Vehicle HVAC noise control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9428035-B2
Application number	US-201414177998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2014
Priority date	Feb 11, 2014
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle HVAC noise control system includes a controller. An air handler provides airflow to a passenger compartment. An inputting device sets a target temperature for the passenger compartment. A temperature sensor measures a current temperature within the passenger compartment. A sensor detects an ambient condition outside of the passenger compartment. A blower motor moves the air flowing through the air handler into the passenger compartment at an adjustable operating airflow rate. The controller is connected to the air handler, the inputting device, the temperature sensor, the exterior sensor, and the blower motor. The controller determines and implements adjustments to the operating airflow rate in order to reduce airflow noise level based on at least the ambient condition, a comparison between the target temperature and the current temperature within the passenger compartment and a noise level of the airflow in the passenger compartment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle HVAC noise control system comprising:
an air handler providing airflow to a passenger compartment, the air handler including a heating source and a cooling source;
an inputting device that sets a target temperature for the passenger compartment;
a temperature sensor that measures a current temperature within the passenger compartment;
at least one exterior sensor that detects an ambient condition outside of the passenger compartment;
a blower motor operably connected to the air handler moving the air flowing through the air handler into the passenger compartment at an adjustable operating airflow rate; and
a controller operatively connected to the air handler, the inputting device, the temperature sensor, the at least one exterior sensor, and the blower motor, the controller determining and implementing adjustments to the operating airflow rate in order to reduce airflow based on at least the ambient condition detected outside of the passenger compartment, a comparison between the target temperature and the current temperature within the passenger compartment and a noise level of the airflow in the passenger compartment,
the controller further determines a value of a noise control disable airflow variable based upon at least the ambient condition and the comparison between the target temperature and the current temperature within the passenger compartment, and
the controller further determines whether or not to implement adjustments to the operating airflow rate in response to a comparison between an airflow rate inputted to the inputting device and a noise control disable airflow variable.

2. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one exterior sensor includes a temperature sensor, and
the ambient condition is an ambient temperature measured outside the passenger compartment by the temperature sensor.

3. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 2 , further comprising
a sound detector within the passenger compartment that detects the noise level of the airflow, and wherein
the controller is further operatively connected to the sound detector and further determines the adjustments to the operating airflow rate based on the noise level detected by the sound detector.

4. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 3 , wherein
the controller further determines a noise limit based on at least the current temperature, the target temperature and the ambient temperature, and
the controller further determines the adjustments to the operating airflow rate based on a comparison between the noise limit and the noise level of the airflow.

5. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller includes noise level correlation data that correlates estimated noise levels of various airflow rates with corresponding speeds of the blower motor, the controller using the noise level correlation data to determine the noise level of the airflow, and
the controller further determines the adjustments to the operating airflow rate based on the estimated noise levels at a corresponding one of the various airflow rates.

6. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 2 , wherein
the at least one exterior sensor further includes a sunlight detecting sensor that measures an amount of sunlight outside the passenger compartment defining a second ambient condition outside the passenger compartment.

7. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 6 , further comprising
a sound detector within the passenger compartment that detects the noise level of the airflow, and wherein
the controller is further operatively connected to the sound detector and further determines the adjustments to the operating airflow rate based on the noise level of the airflow detected by the sound detector.

8. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 7 , wherein
the controller further determines a noise limit based on at least the current temperature, the target temperature, the ambient temperature and the amount of sunlight outside of the passenger compartment, and
the controller further determines the adjustments to the operating airflow rate based on a comparison between the noise limit and the noise level of the airflow.

9. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 6 , wherein
the controller includes noise level correlation data that correlates estimated noise levels of various airflow rates with corresponding speeds of the blower motor, the controller using the noise level correlation data to determine the noise level of the airflow, and
the controller further determines the adjustments to the operating airflow rate based on the estimated noise levels at a corresponding one of the various airflow rates.

10. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 9 , wherein
the controller further determines a noise limit based on at least the current temperature, the target temperature and the ambient condition outside of the passenger compartment, and
the controller further determines the adjustments to the operating airflow rate based on a comparison between the noise limit and the estimated noise level.

11. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one exterior sensor includes a sunlight detecting sensor, and
the ambient condition is an amount of sunlight measured outside the passenger compartment by the sunlight detecting sensor.

12. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 1 , further comprising
a sound detector within the passenger compartment that detects the noise level of the airflow, and wherein
the controller is further operatively connected to the sound detector and further determines the adjustments to the operating airflow rate based on the noise level detected by the sound detector.

13. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 12 , wherein
the controller further determines a noise limit based on at least the current temperature, the target temperature and the ambient condition outside of the passenger compartment, and
the controller further determines the adjustments to the operating airflow rate based on a comparison between the noise limit and the noise level of the airflow.

14. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller includes noise level correlation data that correlates estimated noise levels of various airflow rates with corresponding speeds of the blower motor, the controller using the noise level correlation data to determine the noise level of the airflow, and
the controller further determines the adjustments to the operating airflow rate based on the estimated noise levels at a corresponding one of the various airflow rates.

15. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 14 , wherein
the controller further determines a noise limit based on at least the current temperature, the target temperature and the ambient condition outside of the passenger compartment, and
the controller further determines the adjustments to the operating airflow rate based on a comparison between the noise limit and the estimated noise level.

16. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the heating source is a heat exchanger operably coupled to the air handler selectively heating the air flowing through the air handler to the passenger compartment; and
the cooling source is an AC evaporator operably coupled to the air handler selectively cooling air flowi

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Eisenhour Ronald S

Classifications

• B60H1/00828

  Ventilators, e.g. speed control (B60H1/00864 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/00757

  by the input of sound, e.g. by using a voice synthesizer · CPC title

• B60H1/0075 Primary

  the input being solar radiation · CPC title

• B60H2001/006

  Noise reduction · CPC title

• B60H1/00964

  Control systems or circuits characterised by including features for automatic and non-automatic control, e.g. for changing from automatic to manual control · CPC title