Patent ID: 8181475

Claim:
A method for automatically controlling an inside temperature of an automotive vehicle during the automotive vehicle's warm-up stage comprising: providing a vehicle having an occupant detection system and an HVAC system including an HVAC computer and an HVAC fan; determining if a heating/cooling temperature of the HVAC system is set to maximum; determining if a mode of the HVAC system is set to an automatic mode; continuously determining if there is at least one occupant inside the vehicle with the occupant detection system, and operating the HVAC fan automatically with the HVAC computer based on each of the determinations of whether the heating/cooling temperature is set to the maximum, whether the mode is set to the automatic mode and whether at least one occupant is detected inside the vehicle, wherein when it is determined that the heating/cooling temperature is set to the maximum and it is determined that the mode is set to the automatic mode, operating the HVAC fan automatically includes: automatically increasing the HVAC fan speed in a controlled manner based on the heating/cooling temperature of the HVAC system when it is determined that at least one occupant is inside the vehicle, and automatically setting the HVAC fan on maximum speed when it is determined that there is not at least one occupant inside the vehicle.