VEHICLE REMOTE CONTROL AND AIR CLIMATE SYSTEM

TELECOMMANDE ET SYSTEME DE CLIMATISATION DE VEHICULE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT Vehicle remote control and air climate system having a remote control device for sending wireless control signals, a receiver at a vehicle for receiving the wireless control signals from the remote control device and generating receiver control signals, a remote controller at the vehicle for receiving the receiver control signals from the receiver and generating remote control signals, a climate controller at the vehicle for receiving the remote control signals from the remote controller and generating climate control signals, and climate control device at the vehicle for receiving the climate control signals from the climate controller and controlling a climate environment of the vehicle.

French Abstract

Un système de climatisation à télécommande pour véhicule comportant un dispositif de télécommande pour l'envoi de signaux de commande sans fil, un récepteur à un véhicule pour recevoir les signaux de commande sans fil de la télécommande et générer des signaux de commande de récepteur, une télécommande au véhicule pour recevoir les signaux de commande du récepteur provenant de ce dernier et générer des signaux de télécommande, un contrôleur de climatisation au véhicule pour recevoir les signaux de télécommande provenant de la télécommande et générer des signaux de commande de climatisation et un dispositif de régulation au véhicule pour recevoir les signaux de commande de climatisation provenant du contrôleur de climatisation et contrôler un environnement climatique du véhicule.

Claims

7
CLAIMS
1. An aftermarket vehicle remote control air climate system for installation
in a vehicle having an original climate controller and an original electric
heating/cooling system, the aftermarket vehicle remote control air
climate system comprising:
a remote control device for sending wireless control signals;
a receiver at the vehicle for receiving the wireless control signals
from the remote control device and generating receiver control signals;
a remote controller at the vehicle for receiving the receiver
control signals from the receiver and generating remote control signals;
wherein the original climate controller at the vehicle receives the
remote control signals from the remote controller and generates climate
control signals; and wherein the original electric heating/cooling system
at the vehicle receives the climate control signals from the climate
controller and controls a climate environment of the vehicle; and
wherein the remote controller is connected to the original climate
controller via an original data bus link and the remote controller is
connected to a security bypass system.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is integrated in
the remote controller.

Description

CA 02570946 2006-12-12
1
VEHICLE REMOTE CONTROL AND AIR CLIMATE SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle control and air climate system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As it is well known, existing remote car starters are used to start the
vehicle's
main engine to indirectly heat or cool the passenger's cockpit. This is based
on
the fact that heating/cooling is generated by the main combustion motor which
is
also the vehicle's drive. However, with this known car starter it is not
possible to
directly control the climate system of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle remote control
and
air climate system comprising:
a remote control device for sending wireless control signals;
a receiver at a vehicle for receiving the wireless control signals from the
remote
control device and generating receiver control signals;
a remote controller at the vehicle for receiving the receiver control signals
from
the receiver and generating remote control signals;
a climate controller at the vehicle for receiving the remote control signals
from
the remote controller and generating climate control signals; and
climate control means at the vehicle for receiving the climate control signals
from the climate controller and controlling a climate environment of the
vehicle.
Preferably, the vehicle remote control and air climate system includes a
selectively operable air climate remote control device or a combination of
climate
remote control devices. The air climate remote control device may ultimately
control an electrically powered heating and/or a conditioning and/or a
ventilating
system or any other specifically designed apparatus for selectively heating or
cooling the vehicle, for example. The vehicle remote control and air climate
device
may also include at least one remote transmitter, a receiver at the vehicle
for
receiving signals from at least one remote transmitter and a controller at the
vehicle. The controller may be connected to the receiver for performing at
least
one vehicle function based upon signals from the remote transmitter, and may
also selectively operate the air climate device.

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2
Preferably, the system comprises either alone or in combination:
a remote control system for controlling the original vehicle climate control
system which can be composed of an electric heater and/or an electric air
conditioner with associated air circulating system;
a remote control system for controlling the original vehicle climate control
system which can be composed of an electric heater and/or an electric air
conditioner with associated air circulating system and an associated
electricity
generator;
a remote control system for controlling the original vehicle climate control
system which can require the ignition of a non-main drive combustion motor
with
associated air circulating system;
a remote control system for controlling the original vehicle climate control
system which can be composed of a combustible heater and/or a combustible air
conditioner with associated air circulating system; or
a remote control system for controlling the original vehicle climate control
system which can be composed of but not limited to any specifically designed
heater and/or air conditioner apparatus with associated air circulating
system.
Preferably, the remote control system may be used for controlling the original
vehicle manufacturer climate control system and/or an added climate control
system. The remote control system may set remotely the temperature to a pre-
fixed temperature or to a remotely fixed temperature.
Preferably, the remote control system requires a security bypass and/or other
modification(s) to be performed to the air climate system in order for the
system to
work.
Preferably, the remote control system requires security confirmation in case
any
kind of reject will be performed (gas or other) for climate system to be
activated,
by the user and/or by an intelligent system and/or using sensor(s) to
determine if
there is any potential danger for human life (GPS signal receiving, for
example).
Preferably, the remote control system includes additional optional features
like
security enhancement, door lock features and other similar remote actions,
using
any kind of link including data bus communications.

