Patent Publication Number: US-2023158929-A1

Title: Ventilated seat integrated into vehicle heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (hvac) system

Description:
SUMMARY 
     To improve the thermal comfort of an occupant of a vehicle, it is advantageous to provide vehicle seats that can be both heated and cooled. A heated, cooled, and ventilated seat is described that provides energy-efficient heating and cooling, not previously achievable, to an occupant of a vehicle, without adding cost and complexity to the seat. 
     A ventilated seat for a vehicle that includes a seat cushion assembly and an air duct configured to provide conditioned air from the HVAC module to the seat cushion assembly. Because the HVAC module of the vehicle further provides conditioned air to an interior cabin of the vehicle through at least one air vent, additional active components for providing cooling (e.g., Peltier devices) can be omitted from the ventilated seat. Furthermore, because conditioned air is provided from the HVAC module of the vehicle, thermal performance of the ventilated seat may be improved. 
     In some embodiments, the seat cushion assembly may include a seat bottom cushion assembly and a seat back cushion assembly. 
     In some embodiments, the air duct includes a splitter portion, a first air duct portion extending from the HVAC module to the splitter portion, a second air duct portion extending from the splitter portion to the seat bottom cushion assembly, and a third air duct portion extending from the splitter portion to the seat back cushion assembly. 
     In some embodiments, the first air duct portion may include a first extender (e.g., accordion) section that is extendable to allow the ventilated seat to move in a first direction (e.g., forward or backward) in the vehicle interior cabin, for example, between a forward position and a rear position, while continuing to provide conditioned air from the HVAC module to the seat cushion assembly. The splitter portion may include a second extender (e.g., accordion) section that is extendable to allow the ventilated seat to be moved in a second direction (e.g., raised or lowered upward or downward) in the vehicle interior cabin, for example, between a first height and a second height, while continuing to provide conditioned air from the HVAC module to the seat cushion assembly. The third air duct portion comprises a hinge section that allows the seat back cushion to be reclined in the interior cabin of the vehicle (e.g., between a first angle and a second angle) while providing conditioned air to the seat back cushion assembly. 
     In some embodiments, the seat bottom cushion assembly may include a first air diffusion assembly for diffusing conditioned air from the HVAC module to the seat bottom cushion assembly through the second air duct portion, through a surface of the seat bottom cushion assembly. The seat back cushion assembly may include a second air diffusion assembly for diffusing conditioned air from the HVAC module to the seat bottom cushion assembly through the third air duct portion, through a surface of the seat back cushion assembly. 
     In some embodiments, the first air diffusion assembly may include a first layer configured to channel the conditioned air, provided by the HVAC module to the seat bottom cushion assembly through the second air duct portion, through a first plurality of air channels in the first layer, and a second layer configured to channel the air from the plurality of air channels in the first layer through a plurality of through holes in the second layer, wherein the first plurality of through holes are arranged in a first predetermined pattern. The second air diffusion assembly may include a third layer configured to channel the air, provided by the HVAC module to the seat back cushion assembly through the third air duct portion, through a second plurality of air channels in the third layer; and a fourth layer configured to channel the air from the second plurality of air channels in the fourth layer through a plurality of through holes in the fourth layer, wherein the second plurality of through holes are arranged in a second predetermined pattern. 
     In some embodiments, the first diffusion assembly may further include a first baffle layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer, and the second diffusion assembly may further include a second baffle layer disposed between the third layer and the fourth layer. 
     In some embodiments, each of the first layer and the second layer may include a foam material. 
     In some embodiments, the ventilated seat does not include a blower, that is, the air duct interfaces directly with the HVAC module and the seat cushion assembly without an intermediate blower. 
     In some embodiments, the air duct may include a high-density-polyethylene (HDPE) material. 
     In some embodiments, the seat cushion assembly may include an electric seat heater. 
     In some embodiments, the conditioned air is heated air. 
