阅读说明：本技术 车辆消毒系统 (Vehicle decontamination system ) 是由 沈晋赟 徐伟 李梦雯 于 2020-06-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种用于车辆的消毒系统,包含：相对于车辆可驱动地移动的支撑件；连接至所述支撑件的消毒装置；以及控制器,配置为检测所述车辆内是否存在乘坐者,并响应于确定不存在乘坐者而指令所述支撑件移动且激活所述消毒装置。该系统能够以有效而低成本的方式对车辆的多个位置进行杀菌消毒。(The invention discloses a disinfection system for a vehicle, comprising: a support drivably movable relative to the vehicle; a sterilizing device connected to the support; and a controller configured to detect the presence of an occupant within the vehicle and to instruct the support to move and activate the disinfection device in response to determining the absence of an occupant. The system is capable of disinfecting and sanitizing multiple locations of a vehicle in an efficient and cost-effective manner.)

1. A decontamination system for a vehicle, comprising:

a support drivably movable relative to the vehicle;

a sterilizing device connected to the support; and

a controller configured to detect the presence of an occupant within the vehicle and to instruct the support to move and activate the sanitizing device in response to determining the absence of an occupant.

2. The sterilizing system of claim 1 wherein the sterilizing device comprises a sterilizing light or a disinfectant spray device.

3. The sterilizing system of claim 2 wherein the sterilizing lamps include UV-C LED lamps.

4. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the support comprises a sunroof or sunroof shade of the vehicle.

5. The sterilizing system of claim 1 wherein the support has a free end to which the sterilizing device is connected.

6. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the command support moving and activating the sterilization device comprises: instructing the support to move to a first position and subsequently activating the sterilizing device.

7. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the command support moving and activating the sterilization device comprises: instructing the support to move from a first position to a second position different from the first position during activation of the disinfecting device.

8. The decontamination system of claim 7, wherein the decontamination device is capable of decontaminating at least a first portion of the vehicle in the first position and at least a second portion of the vehicle different from the first portion in the second position.

9. The sterilization system of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprises detecting the presence of an occupant based on a signal of an onboard sensor.

10. The sterilization system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to determine one or more of a location to perform sterilization, a time to perform sterilization, a frequency of performing sterilization, and a length of sterilization time based on user input.

11. The sterilizing system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to deactivate the sterilizing device in response to the sterilizing device being activated for a predetermined period of time.

12. A vehicle sunroof system, comprising:

a movable portion;

an ultraviolet disinfection lamp connected to the movable portion; and

a controller configured to, upon detecting an absence of an occupant in the vehicle:

activating the ultraviolet disinfection lamp;

driving the movable part to move;

stopping activating the ultraviolet disinfection lamp; and

the movable portion is driven to move to a final position.

13. The vehicle sunroof system according to claim 12, wherein the movable portion is a sunroof or a sunroof shade.

14. The vehicle sunroof system according to claim 12, wherein the ultraviolet disinfection lamp is connected to a longitudinal end and/or a lateral end of the movable portion.

15. The vehicle sunroof system of claim 12, wherein the deactivating the ultraviolet disinfection lamp comprises deactivating in response to the ultraviolet disinfection lamp activating for a predetermined period of time.

16. An automatic vehicle disinfection method, the vehicle having a sunroof system and a disinfection device connected to the sunroof system, comprising:

automatically detecting whether an occupant is present in the vehicle; and

instructing the sunroof system to move and activate the sanitizing device when the absence of the occupant is detected.

17. The sterilization method according to claim 16, wherein the automatically detecting includes detecting whether an occupant is present based on a signal of an in-vehicle sensor.

18. The sterilization method of claim 16, wherein the instructing the sunroof system to move and activate the sterilization device comprises: instructing the louver system to move from a first position to a second position different from the first position during activation of the sanitizing device.

19. The sterilization method of claim 16, further comprising deactivating the sterilization device in response to the sterilization device being activated for a predetermined period of time and instructing the sunroof system to move to an end position.

20. The sterilization method of claim 16, further comprising automatically detecting whether a vehicle battery charge is below a threshold and automatically starting the engine when below the threshold.

[ technical field ] A method for producing a semiconductor device

The present invention generally relates to a decontamination system for a vehicle.

