US 12,485,725 B2
Adaptive vehicle HVAC system dependent on operator location relative to vehicle
Graham Lloyd Feltham, Irvine, CA (US)
Assigned to Rivian IP Holdings, LLC, Plymouth, MI (US)
Filed by Rivian IP Holdings, LLC, Plymouth, MI (US)
Filed on Oct. 4, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/959,529.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/291,199, filed on Dec. 17, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0191873 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. B60H 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60H 1/00742 (2013.01) [B60H 1/00378 (2013.01); B60H 1/0073 (2019.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
17. A method, comprising:
determining, by processing circuitry, whether a cabin of a vehicle is unoccupied, wherein the vehicle comprises a digital assistant device comprising a microphone to receive voice commands, and wherein the microphone is located in a cargo space of the vehicle;
determining, based on sensor data, that a door separating the cargo space of the vehicle from the cabin of the vehicle is now open after being closed;
determining the cabin is unoccupied based on determining that a vehicle occupant has left the cabin of the vehicle and is now in the cargo space of the vehicle while a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the vehicle is in operation based on determining that the door separating the cargo space of the vehicle from the cabin of the vehicle is now open after being closed;
in response to determining that the cabin is unoccupied, reducing, by the processing circuitry, a power output of the HVAC system of the vehicle with respect to the cargo space, wherein the reducing of the power output of the HVAC system reduces a level of noise in the cargo space caused by the HVAC system, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to reduce the power output of the HVAC system to reduce noise picked up by the microphone to enable the microphone to detect a voice command from the vehicle occupant in the cargo space;
determining the vehicle occupant has left the cargo space and is back in the cabin of the vehicle based on determining that the door separating the cargo space of the vehicle from the cabin of the vehicle is now closed after being open; and
in response to determining that the vehicle occupant has left the cargo space and is back in the cabin of the vehicle, increasing a power output of the HVAC system with respect to the cargo space.