JP5278667B2 - Vehicle seat air conditioning system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle seat air conditioning system.

  The interior space of an automobile has a smaller space volume compared to ordinary houses, etc., and when the window is closed, it becomes a sealed space.For example, the temperature inside the parked vehicle is higher than expected in summer due to heat rays that leak through the glass. To rise. However, a general automobile air conditioner is a centralized type and is designed to lower the air temperature of the entire space in the passenger compartment, so there is a problem that it takes time to adjust the temperature.

  Therefore, an air passage, a heating coil, and a blower are provided in the seat cushion and the seat back of the vehicle seat, respectively, and the heating coil and the blower are turned on according to the temperature detected by a temperature sensor provided in a predetermined part of the vehicle seat. A vehicle seat air conditioning system has been devised that controls the OFF and output and optimizes the air conditioning state of the vehicle seat.

  In addition, a vehicle air conditioner that can improve power saving and comfort can be devised by configuring a seat heating / cooling device so that an air outlet and an air conditioning unit are provided for each seat, and the seat is operated independently. (See Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-131106 A

  In the configuration of Patent Document 1, since the occupant's seating state is not monitored, even if the occupant is not seated, there is a possibility that the operation may be performed if the switch is turned on. There is a problem that leads to an increase. Further, when the occupant changes seats, it is necessary to adjust the temperature according to the occupant's temperature preference, such as heat or cold, and the occupant may feel troublesome. Furthermore, since it does not follow the change in the temperature in the passenger compartment, there is a problem in that it becomes too warm or too cold to impair passenger comfort.

  With the above problem as a background, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat air conditioning system capable of setting the temperature of a seat to an optimum state in accordance with the seated state of the passenger and the passenger or the state in the vehicle. .

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

A vehicle seat air conditioning system for solving the above problems includes an air conditioner provided in a vehicle seat, an occupant detection means for detecting an occupant seated on the seat, an occupant specifying means for specifying the seated occupant, and an identification Temperature preference storage means for storing the temperature preference of the occupant, temperature preference acquisition means for acquiring the temperature preference of the specified occupant, and a seat on which the occupant is seated based on the acquired temperature preference of the occupant It is premised on that it comprises temperature setting means for setting the temperature of the air conditioner, and air conditioning control means for controlling the operation of the air conditioner provided on the seat on which the occupant is seated based on the set temperature. To do.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to suppress deterioration in fuel consumption and increase in battery load. In addition, even if the occupant changes seats, the temperature adjustment is automatically performed according to the occupant's temperature preference, so that the occupant feels troublesome to operate, and convenience can be improved.

  In addition, the vehicle seat air conditioning system of the present invention includes occupant weight detection means for detecting the weight of the occupant, and the occupant specifying means is configured to specify a seated occupant based on the detected weight of the occupant.

  Details of a technique for detecting the weight of an occupant or an object present on a vehicle seat are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-21411. With the above configuration, it is possible to identify the occupant with a relatively simple and inexpensive configuration.

  In addition, the vehicle seat air conditioning system of the present invention includes seat position detecting means for detecting the position of the seat, and the occupant specifying means is configured to specify a seated occupant based on the detected position of the seat.

  The seat position detecting means represented by the seat position sensor is storing a seat position for each occupant in a memory, which has been rapidly spreading in recent years, and automatically calling the occupant's desired seat. It is used for power seats with memory function that are moved to positions. Also with the above configuration, it is possible to specify the occupant with a relatively simple and inexpensive configuration.

  In addition, the vehicle seat air conditioning system of the present invention includes seat temperature information acquisition means for acquiring temperature information of the seat, and the temperature setting means is based on the temperature information of the seat and the temperature of the air conditioner provided on the seat. Configured to set.

  According to the above configuration, it becomes possible to reach a desired temperature according to the temperature preference of the occupant seated on the seat faster without requiring the occupant's operation according to the current temperature of the seat, Comfort can be improved.

  In addition, the vehicle seat air conditioning system of the present invention includes vehicle interior temperature information acquisition means for acquiring vehicle interior temperature information reflecting the temperature in the vehicle interior, and the temperature setting means is based on the vehicle interior temperature information. It is comprised so that the temperature of the air conditioner provided in may be set.

  If the difference between the passenger compartment temperature and the seat temperature is too large, the passenger may feel uncomfortable. With the configuration described above, a more comfortable vehicle interior environment can be provided to the occupant in consideration of the balance with the temperature in the vehicle interior.