[ background of the invention ]

As vehicles are used on a large scale, human contact with the vehicles is also increasing. Microorganisms or viruses and the like may exist in various places in the vehicle interior space such as interior surfaces, cabin air and the like. Accordingly, it is desirable to be able to sterilize and disinfect multiple locations of a vehicle in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Patent publication WO 2020043485 a2 discloses an assembly for mounting to a vehicle-fixed location radiating vehicle surface having a radiation source and an angularly adjustable reflector. The reflector may be driven to rotate to cause the radiation source to emit ultraviolet radiation from a fixed location toward different locations within the vehicle.

[ summary of the invention ]

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a decontamination system for a vehicle is disclosed, comprising: a support drivably movable relative to the vehicle; a sterilizing device connected to the support; and a controller configured to detect the presence of an occupant within the vehicle and to instruct the support to move and activate the disinfection device in response to determining the absence of an occupant.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle sunroof system is disclosed, comprising: a movable portion; an ultraviolet disinfection lamp connected to the movable portion; and a controller configured to, when a vehicle sensor detects an absence of an occupant within the vehicle: activating the ultraviolet disinfection lamp; driving the movable portion to move between a forward position and a rearward position; stopping activating the ultraviolet disinfection lamp; and driving the movable portion to move to the final position.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed an automatic sterilization method for a vehicle having a sunroof system and a sterilization device connected to the sunroof system, comprising: automatically detecting whether an occupant is present in the vehicle; and instructing the sunroof system to move and activate the sanitizing device when the absence of the occupant is detected.

It should be understood that the above brief description is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description, which are not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that overcome any disadvantages described above or in any part of this specification.

One or more features and/or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more embodiments, taken alone or in combination with the accompanying drawings.

[ description of the drawings ]

For a better understanding of one or more embodiments of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle having a sunroof shade in a first position according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view along A-A in FIG. 1, schematically illustrating a sterilizing lamp according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a sterilization system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows another schematic view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the vehicle covering in a second position;

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a control flow diagram of a sterilization system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a plurality of initial conditions according to one or more embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 7A to 7E schematically show various embodiments of a sterilization process according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 schematically illustrates a plurality of end conditions in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention;

fig. 9 schematically shows a control method of a sunshade system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[ detailed description ] embodiments

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in the present specification; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. The same or similar reference numerals may indicate the same parameters and components or similar modifications and substitutions thereto. In the following description, various operating parameters and components are described in various embodiments as contemplated. These specific parameters and components are used in this specification as examples only and are not meant to be limiting. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", and the like, indicate orientations and positional relationships based on those shown in the drawings, and are used only for convenience of description and simplicity of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element being referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus, should not be considered as limiting the present invention.

The inventor of the application realizes that the disinfection light (such as ultraviolet rays) emitted by the disinfection device or the sprayed disinfection solution is easy to be blocked by obstacles such as seats, center consoles and the like, and dead angles exist in disinfection. For example, a sterilizing lamp, since the sterilizing light travels in a straight line, even if the angularly adjustable sterilizing device is used, if its position is substantially unchanged or varies to a small extent with respect to the vehicle, it may be blocked by the in-vehicle device to be difficult to handle a desired position while sterilizing various positions in the vehicle.

Commonly, a vehicle may have one or more body openings. These openings tend to be large relative to the vehicle size to span a substantial portion of the length or width of the vehicle. For example, roof openings tend to extend from above the driver to above rear passengers; vehicle body side door openings often extend from front row seats to rear row seats; the top opening of the convertible may extend from the windshield to a trunk position. In order to close these openings, the vehicle also has a support which can be moved drivingly to open or close the opening in different positions, respectively, such as a sun roof, a sun roof covering, a sliding door, an openable roof of a convertible, etc. These supports are commonly driven by a motor under the command of a controller. The inventor of the application realizes that the disinfection device can be creatively combined with the existing mechanism of the vehicle to realize the sterilization and disinfection of the vehicle. For example, the disinfection device can be connected to a support, so that a large-range movable support and its drive mechanism are used to achieve a desired control of the disinfection device. Thus, a plurality of positions of the vehicle can be disinfected only by utilizing the disinfection device with lower cost and simple structure, and a complicated driving mechanism or an angle-adjustable disinfection device assembly does not need to be arranged or installed independently. Of course, angularly adjustable sterilizing devices may also be used, as desired. In some embodiments, the support may be located on the roof of the vehicle and may comprise a movable part of a sunroof system, such as a sunroof or a sunshade; this roof support arrangement can advantageously handle most locations within the passenger compartment, particularly locations that are frequently contacted by occupants, due to fewer shades; and the arrangement in the roof position also contributes to an increased range of movement of the support relative to the vehicle.

