Automotive Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning system includes a recirculation mode to control movement of cabin air in vehicle. Air is recirculated within the vehicle cabin space when the vehicle recirculation mode is on. Air is drawn from outside when the recirculation mode is turned off. Because of the buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2) inside the vehicle, the vehicle needs regular ventilation to maintain low CO2 levels in the vehicle cabin space. A method is described for determining and communicating recirculation mode in a vehicle for improving cabin air quality. The method comprises of capturing an image or video of the traffic ahead of the vehicle using a dashboard or windshield mounted smartphone camera or a vehicle camera, followed by analyzing the image or video of traffic to determine traffic condition as the weighted sum of the sizes of vehicles detected in traffic. The method further comprises of acquiring the number of vehicle occupants and vehicle speed, determining outside air acceptability state based on the traffic condition and the vehicle speed, determining carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the vehicle cabin space based on the number of vehicle occupants present, determining the final recirculation mode based on the outside air acceptability state and the CO2 levels in the vehicle cabin space, and communicating the final recirculation mode to the vehicle controller or vehicle occupant.

A method of air pollution filtration in a vehicle is disclosed. A plurality of purification devices are provided to detect and transmit an inside-device gas detection datum, respectively, for intelligently selecting and controlling the activation of filtering the air pollution in the inner space of the vehicle. An in-car gas exchange system and a connection device are provided. The connection device receives and compares the respective inside-device gas detection datum, and selectively transmits a control instruction to drive the in-car gas exchange system and the purification devices. The movement of the air pollution is accelerated by the gas convention of the in-car gas exchange system, so that the air pollution is directionally moved toward the corresponding one of the purification devices adjacent to the air pollution for filtration. The air pollution in the inner space of the vehicle is filtered rapidly, so as to provide clean, safe and breathable air.

A boundary is at an engine drive restricted zone where operation of the internal combustion engine is restricted. An adjusting device adjusts of at least one of the temperature inside the cabin using electric power, the humidity inside the cabin using electric power, or the air pollution degree inside the cabin. In response to a prediction that (1) a host vehicle will enter the inside of the engine drive restricted zone and that (2a) the time period for the host vehicle to reach the boundary is within a preset time period or that (2b) the distance between the host vehicle and the boundary is within a preset distance, the value of at least one of the temperature inside the cabin, the humidity inside the cabin, and the air pollution degree inside the cabin is reduced before the host vehicle enters the inside of the engine drive restricted zone.

A method for preventing and handling in-car air pollution includes providing an out-car gas detector to detect a polluted gas outside a car and transmit an out-car gas detection data; providing an in-car gas detector to detect a polluted gas in an interior space of the car and transmit an in-car gas detection data; providing an in-car gas exchange system for controlling and determining whether to introduce a gas outside the car into the interior space, where the in-car gas exchange system includes a cleaning unit for filtering and purifying the polluted gas in the interior space and a control driving unit for receiving and comparing the out-car gas detection data with the in-car gas detection data; and filtering and exchanging the polluted gas in the interior space after the control driving unit compares the out-car gas detection data with the in-car gas detection data.

A method of preventing air pollution in a vehicle is disclosed. Firstly, an out-car gas detection device, an in-car gas detection device and a purification device are provided to detect the air pollution and transmit a respective gas detection datum to a connection device. An in-car gas exchange system is provided for intelligently selecting and controlling a gas outside the vehicle to be introduced or not introduced into the inner space of the vehicle. The connection device receives and compares the gas detection data, so that the connection device selectively transmits a control instruction to the in-car gas exchange system and the purification device, and the air pollution in the inner space of the vehicle is exchanged and filtered, so as to provide clean, safe and breathable air.

Provided is a control unit and a system for monitoring in real-time and/or controlling the air quality of a vehicle cabin. Upon receiving input data from various sensors in the cabin of the vehicle, the control unit processes the data and outputs a unified processed/calculated data of all the sensed data from sensors in the cabin that is indicative of the general air quality in the cabin. In addition, the control unit may output instructions of operations that need to be carried out for optimal circulation of the air that results in improvement of the air quality within the cabin. These instructions of operations may be also affected from data that is received by the control unit that is indicative of the air quality in the surrounding of the vehicle.

Among other things, vehicle cabin pressure systems and vehicle cabin pressure techniques are described for a vehicle. The vehicle includes a cabin configured to seat a plurality of passengers; at least one inlet including at least one inlet fan; at least one occupancy sensor; and at least one processor configured to execute computer executable instructions, the execution carrying out operations including: receiving a signal from the at least one occupancy sensor indicating a number of passengers within the cabin; and controlling the at least one inlet to cause air that is or has been filtered to flow into the cabin and increase a pressure in the cabin to a predetermined level above an ambient pressure level outside the vehicle based on the number of passengers in the cabin.

This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for protecting the health of occupants of a vehicle. In an example method, a health monitoring apparatus in a vehicle evaluates an individual and detects a symptom of a contagious disease. The individual may be already seated in a first seat in the vehicle or intends to enter the vehicle. The health monitoring apparatus identifies a second seat that has a pre-defined spatial separation distance from the first seat. The pre-defined spatial separation distance can exceed a threshold spatial separation distance selected to provide health protection against the contagious disease. The health monitoring apparatus issues an advisory to the individual to occupy the second seat. In another example method, the health monitoring apparatus may adjust an airflow pattern in the vehicle so as to provide directional airflows to protect various occupants of the vehicle against an airborne contagious disease.

Methods and apparatus are provided for active vehicle cabin occupant detection system. The method includes predicting the presence of a vehicle occupant during operation of a vehicle in response to a door sensor indicative of a door opening, a carbon dioxide level and a pressure sensor in a passenger seat indicative of the vehicle occupant in the passenger seat, detecting the presence of the vehicle occupant using a vehicle cabin motion detector in response to the vehicle being shutdown, confirming the presence of the vehicle occupant using an infrared camera to detect a thermal signature of the vehicle occupant in response to the predicted presence of the vehicle occupant, and transmitting an alert via a wireless transmitter indicative of the presence of the vehicle occupant.

The present invention discloses an interior air quality monitoring and ventilation control method and system for a train. The interior air quality monitoring and ventilation control method for the train comprises: acquiring multiple groups of interior and exterior air quality detection data; acquiring interior and exterior air comprehensive evaluation index Q.sub.0 and Q.sub.1 by using the experimental data; training an exterior fresh air volume control model if Q.sub.0≥Q.sub.1, or else training an interior air purification control model; detecting the interior and exterior air quality detection data; acquiring the interior and exterior air comprehensive evaluation index Q.sub.0 and Q.sub.1 by using the detection data; if Q.sub.0≥Q.sub.1, calling the exterior fresh air volume control model to obtain the required ventilation volume level and controlling a ventilation system with the output result; otherwise, calling the interior air purification control model to obtain the required ventilation volume level and air purification device power level , controlling the ventilation system and the air purification device with the output results. The present invention can apply suitable ventilation control strategies according to different degrees of air quality, to achieve a health guarantee for the interior air quality of the high-speed train under the conditions of energy conservation and environmental protection.