  Further, the vehicle seat air conditioning system of the present invention includes a vehicle interior air conditioner that air-conditions a space including a seat in the vehicle interior, and an operation state information acquisition unit that acquires operation state information of the vehicle interior air conditioner. The temperature setting means is configured to set the temperature of the air conditioner provided on the seat based on the acquired operation state information.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to determine whether the occupant wants to warm or cool the passenger compartment, and the temperature environment desired by the occupant can be determined more quickly by setting the temperature of the air conditioner provided on the seat accordingly. It becomes possible to provide.

  Further, the operation state information in the vehicle seat air conditioning system of the present invention includes set temperature operation information of the vehicle interior air conditioner, and the temperature setting means is based on the set temperature operation information and the temperature of the air conditioner provided on the seat. Configured to set.

  Whether the passenger wants to warm or cool the passenger compartment can be determined based on a set temperature (set by the passenger) of a so-called air conditioner in the passenger compartment. With the above configuration, it is possible to determine whether the occupant wants to warm or cool the passenger compartment from the air conditioner, and by setting the temperature of the air conditioner provided on the seat accordingly, the occupant desires faster It becomes possible to provide a temperature environment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an overall schematic diagram of an example of a vehicle seat air conditioning system of the present invention. The vehicle seat air conditioning system 50 is incorporated in a vehicle seat 1 (see FIG. 2). The seat 1 includes a seat portion 101 on which the occupant's buttocks are placed, a backrest portion 102 against which the back is applied, and a headrest 2 attached to the top of the backrest portion 102. A spout 104 is formed in each skin 103 of the seat portion 101 and the backrest portion 102.

  An air duct 105 is formed inside each of the seat portion 101 and the backrest portion 102. The air duct 105 has one end opened in the vehicle interior and the other end opened to the jet port 104. A Peltier module 3 is interposed in the middle of each air duct 105. The Peltier module 3 has a well-known Peltier element that is DC-driven in the thickness direction so that one surface is an endothermic surface and the other surface is a heat-dissipating surface. A heat sink made of metal that is placed in close contact with the surface that becomes the side and a heat sink made of metal that is also placed in close contact with the face that becomes the air conditioning heat exchange side, and radiates heat to promote heat exchange on the back surface of the heat sink It has a well-known configuration in which fins are integrated.

  On the upstream side of the Peltier module 3 in the middle of the air duct 105, a blower 4 that pressure-feeds the air in the vehicle compartment to the radiating fins of the Peltier module 3 is provided. The blower 4 generates temperature-adjusted air by blowing ambient air onto the radiating fin, and the temperature-adjusted air is blown out from the outlet 104 through the air duct 105. In this way, the air conditioner 10A having the air duct 105, the Peltier module 3 and the blower 4 is individually incorporated in the backrest portion 102, and the air conditioner 10B having the same configuration is individually incorporated in the seat portion 101. ing. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle seat air conditioning system having the air conditioning apparatuses 10 </ b> A and 10 </ b> B having the above-described structure has each seat of the vehicle (specifically, driver's seat 1 (A), passenger seat 1). (B), right rear seat 1 (C), left rear seat 1 (D)).

  Returning to FIG. 1, each seat 1 is provided with a hand operation switch 112 for an air conditioner to be operated by a passenger. The hand operation switch 112 is a rotary switch having a push lock mechanism. When the hand operation switch 112 is pressed once, the hand operation switch 112 is locked at that position and the hand power switch 113 is turned off. Then, when it is pressed again, it pops out and the power switch 113 is turned on, and a rotation operation for changing the set temperature becomes possible.

  When the hand operation switch 112 is rotated in the first direction (the right direction in FIG. 1) with respect to the neutral position NTL, the temperature setting is performed in the heating mode, and the set temperature increases as the distance from the neutral position NTL increases. When it is rotated to the limit position in the direction, the maximum heating temperature is set. Further, when the rotation is made in the second direction (left direction in FIG. 1) with respect to the neutral position NTL, the temperature is set in the cooling mode, and the set temperature decreases as the distance from the neutral position NTL decreases, and the limit position in the second direction. Until the minimum cooling temperature is set. The on / off state of the power switch 113 and the temperature setting state (further, the cooling / heating mode) are input to the ECU 130 via the temperature adjustment input interface (I / F) 122 (see FIG. 4).

