JP2010195249A - Air conditioner for vehicle, and method for controlling air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem that inside and outside air is not switched for exhaust gas from other vehicle retained on a slope and so the outside air including a large amount of exhaust gas retained on the slope might enter inside a compartment. <P>SOLUTION: This conditioner comprises an inclined angle fetch part 22 for fetching an inclined angle of a road, on which a vehicle is traveling, and an air-conditioning switch part 28 for controlling a switch between an inside air circulation mode for circulating air in a vehicle compartment, and an outside air introduction mode for introducing the outside air into the compartment. Then, the air-conditioning switch part 28 controls the switch between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the fetched inclined angle of the road. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner and a method for controlling the vehicle air conditioner.

  Conventionally, when there is a closed space such as a tunnel or a congested area while a vehicle such as an automobile is running, the vehicle air conditioner automatically switches the vehicle air conditioner from outside air circulation to inside air circulation when entering the location. Has been proposed. For example, in the vehicle air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, the damper device 2 is configured by the block diagram shown in FIG. 14 and detects the vehicle entering a closed space such as a tunnel or an underground parking lot. The system automatically switches to circulation operation. Here, it is detected that the vehicle has entered the closed space based on the decrease in the reception intensity of the GPS radio wave received by the car navigation device 8.

  Further, the vehicle air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 2 below is configured by the block diagram shown in FIG. 15, and switches between inside and outside air by detecting when the vehicle is congested or close to another vehicle. Like to do. Here, when the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means 22 is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed, the damper automatic switching determination means 12 determines that the traffic jam or the distance from another vehicle is close.

JP 2002-29246 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-211813

  However, in the vehicle air conditioners described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 described above, the inside and outside air is detected by detecting the distance between a closed space such as a tunnel or an underground parking lot, and a traffic jam or another vehicle. Although switching can be performed, the response of switching between the inside and outside air is not taken for the exhaust gas from other vehicles staying on the slope. Therefore, there is a possibility that outside air containing a large amount of exhaust gas staying on the slope will enter the vehicle interior.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.

  Application Example 1 Switching between an inclination angle acquisition unit that acquires an inclination angle of a road surface on which a vehicle travels, an inside air circulation mode that circulates indoor air of the vehicle, and an outside air introduction mode that introduces outside air into the room. An air conditioning switching unit for controlling the vehicle, wherein the air conditioning switching unit controls switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the acquired inclination angle of the road surface. Air conditioner.

  According to the vehicle air conditioner described above, the air conditioning switching unit controls switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the road surface inclination angle acquired by the inclination angle acquisition unit. As a result, in the case of a slope with a large inclination angle from which a large amount of exhaust gas is discharged from the vehicle, a large amount of exhaust gas staying on the slope is set as an inside air circulation mode in which indoor air is circulated without introducing outside air into the vehicle interior. It is possible to prevent outside air including air from entering the vehicle interior.

  Application Example 2 It further includes a traffic jam information acquisition unit that acquires traffic jam information of a road on which the vehicle is traveling, and the air conditioning switching unit is configured to perform the inside air circulation mode and the outside air based on the acquired traffic jam information of the road. The vehicle air conditioner that controls switching between the introduction modes.

  According to the vehicle air conditioner described above, the air conditioning switching unit controls switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the traffic jam information on the road acquired by the traffic jam information acquiring unit. As a result, when there is a possibility that a large amount of exhaust gas may accumulate due to traffic congestion on the road, outside air containing a large amount of exhaust gas will enter the vehicle interior as an inside air circulation mode for circulating the air in the vehicle interior. Can be prevented.

  Application Example 3 The vehicle air conditioner, wherein the traffic jam information acquisition unit acquires the traffic jam information from a navigation device mounted on the vehicle.

  According to the vehicle air conditioner described above, the configuration of the vehicle air conditioner can be simplified by using the traffic jam information from the navigation device.

  Application Example 4 The vehicle air conditioner, wherein the traffic jam information acquisition unit acquires the traffic jam information on a travel route of the vehicle from the navigation device.

  According to the vehicle air conditioner described above, it is possible to switch to the inside air circulation mode in advance before entering the traffic jam section based on the traffic jam information on the travel route from the navigation device.

  [Application Example 5] The vehicle further includes a pressure sensor that detects a tunnel entry of the vehicle, and the air conditioning switching unit switches to the inside air circulation mode when the pressure sensor detects a tunnel entry of the vehicle. Air conditioner.

