Apparatus and method for controlling wireless charger for vehicle
View Patent ↗An apparatus for controlling a wireless charger for a vehicle includes a communication device to receive an input from a user and information on the vehicle, and a controller to employ one of a first driving duty ratio of a cooling fan set based on the information on the vehicle, a second driving duty ratio of the cooling fan set based on the input from the user, or a third driving duty ratio of the cooling fan set through auto-tuning operation to operate the cooling fan, to enhance charging performance of the wireless charger while minimizing the feeling of the user bothered due to operating noise of a cooling fan.
1. An apparatus for controlling a wireless charger for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a communication device configured to receive an input from a user and information on the vehicle; and
a controller configured to employ one of a first driving duty ratio of a cooling fan set based on the information on the vehicle, a second driving duty ratio of the cooling fan set based on the input from the user, or a third driving duty ratio of the cooling fan set through an auto-tuning operation, to operate the cooling fan;
wherein the input from the user includes a driving duty ratio of the cooling fan set based on a noise limit allowed by the user; and
wherein the controller is further configured to:
generate a message for requesting a user response, which is associated with whether to employ the driving duty ratio of the cooling fan at a time point, at which a level of the noise becomes a preset reference noise level; and
operate the cooling fan, when the vehicle is actually started after being in a remote starting state; and
wherein the noise includes a noise changed depending on the auto-tuning operation for a driving duty of the cooling fan.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
set the first driving duty ratio, depending on an engine type of the vehicle and a vehicle speed, based on noise generated depending on the engine type of the vehicle and the vehicle speed, when receiving the information on the vehicle; and
employ the first driving duty ratio to operate the cooling fan.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
set the second driving duty ratio by changing the first driving duty ratio, based on the input from the user, when receiving the input from the user; and
employ the second driving duty ratio to operate the cooling fan.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein noise changed through the auto-tuning operation for the first driving duty ratio is measured, when the second driving duty ratio is not set;
wherein a driving duty ratio obtained at a time point, at which a level of the noise becomes a preset reference noise level, is set as the third driving duty ratio; and
wherein the third driving duty ratio is employed to operate the cooling fan.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
measure the noise changed depending on the auto-tuning operation for the driving duty ratio of the cooling fan, when the vehicle is in a remote starting state; and
collect noise data changed depending on the auto-tuning operation for the driving duty ratio of the cooling fan, when the vehicle is in the remote starting state.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
set, to the third driving duty ratio, the driving duty ratio of the cooling fan, which is obtained at the time point at which the level of the noise becomes the preset reference noise level, when receiving the user response to allow the driving duty ratio of the cooling fan, which is obtained at the time point at which the level of the noise becomes the preset reference noise level, to operate the cooling fan; and
employ the third driving duty ratio to operate the cooling fan.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to:
employ the first driving duty ratio to operate the cooling fan, when receiving a user response to prevent the driving duty ratio of the cooling fan, which is obtained at the time point at which the level of the noise becomes the preset reference noise level, from being employed to operate the cooling fan.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
operate the cooling fan to dissipate heat emitted from a wireless charging pad.
9. A method for controlling a wireless charger for a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving an input from a user and information on the vehicle; and
employing one of a first driving duty ratio of a cooling fan set based on the information on the vehicle, a second driving duty ratio of the cooling fan set based on the input from the user, or a third driving duty ratio of the cooling fan set through an auto-tuning operation, to operate the cooling fan;
wherein the input from the user includes a driving duty ratio of the cooling fan set based on a noise limit allowed by the user;
generating a message for requesting a user response, which is associated with whether to employ the driving duty ratio of the cooling fan at a time point, at which a level of the noise becomes a preset reference noise level; and
operate the cooling fan, when the vehicle is actually started after being in a remote starting state;
wherein the noise includes a noise changed depending on the auto-tuning operation for a driving duty of the cooling fan.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
setting the first driving duty ratio depending on an engine type of the vehicle and a vehicle speed, based on noise caused depending on the engine type of the vehicle and the vehicle speed, when receiving information on the vehicle, and
employing the first driving duty ratio to operate the cooling fan.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
setting the second driving duty ratio by changing the first driving duty ratio, based on the input from the user, when receiving the input from the user; and
employing the second driving duty ratio to operate the cooling fan.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein noise changed through the auto-tuning operation for the first driving duty ratio is measured, when the second driving duty ratio is not set,
wherein a driving duty ratio obtained at a time point, at which a level of the noise becomes a preset reference noise level, is set as the third driving duty ratio, and
wherein the third driving duty ratio is employed to operate the cooling fan.
13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
measuring the noise changed depending on the auto-tuning operation for the driving duty ratio of the cooling fan, when the vehicle is in a remote starting state; and
collecting noise data changed depending on the auto-tuning operation for the driving duty ratio of the cooling fan, when the vehicle is in the remote starting state.
14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
setting, to the third driving duty ratio, the driving duty ratio of the cooling fan, which is obtained at the time point at which the level of the noise becomes the preset reference noise level, when receiving the user response to allow the driving duty ratio of the cooling fan, which is obtained at the time point at which the level of the noise becomes the preset reference noise level, to operate the cooling fan; and
employing the third driving duty ratio to operate the cooling fan.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
employing the first driving duty ratio to operate the cooling fan, when receiving a user response to prevent the driving duty ratio of the cooling fan, which is obtained at the time point at which the level of the noise becomes the preset reference noise level, from being employed to operate the cooling fan.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cooling fan is operated to dissipate heat emitted from a wireless charging pad.