JP7689038B2 - Vehicle equipment control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle device control device that controls in-vehicle devices including a vehicle air conditioning system.

Conventionally, there is known a vehicle air conditioner that adjusts the temperature and air volume of the conditioned air so that the temperature in the sleeping compartment changes according to a temperature pattern for sleeping that is stored in memory as a temperature change pattern that allows a person to sleep comfortably when the air conditioner's air conditioning command switch is operated for a person taking a nap in the sleeping compartment inside a truck vehicle (see Patent Document 1 below).

JP 2015-30291 A

In vehicles that are not equipped with a sleeping compartment, the driver and other occupants take a nap in the vehicle cabin while driving, with their seats reclined. In this case, the driver is not fully prepared to take a nap as he would be in a sleeping compartment, so even if it were possible to adjust the air conditioning to suit a nap as in conventional technology, the driver may forget to adjust it and take a nap with the air conditioning running normally, resulting in the air conditioning blowing directly on the driver and making it difficult to take a comfortable nap.

In addition, when taking a nap inside the car, breathing can increase the humidity inside the car. If the air conditioner is running when taking a nap, the air conditioner will detect the increase in humidity inside the car and operate the dehumidifier, which can dry out the car interior while the person is sleeping, which can be detrimental to the health of the person taking a nap.

Furthermore, if you take a nap with the driver's seat reclined, if you resume driving immediately after waking up, you will be driving while not fully awake, making it difficult to ensure safety. Also, if you take a nap with the air conditioning turned off, the humidity in the vehicle will increase immediately after the nap, causing the windows to fog up, which can also make driving immediately after a nap unsafe.

The present invention aims to address these problems. In other words, the objective of the present invention is to enable a driver to take a comfortable nap with the seat reclined while driving the vehicle, and to ensure safety when resuming driving immediately after a nap.

In order to solve such problems, the present invention has the following configuration.
An in-vehicle equipment control device that controls in-vehicle equipment including an air conditioning device, detects a reclined state of a seat when the vehicle is stopped and determines that an occupant will take a nap, and based on said determination, switches operation of the air conditioning device to a nap-compatible operation that limits dehumidification operation, and after said determination, determines that the nap has ended and switches the air conditioning device to an awakening air conditioning operation for the sleeping occupant , the end of the nap is determined based on a prediction of a time when the nap will end, the vehicle in which the device is installed is an electric vehicle, and the prediction of the time when the nap will end is based on the start of EV charging or the EV charging state .

When taking a nap in the vehicle cabin while driving, with the seat reclined, the driver can take a comfortable nap. In addition, safety can be ensured when resuming driving immediately after taking a nap.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing a system configuration of an in-vehicle equipment control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a flowchart showing a control example of an in-vehicle device control device. 6 is a flowchart showing another control example of the in-vehicle device control device. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an in-vehicle device control device mounted on an electric vehicle. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the interior configuration of an electric vehicle. 4 is a flowchart showing a control example of an in-vehicle device control device mounted on an electric vehicle. 4 is a flowchart showing a control example of an in-vehicle device control device mounted on an electric vehicle.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, an in-vehicle device control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a control device (ECU: Electronic Control Unit) 1A. The control device 1A includes one or more processors and a memory in which a program executed by the processor is stored. The above-mentioned program executes control so that the in-vehicle device control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can take a comfortable nap when the driver takes a nap with the seat reclined in the vehicle cabin while driving the vehicle, or to ensure safety when resuming driving immediately after a nap.

The control device 1A is also connected to an in-vehicle network (e.g., CAN: Controller Area Network) L installed in the vehicle. The control device 1A is connected to input/output devices of various in-vehicle devices and the control device (ECU) that controls them via the in-vehicle network L. The control device 1A may be an original device that constitutes the in-vehicle device control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, or it may be an ECU that controls one of the various in-vehicle devices (e.g., an air conditioning device).

