US-12623577-B2 - System and method of estimating energy flow to an occupant from a heating element of a vehicle seat

US12623577B2US 12623577 B2US12623577 B2US 12623577B2US-12623577-B2

Abstract

A heating system and method that includes a heating element configured to generate heat; and a controller configured to: determine a value representative of an ambient cabin temperature; supply the power to the heating element to; measure the power supplied to the heating element or obtain a value representative of the power supplied to the heating element; determine or calculate a temperature of the heating element; determine heat loss from the vehicle seat to atmosphere surrounding the vehicle seat based on a temperature difference between the ambient cabin temperature and the temperature of the heating element; estimate an amount of heat transferred from the vehicle seat to an occupant of the vehicle seat based on the measured power supplied to the heating element and the determined heat loss from the vehicle seat to an ambient environment surrounding the vehicle seat; and adjust the power supplied to the heating element.

Inventors

Kenneth Turner
Mahmoud Abdalla Harraz

Assignees

GENTHERM GMBH

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20231208

Claims (15)

1 . A system for a vehicle seat in a vehicle, comprising: a) one or more heating elements configured to generate heat when power is supplied to the one or more heating elements from a power source; and b) a controller configured to: i. determine or receive a value representative of an ambient cabin temperature inside of the vehicle; ii. supply the power to the one or more heating elements or send a signal to the power source to supply the power to the one or more heating elements; iii. measure the power supplied to the one or more heating elements or obtain a value representative of the power supplied to the one or more heating elements; iv. determine or calculate an average temperature outputted by the one or more heating elements; v. determine heat loss from the vehicle seat to atmosphere surrounding the vehicle seat based on a temperature difference between the ambient cabin temperature and the average temperature outputted by the one or more heating elements; vi. estimate an amount of heat transferred from the vehicle seat to an occupant of the vehicle seat based on the power supplied to the one or more heating elements and the determined heat loss from the vehicle seat to the atmosphere surrounding the vehicle seat; vii. determine a clothing resistance of closing worn by the occupant of the vehicle seat; and viii. adjust the power supplied to the one or more heating elements based on the estimated amount of heat transferred from the vehicle seat to the occupant.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the clothing resistance is determined using values representing voltage and/or current derived from the power that is supplied to the one or more heating elements.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the clothing resistance is determined using values representing voltage and current supplied to the one or more heating elements, the ambient cabin temperature, and the average temperature outputted by the one or more heating elements.
4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the clothing resistance is determined using an estimated skin temperature of the occupant.
5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the heat loss from the vehicle seat is determined by a difference between the ambient cabin temperature and the temperature outputted by the one or more heating elements.
6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is part of the system, or the controller is part of the vehicle and is utilized by the system.
7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more heating elements is/are located at or near a bite line of the vehicle seat.
8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more heating elements comprise one or more resistive wire heaters.
9 . A vehicle seat comprising the system according to claim 1 .
10 . A method of adjusting power supplied to one or more heating elements of a vehicle seat in a vehicle, the method comprising: i. determining an ambient cabin temperature inside of the vehicle; ii. suppling power to the one or more heating elements or sending a signal to a power source to supply the power to the one or more heating elements; iii. measuring the power supplied to the one or more heating elements or obtaining a value representative of the power supplied to the one or more heating elements; iv. determining or calculating an average temperature of the one or more heating elements; v. determining a heat loss from the vehicle seat to atmosphere surrounding the vehicle seat based on a temperature difference between the ambient cabin temperature and the average temperature of the one or more heating elements; vi. estimating an amount of heat transferred from the vehicle seat to an occupant of the vehicle seat based on the power supplied to the one or more heating elements and the determined heat loss from the vehicle seat to the atmosphere surrounding the vehicle seat; vii. determining a clothing resistance of clothing worn by the occupant of the vehicle seat; and viii. adjusting the power supplied to the one or more heating elements based on the estimated amount of heat transferred from the vehicle seat to the occupant and/or based on the clothing resistance of the clothing worn by the occupant.
11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the clothing resistance is determined using an equation that includes values representing voltage, current, the ambient cabin temperature, and the average temperature of the one or more heating elements.
