US 12,325,340 B2
Automatic seat thermal comfort control system and method
Ioannis Androulakis, Livonia, MI (US); Vladimir Jovovic, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Chad Westerman, Milford, MI (US); Ankit Tiwari, Farmington Hills, MI (US); and Michael Neil Maass, Ypsilanti, MI (US)
Assigned to GENTHERM INCORPORATED, Northville, MI (US)
Appl. No. 17/779,195
Filed by Gentherm Incorporated, Novi, MI (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 7, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/063580
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 24, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/126576, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 24, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/951,289, filed on Dec. 20, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0038711 A1, Feb. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. B60N 2/56 (2006.01); B60N 2/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60N 2/5685 (2013.01) [B60N 2/0024 (2023.08); B60N 2/5621 (2013.01); B60N 2/0034 (2023.08); B60N 2210/30 (2023.08)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of controlling occupant thermal comfort, comprising the steps of:
driving a temperature in a seating zone to a temperature set point with at least one thermal effector;
holding the temperature set point in the seating zone with the at least one thermal effector for a predetermined time; and
regulating the temperature in the seating zone with the at least one thermal effector to a corrected temperature set point based upon an equivalent homogenous temperature relating to vehicle cabin conditions and occupant gender, wherein the corrected temperature set point of the seating zone is based upon an estimated level of occupant clothing that is determined based upon a combination of vehicle ambient temperature and gender, the vehicle ambient temperature being outside the vehicle.