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US 12,194,816 B2Granted
Method of climate control for an autonomous vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsAnthony Ligi, Jr., Gary D. Mullen, Francis Raymond Gillis, Steven Nicholas Fidh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air flow control system includes a plenum having an air inlet, a first air outlet, a second air outlet and a third air outlet, a vent door, an air guide, carried on the vent door, and an actuator. The actuator displaces the vent door between a first position closing the first air outlet and a second position opening the first air outlet. A climate control method for an autonomous vehicle is also provided.
Claims16
A climate control method for a vehicle, comprising:
- opening, by a controller, a first air outlet having a first back pressure P1 to provide a first heating or cooling rate R1 until an air temperature in a passenger cabin of said vehicle reaches a predetermined-comfort temperature range;-and
- closing, by said controller, in response to said air temperature in said passenger cabin reaching said predetermined comfort temperature range, said first air outlet such that substantially no portion of an air stream passes to an interior of said vehicle from a dashboard of said vehicle and directing, by an air guide carried on a vent door of said first air outlet, a first portion of said air stream through a second air outlet and a second portion of said air stream through a third air outlet, wherein at least said second air outlet has a second back pressure P2 to provide a second heating or cooling rate R2 where P1<P2 and R1>R2, and wherein said first portion of said air stream is directed through said second air outlet into a first air duct, said second portion of said air stream is directed through said third air outlet into a second air duct, and said first and said second air ducts lead downstream to a vent register directed at passengers at the various seating locations within the motor vehicle.
A climate control method for an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
- opening, by a controller, a first air outlet having a first back pressure P1 to provide a first heating or cooling rate R1 until an air temperature in a passenger cabin of said autonomous vehicle reaches a predetermined comfort temperature range;
- closing, by said controller in response to said air temperature in said passenger cabin reaching said predetermined comfort temperature range, said first air outlet such that substantially no portion of an stream passes to an interior of said vehicle from a dashboard of said vehicle and directing, by an air guide carried on a vent door of said first air outlet, a first portion of said air stream through a second air outlet and a second portion of said air stream through a third air outlet, wherein at least said second air outlet has a second back pressure P2 to provide a second heating or cooling rate R2 where P1<P2 and R1>R2, and wherein said first portion of said air stream is directed through said second air outlet into a first air duct;
- said second portion of said air stream is directed through said third air outlet into a second air duct;
- and said first and second air ducts lead downstream to a vent register directed at passengers at the various seating locations within the motor vehicle;
- and
- configuring said controller to open said first air outlet in response to (a) an unoccupied passenger cabin;
- (b) a hail for a ride and (c) a need for maximum heating or cooling to bring an air temperature within said passenger cabin within said predetermined comfort temperature range before picking up a passenger in response to said hail.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.