Method And Mobile Terminal For Controlling At Least One Air-Conditioning Device

Abstract

A method for controlling at least one air-conditioning device of a vehicle includes the steps of: querying first status data from a first bus, preferably an air-conditioning bus, which is connected to the at least one air-conditioning device, via a radio interface; querying second status data from a second bus, in particular a vehicle, which is connected to at least one actuator and/or sensor, via the radio interface; displaying the first and second status data on a display; receiving at least one user input; processing the user input; creating a control command on the basis of the user input and using at least one data element of the first and/or second status data; transmitting the control command to the air-conditioning device via the radio interface.

Claims

1. Method for controlling at least one air-conditioning device of a vehicle, comprising the steps of: querying first status data from a first bus which is connected to the at least one air-conditioning device, via a radio interface; querying second status data from a second bus, which is connected to at least one actuator and/or sensor, via the radio interface; displaying the first and second status data on a display; receiving at least one user input; processing the user input; creating a control command on the basis of the user input and using at least one data element of the first and/or second status data; transmitting the control command to the air-conditioning device via the radio interface.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein a value is calculated on the basis of at least one data element of the first status data and at least one data element of the second status data and is displayed.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least some status data are indirectly queried via a gateway device.

4. Method according to claim 1, further comprising: checking the availability of a number of communication channels to a/the gateway device of the vehicle; selecting a communication channel on-the basis of the availability and a priority list, wherein the first and/or second status data are queried via the selected communication channel.

5. Method according to claim 1, further comprising reading a user profile from a storage device of a mobile terminal; processing data from the user profile; generating at least one control command on the basis of the data from the user profile; transmitting the control command to the air-conditioning device and/or a component of the vehicle.

6. Method according to claim 1, further comprising: querying and displaying a state of charge of a battery of a vehicle; and/or querying and displaying a tank filling level of the vehicle.

7. Mobile terminal comprising: at least one computing device; at least one storage device containing instructions, wherein the instructions implement the method according to one of the preceding claims when they are executed on the at least one computing device; at least one radio communication device for querying the first and/or second status data and/or for transmitting the control command.

8. System comprising: a mobile terminal according to claim 7; a gateway device which comprises at least one communication device, in particular a plug-in communication device, for wireless communication, wherein the communication device is designed to communicate with the mobile terminal.

9. System according to claim 8, wherein the gateway device comprises a first communication device for receiving first status data from the first bus and/or a second communication device for receiving second status data from the second bus.

10. System according to claim 8, wherein the gateway device comprises: a/the first communication device for wirelessly communicating with the mobile terminal via Bluetooth and/or WiFi; and a second communication device for communicating with the mobile terminal via a cellular network.

11. System according to claim 8, wherein the gateway device comprises: at least one computing device; at least one storage device containing instructions, wherein the instructions implement a web server when they are executed on the computing unit.

12. Computer-readable storage medium which contains instructions which cause at least one processor to implement a method according to claim 1 when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor.

13. System of claim 8, wherein the communication device is designed to communicate with the mobile terminal by Bluetooth communications.

14. System according to claim 10 wherein the first communication device is a/the plug-in communication device, and the a second communication device is a plug-in communication device.

15. System according to claim 14, wherein the second communication device is a GSM module or a UMTS module.

16. Method according to claim 1, wherein the first bus is an air-conditioning bus and the second bus is a vehicle bus.

17. Method according to claim 5, wherein transmitting the control command to the air-conditioning device and/or a component of the vehicle is performed using a/the gateway device.

18. System according to claim 9, wherein the first status data comprises air-conditioning data and the second status data comprises vehicle data.

Description

[0050] The disclosure is described below on the basis of a plurality of exemplary embodiments which are explained in more detail by means of figures, in which:

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a vehicle having an air-conditioning bus, wherein some components, comprising an air-conditioning device, are connected to the air-conditioning bus;

[0052] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a gateway device for use in a vehicle according to FIG. 1;

[0053] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a mobile terminal which wirelessly communicates with the gateway device from FIG. 2.

[0054] In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for identical and identically acting parts.

[0055] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 1 and a mobile terminal 70. The vehicle 1 is illustrated with the components which are important for understanding the disclosure. The vehicle 1 thus has a heater 30, a gateway device 60, an operating element 2, a ventilation device 20 and a fan flap 3. The heater 30, the gateway device 60 and the operating element 2 are connected to the air-conditioning bus 40 via connections 41, 41, 41 and are connected to one another via the air-conditioning bus 40. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the air-conditioning bus 40 is in the form of a proprietary W bus.

