JPS6233084B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a car air conditioner control device, and particularly aims to facilitate the setting of control modes.

In car air conditioners, the control modes are air volume,
Regarding items such as the suction inlet, the outlet, and the operation and stop of the cooling device, there are usually a manual mode in which the decisions are made manually and an automatic mode in which the decisions are made automatically.

For example, in a conventional car air conditioner control device that uses a mechanical link mechanism to specify a control mode, a mechanical moderation mechanism maintains the control mode once set. Therefore, when restarting the car air conditioner after it has been stopped for a long time, the control mode that has been maintained is always valid. However, if the operating environment of the car air conditioner changes while the car air conditioner is stopped, the previous control mode becomes inappropriate, and it is often necessary to designate a new control mode.

It has also been proposed to designate the control mode using an electric switch and maintain it using electrical means such as a flip-flop, but normally the power supply to the electric circuit stops when the engine key switch is turned off. Therefore, it is necessary to respecify the control mode using the electric switch when the engine key switch is turned on.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a car air conditioner control device that eliminates the above-mentioned operational problems and contributes to easy-to-operate car air conditioner control.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a stop determination means that determines that a main switch has issued a command to stop the car air conditioner and outputs a stop signal, as shown in FIG. 4; a storage means for storing and retaining data of at least one control mode among the air volume of the car air conditioner at that time, the operating status of the air inlet switching and the air outlet switching; When the stop signal is output, it is determined whether a parameter indicating a change in the operating environment of the car air conditioner has changed by a predetermined value or more, and when the parameter has changed by a predetermined value or more, a change determination result is output. and an environmental change determining means for outputting a unchanged determination result when the parameter has not changed by a predetermined value or more; and control mode data stored and held in the storage means upon receiving the unchanged determining result from the environmental change determining means. a setting means for maintaining the setting and resetting new control mode data in place of the control mode stored and held in the storage means in response to a change determination result from the environmental change determination means; The technology adopts a control means that operates the actuator of the car air conditioner according to the control mode data.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

In FIG. 1, numeral 1 is a switch that is linked to the engine key switch and opens and closes the power supply path from the on-vehicle battery BATT to the control circuit 3. At this time, power is supplied via the constant voltage circuit 2.

The control circuit 3 consists of a digital computer called a microcomputer, which inputs signals from various sensor groups 6 and a control panel 7 according to a preset control program, and controls the blower motor, suction port switching damper, etc. via the actuator group 4. Each adjustment member 5 of the outlet switching damper and the refrigeration compressor is operated. It also sends a signal to the control panel 7 to inform it of the current state of the adjustment member, such as the blow-in, blow-out mode, etc., and operates a group of lamps provided on the control panel 7. This computer 3 preferably has a timer/counter function for elapsed time.

The control panel 7 is provided with a group of switches attached to the group of lamps. This switch group includes an AUTO switch 7a that selects suction, blowout, and automatic control of each control, an OFF switch 7b that stops the operation of the air conditioner, and an OFF switch 7b that sets the air blow rate to Lo (low).
_Lp switch 7c that operates at a fixed setting, Hi switch 7d that fixes Hi (high), FRS switch 7e that fixes the suction mode to outside air, REC switch 7f that fixes the intake mode to inside air, A/C switch 7g that selects dehumidification room temperature control, power saving. Select mold room temperature control
ECONOMY switch 7h, vent mode
VENT switch 7i to be fixed, B/L switch 7j to be fixed to bi-level, foot blowout to be fixed.
HEAT switch 7k, DEF switch 7l fixed to defroster outlet, and set room temperature to 0.5℃
UP switch that raises or lowers in increments
Includes a room temperature setting device 7m consisting of a DOWN switch and a display that digitally displays the set room temperature.

The above switches consist of self-resetting push button switches, and include AUTO, OFF, Lo, and Hi.
The switches 7a to 7d are arranged in pairs, and only operate in one mode, and only one switch lamp lights up when the mode is not OFF. Also, in OFF mode, all lamps and set room temperature indicators do not light up. Similarly
FRS switch and REC switch, A/C switch and ECONOMY switch, and VENT, B/
Each of the L, HEAT, and DEF switches is in a set, and only one switch lamp in each set lights up when it is not in OFF mode.

This device is constantly supplied with power from the battery BATT, and when the power is connected, the digital computer 3 starts calculation processing at the start step 97 of the control program shown in FIG. First, in the initial set step 98, the control panel switch signal memory (temporary memory (RAM) built into the digital computer 3) is
Set the AUTO switch memory to "1" at the specific address group 3A). Next, the time counting function is started counting from data "0". In other words, each time the built-in timer counter overflows, an interrupt is applied to the program processing, and data "1" is stored at a specific address (time count address) in the temporary storage memory (RAM3A).
Performs processing to add .

Next, step 99 reads the signal of switch 1.
At the next step 100, it is determined whether or not the key switch is turned on (ON).
Proceed to 01. In other words, the key switch is OFF.
During this period, steps 99 and 100 are repeatedly executed, and during this period, the timer count increases the count value with time.

