Method of controlling climate in a parked vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016368345-A1
Application number	US-201514743283-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 18, 2015
Priority date	Jun 18, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle is provided. The method broadly includes the steps of: (a) sensing a temperature (T IN ) inside the vehicle at a predetermined time (t P ); (b) comparing the sensed temperature (T IN ) to a preferred temperature (T P ); (c) confirming an absence of any object near a front and a rear of the parked vehicle; (d) turning on an engine of the parked vehicle if the absence of any object is confirmed and the sensed temperature (T IN ) is not the preferred temperature (T P ); and (e) utilizing a climate control system to change the temperature (T IN ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment. The method may further include the step of establishing the preferred temperature (T P ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment and/or the predetermined time (t P ) by accessing a climate control program utilizing a user interface within the parked vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A method of controlling temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle, comprising the steps of:
sensing a temperature (T IN ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment at a predetermined time (t P ); comparing the sensed temperature (T IN ) to a preferred temperature (T P ); confirming an absence of any objects positioned within a distance of a front and a rear of the parked vehicle; turning on an engine of the parked vehicle if the absence of any object within a distance of the front and the rear of the parked vehicle is confirmed and the sensed temperature (T IN ) is not substantially equal to the preferred temperature (T P ); and utilizing a climate control system of the parked vehicle to change the temperature (T IN ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment.

2 . The method of controlling temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of comparing the predetermined time (t P ) to a current time (t C ), and initiating the remaining steps when said predetermined time (t P ) is the same as the current time (t C ).

3 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of repeating the step of confirming the absence of any objects positioned within a distance of the front and the rear of the parked vehicle, and turning off the engine of the parked vehicle if the absence of any objects within a distance of the front and the rear of the vehicle is not confirmed.

4 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the step of utilizing the climate control system of the parked vehicle includes the step of using a cooling system to lower the temperature inside the vehicle passenger compartment when the sensed temperature (T IN ) is above the preferred temperature (T P ).

5 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 4 , further comprising the step of opening at least one window of the parked vehicle utilizing at least one drive motor associated with the at least one window.

6 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the step of utilizing the climate control system of the parked vehicle includes the step of using a heating system to raise the temperature inside the vehicle passenger compartment when the sensed temperature (T IN ) is below the preferred temperature (T P ).

7 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising the step of turning on at least one seat warmer.

8 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising the step of turning on at least one side mirror warmer.

9 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising the step of turning off the engine of the parked vehicle a predetermined amount of time (t OFF ) after turning on the engine.

10 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of repeating the step of sensing a temperature (T IN ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment at predetermined time periods following the step of turning on the engine of the parked vehicle, and turning off the engine of the parked vehicle when the sensed temperature (T IN ) rises above the preferred temperature (T P ).

11 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 10 , further comprising the step of delaying the step of turning off the engine of the parked vehicle when the sensed temperature (T IN ) rises above the preferred temperature (T P ) for a predetermined period of time (t H ) following the sensing step that determined the sensed temperature (T IN ) to be above the preferred temperature (T P ).

12 . A method of controlling a temperature within a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle, comprising the steps of:
establishing a preferred temperature (T P ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment and a predetermined time (t P ) for sensing an actual temperature (T IN ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment; comparing the actual temperature (T IN ) sensed at time (t P ) to the preferred temperature (T P ); sensing whether the parked vehicle is parked in a confined space; turning on an engine of the parked vehicle if the parked vehicle is not parked in a confined space and the actual temperature (T IN ) is above or below the preferred temperature (T P ); and utilizing a climate control system of the parked vehicle to change the actual temperature (T IN ) to the preferred temperature (T P ).

13 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the establishing step includes programming the preferred temperature (T P ) and the predetermined time (t P ) for sensing an actual temperature (T IN ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment into a climate control program.

14 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the programming step includes accessing the climate control program utilizing a user interface within the parked vehicle, and setting the preferred temperature (T P ) and the predetermined time (t P ) for sensing an actual temperature (T IN ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment.

15 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the establishing step includes programming a first preferred temperature (T P ) and a first predetermined time (t P ) for sensing an actual temperature (T IN ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment, and a second preferred temperature (T P ) and a second predetermined time (t P ) for sensing an actual temperature (T IN ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment into a climate control program.

16 . A method of controlling a temperature within a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle, comprising the steps of:
establishing a preferred temperature (T P ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment and a predetermined time (t P ) for sensing an actual temperature (T IN ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment; sensing the actual temperature (T IN ) inside the vehicle passenger compartment at the predetermined time (t P ); comparing the actual temperature (T IN ) to the preferred temperature (T P ); determining whether the parked vehicle is in a confined space; turning on an engine of the parked vehicle if the parked vehicle is not in a confined space and the actual temperature (T IN ) is above or below the preferred temperature (T P ); utilizing a climate control system of the vehicle to change the actual temperature (T IN ) to a temperature closer to the preferred temperature (T P ); and turning off the engine of the parked vehicle after a predetermined period of time (T RUN ).

17 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the establishing step further includes establishing the predetermined period of time (T RUN ).

18 . The method of controlling a temperature in a vehicle passenger compartment of a parked

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Farooq Iskander
• Faruque Mohammed Omar
• Jaradi Dean M

Classifications

• B60N2/56

  Heating or ventilating devices · CPC title

• B60H1/00771

  the input being a vehicle position or surrounding, e.g. GPS-based position or tunnel · CPC title

• B60S1/586

  including defroster or demisting means · CPC title

• B60R16/023

  for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems · CPC title

• B60H1/00735 Primary

  Control systems or circuits characterised by their input, i.e. by the detection, measurement or calculation of particular conditions, e.g. signal treatment, dynamic models · CPC title