A vehicle control device includes a controller configured to execute: receiving a remote signal containing a target temperature in a cabin and an expected traveling start time of a vehicle from a remote controller used by a user of the vehicle; calculating a catalyst warming period which is an estimated period required to warm, to an active temperature, an electrically heated catalyst; calculating a pre-air conditioning period which is an estimated period required to adjust a temperature in the cabin to the target temperature; and starting pre-air conditioning of the cabin by starting an internal combustion engine after completion of warming of the electrically heated catalyst when a sum of the catalyst warming period and the pre-air conditioning period is equal to or shorter than a starting time margin from a time of reception of the remote signal to the expected traveling start time.

An aftermarket vehicle head unit integration cartridge for use with an aftermarket head unit is provided. The aftermarket head unit preferably includes a dedicated slot for insertion of the cartridge. The cartridge preferably supports communication between a plurality of electronic components in the aftermarket head unit and a plurality of electronic components in the vehicle. The plurality of electronic components in the aftermarket head unit may include, for example, an audio processing system, a video processing system, an analog I/O and/or a digital I/O. and/or a plurality of electronic components. The plurality of electronic components in the vehicle may include an audio system, an analog I/O, a digital I/O/databus, and/or a steering wheel control unit. The cartridge may include a flashable memory for use in reconfiguring the cartridge. The cartridge may be configured to capture and condition the signals from at least one of the plurality of the vehicle-based electronic components. The conditioned signals from the vehicle-based electronic components may be conditioned for use by the aftermarket head unit.

There is provided a vehicle air conditioning apparatus being capable of cooling, heating, and dehumidifying the vehicle compartment. A communication path is formed to allow communication between part of the first ventilation flue downstream of the heat absorbing unit in an air flow direction and part of the second ventilation flue upstream of the heat releasing unit in the air flow direction. The communication path is opened and closed by a communication path opening and closing damper. By this means, it is possible to perform the dehumidifying operation by opening the communication path without need of devices such as a dedicated outdoor heat exchanger, and a solenoid valve and a four-way valve to switch the refrigerant flow path in the refrigerant circuit.

A method (7) for controlling the temperature of a heating surface (5) of a heating panel (1) suitable for being installed inside a passenger compartment of a vehicle, for example a motor vehicle, this surface (5) being likely to be touched by a passenger in said passenger compartment, the method (7) involving controlling the temperature of said heating surface (5) as a function of at least one item of data representative of the profile of a passenger accommodated in the passenger compartment and/or at least one item of data representative of the heating surface (5) of the heating panel (1). The invention also relates to a corresponding control device (15).

The present disclosure discloses an air conditioner control method and system, a non-transitory storage medium and a processor. The control system includes an environmental temperature sensor configured to detect a first temperature value of an external environment of a target object; a heat exchanger temperature sensor configured to detect a second temperature value of an outside heat exchanger of an air conditioner system; a speed monitoring system configured to detect a driving speed of the target object; and a control system, connected to the environmental temperature sensor, the heat exchanger temperature sensor and the speed monitoring system, and configured to determine according to the first temperature value, the second temperature value and the driving speed, whether the air conditioner system enters a defrosting mode in a case that the air conditioner system operates in a heating mode.

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 thermal management system includes a refrigerant circulating line including a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second expansion valve, and a third heat exchanger and having a refrigerant circulating therethrough to cool the indoor; a heating line for circulating cooling water, which exchanges heat with the refrigerant through the first heat exchanger, to heat the indoor and exchange heat with a battery; and a cooling line for circulating cooling water, which exchanges heat with air or the refrigerant, to cool an electric component. The thermal management system requires reduced power consumption to increase the time for which a battery can be used; has a reduced number of components and a simple structure, which can reduce the maintenance cost and manufacturing cost; can elevate the temperature of a battery and has improved efficiency during operation as a heat pump due to the action of temperature elevation of the battery.

A hybrid vehicle includes a thermal control system having a first high temperature cooling circuit, a second low temperature cooling circuit and a third cooling circuit for cooling/heating a battery pack. A system of valves is configured to connect the third circuit with the second circuit so as to create a loop consisting of a main portion of the third circuit and a main portion of the second circuit including the cooling portion of one or more electric motor assemblies of the hybrid vehicle, one or more additional components of the motor-vehicle, such as a turbocharger assembly and an intercooler assembly. In this operating condition, circulation of the liquid in the loop thus-formed can be activated by the pump of the third circuit and causes heating of the battery pack by the heat generated by the electric motor assemblies and, preferably, by the aforesaid additional components of the motor-vehicle.

Systems and methods for providing load shedding in a vehicle are provided. Particularly, the vehicle may be an electric vehicle and the loads that are shed may be HVAC or refrigeration loads. The load shedding methods and systems may include a predictive model of energy consumption, determining a predicted energy consumption and comparing it to a stored energy at the vehicle. If the predicted energy consumption exceeds the stored energy, load shedding operations may be performed at a transport climate control system, such as adjusting a set point, adjusting an operating mode of the transport climate control system, increasing a dead band of a compressor of the transport climate control system, utilizing free cooling such as ambient air to provide climate control in the vehicle, or increasing cooling provided by the transport climate control system to an energy storage of the vehicle.

Systems and methods for power and thermal management of autonomous vehicles are provided. In one example embodiment, a computing system includes processor(s) and one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer readable media that collectively store instructions that when executed by the processor(s) cause the computing system to perform operations. The operations include obtaining data associated with an autonomous vehicle. The operations include identifying one or more vehicle parameters associated with the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the data associated with the autonomous vehicle. The operations include determining a modification to one or more operating characteristics of one or more systems onboard the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the one or more vehicle parameters. The operations include controlling a heat generation of at least a portion of the autonomous vehicle via implementation of the modification of the operating characteristic(s) of the system(s) onboard the autonomous vehicle.