Patent ID: 9375994
Filing Date: 2016-06-28
CPC Classification: B60H,F01P

Claim Text:
1. A vehicle engine warm-up apparatus for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising: a vehicle engine located within the vehicle, the vehicle engine having a coolant passage defined therein; a heating system having a heater core in fluid communication with the coolant passage of the vehicle engine receiving coolant from the coolant passage of the vehicle engine, the heater core of the heating system being operable to provide heat to the passenger compartment of the vehicle; a coolant temperature sensor measuring temperature of the coolant flowing through the coolant passage of the vehicle engine; a coolant heater located within the coolant passage and within the vehicle engine and operable to heat the coolant flowing through the coolant passage of the vehicle engine; a passenger compartment temperature sensor located within the passenger compartment of the vehicle; and a controller operably coupled to the coolant temperature sensor, the coolant heater and the passenger compartment temperature sensor, the controller being configured to operate the coolant heater with the vehicle engine running to increase a rate of heating of the coolant to more rapidly make heat available to the heating system in response to determining that two conditions are met, first that the coolant temperature is below a first temperature threshold, and second that the temperature within the passenger compartment measured by the passenger compartment temperature sensor is below second temperature threshold.