Patent ID: 6874574

Claim:
A method of operation for a vehicle air conditioning system including a refrigerant compressor, an AC enable/disable device for enabling and disabling air conditioning, an evaporator for cooling inlet air when air conditioning is enabled by said AC enable/disable device, a temperature control mechanism positioned to control re-heating of air exiting the evaporator, and a driver-manipulated temperature selector for setting a desired discharge air temperature, the method comprising the steps of: enabling and disabling said refrigerant compressor in accordance with said AC enable/disable device, regardless of the setting of said temperature selector; when air conditioning is enabled by said AC enable/disable device, regulating the capacity of said compressor and the position of said temperature control mechanism as a first function of the temperature selector setting for producing a discharge air temperature corresponding to said desired discharge air temperature; and when air conditioning is disabled by said AC enable/disable device, regulating the position of said temperature control mechanism as a second function of the temperature selector setting for producing discharge air heating in proportion said desired discharge air temperature.