Holistic seat climate system

1 . A system, comprising:

one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors comprises a plurality of external sensors positioned outside a vehicle and a plurality of internal sensors positioned within the vehicle;

one or more controllers configured to:

receive a thermal comfort setting for each of one or more seats within a volumetric space of the vehicle, wherein the one or more seats comprises one or more thermal elements adapted to control a temperature of each of the one or more seats to provide the thermal comfort setting;

receive data from the one or more sensors;

determine, based on the received thermal comfort setting and the received data, a temperature setting for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and a temperature setting for the one or more seats;

evaluate a vehicle climate index based on the data received from the one or more sensors;

determine an operating state of the vehicle including an “ON” state or an “OFF” state based on at least one of the vehicle climate index;

in response to determining the operating state is the “ON” state, activate the HVAC system to achieve an optimized thermal comfort setting based on the determined temperature setting for the HVAC system;

in response to determining the operating state is the “OFF” state, activate at least one of the one or more thermal elements while maintaining the vehicle in the “OFF” state based on the temperature setting for the one or more seats; and

control operation of the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements based on the vehicle climate index and the vehicle operating state to optimize energy consumption by the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers is further configured to control the optimized thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats based on the one or more controllers controlling the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements for each occupied seat.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers is further configured to:

determine a first amount of time required to reach the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats via the HVAC system;

determine a second amount of time required to reach the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats via the one or more thermal elements for each occupied seat; and

control at least one of the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements to provide the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats based on a shortest time between the first amount of time and the second amount of time.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers is further configured to:

determine a first amount of time required to reach the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats via the HVAC system;

determine a second amount of time required to reach the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats via the one or more thermal elements for each occupied seat;

determine a third amount of time required to reach the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats via a combination of the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements for each occupied seat;

control at least one of the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements for each of the one or more seats based on a shortest time between the first amount of time, the second amount of time, and the third amount time; and

control at least one of the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements to provide the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats based on a shortest time of the first amount time, the second amount time, and the third amount time.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers is further configured to:

determine a temperature setting for the HVAC system corresponding to the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats in a first shortest amount of time;

determine a temperature setting for the one or more thermal elements corresponding to the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats in a second shortest amount of time; and

control the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements to provide the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats based on a shortest time of the first shortest amount of time and the second shortest amount of time.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers us further configured to:

determine a temperature setting for the HVAC system corresponding to the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats in a first shortest amount of time;

determine a temperature setting for the one or more thermal elements corresponding to the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats in a second shortest amount of time;

determine a combination temperature setting for both the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements corresponding to the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats in a third shortest amount of time; and

control the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements to provide the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats based on a shortest time of the first shortest amount of time, the second shortest amount of time, and the third shortest amount of time.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers is further configured to:

determine a first time corresponding to a first temperature setting for the HVAC system accomplishing the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats;

determine a second time corresponding to a second temperature setting for the one or more thermal elements accomplishing the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats;

control the HVAC system to operate based on one of the first temperature setting and the second temperature setting for an associated one of the first time and the second time; and

control the one or more thermal elements to operate based on the other of the first temperature setting and the second temperature setting for the other of the associated first time and the second time after the associated one of the first time and the second time has expired.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers is further configured to:

determine a combined energy expenditure of HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements for each of the one or more seats; and

control the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements to provide the thermal comfort setting by minimizing energy expenditure between the HVAC system and thermal elements for the one or more seats.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers is further configured to:

determine a current driving mode to indicate a status of a vehicle, wherein the status of the vehicle comprises at least one of an on state, an off state, a drive state, a parked state, a charging state etc.;

select between one of maximizing range setting or maximizing comfort setting based on the determined current driving mode; and

control distribution of an available energy for providing one of the maximum range setting or the maximum comfort setting based on the one of the determined current driving mode.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers is further configured to:

determine the operating state of the vehicle including the “ON” state or the “OFF” state based on the vehicle climate index, a number of occupants, a destination distance, and an available vehicle range;

determine a combined energy expenditure for each of the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements based on the determined temperature setting for the HVAC system and the determined temperature setting for the one or more seats, such that for achieving the optimized thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats;

determine a mode of a plurality of modes of the system based on one of an on state, an off state, a drive state, a parked state, or a charging state of the system; and

optimize distribution of an available energy based on the combined energy expenditure for achieving one of maximum range setting or maximum comfort setting based on the one of the determined mode.

