Automotive seat based microclimate system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12023985-B2
Application number	US-202017776098-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2020
Priority date	Nov 20, 2019
Publication date	Jul 2, 2024
Grant date	Jul 2, 2024

Abstract

A method of controlling a microclimate system includes identifying a set of multiple microclimate thermal effectors configured to provide multiple occupant zones and determining a differential temperature between a local temperature at one of the microclimate thermal effectors and a preset temperature for the microclimate thermal effectors. The differential temperature is determined for each of the microclimate thermal effectors. A fuzzy set is generated for each of the microclimate thermal effectors based upon the respective differential temperature. A respective temperature set point for each of the microclimate thermal effectors is defined based upon the fuzzy set for the corresponding microclimate thermal effectors. Each microclimate thermal effector is commanded to the corresponding respective temperature set point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a microclimate system comprising:
identifying a set of multiple microclimate thermal effectors configured to provide multiple occupant zones;
determining a differential temperature between a local temperature at one of the microclimate thermal effectors and a preset temperature for the one of the microclimate thermal effectors, the differential temperature being determined for each of the microclimate thermal effectors;
generating a fuzzy set for each of the microclimate thermal effectors based upon the respective differential temperature;
defining a respective temperature set point for each of the microclimate thermal effectors based upon the fuzzy set for the corresponding microclimate thermal effectors; and
commanding each microclimate thermal effector to the corresponding respective temperature set point.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple occupant zones include at least two of a head zone, a seat back zone, a seat cushion zone, a hand/arm zone and a foot/leg zone.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the set of multiple microclimate thermal effectors are conductive thermal devices that are configured to engage an occupant during use.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the set of multiple microclimate thermal effectors includes microclimate thermal effectors selected from the group comprising climate controlled seats, head rest/neck conditioner, climate controlled headliner, steering wheel, heated gear shifter, heater mat, and mini-compressor system.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the local temperature for at least one of the microclimate thermal effectors in the set of multiple microclimate thermal effectors is determined using a negative temperature coefficient element in the one of the microclimate thermal effectors.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the fuzzy set for each of the microclimate thermal effectors uses fuzzy rules based upon an occupant thermal sensation scale for a population of occupants and their personal occupant thermal comfort for the multiple occupant zones.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising converting the fuzzy set to a fuzzy output corresponding to the temperature set point for each of the microclimate thermal effectors.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a feedback loop from each of the microclimate thermal effectors, wherein the feedback loop is configured to determine the differential temperature based upon the commanded temperature set point and a measured local temperature.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising the step of fusing temperature data to determine the local temperature, temperature data fusing step includes:
providing microclimate temperature data from each of the microclimate thermal effectors;
receiving vehicle temperature data from a vehicle data bus, the vehicle temperature data including a cabin temperature and an outside air temperature; and
fusing the microclimate temperature data with the vehicle temperature data to determine a local temperature for each of the microclimate thermal effectors.

10. A microclimate system for a vehicle occupant comprising:
multiple microclimate thermal effectors configured to provide multiple occupant zones;
a controller in communication with the microclimate thermal effectors, the controller configured to determine a differential temperature between a local temperature for one of the microclimate thermal effectors and a preset temperature for the one of the microclimate thermal effectors, the controller being further configured to determine the differential temperature for each of the microclimate thermal effectors, the controller being further configured to generate a respective fuzzy set for each of the microclimate thermal effectors based upon a respective differential temperature of each of the microclimate thermal effectors, the controller being further configured to define a temperature set point based upon the fuzzy set for each of the microclimate thermal effectors, and the controller configured to command the microclimate thermal effectors to its respective temperature set point.

11. The microclimate system of claim 10 , wherein the multiple occupant zones include at least two of a head zone, a seat back zone, a seat cushion zone, a hand/arm zone and a foot/leg zone.

12. The microclimate system of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the multiple microclimate thermal effectors are conductive thermal devices configured to engage an occupant during use.

13. The microclimate system of claim 12 , wherein the microclimate thermal effectors include microclimate thermal effectors selected from the group comprising climate controlled seats, head rest/neck conditioner, climate controlled headliner, steering wheel, heated gear shifter, heater mat, and mini-compressor system.

14. The microclimate system of claim 12 , wherein the local temperature for at least one of the one of the microclimate thermal effectors is determined by the controller using a negative temperature coefficient element in the one of the microclimate thermal effectors.

15. The microclimate system of claim 11 , wherein the fuzzy sets are generated by the controller using fuzzy rules based upon an occupant thermal sensation scale for a population of occupants and their personal occupant thermal comfort for the multiple occupant zones.

16. The microclimate system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to convert each fuzzy set to a fuzzy output corresponding to the temperature set point for of the corresponding microclimate thermal effectors.

17. The microclimate system of claim 10 , wherein the controller includes a feedback loop from the microclimate thermal effectors, wherein the feedback loop is configured to determine the differential temperature based upon the commanded temperature set point.

18. The microclimate system of claim 17 , wherein the controller includes an input configured to receive vehicle temperature data from a vehicle data bus, and wherein the vehicle temperature data includes a cabin temperature output from a cabin air sensor and an outside air temperature output from an outside air sensor.

19. The microclimate system of claim 18 , wherein the controller includes a fusion algorithm configured to fuse the microclimate temperature data with the vehicle temperature data to determine an expected local temperature for each of the microclimate thermal effectors.

Assignees

• Gentherm Inc

Inventors

• Yang Jun
• Myers Tyler
• Arsenault Jeff
• Chewter Alan

Classifications

• B60N2/56

  Heating or ventilating devices · CPC title

• B60H1/2218

  controlling the operation of electric heaters · CPC title

• B60H1/00878

  the components being temperature regulating devices · CPC title

• B60H1/2227

  Electric heaters incorporated in vehicle trim components, e.g. panels or linings · CPC title

• B60H1/2225

  arrangements of electric heaters for heating air · CPC title