[0056] The W bus is distinguished by the fact that a master controls the communication between a multiplicity of slaves and with the master. The master can therefore initiate communication without agreement with other components. The air-conditioning bus 40 shown in FIG. 1 has a wire which is terminated at its end by means of a pull-up resistor.

[0057] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the gateway device 60 is in the form of the master of the air-conditioning bus 40 and uses a bus communication device 63 for communication. The heater 30, the fan flap 3 and the operating element 2 are in the form of slaves. This means that the gateway device 60 can transmit data to the heater 30, the fan flap 3 and the operating element 2 without being requested to do so. Those components which act as a slave on the air-conditioning bus 40 must initially ask the gateway device 60 whether they are allowed to communicate on the air-conditioning bus 40.

[0058] In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1, the operating part 2 is in the form of an input/output device. The driver of the vehicle 1 can use the operating part 2 to input a desired temperature as a target parameter in the interior of the vehicle 1. The operating part 2 then transmits the desired temperature as the target parameter to the gateway device 60 on the air-conditioning bus 40 via the connection 41. The gateway device 60 comprises a temperature sensor 67 which measures the temperature in the interior of the vehicle 1. If the desired temperature set by the driver does not correspond to the measured temperature value in the interior of the vehicle 1, the gateway device 60 transmits a control command to the heater 30 via the air-conditioning bus 40. If the gateway device 60 has determined that the temperature in the interior of the vehicle 1 is too low, the heater 30 is prompted to perform heating. The heater 30 heats the vehicle interior until the gateway device 60 measures, by means of its temperature sensor 67, that the desired temperature input by the driver has been reached.

[0059] In order to make it possible to efficiently heat the vehicle interior of the vehicle 1, the gateway device 60 additionally transmits control commands to the fan flap 3. The fan flap 3 comprises an actuator, for example a servomotor or a stepper motor which is designed to change an adjustment angle of the fan flap 3. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the fan flap 3 is adjusted in such a manner that an air flow which is as large as possible can flow through it, for example is adjusted to 90.

[0060] So that the heated air can flow through the fan flap 3, the gateway device 60 also transmits a pulse width modulation signal (PWM signal) to the ventilation device 20. For this purpose, the gateway device 60 has a PWM controller, for example a microcontroller, which outputs a corresponding signal via a ventilation connection 21 which connects the gateway device 60 to the ventilation device 20. The ventilation device 20 has a motor which is driven by the PWM signal.

[0061] The gateway device 60 also comprises a Bluetooth module 62 (see FIG. 2) which can be used to wirelessly communicate with a device in the vicinity. For example, it is possible to establish a Bluetooth connection to a mobile terminal 70. The mobile terminal 70, which is a smartphone belonging to the driver for example, can also be used to set a desired temperature in the interior of the vehicle 1. After a desired temperature value has been input, the smartphone 70 transmits a control command to the gateway device 60 via the Bluetooth connection. The gateway device 60 forwards the control command to the heater 30 and generates, on the basis of the received control command, further control commands (for example specific to the air-conditioning bus) which are transmitted to the air-conditioning device 30 via the air-conditioning bus 40. The heater 30 is therefore controlled in such a manner that the temperature in the vehicle interior corresponds to the desired temperature value.

[0062] In addition, the gateway device 60 can transmit status information, in particular status data, relating to the devices connected to the air-conditioning bus 40 to the mobile terminal 70. For example, the status information may be maintenance advice, sensor data, manufacturer information or fault messages. Status data which relate to the air-conditioning bus 40 preferably indicate an operating state of the heater 30 (ON or OFF) and an operating power (for example 70% of the maximum power). The driver of the vehicle 1 therefore has access to all information relating to the devices connected to the air-conditioning bus 40.

[0063] In addition to the air-conditioning bus 40, the vehicle 1 has a vehicle bus 42. The gateway device 60 is connected to the vehicle bus 42 via a bus communication device 63 and an air-conditioning operating part 80 is connected to the vehicle bus 42. The gateway device 60 is in the form of a slave of the vehicle bus 42. The gateway device 60 therefore assumes a dual function. On the one hand, it acts as the master on the air-conditioning bus 40 and, on the other hand, it acts as a slave on the vehicle bus 42. In one embodiment according to the disclosure, the gateway device 60 has only a monitoring/reading function with respect to the vehicle bus 42 and only listens in to the data traffic on the vehicle bus 42. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the air-conditioning operating part 80 is used to accept a user input and to provide it as status information, in particular vehicle data, to the gateway device 60 via the vehicle bus 42.

