Control of a climate system within a vehicle using location data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10933714-B2
Application number	US-201816106697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 21, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle includes an interior and a controller configured to control a climate system for the interior based at least in part on data related to a departure location of the vehicle, a destination location of the vehicle, or a proximate location within a certain proximity to the vehicle, while moving to the destination location between the departure location and the destination location, or any combination of said locations. The data related to the departure location can include a temperature profile of the departure location. The temperature profile of the departure location can assume that the departure location is colder than a comfortable ambient temperature, and the controller is configured to direct heated air into the interior upon activation of the vehicle at the departure location. The data related to the departure location can include an activity profile of the departure location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an interior; and
a controller configured to control a climate system for the interior based on data from other than a command from a user, the data including at least a categorization of one or more of: (i) a departure location of the vehicle, (ii) a destination location of the vehicle, and (iii) a proximate location within a certain proximity to the vehicle while moving to the destination location from the departure location;
wherein, the categorization categorizes a primary use of the departure location, an odor profile of the proximate location, or the primary use of the destination location.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein, the climate system includes a blower that directs air into the interior, a heating element in air communication with the blower, a cooling element in air communication with the blower, and a recirculation flap in air communication with the blower; and
wherein, the controller controls activation and deactivation of the blower, a volume of the air that the blower directs to the interior, the heating element to increase a temperature of the air that the blower directs to the interior, the cooling element to decrease the temperature of the air that the blower directs to the interior, and the recirculation flap to control whether the blower draws the air from an exterior to blow into the interior or draws air from the interior to recirculate the air from the interior.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein, the controller is configured to control the climate system based at least in part on the categorization of the departure location and a temperature profile of the departure location that is assumed from the categorization of the departure location.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the temperature profile of the departure location assumes that the departure location is colder than a comfortable ambient temperature, and the controller is configured to direct heated air into the interior upon activation of the vehicle at the departure location.

5. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the temperature profile of the departure location assumes that the departure location is warmer than a comfortable ambient temperature, and the controller is configured to direct cooled air into the interior upon activation of the vehicle at the departure location.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein, the controller is configured to control the climate system based at least in part on the categorization of the departure location and an activity profile of the departure location that is assumed from the categorization of the departure location.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the activity profiled of the departure location assumes that the user entering the vehicle after being at the departure location will have engaged in physical activity causing the user to be warm and sweaty, and the controller is configured to direct cooled air into the interior upon activation of the vehicle at the departure location.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein, the controller is configured to control the climate system based at least in part on the categorization of the destination location and a temperature profile of the destination location that is assumed from the categorization of the destination location.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the temperature profile of the destination location assumes that the destination location is colder than a comfortable ambient temperature, and the controller is configured to direct warmed air into the interior before the vehicle arrives at the destination location.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein, the temperature profile of the destination location assumes that the destination location is warmer than a comfortable ambient temperature, and the controller is configured to direct cooled air into the interior before the vehicle arrives at the destination location.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein, the controller is configured to control the climate system based at least in part on the categorization of the odor profile of the proximate location; and
wherein, the controller is configured to recirculate air from the interior based at least in part on the odor profile.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the climate system based at least in part on crowd data concerning control of a climate system of another vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to recirculate air from the interior while the vehicle is within the certain proximity of the proximate location while en route to the destination location based on the crowd data that one or more other vehicles also caused recirculation of air from the interior while those one or more other vehicles were in the certain proximity of the proximate location.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the climate system of the interior based at least in part on the categorizations of the departure location of the vehicle, the destination location of the vehicle, and the proximate location.

15. A vehicle comprising:
an interior; and
a controller configured to control a climate system for the interior based on data from other than a command from a user, the data including at least:
information particular to the user of the vehicle; and
a categorization of: (i) a departure location of the vehicle, (ii) a destination location of the vehicle, or (iii) a proximate location within a certain proximity of the vehicle while the vehicle is en route to the destination location;
wherein, the categorization categorizes a primary use of the departure location, an odor profile of the proximate location, or the primary use of the destination location.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 ,
wherein, the information particular to the user includes a heart rate of the user;
wherein, the controller is configured to control the climate system based at least in part on the categorization of the departure location and an activity profile that is assumed from the categorization of the departure location, and the activity profile assumes that the user entering the vehicle after being at the departure location will have engaged in physical activity causing the user to be warm and sweaty; and
wherein, the controller is configured to direct cooled air into the interior upon activation of the vehicle at the departure location, if the heart rate is above a predetermined heart rate.

17. The vehicle of claim 15 ,
wherein, the information particular to the user includes a body temperature of the user;
wherein, the controller is further configured to control the climate system based at least in part on crowd data, and the crowd data from other vehicles reveal that users of other vehicles have directed heated air into the interior of those other vehicles before arriving at the destination location; and
wherein, the controller is configured to direct warmed air into the interior before arriving at the destination location, if the body temperature of the user is below a predetermined temperature.

18. The vehicle of claim 15 ,
wherein, the controller is further configured to control the climate system for the interior based in part on data related to environmental conditions at an exterior of the vehicle; and
wherein, the environmental conditions include weather and air quality.

19. A vehicle comprising:
an interior; and
a controller configured to control a climate system for the interior based at least in part on data rela

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Obert Emily
• Fusco Frank
• Karas Lawrence C
• Lohmeyer Loren John

Classifications

• 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

• B60H1/00771 Primary

  the input being a vehicle position or surrounding, e.g. GPS-based position or tunnel · CPC title

• B60H1/00642

  Control systems or circuits; Control members or indication devices for heating, cooling or ventilating devices (B60H1/3201 - B60H1/3208, B60H1/3225 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/00 Primary

  Heating, cooling or ventilating devices · CPC title

• B60H1/00971

  Control systems or circuits characterised by including features for locking or memorising of control modes · CPC title