Air conditioning apparatus with an improved sunlight correction

An air conditioning apparats for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

• first sunlight amount detecting means for detecting an amount of sunlight which enters a driver's seat side space in said passenger compartment and outputting a sunlight amount signal according to the detected value;
• second sunlight amount detecting means for detecting an amount of sunlight which enters a passenger seat side space in said passenger compartment and outputting a sunlight amount signal according to the detected value;
• changing means for differentially changing the amounts of sunlight detected by said first and second sunlight amount detecting means in response to a side direction in which sunlight enters said passenger compartment, said side direction having a non-zero azimuth angle;
• sunlight direction changing means for changing a sunlight direction so that said amounts of sunlight which enters to said first and second sunlight amount detecting means becomes larger when an elevation angle of sunlight which enters said passenger compartment is small;
• air conditioning means for controlling states of conditioned air blown out into said driver's seat side space and said passenger seat side space;
• control means for controlling said air conditioning means on the basis of interior environmental factors including sunlight amounts to be detected by said first and second sunlight amount detecting means;
• and
• sunlight amount correcting means for correcting at least one of said sunlight amount signals of said first and second sunlight amount detecting means so that a ratio or a difference, between said sunlight amount signals becomes larger when said ratio or said difference, between said sunlight amount signals is within a predetermined range.

An air conditioning apparatus of a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

• a first sunlight sensor so arranged as to detect an amount of sunlight which enters a driver's seat side space and output a first sunlight amount signal on the basis of the detected value;
• a second sunlight sensor so arranged as to detect an amount of sunlight which enters a passenger seat side space and output a second sunlight amount signal on the basis of the detected value;
• an optical transparent member arranged above the first and second sunlight sensors and including a prism portion which changes a direction of sunlight passing therethrough;
• a changing member so arranged as to differentially change amounts of sunlight entering said first and second sunlight amount detecting means in response to an amount of sunlight entering said passenger compartment in a side direction having a non-zero azimuth angle;
• sunlight amount correcting means for correcting at least one of said first and second sunlight amount signals outputted from said first and second sunlight sensors, respectively, when one of a ratio and a difference between said sunlight amount signals is within a predetermined range;
• and
• air conditioning means for controlling states of conditioned air blown out into said driver's seat side space and said passenger seat side space, on the basis of interior environmental factors including the first and second sunlight amount signals corrected by said sunlight amount correcting means.

An air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:

• first sunlight amount detecting means for detecting an amount of sunlight which enters a driver's seat side space in said passenger compartment and outputting a first sunlight amount signal according to the detected value;
• second sunlight amount detecting means for detecting an amount of sunlight which enters a passenger seat side space in said passenger compartment and outputting a second sunlight amount signal according to the detected value;
• changing means for differentially changing amounts of sunlight detected by said first and second sunlight amount detecting means in response to an amount of sunlight entering said passenger compartment in a side direction having a non-zero azimuth angle;
• sunlight direction changing means for changing a sunlight direction so that said amounts of sunlight which enters said first and second sunlight amount detecting means becomes larger when an elevation angle of sunlight which enters said passenger compartment is small;
• air conditioning means for controlling states of conditioned air blown out into said driver's seat side space and said passenger seat side space;
• first air target value calculating means for calculating a first target value of air blown out into said driver's seat side space, on the basis of interior environmental factors including sunlight amount to be detected by said first sunlight amount detecting means;
• second air target value calculating means for calculating a second target value of air blown out into said passenger seat side space, on the basis of interior environmental factors including sunlight amount to be detected by said second sunlight amount detecting means;
• and
• air conditioning control means for controlling said air conditioning means on the basis of said first and second target values calculated by said first and second target value calculating means;
• wherein
• said first and second air target value calculating means correct at least one of said first and second target values so that a difference between said states of conditioned air blown out into said driver's seat side space and said passenger seat side space becomes larger, when a ratio or a difference, between said first and second sunlight amount signals of said first and second sunlight amount detecting means is within a predetermined range.