Fig. 1-4 generally schematically illustrate a sterilization system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Which includes a support member 20 drivably movable relative to the vehicle 10, a disinfection device 28 connected to the support member 20, and a controller 40. Controller 40 is configured to detect the presence of an occupant within vehicle 10 and to instruct support member 20 to move and activate sanitizing device 28 in response to determining that an occupant is not present.

For purposes of illustration, one or more embodiments of the present application and the accompanying drawings are described with reference to a sunroof shade 20 of a vehicle. In other embodiments, the support may also comprise other movable parts of the skylight system, such as a skylight (glass or frame), or the like. In other embodiments, the support may also include a plurality of other components that are movable relative to the vehicle, including but not limited to a motorized vehicle door, an openable roof, and the like.

Specifically, in one embodiment and as shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 has a cabin or passenger compartment S. The passenger compartment S is generally partitioned by the driver seat 17 and the front passenger seat 19, forming a front seating space S1 and a rear seating space S2. It should be understood that seating spaces S1 and S2 may be only substantially separated, but may remain in communication, such as by being connected by spaces above, below, between, or on both sides of seats 17, 19. Further, the vehicle may have more rows of seats, such as second row seats, third row seats, etc., so that the passenger compartment may be divided into more zones, such as front, middle, rear seating spaces, and luggage space behind the seats, etc.

The vehicle 10 is generally shown having a sunroof 12 positioned within a roof structure 14. The skylight 12 may be configured as a panoramic sun skylight (sunproof) or moon skylight (moon) having one or more glass sheets. The skylight 12 may include a glass panel and a metal or plastic frame surrounding the glass panel. The roof structure 14 may have a body opening 15 substantially aligned with the sunroof 12. The sunroof 12 and the body opening 15 are located generally above the passenger compartment S. In some embodiments, the sunroof 12 may be opened by a sliding or tilting motion to allow air to enter the vehicle 10 through the opening 15. In some examples, the body opening 15 may be fully or partially covered by a sun roof covering 20, the covering 20 being housed within the roof structure 14 and being drivably movable between a storage position and a use position. In the storage position, the covering 20 is received within the roof structure 14, thereby exposing the body opening 15 of the roof structure 14 to leave the skylight 12 completely uncovered, while in the use position, the covering 20 is positioned to completely or partially cover the opening 15 and the skylight 12 to block light or provide more insulation. The controls for moving the shade 20 between the storage position and the use position may be located within the rearview mirror assembly 16 (which is immediately adjacent the front windshield 18) or elsewhere.

The covering 20 is shown as having a generally flat shape in the region of the skylight 12 and may be of different types. In one embodiment, the covering 20 may be a rigid flat panel and may be translationally slidable along a rail in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle relative to the vehicle 10 as a whole, under the drive of, for example, a motor (not shown), to cover or expose the opening 15. In an alternative embodiment, the shade 20 may be a flexible shade and may be driven by, for example, a motor to move between the storage position and the use position via a retraction mechanism hidden within the roof structure 14.

The exposed or movable end 21 of the shade 20 is movable relative to the edge of the opening 15 of the roof structure 14, driven by, for example, a motor, and cooperates with the edge of the opening 15 to form an open area to expose at least a portion of the opening 15 or the skylight 12 when partially covering the opening 15. The free end 21 may be at least partially concealed within the roof structure 14 when the covering 20 is in a fully closed position that fully covers the opening 15. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the movable end 21 of the sunshade 20 may be located at the front end of the sunshade 20 in the vehicle longitudinal direction L (i.e., the vehicle front-rear direction). In other embodiments, the movable end of the sunshade 20 may be located at the rear end thereof in the vehicle longitudinal direction L or the end thereof in the vehicle lateral direction, or the like. In yet another embodiment, the covering 20 may comprise a modular covering that opens in a front-to-back direction, which may have movable ends at opposite ends of the front and rear portions of the modular covering, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment, a disinfecting device 28 may be attached to the covering 20 at or near the free end 21. This configuration has the advantage that when the covering 20 is in the fully closed position, the sanitizing device 28 can be concealed within the roof structure 14, providing a better aesthetic appearance; in addition, the maximum movement range of the disinfection device 28 is provided, so that more comprehensive disinfection and sterilization of the vehicle compartment can be realized.