     In some embodiments, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module configured to provide conditioned air, an air vent configured to direct conditioned air provided by the HVAC module to an interior cabin of the vehicle, and a ventilated seat including a seat cushion assembly, and an air duct configured to interface with the HVAC module of the vehicle and provide conditioned air from the HVAC module to the seat cushion assembly. The vehicle may include control circuitry, a seat temperature sensor, and an electric seat heater, and the control circuitry is configured to detect a seat temperature of the ventilated seat via the seat temperature sensor determine whether a difference between a desired temperature and the detected seat temperature is greater than a threshold value, in response to determining that the difference between the desired temperature and the detected seat temperature is greater than the threshold value, activate the electric seat heater, and in response to determining that the desired temperature is equal to the detected seat temperature, deactivating the electric seat heater. 
     In some embodiments, a method of controlling airflow in a vehicle having a ventilated seat is provided. The method includes detecting a cabin temperature of the cabin of the vehicle, providing conditioned air to the cabin based on the detected cabin temperature, and providing conditioned air to the ventilated seat. The conditioned air provided to the cabin and the conditioned air provided to the ventilated seat are provided from a single heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module. 
     In some embodiments, the method may further include detecting a seat temperature of the ventilated seat, and providing the conditioned air to the ventilated seat may be based on the detected seat temperature. 
     In some embodiments, the method may further include determining, when heating, whether a difference between a desired temperature and the detected seat temperature is greater than a threshold value, and in response to determining that the difference between the desired temperature and the detected seat temperature is greater than a threshold value, activating (e.g., turning on) electric heating in the ventilated seat. 
     In some embodiments, the method may further include determining, when heating, that the desired temperature is equal to the detected seat temperature, and in response to determining that the desired temperature is equal to the detected seat temperature, deactivating (e.g., turning off) the electric heating in the ventilated seat. 
     In some embodiments, the method may further include determining, when heating, that an occupant of the ventilated seat has left the ventilated seat, and in response to determining that the occupant of the ventilated seat has left the ventilated seat, stopping the providing of the conditioned air to the ventilated seat and activating (e.g., turning on) electric heating in the ventilated seat. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
         FIG.  1    depicts a block diagram of components of a ventilation system of a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS.  2 A and  2 B  depict views of components of the ventilation system of  FIG.  1    installed in a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  3    depicts a detailed view of the ventilated seat and the first air duct of  FIG.  2 A , in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  4    depicts a view of the first air duct of  FIG.  3   , in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  depict cutaway views of the ventilated seat of  FIG.  3   , in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS.  6 A,  6 B, and  6 C  depict views of certain layers of the ventilated seat of  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG.  7    depicts an illustrative process for controlling a ventilation system of a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG.  1    depicts a block diagram of components of a ventilation system  100  of a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the ventilation system  100  includes a control system  101 , an HVAC module  112 , a heating element  114 , one or more sensors  116 , a ventilated seat  118 , and an air vent  120 . Although only a single ventilated seat and single air vent are shown, the ventilation system  100  may include any number of ventilated seats and air vents. As shown, the control system  101  includes a user interface  102 , control circuitry  105 , a ventilated seat controller  108 , and an air vent controller  110 . The control circuitry  105  further includes a processor  104  and a memory  106 . In an illustrated example, the control system  101  may control the operation of the ventilation system  100 . 
     The control circuitry  105  may include hardware, software, or both, implemented on one or more modules configured for controlling the operation of the ventilation system  100 . In some embodiments, the processor  104  may include one or more processors such as, for example, a central processing unit having a single core or dual core, bus, logic circuitry, integrated circuitry, digital signal processor, graphics processor, an embedded processing device, any other suitable components for reading and executing computer instructions, or any combination thereof. The memory  106  may include any suitable storage device such as, for example, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, a removable storage device, a solid-state storage device, an optical device, a magnetic device, any other suitable component for storing and recalling information, or any combination thereof. 
