A method and a device for operating a heat accumulator in a motor vehicle are provided. When the driver switches off the ignition, it is determined on the basis of the current coolant temperature whether there is a need for heat accumulation at this time and whether the benefit thereof depends on when the internal combustion engine is activated again. If the response to both of these is positive the driver is requested to state whether heat accumulation is to be carried out now. Heat accumulation is carried out or is not carried out depending on the driver's response.

A motor vehicle comprises an HVAC system including a climate control circuit coupled to onboard sensors, a human-machine interface, and climate actuators. The actuators are responsive to respective command parameters generated by the control circuit in response to the sensors and the human-machine interface. A wireless communication system transmits vehicle HVAC data to and receives crowd data from a remote server. The control circuit initiates a request for crowd data via the communication system to the remote server, wherein the request includes peer parameters for identifying a vehicle environment. The control circuit receives a response via the communication system from the remote server. The response comprises crowd data and at least one weight indicating a confidence level associated with the crowd data. The control circuit generates at least one command parameter using a set of fuzzy rules responsive to the crowd data and the weight from the response.

A thermal energy storage system for a vehicle. The system includes a tank that is external to the vehicle. The tank is configured to receive liquid from the vehicle, and store the liquid at or above a predetermined temperature prior to the liquid being returned to the vehicle.

Systems and methods are provided for determining, by processing circuitry, a vehicle occupant has left a cabin of a vehicle (or that the cabin is unoccupied), where the vehicle comprises a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. In response to determining the vehicle occupant has left the cabin (or the cabin is unoccupied), the processing circuitry may adjust a parameter of the HVAC system.

An air conditioning system for a vehicle that air conditions a vehicle cabin before a user gets into a vehicle, in which the air conditioning system strongly air conditions the vehicle cabin by increasing an air conditioning output for a predetermined period after the user gets into the vehicle.

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, responsive to receiving a request for sanitization of a vehicle interior, operating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the vehicle interior above an upper threshold temperature for a threshold duration. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes.

When an air conditioning ECU determines that it is immediately before idling stop, the air conditioning ECU implements a front seat air conditioning mode even if the air conditioning ECU determines that an occupant intensive air-conditioning mode can be implemented. Accordingly, the air conditioning ECU controls opening and closing mechanisms so as to blow a conditioned air from driver's seat side outlet ports, and also blow the conditioned air from a passenger's seat side foot outlet port. Hence, in cooling operation, since a temperature increase of air drawn into an inside air inlet port is limited when the idling stop is carried out, temperature increase of air blown into the vehicle interior from the outlet port can be restricted. In other words, a temperature change in the vehicle interior can be limited when a travel engine stops due to the idling stop.

Methods and systems are described for preventing condensation on a windshield and other windows of a parked vehicle. One method includes following the vehicle shut down, and when a temperature of a windshield is lower than ambient dew point, transferring heat from a powertrain of the vehicle to the windshield via a coolant if a powertrain temperature is higher than the windshield temperature, and transferring heat from ambient air to the windshield via the coolant if the powertrain temperature is lower than the windshield temperature, and ambient temperature is higher than the windshield temperature.

A method for operating a vehicle in at least one parking process situation involves allocating at least one predetermined vehicle-specific or parking process situation-specific function to the at least one predetermined parking process situation of the vehicle. Whether the vehicle is in the at least one predetermined parking process situation is determined and the predetermined vehicle-specific or parking process situation-specific function allocated to the at least one predetermined parking process situation is presented to a vehicle user for activation or automatically activated when the vehicle is in the at least one predetermined parking process situation.

An air conditioning system for an electric transport vehicle supplied by an electrical supply network includes at least one actuator for the production of heat or cold, and a regulator configured in order to generate at least one operating command applied to the at least one actuator as a function of values for parameters representing the climatic conditions, the actuator delivering an average power over a predetermined time period. The regulator are configured in order to generate at least one operating command applied to at least one actuator as a function moreover of the value for a parameter relating to at least one electric transport vehicle supplied by the electrical supply network, the value for the parameter indicating that electrical energy is consumed by the at least one electric transport vehicle or that electrical energy is produced by the at least one electric vehicle.