For illustrative purposes, one embodiment of the sanitizing device 28 is schematically illustrated in the present specification and drawings with reference to an LED sanitizing light. In another embodiment, the sterilization device 28 may also include other types of sterilization lamps, such as black light lamps, ultraviolet fluorescent lamps, gas-emitting lamps, and the like. In yet another embodiment, disinfection device 28 may also include a sanitizer spray device that may be configured to spray a sanitizer, such as a sodium hypochlorite solution, an alcohol solution, a chlorine dioxide sanitizer, etc., in-vehicle based on instructions from the controller.

Referring to FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of the covering 20 and disinfection device 28 depicted in FIG. 1 is shown according to one embodiment. For illustrative purposes, only one sterilizing device 28 is shown. In other embodiments, there may be two or more disinfection devices, and these disinfection devices may have different arrangements, such as a linear arrangement, a matrix arrangement, or other regular or irregular distribution; and the plurality of disinfection devices may have the same or different orientations or disinfection directions with respect to the vehicle body or the sun blind. Returning to FIG. 2, the covering 20 includes a housing 22, the housing 22 having a first side 24 and a second side 26. The first side 24 comprises a top of the housing 22 and is disposed adjacent the skylight 12. The second side 26 comprises the bottom of the housing 22 and is disposed distal to the skylight 12. A sanitizing device, such as a sanitizing light 28, may be at least partially disposed within the housing 22. In operation, the germicidal lamp 28 may generate radiation generally directed toward the interior space of the vehicle cabin. Alternatively, the germicidal lamp 28 may be disposed entirely within the housing 22 between the first side 24 and the second side 26; the second side 26 of the housing 22 may have a transparent portion or other material corresponding thereto to allow the sanitizing light generated by the sanitizing light 28 to be output through the second side 26 into the vehicle cabin.

The sterilizing lamp 28 may include a base 30 disposed below the first side 24. The substrate 30 may be a polymer, such as a polycarbonate, Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material. Positive electrode 32 is disposed below substrate 30 and comprises a conductive epoxy, such as, but not limited to, a silver-containing or copper-containing epoxy. The anode 32 is electrically connected to a plurality of light sources, such as LEDs 34, disposed within a semiconductor ink 36 and applied to the bottom surface of the anode 32. The negative electrode 38 is also electrically connected to the LED 34. The cathode 38 is disposed under the semiconductor ink 36 and includes a transparent or translucent conductive material, such as, but not limited to, indium tin oxide. In alternative embodiments, the anode 32 and cathode 38 may be switched in position, if desired, in which case the anode 32 should include a transparent or translucent conductive material to allow light emitted from the LED34 to be transmitted through the anode 32.

Each of the positive and negative electrodes 32, 38 is electrically connected to the controller 40 by a corresponding bus bar 42, 44 and a corresponding wire 46, 48. The bus bars 42, 44 may be printed along opposite sides of the positive and negative electrodes 32, 38, and the connection points between the bus bars 42, 44 and the leads 46, 48 may be located at opposite corners of each bus bar 42, 44, thereby facilitating uniform current distribution along the bus bars 42, 44. The controller 40 may be provided with wires 46, 48 through the roof structure 14 of the vehicle 10, and the controller 40 may be positioned in a variety of locations and may also be electrically connected to the power source 50. In one embodiment, power supply 50 may correspond to an onboard power supply operating at 12 to 24 volts DC.

The LEDs 34 are dispersed in a random or controlled manner in a semiconductor ink 36 and are disposed facing the vehicle cabin and may be configured to emit focused or unfocused light. The LEDs 34 may correspond to micro LEDs of gallium nitride elements approximately 5 to 400 microns in size and the semiconductor ink 36 may include various binders and dielectric materials including, but not limited to, one or more of gallium, indium, silicon carbide, phosphorous, and/or translucent polymeric binders. In this manner, the semiconductor ink 36 may include various concentrations of the LEDs 34, such that the density of the LEDs 34 may be adjusted for various lighting applications. Semiconductor ink 36 may be applied by a variety of printing processes, including ink-jet and screen printing processes to selected portions of positive electrode 32. More specifically, it is contemplated that the LEDs 34 are dispersed within the semiconductor ink 36 and shaped and sized such that a large number of LEDs are aligned with the positive and negative electrodes 32, 38 during deposition of the semiconductor ink 36. The portion of the LEDs 34 that are ultimately electrically connected to the positive and negative poles 32, 38 may be selectively activated or deactivated by the controller 40. An optional diffuser layer 52 may be disposed below the negative electrode 38 to diffuse light emitted from the LEDs 34. Optionally, the sterilamp 28 may also have one or more fixed or adjustable angle lenses or reflectors (not shown) to adjust the light emitted by the LED34, for example, to be emitted in one or more particular directions.

