US 11,724,568 B2
Temperature regulating system for vehicle interior surfaces
Sean Bayle West, Monroe, MI (US); Benjamin Yilma, Canton, MI (US); Steven Nicholas Fidh, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Dylan Mandelbaum, Mountain View, CA (US); Andres Almeida Senatore, San Jose, CA (US); Otis Allen, Soquel, CA (US); Siddharthan Selvasekar, Livermore, CA (US); Sydney Puckett, Detroit, MI (US); and Michael Steven Medoro, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 9, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/115,937.
Prior Publication US 2022/0176782 A1, Jun. 9, 2022
Int. Cl. B60H 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60H 1/00878 (2013.01) [B60H 1/00285 (2013.01); B60H 1/00292 (2013.01); B60H 1/00871 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A temperature regulating system for interior surfaces of a vehicle, comprising:
a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system;
an air register assembly operably coupled to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to direct air from the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to an interior compartment, wherein the air register assembly includes an actuation assembly for adjusting a position of the air register assembly;
target features disposed within the interior compartment and including a movable target feature and a fixed target feature, wherein each of the movable target feature and the fixed target feature has a contact surface;
a temperature sensor included on the movable target feature, wherein the temperature sensor senses a surface temperature of the contact surface of the movable target feature;
a controller communicatively coupled with the air register assembly and the temperature sensor, wherein the controller communicates a notification with temperature information received from the temperature sensor; and
a remote start device communicatively coupled with the controller, wherein the controller:
determines a hierarchy of the contact surfaces of the target features;
adjusts the position of the air register assembly from an initial position to a temperature regulating position in response to a remote start signal for a remote start cycle from the remote start device and based on the hierarchy;
adjusts the movable target feature from a drive position to a temperature regulation position in response to the remote start signal such that the air register assembly directs air across the contact surface of the movable target feature;
adjusts the air register assembly to the initial position in response to termination of the remote start cycle; and
adjusts the movable target feature to the drive position in response to at least one of the termination of the remote start cycle, the contact surface reaching a predefined temperature, and vehicle ignition activation.