Vehicle HVAC noise control system

Abstract

A vehicle HVAC noise control system includes an air handler, a blower motor, an audio event device and a controller. The air handler is connected to a passenger compartment. The blower motor is operably connected to the air handler to provide a plurality of airflow rates for air flowing into a passenger compartment. The audio event device produces an audio event to the passenger compartment. The controller is operatively connected to the blower motor and the audio event device. The controller controls operation of the blower motor initially at an operating airflow rate and subsequently switches to a noise reducing airflow rate in response to a signal from the audio event device indicating that the audio event device will subsequently produce the audio event.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle HVAC noise control system, comprising:
 an air handler connected to a passenger compartment within a vehicle; 
 a blower operably connected to the air handler to provide a plurality of airflow rates for air flowing into the passenger compartment; 
 an audio event device configured to electronically produce an audio event to the passenger compartment, where the audio event device consists of one or more of the following group of devices: a hands-free communication device that wirelessly communicates with a mobile communication device, and a navigation system and a window sensor that includes a global positioning system that provides mapping, positioning and audible navigation instruction outputs; and 
 a controller operatively connected to the blower and the audio event device, the controller controlling operation of the blower initially at an operating airflow rate and in response to a signal from the audio event device indicating that the audio event device will subsequently produce the audio event is about to occur the controller switches the blower to a noise reducing airflow rate, with the audio event occurring thereafter, and while the controller controls the blower to operate at the noise reducing airflow rate, the controller further controls a display to produce an indication that the blower is operating at the noise reducing airflow rate, and where the signal consists of one or more of the following: 
 an indication of from the hands-free communication device that an incoming communication is being received by the mobile communication device with the audio event device being the hands-free communication device wirelessly connected to the mobile communication device; and  
 an indication of that the global positioning system of the navigation device system is about to issue an audible navigation instruction output; 
 an indication that the window sensor has detected that a window of the passenger compartment is being opened; and 
 an indication that an audio event device within the vehicle is about to produce an audio output that is intended to assist the vehicle operator or passenger with the audio event device being the navigation system; and 
 a microphone configured to receive audible input, and the controller is operatively coupled to the air handler and controls the air handler to selectively direct the air away from the microphone in response to audible inputs being provided to the microphone. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the audio event device is the navigation system sendsand is configured to send the signal to the controller at a time interval before producing the audible navigation instruction output. 
 
     
     
       3. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: wherein
 the audio event device is the hands-free communication device wirelessly connected to the mobile communication device, the hands-free communication device being connected to a voice recognition system that performs a voice recognition interaction. 
 
     
     
       4. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 upon receiving an input from a manual voice recognition control, the voice recognition system sends a voice recognition signal to the controller at a time interval prior to before performing the voice recognition interaction. 
 
     
     
       5. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim  1  17, wherein
 the window sensor is connected to an electric window system including a window control and a movable window panel, the movable window panel moving being movable from a closed orientation to an open orientation upon receiving an input from the window control as the audio event. 
 
     
     
       6. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a speed sensor that detects speed of a vehicle that includes the passenger compartment with the movable window panel, and   the window sensor detecting the orientation of the movable window panel, and   the signal from the audio event device includes a first signal and a second signal, the first signal being sent by the window sensor detecting the movable window panel is in a position other than the fully closed orientation and the second signal being sent by the speed sensor detecting that the vehicle is not in motion.   
     
     
       7. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the electric window system sends the signal to the controller upon receiving the input from the window control.   
     
     
       8. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the window sensor is connected to a movable window panel movable between a fully closed orientation and a fully open orientation, and   the audio event device includes the window sensor detecting the orientation of the movable window panel, the window sensor sending the signal to the controller when the movable window panel is detected to be in the fully opened orientation.   
     
     
       9. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the audio event device is configured to send the signal to the controller at a predetermined time interval prior to the audio event being produced.   
     
     
       10. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller controls operation of the blower to switch from operating at the noise reducing airflow rate to the operating airflow rate upon conclusion of the audio event.   
     
     
       11. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim  10  1, wherein
 the controller delays switching from operating operates the blower at the noise reducing airflow rate to the operating airflow rate for a predetermined time interval after conclusion of the audio event switching the speed of the blower from the operating airflow rate to the noise reducing air flow rate. 
 
     
     
       12. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 while the controller is controlling the blower to operate at the noise reducing airflow rate, the controller further controls a display to produce an indication that the blower is operating at the noise reducing airflow rate.   
     
     
       13. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a microphone configured to receive audible input, and the controller is operatively coupled to the air handler and controls the air handler to selectively direct the air away from the microphone in response to audible inputs being provided to the microphone.   
     
     
       14. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the air handler includes a first air outlet with a first door, a second air outlet with a second door, and a movable blend third air outlet with a third door for selectively directing airflow from the blower through the first air outlet and the second air outlet, and the controller controls the movable blend door the first, second and third doors to direct the airflow entirely through the second and third air outlet outlets in response to the signal. 
 
     
     
       15. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a temperature control for setting a desired temperature of the passenger compartment; and 
 a temperature sensor for detecting the current temperature of the passenger compartment; 
 wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the temperature control and the temperature sensor, determines a temperature difference between the desired temperature and the current temperature, and alters a position of a mixing door within the air handler in order to achieve the desired temperature in accordance with the temperature difference while controlling the blower to operate at the noise reducing airflow rate. 
 
     
     
       16. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 an audio speaker configured to produce an audible output in response to the audio event device producing the audio event. 
 
     
     
       17. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 1, wherein
 the audio event device is the navigation system which is connected to a voice recognition system that performs a voice recognition interaction.    
     
     
       18. A vehicle HVAC noise control system, comprising:
 an air handler connected to a passenger compartment within a vehicle;   a speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle;   a blower operably connected to the air handler to provide a plurality of airflow rates for air flowing into the passenger compartment;   a window having a window sensor that detects whether the window is partially open or fully open; and   a controller operatively connected to the blower, the speed sensor and the window sensor of the window, such that the controller controls operation of the blower initially at an operating airflow rate and switches the blower to a noise reducing airflow rate in response to receiving a signal from the window sensor of the window indicating that the window is partially open or fully open and receiving a signal from the speed sensor that the vehicle speed is less than five miles per hour, wherein the controller assumes an audio event is about to occur based on the signals from the window sensor and the speed sensor with the audio event occurring thereafter, and while the controller controls the blower to operate at the noise reducing airflow rate, the controller further controls a display within the passenger compartment to produce an indication that the blower is operating at the noise reducing airflow rate.    
     
     
       19. The vehicle HVAC noise control system according to claim 18, wherein
 the controller controls operation of the blower to switch from operating at the noise reducing airflow rate after a predetermined time interval to a variable HVAC blower speed determined by the controller based on the difference between a desired passenger compartment temperature and the current temperature of the passenger compartment being greater than a predetermined amount.