  According to the vehicle air conditioner described above, the air conditioning switching unit can be set to the inside air circulation mode when the pressure sensor detects the vehicle tunnel entry. As a result, in a tunnel where a large amount of exhaust gas may stay, the inside air circulation mode is circulated to circulate the air in the vehicle interior to prevent outside air in the tunnel containing a large amount of exhaust gas from entering the vehicle interior. be able to.

  [Application Example 6] An application example further includes an environment information acquisition unit that acquires environment information including at least one of wind direction, wind speed, and air pollution related to a road on which the vehicle travels, and the air conditioning switching unit includes the acquired environment The vehicle air conditioner that controls switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on information.

  According to the vehicle air conditioner described above, the air conditioning switching unit controls switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the information on the wind direction and the wind speed. Thereby, in the case of the wind direction and the wind speed at which the exhaust gas hardly stays on the road, the outside air introduction mode can be set. The air conditioning switching unit controls switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the air pollution information. Thereby, in the area where air pollution has occurred, it is possible to prevent the outside air containing air pollution from entering the vehicle interior as an inside air circulation mode in which the air in the vehicle interior is circulated.

  Application Example 7 Based on an imaging unit that images a forward vehicle located in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle, and an image of the captured forward vehicle, a front distance that acquires an inter-vehicle distance from the forward vehicle and a vehicle type of the forward vehicle A vehicle information acquisition unit, wherein the air conditioning switching unit controls switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the acquired inter-vehicle distance and the vehicle type. .

  According to the vehicle air conditioner described above, the air conditioning switching unit includes the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle acquired from the image of the preceding vehicle captured by the imaging unit and the vehicle type of the preceding vehicle. Controls switching of. As a result, in the case of a vehicle type in which the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle ahead is short and the vehicle ahead emits a large amount of exhaust gas, the outside air including the exhaust gas enters the vehicle interior as an internal air circulation mode for circulating the air in the vehicle interior. Intrusion can be prevented.

  Application Example 8 In the vehicle air conditioner, the inclination angle acquisition unit includes an angular velocity sensor including a piezoelectric vibration gyro to detect the inclination angle of the vehicle.

  According to the vehicle air conditioner described above, it is possible to measure the inclination angle of the road surface with high accuracy using the angular velocity sensor composed of a piezoelectric vibration gyro.

  Application Example 9 Switching between an inclination angle acquisition step for acquiring an inclination angle of a road surface on which the vehicle travels, an inside air circulation mode for circulating the air in the vehicle interior of the vehicle, and an outside air introduction mode for introducing outside air into the room. And controlling the switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the acquired road surface inclination angle in the air conditioning switching step. Control method for vehicle air conditioner.

  According to the control method for a vehicle air conditioner described above, in the air conditioning switching step, switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode is controlled based on the road surface inclination angle acquired in the inclination angle acquisition step. As a result, in the case of a slope with a large inclination angle from which a large amount of exhaust gas is discharged from the vehicle, a large amount of exhaust gas staying on the slope is set as an inside air circulation mode in which indoor air is circulated without introducing outside air into the vehicle interior. It is possible to prevent outside air including air from entering the vehicle interior.

The schematic block diagram which shows the vehicle carrying a navigation apparatus and a vehicle air conditioner. The block diagram which shows the function structure of a navigation apparatus and a vehicle air conditioner. The schematic perspective view which shows the structure and operation | movement of a piezoelectric vibration gyro element used for an angular velocity sensor. It is a figure which shows the structure of a pressure sensor, (A) is sectional drawing of a pressure sensor, (B) is a figure which shows the AA cross section in the same figure (A). The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle air conditioner. The flowchart which shows the traffic congestion check process of a road. The flowchart which shows a slope check process. The flowchart which shows a tunnel check process. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the traffic congestion check process which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the function structure of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows a forward vehicle check process. The block diagram of the conventional vehicle air conditioner. The block diagram of the conventional vehicle air conditioner.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, the vehicle air conditioner according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, a schematic configuration of the vehicle air conditioner will be described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a vehicle 5 on which a navigation device 1 and a vehicle air conditioner 2 are mounted. The figure shows a state in which a vehicle 5 as a bus is traveling forward on a road surface R of a slope with an inclination angle θa, and the vehicle 5 is equipped with a navigation device 1 and a vehicle air conditioner 2. Yes. The vehicle air conditioner 2 is installed on the upper front side of the vehicle 5 and includes a traffic jam information acquisition unit 21, an inclination angle acquisition unit 22, a tunnel information acquisition unit 23, and an air conditioning switching unit 28.