     The user interface  102  may include a display (e.g., a touchscreen or touch sensitive display) provided as a stand-alone device or integrated with other elements of the control system  101 . In some embodiments, the control circuitry  105  may be communicatively connected to the user interface  102 . The user interface  102  may be used to receive selections from a user for setting the desired heating or cooling to be provided to the cabin of the vehicle (e.g., through the air vent  120 ) and the ventilated seat  118 . For example, a user may input a desired temperature through the user interface  102 . 
     The HVAC module  112  may include a blower, an evaporator, a heater, a recirculation system, an air mixing portion (for mixing hot/cool air), etc., and may provide conditioned air to both the ventilated seat  118  and the air vent  120 . The control circuitry  105  may be communicatively connected to the HVAC module  112 . 
     In some embodiments, the control circuitry  105  may be communicatively connected to the one or more sensors  116 . In some embodiments, the one or more sensors  116  include an air temperature sensor for sensing the air temperature inside the vehicle, a seat air temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the seat, an ambient air temperature sensor for sensing the ambient temperature outside of the vehicle, an occupancy sensor (e.g., a pressure sensor) for sensing an occupant in the ventilated seat, humidity sensors, and an open door sensor for sensing whether a door of the vehicle is open. However, these are simply examples, and the one or more sensors  116  may include any suitable sensors for operating the ventilation system  100 . 
     In some embodiments, the control circuitry  105  may be communicatively connected (e.g., via the air vent controller  110 ) to the air vent  120 . Although only a single air vent  120  is illustrated, the ventilation system  100  may include a plurality of air vents to direct conditioned air from the HVAC module  112  to different areas of the vehicle. The control circuitry  105  may be communicatively connected (e.g., via the ventilated seat controller  108 ) to the ventilated seat  118 . 
     In some embodiments, the ventilated seat  118  may include the heating element  114 . The control circuitry  105  may be communicatively connected to the heating element  114  to provide heating to an occupant of the ventilated seat  118 , as explained in greater detail below. 
       FIGS.  2 A and  2 B  depict views of components of the ventilation system  100  of  FIG.  1    installed in a vehicle  200 , in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the ventilation system  100  includes a single HVAC module  112  that provides conditioned air to both the interior cabin  202  of the vehicle  200  (through the air vents  120 ), and to the ventilated seat  118 . As shown, the ventilation system  100  includes a first air duct  204  that provides conditioned air from the HVAC module  112  to the ventilated seat  118 , and a second air duct  206  that provides conditioned air from the HVAC module  112  to the air vents  120 . Although only two air ducts ( 204  and  206 ) are shown, the ventilation system  100  may include any number of air ducts for piping conditioned air from the HVAC module  112  to different areas of the vehicle  200 . 
     In some embodiments, airflow through the ventilated seat  118  and the air vents  120  may be controlled via at least one motor-controlled or actuator-controlled valve ( 210   a ,  210   b ,  210   c ,  210   d ). For example, the control circuitry  105  may control the valves ( 210   a ,  210   b ,  210   c ,  210   d ) via the ventilated seat controller  108  and the air vent controller  110  to provide conditioned air from the HVAC module  112 . It should be understood that the valves ( 210   a ,  210   b ,  210   c ,  210   d ) may be located at any point between the output of the HVAC module  112  and output of the ventilated seat  118  and the air vents  120 . In some embodiments, the ventilation system  100  may include an air recirculation path  208  for recirculating air in the interior cabin  202  of the vehicle  200  back through the HVAC module  112 . It should be understood that the valves ( 210   a ,  210   b ,  210   c ,  210   d ) are merely illustrative and that any suitable number and type of valves can be used (e.g., a flow divider valve that adjusts the flow between two ducts). For example, valves  210   b  and  210   c  may be replaced by a single flow divider valve. 