On the other hand, when the key switch is turned on and turned on,
In step 101, the timer count is stopped, and in step 102, the count value is compared with a predetermined value.

In this embodiment, two hours are set as the time period during which the vehicle is left unattended and the internal and external air conditions of the vehicle are estimated to change.If it is within two hours, step 104 and subsequent steps are executed, and if more than two hours have passed, Step 103
After that, step 104 is executed. Step 10
In step 3, clear each switch signal memory,
Performs processing to set the AUTO switch memory to "1".

What can be said in particular about the above judgment and processing is that if the vehicle is left unattended for a long time, the air conditioner will start in AUTO control mode, and if left unattended for a short time, it will start in the control mode previously stored in each switch signal memory. This is something that is becoming more and more important. In step 104, the room temperature setting signal from the control panel 7, each switch signal, and the signals from the sensor group 6 are read. Here, each signal applied to the digital computer 3 is stored at a predetermined address in a temporary storage memory (RAM).
Among them, AUTO switch 7a and OFF switch 7
When one of the set of B, Lo switch 7c, and Hi switch 7d is turned on, only the switch memory corresponding to that switch is set to "1", and the remaining switch memories are reset to "0". Also,
In the pair of FRS switch 7e and REC switch 7f, when one of them is turned on, the corresponding switch memory is set to "1", and the other is reset to "0". Also, A/C switch 7g
The same applies to the combination with the ECONOMY switch 7h, the VENT switch 7i, the B/L switch 7j, the HEAT switch 7k, and the DEF switch 7l.

Next, in step 105, it is determined whether or not the key switch continues to be in the closed state, and when the key switch is released, in step 107, the previously set target room temperature value and the closed state of each switch are stored in memory. At the same time, all displays (setting display, switch lamps) on the actuator 4 and control panel 7 are stopped, and the process advances to step 99 to wait for the control state.

In step 106, it is determined whether the mode is OFF mode or not.
This is a step to determine whether the OFF switch memory is “1” or “0”; in OFF mode, step 10
Go to 8 and stop displaying the actuator and control panel, and input values from sensor group 6.
The memory other than the OFF switch is cleared to "0", and the process returns to step 104. If it is determined in step 106 that the mode is not OFF, the process proceeds to the next step 109, where it is determined whether the blower Lo fixed mode is selected. If the blower is in the Lo fixed mode, the process proceeds to step 110; otherwise, the process proceeds to step 111 in which it is determined whether the blower is in the Hi fixed mode.

In step 110, the air volume instruction given to the actuator 4 is fixed to Lo, and the control panel 7
Turn on the Lo switch lamp inside, turn the other OFF,
Processing is performed to turn off the AUTO and Hi switch lamps, and the process moves to step 115. In step 111, it is determined whether the blower is in Hi fixed mode or not. If not, it is assumed to be in AUTO mode, and the process proceeds to step 112, where the AUTO switch lamp is turned on (at this time, the OFF, Lo, and Hi switch lamps are turned off). ), then step 114
Step 11
Proceed to 5. In step 114, the air volume is automatically determined by a known method based on the input signals from the sensor group 6, and an instruction thereof is given to the actuator 4. On the other hand, if the blower is in Hi fixed mode, in step 113, the air volume instruction given to the actuator 4 is set to Hi (maximum), the Hi switch lamp on the control panel 7 is lit, and
Turn off the OFF, AUTO, and Lo switch panels.

As can be understood from the above explanation, when the key switch is turned on, if two hours have elapsed since the key switch was released, the AUTO switch memory is preset (step 103);
According to the state of the switch memory before then,
Unless OFF switch 7b, Lo fixed switch 7c, and Hi fixed switch 7d are turned on (step
106, 109, 111) Control mode continues. Thus, when getting into the vehicle, it is not necessary to operate the mode switch in addition to the operation of turning on the key switch.

Next, steps 115 to 119 perform processing for switching the air inlet, but first, in step 115, it is determined whether the mode is FRS mode or not.
In other words, it is determined whether or not outside air introduction has been selected. If so, the process advances to step 116; if not, the process advances to step 117 in which it is determined whether the next REC mode, that is, internal air introduction has been selected. If it is the REC mode, the process proceeds to step 118; if not, it is assumed that the mode is automatic suction control mode, and the process proceeds to step 119. step
At 116, 118, and 119, predetermined suction port fixing processing, automatic processing, and turning on/off processing of the REC switch lamp and FRS switch lamp are performed, respectively. Step 119
The automatic control mode is performed using a known automatic control program.

In the next steps 120 to 124, automatic room temperature control is
You can choose whether to run in dehumidification mode, stop the compressor and run in power saving mode, or run in the well-known AUTO mode that automatically selects both.
The determination is made according to the values of the A/C switch memory and the ECONOMY switch memory, and instructions are given to the actuator 4 according to the determination. At the same time, the A/C switch lamp on control panel 7
Instructs the ECONOMY switch lamp to turn on and off.

