An air conditioning control system includes a plurality of air vents in a space and a plurality of sensors configured to generate sensor input including an estimated temperature of at least one target surface of an occupant or object in the space. The system further includes one or more processors configured to execute a thermal control model to generate airflow parameters for each vent based on the sensor input, to control the estimated temperature to trend toward a respective target temperature for each target surface. The air vents may be installed in a vehicle, and the plurality of sensors may be installed in the vehicle or be installed in, or be an accessory of, a mobile computing device.

A system for controlling air flowing into a passenger compartment of a vehicle is provided. The system includes an air outlet assembly including a housing having an airway and one or more air-directing members mounted for movement within the airway. An actuator assembly moves each air-directing member in the airway. A discrete, touch-sensitive surface area functions as a user touch interface control. A touch sensor detects a touch input when a person is touching the surface area or is close to touching the surface area. Control logic is operative to determine a desired value for the position of each air-directing member in the airway as a function of the detected touch input and generates a position control signal based on the desired value. The actuator assembly moves its air-directing member to a desired position in the airway based on the position control signal.

A method for operating an air-conditioning apparatus of a vehicle wherein the air-conditioning apparatus has at least three display modes including a status mode, a transition mode, and a setting mode. A current value of a setting parameter of the air-conditioning apparatus and whether an operating intention of a user exists are detected. If no operating intention is detected, the status mode is activated. If an operating intention is detected, the transition mode or the setting mode is activated. Depending on the activated display mode, graphical data of a graphical representation of an interior of the vehicle is generated and displayed so the status mode is activated. The representation of the interior includes a display element for outputting the currently set value of the setting parameter.

A system and method for regulating pressure inside a vehicle (cabin pressure) with reduced noise is disclosed. The system can include a forward gate and an aft gate that can be moved from a closed position to an open position to release cabin pressure in a controlled manner. The forward gate and the aft gate can comprise one or more flow disruptors. A first portion of the flow disruptors can be fixed and a second portion can be moveable between a retracted position and a deployed in position. In the retracted position the one or more flow disruptors can reduce broadband noise through the system by smoothing air flow therethrough. In the second position, the one or more flow disruptors can create boundary layer turbulence. The boundary layer turbulence can prevent, or delay, flow separation reducing tonal noises therethrough. In this manner, flow efficiency can be increased and noise reduced.

A sun visor for a vehicle includes a visor panel carrying at least one fan or blower adapted to provide an airflow that is directionally adjustable independently of an orientation of the visor panel.

Climate control device for motor vehicle conveys and conditions inflowing air for a passenger compartment includes a housing with a diffuser, a mixing zone and at least two flow paths through which two flows can be conducted in parallel. A heating heat exchanger is disposed in a first flow path to heat an air mass subflow. A heat exchanger is provided for cooling and/or dehumidifying inflowing air. A bypass flow path is provided through which air can flow in parallel to a flow channel with the heat exchanger. At least one flow guide mechanism opens and closes the bypass flow path. flow channel and bypass flow path open out with outlet ports into mixing zone. Outlet port of a bypass flow path is developed for specific discharge of an air mass subflow into first flow path in proximity of an opening site of first flow path into a mixing zone.

A method for controlling an airflow in a passenger cabin of an autonomous vehicle includes providing an input indicative of an occupied passenger seat to a controller in operative communication with a power-actuated vehicle air register. On determination of the occupied passenger seat, the controller redirects an airflow from the air register towards the occupied passenger seat. The controller may display icons to allow a user to provide the input indicative of the occupied passenger seat. The controller may also display other icons to allow the user to control the power-actuated vehicle air register. At least one imager in communication with the controller and disposed adjacent to the power-actuated vehicle air register may be included to provide an image of a selected portion of a passenger's body to the controller whereby a movement of the passenger in the passenger cabin can be tracked. Systems for accomplishing the method are provided.

A vent register includes a control vane, top and bottom lazy vanes, and a cam having an opening and top and bottom slots. The control vane includes a pin slidingly received in the opening and is actuatable to pivot upward and generate a force acting on the cam thereby causing the cam to pivot to a tilted-down position and pivot downward and generate a force acting on the cam thereby causing the cam to pivot to a tilted-up position. The top vane includes a pin slidingly received in the top slot and is actuated by the cam pivoting to the tilted-down position to pivot upward whereby the top vane pivots with the control vane. The bottom vane includes a pin slidingly received in the bottom slot and is actuated by the cam pivoting to the tilted-up position to pivot downward whereby the bottom vane pivots downward with the control vane.

A heat control method for a heat control device, particularly for a vehicle interior, is disclosed. The method involves detecting, delimiting and positioning various parts of the body of an occupant (U), measuring thermal or physiological parameters regarding various parts of the body of the occupant (U) and/or the vehicle interior around the occupant (U), establishing a plurality of thermal comfort indices (I.sub.n), each thermal comfort index (I.sub.n) corresponding to one of the parts of the body of the occupant (U) taking into account a feeling of warmth or of cold in the associated body part, and of which the absolute value is at a minimum in a comfortable situation, and regulating the operation of a heat control device (3) to minimize a sum of the absolute values of the comfort indices (?|I.sub.n|) in order to create a regulated thermal environment around the occupant (U).

A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system has a steerable outlet for directing a stream of treated air into a passenger compartment of a vehicle. A thermographic imager is configured to capture thermographic images covering a fixed region within the passenger compartment in which an occupant is potentially located. The HVAC control circuit is configured to a) compress a thermographic image to a temperature map representing pixels of the thermographic image falling within a predetermined temperature range corresponding to the occupant, b) filter the temperature map according to a sliding window to coalesce continuous regions of pixels on average falling within the predetermined temperature range, c) quantify an area for each continuous region, d) locate a centroid of a continuous region having a largest area, and e) aim the steerable outlet toward the centroid.