       FIG.  3    depicts a detailed view of the ventilated seat  118  and the first air duct  204  of  FIG.  2 A , in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the ventilated seat  118  includes a seat cushion assembly including a seat bottom cushion assembly  302  and a seat back cushion assembly  304 . The ventilated seat  118  may further include a seat mount  306  for mounting the ventilated seat in a vehicle (e.g., the vehicle  200 ). 
       FIG.  4    depicts a view of the first air duct  204  of  FIG.  3   , in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the first air duct  204  includes a first air duct portion  402  extending from an HVAC module interface  401  to a splitter portion  406 , a second air duct portion  410  extending from the splitter portion  406  to a seat bottom cushion assembly interface  411 , and a third air duct portion  412  extending from the splitter portion  406  to a seat back cushion assembly interface  413 . The HVAC module interface  401  is configured to attach to the HVAC module  112 , the seat bottom cushion assembly interface  411  is configured to attach to the seat bottom cushion assembly  302 , and the seat back cushion assembly interface  413  is configured to attach to the seat back cushion assembly  304 . 
     In some embodiments, the first air duct  204  may include extendable sections that allow the ventilated seat  118  to be moved within the vehicle  200 . Such extendable sections may be configured to be moved and/or reshaped in order to connect (i.e., allow airflow between) two portions of air duct  204  when the two portions are at different positions relative to one another (e.g., positioned at different lengths apart). In some embodiments, such extendable sections may be corrugated (e.g., accordion folded) to allow the extendable section to compress or extend to different lengths. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments such extendable sections are of a flexible material and shaped (e.g., S-shaped) to allow connection between portions of air duct  204  at multiple positions. For ease of description, such extendable sections are described herein as accordion sections, however, it should be understood that any suitable extendable section, as set forth above, may be used. For example, as shown, the first air duct portion  402  includes a first accordion section  404  that is extendable between a first length and a second length to allow the ventilated seat  118  to move forwards and backwards in the vehicle  200  between a forward position and a rear position while continuing to provide airflow therethrough, and the splitter portion  406  includes a second accordion section  408  that is extendable between a third length and fourth length to allow the ventilated seat  118  to be raised and lowered in the vehicle  200  between a first height and a second height while continuing to provide airflow therethrough. Additionally, the third air duct portion  412  includes a hinge section  414  that allows the seat back cushion assembly  304  to be reclined in the vehicle  200  between a first angle and a second angle while continuing to provide airflow therethrough. 
     In some embodiments, the first air duct  204  comprises a high-density-polyethylene (HDPE) material. In some embodiments, the first accordion section  404 , the second accordion section  408 , and the hinge section  414  may comprise a flexible material (e.g., rubber, fiber, etc.) to provide the functionality discussed above. It may be advantageous to modify the shape of the first air duct  204  or the number of accordion/hinge sections included in the first air duct  204 , depending on the requirements of the vehicle where the ventilated seat will be installed. 
       FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  depict cutaway views of the ventilated seat  118  of  FIG.  3   , in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in  FIG.  5 A , the seat bottom cushion assembly  302  includes a first interface  502  for connecting to the seat bottom cushion assembly interface  411  of the second air duct portion  410 , while the seat back cushion assembly  304  includes a second interface  504  for connecting to the seat back cushion assembly interface  413  of the third air duct portion  412 . 
       FIG.  5 B  depicts a cutaway view of certain layers of the seat bottom cushion assembly  302 . As shown, the seat bottom cushion assembly  302  includes a base layer  506 , a channel layer  508 , a mesh layer  510 , a dispersion layer  512 , and a cover layer  514 . The base layer  506  may comprise a hard plastic or other material that forms the base layer of the seat bottom cushion assembly  302 . The channel layer  508  may include a plurality of air channels configured to distribute conditioned air from the HVAC module  112  across an area of the seat bottom cushion assembly  302 , as shown in greater detail in  FIG.  6 A . In some embodiments, the channel layer  508  may comprise a foam or other suitable material. The mesh layer  510  may comprise a porous backing layer (e.g., a spreader layer) configured to diffuse the air in the plurality of channels of the channel layer  508 . The dispersion layer  512  may include a plurality of through holes arranged in a predetermined pattern for optimizing the flow of conditioned air to the occupant of the seat, as shown in greater detail in  FIG.  6 B . The cover layer  514  may include a cover for the ventilated seat  118 , as well as additional padding to improve seat comfort. The cover may be perforated to allow air to flow through the seat bottom cushion assembly  302  to the occupant of the ventilated seat. 
