# US 2014/0197155 A1 · Heater control apparatus

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0197155 A1
- Document ID: US20140197155A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/154,371
- Filed: 2014-01-14
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-15
- Assignees: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Tsukasa TAKAHASHI; Kenichi MIZUNO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197155A1

## CPC

- H05B 1/0238: {For seats}
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

There is provided a heater control apparatus for controlling a heat generation amount of a heater including a heating element which is provided in a seat and which has a positive or negative temperature coefficient of resistance. The heater control apparatus includes a resistance detection unit which detects an electricity amount which corresponds to a resistance value of the heating element, and a control unit which increases or decreases an electric energizing amount supplied to the heating element according to the resistance value obtained by the resistance detection unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heater control apparatus for controlling a heat generation amount of a heater including a heating element which is provided in a seat and which has a positive or negative temperature coefficient of resistance, the heater control apparatus comprising:
a resistance detection unit which detects an electricity amount which corresponds to a resistance value of the heating element; and
a control unit which increases or decreases an electric energizing amount supplied to the heating element according to the resistance value obtained by the resistance detection unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The heater control apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the heating element has a positive temperature coefficient of resistance, and
wherein the control unit controls electric power supply to the heating element through a PWM control and compensates for the electric energizing amount supplied to the heating element by changing a duty ration to increase when the resistance value obtained by the resistance detection unit is increased.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The heater control apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the heating element has a negative temperature coefficient of resistance, and
wherein the control unit controls electric power supply to the heating element through a PWM control and suppresses the electric energizing amount supplied to the heating element by changing a duty ratio to decrease when the resistance value obtained by the resistance detection unit is decreased.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The heater control apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the heater is supplied with electric power from a predetermined power supply, and
wherein the control unit is capable of supplying, to the heating element, a maximum amount of electric power which is determined within a capacity of the power supply when the heating element has a predetermined resistance value.