A remotely operated control system for energizing vehicular seat heating and cooling system is shown and described. The novel control system uses a remote control originally intended to operate vehicle features other than seat heating and cooling. The remote control issues more than the necessary single control command within a predetermined time period. The control system preferentially recognizes that the extra signals are intended to operate the seat heating or cooling features. Responsively, power is connected to a selected seat heating or cooling feature. The novel control system is conveniently wired to local electrically energized original conductors of the vehicle electrical system to bring power to the seat heaters or coolers.

A ventilation and massage device for a seat, may include a seat foam pad including a plurality of air discharge holes formed in the seat foam; an air distribution duct mounted in a space in a rear surface of the seat foam pad and fluidically-connected to the plurality of air discharge holes, the air distribution duct being configured to distribute air to the air discharge holes; massage units mounted on a bottom surface of the air distribution duct, the massage units being configured to move forwards and backwards to open or close the air discharge holes or penetrate the air discharge holes; and a controller electrically connected to the massage units and configured to control an amount of movement of the massage units based on information related to a body pressure of an occupant accommodated in the seat and information related to a temperature and humidity at a contact portion between the occupant and the seat.

There is provided a passenger compartment structure that can save power while ensuring thermal comfort of an occupant. The passenger compartment structure allows control of thermal comfort of the occupant in a posture seated on a seat. The passenger compartment structure includes a layered structure constituting at least part of an interior member disposed at a position where the interior member is able to face a lower leg of the occupant. The layered structure disposed in each of a front middle portion, a front lower portion, a frontal lower portion, and a right surface front upper portion having a high geometric factor for the lower leg includes a surface layer, a structural parent layer, and a temperature control mechanism layer interposed between the surface layer and the structural parent layer.

A system including an assembly arranged in at least one of a seat and a steering wheel of a vehicle and a measurement circuit. The assembly includes a sensor and a heater arranged adjacent to the sensor. The measurement circuit is configured to output an excitation signal to the measurement circuit and the assembly and measure a resonant frequency of the measurement circuit and the assembly in response to the excitation signal. The measurement circuit is configured to determine a capacitance value based on the resonant frequency and determine whether a body part is in proximity to the sensor based on the capacitance value.

A seat air-conditioning system includes a plurality of seat air-conditioning devices respectively disposed for seats. Each of the seat air-conditioning devices achieves comfortable air conditioning in a vehicle interior by a controller controlling a refrigeration circuit, a blower, and a blowing switching portion in each seat air-conditioning device. A coordinating flow path is disposed to fluidly connect the blowing switching portion of one seat air-conditioning device to the blowing switching portion of the other seat air-conditioning device. The seat air-conditioning system performs the air conditioning for one seat by using the two seat air-conditioning devices by supplying conditioned air via the coordinating flow path under control of the controller.

A thermal control system includes a component having a surface. A plurality of thermal generating devices include a first conductive plate, second and third conductive plates, a first semiconductor device arranged between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate, and a second semiconductor device arranged between the first conductive plate and the third conductive plate. The first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device have different types of doping. First ones of the plurality of thermal generating devices are arranged with the first conductive plate located adjacent to the surface of the component. Second ones of the plurality of thermal generating devices are arranged with the second and third conductive plates located adjacent to the surface of the component. The first ones and the second ones of plurality of thermal generating devices perform heating and cooling of the surface, respectively.

A motor vehicle, in particular a self-driving motor vehicle, has at least one vehicle seat, wherein the vehicle seat is constructed to be arranged at a selected position from a plurality of positions in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

A capacitance measuring system detecting an occupant of a vehicle. A sensor/heater assembly is arranged in at least one of a seat or a steering wheel of a vehicle and includes a sensor and a heater arranged adjacent to the sensor. A measurement circuit is configured to output an excitation signal to the measurement circuit and the sensor/heater assembly, measure a resonant frequency of the measurement circuit and the sensor/heater assembly in response to the excitation signal; determine at least one capacitance value based on the resonant frequency; and determine whether a body part is in proximity to the sensor based on the at least one capacitance value.

A humidity-responsive seat control device for a vehicle employs a self-transforming film including a kind of biomaterial configured to operate to be opened through gradual shrinkage thereof when humidity of a seat cover or humidity inside of the seat cover increases while operating to be closed through gradual expansion thereof when the humidity of the seat cover or the humidity inside of the seat cover decreases, thereby being capable of not only achieving smooth air ventilation in an area where a body portion of a seat occupant contacts the seat cover, but also automatically adjusting an amount of air discharged outwards through the self-transforming film in accordance with humidity.

A seat air conditioning system includes a seat air conditioner provided for each seat of a vehicle, and a portable terminal configured to control the seat air conditioner. The seat air conditioner controls rotation of a fan with intensity in response to a start signal when starting communication with the portable terminal. The seat air conditioner starts a connection setting process when receiving a response signal in response to the start signal. The portable terminal determines a digital signal by binarizing an intensity of sound detected by a microphone. When the digital signal is the start signal, the portable terminal transmits a response signal to start the connection setting process.