Patent ID: 12233684

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An object of the present disclosure is to control the air conditioning in a vehicle interior independently of vehicle occupants. This object may be achieved by a method according to claim1and a vehicle according to claim8. Further advantageous configurations and embodiments of the disclosure may be found in the dependent claims, the figures and the exemplary embodiment. The embodiments of the disclosure may advantageously be combined with one another.

A first aspect of an embodiment of the disclosure relates to a method for controlling a temperature inside an interior of a vehicle with at least an air conditioning system, a camera and a control device, having the steps:examining the interior in respect of whether at least one region of the interior fitments in the interior can be acquired by the camera,determining the temperature in at least a part of the interior by means of the camera by measuring infrared radiation, correlated with the temperature, in the region of a surface of the interior fitments or by recording an average infrared value inside the interior by means of the camera, if the interior fitments cannot be detected,determining at least one average temperature inside the vehicle interior,transmitting the average value to the air conditioning system.

The method according to an embodiment of the disclosure advantageously makes it possible to establish the temperature in the vehicle interior on the basis of surface temperatures of fitment objects in the vehicle interior. If identification of objects in the vehicle interior is not possible, for example if the camera is obscured, the temperature of pixels may be used.

The method permits automatic control of an air conditioning system even under conditions in which there is no person in the vehicle or the occupant tracking is not functioning. The efficiency of the corresponding air conditioning system is therefore improved in comparison with conventional methods for controlling an air conditioning system. Furthermore, the method is usable even in the event of deliberate or unintentional obscuring or deactivating of the camera. The method also makes it possible to detect open windows or an open vehicle roof.

Preferably, for the measured surface temperature, an average value of the relevant surface and an average value of all the values measured by the camera are calculated, and the average values are weighted. The use of average values of the temperature is advantageous particularly in the case of a plurality of measurement values of a surface.

Preferably, the measured or calculated values are set in relation with a reference value for the surface temperature, and the thermal radiation of the relevant surface is calculated. The use of a reference value presupposes that a reference region, for example the surface of a vehicle seat, is known.

Preferably, the temperature values of different surface regions are used as input data, in order, with an assumption of an average distance from a vehicle occupant, to relate the thermal radiation to the vehicle occupants.

For a case in which no interior fitment is identified, the average value obtained is compared with an earlier stored average value and the current value of the temperature is decided on from this comparison. The decision is carried out with the assumption of a certain tolerance range of errors in the temperature determination.

Preferably, the value transmitted to the control device is selected from the group consisting of measured temperature values, surface temperature fields, thermal radiation fields and the error status.

Preferably, the control device calculates a comfort status in the interior on the basis of the thermal radiation. The air conditioning system automatically adjusts the temperature and air flow in the interior according to the calculations.

A second aspect relates to a vehicle comprising at least an air conditioning system, a camera and a control device, which is configured to control a method according to the disclosure. The advantages of the vehicle correspond to the advantages of the method according to the disclosure. The vehicle is in particular a motor vehicle, although it may also be a watercraft or aircraft.

With reference to the figures, a motor vehicle1according to the disclosure is configured in an embodiment according toFIG.1as a saloon car. The motor vehicle1comprises an interior4delimited by a body2and a roof3. The interior4may also synonymously be referred to as a passenger compartment. Interior fitments, which comprise two front seats5and a rear bench seat6, are arranged in the interior4. Further elements of the interior fitments are for example various furnishings, control elements, mirrors, safety belts, etc.

The motor vehicle1has an air conditioning system10. The air conditioning system10is configured to control temperature, humidity, air flow and other parameters which are familiar to the person skilled in the art in the interior4.

A camera20may be arranged in the region of the roof3. The camera20may be configured as an infrared light camera. The camera20can therefore detect heat radiated by objects of the interior fitments by measuring the infrared radiation. Reflective panels, which reflect infrared radiation, may be arranged in the interior4.

The camera20is arranged in such a way that it can acquire at least the thermal radiation of the front seats5and of the bench seat6. In this case, the camera20inFIG.1is located in the middle of the roof3, that is to say equally far away from all the edges of the roof. As an alternative, the camera20may also be arranged in the region of a rear-view mirror8arranged centrally above the boundary of the windscreen7or at another practicable position in the interior4. A plurality of cameras may also be arranged in the interior4in order to fully acquire the thermal radiation in the interior4.

The camera20may be connected to a control device30. The control device30may be configured to receive sensor values from the camera20and to calculate what the temperature distribution is in individual regions of the interior4and in the interior4as a whole. The control device30may be furthermore configured to calculate settings of devices of the air conditioning system10which are intended for temperature regulation, and to transmit corresponding control instructions to the air conditioning system10. The control device30can have correspondingly designed computer hardware, processor, memory and/or software components for implementing the described tasks and functions. For instance, the processor may execute software to provide the described tasks and functions described herein.

In an embodiment of a method for controlling a temperature in the interior4of the motor vehicle1, according to the flowchart inFIG.2, in a first step S1the interior4is examined in respect of whether at least a part of the interior fitments in the interior4, namely the seats5and the bench seat6, can be acquired by the camera20.

As a function of the possibility of detecting the interior fitments, the method locally runs in two branches. If the seats5and/or the bench seat6can be detected (Y for Yes), in a second step S2ameasurements are recorded by means of the camera20by measuring infrared radiation, correlated with the temperature, in the region of a surface of the seats5and the bench seat6, and these measurement values are transmitted to the control device30.

If no part of the interior fitments can be detected by the camera20(N for No), for example because the eyepiece of the camera20is obscured, in a second step S2btemperature values are determined by recording an average infrared value inside the interior4.

In a third step S3, at least one average value of the temperature values determined is calculated by the control device30. For this purpose, after step S2a, an average temperature of an examined surface of the seats5or the bench seat6as well as an average temperature of all sensor values in the field of view of the camera20are measured and the values are weighted against one another. As an alternative or in addition, a reference temperature of an examined surface may be determined and used in order to calculate the thermal radiation of the surface.

After step S2b, in step S3, the average temperature determined in step S2bis compared with one (or more) average temperatures determined at an earlier time and a current value is decided on. In this case, a certain error range is taken into account.

In a fourth step S4, the determined average temperature, thermal images and thermal radiation of analyzed surfaces as well as error ranges are transmitted to the air conditioning system10. In the air conditioning system10, the corresponding switching points are operated in order to adjust the temperature in the interior4of the vehicle1on the basis of the values that have been determined.

LIST OF REFERENCES

1motor vehicle2body3roof4interior5front seats6rear bench seat7windscreen8rear-view mirror10air conditioning system20camera30control device