System and method of harvesting wireless energy for climate control in a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12391094-B2
Application number	US-202218063779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2022
Priority date	Dec 9, 2022
Publication date	Aug 19, 2025
Grant date	Aug 19, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods of harvesting wireless energy for climate control in a cabin of a vehicle are provided. The method comprises receiving an electromagnetic (EM) signal of EM radiation having EM energy to define an EM current. The method further comprises filtering the EM energy to regulate the EM current converting the EM current to direct current. The method further comprises storing the direct current for powering a battery-free wireless sensing unit and powering the battery-free wireless sensing unit with the direct current. After powering the battery-free wireless sensing unit, the method comprises sensing an actual condition in the cabin, the actual condition being one of actual temperature and actual humidity in the cabin. Furthermore, the method comprises adjusting one of temperature and humidity in the cabin in response to a difference between the actual condition and a set condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery-free wireless climate control unit for harvesting wireless energy and for controlling climate in a cabin of a vehicle, the climate control unit comprising:
an antenna having a transceiver arranged to receive an electromagnetic (EM) signal of EM radiation having EM energy to define an EM current;
a wireless energy harvesting (WEH) unit in communication with the antenna, the WEH unit arranged to filter the EM energy to regulate the EM current and arranged to convert the EM current to direct current;
a power management (PM) unit in communication with the WEH unit, the PM unit arranged to store the direct current and arranged to distribute the direct current;
a sensor in communication with the PM unit, the sensor arranged to receive the direct current from the PM unit for power, the sensor arranged to sense an actual condition being one of temperature and humidity in the cabin, the sensor arranged to transmit a cabin signal of the actual condition;
wherein the sensor is arranged to sense a plurality of actual conditions across a plurality of locations in the cabin;
wherein the sensor has a response time of at least 1 millisecond (ms) due to the varied response time of the sensor based on obstructions to the sensor and a location at which the sensor is disposed;
a controller in communication with the sensor and the PM unit, the controller arranged to receive the direct current from the PM unit for power, the controller arranged to receive the cabin signal of the actual condition from the sensor, the controller arranged to adjust one of temperature and humidity in the cabin in response to a difference between the actual condition and a set condition, the set condition being one of a preset temperature and a preset humidity in the cabin; and
wherein the controller is arranged to create a heat map of the cabin from at least a portion of the plurality of actual conditions by way of an interpolation technique with respect to time and area of the cabin, the controller is arranged to adjust one of temperature and humidity in the cabin with the interpolation technique in response to a difference between the plurality of the actual conditions and a corresponding plurality of the set conditions with the area of the cabin, and the heat map is created from sparse measurements of the cabin to assist with controlling climate in the cabin due to the varied response time of the sensor.

2. A system for harvesting wireless energy for climate control in a cabin of a vehicle, the system comprising:
a heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) unit disposed in the vehicle for heating, venting, and cooling the cabin of the vehicle; and
a climate control unit in communication with the HVAC unit, the climate control unit comprising:
an antenna having a transceiver arranged to receive an electromagnetic (EM) signal of EM radiation having EM energy to define an EM current;
a wireless energy harvesting (WEH) unit in communication with the antenna, the WEH unit arranged to filter the EM energy to regulate the EM current and arranged to convert the EM current to direct current;
a power management (PM) unit in communication with the WEH unit, the PM unit arranged to store the direct current and arranged to distribute the direct current;
a sensor in communication with the PM unit, the sensor arranged to receive the direct current from the PM unit for power, the sensor arranged to sense an actual condition being one of temperature and humidity in the cabin, the sensor arranged to transmit a cabin signal of the actual condition;

wherein the sensor is arranged to sense a plurality of actual conditions across a plurality of locations in the cabin;
wherein the sensor has a response time of at least 1 millisecond (ms) due to the varied response time of the sensor based on obstructions to the sensor and a location at which the sensor is disposed;
a controller in communication with the sensor and the PM unit, the controller arranged to receive the direct current from the PM unit for power, the controller arranged to receive the cabin signal of the actual condition from the sensor, the controller arranged to activate the HVAC unit to adjust one of temperature and humidity in the cabin in response to a difference between the actual condition and a set condition, the set condition being one of a preset temperature and a preset humidity in the cabin; and

wherein the controller is arranged to create a heat map of the cabin from at least a portion of the plurality of actual conditions by way of an interpolation technique with respect to time and area of the cabin, the controller is arranged to adjust one of temperature and humidity in the cabin with the interpolation technique in response to a difference between the plurality of the actual conditions and a corresponding plurality of the set conditions with the area of the cabin, and the heat map is created from sparse measurements of the cabin to assist with controlling climate in the cabin due to the varied response time of the sensor.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the sensor has a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 milliseconds.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Ali Kamran
• Chen Jinzhu
• Asavisanu Pasit

Classifications

• B60H1/00807

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

• H02J50/001 Primary

  Energy harvesting or scavenging · CPC title

• H02J50/20

  using microwaves or radio frequency waves · CPC title

• B60H1/00792 Primary

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

• B60R16/03

  for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} · CPC title