     In some embodiments, the seat bottom cushion assembly  302  may include the heating element  114 . The heating element  114  may be incorporated into one of the layers described above or disposed between the layers. In some embodiments, the seat back cushion assembly  304  may further include at least one sensor  116 . For example, the at least one sensor  116  may include an occupancy sensor (e.g., a pressure sensor) and a temperature sensor. In some embodiments, as shown, the at least one sensor  116  (e.g., a pressure sensor) may be mounted at the first interface  502  to further diffuse the conditioned air from the HVAC module  112  before it flows through the plurality of channels in the channel layer  508 . However, this is only one example, and the at least one sensor  116  may be mounted at any suitable location. 
     The composition of the seat back cushion assembly  304  may be similar to the above-described composition of the seat bottom cushion assembly  302  and will not be described again in detail. 
       FIGS.  6 A,  6 B, and  6 C  depict views of certain layers of the ventilated seat  118  of  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.  FIG.  6 A  depicts the channel layer  508  of  FIG.  5 B . As shown, the channel layer  508  includes a plurality of channels configured to distribute conditioned air from the HVAC module  112  across an area of the seat bottom cushion assembly  302 . As shown, the seat back cushion assembly  304  includes a similar channel layer  602  that includes a plurality of channels configured to distribute conditioned air from the HVAC module  112  across an area of the seat back cushion assembly  304 . In some embodiments, the seat back cushion assembly  304  may include an additional channel layer  604  configured to distribute conditioned air from the HVAC module  112  across another area of the seat back cushion assembly  304  (e.g., around the head of an occupant). 
       FIG.  6 B  depicts the dispersion layer  512  of  FIG.  5 B . As shown, the dispersion layer  512  includes a plurality of through holes arranged in a predetermined pattern for optimizing the flow of conditioned air to the occupant of the seat. As shown, the seat back cushion assembly  304  includes a similar dispersion layer  606  including a different arrangement of through holes for optimizing the flow of conditioned air to the occupant of the seat. In some embodiments, the seat back cushion assembly  304  may include an additional dispersion layer  608  for optioning the flow of conditioned air across another area of the seat back cushion assembly  304  (e.g., around the head of an occupant). 
       FIG.  6 C  depicts the cover layer  514  of  FIG.  5 B . As shown, the cover layer  514  includes a portion of the cover for the ventilated seat  118 . In some embodiments, as described above, the portion of the cover may be perforated to allow air to flow through the seat bottom cushion assembly  302  to the occupant of the ventilated seat  118 . In some embodiments, the cover layer  514  may comprise the cover for the entire seat bottom assembly. As shown, the seat back cushion assembly  304  includes cover layers  610  and  612 , which include respective portions of the cover for the ventilated seat  118 . In some embodiments, the cover layers  514 ,  610 , and  612  may comprise a different material than other portions of the cover of the ventilated seat  118 . For example, the cover layers  514 ,  610 , and  612  may be optimized to allow the conditioned air from the HVAC module  112  to pass through to the occupant of the ventilated seat  118 . 
       FIG.  7    depicts an illustrative process  700  for controlling a ventilation system (e.g., the ventilation system  100  of  FIG.  1   ) of a vehicle (e.g., the vehicle  200  of  FIG.  2 A ), in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The process  700  may be executed by control circuitry (e.g., by the control circuitry  105  including the processor  104  of  FIG.  1   ). 