Next, in steps 125 to 133, the process of switching the air outlet is executed, but here steps 125, 127, 129,
In 131, VENT mode, B/L mode,
Determine whether HEAT mode or DEF mode is specified based on the switch memory,
If any mode is specified, the step
At 126, 128, 130, and 132, instructions are given to the actuator 4 to obtain the specified blowout mode. Along with this, VENT, B/L, HEAT,
An instruction to turn on and off the DEF switch lamp is given to the control panel 7.

If none of the above blowout modes is specified, the AUTO mode will be assumed and the step will not proceed.
133, the optimum blowing mode is determined according to the input signal from the sensor group 6 by a known control method,
According to the results, instructions are given to the actuator 4 and control panel 7.

Finally, in step 134, other known controls related to the car air conditioner are executed, and then the computer 3 repeats the program processing from step 104 described above.

As a result of repeatedly executing the above program processing, when the key switch is turned on, the car air conditioner control device is automatically set to the previous mode or AUTO mode without any operation on the control panel 7, and the suction, blower, air volume, etc. Room temperature control will be automatically controlled, and the operating status of each switch on the control panel will be shown to the occupants. If the control panel 7 is newly operated in this state, the specified mode is fixed.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above,
The present invention can also be implemented with the following modifications added.

(1) The AUTO switch can be used for each adjustment mode, such as blower AUTO switch or suction port switch.
A separate dedicated AUTO switch may be provided, such as an AUTO switch, an air outlet switching AUTO switch, and a room temperature control AUTO switch.

(2) In addition to the temporary memory (RAM) inside the microcomputer, external storage memory may be used as the memory for storing the state of the mode switch.

(3) In addition to the microcomputer, a general electronic circuit may be used in combination to perform similar control.

(4) As a parameter indicating changes in the driving environment, instead of simply using time, it is also possible to use the difference between the actual value of the vehicle interior temperature and its control target value.

(5) The value of the cooling water temperature of the in-vehicle engine can also be used as the driving environment parameter.

(6) Furthermore, even when time is used as the driving environment parameter, it may be changed depending on the time of day or season. In this case, computer 3
However, it is preferable to configure it so that it also functions as a car clock, or to input time data and seasonal data from a separate car clock.

(7) In addition to the vehicle's key switch, a manual switch that only commands the car air conditioner to start or stop can also be used as the computer that commands the car air conditioner to start or stop.

As described above, when the car air conditioner is stopped by the main switch, the present invention stores and holds at least one control mode data in the operating state of the car air conditioner at that time, and restarts the car air conditioner by the main switch. When commanded, changes in the operating environment of the car air conditioner can be determined, and a control mode can be set based on the result of this determination. In other words, if the environmental change remains unchanged, that is, if there is no change, control will be performed as is according to the control mode data that has already been stored. On the other hand, if there is an environmental change,
New control mode data can be reset in place of the control mode data that has already been stored, and the actuator of the car air conditioner can be operated and controlled in accordance with this new control mode data. Therefore, when restarting a car air conditioner after it has been stopped and left unused, the control mode that was stored at the time of the stop is used, or a new appropriate control mode is used, depending on the changes in the environment while the car air conditioner was left unused. This is an excellent feature that allows the car air conditioner to be set to an appropriate control mode in response to changes in the environment while it is stopped and left unattended, without requiring the occupant to operate a switch. effective.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a device to which the present invention is applied, FIGS. 2 and 3 are flowcharts showing a series of control procedures of the digital computer 3 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the invention. FIG. 1... Open/close switch that works with the key switch, 3
...digital computer, 3A...temporary memory (RAM), 4...actuator, 6...sensor group,
7...Control panel, 7a-7l...Mode switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Stop determination means that determines that the main switch has commanded to stop the car air conditioner and outputs a stop signal; and upon receiving the stop signal, determines the air volume and suction of the car air conditioner at that time. a storage means for storing and retaining data of at least one control mode among operating states of mouth switching and air outlet switching; and a point in time when the stop signal is output when the main switch commands the operation of the car air conditioner. determines whether a parameter indicating a change in the operating environment of a car air conditioner has changed by a predetermined value or more, outputs a change determination result when the parameter has changed by a predetermined value or more, and outputs a change determination result if the parameter has changed by a predetermined value or more. an environmental change determining means for outputting an unchangeable determination result when the environmental change determining means does not exist; a setting means for resetting new control mode data in place of the control mode data stored in the storage means in response to a change determination result; and a setting means for resetting the car air conditioner according to the control mode data set by the setting means. A car air conditioner control device comprising: control means for operating an actuator. 2. A patent characterized in that the parameter indicating the change in the operating environment of the car air conditioner is the elapsed time when the car air conditioner is left unused from the time when the stop signal is output until the time when the main switch commands the car air conditioner to operate. A car air conditioner control device according to claim 1. 3. Claim 1, wherein the main switch is an engine key switch of a vehicle.
The car air conditioner control device according to item 1 or 2. 4. The car air conditioner control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the setting means sets an automatic mode as the new control mode data.