Preconditioning for vehicle subsystems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9738287-B2
Application number	US-201514854518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	Sep 15, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle includes a subsystem conditioner and a controller. The controller is programmed to, in response to a difference between user specified and learned times of day being greater than a threshold, activate the conditioner a predetermined time before each of the times of day. The controller is also programmed to, in response to the difference being less than the threshold, activate the conditioner the predetermined time before the specified time of day but not the learned time of day.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a subsystem conditioner; and
a controller programmed to,
in response to a difference between user specified and learned times of day being greater than a threshold, activate the conditioner a predetermined time before each of the times of day, and
in response to the difference being less than the threshold, activate the conditioner the predetermined time before the specified time of day but not the learned time of day.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the learned time of day corresponds to a time of day on a specific day of the week that the user is expected operate the vehicle based on historical use of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the user specified time of day corresponds to a time of day on a specific day of the week that the user has manually scheduled to operate the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an engine cooling system, wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of a coolant within the engine cooling system such that the temperature is within a desired operating range.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a traction battery, wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of the traction battery such that the temperature is within a desired operating range.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the subsystem conditioner is a climate control system configured to adjust a climate of a vehicle cabin such that the climate of the vehicle cabin is adjusted to a desired comfort setting.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising contact points located in an interior of the vehicle that are configured to come into contact with a vehicle user, wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a surface temperature of the contact points such that temperatures are within a desired comfort setting.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the contact points are outer surfaces of a steering wheel.

9. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the contact points are outer surfaces of a vehicle seat.

10. A vehicle subsystem conditioner controller comprising:
input channels configured to receive signals indicative of user specified and learned times of day;
output channels configured to provide first commands to activate a subsystem conditioner a predetermined time before each of the times of day and second commands to activate the conditioner the predetermined time before the user specified time of day but not the learned time of day; and
control logic configured to generate the first commands in response to a difference between the times of day being greater than a threshold and to generate the second commands in response to the difference being less than the threshold.

11. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the learned time of day corresponds to a time of day on a specific day of the week that the user is expected to operate the vehicle based on historical use of the vehicle.

12. The controller of claim 11 , wherein the user specified time of day corresponds to a time of day on a specific day of the week that the user has manually scheduled to operate the vehicle.

13. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of a coolant within an engine cooling system such that the temperature is within a desired operating range.

14. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of a fluid within a transmission such that the temperature is within a desired operating range.

15. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of a traction battery such that the temperature is within a desired operating range.

16. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of an outer surface of a vehicle seat such that the temperature is within a desired comfort setting.

17. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the subsystem conditioner is configured to adjust a temperature of an outer surface of a steering wheel such that the temperature is within a desired comfort setting.

18. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the subsystem conditioner is a climate control system configured to adjust a climate of a vehicle cabin such that the climate of the vehicle cabin is adjusted to a user's desired comfort setting.

19. A vehicle climate controller comprising:
input channels configured to receive signals indicative of ambient and forecasted climate conditions;
output channels configured to provide commands to activate a climate control system a predetermined time before a scheduled time of day; and
control logic configured to generate the commands to activate the climate control system to condition a vehicle cabin based on a learned offset between the ambient and forecasted climate conditions.

20. The vehicle climate controller of claim 19 , wherein the control logic is further configured to generate the commands to activate the climate control system to condition the vehicle cabin to a climate preference of one of a plurality of users based on a specific user's scheduled time of day.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Bolger Bryan Michael
• Porras Angel Fernando

Classifications

• B60H1/00778

  the input being a stationary vehicle position, e.g. parking or stopping · CPC title

• B60W50/0098 Primary

  Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B62D1/065

  Steering wheels with heating and ventilating means (heating and ventilation of steering wheel when connected to vehicle HVAC B60H1/00292) · CPC title

• B60H1/00278

  for the battery · CPC title

• F01P7/16

  by thermostatic control · CPC title