The vehicle air conditioner 2 acquires traffic jam information from the navigation device 1 by the traffic jam information acquisition unit 21, acquires the tilt angle of the vehicle 5 by the tilt angle acquisition unit 22, and acquires information about the tunnel by the tunnel information acquisition unit 23. . Based on these pieces of information, the air conditioning switching unit 28 switches between the inside air circulation mode for circulating the air in the vehicle interior and the outside air introduction mode for introducing outside air into the vehicle interior with respect to the air conditioning in the vehicle interior.
In addition, although the example which mounted the vehicle air conditioner 2 in the bus | bath is shown in FIG. 1, it can mount also in vehicles, such as a passenger car and a truck, for example.

Next, each functional structure of the navigation apparatus 1 and the vehicle air conditioner 2 is demonstrated.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functional configurations of the navigation device 1 and the vehicle air conditioner 2. As shown in the figure, the navigation device 1 includes a GPS unit 11, a traffic information acquisition unit 12, a movement route setting unit 13, and a map information database 18. Further, as described above, the vehicle air conditioner 2 includes the traffic jam information acquisition unit 21, the inclination angle acquisition unit 22, the tunnel information acquisition unit 23, and the air conditioning switching unit 28.

  The GPS unit 11 in the navigation device 1 uses GPS (Global Positioning System) to receive the satellite signal from the positioning satellite S by the GPS antenna 11a and perform positioning, thereby obtaining position information indicating the current position of the vehicle 5. get.

  The traffic information acquisition unit 12 acquires road construction information, traffic regulation information, traffic jam information, and the like by receiving traffic information from a road traffic information system (VICS: Vehicle Information and Communication System) with the antenna 12a. The traffic information may be acquired from a predetermined server via the Internet or a mobile phone communication network using a wireless LAN, for example.

  The travel route setting unit 13 accepts selection of a travel route to travel from the user and sets the travel route information from the current position acquired by the GPS unit 11 to the destination as travel route information. At this time, along with the map information from the map information database 18, road construction information, traffic regulation information, traffic jam information, and the like acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit 12 are displayed on, for example, a display panel and the like via the display panel or a remote controller. Accept travel route selection from the user.

  The map information database 18 stores in advance data relating to detailed road maps in each region as map information.

  The traffic jam information acquisition unit 21 in the vehicle air conditioner 2 acquires the traffic jam information on the road at the current position of the vehicle 5 from the navigation device 1. At this time, the navigation device 1 searches the traffic jam information acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit 12 for local traffic jam information based on the position information of the vehicle 5 acquired by the GPS unit 11.

Here, not only the traffic jam information at the current position of the vehicle 5 is acquired from the navigation device 1, but also the traffic jam information in the travel route information set by the travel route setting unit 13 of the navigation device 1, that is, the travel route of the vehicle 5. You may make it acquire the traffic information of each area in.
Further, the traffic jam information acquisition unit 21 of the vehicle air conditioner 2 acquires the position information and traffic information of the vehicle 5 from the navigation device 1, and the traffic jam information acquisition unit 21 determines the position of the vehicle 5 from the traffic jam information of the traffic information. You may make it search the local traffic jam information based on information.

The inclination angle acquisition unit 22 includes an angular velocity sensor 22s formed of a piezoelectric gyro element, and acquires an inclination angle of the vehicle 5 when the vehicle 5 travels on a slope or the like. This inclination angle corresponds to the inclination angle of the road surface on which the vehicle 5 travels. In the example of the vehicle 5 illustrated in FIG. 1, the inclination angle θa of the road surface R is acquired by acquiring the inclination angle of the vehicle 5.
The tilt angle acquisition unit 22 acquires the tilt angle by amplifying and integrating the output signal from the angular velocity sensor 22s in an amplifier circuit and an integration circuit (not shown). Details of the angular velocity sensor 22s will be described later.

  The tunnel information acquisition unit 23 includes a pressure sensor 23 s formed of a double tuning fork type vibrator, and acquires tunnel information indicating a change in atmospheric pressure in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 5. This tunnel information represents information on a change in atmospheric pressure when the vehicle 5 enters a closed space such as a tunnel and a change in atmospheric pressure when passing through a closed space such as a tunnel. Details of the pressure sensor 23s will be described later.