This control device 1A is assumed to be connected to the input/output devices of various in-vehicle devices via the in-vehicle network L, and detects whether the seat is reclined when the vehicle is stopped, and determines that an occupant is taking a nap. Based on this determination, it controls the operation of the air conditioning system to switch to nap-friendly operation, which limits dehumidification operation.

More specifically, the control device 1A receives, for example, a vehicle stop signal from the shift operation device 2 and a seat reclined state detection signal from the seat adjustment device 3. In addition, when the in-vehicle equipment control device 1 is mounted on an electric vehicle, the control device 1A receives an EV charging start signal or an EV charging state (SOC: State Of Charge) signal from the in-vehicle charger 4 and the like. Then, it performs calculations on these inputs and outputs commands to control the air conditioning device 5 or the seat adjustment device 3.

An example of control by the control device 1A will be described with reference to FIG. 2. First, the control device 1A waits for the input of a vehicle stop signal to determine whether the vehicle has stopped (step S1), and, assuming that the vehicle is stopped, determines whether the occupant will take a nap based on the input of the seat reclining state detection signal (step S2). The determination at this time is made based on preset conditions, such as whether the seat reclining angle has reclined to a set value or more, or the seat reclining angle has remained reclined to a set value or more for a set period of time, or the seat reclining angle has reclined to a set value or more after the EV charging start signal has been input.

When the control device 1A determines that the occupant is going to take a nap (step S2: YES), it outputs a command to switch the air conditioner 5 to nap-compatible operation (step S3). One aspect of the nap-compatible operation here is to restrict dehumidification operation. This prevents the air conditioner 5 from performing dehumidification operation even when its own control conditions become conditions that correspond to dehumidification operation. Another aspect of the nap-compatible operation is to change the direction of the airflow, changing the orientation of the grille to direct the airflow away from the occupant lying on the reclined seat so that the airflow does not hit the occupant directly.

Thereafter, the air conditioner 5 continues to operate in a nap-compatible mode (step S4: NO) until it is determined that the nap has ended (step S4), and when it is determined that the nap has ended (step S4: YES), it outputs a command to switch the air conditioner 5 to wakefulness air conditioning mode for the sleeping occupant.

The determination of the end of the nap (step S4) can be made, for example, when the seat reclined state detection signal detects that the seat has risen. In addition, the wakefulness air-conditioning operation of the air-conditioning unit 5 here is set to an air-conditioning operation that encourages the sleeping occupant to wake up, for example by lowering the air-conditioning temperature and directing the air toward the occupant's face.

In this control example, a control command is output to the air conditioner 5 after determining whether or not the passenger will take a nap in the reclined seat, which makes it possible to avoid the risk of taking a nap with the air conditioner 5 in normal operation, resulting in disturbance of a good night's sleep due to air conditioning, or damage to health due to dry air while napping. In particular, the above-mentioned napping-compatible operation of the air conditioner 5 limits the dehumidification operation to prevent the sleeper's throat from drying out, and by not blowing air directly on the passenger, it is possible to achieve the effect of not disturbing sleep.

In addition, according to the control example described above, the reclined state of the seat is used as a trigger to determine whether to take a nap and when the nap has ended, so appropriate decisions can be made without using an in-car camera or the like, simplifying the system. After determining that the nap has ended, wakefulness air conditioning can be performed, ensuring safety even when driving is resumed immediately after the nap ends.

Figure 3 shows another control example of the control device 1A. Here, after the control device 1A determines that a nap will be taken, it predicts the time when the nap will end (nap duration) and determines the end of the nap based on this prediction.

In FIG. 3, steps S10 to S12 are the same as steps S1 to S3 in the above example, and determine whether the vehicle is stopped and, based on that, determine whether the occupant will take a nap. If it is determined that the occupant will take a nap, a nap-friendly operation command is output to the air conditioning device 5.