  The hand operation switch 112 may be provided with a switch for the backrest portion 102 and a switch for the seat portion 101 so that the temperature can be set independently for the backrest portion 102 and the seat portion 101.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the electrical configuration of the vehicle seat air conditioning system 50 described above. The main part is a control circuit 100 mainly composed of an ECU 130 configured as a microprocessor, and an occupant detection sensor 114 and an inside air temperature sensor 115 are respectively connected to hand operation switches (in FIG. 4, “ A temperature control setting switch ”112 and a local power switch (shown as“ power switch ”in FIG. 4) 113 are connected to the ECU 130 via a temperature control input interface 122, respectively.

  Further, the ECU 130 is connected with a seat temperature sensor 118, a seat position sensor 142, and a weight sensor 145 through amplifiers 129, 143, and 126, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the occupant detection sensor 114 is a seating sensor 114 embedded in the seating surface of the seat portion of each seat. However, as shown in FIG. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, it can be configured as a detection switch (also referred to as a seat belt buckle switch) 114 incorporated in the buckle 51 of the seat belt. The occupant detection sensor 114 corresponds to the occupant detection means of the present invention.

  The interior air temperature sensor 115 may use an interior air temperature sensor of the vehicle interior air conditioner 141 described later, or may acquire the interior air temperature sensor information from the vehicle interior air conditioner 141 via the communication I / F 140. The inside air temperature sensor 115 corresponds to the vehicle interior temperature information acquisition means of the present invention.

  The seat temperature sensor 118 includes a known thermistor and measures the temperatures of the surfaces of the backrest portion 102 and the seat portion 101. The sheet temperature sensor 118 corresponds to the sheet temperature information acquisition unit of the present invention.

  The camera 110 is configured as a well-known CCD camera or infrared imaging camera, and is installed, for example, on the ceiling in the vehicle interior so as to be able to photograph passengers on each seat of the vehicle (see FIG. 2). The photographed image of the occupant is sent to the image processing unit 127.

  The image processing unit 127 includes an image processing circuit (not shown) that analyzes an image photographed by the camera 110 using a known technique such as pattern recognition. In the image processing unit 127, for example, a general binarization process is performed on the video signal photographed by the camera 110, thereby converting the image signal into digital multi-valued image data for each pixel. Then, a desired image portion is extracted from the obtained multi-value image data using a general image processing method. Then, for example, a reference image of the occupant is stored in advance, a similar point between the captured image and the reference image is extracted, and it is determined that the occupant is detected when the number of similar points exceeds a predetermined value. To do. The camera 110 corresponds to the occupant detection means of the present invention. The image processing unit 127 corresponds to the occupant specifying means of the present invention.

  The ECU 130 is connected to an air conditioner 10 </ b> A (for the backrest portion 102) and 10 </ b> B (for the seat portion 101) each composed of a set of the Peltier module 3, the blower 4, and the drive unit 121 that controls driving of the Peltier module 3. The drive unit 121 drives the Peltier module 3 to be energized with different polarities when using cooling and when using heating.

  The ECU 130 stops the operation of the air conditioners 10A and 10B regardless of the occupant detection content by the occupant detection sensor 114 when the hand power switch 113 is in the OFF state. Further, when the hand power switch 113 is in the ON state, the operation of the air conditioners 10A and 10B is controlled based on the occupant detection content by the occupant detection sensor 114, the operation state of the air conditioners 10A and 10B, and the occupant identification result (details will be described later). To do.

  The ECU 130 includes a well-known CPU 130a, ROM 130b, RAM 130c, and memory 130d. The CPU 130a executes a control program stored in the ROM 130b, thereby realizing a function as the vehicle seat air conditioning system 50. The RAM 130c is used as a work area when executing the control program. The ECU 130 corresponds to an occupant specifying unit, a temperature preference acquiring unit, a temperature setting unit, and an air conditioning control unit of the present invention. The memory 130d is an electrically rewritable storage medium such as a flash memory, and stores user registration data (details will be described later). The memory 130d corresponds to the temperature preference storage means of the present invention.

