Patent ID: 7275983

Claim:
A system for limiting an increase in the inside air temperature of a passenger compartment of a vehicle, the system comprising: a solar radiation reducing means for reducing an amount of solar radiation, which enters the passenger compartment through at least one transparent panel of the vehicle; a control means for controlling the solar radiation reducing means, wherein when the control means determines that the vehicle is in a parked state, the control means operates the solar radiation reducing means to reduce the amount of solar radiation entered the passenger compartment through the at least one transparent panel; and a ventilating means for ventilating the passenger compartment, wherein: the control means operates the solar radiation reducing means to reduce the amount of solar radiation entering the passenger compartment through the at least one transparent panel when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: the inside air temperature of the passenger compartment of the vehicle held in the parked state is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature; the outside air temperature outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle held in the parked state is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature; the amount of solar radiation entered the passenger compartment of the vehicle held in the parked state is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount; the control means operates the ventilating means to ventilate the passenger compartment when the at least one of the conditions is satisfied; the at least one transparent panel includes at least one window glass; the solar radiation reducing means includes a voltage sensitive material. which is sensitive to voltage applied thereto and is provided to each of the at least one window glass; the voltage sensitive material changes a light transmittance of the corresponding window glass upon application of voltage to the voltage sensitive material; and the control means controls application of the voltage to the voltage sensitive material of at least one of the at least one window glass such that the voltage sensitive material reduces the light transmittance of the corresponding window glass when the vehicle is held in the parked state.