  The air conditioning switching unit 28 includes an air conditioning switching mechanism 28u including an air conditioning unit (not shown) including a damper, a motor, and the like, and the vehicle interior of the vehicle 5 based on road congestion information, road surface inclination angle, tunnel information, and the like. With regard to the air conditioning, the air-conditioning switching mechanism 28u is used to switch between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode.

Next, the angular velocity sensor 22s will be described.
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration and operation of the piezoelectric vibration gyro element used for the angular velocity sensor 22s. The piezoelectric vibration gyro element includes a pair of detection vibrating arms 224 extending from a central base 223 formed of a thin plate of a piezoelectric material such as quartz to the upper and lower sides in the figure, and orthogonal to the detection vibrating arms 224. A pair of support arms 225 extending from the base 223 to the left and right sides in the figure, and a pair of left and right drive vibration arms extending from the tip of each support arm to the upper and lower sides in the figure in parallel with the detection vibration arms 226. Each driving vibration arm 226 has groove portions 227 extending in the longitudinal direction on both front and back surfaces thereof, and first and second drive electrodes (not shown) are formed on both side surfaces and inner surfaces of the groove portions, respectively. . Similarly, each detection vibrating arm 224 has groove portions 228 extending in the longitudinal direction on both front and back surfaces, and first and second detection electrodes (not shown) are formed on both side surfaces and the inner surface of the groove portions, respectively. Yes.

  When an AC electrode is applied to the drive electrode, the drive vibrating arm 226 is flexibly vibrated as indicated by an arrow 229 within a plane including its main surface. In this state, when the piezoelectric vibrating gyro element rotates around the central axis 230 in the plane, Coriolis force is alternately generated in the opposite direction along the longitudinal direction of the driving vibrating arm 226 as indicated by an arrow 231. By this action, the support arm 225 bends and vibrates as indicated by an arrow 232 in the same plane. For this reason, the piezoelectric vibration gyro element loses the balance of the vibration acting on the base 223, and the vibration energy of the driving vibration arm 226 is transmitted through the base 223, so that the detection vibration arm 224 is moved by the arrow 233 in the same plane. Bend and vibrate as shown.

  The detection electrode detects the distortion of the piezoelectric material due to the bending vibration of the detection vibrating arm 224 and outputs a signal. The amplitude of the detection vibrating arm 224 changes according to the magnitude of the angular velocity ω acting on the piezoelectric vibrating gyro element, and a voltage corresponding to the magnitude of the angular velocity is generated at the detection electrode. By processing this output voltage electronically, rotation and angular velocity in a plane can be obtained.

Next, the pressure sensor 23s will be described.
4A and 4B are diagrams showing a configuration of the pressure sensor 23s, in which FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the pressure sensor, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. The pressure sensor 23 s is an absolute pressure sensor that basically includes a diaphragm 120, a container 140 provided to face the diaphragm 120, and a piezoelectric vibrating piece 130 as a pressure sensitive element.

  Among the pressure sensors 23 s having the basic configuration as described above, the diaphragm 120 receives the pressure from the outside (upward in FIG. 4A), and the thin-walled portion 122 that bends and deforms by the received pressure, and the thin-walled portion. A basic configuration is a frame portion 128 formed around 122. The diaphragm 120 of the present embodiment has a support portion 124 for mounting and fixing the piezoelectric vibrating piece 130 on one surface of the thin portion 122. The support portion 124 is provided to support a piezoelectric vibrating piece 130, which will be described in detail later, at two points, and is formed to form a pair in order to fix both ends of the piezoelectric vibrating piece 130. Further, on the other surface of the thin wall portion 122, when the piezoelectric vibrating piece 130 is placed on the support portion 124, the thickness is increased in correspondence with a portion where the vibrating portion 134 of the piezoelectric vibrating piece 130 is located. Protruding portion 126 may be provided.

  The piezoelectric vibrating piece 130 employed in the present embodiment is a so-called double tuning fork vibrator. The double tuning fork type vibrator has bases 132 at both ends of the vibration part, and a vibration part 134 having a double tuning fork shape between the two bases 132. The double tuning fork type vibrator having such a configuration has a characteristic that the resonance frequency changes when an internal stress is generated in the vibrating section 134 having a double tuning fork shape. Specifically, when a tensile stress is generated in the vibration part 134, the resonance frequency is increased, and when a compressive stress is generated, the resonance frequency is decreased. Accordingly, when the diaphragm 120 receives pressure in the pressure sensor 23s, the diaphragm 120 is bent and deformed by the received pressure, and a tensile force acts on the double tuning fork vibrator via the support portion 124. Stress is generated and the resonance frequency changes. A change in pressure is detected from the change in resonance frequency.

Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioner 2 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle air conditioner 2. The flowchart shown in the figure is started when, for example, each start switch (not shown) of the navigation device 1 and the vehicle air conditioner 2 is turned on.

  In a state where the navigation device 1 and the vehicle air conditioner 2 are operating, the vehicle air conditioner 2 performs a traffic jam check process for the road at the current position of the vehicle 5 (step S10).

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the traffic congestion check process. In the figure, the vehicle air conditioner 2 acquires the traffic jam information of the road at the current position of the vehicle 5 from the navigation device 1 by the traffic jam information acquisition unit 21 (step S11). Next, the vehicle air conditioner 2 determines whether or not the current position of the vehicle 5 is in the traffic jam section by the air conditioning switching unit 28 (step S12).

When it is in a traffic jam section (step S12: Yes), the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the vehicle air conditioner 2 uses the air conditioning switching mechanism 28u to switch to the inside air circulation mode in the outside air introduction mode and leave it in the inside air circulation mode. And it returns to step S11 and repeats the acquisition process of traffic jam information.
On the other hand, when it is not a traffic jam section (step S12: No), the process of the flowchart of FIG. As a result, the vehicle air conditioner 2 continues the inside air circulation mode until the vehicle 5 passes through after entering the traffic congestion section of the road.

  Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 5, the vehicle air conditioner 2 performs a slope check process on the road at the current position of the vehicle 5 (step S <b> 20).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the slope check process. In the figure, the vehicle air conditioner 2 acquires the inclination angle of the road on which the vehicle 5 travels by acquiring the inclination angle of the vehicle 5 by using the angular velocity sensor 22s by the inclination angle acquisition unit 22 (step S21). ). Next, the vehicle air conditioner 2 determines whether the road inclination angle is larger than a predetermined angle by the air conditioning switching unit 28 (step S22).
The predetermined angle here is appropriately set based on the level of exhaust gas from the vehicle that changes according to the inclination angle of the slope. Specifically, as the slope angle of the slope increases, more exhaust gas from the vehicle is discharged and stays on the slope, but when outside air is introduced in such an environment, An inclination angle that is a limit value that can keep air comfortable is set here. Note that the inclination angle of the slope can be set in common for the uphill and the downhill because the oncoming vehicle climbs when the host vehicle is descending.

When the inclination angle of the road is larger than the predetermined angle (step S22: Yes), the process proceeds to step S23. In step S23, the vehicle air conditioner 2 uses the air conditioning switching mechanism 28u to switch to the inside air circulation mode in the outside air introduction mode, and keeps it in the inside air circulation mode. And it returns to step S21 and the acquisition process of the inclination angle of a road is repeated.
On the other hand, when the road inclination angle is not larger than the predetermined angle (step S22: No), the processing of the flowchart of FIG. As a result, the vehicle air conditioner 2 continues the inside air circulation mode while the vehicle 5 travels on a slope that is larger than a predetermined inclination angle.

  Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 5, the vehicle air conditioner 2 performs a tunnel check process at the current position of the vehicle 5 (step S <b> 30).

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing tunnel check processing. In the figure, the vehicle air conditioner 2 uses the tunnel information acquisition unit 23 to acquire tunnel information indicating a change in atmospheric pressure in the vehicle interior of the vehicle 5 using the pressure sensor 23s (step S31). Next, the vehicle air conditioner 2 determines whether or not the vehicle 5 is located in the tunnel based on the tunnel information by the air conditioning switching unit 28 (step S32).

When the vehicle 5 is located in the tunnel (step S32: Yes), the process proceeds to step S33. In step S33, the vehicle air conditioner 2 uses the air conditioning switching mechanism 28u to switch to the inside air circulation mode in the outside air introduction mode and leave it in the inside air circulation mode. Then, the process returns to step S31, and the tunnel information acquisition process is repeated.
On the other hand, when the vehicle 5 is not located in the tunnel (step S32: No), the process of the flowchart of FIG. Accordingly, the vehicle air conditioner 2 continues the inside air circulation mode until the vehicle 5 enters the tunnel and passes through.

Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 5, the vehicle air conditioner 2 uses the air conditioning switching mechanism 28 u to switch to the outside air introduction mode in the inside air circulation mode, and keeps it in the outside air introduction mode (step S <b> 40). Thereby, the vehicle air conditioner 2 can set the air conditioning in the vehicle interior to the outside air introduction mode when the vehicle 5 is not located in a traffic jam section, a slope with a large inclination angle, or a tunnel. it can.
And it returns to step S10 and repeats the process after the traffic congestion check process of a road. The process of the flowchart of FIG. 5 ends when, for example, one of the start switches (not shown) of the navigation device 1 and the vehicle air conditioner 2 is turned off.

When the current position of the vehicle 5 is in a traffic jam section, the vehicle air conditioner 2 described above is switched to the inside air circulation mode when the air conditioning in the passenger compartment is in the outside air introduction mode. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a large amount of exhaust gas staying on the road during a traffic jam from entering the vehicle interior as outside air.
Further, when the current position of the vehicle 5 is on a slope, when the air conditioning in the passenger compartment is in the outside air introduction mode, the vehicle 5 is switched to the inside air circulation mode. Thereby, since it is a slope, it can prevent that the exhaust gas exhausted and retained in large quantities penetrates into a vehicle interior as outside air.
Further, when the current position of the vehicle 5 is in the tunnel, when the air conditioning in the passenger compartment is in the outside air introduction mode, the mode is switched to the inside air circulation mode. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a large amount of exhaust gas staying in the tunnel from entering the vehicle interior as outside air.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the vehicle air conditioner 2 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle air conditioner 2 according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the vehicle air conditioner 2 according to the first embodiment, but differs in operation.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle air conditioner 2 according to the second embodiment. In the flowchart shown in the figure, for example, each start switch (not shown) of the navigation device 1 and the vehicle air conditioner 2 is turned on, and the navigation device 1 has already set the movement route from the current position to the destination. It starts when there is.

  First, the vehicle air conditioner 2 acquires the congestion information of each section in the movement route of the vehicle 5 from the navigation device 1 by the congestion information acquisition unit 21 (step S110).

  Next, the vehicle air conditioner 2 performs a traffic jam check process at the current position on the moving route of the vehicle 5 (step S120).

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing road traffic congestion check processing according to the second embodiment. In the figure, the vehicle air conditioner 2 acquires position information indicating the current position of the vehicle 5 from the navigation device 1 (step S121). Next, the vehicle air conditioner 2 determines whether or not the current position of the vehicle 5 is in a traffic jam section on the moving route by the air conditioning switching unit 28 (step S122). Here, even when the current position of the vehicle 5 is located in the vicinity of the traffic jam section, it is determined that the vehicle 5 is in the traffic jam section.

When it is in a traffic jam section (step S122: Yes), the process proceeds to step S123. In step S123, the vehicle air conditioner 2 uses the air conditioning switching mechanism 28u to switch to the inside air circulation mode in the outside air introduction mode and leave it in the inside air circulation mode. Then, the process returns to step S121 and the position information acquisition process is repeated.
If it is not a traffic jam section (step S122: No), the process of the flowchart of FIG. Thus, the vehicle air conditioner 2 continues the inside air circulation mode for a while after the vehicle 5 approaches the traffic jam section on the travel route.

  Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 9, the vehicle air conditioner 2 performs a slope check process (step S <b> 130), a tunnel check process (step S <b> 140), and a process of switching to the outside air introduction mode in the case of the inside air circulation mode (step S <b> 150). . The processing of these steps S130 to S150 is the same as the processing of steps S20 to S40 shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  Next, the vehicle air conditioner 2 determines whether or not the vehicle 5 has arrived at the destination based on the travel route of the vehicle 5 acquired from the navigation device 1 (step S160). If the destination has been reached (step S160: Yes), the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 9 is terminated. If the vehicle has not arrived at the destination (step S160: No), the process returns to step S120, and the processing after the road traffic congestion check processing is repeated.

  The vehicle air conditioner 2 described above performs a traffic jam check process at the current position based on the travel route to the destination of the vehicle 5. Thereby, the air conditioning in the passenger compartment can be switched to the inside air circulation mode in advance before entering the congested section but before entering the traffic jam section. Further, the vehicle 5 is not switched to the outside air introduction mode immediately after passing through the traffic jam section, but can be switched to the outside air introduction mode after passing through. As a result, it is possible to prevent the exhaust gas staying in the vicinity of the traffic congestion section from entering the vehicle interior as outside air.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a vehicle air conditioner 3 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the vehicle air conditioner 3 according to the third embodiment. As shown in the figure, in the vehicle air conditioner 3 according to the third embodiment, a forward vehicle information acquisition unit 24 is added to the functional configuration of the vehicle air conditioner 2 according to the first embodiment.