Then, in step S13, if it is determined in step S11 that a nap will be taken (step S11: YES), a prediction of the nap end time (nap duration) is triggered. For example, if the determination in step S11 is based on the input of an EV charging start signal, this prediction predicts the time when EV charging will be completed, and the time of completion or a set time before completion is predicted as the nap end time.

In addition, when an EV charging state signal is input, the nap end time is predicted based on the EV charging state signal, and by having the user set a target SOC in advance, the nap end time is predicted to be the time when the charging state reaches the target SOC or the set time before the target SOC is reached.

Alternatively, the system can simply set a typical nap time taken while driving and add that time to the time of judgment in step S11 to predict the end time of the nap.

Then, it is determined whether the nap end time is approaching according to the elapsed time (step S14). The nap-compatible operation of the air conditioner 5 is maintained until the elapsed time approaches the predicted nap end time (step S14: NO). If the elapsed time approaches the nap end time (step S14: YES), it is determined whether the operation of the air conditioner 5 has been stopped (step S15). If the air conditioning operation has not been stopped (step S15: NO), the restriction on the dehumidification operation commanded in step S12 is lifted (step S16). If the air conditioning operation has been stopped (step S15: YES), the air conditioner 5 is turned ON to start the dehumidification operation (step S16A).

The determination of the end of the nap based on the prediction of the end time of the nap (step S17) is made based on whether the elapsed time reaches the predicted end time of the nap. If it has reached the predicted end time (step S17: YES), a command is output to the seat adjustment device 3 to automatically raise the seat (step S18). After that, the wake-up air conditioning operation is performed in the same manner as in step S5 described above (step S19).

According to this control example, in addition to the above-mentioned control example, by predicting the end time of the nap, it is possible to permit the dehumidification operation of the air conditioner 5 prior to the end of the nap (if the air conditioning operation is stopped, the dehumidification operation is actively performed), and the windows that have become fogged up during the nap can be cleared prior to the end of the nap. This, together with the wakefulness air conditioning operation that is performed afterwards, ensures safety when resuming vehicle operation immediately after the end of the nap.

Below, an embodiment will be described in which the vehicle equipped with the in-vehicle device control device 1 is an electric vehicle (EV). Figure 4 shows an example of the configuration of the in-vehicle device control device 1 installed in an electric vehicle (the in-vehicle network is omitted), and Figure 5 shows an overview of the interior of the electric vehicle 100.

The electric vehicle 100 is equipped with at least an air conditioning device 5 that controls the air conditioning in the vehicle cabin, a driving force output device 20 that outputs driving force to the drive wheels, a seat adjustment device 3 that adjusts the reclining state of the passenger seats including the driver's seat, and a control device 1A in the vehicle equipment control device 1.

The air conditioner 5 performs cooling/heating operation, dehumidification operation, air blowing operation, etc. to air condition the interior of the electric vehicle 100. Specifically, the air conditioner 5 includes a blower fan 11, a grille 12 that changes the direction of air blowing, a refrigerant circuit 13 that includes an electric compressor, and an air conditioning ECU 10 that controls these.

The driving force output device 20 is equipped with an on-board charger (the on-board charger 4 described above) 21 that converts an externally supplied AC power source into a DC power source, a battery 22 that stores the DC power source from the on-board charger 21, and an inverter 23 that converts the DC power source of the battery 22 into an AC power source.

The driving force output device 20 further includes a driving motor 24 that drives the drive wheels based on the AC power from the inverter 23, a battery management unit 25 that detects the charge/discharge state of the battery 22, and a motor ECU 26 that controls the inverter 23.

When the on-board charger 21 is connected to a charger (charging gun) at a charging station or a household AC power source, it converts the AC power source into DC power source and charges the battery 22. The battery management unit 25 constantly monitors the EV charging state of the battery 22 and outputs an EV charging state signal to the motor ECU 26 or the control device 1A.

