AUTOMATIC AIR OUTLET SYSTEM HAVING VARIOUS VENTILATION SITUATIONS

Abstract

An automatic air outlet system for supplying air into a vehicle interior of a vehicle, wherein the automatic air outlet system includes a plurality of air outlets that are motorized and may be automatically adjusted and that respectively include a plurality of setting parameters, a storage unit for storing a plurality of ventilation situations, wherein in the case of each of the plurality of ventilation situations a specific configuration of the setting parameters of each air outlet of the plurality of air outlets is specified, the configuration being adjusted to the corresponding ventilation situation, a specification unit for the purpose of specifying a ventilation situation to the plurality of ventilation situations that are stored in the storage unit, and a control unit for the purpose of controlling the plurality of air outlets such that the air outlets fulfil the ventilation situation that is specified by the specification unit.

Claims

1. An automatic air outlet system for supplying air into a vehicle interior of a vehicle, wherein the automatic air outlet system comprises the following: a plurality of air outlets that are motorized and may be automatically adjusted and that respectively comprise a plurality of setting parameters; a storage unit for storing a plurality of ventilation situations, wherein in the case of each of the plurality of ventilation situations a specific configuration of the setting parameters of each air outlet of the plurality of air outlets is specified, said configuration being adjusted to the corresponding ventilation situation; a specification unit that is embodied for the purpose of specifying a ventilation situation to the plurality of ventilation situations that are stored in the storage unit; and a control unit that is embodied for the purpose of controlling the plurality of air outlets in such a manner that said air outlets fulfil the ventilation situation that is specified by the specification unit.

2. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specification unit comprises at least one sensor, wherein based upon a measured variable of the sensor the specification unit automatically specifies at least some of the ventilation situations that are stored in the storage device.

3. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one sensor is an optical sensor, a weight sensor, a temperature sensor, an infrared sensor, a moisture sensor or a contact sensor.

4. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specification unit receives an operating element input, a touchscreen input, a voice input and/or an input by means of a smartphone or key for specifying at least some of the ventilation situations that are stored in the storage unit.

5. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the setting parameters of the plurality of air outlets comprise at least two of the following parameters: opened/closed state; flow temperature; flow strength, flow direction.

6. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two of the following ventilation situations are included in the plurality of the ventilation situations that are stored in the storage unit: a warming up situation having optimized setting parameters for rapidly warming up the vehicle interior prior to starting a journey; a cooling down situation having optimized setting parameters for rapidly cooling down the vehicle interior prior to starting a journey; a ventilating situation having optimized setting parameters for rapidly exchanging the air in the vehicle interior; a solo-traveling situation having optimized setting parameters for solo-traveling; a rear seat situation having optimized setting parameters when passengers are on the rear seat; a telephoning situation having optimized setting parameters when telephoning on a hands-free device; a situation for maintaining alertness having optimized setting parameters for maintaining the alertness of a driver and/or waking up a driver; a hand warming up/cooling down situation for warming up and/or cooling down the hands of a driver; a personalization situation having personalized, preset parameters of occupants; and a fan situation having optimized setting parameters for oscillating air in the vehicle interior.

7. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 6, wherein in the warming up situation, each of the plurality of air outlets is in the opened state, the flow temperature is high, the flow strength is high and the flow direction of the plurality of air outlets is oriented toward seats, toward windows, toward the roof and/or toward the steering wheel and/or further operating elements of the vehicle.

8. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 6, wherein in the cooling down situation, each of the plurality of air outlets is in the opened state, the flow temperature is low, the flow strength is high and the flow direction of the plurality of air outlets is oriented toward seats and/or toward the steering wheel and/or further operating elements of the vehicle.

9. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 6, wherein in the ventilating situation, each of the plurality of air outlets is in the opened state, the flow strength is high and the flow direction of the plurality of air outlets is oriented centrally into the interior of the vehicle, wherein windows and/or a panorama roof are at least temporarily opened.

10. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 6, wherein in the solo-traveling situation, of the plurality of air outlets only those that are arranged in the vicinity of the driver are in the opened state, wherein the flow direction of said air outlets in the opened state is oriented toward the driver.

11. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 6, wherein in the rear seat situation, air outlets in a front region of the vehicle are oriented in the direction of the rear seat and in particular in the direction of the passengers who are sitting on the rear seat.

12. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 6, wherein in the telephoning situation, the air outlets that are located near to microphones that are allocated to a hands-free system or are oriented toward said microphones beforehand are in the closed state, operate with a reduced flow strength or are oriented in another flow direction that leads away from the microphones.

13. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 6, wherein in the situation for maintaining alertness, in the case of the air outlets in the vicinity of a driver the flow temperature is low, the flow strength is high and the flow direction is oriented toward the driver and/or said flow direction oscillates.

14. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 6, wherein in the hand warming up/cooling down situation in the case of the air outlets in the vicinity of the steering wheel of the vehicle the flow temperature is high or low, the flow strength is high and the flow direction is oriented toward the steering wheel.

15. The automatic air outlet system as claimed in claim 6, wherein in the fan situation, the plurality of air outlets are oriented synchronously and uniformly in alternating flow directions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0068] The invention will be explained in more detail below by means of the description of exemplary embodiments and with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0069] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of the position of the air outlets in the “warming up situation” ventilation situation;

[0070] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the position of the air outlets in the “solo-traveling situation” ventilation situation;

[0071] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the position of the air outlets in the “rear seat situation” ventilation situation;

[0072] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the position of the air outlets in the “situation for maintaining alertness” ventilation situation; and

[0073] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of the position of the air outlets in the “hand warming up/cooling down situation” ventilation situation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of the position of air outlets (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) in the “warming up situation” ventilation situation. Here, the vehicle has, for example, 6 air outlets (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6), wherein the air outlets 1 and 2 lie in the vicinity of a driver, the air outlets 3 and 4 in the vicinity of a front seat passenger, and the air outlets 5 and 6 in the vicinity of rear seat passengers. In this context, each of the air outlets is in the opened state and air flows at a high flow temperature and with a high flow strength into the interior of the vehicle. In particular, the air outlets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 can be oriented toward the windows of the vehicle, so that they can be quickly defrosted.

[0075] FIG. 2 shows the “solo-traveling situation” ventilation situation, wherein the air outlets 1 and 2, which are arranged in the vicinity of the driver, are in the opened state, and all the other air outlets 3, 4, 5 and 6 are in the closed state. Furthermore, the flow directions of the air outlets 1 and 2 are oriented or directed toward the driver. Since the air outlets 3, 4, 5 and 6 are closed, a saving in energy can be achieved. In particular, a local air conditioning zone is produced around the driver here.

[0076] FIG. 3 shows the “rear seat situation” ventilation situation in which a driver is sitting in the vehicle and two children are sitting on the rear seat. In particular, it is apparent here that the air outlets 3, 4, 5 and 6 which are not required by the driver are oriented toward the children who are located on the rear seat, so that pleasant air conditioning can be provided for the children as quickly as possible. If, for example, just one vehicle occupant was seated on the rear seat here, all the air outlets 3, 4, 5 and 6 can be correspondingly oriented toward said occupant.

[0077] FIG. 4 shows the “situation for maintaining alertness” ventilation situation in which the air outlets 3, 4, 5 and 6 are not required, but rather only the air outlets 1 and 2 are, said air outlets being oriented with their flow direction in the direction of the driver. As a result it is possible to target a flow of cold air on the driver so that the risk of microsleeping is reduced or microsleeping can even be prevented.

[0078] FIG. 5 shows the “hands warming up/cooling down situation” ventilation situation in which the air outlets 1 and 2 are oriented toward the steering wheel or the driver's hands. The air outlets 3, 4, 5 and 6 are not required in this situation. As a result it is possible to orient warm or cold air toward the driver's hands, in order to provide said driver with a higher level of driving comfort.