The LED light source may be configured to emit sanitizing light, which may include a first wavelength corresponding to ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet (UV) is an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength less than visible light (400-700 nm) and greater than X-rays (<100 nm), and has a wavelength of about 100-400 nm. Common UV is divided into four different spectral ranges, including vacuum ultraviolet (100-200 nm), UV-C (200-280 nm), UV-B (280-315 nm), and UV-A (315-400 nm). In the UV-C spectrum, 250-280 nm is the most lethal wavelength range for microorganisms or viruses and is referred to as the "disinfection spectrum". Where 265 nanometers is the peak disinfection wavelength. UV-C can kill or reduce microbial activity by destroying nucleic acids. The disinfection lamp in an embodiment according to the invention may emit UV-C in the wavelength range 200 and 280 nm, for example. Alternatively, the wavelength range may be in the range of 250 nm and 280 nm. Optionally, its wavelength is 265 nm. In embodiments according to the present invention, a variety of UV light emitting devices may be employed. Alternatively, the UV light emitting device may be a semiconductor such as a Light Emitting Diode (LED). The advantage is that it has a small volume and low energy consumption. It has long service life, good durability and low price. Useful LEDs include high power photonic lattice LEDs and multi-chip deep ultraviolet LEDs.

In operation, the controller 40 may control the duration of light emission from the LED34 to adjust the duration of light emission from the sterilamp 28. For example, the controller 40 may activate the LED34 for an extended duration to cause the hazard lamps 28 to continue to illuminate the vehicle interior space. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 40 may also selectively control the intensity of the LEDs 34 to adjust the intensity of the emitted light output from the sanitizing light 28. For example, increasing the intensity of the LED34 generally produces brighter light. The controller 40 may control the intensity of the LED34 by pulse width modulation or dc control.

Referring to FIG. 3, a block diagram of a decontamination system 100 for use within the vehicle 10 is shown, according to one embodiment. System 100 includes support member 20 and a disinfecting device, such as a disinfecting lamp 28, coupled thereto, both of which are electrically coupled to controller 40. The controller 40 may be electrically connected to a power source 50. In one embodiment, power supply 50 may correspond to an onboard power supply operating at 12 to 24 volts DC. In another embodiment, the power supply 50 may be configured independently of the onboard battery as a dedicated power supply for the disinfection device 28. The controller 40 may be variously located and include a processor 72 in communication with a memory 74. The memory 74 includes instructions 76 stored thereon, the instructions 76 being executed by the processor 72. Controller 40 is communicatively connected to one or more vehicle devices 78 and controls support member 20 and sanitizing device 28 based on signals received from the vehicle devices. Controller 40 may communicate with one or more vehicle devices 78 and receive signals from the vehicle devices for vehicle-related conditions such as, but not limited to, an operational state of the vehicle, conditions related to particular vehicle devices (e.g., a door open condition), key fob proximity conditions, remote signals originating from the portable electronic device, conditions related to the environment in which the vehicle is located (e.g., ambient temperature outside the vehicle), conditions related to the vehicle ride status (e.g., whether a passenger is in the front or rear row), or any other information or control signals for activating or otherwise adjusting the output of support member 20 and/or sanitizing device 28. Also, the controller 40 is communicatively connected to one or more switches, shown as switches 80 and 82. Switch 80 is operatively connected to support member 20 and switch 82 is operatively connected to sanitizing device 28. Switches 80 and 82 may each be configured to allow a user to control support 20 or sanitizing device 28. According to one embodiment, switches 80 and 82 are capacitive switches, thereby allowing a user to control support 20 and sanitizing device 28 based on at least one touch event. The switches 80 and 82 may be located on the rearview mirror assembly 16 or overhead console (OHC), or located elsewhere within the vehicle 10.

