An example method of providing thermal conditioning includes providing a HAL having a plurality of input drivers that obtain input data from temperature sensors, and a plurality of output drivers that control a discrete thermal effectors in discrete OPZs in a vehicle cabin. An EVAL obtains input data from the HAL and estimates a heat flux experienced by an occupant in each OPZ based on a vehicle profile. An OAL determines a first parameter based on a target heat flux for the occupant across all of the OPZs, determines a second parameter based on the estimated heat flux of the occupant from the EVAL, and determines respective temperature setpoints for each of the plurality of OPZs to reduce a difference between the first and second parameters. The thermal effectors are controlled based on the temperature setpoints.

A sensor (2) for determining solar altitude information includes at least one diode (24) for measuring sun intensity. A computation module (20) has interfaces (72, 74) at its input side for time- and location-based data for determining the current sun position from said location-based data, said time-based data and sun intensity measured and for providing a sun output signal on an output interface (80).

Methods and systems are described for vehicle range predictors. The system determines a change in mass to a vehicle while driving and calculates a vehicle load in response to determining the change in mass. The system then adjusts a vehicle range in response to calculating the vehicle load. The vehicle range is indicative of a distance in which the vehicle is predicted to travel with a remaining fuel. The adjusted vehicle range is based on the vehicle load.

An air conditioning control apparatus and method, may include a photo sensor that detects a quantity of insolation incident to an interior of a vehicle, and a processor that sets a correction ratio according to window tinting information of the vehicle, corrects a photo sensor value detected by the photo sensor by use of the set correction ratio, and controls indoor air conditioning of the vehicle according to the corrected photo sensor value.

An air conditioning control device includes: a passenger determination unit that determines whether a passenger is in a self-driving vehicle; a travel determination unit that determines a traveling state of the self-driving vehicle; and a light blocking control unit that executes a light blocking air conditioning control for a vehicle cabin by operating a light blocking device to adjust solar radiation into the vehicle cabin from a window of the self-driving vehicle when the passenger determination unit and the travel determination unit determine that the self-driving vehicle is in an unmanned traveling condition.

A temperature adjusting apparatus is provided in a vehicle capable of performing an automatic driving. The temperature adjusting apparatus includes: an automatic driving determination unit that determines whether or not an automatic driving control is operating in the vehicle; a cabin temperature acquiring unit that acquires a cabin temperature in a vehicle cabin of the vehicle; and a cabin temperature adjusting unit that adjusts the cabin temperature. The cabin temperature adjusting unit is configured to control, when the automatic driving determination unit determines that the automatic driving control is operating in the vehicle and the cabin temperature acquired by the cabin temperature acquiring unit exceeds a predetermined range, temperature adjusting means provided in the vehicle, thereby executing a temperature adjusting control to adjust the cabin temperature.

A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning device includes: a heating part disposed in a windshield glass of a vehicle and configured to heat the windshield glass; a collection part configured to collect state information on a state of the windshield glass and environment information on internal and external environments of the vehicle; and a control part. The control part is configured to determine a defrosting or dehumidifying mode for the windshield glass based on the state information or the environment information collected by the collection part and to control an operation of the heating part depending on the determined defrosting or dehumidifying mode.

Provided are techniques for thermally efficient route selection. A request is received for a route for a vehicle to travel from a first geographic location to a second geographic location. Route data is retrieved for each of a plurality of routes, where the route data includes, for each portion of each route at a given time and day, air temperature adjacent to a road surface. Vehicle data is retrieved for the vehicle, where the vehicle data includes a desired temperature of an item being carried and a desired inlet air temperature. The route from the first geographic location to the second geographic location is determined using the route data and the vehicle data, where the route is thermally efficient. The vehicle is directed along the route, where the route specifies a lane from a plurality of lanes of a road for each portion of the route.

An automobile antenna assembly including a housing adapted for installation on a roof of an automobile, the housing having a base portion and a fin portion extending from the base portion, a radio antenna disposed within the fin portion, and a photo radiation intensity sensor disposed within the base portion, the photo radiation intensity sensor including a first light detecting element located on a first side of the fin portion and a second light detecting element located on a second side of the fin portion opposite the first side, wherein at least a portion of the base portion is translucent for allowing light to be received by the first and second light detecting elements, the fin portion providing a light barrier between the first light detecting element and the second light detecting element.

In a situation where a temperature in a motor compartment is higher than a temperature of outside air, an inside air introduction rate increasing control is performed in which an inside air introduction rate is changed to be increased on a condition that there is no request for warming an inside of the vehicle cabin, the air conditioner is off, and air is being blown in an outside air introduction mode, and on the other hand, the inside air introduction rate increasing control is prohibited on a condition that there is a request for warming the inside of the vehicle cabin, the vehicular air conditioner is off, and air is being blown in the outside air introduction mode. In this way, heating efficiency can be improved by effectively utilizing the heat in the motor compartment to contribute to warming the inside of the vehicle cabin.