Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Gerhard Allan Dage

Leighton Ira Davis, Jr

Robert W Matteson

Wayne Frank Buescher

Christopher Mark Greiner

Halim Wijaya

John David Russell

Michael John Cullen

Allan Joseph Kotwicki

George Blaha

Hilton W Girard

Thomas F Sieja

John David Hoeschele

Michael Bradley Bauer

Manfred Koberstein

Frank Fusco

Eric Gerd Schaefer

Chris George Oehring

Edmund J Gurney, Iii

Thomas Fox

Norman Henry Dolinski

Lawrence William Smith

Lee Davidson Foster

John Barkley

George E Peck

John H Blair

Lyle C Doerr

A system and method for environmental management of a vehicle automatically operates a vehicle climate control system to defog a vehicle windshield, while still operating at or near environmental comfort guidelines determined by a vehicle occupant. The method may be executed by an HVAC control system that is configured with a preprogrammed algorithm to operate an HVAC to achieve the desired results. A number of sensors can provide inputs to the control system, which can also receive inputs from a number of manual overrides operable by an occupant of the vehicle. The preprogrammed algorithm is configured to act on the various inputs to operate the HVAC to strike an appropriate balance between occupant comfort and windshield defogging.

System for environmental management of a vehicle

A climate control system and method for optimizing energy consumption in a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is provided. By varying evaporator temperatures based on occupant settings and environmental conditions, electric compressor speed can be optimized to provide the necessary cooling capacities resulting in energy savings. Determining the impact that increasing or decreasing engine cooling fan speed has on the overall energy consumption of the climate control system without affecting target discharge air temperature provides for energy saving opportunities. Optimizing energy consumption according to the provided strategy provides for improved fuel economy without sacrificing passenger comfort.

Climate control system and method for optimizing energy consumption of a vehicle

A climate control system having a control head including a display providing at least one comfort level indicator and a fuel economy indicator is provided. The comfort level indicator displays a plurality of comfort level settings corresponding to relative thermal comfort in all weather conditions. Each comfort level setting corresponds to a range of temperatures so that once a comfort range is obtained, the climate control system will be reluctant to consume additional energy, thereby maintaining or improving the current fuel economy state. The fuel economy indicator provides for direct communication of the impact of comfort level settings on fuel economy.

Climate control head with fuel economy indicator

A climate control system includes a control head having a warmer/cooler temperature control for providing relative thermal comfort. A thermal comfort rating (TCR) corresponding to a range of passenger cabin temperatures is determined based upon a comfort level selection by an occupant using the control head. A control strategy employs look-up tables corresponding to the TCR to determine the speed of an electric compressor and the position of a temperature control blend door. The strategy provides for a relatively fast ramp down to a minimum compressor speed to improve fuel economy while maintaining a relative level of thermal comfort.

In at least one embodiment, a system for controlling a vehicle climate control system in response to starting an engine with a remote start operation is provided. The system includes a first sensor for generating a cabin temperature signal indicative of a temperature within the vehicle. The system further includes a controller for controlling idle speed of the engine in response to the cabin temperature signal such that the controlled idle speed enables the climate control system to achieve a desired temperature.

System and method for controlling a climate control system with remote start operation

A method for environmental management of a vehicle includes the steps of determining certain environmental conditions for the vehicle, and determining when it is desirable to defog the window based on the determined environmental conditions. A status of manual overrides is determined, and at least some automatically controllable functions of an HVAC system are implemented to effect defogging of a vehicle window when it is determined that none of the manual overrides has been selected.

System and method for environmental management of a vehicle

A method and system determines when a climate control system of a hybrid vehicle can be operated without the use of an A/C compressor. The method and system make this determination by determining whether the vehicle is at idle or is being driven and determining whether or not the A/C compressor is required to function to maintain air conditioning comfort in the vehicle. The A/C compressor couples to an engine of the vehicle when the engine is on in order to function. The method and system turn off the engine and thereby turn off the A/C compressor if the A/C compressor is not required to function and if the vehicle is at idle. The method and system turn off the A/C compressor without turning off the engine if the A/C compressor is not required to function and if the vehicle is being driven.

Fuel efficient method and system for hybrid vehicles

A method for controlling cycling of an air conditioning compressor coupled to an internal combustion engine interrupts normal cycling based on operation conditions. In addition, normal engaged and disengaged cycling durations are adaptively estimated in real-time. The method of the present invention achieves improved fuel economy and improved drive feel. As an example, improved fuel economy is achieved by engaging the compressor during braking or when the engine is being driven by the vehicle. As another example, improved drive feel is achieved by engaging the compressor during transient conditions when drive feel is unaffected.

Control method for a vehicle having an engine and an accessory device

A multiple zone electronic control system and method are provided to control a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a vehicle. The control system includes a plurality of sensors to provide inputs relating to multiple zones of an occupant compartment of the vehicle and a plurality of buttons to provide manual inputs relating to the multiple zones. The control system also includes a plurality of mechanisms to control temperature and flow of air from the HVAC system into the multiple zones. The control system further includes a controller electrically connected to the sensors and the buttons to receive the inputs therefrom and electrically connected to the mechanisms to control the temperature and flow of air into each of the multiple zones.

Multiple zone automatic HVAC control system and method

A method for adapting a vehicle climate control system to a user comfort preference includes performing an adjustment strategy in response to assertion of at least one user-generated signal at less than a predetermined level and during less than a predetermined time interval and performing at least one adaptive strategy in response to assertion of the user-generated signal at greater than the predetermined level during the predetermined time interval.

Method and system for a two-second key hold convention for climate control

A method of thermal management for a thermal management system in a vehicle includes the steps of selecting a thermal management function. The method also includes the steps of adjusting a temperature within the thermal management system using the thermal management function and using the adjusted temperature within the thermal management system to control a temperature within an occupant compartment of the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Franklin, MI, United States of America

Gerhard Allan Dage