[0064] According to the disclosure, the Bluetooth communication device 62 is used to communicate vehicle data, which are received via the vehicle bus 42, to the mobile terminal 70. Such vehicle data may comprise data elements comprising information relating to the filling level of the tank of the vehicle 1 and the battery filling level of the vehicle 1.

[0065] In addition to the Bluetooth communication device 62, the gateway device 60 comprises a plug-in LTE module 68 for communication in an LTE network. In the exemplary embodiment, there are therefore a plurality of possibilities (communication channels), via which the mobile terminal 70 can communicate with the gateway device 60. For communication with the gateway device 60, it is not necessary for the smartphone 70 to be in the vicinity of the vehicle 1. It is therefore possible for a driver of the vehicle 1 to control the components of the vehicle 1 from any desired location in the world via the gateway device 60 and/or to receive status data from these components, which data are possibly taken into account during control. On account of this function, the driver can use the mobile terminal 70 to query information transmitted on the air-conditioning bus 40 or on the vehicle bus 42 via the gateway device 60. Comprehensive information relating to the state of the vehicle 1 can therefore be displayed to the driver. According to the disclosure, this information is used to offer services to the terminal 70, which services make it possible to control the air-conditioning system of the vehicle 1 in a very convenient and efficient manner.

[0066] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the gateway device 60. The gateway device 60 comprises a computing unit 61 which is in the form of a microcontroller, for example. The computing device 61 is designed to receive status data via the bus communication devices 63, 63 and to then process said data. The gateway device 60 also has a Bluetooth module 62 for wirelessly communicating with the terminal 70. In one exemplary embodiment, a further communication device for communicating with a cellular and/or a local area network is provided.

[0067] The bus communication devices 63, 63 are designed to receive and transmit data via the air-conditioning bus 40 and the vehicle bus 42, respectively. Received data can be stored in a storage device 65, with the result that the computing unit 61 can process said data.

[0068] In one exemplary embodiment, only the gateway device 60 can be retrofitted. In this case, it is possible to dispense with the installation of additional air-conditioning devices 30 or operating elements 2. It is possible, for example, for an existing air-conditioning system of a vehicle 1 to be monitored and/or controlled by means of the gateway device 60. That is to say, after installation, the user or driver of the vehicle 1 can access the information directly and indirectly related to the air-conditioning system via the mobile terminal 70. In one exemplary embodiment, the gateway device 60 according to the disclosure also makes it possible to query status data which are only remotely related or are not related at all to the air-conditioning device 30 or the air-conditioning system.

[0069] FIG. 3 shows, in a highly schematic manner, a mobile terminal 70 which has been individualized according to the disclosure and is communicatively connected to the Internet 4 and to the gateway device 60. According to the disclosure, it is therefore possible for a plurality of communication paths, namely a first communication path directly via Bluetooth and a second communication path indirectly via the Internet, to be available for communicating with the gateway device 60.

[0070] In a similar manner to the gateway device 60, the mobile terminal 70 comprises a computing device 71 and a storage device 72 which has instructions for implementing the method according to the disclosure. When these instructions are executed on the computing unit 71, they cause the latter to implement the method according to the disclosure.

[0071] A touchscreen 76 which makes it possible to input and output data is provided for the purpose of communicating with the driver. In particular, user inputs can be received and status data which have been queried from the gateway device 60, for example, can be displayed via the touchscreen 76. For communicating with the gateway device 60, the mobile terminal 70 comprises a Bluetooth module 74 and a UMTS module 75 which, as schematically indicated, establishes the connection to the Internet 4. According to the disclosure, the connection to the Internet 4 can also be used to query information from a server 100 or to store relevant information there. For example, user profiles assigned to a particular air-conditioning system can be stored on the mobile terminal 70 and on the server 100.

[0072] Furthermore, the method according to the disclosure makes it possible to compare diagnostic information, which has been queried from the gateway device 60, with information from the server 100 and to carry out a self-diagnosis of the air-conditioning system on the basis thereof. Alternatively or additionally, appropriate diagnostic information can be previously stored on the server 100, with the result that said information can be queried and/or evaluated by a workshop.