11 . A method, comprising:

determining a thermal comfort setting for each of one or more seats within a volumetric space, wherein the one or more seats comprises one or more thermal elements adapted to control a temperature of each of the one or more seats to provide the thermal comfort setting;

receiving data from a determining a current temperature of the volumetric space as measured by one or more sensors; and

determining, based on the thermal comfort setting and the received data, the current temperature of the volumetric space, a temperature setting for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and a temperature setting for the one or more seats;

evaluating a vehicle climate index based on the data received from the one or more sensors;

determining an operating state of the vehicle including an “ON” state or an “OFF” state based on at least one of the vehicle climate index;

in response to determining the vehicle operating state is the “ON” state, activate the HVAC system to achieve an optimized thermal comfort setting based on the determined temperature setting for the HVAC system;

in response to determining the vehicle operating state is the “OFF” state, activate at least one of the one or more thermal elements while maintaining the vehicle in the “OFF” state based on the temperature setting for the HVAC system and the temperature setting for the one or more seats; and

controlling operation of the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements based on the vehicle climate index and the vehicle operating state to optimize energy consumption by the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further including achieving the optimized thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats based on the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements for each occupied seat.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further including:

determining a first amount of time required to reach the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats via the HVAC system;

determining a second amount of time required to reach the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats via the one or more thermal elements for each occupied seat; and

controlling each of the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements to provide the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats based on a shortest time between the first amount time and the second amount time.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further including:

determining a first amount of time required to reach the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats via the HVAC system;

determining a second amount of time required to reach the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats via the one or more thermal elements for each occupied seat;

determining a third amount of time required to reach the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats via a combination of the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements for each occupied seat; and

controlling at least one of the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements to provide the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats based on a shortest time of the first amount time, the second amount time, and the third amount time.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further including:

determining a temperature setting for the HVAC system corresponding to the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats in a first shortest amount of time;

determining a temperature setting for the one or more thermal elements corresponding to the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats in a second shortest amount of time; and

control the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements to provide the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats based on a shortest time of the first shortest amount of time and the second shortest amount of time.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further including:

determining a temperature setting for the HVAC system corresponding to the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats in a first shortest amount of time;

determining a temperature setting for the one or more thermal elements corresponding to the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats in a second shortest amount of time;

determining a combination temperature setting for both the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements corresponding to the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats in a third shortest amount of time; and

controlling the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements to provide the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats based on a shortest time of the first shortest amount of time, the second shortest amount of time, and the third shortest amount of time.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further including:

determining a first time corresponding to a first temperature setting for the HVAC system accomplishing the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats;

determining a second time corresponding to a second temperature setting for the one or more thermal elements accomplishing the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats;

controlling the HVAC system to operate based on one of the first temperature setting and the second temperature setting for an associated one of the first time and the second time; and

controlling the one ore more thermal elements to operate based on the other of the first temperature setting and the second temperature setting for the other of the associated first time and the second time after the associated one of the first time and the second time has expired.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further including:

determining a current driving mode for identifying a status of a vehicle, wherein the status of the vehicle comprises at least one of an on state, an off state, a drive state, a parked state, a charging state etc.;

selecting between one of maximizing range or maximizing comfort based on the determined current driving mode; and

controlling distribution of a total energy for providing one of the maximum range setting or the maximum comfort setting based on the one of the determined current driving mode.

19 . The method of claim 11 , further including:

inputting a number of planned occupants;

inputting a destination range requirement; and

determining a travel readiness of a vehicle based on the number of planned occupants and the destination range requirement.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further including:

in response to determining the “on” state is required for the travel readiness, starting the vehicle and activating the HVAC system and the one or more thermal elements for the one or more seats based on the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats;

in response to determining the “off” state is available for the travel readiness, activating the thermal elements for the one or more seats, measuring a cabin temperature, adjusting the thermal elements for the one or more seats until the thermal comfort setting for each of the one or more seats is reached, and notifying a driver that the vehicle is ready;

determining vehicle charging status and on-route status, and

in accordance with a determination that when vehicle is charging and on-route is valid, determining charging occupied status and thermal comfort need, or determining charging non-occupied status and thermal comfort need, and subsequently adjusting the thermal elements accordingly; and

in accordance with a determination that when vehicle is charging and is not on-route is valid, determining charging occupied status and thermal comfort need, or determining charging non-occupied status and thermal comfort need, and subsequently adjusting the thermal elements accordingly.