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US 5,553,661 AGranted
Solar position correction for climate control system
AssigneeDelco Electronics Corporation
InventorsDavid G. Beyerlein, Bruce D. Rohn
Life of this patent
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AssigneeDelco Electronics Corporation
InventorsDavid G. Beyerlein, Bruce D. Rohn
Estimating the term…
A vehicle heating and air conditioning system has multiple zones and a manual comfort selector for each zone. The setting for each zone is adjustable for the effects of sun intensity and sun position. A Global Position System (GPS) navigation system provides heading, longitude, latitude, time and date data from which sun position relative to the vehicle is determined, and solar sensors provide solar intensity information. An empirical table for each zone addressed by sun elevation and relative azimuth contains solar illumination factors which, along with solar intensity factors, afford an adjustment to the comfort settings, thus altering the temperature and/or flow rate of air supplied to each zone. Alternatively, in the absence of a GPS receiver, a magnetic compass is used for heading data, geographic region data is entered manually, and an on-board clock furnishes the time and date.
In an automotive vehicle HVAC system, a control for air temperature and air flow having data collectors for data relevant to sun position for determining sun position and solar sensors for sensing solar load, the method of adjusting for sun load comprising the steps of:
In an automotive vehicle HVAC system for controlling comfort level in multiple zones, each zone subject to a different solar load in dependence on sun position relative to the vehicle, a control for air temperature and air flow to each zone having data collectors for data on vehicle location and heading, sensors for solar load and zone air temperatures, and temperature selectors for the respective zones, the method of adjusting for sun load comprising the steps of:
An automotive vehicle HVAC system for controlling comfort level in multiple zones having manually controlled comfort settings, each zone subject to a different solar load in dependence on sun position relative to the vehicle, a control for regulating the temperature of air flow to each zone to compensate for solar load comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.