An electronic device that automatically modifies an environmental control is described. During operation, the electronic device may acquire, using the one or more sensors, a measurement within an environment that is external to the electronic device, where the measurement includes a non-contact measurement associated with a window or one or more biological lifeforms in the environment. Then, the electronic device may determine an environmental condition based at least in part on the measurement. Next, the electronic device may automatically modify the environmental control associated with the environment based at least in part on the environmental condition. For example, the environmental condition may include perception of temperature in the environment by a biological lifeform in the environment, and the environment control may adapt a temperature in at least a portion of the environment that includes the biological lifeform.

An apparatus includes an interface and a processor. The interface may be configured to receive video frames comprising at least one of a vehicle or an outdoor environment near the vehicle and a correction signal. The processor may be configured to perform video operations on the video frames to detect objects, predict a state of the vehicle based on the objects detected in the video frames and generate the correction signal. The correction signal may be configured to apply a corrective measure based on the predicted state of the vehicle. The state of the vehicle may be predicted when the vehicle is parked in the outdoor environment. The state of the vehicle may comprise factors that prevent driving the vehicle.

A system for cleaning a compartment includes a conductive thread incorporated near a surface that has microbes on it. An electric current may flow through the conductive thread to kill the microbes on the surface through low-frequency electromagnetic pulse sterilization of the surface. The conductive trace is also in contact with air in the compartment. The electric current flowing through the conductive trace also ionizes the air within the compartment, which produces charged particles that are removed from the air.

An air purge method in a vehicle is provided. The air purge method comprises starting a vehicle ventilation device in response to ventilation instruction; determining a current air purge status based on an operation time of the ventilation device; and indicating the current air purge status via an air purge indication device.

A vehicular cooling device includes: a main cooling system including a compressor, a condenser, a liquid receiver, an expansion valve, an evaporator, a first refrigerant flow line connecting the compressor and the condenser, a second refrigerant flow line connecting the condenser and the liquid receiver, a third refrigerant flow line connecting the liquid receiver and the expansion valve, a fourth refrigerant flow line connecting the expansion valve and the evaporator, and a fifth refrigerant flow line connecting the evaporator and the compressor; and a sub-cooling system for enabling the refrigerant to flow to including the liquid receiver, the third refrigerant flow line, the expansion valve, the fourth refrigerant flow line, the evaporator, and a pre-cooling means disposed between the evaporator and the compressor, an absorbent tank storing an absorbent and a sixth refrigerant flow line connecting the absorbent tank to the fifth refrigerant flow line.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a refrigerant management system (10) in a heat flux management system (1) for an electric vehicle (150) and a method of refrigerant management, the system comprising a vehicle air conditioning circuit comprising a heat pump circuit (4) with a heating function and a refrigeration cycle refrigerant circuit (6), the air conditioning circuit comprising a heat pump condenser (17) in thermal communication with a heat source (19), a refrigerant evaporator (25) in thermal communication with the heat source (19), an evaporator (31) associated with an expansion valve (29), and a refrigerant compressor (11), wherein the components are fluidly connected to one another by a refrigerant line (9), an accumulator (37) fluidly coupled in the refrigerant line downstream of the heat pump condenser (17), the refrigerant evaporator (25) and evaporator (31) and upstream of the refrigerant compressor (11),

wherein the air conditioning circuit is switchable between a heating mode in which the heat pump circuit (4) is in fluid communication with the compressor (11) and the heat pump condenser (17) is isolated from fluid communication with the compressor (11) and a cooling mode wherein the refrigerant circuit (6) is in fluid communication with the compressor by actuation of at least one valve (15, 21, 41, 47);
wherein the air conditioning circuit comprises a sensor (39) at the compressor inlet (239) operable to monitor refrigerant temperature and pressure; and
wherein when the system is in the heating mode, a shut off valve 41 in line between the heat pump condenser (17) and the accumulator (37) is operable to open to initiate a cold start mode in which a temporary fluid communication is provided between the heat pump condenser (17) and the accumulator in the heat pump circuit when:
the sensor (39) detects one or both of: a superheated refrigerant at the compressor inlet (239) and a temperature gradient of more than 3 Kelvin between ambient (T3) and the compressor inlet (239).

The invention relates to a method for estimating a limit value (TLV) for an interior temperature input of a passenger compartment (12) of a vehicle (10). The vehicle (10) comprises an energy storage source (30) and a temperature control arrangement (14) adapted to control the interior temperature of the passenger compartment (12) of the vehicle (10) on the basis of the interior temperature input. The temperature control arrangement (14) is adapted to be powered by the energy storage source (30) during at least one operating condition of the vehicle (10). The method comprises: determining a temperature control time period (t) during which the temperature control arrangement (14) is intended to be powered by the energy storage source (30); determining an ambient environment parameter (EP) indicative of the environment ambient of the vehicle (10) during the temperature control time period (t); determining a state of charge (SOC) of the energy storage source (30) on or before a starting time of the temperature control time period (t) anddetermining the limit value (TLV) as the interior temperature input that can be used throughout the temperature control time period (t) on the basis of at least the temperature control time period (t), the ambient environment parameter (EP) and the state of charge (SOC).

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit and a control unit which controls the refrigerant circuit, and is mounted on a vehicle. The control unit determines whether or not the vehicle is stationary based on position information or speed information on the vehicle, causes the refrigerant circuit to operate when the vehicle is stationary, acquires state data on the refrigerant circuit at the time when the vehicle is stationary, and detects whether abnormality occurs in the refrigerant circuit based on the state data.

An inductive charging device for a partially or fully electrically operated motor vehicle is disclosed. The inductive charging device includes a temperature control arrangement including at least one fluid tube, and a charging arrangement including a charging coil and a battery. The charging coil is arranged in a heat-transmitting manner on the at least one fluid tube, such that waste heat generated in the charging coil is transferred to the fluid in the at least one fluid tube. In a charging state of the charging arrangement, the charging coil is inductively coupled with an external primary coil, and in the charging coil an induction alternating current flows, via which the battery is charged. The charging arrangement can be switched to a heating state where the charging coil is connected to the battery in a current-conducting manner and a heating direct current flows in the charging coil.

An air conditioning control system and method for a vehicle may include: an alternate control entering temperature difference excess determination step of determining whether a difference in temperature between a side vent temperature sensor and a shower duct temperature sensor exceeds an alternate control entering temperature difference; and an alternate control step of determining that a side vent grill may have been closed, when the difference exceeds the alternate control entering temperature difference, and performing an alternate control operation of regarding the temperature of air measured by the shower duct temperature sensor as the temperature of air discharged from the side vent grill and controlling a temperature of air to be discharged from a center vent grill.