Interior temperature sensor for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11400792-B2
Application number	US-201816197604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2018
Priority date	Oct 11, 2018
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an interior temperature sensor for a vehicle. The sensor includes a sensor casing disposed to expose a sensing surface to a space that is the subject of temperature measurement, a substrate extending in a direction from an inside of the sensing surface toward an outside while at least a part of the substrate bisects an inside of the sensor casing into upper and lower sections, an upper temperature sensing element provided on an upper surface of the substrate at a position inside the sensor casing, a lower temperature sensing element provided on a lower surface of the substrate at a position inside the sensor casing, and a compensation temperature sensing element provided on the substrate to be placed outside the sensor casing. Furthermore, a microcomputer determines an interior temperature of the vehicle based on the measured values.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interior temperature sensor for a vehicle, the sensor comprising:
a sensor casing disposed to expose a sensing surface thereof to a space that is a subject of temperature measurement;
a substrate extending in a direction from an inside of the sensing surface toward an outside while at least a part of the substrate bisects an inside of the sensor casing into upper and lower sections;
an upper temperature sensing element provided on an upper surface of the substrate inside the sensor casing;
a lower temperature sensing element provided on a lower surface of the substrate inside the sensor casing;
a compensation temperature sensing element provided on the substrate to be placed outside the sensor casing; and
a microcomputer configured to receive the sensing values of the upper temperature sensing element and the lower temperature sensing element, and a sensing value of the compensation temperature sensing element, thereby determining the interior temperature of the vehicle,
wherein when the microcomputer determines that the sensing values of the upper temperature sensing element and the lower temperature sensing element are in a predetermined same range, the microcomputer is configured to output an average value of the sensing values of the upper temperature sensing element and the lower temperature sensing element as the interior temperature of the vehicle.

2. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is inserted into the sensor casing for separating an upper space inside the sensor casing in which the upper temperature sensing element is exposed and a lower space inside the sensor casing in which the lower temperature sensing element is exposed from each other.

3. The sensor of claim 2 , further comprising:
a blocking member sealing the inside of the sensor casing where the upper temperature sensing element and the lower temperature sensing element are provided, thereby allowing the upper temperature sensing element, the lower temperature sensing element, and the compensation temperature sensing element to be independent from each other in a convective heat transfer.

4. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein the blocking member is made of an insulative material.

5. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the space that is the subject of temperature measurement is an interior space of the vehicle and the sensing surface of the sensor casing forms a vertical surface facing toward the interior space of the vehicle.

6. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein when the sensing value of the upper temperature sensing element is higher than the sensing value of the lower temperature sensing element, and a solar radiation sensor senses that sunlight is incident on the vehicle, the microcomputer determines whether the sunlight radiated to the vehicle is directly incident on the sensing surface of the sensor casing or not, and the determination is based on a frequency of changing of a difference between the sensing value of the upper temperature sensing element and the sensing value of the lower temperature sensing element, a first rate of change in sensing values of the upper temperature sensing element for a predetermined time period, and a second rate of change in sensing values of the lower temperature sensing element for the predetermined time period.

7. The sensor of claim 6 , wherein when the frequency of changing of the difference between the sensing value of the upper temperature sensing element and the sensing value of the lower temperature sensing element exceeds a predetermined reference frequency, the first rate of change in sensing values of the upper temperature sensing element exceeds a predetermined first reference value, and the second rate of change in sensing values of the lower temperature sensing element exceeds a predetermined second reference value, the microcomputer determines that the sunlight is directly incident on the sensing surface of the sensor casing, and as the interior temperature of the vehicle, outputs a value calculated by the following equation:
the interior temperature of the vehicle={( UT+DT )/2}−{( UT+DT )*α/2}

where,
UT: a sensing value of the upper temperature sensing element,
DT: a sensing value of the lower temperature sensing element, and
α: a weighting value being obtained in consideration of an error generated by direct incidence of the sunlight on the sensing surface of the sensor casing.

8. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein, when the sensing value of the upper temperature sensing element is higher than the sensing value of the lower temperature sensing element, and a signal from a solar radiation sensor indicates that sunlight is not incident on the vehicle,
the microcomputer determines that a disturbance is occurred due to a heat source other than the sun, and maintains an output value of the interior temperature of the vehicle at a previous state for a predetermined first reference time.

9. The sensor of claim 8 , wherein when a state where the sensing value of the lower temperature sensing element is maintained higher than the sensing value of the upper temperature sensing element for a predetermined second reference time,
as the interior temperature of the vehicle, the microcomputer outputs a value calculated by the following equation:
the interior temperature of the vehicle={ UT +( DT−O )}/2,

where,
UT: a sensing value of the upper temperature sensing element,
DT: a sensing value of the lower temperature sensing element, and
O: a correction value using a sensing value of the compensation temperature sensing element.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kwon Dong Ho
• Shin Gee Young

Classifications

• G01K2201/02

  in vehicles · CPC title

• G01K1/14

  Supports; Fastening devices; Arrangements for mounting thermometers in particular locations · CPC title

• B60H1/00807 Primary

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

• B60H1/00792

  Arrangement of detectors (B60H1/00742, B60H1/0075, B60H1/00785 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/0075

  the input being solar radiation · CPC title