A predictive climate setting (PCS) system sets a temperature for an air-conditioning (AC) system in a subject vehicle. The PCS system includes a repository, an intelligent temperature calculator, and a temperature selector. The repository stores historical data indicative of temperature settings for various environmental conditions of the vehicle. The intelligent calculator calculates a predicted temp-setting based on the historical data stored in the repository, and on data indicative of current environmental conditions of the subject vehicle. The temperature selector sets a desired temperature setting selected from at least one of the predicted temp-setting and a user defined temp-setting inputted by a user of the subject vehicle. The temperature selector sets the predicted temp-setting as the desired temperature setting, absent the user defined temp-setting, to have the AC system of the subject vehicle control the cabin temperature based on the predicted temp-setting.

A determination device according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes a vehicle extraction unit that determines whether a predetermined attached matter is on a transparent member of a vehicle, based on first image information that is about a periphery of the vehicle and that is picked up through the transparent member by a camera mounted on the vehicle and second image information that is about a periphery of another vehicle surrounding the vehicle and that is picked up by a camera mounted on the other vehicle.

A fuel economy and comfort control apparatus is provided for a motor vehicle. That apparatus includes a plurality of sensors and a controller. The controller is configured to determine and advise an operator of the motor vehicle of the most fuel efficient mode of operating a climate control system of the motor vehicle to maintain occupant comfort while optimizing fuel efficient operation of the motor vehicle. A related method is also disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to an automatic cooling/heating control method of an air conditioner for a vehicle. The present invention is intended to propose the control method, wherein instead of controlling indoor temperature via manual manipulation, operation modes set in figurative languages, not temperature, are used so as to automatically control indoor cooling/heating, whereby an atmosphere more pleasant than an atmosphere provided by a conventional method is efficiently provided and manipulation frequency of a console is reduced. To achieve the above objects, the control method includes: selecting an air operation mode desired by a user; starting an initial operation by the air conditioner after determining whether to cool, heat, or fan; setting the indoor temperature according to the outdoor temperature; resetting the set indoor temperature by using a correction value according to present indoor temperature; and operating by setting a reset indoor temperature to be a final set temperature.

A method for controlling air conditioning devices in a transportation vehicle wherein, upon the recording of an operator's air conditioning need and a conversion of the need into an air conditioning function for an air conditioning device, the implementability of the air conditioning need is compared with an influencing variable measured by a sensor. In response to the air conditioning need being recognized as implementable, information asserting this fact is issued to the operator. An apparatus for performing the method.

A vehicle system is configured to determine an expected battery range of a vehicle for a route to a destination, receive status information associated with environmental conditions along the route, determine a change from the expected battery range based on the status information, and facilitate modification of an operating characteristic of one or more electrical components of a vehicle system to compensate for the change.

The disclosure provides an energy management system that is based on a distributed architecture that includes networked energy management devices located at a plurality of sites and a collection of energy management program applications and modules implemented by a centralized energy management service unit. The energy management program applications and modules are responsible for facilitating customer access to the system, configuring energy management devices, and collecting, storing, and analyzing energy management data collected from the plurality of sites. The energy management system is adaptable to a wide variety of energy usage requirements and enables customers to configure energy management devices at customer sites using scheduling templates, to define and customize site groupings for device configuration and data analysis purposes, and to request and view various statistical views of collected energy usage data.

Methods and apparatus for vehicle climate control using distributed sensors are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving data from sensors distributed within a vehicle at a first controller, processing the data at the first controller to identify an event associated with the interior of the vehicle and sending an instruction based on the event from the first controller to a second controller of the vehicle to affect an operation of a climate control system of the vehicle.

A gateway device for controlling an air-conditioning device of a vehicle, a vehicle having such a gateway device and a method for starting up an air-conditioning device in a vehicle. The gateway device includes at least one plug-in contact for connecting the gateway device to an air-conditioning device and/or to a vehicle component, a reception unit for receiving configuration data for selecting a plug configuration of the gateway device, a configuration circuit associated with the plug-in contact, that is designed to take configuration data as a basis for changing between at least one first switching state of the plug-in contact, in which the plug-in contact is designed to perform a first function, and at least one second switching state of the plug-in contact, in which the plug-in contact is designed to perform a second function.

The present disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for controlling climate in vehicle cabins. A person may provide climate related data to a vehicle climate control system prior to pick up and/or during a ride in the vehicle. The climate control system may adjust the climate in at least part of a vehicle cabin based at least in part on the climate related data and configuration of components in the climate control system. Climate control adjustments can be used to precondition part of a vehicle cabin for a person and/or in response to indicated thermal discomfort of the person. The climate control system can refer to an occupant comfort model and compute climate adjustments in accordance with the occupant comfort model.