of sensed conditions, including the measured engine coolant temperature, and controls operation of the front and rear HVAC systems;

wherein, when the vehicle is shut off, the controller stores in memory a status of the rear manual switch and, wherein, when the vehicle is restarted, the controller accesses the status of the rear manual switch that is stored in memory and uses the rear manual switch status in conjunction with engine coolant temperature to determine whether to enable rear manual control via the rear control panel.

2. The HVAC control system of claim 1, wherein said controller is operable to selectively enable rear manual control over the rear HVAC system when the vehicle is restarted when the rear manual switch status stored in memory is actuated, which indicates that rear manual control was enabled when the vehicle was shut off, and when the sensed engine coolant temperature at restart is greater than a predetermined temperature.

3. The HVAC control system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined temperature is about 60°

C.

4. The HVAC control system of claim 1, wherein the controller disables rear manual control over the rear HVAC system when the rear manual switch status stored in memory is deactuated, which indicates that rear manual control was disabled when the vehicle was shut off, or when the engine coolant temperature is less than a predetermined temperature.

5. The HVAC control system of claim 4, wherein the predetermined temperature is about 60°

C.

6. A method for operating a vehicle with front and rear HVAC systems to selectively enable rear manual control over the rear HVAC system when the vehicle is restarted after a period of non-operation, comprising the steps of:

turning on the vehicle;

retrieving from memory a status information indicating whether a rear manual switch was either actuated or deactuated immediately prior to the period of non-operation; and

measuring engine coolant temperature;

wherein, when the engine coolant temperature is greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature and the retrieved status information is indicative of the rear manual button being actuated immediately prior to the period of non-operation, enabling rear manual control of the rear HVAC system;

and wherein, when the engine coolant temperature is less than the predetermined temperature, disabling rear manual control of the rear HVAC system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined temperature is about 60°

C.