Solar position correction for climate control system
US5553661A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 23, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 10, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 23, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF02D2200/701
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A vehicle heating and air conditioning system has multiple zones and a manual comfort selector for each zone. The setting for each zone is adjustable for the effects of sun intensity and sun position. A Global Position System (GPS) navigation system provides heading, longitude, latitude, time and date data from which sun position relative to the vehicle is determined, and solar sensors provide solar intensity information. An empirical table for each zone addressed by sun elevation and relative azimuth contains solar illumination factors which, along with solar intensity factors, afford an adjustment to the comfort settings, thus altering the temperature and/or flow rate of air supplied to each zone. Alternatively, in the absence of a GPS receiver, a magnetic compass is used for heading data, geographic region data is entered manually, and an on-board clock furnishes the time and date.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.