In addition to the vehicle computing system that may be located in the vehicle, the controller 40 may, in certain embodiments, be located external to the vehicle, for example, the exemplary process may be performed by a computing system in communication with the vehicle computing system. Such a system may include, but is not limited to, a wireless device (such as, but not limited to, a mobile phone) or a remote computing system (such as, but not limited to, a server) connected by a wireless device. In general, such systems may be referred to as Vehicle Associated Computing Systems (VACS). In some embodiments, specific components of the VACS may perform specific portions of the processing depending on the particular implementation of the system. By way of example and not limitation, if the process includes a step of transmitting or receiving information with the paired wireless device, it is likely that the wireless device will not perform that portion of the process because the wireless device will not "transmit and receive" information with itself. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate when it is not appropriate to apply a particular computing system to a given solution.

Referring to FIG. 5, a flow chart of the operation of a sterilization system according to one or more embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown. The method S100 starts in step S1100.

Alternatively, at step S1200, the controller 40 may receive input from the user from other vehicle devices 78, such as via mechanical keys located at the control panel, via a touch screen, or via remote communication, etc. The user' S inputs may include, for example, the time at which the subsequent disinfection function is to be initiated (including, but not limited to, immediate execution, execution at a particular time T0, periodic execution at a fixed time of day, execution after a predetermined length of time, etc.), the frequency at which disinfection is to be performed (e.g., once every 4 hours, etc.), the predetermined length of time T1 for which the disinfection lamp 28 is to illuminate a predetermined space within the vehicle, the location at which disinfection is to be performed (e.g., the entire vehicle cabin S, the front seat space S1, or the rear compartment S2), etc. For example, the user may specify 1:00am per day by inputting to disinfect the cabin interior space S.

Subsequently, the system may determine whether one or more initial conditions for performing the sterilization function are satisfied at step S1300. If not, then flow may proceed to S1900 and the method ends.

Referring specifically to fig. 6, a number of initial conditions are schematically shown. For example, it is determined at block S1310 whether the current time reaches a preset time to start sterilization. In one embodiment, the preset time may be an input received from the user at step S1100. In another embodiment, the time may be a time calculated by the controller 40 after a preset time period since the vehicle was parked or locked. For example, the system or user may set the sterilization to automatically begin 10 minutes after the vehicle is parked; accordingly, the system may judge whether 10 minutes have expired by, for example, a timer when the vehicle is parked and determine that the preset time is reached after the expiration. If the preset time is not reached, the method proceeds to S1900 and the method ends.

If the preset time is reached, the controller 40 optionally determines whether the current engine is running at block S1320. If the engine has been shut down, it is further determined at block S1330 whether the vehicle battery SOC is below a threshold, and the engine may be started at block S1340 to charge the battery through the generator if the battery SOC is below the threshold, and then proceed to subsequent step S1350. At step S1350, the system may further determine whether the environmental condition is satisfied. For example, the controller 40 may determine whether a person is present in the vicinity of the vehicle based on, for example, a signal of a vehicle exterior sensor. Other environmental conditions may also include external temperature, precipitation conditions, etc.

More or fewer preset conditions may be set to determine whether a subsequent sterilization function may be performed, as desired. For example, in embodiments where the support is implemented as a vehicle sunroof and the disinfection light is connected to the vehicle sunroof, the preset conditions may also include whether it is currently raining to prevent the disinfection function from being activated when it rains to move the sunroof, causing rain water to enter the vehicle. Other preset conditions may also include the ambient temperature outside the vehicle, the length of time the vehicle is scheduled to park, etc.

Subsequently, the method S100 may detect whether an occupant is present in the vehicle at step S1400. For example, the controller 40 may receive input from an on-board sensor indicating whether an occupant is present in the vehicle. In one embodiment, the vehicle may be equipped with one or more seat sensors configured to determine whether one or more vehicle seats are occupied by an occupant based on gravity sensing. Thus, it is possible to determine whether an occupant is present in a certain space in the vehicle compartment in a subsequent step. In other embodiments, inputs may be received from in-vehicle cameras, infrared sensors, motion sensors, seat belt sensors, and/or door lock sensors, etc. to assist in determining whether a person or pet, etc. is present in the vehicle.

