Air-conditioning control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10899194-B2
Application number	US-201916675057-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2019
Priority date	May 9, 2017
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

An air-conditioning control apparatus for a vehicle capable of unmanned driving includes a determining section that is configured to determine whether an occupant is in the vehicle and an output section that is configured to execute an air-conditioning control based on a determination result by the determining section. The output section is configured to execute the air-conditioning control based on ride schedule information indicating a length of time until an occupant rides in the vehicle when the vehicle is determined to be in an unmanned state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air-conditioning control apparatus that is mounted in a vehicle capable of unmanned driving, the apparatus comprising:
a determining section that is configured to determine whether an occupant is in the vehicle; and
an output section that is configured to execute an air-conditioning control based on a determination result by the determining section, wherein
the output section is configured to execute the air-conditioning control based on ride schedule information indicating a length of time until the occupant rides in the vehicle when the determination result by the determining section indicates the vehicle is in an unmanned state, and
the output section is configured to execute the air-conditioning control when the vehicle is in a vehicle platooning and is a following vehicle in the vehicle platooning that is not a leading vehicle.

2. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the output section is configured to execute the air-conditioning control when the determination result by the determining section indicates the vehicle is in the unmanned state before the occupant rides in the vehicle.

3. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the ride schedule information includes a scheduled ride time that is calculated based on current location information of the vehicle and pickup location information indicating a location where the occupant intends to ride in the vehicle, and
the determining section configured to calculate a scheduled air-conditioning time required to complete an air-conditioning and determine starting time of the air-conditioning control based on the scheduled ride time and the scheduled air-conditioning time.

4. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the ride schedule information includes a scheduled ride time that is calculated based on a current time and pickup time information indicating a time when the occupant intends to ride in the vehicle, and
the determining section is configured to calculate a scheduled air-conditioning time required to complete the air-conditioning and determine starting time of the air-conditioning control based on the scheduled ride time and the scheduled air-conditioning time.

5. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the output section is configured to perform an early air-conditioning mode by executing the air-conditioning control so that the air-conditioning is completed for a time shorter than the scheduled air-conditioning time when the determining section determines that the scheduled air-conditioning time exceeds the scheduled ride time.

6. An air-conditioning control apparatus that is mounted in a vehicle capable of unmanned driving, the apparatus comprising
a processor programmed to:
determine whether an occupant is in the vehicle;
execute an air-conditioning control based on ride schedule information indicating a length of time until the occupant rides in the vehicle upon determining that the occupant is not in the vehicle;
determine whether the vehicle is a following vehicle in a vehicle platooning that is not a leading vehicle of the vehicle platooning; and
execute the air-conditioning control upon determining that the vehicle is the following vehicle in the vehicle platooning.

7. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the processor is further programmed to execute the air-conditioning control upon determining that the vehicle is in an unmanned state before the occupant rides in the vehicle.

8. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the ride schedule information includes a scheduled ride time that is calculated based on current location information of the vehicle and pickup location information indicating a location where the occupant intends to ride in the vehicle, and
the processor is further programmed to calculate a scheduled air-conditioning time required to complete an air-conditioning and determine starting time of the air-conditioning control based on the scheduled ride time and the scheduled air-conditioning time.

9. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the ride schedule information includes a scheduled ride time that is calculated based on a current time and pickup time information indicating a time when the occupant intends to ride in the vehicle, and
the processor is further programmed to calculate a scheduled air-conditioning time required to complete the air-conditioning and determine starting time of the air-conditioning control based on the scheduled ride time and the scheduled air-conditioning time.

10. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the processor is further programmed to:
determine whether the scheduled air-conditioning time exceeds the scheduled ride time; and
perform an early air-conditioning mode by executing the air-conditioning control so that the air-conditioning is completed for a time shorter than the scheduled air-conditioning time upon determining that the scheduled air-conditioning time exceeds the scheduled ride time.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Sakai Koji
• Konishi Shinsuke
• Maehata Hiromitsu

Classifications

• B60N2210/18

  Infrared · CPC title

• B60N2/0024

  for identifying, categorising or investigation of the occupant or object on the seat · CPC title

• B60H1/00764

  the input being a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed (B60H1/00828, B60H1/00864 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/00742 Primary

  by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors · CPC title

• B60J9/00

  Devices not provided for in one of main groups B60J1/00 - B60J7/00 (B60J10/00 takes precedence) · CPC title