12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the determining the amount of heat loss step is determined by a difference between the ambient cabin temperature and the average temperature of the one or more heating elements.
13 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method comprises an activating step, that occurs automatically after the vehicle is turned ON or after the occupant enters the vehicle.
14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the determining the clothing resistance step includes considering a thermal resistance of the vehicle seat in a region between the one or more heating elements and the occupant.
15 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the determining the clothing resistance step includes using-considering a thermal resistance of the vehicle seat in a region other than between the one or more heating elements and the occupant.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a US National Stage entry of PCT/IB2023/062418 filed on Dec. 8, 2023, which claims priority to U.S. 63/431,061 filed on Dec. 8, 2022, the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. FIELD These teachings relate to a vehicle seat, and more particularly to a system and/or method of estimating an amount of energy flow to an occupant in a heated vehicle seat. BACKGROUND Some vehicles include one or more features for improving occupant comfort. For example, some vehicle seats include one or more heating systems for providing warmth to an occupant. While many systems are suitable for their intended purpose, it may be desirable to improve the current state of the art. For example, it may be desirable to have a system and/or method of estimating energy flow to an occupant of a vehicle seat from one or more heating elements. For example, it may be desirable to have a system and/or method of determining or estimating the resistance of clothing worn by the one or more occupants in the vehicle. Such information may be useful for further improving occupant comfort. SUMMARY These teachings are directed to a system and/or method of estimating energy flow to an occupant of a vehicle seat from one or more heating elements. These teachings are directed to a system and/or method of determining or estimating the clothing resistance of the clothing worn by the one or more occupants in the vehicle BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle that includes a vehicle seat. FIG. 2 is a side view of an occupant sitting in a vehicle seat. FIG. 3 is a flow chart that includes method steps. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a simplified vehicle seat stack up. DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 includes an occupant area or cockpit 12 that may include one or more vehicle seats 14. In addition to the one or more vehicle seats 14, the occupant area 12 may include one or more devices, such as a steering wheel 16, a dashboard 18, a console 20, a door panel 22, a headliner 24, and a foot well 26. One or more of the devices of the occupant area 12 may include one or more heating elements (e.g., heating element 36 in FIG. 2). The occupant area 12 or the one or more devices may include one or more sensors 28 for detecting or determining an ambient temperature of the inside of the occupant area 12 or region surrounding the vehicle seat 14. FIG. 2 illustrates a vehicle seat 14. The vehicle seat 14 may include a seating portion 30, a backrest portion 32, and a headrest 34. One or more of the seating portion 30, the backrest portion 32, and the headrest 34 may include one or more heating elements 36. The one or more heating elements 36 may be configured to generate heat. The heat may be generated by the one or more heating elements 36 in response to a supply of power from a power source 38 that is electrically connected to the one or more heating elements 36. The one or more heating elements may be located anywhere on the vehicle sea or portions of the vehicle seat (e.g., seating portion, back rest portion, headrest, arm rests, bolsters, etc.). The one or more heating elements may be located at or near a bite line of the vehicle seat. The one or more heating elements may comprise a resistive wire to which the power source is connected to. The vehicle seat 14, the seating portion 30, the backrest portion 32, the headrest 34, and/or the one or more heating elements 36 may include one or more sensors 40. The one or more sensors 40 may be enabled, configured, or used for measuring or determining a temperature of the vehicle seat 14, the seating portion 30, the backrest portion 32, the headrest 34, the one or more heating elements 36, and/or one or more other regions of the vehicle seat. The one or more sensors 40 may be part of the vehicle seat and/or part of the system for estimating the energy flow to the occupant and/or part of the vehicle 10 and/or provided by the vehicle OEM. The one or more sensors 40 may be the same as the one or more sensors 28 for detecting or determining an ambient temperature of the inside of the occupant area 12 or region surrounding the vehicle seat 14. The one or more sensors 28 and/or 40 may located within the structure of the vehicle seat 10, on the vehicle seat 10, or adjacent to the vehicle seat. One or more controllers 46 may be in electrical communication with the one or more sensors 28, the one or more heating elements 36, the one or more sensors 40, the power source 38, or any combination thereof. The one or more controllers 46 may be part of the vehicle seat and/or part of the system for estimating the energy flow to the occupant and/or part of the vehicle 10 and/or provided by the vehicle OEM. An occupant 42 wearing clothing 44 is illustrated sitting in the vehicle seat 14. Referring now to FIG. 3, a method 100 is disclosed. The method 100 may be useful for estimating, d