The motor ECU 26 controls the inverter 23 and transmits the EV charging state of the battery 22 to the control device 1A based on the charging state of the battery 22 detected by the battery management unit 25. For example, the motor ECU 26 transmits an EV charging start signal to the control device 1A when charging of the battery 22 starts, and sequentially transmits an EV charging state signal when charging of the battery 22 starts.

The seat adjustment device 3 includes a seating sensor 31 that detects whether or not an occupant is present in the driver's seat 3S, an angle sensor 32 that detects the reclined state of the driver's seat 3S, a reclining motor 33 that adjusts the reclined state of the seat 3S by using a rotational driving force, and a seat ECU 30 that controls the reclining motor 33 and the like.

The seat ECU 30 determines whether or not an occupant is present in the seat 3S by monitoring the output value of the seating sensor 31. The seat ECU 30 also monitors the reclining angle of the seat 3S, which is the output value of the angle sensor 32, and determines whether or not the reclining angle exceeds a set angle and the seat is in a reclined state.

The set angle mentioned above is an angle that is not detected when the electric vehicle 100 is being driven, and is, for example, an angle obtained by adding a predetermined angle (for example, 10 to 30 degrees) to the driving reclining angle (for example, 95 degrees). The seat ECU 30 can also automatically control the reclining state of the seat 3S by controlling the reclining motor 33.

The control device 1A constantly communicates with the air conditioning ECU 10, the motor ECU 26, and the seat ECU 30 via an in-vehicle network (not shown). Therefore, the control device 1A can monitor the operating status and control the operation of each of the air conditioning device 5, the driving force output device 20, and the seat adjustment device 3.

Figures 6 and 7 show the control by the control device 1A of the electric vehicle 100. When the vehicle is stopped, the control device 1A of the electric vehicle 100 executes the processing from the next step S101 onwards.

In step S101, the control device 1A communicates with the motor ECU 26 of the driving force output device 20 to determine whether an EV charging start signal has been input, i.e., whether the electric vehicle 100 has started charging. If charging has not started, the control device 1A waits as is, and when an EV charging start signal is input and charging of the electric vehicle 100 starts, the control device 1A proceeds to step S102.

In step S102, the control device 1A communicates with the seat ECU 30 of the seat adjustment device 3 to determine whether or not an occupant is present in the seat 3S. If an occupant is present, the control device 1A proceeds to step S103, and if no occupant is present, the control device 1A proceeds to step S106.

In step S103, the control device 1A communicates with the seat ECU 30 to determine whether the seat 3S is reclined.

If the seat 3S is reclined (step S103: YES), the control device 1A determines that the occupant is taking a nap and proceeds to step S104. In step S104, the control device 1A commands the air conditioning device 5 to perform the nap-supporting operation described above. If the seat 3S is not reclined, the control device 1A proceeds to step S105.

When the air conditioning ECU 10 of the air conditioning unit 5 receives a control command for nap-ready operation from the control unit 1A, it limits the dehumidification operation to prevent the interior of the vehicle from becoming excessively dry while the occupant is napping. Specifically, when the air conditioning unit 5 is in dehumidification operation, the air conditioning ECU 10 switches to an operation mode other than the dehumidification operation (e.g., a pre-set operation mode such as cooling/heating operation or fan operation) and controls the fan 11 and the electric compressor of the refrigerant circuit 13. Furthermore, the air conditioning ECU 10 controls the grill 12 to blow air in a direction different from the direction of the occupant in order to prevent the wind from blowing on the occupant on the seat 3S.

On the other hand, if the air conditioner 5 is operating in an operation mode other than the dehumidification operation, the air conditioner ECU 10 maintains that operation mode. Note that the control device 1A may stop operation if the occupant has preset the operation stop instead of the nap-support operation. Then, the process proceeds to step S107.

In step S105, the control device 1A maintains the current operation of the air conditioner 5 and proceeds to step S107. In step S106, the control device 1A stops the operation of the air conditioner 5 to reduce power consumption and proceeds to step S107.

