Vehicle and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279204-B2
Application number	US-201916392940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2019
Priority date	Dec 11, 2018
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

The vehicle includes an air conditioner, a temperature sensor configured to measure an indoor temperature of the vehicle, a camera configured to obtain an image data of a passenger, and a bio-signal sensor configured to measure a bio-signal of the passenger. A controller is configured to control, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the air conditioner to change a type of wind blowing at predetermined time intervals, to obtain emotion information corresponding to the changed type of wind based on at least one of the image data or the bio-signal, and to blow a type of wind for which a degree of positiveness of emotion information is equal to or greater than a threshold level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an air conditioner;
a temperature sensor configured to measure an indoor temperature of the vehicle;
a camera configured to obtain an image data of a passenger;
a bio-signal sensor configured to measure a bio-signal of the passenger;
a front view camera configured to photograph a front view of the vehicle;
a communicator configured to communicate with an external server;
a microphone;
a brake position sensor; and
a controller configured to
control the air conditioner to change at least one of a temperature, strength or direction of wind blowing at predetermined time intervals when a predetermined condition is satisfied,
in response to controlling the air conditioner, obtain emotion information of the passenger based on pre-stored correlation information between the bio-signal and a first emotion factor and pre-stored correlation information between a facial expression obtained from the image data and a second emotion factor,
determine an adjusted wind direction to be provided by the air conditioner based on the emotion information, and
control the air conditioner to provide the wind in a direction corresponding to the adjusted wind direction,
obtain changed emotion information of the passenger in response to controlling the air conditioner in a direction corresponding to the adjusted wind direction,
obtain information related to a current circumstance including a traffic congestion circumstance determined through the front view camera or the communicator, a phone call circumstance of the passenger determined through the microphone, or a sudden stop circumstance of the vehicle determined through the brake position sensor, and
determine whether to control the air conditioner based on the changed emotion information and the information related to the current circumstance, wherein the changed emotion information is obtained from a time when the current circumstance occurred.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition comprises:
when a predetermined time elapses from when wind starts being blown through the air conditioner; or
when a degree of positiveness of emotion information obtained after wind starts being blown through the air conditioner is equal to or greater than a threshold level.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that the adjusted wind direction is directed to an upper part of the passenger when the indoor temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature and to determine that the adjusted wind direction is directed to a middle or lower part of the passenger when the indoor temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that the adjusted wind direction is directed to an upper part of the passenger when the bio-signal is a bio-signal appearing at a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature and to determine that the adjusted wind direction is directed to a middle or lower part of the passenger when the bio-signal is a bio-signal appearing at a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the bio-signal sensor comprises a heart rate (HR) sensor configured to measure a heart rate of the passenger.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that the adjusted wind direction is directed to an upper part of the passenger when the emotion information represents a predetermined emotion appearing at a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature and to determine that the adjusted wind direction is directed to a middle or lower part of the passenger when the emotion information represents the predetermined emotion appearing at a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a seat sensor provided in each of a plurality of seats and configured to detect the passenger on the seat, wherein the controller is configured to detect that at least one passenger entered the vehicle based on the bio-signal, the image data, or a measured value of the seat sensor.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to control the air conditioner to provide the wind in the adjusted wind direction through an air vent corresponding to the seat on which the at least one passenger is positioned.

9. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one passenger comprises a plurality of passengers, and wherein the controller is configured to determine a passenger having a highest degree of negativeness based on emotion information of each of the passengers, and to control the air conditioner based on a bio-signal of the determined passenger or the emotion information of the determined passenger.

10. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the bio-signal sensor comprises a skin temperature sensor configured to measure a skin temperature of the passenger.

11. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the bio-signal sensor comprises a galvanic skin response (GSR) sensor configured to measure skin electrical conductivity depending on a sweat rate of the passenger.

12. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the bio-signal sensor comprises a blood pressure measurement sensor configured to measure blood pressure of the passenger.

13. A method for controlling an air conditioner, the method comprising:
measuring an indoor temperature of a vehicle;
obtaining image data of a passenger;
measuring a bio-signal of the passenger;
controlling the air conditioner to change at least one of a temperature, strength or direction of wind blowing at predetermined time intervals when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
in response to controlling the air conditioner, obtaining emotion information of the passenger based on pre-stored correlation information between the bio-signal and a first emotion factor and pre-stored correlation information between a facial expression obtained from the image data and a second emotion factor;
determining an adjusted wind direction that is to be provided by the air conditioner based on the emotion information;
controlling the air conditioner to provide wind corresponding to the adjusted wind direction,
obtaining changed emotion information of the passenger in response to controlling the air conditioner corresponding to the adjusted wind direction;
obtaining information related to a current circumstance including a traffic congestion circumstance determined through a front view camera or a communicator, a phone call circumstance of the passenger determined through a microphone, or a sudden stop circumstance of the vehicle determined through a brake position sensor; and
determine whether to control the air conditioner based on the changed emotion information and the information related to the current circumstance, wherein the changed emotion information is obtained from a time when the current circumstance occurred.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the predetermined condition occurs when a predetermined time elapses from when wind starts being blown through the air conditioner.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein determining the adjusted wind direction comprises:
determining a wind direction directed to an upper part of the passenger when the indoor temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature; and
determining a wind direction directed to a middle or lower part of the passen

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Youn Seok-Young
• Han Jimin
• Lee Jia
• Kim Kye Yoon
• Woo Seunghyun

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

• B60H1/00821

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

• G06F2203/011

  Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns · CPC title

• B60W2540/221

  Physiology, e.g. weight, heartbeat, health or special needs · CPC title

• B60H1/00871

  Air directing means, e.g. blades in an air outlet (construction of nozzles or air diffusers B60H1/34) · CPC title