Autonomous vehicle dynamic climate control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9682609-B1
Application number	US-201615175124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 7, 2016
Priority date	Jun 7, 2016
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A passenger comfort system determines a travel time to a pickup location, detects a present cabin environment, determines a target cabin environment, and determines an environment adjustment time to adjust the present cabin environment to the target cabin environment. The passenger comfort system activates at least one vehicle climate control in accordance with the environment adjustment time and the travel time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle system, comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions including:
determining a travel time to a pickup location;
detecting a present cabin environment;
determining a target cabin environment;
determining an environment adjustment time to adjust the present cabin environment to the target cabin environment; and
activating at least one vehicle climate control in accordance with the environment adjustment time and the travel time,
wherein the travel time is based at least in part on a route from a present location of an autonomous host vehicle to the pickup location and wherein the at least one climate control is activated when the autonomous host vehicle is autonomously traveling to the pickup location.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vehicle climate control remains active while the environment adjustment time is less than the travel time.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one climate control is initiated when the environment adjustment time is equal to the travel time plus a predetermined buffer time.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein activating the at least one vehicle climate control includes at least one of adjusting a cabin temperature and defrosting at least one vehicle window.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein determining the environment adjustment time includes comparing the present cabin environment to the target cabin environment and determining the environment adjustment time in accordance with a difference between the present cabin environment and the target cabin environment.

6. The vehicle system of claim 5 , wherein the present cabin environment includes a present cabin temperature and the target cabin environment includes a target cabin temperature, and wherein the environment adjustment time is based at least in part on an amount of time to adjust the present cabin temperature to the target cabin temperature.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein determining the target cabin environment includes wirelessly receiving a user input representing the target cabin environment.

8. A method comprising:
determining a travel time to a pickup location;
detecting a present cabin environment;
determining a target cabin environment;
determining an environment adjustment time to adjust the present cabin environment to the target cabin environment; and
activating at least one vehicle climate control in accordance with the environment adjustment time and the travel time,
wherein the travel time is based at least in part on a route from a present location of an autonomous host vehicle to the pickup location and wherein the at least one climate control is activated when the autonomous host vehicle is autonomously traveling to the pickup location.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one vehicle climate control remains active while the environment adjustment time is less than the travel time.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one climate control is initiated when the environment adjustment time is equal to the travel time plus a predetermined buffer time.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein activating the at least one vehicle climate control includes at least one of adjusting a cabin temperature and defrosting at least one vehicle window.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the environment adjustment time includes comparing the present cabin environment to the target cabin environment and determining the environment adjustment time in accordance with a difference between the present cabin environment and the target cabin environment.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the present cabin environment includes a present cabin temperature and the target cabin environment includes a target cabin temperature, and wherein the environment adjustment time is based at least in part on an amount of time to adjust the present cabin temperature to the target cabin temperature.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the target cabin environment includes wirelessly receiving a user input representing the target cabin environment.

15. A vehicle system comprising:
a navigation system programmed to generate a route from a present location of an autonomous host vehicle to a pickup location;
a climate control system programmed to execute at least one vehicle climate control adjustment;
at least one sensor programmed to detect a present cabin environment; and
a processor programmed to determine a travel time to the pickup location, determine a target cabin environment, determine an environment adjustment time to adjust the present cabin environment to the target cabin environment, and output a control signal to the climate control system in accordance with the environment adjustment time and the travel time while the autonomous host vehicle is autonomously navigating to the pickup location,
wherein the control signal activates the climate control system.

16. The vehicle system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is programmed to initiate the climate control system when the environment adjustment time is equal to the travel time plus a predetermined buffer time and where in the processor is programmed to keep the climate control system activated while the environment adjustment time is less than the travel time.

17. The vehicle system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is programmed to determine the environment adjustment time by comparing the present cabin environment to the target cabin environment and determining the environment adjustment time in accordance with a difference between the present cabin environment and the target cabin environment.

18. The vehicle system of claim 17 , wherein the present cabin environment includes a present cabin temperature and the target cabin environment includes a target cabin temperature, and wherein the environment adjustment time is based at least in part on an amount of time to adjust the present cabin temperature to the target cabin temperature.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dudar Aed M

Classifications

• B60H1/00764 Primary

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

• B60H1/00785

  by the detection of humidity or frost · CPC title

• B60H1/00771 Primary

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

• B60H1/00878 Primary

  the components being temperature regulating devices · CPC title

• B60H1/00814

  Control systems or circuits characterised by their output, for controlling particular components of the heating, cooling or ventilating installation · CPC title