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3
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Figure 1 is a schematic bloc diagram for integration of the system in a
vehicle to
remotely control air climate, according to a preferred embodiment of the
present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a vehicle remote control and air climate
system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The
vehicle
remote control and air climate system includes a remote control device 1 for
sending wireless control signals, a receiver 2 at a vehicle for receiving the
wireless control signals from the remote control device 1 and generating
receiver
control signals, a remote controller 3 at the vehicle for receiving the
receiver
control signals from the receiver 2 and generating remote control signals, a
climate controller 4 at the vehicle for receiving the remote control signals
from the
remote controller and generating climate control signals, and a climate
control
sub-system(s) 5 at the vehicle for receiving the climate control signals from
the
climate controller 4 and controlling a climate environment of the vehicle 6.
The remote control device 1 or transmitter may send its signal(s) by
radio-frequency modulation (RF), by infrared (IR) or by any other remote
signal(s)
that may be physically activated or not, including activation by a computer,
home
automation system, by Internet or by any other network.
The receiver 2 receives the signals from at least one remote control device 1
or
transmitter, which may or may not be integrated in the remote controller 3.
The remote controller 3 operates actions of the remote control system. It may
need to perform security bypass in the vehicle and/or may need gas emission
confirmation from the user, from an intelligent system or from any
combinations of
sensors, in order to allow, for example, the ignition of a combustible heater.
The
remote controller's program may be upgradeable, schedulable, locally or
remotely.
It may use an external card for its program and/or its features. It may be
compatible with a plurality of subsystems and may recognize automatically in
which car make/brand/model/year it is connected in order to perform corrects
actions.

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4
The climate controller 4 controls the climate system apparatus of the vehicle
that
may be from the vehicle manufacturer or from an added climate system. The
climate controller may be integrated in the remote controller 3, which may
need
modifications to be performed in order to allow remote climate control.
The climate control sub-system(s) 5 is for heat or cold generation. It may be
composed, for example, of an electric heater and/or air conditioner, combined
or
not with an electricity generator, and/or any kind of combustible
heater/conditioner
and/or any apparatus used for climate control, including a combustion motor
that
is not the vehicle's main motor drive directly. The cold/heat generator may be
added or the original from the vehicle manufacturer may be used, with or
without
the need to perform modifications in order to allow remote climate control.
Preferably, there are provided optional vehicle functionality control 7 for
security
bypass or security enhancement, and/or door locks features or any similar
features, using the data bus of the vehicle or not.
Advantageously, with the system of present invention, there is provided a
remote
control system that climates the vehicle's cockpit, whichever the way that the
vehicle may be powered now or in the future. This means that the remote
control
system may control an electric heater remotely, or any kind of specifically
designed combustible heater (gas, propane, hydrogen or any kind), or any
appliance that may be used to climate the vehicles.
In the case the vehicle uses an electric heating/cooling system; it could
imply the
need to start an electric generator, optionally or not, as a consequence of
the
remote command. In case the heat is generated by the coolant of an electric
generator (which generator would be mainly used to drive main electric motors
drives for a vehicle), the remote feature doesn't start the motor directly,
but
commands the cockpit heating/cooling by enabling the heating/cooling function
in
a said vehicle, which would indirectly conduct to starting a combustion motor.
This
could require or not to modify the original vehicle climate system for
permitting the
start of the motor if needed. If the presence of a key is required for
enabling
heating command and indirectly start a motor, the difference would reside in
the
fact that it is not the remote climate controller that jumps the start wire to
force
engine to start, but the system itself commands the start of the motor. So
this is an

CA 02570946 2006-12-12
indirect remote motor starting. It may also require the need to confirm the
location
of the car to ensure possible gas emission in the case it will generate some,
which
confirmation may come from the user, form an intelligent system and/or
combination of sensors (to mention GPS signal receiving as an example).
5 With the present invention, it is possible to remotely enable the climate
control, to
a preset/standard temperature (say 20 degrees), or to a temperature that could
be
controlled remotely as user want (user selectable on its remote control). One
has
to keep in mind that in the future, energy will be managed more tightly to
minimize
wasting, so the temperature won't go to its maximum possible, unless
requested,
like it is today.
The present invention may work with any suitable remote control methods,
whichever the path(s) the command passes through. For example, it is possible
to
command the climate control by internet, or the commands may travel through
many kinds of networks, then reach the cellular phone network and then be
received by the system of the present invention. It could also simply be a
standard
known remote control as currently used, enhanced or not with temperature
control
adjustment.
The system of the present invention may use the vehicle's data bus to control
the
climate control or any other way (direct wire connect or combinations of wire
connect).
The system of the present invention may command an aftermarket climate system
or an "upgrade" system also, installed on a vehicle, or the original system of
the
vehicle manufacturer. It should include all modifications needed to be applied
on
the vehicle in order to be able to control the climate.
The system of the present invention allows the user to not necessarily perform
a
direct action for the system to be remotely activated. For example, in the
future an
intelligent house system may detect a user's life habits and detect that the
user is
leaving soon using the user's vehicle, it could command remotely to activate
the
climate system. Also, some detectors with personal identification IDs may
detect
that a user is going to the user's vehicle, and this may also command the
remote
climate system.

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The system of the present invention may include additional control features
such as door locks or any other similar feature and/or additional security
features (bypass and/or enhancement), whichever the kind of link is required
(data bus or direct wire).
The system of the present invention may be remotely updatable by means of
schedule controller. In this way, one may program a schedule in the car to
climate the cockpit at predefined times (this may imply a kind of
activation/confirmation).
The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments
set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation
consistent with the description as a whole.

Representative Drawing