US 12,391,094 B2
System and method of harvesting wireless energy for climate control in a vehicle
Kamran Ali, Troy, MI (US); Jinzhu Chen, Troy, MI (US); and Pasit Asavisanu, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Assigned to GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed by GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/063,779.
Prior Publication US 2024/0190207 A1, Jun. 13, 2024
Int. Cl. B60H 1/00 (2006.01); H02J 50/00 (2016.01); H02J 50/20 (2016.01)
CPC B60H 1/00792 (2013.01) [B60H 1/00807 (2013.01); H02J 50/001 (2020.01); H02J 50/20 (2016.02)] 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A battery-free wireless climate control unit for harvesting wireless energy and for controlling climate in a cabin of a vehicle, the climate control unit comprising:
an antenna having a transceiver arranged to receive an electromagnetic (EM) signal of EM radiation having EM energy to define an EM current;
a wireless energy harvesting (WEH) unit in communication with the antenna, the WEH unit arranged to filter the EM energy to regulate the EM current and arranged to convert the EM current to direct current;
a power management (PM) unit in communication with the WEH unit, the PM unit arranged to store the direct current and arranged to distribute the direct current;
a sensor in communication with the PM unit, the sensor arranged to receive the direct current from the PM unit for power, the sensor arranged to sense an actual condition being one of temperature and humidity in the cabin, the sensor arranged to transmit a cabin signal of the actual condition;
wherein the sensor is arranged to sense a plurality of actual conditions across a plurality of locations in the cabin;
wherein the sensor has a response time of at least 1 millisecond (ms) due to the varied response time of the sensor based on obstructions to the sensor and a location at which the sensor is disposed;
a controller in communication with the sensor and the PM unit, the controller arranged to receive the direct current from the PM unit for power, the controller arranged to receive the cabin signal of the actual condition from the sensor, the controller arranged to adjust one of temperature and humidity in the cabin in response to a difference between the actual condition and a set condition, the set condition being one of a preset temperature and a preset humidity in the cabin; and
wherein the controller is arranged to create a heat map of the cabin from at least a portion of the plurality of actual conditions by way of an interpolation technique with respect to time and area of the cabin, the controller is arranged to adjust one of temperature and humidity in the cabin with the interpolation technique in response to a difference between the plurality of the actual conditions and a corresponding plurality of the set conditions with the area of the cabin, and the heat map is created from sparse measurements of the cabin to assist with controlling climate in the cabin due to the varied response time of the sensor.