  The forward vehicle information acquisition unit 24 includes an imaging unit 24c such as a camera, and captures an image of the forward vehicle when the forward vehicle is positioned in the traveling direction of the vehicle 5. Then, based on the captured image of the preceding vehicle, information on the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle and the vehicle type is acquired. In this embodiment, the vehicle type information is classified into large, medium, and small types. The inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle is not limited to acquisition from the image of the preceding vehicle, and may be detected by, for example, irradiating a laser wave, infrared light, or the like.

  Here, as a method of acquiring the inter-vehicle distance and the vehicle type with the preceding vehicle, for example, methods described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2004-265432 and 2008-74318 may be used. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-265432, an inter-vehicle distance from a preceding vehicle is measured using a radar, and a vehicle type is determined from the inter-vehicle distance and the imaged content of the preceding vehicle. In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-74318, an inter-vehicle distance is detected based on the imaging content of a preceding vehicle, and a vehicle type is further discriminated from an image of a license plate.

Next, operation | movement of the vehicle air conditioner 3 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle air conditioner 3 according to this embodiment. The flowchart shown in the figure is started when, for example, each start switch (not shown) of the navigation device 1 and the vehicle air conditioner 3 is turned on.

  The vehicle air conditioner 3 performs a congestion check process (step S210), a slope check process (step S220), and a tunnel check process (step S230). The processing of these steps S210 to S230 is the same as the processing of steps S10 to S30 shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  Next, the vehicle air conditioner 3 performs a forward vehicle check process in the traveling direction of the vehicle 5 (step S240).

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a forward vehicle check process. In the figure, the vehicle air conditioner 3 uses the front vehicle information acquisition unit 24 to obtain information on the distance between the front vehicle and the vehicle type (large, medium, and small) from the image of the front vehicle imaged using the imaging unit 24c. Is acquired (step S241). Next, the vehicle air conditioner 3 determines whether or not the exhaust gas from the preceding vehicle has an influence on the vehicle 5 based on the information on the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle and the vehicle type (step S242).
Here, the influence of the exhaust gas of the preceding vehicle is determined based on the information on the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle and the vehicle type. For example, when the front vehicle is a large vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance is a short distance, it is determined that the exhaust gas affects the vehicle 5. Further, when the preceding vehicle is a small vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance is not a short distance, it is determined that the vehicle 5 is not affected by the exhaust gas.

If there is an influence of the exhaust gas from the preceding vehicle (step S242: Yes), the process proceeds to step S243. In step S243, the vehicle air conditioner 3 uses the air conditioning switching mechanism 28u to switch to the inside air circulation mode in the outside air introduction mode and leave it in the inside air circulation mode. And it returns to step S241 and repeats the information acquisition process of a preceding vehicle.
On the other hand, when there is no influence of the exhaust gas of the preceding vehicle (step S242: No), the process of the flowchart of FIG. As a result, while the vehicle 5 is affected by the exhaust gas from the preceding vehicle, the vehicle air conditioner 3 continues the inside air circulation mode.

  The vehicle air conditioner 3 described above is based on the information on the inter-vehicle distance and the vehicle type with respect to the imaged preceding vehicle, and when there is an influence of the exhaust gas of the preceding vehicle, when the air conditioning in the vehicle interior is in the outside air introduction mode, the inside air circulation mode Has been switched to. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a large amount of exhaust gas discharged from the preceding vehicle from entering the vehicle interior as outside air.

(Modification 1)
In the embodiment described above, switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode is performed based on conditions such as road congestion, hills, tunnels, vehicles ahead, etc., but switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode is performed. This condition is not limited to this. For example, an environment information acquisition unit that receives air pollution information from the air pollution material wide-area monitoring system of the Ministry of the Environment and acquires it as environmental information is provided, and switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode is performed based on the acquired air pollution information You may do it.

Specifically, it is determined whether or not the current position of the vehicle 5 is in an air pollution area. If the vehicle 5 is in an air pollution area, the outside air introduction mode is switched to the inside air circulation mode, and the vehicle 5 Continue inside air circulation mode until it passes. The air pollution information may be received by either the navigation device or the vehicle air conditioner.
Thereby, when the current position of the vehicle 5 is in the air pollution area, it is possible to prevent the contaminated outside air from entering the vehicle interior.