  In addition, although independent individual ECUs 130 are provided for the air conditioners 10A and 10B of the respective seats, the single ECU 130 is shared between the respective seats (see FIG. 2), and the air conditioners 10A of the respective seats are used. , 10B may be connected together for control. In any case, as described above, the ECU 130 controls the air conditioning of individual seats based on the occupant detection contents of the occupant detection sensors 114 of each seat, the operating states of the air conditioners 10A and 10B, and the occupant identification results (details will be described later). The devices 10A and 10B are controlled independently.

  The communication I / F 140 includes a communication interface circuit for performing data communication with other in-vehicle devices mounted on the vehicle, such as a well-known vehicle interior air conditioner (air conditioner) 141, for example. The communication I / F 140 corresponds to vehicle interior temperature information acquisition means and operation state information acquisition means of the present invention.

  The seat position sensor 142 includes, for example, a well-known potentiometer, and detects the front / rear and top / bottom positions of the seat. The sheet position sensor 142 corresponds to the sheet position detecting means of the present invention.

  The weight sensor 145 measures the weight of an occupant seated on the seat. As shown in FIG. 1, a strain gauge 116 provided between the seat (1) and the seat rail 146 and an element for detecting a strain due to a change in weight applied to the strain gauge 116 as a change in resistance are included. A signal is output to ECU 130. Details of a method for detecting the weight of an occupant or an object present on a vehicle seat are described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-21411. The weight sensor 145 corresponds to the occupant weight detection means of the present invention.

  Returning to FIG. 4, as the power supply line connected to the vehicle-mounted battery + B, the first power supply line PL1 in which supply / cutoff of the power supply voltage is switched in conjunction with the ignition switch 120 of the vehicle, and the power supply voltage is always set regardless of the state of the ignition switch. A second power supply line PL2 to be supplied is provided. The ignition switch 120 includes an off position (OFF) where the power supply voltage is not supplied to either the accessory system load or the engine electrical system load, and an accessory on position (ACC-ON) which is also supplied only to the accessory system load. Switching between the ignition ON position (IG-ON) supplied to both the accessory system load and the engine electrical system load is performed. ECU 130 and air conditioner 10 of vehicle seat air conditioning system 50 are connected to second power supply line PL2.

  FIG. 5 shows a circuit configuration example of the drive unit 121. The drive power supply is configured as an insulation type in consideration of prevention of overvoltage application to the Peltier element. Specifically, it has an input-side DC power supply 150 that receives an in-vehicle battery voltage + B as an input voltage, and the DC output voltage is driven by a boost switching transistor 152 (power in this embodiment) driven by a boost oscillation circuit 153. It is configured by an FET, and is input to the primary side of the boosting transformer 151 while being switched at a boosting switching frequency of 10 to 30 kHz (for example, 15 kHz). The secondary side boosted output voltage of the transformer 151 is 8 to 15V (for example, 12V). Note that the boosting oscillation circuit 153 is configured as a self-excited oscillation circuit that uses part of the primary inductance of the transformer 151.

  The secondary-side boosted output voltage of the transformer 151 is half-wave rectified by the diode 154D, smoothed by the capacitor 154C, and then input to the PWM switching transistor 155. The PWM switching transistor 155 is composed of a power FET and is PWM-switched at a duty ratio determined by the ECU 130 (for example, 50 to 100%). The PWM switching transistor 155 is switched by the photocoupler 165 via the gate driving transistor 156.

  Since the Peltier element is configured as a metal conductor with a large conduction cross section, when a PWM switching voltage waveform is directly input to the Peltier element, an eddy current is generated when the current is interrupted at the waveform edge, and the voltage in the direction opposite to the target polarity Is not preferable because a large amount of Joule heat is generated to reduce the cooling efficiency. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the drive smoothing circuit 201 having the coil 158 and the capacitor 159 converts the PWM switching voltage waveform into a DC drive voltage corresponding to the duty ratio (the output voltage range is, for example, 6 to 12 V: output current). The range is smoothed as, for example, 3 to 6A) and supplied to the Peltier module 3 via the polarity changeover switch 160. The PWM switching frequency is, for example, 1 to 5 kHz, and is set smaller than the boost switching frequency.

  In this embodiment, the polarity changeover switch 160 is configured as a relay switch, and the operation is controlled by the photocoupler 163 via the coil 161 and the relay drive transistor 162 (here, when the relay drive transistor 162 is OFF, the terminal 160A is The power input and the terminal 160B are grounded (forward polarity), and the switch 160 is switched so that the terminal 160A is grounded and the terminal 160B is the power input (reverse polarity) when it is on. Further, the motor drive output to the blower 4 is taken out in a non-switching state from the front side of the PWM switching transistor 155 on the secondary side of the transformer 151 via the voltage stabilization regulator IC 164.