[0073] In one exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, the mobile terminal 70 queries vehicle data and air-conditioning data, which relate to the heater 30, from the gateway device 60. In one exemplary embodiment, the vehicle data are an item of information which indicates the state of charge of the vehicle battery. The air-conditioning data indicate that the heater 30 is switched off. This information is displayed on the touchscreen 76 of the mobile terminal 70. According to the disclosure, the driver can actuate a button which states that the air-conditioning device, namely the heater 30, is intended to be started. The mobile terminal 70 processes this input and determines that, on account of a low state of charge of the battery, it is useful not to heat all available heating circuits provided in the vehicle. Instead, the intention is to use only the heating circuit which directly results in the heating of the passenger compartment. Accordingly, the mobile terminal 70 transmits a corresponding control command which is transmitted to the gateway device 60 via the Bluetooth module 74. The gateway device 60 in turn processes this control command and generates further control commands on the basis of the received control command. A first control command activates the heater 30. A second control command ensures circulation in said selected heating circuit which results in heating of the passenger compartment.

[0074] In one embodiment, profile data relating to the user which specify a particular flap position as the preferred flap position are stored on the mobile terminal 70. The mobile terminal can generate control commands in response to a user input and/or automatically when approaching the vehicle 1 and can transmit said control commands to the gateway device 60, which control commands cause the latter to transmit corresponding control commands for adjusting the flaps.

[0075] In one exemplary embodiment, the mobile terminal 70 makes it possible to query further information, for example the mileage of the vehicle 1, the outside temperature, the filling level of the tank and/or diagnostic information, via the gateway device 60 and to display said information to the user on the touchscreen 76. According to the disclosure, it is possible to use some or all of this information to control the air-conditioning system in a situation-dependent manner. The outside temperature can be used, for example, to select a power level for operating the heater 30. A corresponding selection can be made automatically and/or on the basis of a user input. According to the disclosure, it is conceivable to especially indicate at least one preferred power level for a particular outside temperature and/or a particular state of charge of the battery for the user.

[0076] In one exemplary embodiment, certain control commands or menu items can be hidden on the basis of the received vehicle data. For example, in the exemplary embodiment which has already been described and in which a particular heating circuit is selected, an operating element which usually allows the two heating circuits to be used can be hidden. In the case of a critical state of charge of the battery, a user element which usually makes it possible to start the heater 30 can likewise be hidden.

[0077] It is also possible to calculate a maximum running time of the heater 30 on the basis of the received information, for example the filling level of the tank and/or the state of charge of the battery. It is also conceivable to actively switch off the heater 30 via an appropriate control command on the basis of the calculated running time and/or shortly before reaching a critical state, with the result that the core functions of the vehicle 1 are not adversely affected.

[0078] The W bus 40 described can be replaced with any desired bus system, for example CAN or LIN, according to the disclosure.

[0079] The ventilation device 20 can communicate with the gateway device 60, for example via a bus system, instead of using a PWM signal or in addition to using the PWM signal. According to the disclosure, the plug-in LTE module 68 can be any desired plug-in communication module for communicating via ISM/WiFi, 2G/3G/4G or similar standards.

[0080] In at least one exemplary embodiment, a connection to the Internet via a cellular network, for example via LTE, is described. A corresponding connection to the Internet can also be established via a local area network.

[0081] It should be pointed out at this point that all of the parts described above are claimed as being essential to the disclosure alone and in any combination, in particular the details illustrated in the drawings. Modifications of these are familiar to a person skilled in the art. In particular, it is familiar to a person skilled in the art to combine the individual exemplary embodiments in any desired form.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0082] 1 Vehicle [0083] 2 Operating element [0084] 3 Fan flap [0085] 4 Internet [0086] 20 Ventilation device [0087] 21 Ventilation connection [0088] 30 Heater/auxiliary heating system [0089] 40 Air-conditioning bus, W bus [0090] 41, 41, 41 Connection for W bus [0091] 42 Vehicle bus, LIN bus [0092] 43, 43 Connection for vehicle bus/LIN bus [0093] 55 Computing unit or microcontroller [0094] 60 Gateway device [0095] 61 Computing device/microcontroller [0096] 62 Bluetooth module [0097] 63, 63 Bus communication device [0098] 65 Storage device [0099] 66 Temperature sensor [0100] 70 (Mobile) terminal [0101] 71 Computing device [0102] 72 Storage device [0103] 74 Bluetooth module [0104] 76 Touchscreen [0105] 75 UMTS module [0106] 80 Air-conditioning operating part [0107] 100 Server