(Modification 2)
In the above-described embodiment, the exhaust gas that is assumed to exceed a predetermined level in each condition such as road congestion, hill road, and forward vehicle is set as the determination condition. However, another condition element may be incorporated for each condition such as traffic jams, hills, and vehicles ahead. For example, an environmental information acquisition unit is provided that receives weather information from the Japan Weather Association or a weather information provider, and acquires wind direction and wind speed information included in the received weather conditions as environmental information. Information may be incorporated into each condition such as road congestion, hills and vehicles ahead.

Specifically, when it is determined that the exhaust gas due to traffic congestion or the like exceeds a predetermined level, if it is determined that the wind direction and the wind speed at the current position push away the retention of the exhaust gas, the switch to the inside air circulation mode is not performed. And keep the outside air introduction mode.
Thereby, when there is actually a small amount of exhaust gas due to wind, the outside air introduction mode can be set, and air conditioning in the inside air circulation mode can be reduced.

(Modification 3)
In the above-described embodiment, determination is made based on conditions such as road congestion, slopes, tunnels, vehicles ahead, etc., and switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode is performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode may be performed according to combinations of conditions such as road congestion, slopes, tunnels, and vehicles ahead.

Specifically, for example, when the current position of the vehicle 5 is a slope and the forward vehicle is located in the traveling direction by combining the slope condition and the forward vehicle condition, the determination of the influence of the exhaust gas is performed. The standard may be stricter and switched to the inside air circulation mode.
Thereby, the outside air introduction mode and the inside air circulation mode can be switched more finely.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Navigation apparatus, 2, 3 ... Air conditioner for vehicles, 5 ... Vehicle, 11 ... GPS part, 11a ... GPS antenna, 12 ... Traffic information acquisition part, 12a ... Antenna, 13 ... Movement path setting part, 18 ... Map information Database, 21 ... Traffic jam information acquisition unit, 22 ... Inclination angle acquisition unit, 22s ... Angular velocity sensor, 23 ... Tunnel information acquisition unit, 23s ... Pressure sensor, 24 ... Front vehicle information acquisition unit, 24c ... Imaging unit, 28 ... Air conditioning switching Part, 28u ... Air conditioning switching mechanism.

Claims (9)

An inclination angle acquisition unit for acquiring an inclination angle of a road surface on which the vehicle travels;
An air conditioning switching unit that controls switching between an inside air circulation mode for circulating the air in the vehicle interior and an outside air introduction mode for introducing outside air into the room;
The air conditioning switching unit controls switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the acquired inclination angle of the road surface. A traffic information acquisition unit that acquires traffic information of a road on which the vehicle is traveling;
2. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning switching unit controls switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the acquired road traffic jam information.   The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the traffic jam information acquisition unit acquires the traffic jam information from a navigation device mounted on the vehicle.   The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the traffic jam information acquisition unit acquires the traffic jam information on a travel route of the vehicle from the navigation device. Further comprising a pressure sensor for detecting entry of the vehicle into the tunnel;
5. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning switching unit switches to the inside air circulation mode when the pressure sensor detects a tunnel entry of the vehicle. An environmental information acquisition unit that acquires environmental information including at least one of wind direction, wind speed, and air pollution related to a road on which the vehicle travels;
The vehicle air conditioning unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the air conditioning switching unit controls switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the acquired environmental information. Air conditioner. An imaging unit that images a forward vehicle located in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle;
A front vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires an inter-vehicle distance from the front vehicle and a vehicle type of the front vehicle based on the captured image of the front vehicle;
The air conditioning switching unit controls switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode based on the acquired inter-vehicle distance and the vehicle type. The vehicle air conditioner described.   The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the inclination angle acquisition unit includes an angular velocity sensor including a piezoelectric vibration gyro to detect an inclination angle of the vehicle. An inclination angle acquisition step of acquiring an inclination angle of a road surface on which the vehicle travels;
An air conditioning switching step for controlling switching between an inside air circulation mode for circulating the air in the room of the vehicle and an outside air introduction mode for introducing outside air into the room;
In the air conditioning switching step, switching between the inside air circulation mode and the outside air introduction mode is controlled based on the acquired inclination angle of the road surface.

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