Vehicle air conditioner having a seat air conditioning unit
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsHiroyuki Tomita, Toshifumi Kamiya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a vehicle air conditioner, a front air conditioning unit and a seat air conditioning unit are automatically controlled by an air conditioner ECU. If a seat air conditioner switch is operated by a user during an automatic control, the setting (e.g. air volume of a seat blower) of the seat air conditioning switch is learned. Based on the learning, a seat blower characteristic diagram, which is stored in a ROM, is changed. Therefore, from this time onward, under the same environmental condition, the seat blower air volume is determined based on the changed seat blower characteristic diagram. Accordingly, a seat air conditioning is provided as desired.
Claims12
An air conditioner for a vehicle comprising:
- seat air conditioner means for producing air blowing from a seat of the vehicle;
- storage means for storing a control characteristic of the seat air conditioner means;
- control means for automatically controlling the seat air conditioner means based on the control characteristic stored in the storage means;
- manual setting means for setting a control condition of the seat air conditioner means;
- compartment air conditioner means for air-conditioning a passenger compartment of the vehicle;
- target temperature calculating means for calculating a target temperature of air to be blown into the passenger compartment with respect to a setting temperature of the passenger compartment, wherein the control means automatically controls the compartment air conditioner means based on the target temperature;
- and,
- target temperature correcting means for correcting the target temperature in accordance with a change of the control condition of the seat air conditioner means when the control condition of the seat air conditioner means is changed by operation of the manual setting means;
- wherein when the manual setting means is operated during an automatic control of the seat air conditioner means, a setting condition of the manual setting means is learned and the control characteristic is changed based on the learning.
An air conditioner for a vehicle comprising:
- seat air conditioner means for producing air blowing from a seat of the vehicle;
- storage means for storing a control characteristic of the seat air conditioner means;
- control means for automatically controlling the seat air conditioner means based on the control characteristic stored in the storage means;
- manual setting means for setting a control condition of the seat air conditioner means;
- and
- a first seat and a second seat respectively air-conditioned by the seat air conditioner means,
- wherein when the manual setting means is operated during an automatic control of the seat air conditioner means, a setting condition of the manual setting means is learned and the control characteristic is changed based on the learning;
- and
- wherein when an air-conditioning control of the first seat is changed by operating the manual setting means, the learning is applied to an air-conditioning control of the second seat.
A method of controlling a vehicle air conditioner having a front air conditioner unit for air-conditioning a passenger compartment of a vehicle and a seat air conditioner unit for air-conditioning a seat of the vehicle by a seat blower, the method comprising:
- calculating a target temperature of air to be blown into the passenger compartment with respect to a setting temperature of the passenger compartment while the front air conditioner unit is automatically controlled by a control means;
- determining whether a switch of the seat blower for changing an air blow level is operated;
- correcting the target temperature in accordance with a change of the switch when it is determined that the switch is operated;
- calculating a volume of air to be blown by the seat blower based on a seat blower characteristic stored in a storage means with respect to the target temperature;
- and
- determining a volume of air to be blown by a main blower of the front air conditioner unit based on the target temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.