Additionally or alternatively, the controller 40 may also detect or determine whether an occupant is present in the vehicle based on the input received from the user at step S1200. For example, the disinfection function may be performed immediately upon user input of an instruction. The disinfection function may also be activated by the user when the door is locked from outside the vehicle using a key or remote communication. It should be understood that the determination may also be made by at least two inputs simultaneously. For example, after receiving the instruction from the user, it is further confirmed that no person is present in the vehicle by, for example, an input from an in-vehicle sensor. If it is determined that there is a person in the vehicle, the method may proceed to step S1900 and the method ends. If it is determined that there is no person in the predetermined space, the method may proceed to step S1500.

At step S1500, the system performs a number of operations to begin sterilization. Specifically, the system may instruct support member 20 to move and activate disinfection device 28. Figures 7A-7E schematically illustrate various specific embodiments according to the present application.

Referring to fig. 7A, in one embodiment, system or controller 40 instructs support member 20 to move at operation S1520A such that support member 20 is moved to the first position by, for example, a motor. Subsequently, at operation S1540B, a disinfection device, such as disinfection lamp 28, may be powered to activate and emit light. Thus, when the germicidal lamp 28 is in the first position and in the activated state, light emitted by the germicidal lamp 28 may illuminate at least a portion of the interior of the vehicle. Subsequently, the support 20 may continue to move or remain in the first position until the end condition is met to end the sterilization at step S1700. For example, referring to fig. 1, the support or shade 20 may be moved to a first or forward position as schematically shown in the figures such that the sterilamp 28, when activated, may emit light to illuminate a front row of the passenger space S1 in the vehicle interior. Since the disinfection lamp 28 is activated and emits light only when it is in a predetermined first position, the disinfection lamp 28 can be illuminated only to the desired position by the selection of the first position and possible subsequent positions. In other words, in response to determining that an occupant is not present within the vehicle, the support may be moved to a starting position prior to activating the sanitizing light, and then the sanitizing light is activated to illuminate.

Referring to fig. 7B, in another embodiment, the controller 40 may activate the sterilizing lamp prior to moving the support and then move the support to the first position at operation S1520B. This allows for more complete disinfection of the vehicle cabin in a limited time. Subsequently, the support 20 may continue to move or remain in the first position.

Referring to fig. 7C, in another embodiment, when the hazard lamp 28 is in the activated state and located at the first position, the controller 40 may instruct the continuous power supply to the hazard lamp 28 to maintain its activated state at step S1520C and instruct the support to move from the first position to the second position at step S1540C, thereby performing the overall disinfection of the cabin space S. Subsequently, the support 20 may continue to move or maintain in the second position until the end condition is met to end the sterilization at step S1700. For example, referring to FIG. 1, when the covering 20 is in the first position as shown, the germicidal lamp 28 is positioned above the front seat, which may substantially illuminate a first portion of the vehicle space S or the front seating space S1. However, due to the obstruction of the seats 17, 19, the light emitted from the sterilamp 28 may not be irradiated to the second portion of the predetermined space S or the rear seating space S2. The controller 40 may instruct the shade 20 to move from the first position to a second position, shown schematically in FIG. 4, when the sanitizing light 28 is activated. In the second position, the germicidal lamp 28 may substantially illuminate at least a second portion of the vehicle interior space S or the rear seating space S2. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the second position of the support or shade 20 is different from its first position and the second portion S2 of the vehicle interior space S is different from the first portion S1 of the vehicle interior space. In other words, the disinfection device may disinfect different locations within the vehicle in the first position and the second position. Of course, if the sterilizing device has an angle adjusting mechanism, it can better sterilize the vehicle compartment. Thus, during the sterilization of step S1500, various portions within the vehicle space S, such as S1 and S2, may be treated, thereby achieving overall sterilization.

It will be appreciated that the second position of the support member may be different from the end position at which the sterilising function is terminated. For example, referring to fig. 7D, the controller 40 may instruct the maintenance of the activated state of the sterilizing light 28 at step S1520D and instruct the support to move from the first position shown in fig. 1 to the second position shown in fig. 4 at step S1540D. After reaching the second position, the controller 40 may further instruct the support member 20 to move further back toward the first position in fig. 1 and reach the first position or other end position different from the first position. Subsequently, when the end condition is satisfied at subsequent step S1700, the activation of the sterilizing lamp 28 may be stopped. Alternatively, the sunshade 20 may also continue to move toward the rear of the vehicle after reaching the second position until reaching the predetermined end position.