In step S107, the control device 1A determines whether it is 10 minutes before the charging end time. The charging end time is set, for example, as follows.

When a target SOC for the end of charging is set by the occupant, the control device 1A communicates with the motor ECU 26 to predict the charging time, which is the time from the start of charging when the EV charging start signal is input to the end of charging when the target SOC is reached. The control device 1A then sets the charging end time based on the predicted charging time.

In addition, if the charging time is preset by the occupant, the control device 1A sets the time at which the charging time has elapsed as the charging end time. In addition, if the charging end time is preset by the occupant, the control device 1A uses that charging end time as is.

If the control device 1A determines that it is 10 minutes before the charging end time, it proceeds to step S108, and if it determines that it is not 10 minutes before the charging end time, it returns to step S102. In other words, the processes from step S102 to step S107 are repeated from the start of charging until 10 minutes before the charging end time.

In step S108, the control device 1A determines whether or not an occupant is present. If it determines that an occupant is present, the process proceeds to step S108. If it determines that no occupant is present, the process proceeds to step S112.

In step S109, the control device 1A determines whether the seat is reclined or not, and if it determines that the seat is reclined, the process proceeds to step S110, and if it determines that the seat is not reclined, the process proceeds to step S111.

In step S110, the control device 1A controls the air conditioner 5 to perform a dehumidifying operation in order to defog the windshield of the electric vehicle 100. When the air conditioner ECU 10 of the air conditioner 5 receives a control command for the dehumidifying operation from the control device 1A, it controls the fan 11 and the electric compressor of the refrigerant circuit 13 to perform the dehumidifying operation. Then, the process proceeds to step S113.

In step S111, the control device 1A maintains the current operation of the air conditioner 5 and proceeds to step S113. In step S112, the control device 1A stops the operation of the air conditioner 5 to reduce power consumption and proceeds to step S113.

In step S113, the control device 1A determines whether or not it is three minutes before the charging end time, which is set in the same manner as in step S107.
7, and returns to step S108 if it is not three minutes before the charging end time. In other words, the processes from step S108 to step S113 are repeated from 10 minutes before the charging end time to 3 minutes before the charging end time.

In step S114, the control device 1A determines whether or not an occupant is present. If it determines that an occupant is present, the control device 1A proceeds to step S115. If it determines that no occupant is present, the control device 1A proceeds to step S118.

In step S115, the control device 1A determines whether the seat is reclined or not, and if it determines that the seat is reclined, it proceeds to step S116, and if it determines that the seat is not reclined, it proceeds to step S117.

In step S116, the control device 1A outputs an operation signal to the seat adjustment device 3 to raise the seat to the driving reclining angle.

When the seat ECU 30 of the seat adjustment device 3 receives the above operation signal from the control device 1A, it controls the reclining motor 33 so that the seat 3S is reclined to the driving reclining angle. As a result, the seat 3S is raised to the driving reclining angle. Then, when the control device 1A detects that the seat 3S has exceeded the above-mentioned set angle and reached the driving reclining angle, the process proceeds to step S117.

In step S117, the control device 1A controls the air conditioner 5 to perform the awakening air conditioning operation described above.

When the air conditioning ECU 10 receives a control command for awake air conditioning operation from the control device 1A, it controls the fan 11, the grill 12, and the electric compressor of the refrigerant circuit 13 to blow air in the direction of the occupant in the seat 3S, so that the air blows on the occupant's face. This allows the occupant to be fully awakened from their nap before driving, enabling safe driving. Then, the process proceeds to step S119.

If the control device 1A detects that a door has been opened while the air conditioner 5 is in the wake-up air conditioning operation, it assumes that the occupant has woken up and left the vehicle, and controls the air conditioner 5 to stop the wake-up air conditioning operation.

In step S118, the control device 1A stops operation of the air conditioner 5 to reduce power consumption, and then proceeds to step S119.