  In this embodiment, a booster circuit is incorporated to compensate for fluctuations in the in-vehicle battery voltage + B. However, when the operation of the Peltier element can be ensured, for example, the drive output voltage range to the Peltier element is the in-vehicle battery voltage + B. If it can be ensured that it is always smaller than the fluctuation range, this step-up circuit can be omitted. In this case, a voltage monitoring unit may be added to the output stage to the Peltier element, and a regulator unit that stabilizes the voltage by feeding it back to the duty ratio control of PWM switching may be added. Even when the drive output voltage to the Peltier element slightly exceeds the fluctuation range of the in-vehicle battery voltage + B, the booster circuit can be omitted in the same manner if the regulator unit is configured as a known step-up step-up circuit.

  As described above, the on / off state of the local power switch 113 and the temperature setting state (and the cooling / heating mode) are input to the ECU 130 via the temperature adjustment input interface 122. When the hand power switch 113 is in the off state, the ECU 130 turns off the power switch 150S provided on the battery power receiving path to the input side DC power source 150, and stops both the Peltier module 3 and the blower 4. On the other hand, when the hand power switch 113 is in the on state, the power switch 150S is turned on in the normal mode. If the hand operation switch 112 is rotated to the cooling side, the relay drive transistor 162 is turned off, and the energization polarity is set to the forward direction. Moreover, if it is rotating to the heating side, the relay drive transistor 162 is turned on, and the energization polarity is reversed.

  On either the cooling side or the heating side, the operation angle of the hand operation switch 112 is read by the temperature control input interface 122 via, for example, a potentiometer, etc., and is converted into the cooling set temperature θ or the heating set temperature θ ′ and sent to the ECU 130. Sent. The ECU 130 acquires the cooling set temperature θ or the heating set temperature θ ′ and the temperature detection value T of the internal air temperature sensor 115, and the duty ratio (current) shown in FIG. Referring to the value) table, an appropriate duty ratio η is read, and the PWM switching transistor 155 is driven to switch at the duty ratio η to adjust the output of the Peltier element. During cooling, the duty ratio (current value) η is set higher as T−θ increases, and during heating, the duty ratio (current value) η is set higher as θ′−T increases.

  The air conditioning control process of the vehicle seat air conditioning system 50 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is included in a control program executed by the CPU 130a in the ECU 130, and is repeatedly executed together with other processes. The control contents are the same for each of the four sheets (see FIG. 2), and independent control is executed.

  First, the state of the local power switch 113 is acquired (S11). When the hand power switch 113 is in the off state (S12: No), the power switch 150S (see FIG. 5) is turned off, and the operation of the Peltier module 3 and the blower (fan) 4 of the seat portion 101 and the backrest portion 102 is stopped. (S25), and this process is terminated.

  On the other hand, when the hand power switch 113 is in the on state (S12: Yes), information on the occupant detection sensor 114 of each seat is acquired (S13). And the presence or absence of a passenger | crew is determined. When an occupant is not detected (S14: No), the power switch 150S (see FIG. 5) is turned off, and the operations of the Peltier module 3 and the blower (fan) 4 of the seat portion 101 and the backrest portion 102 are stopped (S25). This process is terminated.

  On the other hand, when an occupant is detected (S14: Yes), vehicle interior temperature information is acquired from the inside air temperature sensor 115 (S15). Then, the power switch 150S (see FIG. 5) is turned on, and the set temperature (and the air conditioning mode) is read from the operation position of the hand operation switch 112 (S16).

