A temperature adjusting apparatus is provided in a vehicle capable of performing an automatic driving. The temperature adjusting apparatus includes: an automatic driving determination unit that determines whether or not an automatic driving control is operating in the vehicle; a cabin temperature acquiring unit that acquires a cabin temperature in a vehicle cabin of the vehicle; and a cabin temperature adjusting unit that adjusts the cabin temperature. The cabin temperature adjusting unit is configured to control, when the automatic driving determination unit determines that the automatic driving control is operating in the vehicle and the cabin temperature acquired by the cabin temperature acquiring unit exceeds a predetermined range, temperature adjusting means provided in the vehicle, thereby executing a temperature adjusting control to adjust the cabin temperature.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling an air conditioning compressor clutch. In one example, a method includes monitoring a clutch of an air conditioning system in a vehicle when the air conditioning system is activated, and responsive to determining that the clutch is not engaged, increasing a current flow to the clutch. In this way, engagement of the compressor clutch may be dynamically maintained with a reduced usage of electrical power.

A vehicle thermal management system includes a switching portion that switches between a state in which a heat medium circulates through a heat-medium cooling heat exchanger and a state in which the heat medium circulates through a heat-medium heating heat exchanger with respect to each of an engine heat-transfer portion and a heat-generating device, a flow-rate adjustment portion that adjusts the flow rate of the heat medium for each of a heat-medium outside-air heat exchanger and the engine heat-transfer portion, an air-conditioning requesting portion that makes a cooling request for an air cooling heat exchanger to cool the ventilation air as well as a heating request for an air heating heat exchanger to heat the ventilation air, and a controller that controls an operation of at least one of the switching portion, a compressor, and the flow-rate adjustment portion based on presence/absence of the cooling request and presence/absence of the heating request from the air-conditioning requesting portion.

A method for controlling a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system of an autonomous vehicle includes determining a vehicle operating status and operating the HVAC system according to the determined vehicle operating status. A control module comprising a sensor array and at least one controller operatively coupled to the sensor array and to the HVAC system controls operation of the HVAC system according to the determined vehicle operating status. The vehicle operating status is selected from one of vehicle occupied-in use, vehicle unoccupied-use requested, and vehicle unoccupied-standby. The HVAC system is operated at an operating setting providing a reduced energy consumption in a vehicle whose operating status is vehicle unoccupied-standby. The reduced energy consumption operating setting is determined according to a constant offset value or according to a variable offset value determined by inputs provided by the sensor array.

A parking device mountable on a vehicle and capable of parking autonomously includes an autonomous-parking-command receiver, a vehicle-occupant detector, and a determination unit. The autonomous-parking-command receiver receives a parking command given by a user to park the vehicle. The vehicle-occupant detector detects whether a vehicle occupant is in the vehicle. The determination unit determines whether to permit the vehicle to park. In a case where the autonomous-parking-command receiver receives the parking command and the vehicle-occupant detector does not detect the vehicle occupant, the determination unit determines permits parking and allows the vehicle to park autonomously. In a case where the autonomous-parking-command receiver receives the parking command and the vehicle-occupant detector detects the vehicle occupant, the determination unit does not permit parking and forbids the vehicle to park autonomously by commanding the autonomous-parking-command receiver to cancel the reception of the parking command.

Disclosed embodiments provide techniques for solar load usage in a vehicular environment. One or more processors are used to detect at least one individual in a vehicle. Sunlight contact is detected on each individual in the vehicle. A three-dimensional model of each individual in the vehicle is dynamically developed to estimate the total sunlit surface of the individual. A sunlight intensity metric is calculated based on detected sunlight. A shade intensity metric is also calculated and compared to the sunlight intensity metric. The thermal load for each individual in the vehicle is determined based on the sunlight intensity metric. The thermal load determination takes the time of day, length of exposure, and the location of sunlight into account. Climate control within the vehicle is adjusted to compensate for the determined thermal load. Climate control can be adjusted for each individual based on the thermal load determined for the individual.

A system for controlling an air conditioner for vehicles may include a sensor configured to sense surface temperature of a passenger sitting part of a rear seat of a vehicle, a reference temperature estimation device configured to estimate surface temperature of the passenger non-sitting part of the rear seat as a reference temperature, a passenger boarding recognition device configured to compare the surface temperature of the passenger sitting part sensed by the sensor, with the reference temperature estimated by the reference temperature estimation device and to judge that a passenger is seated on the rear seat when a difference between the surface temperature of the passenger sitting part and the reference temperature exceeds a critical value, and an air conditioner operation controller configured to differently control volume and temperature of air discharged from the air conditioner according to whether or not a passenger is seated on the rear seat.

A vehicle includes a vision system configured to output a signal indicative of exterior conditions in a vicinity of the vehicle and a temperature sensor configured to output a signal indicative of an interior temperature of the vehicle. The vehicle also includes a plurality of articulable openings arranged to allow fluid flow communication between an interior and an exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle further includes a controller programmed to adjust at least one articulable opening toward an open position in response to the interior temperature exceeding a temperature threshold. The controller is also programmed to adjust at least one articulable opening toward a closed position in response to detection via the vision system of a threat condition in the vicinity of the vehicle.

A method for controlling a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system of an autonomous vehicle includes determining a vehicle operating status and operating the HVAC system according to the determined vehicle operating status. A control module comprising a sensor array and at least one controller operatively coupled to the sensor array and to the HVAC system controls operation of the HVAC system according to the determined vehicle operating status. The vehicle operating status is selected from one of vehicle occupied-in use, vehicle unoccupied-use requested, and vehicle unoccupied-standby. The HVAC system is operated at an operating setting providing a reduced energy consumption in a vehicle whose operating status is vehicle unoccupied-standby. The reduced energy consumption operating setting is determined according to a constant offset value or according to a variable offset value determined by inputs provided by the sensor array.

A temperature remediation and alarm system for assisting helpless occupants of a vehicle, comprising a portable wearable device to be worn by the helpless occupant, and a vehicle installed device for, inter alia, starting the vehicle's engine, climate control system and alarm system prior to an unsafe temperature being reached when the helpless occupant is left unattended.