     At step  702 , the control circuitry may receive a desired temperature setting. For example, the control circuitry may receive a selection by a user (e.g., via the user interface  102 ) of the desired temperature. In some embodiments, the user may independently set desired temperatures for different areas of the vehicle cabin and separately set a heating/cooling level for the ventilated seats (e.g., the ventilated seat  118 ). For example, the user may set the desired temperature of the vehicle cabin to seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit and indicate whether to turn on seat heating/cooling. In some embodiments, if the user selects seat heating/cooling, the user may set a seat heating/cooling level (e.g., among a plurality of settings such as low, medium, and high), and the control circuitry may adjust accordingly (e.g., based on the desired temperature). However, this is only an example, and the user may set a single desired temperature for the vehicle, and the control circuitry may automatically engage/disengage seat heating/cooling. Although the vehicle may include multiple ventilated seats, for convenience of description, the process  700  is described in terms of one ventilated seat and one desired temperature. However, it should be understood that different settings may be set for each ventilated seat in a vehicle (e.g., occupants of different ventilated seats may set different desired temperatures or select different seat heating/cooling levels). In some embodiments, the control circuitry may automatically select a temperature setting, based on a profile of an occupant of the vehicle and the ambient temperature. 
     At step  704 , the control circuitry may detect (e.g., via at the least one sensor  116 ) the temperature of the vehicle cabin. In some embodiments, the control circuitry  105  may also detect (e.g., via the at least one sensor  116 ) the temperature of the ventilated seat. In some embodiments, the control circuitry  105  may also detect (e.g., via the at least one sensor  116 ) an ambient temperature. 
     At step  706 , the control circuitry may determine whether to provide heating or cooling. For example, the control circuitry may compare the desired temperature setting with the detected temperatures of the vehicle cabin and of the ventilated seats. If the control circuitry determines that cooling is required (“Yes (cooling)” at step  706 ), the process  700  proceeds to step  708 . Alternatively, if the control circuitry determines that heating is required (“Yes (heating)” at step  706 ), the process  700  proceeds to step  710 . Otherwise, if the control circuitry determines that neither heating or cooling is required (e.g., the desired temperature has already been reached), the control circuitry remains at step  706  until either heating or cooling is required. 
     At step  708 , the control circuitry independently provides cooled air to the cabin of the vehicle through air vents (e.g., the air vents  120 ) and to the ventilated seat, in order to reach and maintain the desired temperature, based on the detected cabin and seat temperatures. In some embodiments, the control circuitry may change the rate of cooling (e.g., by changing the airflow or coldness of the air) provided through the air vents and the ventilated seat, based on the difference between the desired temperature and the detected temperatures. For example, the control circuitry may initially provide maximized cooling and slowly decrease the cooling level as the cabin and ventilated seat temperatures approach the desired temperature. In some embodiments, the user can select the rate of cooling. 
     At step  710 , the control circuitry may determine if the difference between the detected seat temperature and the desired temperature is greater than a threshold value in order to optimize heating with energy use and comfort of the occupant of the vehicle. For example, if the control circuitry determines that the seat temperature does not need to be increased more than a threshold value (e.g., twenty degrees Fahrenheit), the control circuitry may only provide heated air to the ventilated seat and forgo the use of a heating element in the ventilated seat. If however, the control circuitry determines that the seat temperature does need to be increased more than a threshold value, the control circuitry may also use the heating element to maximize the comfort of the occupant of the vehicle. The threshold value may be set or optimized based on the preferences of the occupant of the vehicle. If the control circuitry determines that the difference between the detected seat temperature and the desired temperature is greater than the threshold value (“Yes” at step  710 ), the process  700  proceeds to step  712 . Otherwise (“No” at step  710 ), the process  700  proceeds to step  718 . 