Next, occupant specifying information for specifying the seated occupant is acquired (S17). The occupant specifying information uses one or a combination of two or more of the following.
The occupant image captured by the camera 110 is compared with the reference image included in the user registration data stored in advance in the memory 130d, and the occupant is identified using the one having the highest similarity. When an image of an occupant who frequently uses the vehicle is included in the reference image, the occupant itself can be specified. Even when the occupant itself cannot be identified, gender, adult / child estimation, and age estimation can be performed from the physique and clothing. Note that various methods for capturing an image including a human face and estimating attributes such as the sex and age of the human from the image are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2000-222572, 2003-099779, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-099779. Details are described in JP-A-2005-250712.
Based on the weight (body weight) of the occupant detected by the weight sensor 145, the occupant is specified with reference to the user registration data. Even when the occupant itself cannot be specified, for example, an adult / child can be estimated from the weight.
Based on the seat position detected by the seat position sensor 142, the passenger is identified with reference to the user registration data. Even if the occupant itself cannot be specified, the physique of the occupant can be estimated from the seat position, and based on this, for example, gender or adult / child can be estimated.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of user registration data relating to the above-mentioned occupant identification stored in advance in the memory 130d. In association with a user (passenger who often rides), the user's temperature preference (hot or cold), the set temperature of the seat, the weight of the user, the seat position for specifying the occupant, and image data are stored. These can be registered by the user using an operation switch (not shown). In addition, the user's item may be input such as “father” or “mother” even if the name is entered.

  When the occupant cannot be identified (S18: No), the set duty ratio (current value) η is read with reference to the tables in FIGS. 6 to 7 based on the vehicle interior temperature information and the set temperature read above ( S24) The Peltier module 3 and the blower (fan) 4 of the seat portion 101 and the backrest portion 102 (which may be either one) are driven at the duty ratio (S23). At this time, the seat temperature acquired from the seat temperature sensor 118 may be used instead of the room temperature information.

  On the other hand, if the occupant can be identified (S18: Yes), the seat temperature acquired from the seat temperature sensor 118 is acquired (S19). Subsequently, air conditioner temperature setting information (operation state information, set temperature operation information) is acquired from the air conditioner 141 (S20). This obtains the value set by the user with the temperature setting switch 141 a via the communication I / F 140.

Next, the set temperature of the air conditioners 10A and 10B is determined using any of the following methods (S21).
-By referring to the user registration data, the temperature preference of the specified occupant is acquired, and when the set temperature is registered, the registered value is set as the set temperature of the air conditioners 10A and 10B.
When only the temperature preference “hot” is registered in the temperature preference of the specified occupant in the user registration data, the current set temperature, seat temperature, internal temperature, or set temperature of the air conditioner 141 of the air conditioners 10A and 10B For example, a temperature lower by a predetermined value such as 3 ° C. is set as the set temperature of the air conditioners 10A and 10B.
When only the temperature preference “Chill” is registered in the temperature preference of the specified occupant in the user registration data, the current set temperature, seat temperature, internal temperature, or air conditioner set temperature of the air conditioners 10A and 10B For example, the temperature set higher by a predetermined value such as 3 ° C. is set as the set temperature of the air conditioners 10A and 10B.

・ When the occupant's sex, age, or adult / child can be identified, the temperature preference corresponding to the identified item is obtained from the user registration data, and the temperature preference (same as the above example) or the set temperature is set. It is set as the set temperature of the air conditioners 10A and 10B. Further, the age may be divided into age groups of about 10 years and temperature preference or set temperature may be stored for each age group.

  Next, based on the set temperature, the set duty ratio (current value) η is read with reference to the tables of FIGS. 6 to 7 (S22), and the seat portion 101 and the backrest portion 102 (either one of them) at the duty ratio. Alternatively, the Peltier module 3 is driven and the blower (fan) 4 is driven (S23).

  In step S21 described above, the set temperature of the air conditioners 10A and 10B may be determined, and the set temperature of the air conditioner 141 may be changed based on the passenger's temperature preference. For example, when the set temperature is registered in the passenger's temperature preference (user registration data), the value is set as the set temperature of the air conditioner 141. When only “hot” is registered, it is assumed that the set temperature of the air conditioner 141 is lower than the current set temperature by a predetermined value such as 3 ° C., for example. When only “cold” is registered, it is assumed that the set temperature of the air conditioner 141 is higher than the current set temperature by a predetermined value such as 3 ° C., for example. Then, this set temperature information is transmitted to the air conditioner 141 via the communication I / F 140. The air conditioner 141 performs air conditioning control in the passenger compartment based on the received set temperature. When a plurality of set temperature information for each seat is received, a representative value (any one of average value, maximum value, minimum value, median value, etc.) is calculated, and this representative value is used as a new set temperature.