In step S119, the control device 1A determines whether the charger (charging gun) of the charging station has been removed from the on-board charger 21 and the door has been opened. If the above determination is NO, the control device 1A waits, and if the above determination is YES, the control device 1A proceeds to step S120. If the above determination is YES, the charger has been removed from the on-board charger 21 and the door has been opened, so it is considered that an occupant is seated in the seat 3S and the vehicle is ready to drive.

In step S120, the control device 1A returns the air conditioning setting of the air conditioner 5 to the operating mode before charging. This allows the occupant to resume driving the electric vehicle 100 in the in-vehicle environment before charging.

As described above, when the control device 1A of the electric vehicle 100 detects that the vehicle has stopped and the seat 3S has been reclined, it determines that the occupant is going to take a nap and switches the air conditioning device 5 to nap-compatible operation. This allows the occupant to take a nap in a comfortable environment inside the vehicle.

Then, when the control device 1A detects that the seat 3S has been raised, it switches the air conditioner 5 to the wakefulness air conditioning operation, for example, so that the wind hits the occupant's face. This allows the occupant to be sufficiently awakened even immediately after waking up from a nap, and to safely resume driving.

When the electric vehicle 100 is being charged, the control device 1A switches the air conditioner 5 to the wake-up air conditioning operation at or before the end of charging. This allows the occupant, if he or she takes a nap during charging, to be fully awakened in time for the end of charging and to safely resume driving.

The control device 1A can also remove moisture from inside the vehicle by having the air conditioner 5 perform a dehumidification operation a predetermined time before charging is completed. This allows the occupants to safely resume driving with good visibility, since the windshield will no longer fog up when charging is completed.

Note that, although an example of installation on an electric vehicle 100 is shown here, the present invention is not limited to electric vehicles 100, and can also be applied to engine vehicles and hybrid vehicles equipped with on-board equipment that uses a battery.

The numerical values "10 minutes before" in step S107 and "3 minutes before" in step S113 are merely examples, and other values may be used as long as the order of steps S107 and S113 is not changed. In addition, in step S113, it is determined whether it is 3 minutes before the charging end time, but it may be determined whether the charging end time has arrived.

In the above embodiment, the driver's seat 3S has been described as an example, but the passenger's seat may also be used. In addition, the control device 1A uses the output of the seating sensor 31 to determine whether or not an occupant is present in the seat 3S, but instead may use an image from a camera that captures an occupant.

The nap-responsive operation of the air conditioner 5 is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and other operation may be performed as long as the occupant can take a nap comfortably. Similarly, the wakefulness air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 5 is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and other operation may be performed as long as the occupant can be sufficiently woken up.

1: Vehicle-mounted equipment control device, 1A: Control device,
2: Shift operation device, 3: Seat adjustment device,
4, 21: On-board charger, 5: Air conditioner,
10: air conditioning ECU, 11: fan, 12: grill, 13: refrigerant circuit,
20: driving force output device, 22: battery, 23: inverter,
24: driving motor, 25: battery management unit, 26: motor ECU,
30: seat ECU, 31: seating sensor, 32: angle sensor,
33: Reclining motor,
100: Electric vehicle, L: Vehicle network

Claims (2)

An in-vehicle device control device that controls in-vehicle devices including an air conditioner,
When the vehicle is stopped, the system detects whether the seat is reclined and determines that the occupant is taking a nap.
Based on the determination, the operation of the air conditioner is switched to a nap-supporting operation that limits a dehumidification operation.
After the determination, the end of the nap is determined, and the air conditioning device is switched to an awakening air conditioning operation for the sleeping occupant .
The nap end is determined based on a prediction of a nap end time;
the vehicle is an electric vehicle, and the prediction of the end time of the nap is performed based on the start of EV charging or the charging state of the EV.
2. An in-vehicle device control device comprising: 2. The vehicle-mounted equipment control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device determines that the predicted end time of the nap is approaching, and releases the restriction on the dehumidification operation in the air conditioner or executes the dehumidification operation.