Vehicle microclimate system and method of controlling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017334263-A1
Application number	US-201515523209-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Nov 23, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle microclimate system includes a microclimate device that is configured to be arranged within an interior space that provides a macroclimate environment to an occupant. The microclimate device is configured to provide a microclimate environment to the occupant. The microclimate device is configured to be in close proximity to a region of the occupant having an increased thermoreceptive response compared to other occupant regions exposed to the macroclimate environment. A controller is in communication with the microclimate device. The controller is configured to determine an occupant personal comfort and automatically command the microclimate device in response to the occupant personal comfort to achieve a desired occupant personal comfort.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle microclimate system comprising:
a microclimate device configured to be arranged within an interior space that provides a macroclimate environment to an occupant, the microclimate device is configured to provide a microclimate environment to the occupant, the microclimate device configured to be in close proximity to a region of the occupant having an increased thermoreceptive response compared to other occupant regions exposed to the macroclimate environment; and a controller in communication with the microclimate device, the controller is configured to determine an occupant personal comfort, and automatically command the microclimate device in response to the occupant personal comfort to achieve a desired occupant personal comfort.

2 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 1 , comprising a HVAC thermal conditioning system configured to provide the macroclimate environment.

3 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 2 , comprising at least one of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor system and a fuel cell, the HVAC thermal conditioning system driven by the at least one of the internal combustion engine, the electric motor system and the fuel cell.

4 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 1 , comprising an auxiliary thermal conditioning system that has multiple microclimate devices, the multiple microclimate devices provided by at least one of a steering wheel, a seat, a door panel, an armrest, a window defogger, a dash panel and a roof panel.

5 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 1 , wherein the region of the occupant includes at least one of a hand, a foot, a neck, a face, a leg, an arm, a head and a torso.

6 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a memory that has occupant characteristics providing a user profile that corresponds to the occupant, the controller configured to use the user profile for determining the occupant personal comfort.

7 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 6 , wherein the occupant characteristics include at least one of gender, height, weight and occupant-provided comfort data.

8 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 6 , wherein the memory includes at least one look-up table with a microclimate profile, the controller configured to modify the microclimate profile based upon at least one user input.

9 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 6 , comprising an occupant comfort sensor in communication with the controller, the occupant comfort sensor configured to detect the occupant characteristics, the controller configured to use the detected occupant characteristics for determining the occupant personal comfort.

10 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 9 , wherein the occupant characteristics include at least one of occupant core temperature, occupant skin temperature, occupant skin moisture, macroclimate humidity, and macroclimate temperature.

11 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the command to the microclimate device in response to the user profile and a microclimate profile associated with the user profile.

12 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to evaluate a vehicle exterior environment outside of the interior space, evaluate the macroclimate environment and evaluate the microclimate environment to determine the occupant personal comfort.

13 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to command the macroclimate device in response to the user profile and the microclimate profile.

14 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 12 , wherein the vehicle exterior environment corresponds to outside parameters including at least one of vehicle location, time and weather conditions.

15 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a drowsiness module configured to detect occupant drowsiness based upon a drowsiness parameter, the microclimate device commanded in response the drowsiness parameter.

16 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 14 , wherein the controller includes a solar load module configured to detect a solar load on the vehicle based upon a solar load parameter, the microclimate device commanded in response the solar load parameter.

17 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a surface temperature sensitivity module configured to detect occupant surface temperature sensitivity based upon a surface temperature sensitivity parameter, the microclimate device commanded in response the surface temperature sensitivity parameter.

18 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a baby seat module configured to detect an occupant baby seat based upon a baby seat parameter, the microclimate device commanded in response the baby seat parameter.

19 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a remote start module configured to detect remote start input based upon a remote start input parameter, the microclimate device commanded in response the remote start input parameter.

20 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a climate conditioning transition module configured to detect a desired climate conditioning transition based upon a climate conditioning transition parameter, the microclimate device commanded in response the climate conditioning transition parameter.

21 . A vehicle microclimate system comprising:
a microclimate device configured to be arranged within an interior space that provides a macroclimate environment to an occupant, the microclimate device is configured to provide a microclimate environment to the occupant; and a controller in communication with the microclimate device, the controller is configured to determine a solar load and an occupant personal comfort, the controller configured to automatically command the microclimate device in response to the solar load and the occupant personal comfort to achieve a desired occupant personal comfort.

22 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 21 , comprising a HVAC thermal conditioning system configured to provide the macroclimate environment.

23 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 21 , comprising an auxiliary thermal conditioning system that has multiple microclimate devices, the multiple microclimate devices provided by at least one of a steering wheel, a seat, a door panel, an armrest, a window defogger, a dash panel and a roof panel.

24 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 21 , wherein the controller includes a memory that has occupant characteristics providing a user profile that corresponds to the occupant, the controller configured to use the user profile for determining the occupant personal comfort.

25 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 24 , wherein the occupant characteristics include at least one of gender, height, weight and occupant-provided comfort data.

26 . The vehicle microclimate system according to claim 24 , wherein the memory includes at least one look-up table wit

Assignees

• Gentherm Inc

Inventors

• Schumacher Darren Andrew
• Giberson Paul Cameron
• Steinl Gregory Leo
• Kauffman Iii Wayne Swoyer
• Sebastiano Vincenzo

Classifications

• 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

• B60N2/56

  Heating or ventilating devices · CPC title

• B60H1/00764

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

• B60H1/00892

  Devices specially adapted for avoiding uncomfortable feeling, e.g. sudden temperature changes (B60H1/00885 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/00771

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