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US 11,770,876 B2Granted
Heater control system
AssigneePhillips & Temro Industries Inc.
InventorsRoger J. Halberg, Steven W. Tonkin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heater control system is disclosed. In an embodiment, the heater control system includes a fluid heater that includes a heating element. The heating element controlled by a switch. The heater control system also includes a controller that can operate the switch. The controller is configured to determine whether a temperature associated with the fluid heater is below a predetermined temperature threshold. The controller causes the switch to transition to an operational state when the temperature is below the predetermined temperature threshold allowing current to flow through the at least one heating element.
Claims19
A heater control system, comprising:
- a fluid heater including at least one heating element that is operatively controlled by a switch and that heats a fluid of a vehicle when current flows through the at least one heating element;
- a controller that is connected to the switch, wherein the controller is configured to:
- determine whether the temperature of the fluid is below a first predetermined temperature threshold;
- determine whether the ambient temperature is below a second predetermined temperature threshold;
- determine whether a zero-crossing event is occurring;
- cause the switch to transition to an operational state when the temperature of the fluid is below the first predetermined temperature threshold, the ambient temperature is below the second predetermined temperature threshold, a present time is a period before a departure time of the vehicle, and a zero-crossing event is occurring, allowing current to flow through the at least one heating element of the fluid heater;
- and
- set the first predetermined temperature threshold based on a function of the ambient temperature;
- and
- a pulse-width modulation device that is configured to generate a pulse-width modulated signal based upon a difference between the temperature of the fluid and the first predetermined temperature threshold, a duration of the pulse-width modulated signal being set by the pulse-width modulation device using a lookup table based on the temperature of the fluid and the first predetermined temperature threshold, and control the switch using the pulse-width modulated signal.
7 more elements
A heater control system, comprising:
- a controller that is connected to a switch that is connected to a fluid heater, the fluid heater including at least one heating element that heats a fluid of a vehicle when current flows through the at least one heating element,
- wherein the controller is configured to:
- determine whether the temperature of the fluid is below a first predetermined temperature threshold;
- determine whether the ambient temperature is below a second predetermined temperature threshold;
- determine whether a zero-crossing event is occurring;
- cause the switch to transition to an operational state when the temperature of the fluid is below the first predetermined temperature threshold, the ambient temperature is below the second predetermined temperature threshold, a present time is a period before a departure time of the vehicle, and a zero-crossing event is occurring, allowing current to flow through the at least one heating element of the fluid heater;
- set the first predetermined temperature threshold based on a function of the ambient temperature;
- diagnose a fault when a change in a temperature of a zone of the fluid heater over a predetermined time period is greater than an expected change in the temperature;
- and
- adjust heating of the fluid heater when the fault is diagnosed;
- and
- a pulse-width modulation device that is configured to generate a pulse-width modulated signal based upon a difference between the temperature of the fluid and the first predetermined temperature threshold, a duration of the pulse-width modulated signal being set by the pulse-width modulation device using a lookup table based on the temperature of the fluid and the first predetermined temperature threshold, and control the switch using the pulse-width modulated signal.
9 more elements
A heater control system, comprising:
- a fluid heater including at least one heating element that is operatively controlled by a switch and heats a fluid of a vehicle when current flows through the at least one heating element;
- a pulse-width modulation device;
- and
- a controller that is connected to the switch, wherein the controller is configured to:
- determine whether the temperature of the fluid is below a first predetermined temperature threshold;
- determine whether the ambient temperature is below a second predetermined temperature threshold;
- determine whether a zero-crossing event is occurring;
- cause the pulse-width modulation device to generate a pulse-width modulated signal and operate the switch when the temperature of the fluid is below the first predetermined temperature threshold, the ambient temperature is below the second predetermined temperature threshold, a present time is a period before a departure time of the vehicle, and the zero-crossing event is occurring, allowing current to flow through the at least one heating element;
- and
- set the first predetermined temperature threshold based on a function of the ambient temperature;
- wherein the pulse-width modulation device is configured to generate the pulse-width modulated signal based upon a difference between the temperature of the fluid and the first predetermined temperature threshold, a duration of the pulse-width modulated signal being set by the pulse-width modulation device using a lookup table based on the temperature of the fluid and the first predetermined temperature threshold, and control the switch using the pulse-width modulated signal.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.