     At step  712 , the control circuitry may provide (e.g., via the heating element  114 ) heating in the ventilated seat. In some embodiments, if the control circuitry determines it will take the HVAC module a few moments before the HVAC module is able to provide heated air (e.g., when the ambient temperature is low and the HVAC module is cold), the control circuitry may wait until the HVAC module is able to provide heated air before directing conditioned air through the ventilated seat. However, this is only one example, and the control circuitry may also provide heating via both the heating element and the HVAC module (e.g., via the air vents and the ventilated seat). 
     At step  714 , the control circuitry may determine if the detected seat temperature has reached the desired temperature. If the control circuitry determines that the detected seat temperature is not equal to the desired temperature (“No” at step  714 ), the process  700  proceeds back to  712  and continues to provide heating via the heating element. Otherwise, the process  700  proceeds to step  716 . In some embodiments, instead of determining whether the detected seat temperature is not equal to the desired temperature, the process  700  may proceed to step  716  in response to the control circuitry determining that the detected seat temperature is within a predetermined range of the desired temperature (e.g., within 5 or 10 degrees) or that the HVAC module is able to provide sufficiently heated air to the ventilated seat. 
     At step  716 , the control circuitry turns off the heating element in the ventilated seat. For example, because the heating element may not be as energy-efficient as the HVAC module, it may be advantageous to maintain the temperature of the ventilated seat and the vehicle cabin using only the HVAC module. However, this is only one example, and the control circuitry may optionally leave the heating element on or lower the heating provided by the heating element based on, for example, user preference. 
     At step  718 , the control circuitry may independently provide heated air (e.g., via the HVAC module) to air vents and the ventilated seat to reach and maintain the desired temperature, based on the detected vehicle cabin and seat temperatures. In some embodiments, it may be advantageous to change the rate of heating. For example, if the vehicle is cold, the control circuitry may initially provide maximum heating (e.g., by controlling the HVAC module to maximize the temperature of the conditioned air and the blower speed). As the detected temperature approaches the desired temperature, the control circuitry may taper the heating level. 
     At step  720 , the control circuitry may determine if an occupant is seated in the ventilated seat. For example, if the ventilated seat is installed in a delivery vehicle, the vehicle occupant may often leave the vehicle (e.g., to deliver packages). In this case, it may be inefficient to provide heated air to the ventilated seat, especially if the door of the vehicle is open. Thus, if the control circuitry determines that the occupant is seated in the ventilated seat (“Yes” at step  720 ), the process  700  may return to step  718  and continue to provide heated air. Otherwise (“No” at step  720 ), the process  700  may proceed to step  722 . 
     At step  722 , the control circuitry may stop providing heated air to the ventilated seat and maintain the ventilated seat temperature (e.g., until the occupant returns) using only the heating element. In this manner, energy may be conserved while the occupant is not in the vehicle (e.g., especially if the door of the vehicle is open), while still keeping the ventilated seat heated. 
     At step  724 , the control circuitry determines if the occupant has returned to the ventilated seat. If the control circuitry determines that the occupant has returned to the ventilated seat (“Yes” at step  724 ), the process  700  returns back to step  716 . Otherwise (“No” at step  724 ), the process continues to monitor the ventilated seat. 
     The processes discussed above are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. One skilled in the art would appreciate that the steps of the processes discussed herein may be omitted, modified, combined and/or rearranged, and any additional steps may be performed without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in some implementations, when a heating element is not included or when a user elects not to turn on a heating element, steps  710 ,  712 ,  714 , and  716  can be omitted. In some implementations, the seat occupancy decision block (step  720 ) may also be omitted (e.g., with or without the heating element being included). For example, the seat occupancy decision block may be associated with an Eco mode that the user elects to turn off. In this case, steps  722  and  724  may also be omitted. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this disclosure, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The above-described embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation. The present disclosure also can take many forms other than those explicitly described herein. Accordingly, it is emphasized that this disclosure is not limited to the explicitly disclosed methods, systems, and apparatuses, but is intended to include variations thereto and modifications thereof, which are within the spirit of the following claims.