Control device for cooling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019351780-A1
Application number	US-201716461669-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 7, 2017
Priority date	Dec 19, 2016
Publication date	Nov 21, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides a control device capable of controlling a cooling device in response to temperature changes due to external factors. The present invention is a control device for controlling a cooling device for cooling an object to be cooled, said control device being characterized by comprising: a temperature change prediction information acquisition unit for acquiring temperature change prediction information, which is information concerning temperature changes of the object to be cooled; a temperature change prediction unit for predicting the temperature changes of the object to be cooled on the basis of the temperature change prediction information acquired by the temperature change prediction information acquisition unit; and a control unit for controlling the cooling device for cooling the object to be cooled, such control carried out on the basis of the prediction results according to the temperature change prediction unit.

First claim

1 . A control device for a cooling device comprising:
a temperature change prediction information acquisition unit for acquiring temperature change prediction information, which is information concerning temperature changes of the object to be cooled; a temperature change prediction unit for predicting the temperature changes of the object to be cooled on the basis of the temperature change prediction information acquired by the temperature change prediction information acquisition unit; and a control unit for controlling the cooling device for cooling the object to be cooled, such control carried out on the basis of the prediction results according to the temperature change prediction unit.

2 . The control device for the cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls a cooling amount or a cooling timing of the cooling device.

3 . The control device for the cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the temperature change prediction unit predicts the temperature rises, the control unit increases a cooling amount of the cooling device compared to a predetermined cooling amount.

4 . The control device for the cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the temperature change prediction unit does not predict the temperature rises, the control unit decreases a cooling amount of the cooling device compared to a predetermined cooling amount.

5 . The control device for the cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the temperature change prediction unit predicts the temperature rises, the control unit makes a cooling timing of the cooling device come earlier than a predetermined cooling timing.

6 . The control device for the cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein
the object to be cooled is an in-vehicle device, the temperature change prediction information is external environment information which is information about an outside of a vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is mounted, and the temperature change prediction information acquisition unit is an external environment information acquisition unit for acquiring the external environment information.

7 . The control device for the cooling device according to claim 6 , wherein the external environment information is at least one of image information of an image obtained by capturing the outside of the vehicle, map information of a map of a current position of the vehicle, time information of a current time, period information of a current period of a year, weather information of a current weather, brightness information of brightness at the outside of the vehicle, position information of a current position of the vehicle, and speed information of a current speed of the vehicle.

8 . The control device for the cooling device according to claim 6 , wherein the temperature change prediction unit calculates a processing load of the in-vehicle device on the basis of the external environment information acquired from the external environment information acquisition unit, and predicts the temperature changes of the in-vehicle device on the basis of the calculated processing load.

9 . The control device for the cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein
the object to be cooled is an in-vehicle device, the temperature change prediction information is processing load information indicating a processing load of the in-vehicle device, and the temperature change prediction information acquisition unit is a processing load information acquisition unit for acquiring the processing load information.

10 . The control device for the cooling device according to claim 9 , wherein the processing load information is information indicating a number or a type of software applications which are being executed by the in-vehicle device.

11 . The control device for the cooling device according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature detection unit for detecting a temperature of the object to be cooled,
wherein the temperature change prediction unit predicts the temperature changes of the object to be cooled on the basis of temperature change prediction information acquired by the temperature change prediction information acquisition unit, and a detection result of the temperature detection unit.

12 . The control device for the cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein
the object to be cooled is an in-vehicle device, and the cooling device is a cooling device mounted on the in-vehicle device or an air conditioning device capable of cooling a vehicle interior of a vehicle on which the in-vehicle device is mounted.

Assignees

• Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Kimura Noriaki
• Ichige Atsushi

Classifications

• B60L2240/445

  Temperature · CPC title

• F24F11/88

  Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits · CPC title

• F24F11/89

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• B60W40/105

  Speed · CPC title

• B60L53/302 Primary

  Cooling of charging equipment · CPC title