# US 12,759,374 B2 · Electric compressor for vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,759,374 B2 - Document ID: US12759374B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/712,137 - Filed: 2022-11-22 - Published: 2025-01-30 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-11-24 - Assignees: Estra Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Estra Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jin Woo Park; Ho Young Jang; Doe Hyung Lee; Sung Won Kang; Dong Yeon Kim; Seong Yeob Lee; Kwang Woo Nam - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759374B2 ## CPC - B60H 1/3205: {Control means therefor} - B60H 1/00885: {Controlling the flow of heating or cooling liquid, e.g. valves or pumps (B60H1/00899 takes precedence; constructions of valves B60H1/00485)} - B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES ## Abstract Proposed is an electric vehicle air conditioning system and a control method therefor, the air conditioning system being capable of preventing a phenomenon in which flash fogging occurs on a windshield. The method for the electric vehicle air conditioning system includes determining whether a current air conditioning mode is set to a cooling mode or a heating mode, determining whether a request for entering an internal heat exchanger dry mode is received when the current air conditioning mode is set to the heating mode, entering the internal heat exchanger dry mode and performing an drying operation of an internal heat exchanger for a predetermined time when the request for entering the internal heat exchanger dry mode is received, and operating a set normal heating mode when the internal heat exchanger dry mode is finished. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control method for an electric vehicle air conditioning system, the electric vehicle air conditioning system comprising: a compressor configured to compress and discharge a refrigerant; a 4-way valve configured to transfer the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to an external heat exchanger or an internal heat exchanger according to air conditioning modes; the external heat exchanger configured to heat exchange between the refrigerant transferred from the compressor or the internal heat exchanger and air outside a vehicle; the internal heat exchanger configured to heat exchange between the refrigerant transferred from the external heat exchanger and air supplied inside a HVAC module, or to heat exchange between the refrigerant transferred from the compressor and the air supplied inside the HVAC module; a heater core mounted around the internal heat exchanger and supplied with a cooling water heated through a cooling water electric heater, the heater core being configured to heat air discharged through the internal heat exchanger; a blower fan mounted inside the HVAC module and configured to blow air to the internal heat exchanger; and a controller configured to control the compressor, the cooling water electric heater, and the blower fan according to the air conditioning modes, the control method comprising: (a) determining, by the controller, that a current air conditioning mode is set to a heating mode; (b) determining, by the controller, that a request for entering an internal heat exchanger dry mode is received, while the current air conditioning mode is set to the heating mode; (c) entering the internal heat exchanger dry mode and performing, by the heater core and the blower fan, a drying operation on the internal heat exchanger for a predetermined time in response to determining that the request for entering the internal heat exchanger dry mode is received; and (d) operating a set normal heating mode after the internal heat exchanger dry mode is finished. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control method of claim 1, wherein, after the entering of the internal heat exchanger dry mode of the process (c), the heater core and the blower fan further performing indoor heating, and the compressor is operated at a set minimum RPM for a predetermined time to remove residual moisture of the internal heat exchanger. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control method of claim 1, further comprising: (a-1) determining whether an outside temperature exists within a set range when it is confirmed that the current air conditioning mode is set to the heating mode in the process (a). ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The control method of claim 3, wherein, in the process (a-1), when the outside temperature exists within the set range, the electric vehicle air conditioning system enters the process (b) and whether the request for entering the internal heat exchanger dry mode is received is determined, and when the outside temperature does not exist within the set range, the electric vehicle air conditioning system enters the process (d) and the set normal heating mode is operated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The control method of claim 1, wherein, while the drying operation on the internal heat exchanger is performed in the process (c), when the electric vehicle air conditioning system is changed to a defrost mode or the cooling mode by a manipulation of a user or a set condition, or when the air conditioning system is turned off, the drying operation on the internal heat exchanger is stopped. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The control method of claim 1, wherein, when a battery reset is performed, the electric vehicle air conditioning system enters the internal heat exchanger dry mode in the process (c) and the drying operation on the internal heat exchanger is performed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The control method of claim 1, further comprising (e) determining whether a position change to the heating mode occurs while the current air conditioning mode is confirmed that the current air conditioning mode is set to the cooling mode and the electric vehicle air conditioning system is operated in a set normal cooling mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The control method of claim 7, wherein, in the process (e), whether the position change to the heating mode occurs is determined on the basis of whether a position change of the 4-way valve occurs. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The control method of claim 7, wherein, in the process (e), when it is determined that the position change to the heating mode occurs, the electric vehicle air conditioning system enters the internal heat exchanger dry mode in the process (c) and the drying operation on the internal heat exchanger is performed, and when it is determined that the position change to the heating mode does not occur, the set normal cooling mode is performed.