A heater is installed indoors and heated to a target temperature. The heater is controlled by a controller. The controller has a regular control module which heats the heater to reach the target temperature. In addition, the controller has a suppressive control module which heats the heater to a suppressed temperature lower than the target temperature by electric power suppressed so that surface moisture adhering on the surface of the heater is decreased. When an activation of the heater is ordered, the heater is heated by the suppressive control module, after that, the heater is heated by the regular control module. The surface moisture is decreased by the suppressed temperature. Therefore, generating rapid boiling and/or rapid evaporation of the surface moisture by the target temperature may be suppressed.

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus includes: a hot water heater core provided in a hot water circuit in which cooling water circulates in a heat source to recover waste heat of the heat source, and configured to exchange heat between the cooling water heated by the waste heat of the heat source and air to heat the air, thereby heating an inside of a vehicle by using the heated air; a heat pump configured to exchange heat between a refrigerant discharged from a refrigerant compressor and air by using an indoor heat exchanger to heat the air, thereby heating the inside of the vehicle by using the heated air; an electric heater configured to heat air to heat the inside of the vehicle; and a controller configured to select at least one of the hot water heater core, the heat pump and the electric heater to perform a heating operation.

A radiant heating system includes a radiant heating element, a steering wheel position monitoring device and a controller configured to control the radiant heating element in response to steering wheel position data received from the steering wheel position monitoring device. A method of controlling operation of a radiant system.

A method of controlling a temperature altering element within a seating assembly of a vehicle comprising: presenting a vehicle including a seating assembly including a temperature altering element, a controller in communication with the temperature altering element, the controller including a Pre-established Predictive Activation Model setting forth rules governing the activation of the temperature altering element as a function of data relating to Certain Identifiable Conditions, and a user interface configured to allow the temperature altering element to be manually activated or deactivated; occupying the seating assembly with a first occupant; collecting data relating to the Certain Identifiable Conditions while the first occupant is occupying the seating assembly; determining, by comparing the collected data to the rules of the Pre-established Predictive Activation Model, whether the collected data satisfies the rules of the Pre-established Predictive Activation Model so as to activate the temperature altering element; and activating the temperature altering element.

A method for digitally controlling a heating arrangement may include receiving a temperature value with a control device, the temperature value reflecting a current outside temperature. The method may also include determining via the control device, based on the received temperature value, a limit output of the heating arrangement that is smaller than a maximum output of the heating arrangement. The method may further include dividing the determined limit output into a plurality of output stages via the control device, a number of the plurality of output stages corresponding to a digital resolution of the control device. The method may additionally include controlling the heating arrangement between a minimum output and the limit output to one of the plurality of output stages.

A method of controlling an air conditioning system for a vehicle is provided. The method includes detecting a cooling mode while the vehicle is being driven and comparing a vent discharge temperature of air with a cooling target temperature set by a user. When the vent discharge temperature is greater than the cooling target temperature the compressor RPM is determined and air is introduced into the vehicle without passing through the interior heat exchanger and the electric heater. When the vent discharge temperature is less than the cooling target temperature, the compressor RPM is determined and a door in the system is opened to guide the air through the interior heat exchanger to heat the air is heated and then the vent discharge temperature is compared with the cooling target temperature again, and the electric heater is operated.

A heater apparatus includes a base member, a cover member supported by the base member, a cloth member provided between the base member and the cover member to hold a heater wire, and a heater temperature sensor brought into contact with the cloth member, covered on a base member side facing the base member and a cover member side facing the cover member with the cloth member, and configured to detect a temperature of the heater wire. The cover member has a cover recessed portion recessed towards the base member in an overlapping region where the cloth member on the base member side and the cloth member on the cover member side of the heater temperature sensor overlap.

A climate control system for a vehicle includes an infrared sensor disposed within a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The infrared sensor is configured to receive infrared radiation from a skin surface of a vehicle occupant. The climate control system further includes a controller configured to receive a signal indicative of a detected temperature detected at the skin surface. In response to the detected temperature deviating from a baseline temperature, the controller is configured to automatically control an HVAC system to add conditioned air into the passenger compartment and to control a thermoelectric device configured to adjust a seat surface temperature.

There is disclosed a vehicle air conditioner device which is capable of continuing air conditioning of a vehicle interior also in a case where a failure occurs in a solenoid valve to change a flow of a refrigerant in each operation mode. A vehicle air conditioner device 1 includes a solenoid valve 17 for cooling, a solenoid valve 21 for heating and a solenoid valve 22 for dehumidifying to switch respective operation modes of the vehicle air conditioner device. A controller changes and executes the respective operation modes of a heating mode, a dehumidifying mode, and a cooling mode. The controller has a predetermined air conditioning mode during failure, and failure detecting means for detecting failure of the solenoid valve. In a case where the failure detecting means detects that the solenoid valves fail in the respective operation modes, the controller selects the air conditioning mode during failure in which vehicle interior air conditioning by the operation mode is achievable, to continue the air conditioning of the vehicle interior.

A refrigeration system for a vehicle is provided and includes inside and outside condenser circuits. The inside condenser circuit includes a first valve receiving a first portion of refrigerant out of a compressor, and a cabin condenser receiving and condensing the first portion from the first valve while heating an interior of a cabin. The outside condenser circuit includes: a second valve receiving a second portion of the refrigerant out of the compressor; an outside condenser receiving and compressing the second portion from the second valve; a reservoir downstream from the cabin condenser and the outside condenser receiving the first and second portions; a heat exchanger downstream from the reservoir; and a bypass valve connected in parallel with the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger and the bypass valve receive portions of the refrigerant from the reservoir. A control module controls positions of the first, second and bypass valves.