Air circulation control device for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10232680-B2
Application number	US-201715401162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2017
Priority date	Jan 7, 2016
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

An air circulation control device that includes a camera configured to capture an outside image of the vehicle; and a processor configured to: identify an object from the outside image, determine that an air circulation mode is a first air circulation mode or a second air circulation mode based on the identified object, and provide a signal including information indicating the air circulation mode is disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air circulation control device for a vehicle, the air circulation control device comprising:
a camera configured to capture an outside image of the vehicle; and
a processor configured to:
identify an object from the outside image,
determine that an outside-inside air circulation mode is a first air circulation mode or a second air circulation mode based on the identified object,
provide a signal including information indicating the outside-inside air circulation mode, and
based on the signal, control a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit to switch between the first air circulation mode and the second air circulation mode,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode or the second air circulation mode based on location information, wind direction information, or wind speed information, the location information indicating a location of the object, the wind direction information indicating a wind direction relative to the vehicle, and the wind speed information indicating a wind speed relative to the vehicle,
wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a wind direction from the object toward the vehicle based on the outside image, the location information, and the wind direction information,
determine a distance between the object and the vehicle,
determine that a current location of the object is a sidewalk adjacent to a traveling lane of the vehicle, and
determine, based on the wind direction, the distance, and the current location of the object, that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode or the second air circulation mode.

2. The air circulation control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the location information, the wind direction information, and the wind speed information based on the outside image.

3. The air circulation control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine a wind direction from the object toward the vehicle,
determine a distance between the object and the vehicle, and
determine, based on the wind direction and the distance, that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode or the second air circulation mode.

4. The air circulation control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine a wind direction from the object toward the vehicle based on the outside image, the location information, and the wind direction information,
determine a distance between the object and the vehicle,
determine that a current lane that the object is located is a traveling lane of the vehicle or an opposite lane of the vehicle, and
determine, based on the wind direction, the distance, and the current lane, that the current air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode or the second air circulation mode.

5. The air circulation control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode or the second air circulation mode based on distance information indicating a distance between the object and the vehicle.

6. The air circulation control device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode or the second air circulation mode based on wind direction information or wind speed information, the wind direction information indicating a wind direction relative to the vehicle, and the wind speed information indicating a wind speed relative to the vehicle.

7. The air circulation control device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the distance information based on the outside image.

8. The air circulation control device of claim 5 , further comprising one or more object sensors configured to measure a distance between an object and the vehicle,
wherein the processor is configured to obtain the distance information from the one or more object sensors.

9. The air circulation control device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to determine that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode or the second air circulation mode based on speed information indicating a speed of the vehicle relative to the object.

10. The air circulation control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to provide, based on a determination that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode, a signal that results in a process to reduce condensation inside the vehicle.

11. The air circulation control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to provide, based on a determination that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode, a signal that adjusts a temperature inside the vehicle.

12. The air circulation control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine that a current temperature inside the vehicle satisfies a threshold temperature, and
provide, based on the determination that the current temperature inside the vehicle satisfies the threshold temperature, a signal including information indicating a duration of the outside-inside air circulation mode.

13. The air circulation control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
identify a traffic light in the outside image,
determine whether the identified traffic light indicates go or stop, and
determine, based on the determination whether the identified traffic light indicates go or stop, that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode or the second air circulation mode.

14. The air circulation control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
identify one or more vehicles from the outside image,
determine that a number of the one or more vehicles satisfies a threshold, and
determine, based on the determination that the number of the one or more vehicles satisfies the threshold, that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode or the second air circulation mode.

15. The air circulation control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
obtain a current speed of the vehicle,
determine that the vehicle is travelling or stopping based on the current speed, and
determine, based on the determination that the vehicle is travelling or stopping, that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode or the second air circulation mode.

16. The air circulation control device of claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to determine, based on the determination whether the object is identified, that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode or the second air circulation mode.

17. The air circulation control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
identify an intersection from the outside image,
identify a first vehicle crossing the intersection,
determine that the first vehicle is within a threshold distance from the vehicle,
determine whether the vehicle is traveling or stopping, and
determine, based on the determination that the first vehicle is within the threshold distance from the vehicle and the determination of whether the vehicle is travelling or stopping, that the outside-inside air circulation mode is the first air circulation mode or the second air circulation mode.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Jongoh
• Yoo Wonseok
• Kim Jeongsu

Classifications

• B60H1/00735 Primary

  Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models · CPC title

• B60H1/00821

  the components being ventilating, air admitting or air distributing devices · CPC title

• B60H1/00849

  for selectively commanding the induction of outside or inside air (B60H1/00842 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E05Y2900/55

  Windows · CPC title

• E05Y2900/542

  Roof panels · CPC title