Apparatus and method for controlling air conditioning of vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11845320-B2
Application number	US-202217721845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2022
Priority date	Aug 23, 2021
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

An air conditioning control apparatus for a vehicle according to the present disclosure includes a sensor that senses a number of vehicle occupants, a vehicle speed, and an indoor temperature and an outdoor temperature of the vehicle, an air conditioner that adjusts an amount of air introduced from an outside or exhausted to the outside, and a controller that controls the air conditioner based on the number of vehicle occupants, the vehicle speed, and the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature of the vehicle. According to the present embodiment, the comfort inside the vehicle may be improved by adjusting the ventilation amount depending on the number of vehicle occupants, the vehicle speed, and the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioning control apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a sensor configured to sense a number of vehicle occupants, a vehicle speed, and an indoor temperature and an outdoor temperature of the vehicle;
an air conditioner configured to adjust an amount of external air introduced from an outside of the vehicle or air exhausted to the outside of the vehicle; and
a controller configured to control the air conditioner based on the number of vehicle occupants, the vehicle speed, and the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature of the vehicle,
wherein the controller determines the number of vehicle occupants and the vehicle speed, when it is determined that the indoor temperature of the vehicle is less than the outdoor temperature of the vehicle.

2. The air conditioning control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the air conditioner includes:
an intake door to adjust a vehicle internal inflow amount of the external air and internal circulation air circulated inside the vehicle;
a blower motor to move the external air into the vehicle or to move the internal circulation air back into the vehicle; and
a rear fan to exhaust air inside the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle.

3. The air conditioning control apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller allows the intake door to increase the amount of the external air, when the number of vehicle occupants is a first number of occupants exceeding at least one, and the vehicle speed exceeds a first speed.

4. The air conditioning control apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller allows the intake door to increase the amount of the external air, and increases a speed of the blower motor, when the number of vehicle occupants is a first number of occupants exceeding at least one, and the vehicle speed does not exceed a first speed.

5. The air conditioning control apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller allows the intake door to increase the amount of the external air, increases the speed of the blower motor, and controls a speed of the rear fan at a first reference speed, when the number of vehicle occupants is a second number of occupants greater than the first number of occupants, and the vehicle speed does not exceed a second speed faster than the first speed.

6. The air conditioning control apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller allows the intake door to increase the amount of the external air, increases the speed of the blower motor, and controls the speed of the rear fan at a second reference speed faster than the first reference speed, when the number of vehicle occupants exceeds the second number of occupants.

7. A method of controlling an air conditioning in a vehicle, the method comprising:
sensing, by a sensor, a number of vehicle occupants, a vehicle speed, and an indoor temperature and an outdoor temperature of the vehicle;
determining, by a controller, whether the indoor temperature of the vehicle is less than the outdoor temperature of the vehicle;
determining, by the controller, the number of vehicle occupants;
determining, by the controller, the vehicle speed; and
controlling, by the controller, an air conditioner which adjusts an amount of external air introduced from an outside of the vehicle or air exhausted to the outside of the vehicle, based on the number of vehicle occupants, the vehicle speed, and the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the air conditioner includes:
an intake door to adjust a vehicle internal inflow amount of the external air and internal circulation air circulated inside the vehicle;
a blower motor to move the external air into the vehicle or to move the internal circulation air back into the vehicle; and
a rear fan to exhaust air inside the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the controlling of the air conditioner includes:
allowing the intake door to increase the amount of the external air, when the number of vehicle occupants is a first number of occupants exceeding at least one, and the vehicle speed exceeds a first speed.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the controlling of the air conditioner includes:
allowing the intake door to increase the amount of the external air, and increasing a speed of the blower motor, when the number of vehicle occupants is a first number of occupants exceeding at least one, and the vehicle speed does not exceed a first speed.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the controlling of the air conditioner includes:
allowing the intake door to increase the amount of the external air, increasing the speed of the blower motor, and controlling a speed of the rear fan at a first reference speed, when the number of vehicle occupants is a second number of occupants greater than the first number of occupants, and the vehicle speed does not exceed a second speed faster than the first speed.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the controlling of the air conditioner includes:
allowing the intake door to increase the amount of the external air, increasing the speed of the blower motor, and controlling the speed of the rear fan at a second reference speed faster than the first reference speed, when the number of vehicle occupants exceeds the second number of occupants.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Park Se Jun
• Kim Jong Hyuck
• Koo Gyoung Wan

Classifications

• B60H1/00671 Primary

  Damper doors moved by rotation; Grilles · 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

• B60H1/00849 Primary

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

• B60H1/00764

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

• B60H1/00864

  Ventilators and damper doors · CPC title