  Further, referring to the air conditioner temperature setting information acquired from the air conditioner 141, when the set temperature of the air conditioner 141 is lower than a predetermined value such as 25 ° C., the user (occupant) tries to cool the interior of the vehicle. The air conditioners 10A and 10B are lower than the preset temperature, the user's temperature preference, the seat temperature, or the internal air temperature by a predetermined value such as 3 ° C. It is good also as set temperature of. Further, when the set temperature of the air conditioner 141 is higher than a predetermined value, it is determined that the user is trying to warm the interior of the vehicle, and the current set temperature of the air conditioners 10A and 10B, the user's temperature preference, and the seat temperature Alternatively, a temperature that is higher than the internal temperature by a predetermined value such as 3 ° C. may be set as the set temperature of the air conditioners 10A and 10B.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the knowledge of those skilled in the art can be used without departing from the spirit of the claims. Various modifications based on this are possible.

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of an automobile seat incorporating the vehicle seat air conditioning system of the present invention. The plane schematic diagram which shows the installation example of the seat layout in a vehicle, and the vehicle seat air conditioning system. The schematic diagram which shows another example of a passenger | crew detection sensor. 1 is an overall block diagram illustrating an example of an electrical configuration of a vehicle seat air conditioning system according to the present invention. The circuit diagram which shows an example of the electrical constitution of the drive unit of a Peltier module. The schematic diagram of the duty ratio table used at the time of air_conditioning | cooling. The schematic diagram of the duty ratio table used at the time of heating. The flowchart explaining an air-conditioning control process. The figure which shows an example of user registration data.

Explanation of symbols

1 Seat 3 Peltier Module 4 Blower (Fan)
10A, 10B air conditioner 101 seat 102 backrest 105 air duct (air guide passage)
110 camera (occupant detection means)
112 Hand operation switch 113 Hand power switch 114 Occupant detection sensor (occupant detection means)
115 Interior temperature sensor (vehicle interior temperature information acquisition means)
118 Sheet temperature sensor (sheet temperature information acquisition means)
127 Image processing unit (occupant identification means)
130 ECU (passenger specifying means, temperature preference acquisition means, temperature setting means, air conditioning control means)
130d memory (temperature preference storage means)
140 Communication I / F (Vehicle interior temperature information acquisition means, operation state information acquisition means)
141 Air conditioner (Vehicle interior air conditioner)
141a Temperature setting switch 142 Sheet position sensor (sheet position detecting means)
145 Weight sensor (occupant weight detection means)

Claims (7)

An air conditioner provided on a vehicle seat;
Occupant detection means for detecting an occupant seated on the seat;
Occupant identifying means for identifying the seated occupant;
Temperature preference storage means for storing the temperature preference of the occupant;
Attribute estimation means for estimating an attribute including at least one of gender and age of the occupant when the detected occupant cannot be identified ;
Based on the estimated attribute of the occupant, temperature preference acquisition means for acquiring the temperature preference of the occupant from the temperature preference storage means;
Based on the obtained temperature preference of the occupant, temperature setting means for setting the temperature of the air conditioner provided on the seat on which the occupant is seated,
Air-conditioning control means for controlling the operation of the air-conditioning device provided on the seat on which the occupant is seated based on the set temperature;
A vehicle seat air-conditioning system comprising: Occupant weight detection means for detecting the weight of the occupant,
The vehicle seat air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the attribute estimation unit estimates an attribute of the seated occupant based on the detected weight of the occupant. A sheet position detecting means for detecting the position of the sheet;
The vehicle seat air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the attribute estimation unit estimates an attribute of the seated occupant based on the detected position of the seat. A sheet temperature information acquisition means for acquiring temperature information of the sheet;
The vehicle seat air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the temperature setting means sets the temperature of the air conditioner provided on the seat based on temperature information of the seat. A vehicle interior temperature information acquisition means for acquiring vehicle interior temperature information reflecting the temperature in the vehicle interior;
The vehicle seat air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the temperature setting means sets a temperature of the air conditioner provided in the seat based on the vehicle compartment temperature information. A vehicle interior air conditioner for air conditioning the space including the seat in the vehicle interior;
Operation state information acquisition means for acquiring operation state information of the vehicle interior air conditioner;
With
The vehicle seat air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the temperature setting means sets a temperature of the air conditioner provided on the seat based on the acquired operation state information. . The operating state information includes set temperature operation information of the vehicle interior air conditioner,
The vehicle seat air conditioning system according to claim 6, wherein the temperature setting means sets the temperature of the air conditioner provided on the seat based on the set temperature operation information.

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