HVAC intake control based on condenser front temperature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10752086-B2
Application number	US-201916248501-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2019
Priority date	Jan 15, 2019
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

Methods and systems for controlling a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) intake. An air-conditioning control device receives the detected ambient air from an ambient air sensor, and the detected air temperature at a front of a condenser. The two temperatures are compared to determine whether to change the HVAC intake. In response to determining the air temperature at the front of the condenser is higher than the ambient air, the HVAC intake is placed into a recirculate position to allow air from the vehicle compartment to enter the HVAC intake.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) intake, comprising:
detecting, by an ambient temperature sensor, a temperature of ambient air;
detecting, by a condenser front temperature sensor, a temperature of air at a front of a condenser;
receiving, at an input side of an air-conditioning control device, the detected temperature of ambient air and the detected temperature of air at the front of the condenser;
comparing, by a processor of the air-conditioning control device, the detected temperature of ambient air and the detected temperature of air at the front of the condenser; and
in response to determining the detected temperature of air at the front of the condenser is higher than the detected temperature of ambient air, setting, by the processor of the air-conditioning control device, an HVAC intake door into a recirculate position;
wherein the recirculate position is configured to allow air from a passenger compartment of a vehicle to enter the HVAC intake.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the processor of the air-conditioning control device, if an air mix (A/M) position is set to a maximum cooling (MAX COOL) mode.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the processor of the air-conditioning control device, if a defrost setting is engaged.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the defrost setting comprises a defrost mode, a defogging mode, or a combination of both.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the defrost setting comprises a defrost setting for one or more of: a front windshield; one or more side windows; or a rear window.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising in response to determining the defrost setting is engaged, setting, by the processor of the air-conditioning control device, an HVAC intake door into a fresh air position configured to enable ambient air to enter the HVAC intake.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein setting the HVAC intake door into the recirculate position comprises activating, by the processor of the air-conditioning control device 24 , a HVAC intake door actuator configured to seal an exterior air inlet and leave open an interior air inlet.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the air-conditioning control device is part of an engine control unit (ECU) of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting, by the processor of the air-conditioning control device, a mode of one or more outlet air openings into the compartment of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the mode of the one or more outlet air openings may comprise one of: a face mode; a bi-level mode, a foot mode.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising in response to determining the detected temperature of air at the front of the condenser is higher than the detected temperature of ambient air and the mode of the one or more outlet air openings is set to a face mode or a bi-level mode, setting, by the processor of the air-conditioning control device, an HVAC intake door into a recirculate position.

12. A system, comprising:
an ambient temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of ambient air exterior to a vehicle;
a condenser front temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of air around a front of a condenser;
an air-conditioning system comprising:
a condenser; and
a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) intake; and

an air-conditioning control device, the air-conditioning control device including a processor configured to execute non-transitory machine-readable instructions to cause the processor to:
receive the detected temperature of ambient air and the detected temperature of air at the front of the condenser;
compare the detected temperature of ambient air and the detected temperature of air at the front of the condenser; and
in response to determining the detected temperature of air at the front of the condenser is higher than the detected temperature of ambient air, set an HVAC intake door into a recirculate position;
wherein the recirculate position is configured to allow air from a passenger compartment of the vehicle to enter the HVAC intake.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the ambient temperature sensor comprises one or more of: a resistance temperature sensor (RTD); a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) sensor; a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) sensor; a thermocouple.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the condenser front temperature sensor comprises one or more of: a resistance temperature sensor (RTD); a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) sensor; a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) sensor; a thermocouple.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the air-conditioning system further comprises an HVAC intake door actuator, and the processor is further configured to execute non-transitory machine-readable instructions to cause the processor to set the HVAC intake door into a recirculate position by activating the HVAC intake door actuator to seal an exterior air inlet of the HVAC intake and leave open an interior air inlet of the HVAC intake.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the air-conditioning control device is part of an engine control unit (ECU) of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute non-transitory machine-readable instructions to cause the processor to:
detect a mode of one or more outlet air openings into a compartment of the vehicle; and
in response to determining the detected temperature of air at the front of the condenser is higher than the detected temperature of ambient air and the mode of the one or more outlet air openings is set to a face mode or a bi-level mode, set an HVAC intake door into a recirculate position.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute non-transitory machine-readable instructions to cause the processor to:
determine if a defrost setting is engaged; and
in response to determining the defrost setting is engaged, set the HVAC intake door into a fresh air position configured to enable ambient air to enter the HVAC intake, the fresh air position comprising positioning the HVAC intake door to seal an interior air inlet of the HVAC intake and leave open an exterior air inlet of the HVAC intake.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute non-transitory machine-readable instructions to cause the processor to:
determine if an air mix (A/M) position is set to a maximum cooling (MAX COOL) mode; and
in response to determining the detected temperature of air at the front of the condenser is higher than the detected temperature of ambient air and the A/M position is set to the MAX COOL mode, set an HVAC intake door into a recirculate position.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of an air-conditioning control device, cause the processor to:
receive an ambient air temperature reading from an ambient air temperature sensor and a condenser front air temperature reading from a condenser front temperature sensor;
compare the received ambient air temperature and the received condenser front air temperature; and
in response to determining the detected temperature of air at the front of the condenser is higher than the detected temperature of ambient air, set an HVAC intake door into a recirculate position.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Srivastava Abhishek
• Cosgrove David W
• Hirabayashi Hidekazu
• Maeda Akiyoshi B

Classifications

• B60H2001/3258

  of the air at a condensing unit · CPC title

• B60H1/3208

  Vehicle drive related control of the compressor drive means, e.g. for fuel saving purposes · CPC title

• B60H1/00849 Primary

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

• B60H1/00807

  the input being a specific way of measuring or calculating an air or coolant temperature · CPC title