Patent ID: 7497251
Filing Date: 2009-03-03
Classification: B60H,G01K

Abstract:
1. An air conditioner for a vehicle comprising: an air conditioning unit for conditioning air in a passenger compartment of the vehicle; a non-contact temperature sensor for detecting a surface temperature of a temperature detection area in the passenger compartment in non-contact; first calculating means for calculating a first air-conditioning control value, which indicates a first target air conditioning state in the passenger compartment, based on the detected surface temperature of the non-contact temperature sensor; determining means for determining whether an obstacle exists between the temperature detection area and the non-contact temperature sensor; second calculating means for calculating a second air-conditioning control value indicating a second target air conditioning state in the passenger compartment based on a current inside air temperature of the passenger compartment when the determining means determines that the obstacle exists between the temperature detection area and the non-contact temperature sensor; and a control unit for controlling the air conditioning unit, wherein: when the determining means determines that the obstacle does not exist between the temperature detection area and the non-contact temperature sensor, the control unit controls the air conditioning unit based on the first air-conditioning control value; and when the determining means determines that the obstacle exists between the temperature detection area and the non-contact temperature sensor, the control unit controls the air conditioning unit based on the second air conditioning control value.