It should be understood that although in other embodiments it is described that the support member is movable from the first position to other positions during sterilization, in particular embodiments, such as when the design of the cabin is such that no obstructions are present in the predetermined space, the sterilization light 28 may illuminate the entire predetermined space in the first position, the controller 40 may also instruct the support member to remain stationary in the first position throughout the sterilization period until such time as the end condition is met at subsequent step S1700.

Additionally or alternatively, the sterilizing light 28 may be activated intermittently during sterilization. For example, referring to fig. 7E, the controller 40 may instruct the sterilamp 28 to be activated for a first length of time at step S1540E after moving the support to the first position at S1520E, and then stop activating the sterilamp 28 at S1560E. The support is instructed to move to the second position at step S1570E and then the germicidal lamp 28 is activated for a second length of time at step S1580E. The second period of time may be the same or different than the first period of time and may be, for example, 5 minutes to 60 minutes, 15 minutes to 45 minutes, or 30 minutes. Subsequently, the support 20 may continue to move or maintain in the second position until the end condition is met to end the sterilization at step S1700.

Further, the controller 40 may also command a velocity V1 of the support moving from the first position to the second position. The speed V1 may be set relatively low so that the irradiation time period of each portion of the predetermined space S can satisfy the time period requirement for sterilization. Further, the speed V1 need not have a constant value. For example, since the intensity of the light field tends to be inversely proportional to the square of the distance relative to the light source, the support member may have a slower speed of movement when the germicidal lamp 28 illuminates a larger volume portion of the predetermined space. Further, the shade 20 may move continuously or discontinuously. For example, it may stay at a first location for a certain length of time and then move towards a second location; alternatively, it may be stopped at a plurality of intermediate positions between the first position and the second position for a specific period of time so that the irradiation of the plurality of portions in the predetermined space all meets the requirement for the period of time required for sterilization. The speed V1 may be pre-specified by the vehicle manufacturer and stored in the memory 74 or database. Alternatively, the speed V1 may also be calculated in real time by the controller 40 based on the distance of the hazard lamps 28 relative to the vehicle interior surface associated with the space to be illuminated and adjusted accordingly.

Alternatively, the controller 40 may further drive the vehicle device to indicate to the user or a person near the vehicle that the sterilization is being performed without approaching at step S1500. For example, it may drive a headlight or a hazard flasher to alert. Additionally or alternatively, it may send information to a remote device of the user through the communication module. Additionally or alternatively, it may lock the door unlock module such that the door cannot be unlocked until the disinfection function is complete.

Subsequently, it is determined at step S1700 whether or not the sterilization end condition is satisfied. Referring specifically to fig. 8, a plurality of sterilization end conditions are schematically shown. At block S1710, the controller 40 receives an instruction input from the user to instruct the end of the disinfection, such as via remote communication, via a mechanical button located at a key or control panel, or via a touch screen, etc. Based on this input, the system may determine that the termination condition is satisfied and proceed to step S1800.

At block S1720, the controller 40 determines that the end condition is satisfied based on the expiration of the predetermined time period t1 during which the in-vehicle space is illuminated. In one embodiment, t1 may be preset by the vehicle manufacturer when manufacturing the vehicle based on the in-vehicle space design so that the minimum time requirement for sterilization is met when using the sterilization function. For example, t1 may be in the range of 10 minutes to 120 minutes; for another example, t1 may be in the range of 30 minutes to 60 minutes; for another example, t1 may be 45 minutes. In another embodiment, t1 may be specified by a user. If it is determined that t1 expires, for example, each part in the in-vehicle space is irradiated for more than a time period t1, the system may judge that the end condition is satisfied and proceed to step S1800.

At block S1730, the controller 40 may receive input from other vehicle devices or sensors indicating that a person or animal is approaching the vehicle. For example, the controller 40 may receive input from an external proximity sensor, an infrared sensor, an off-board camera, or the like. When it is determined that a living being is approaching the vehicle and the distance from the vehicle is less than the preset threshold, the system may determine that the end condition is satisfied and proceed to step S1800, thereby preventing, for example, ultraviolet light from being irradiated to a person outside the vehicle through the window glass.

At block S1740, the controller 40 may receive input from other in-vehicle sensors indicating that the vehicle owner is approaching the vehicle, the door has been opened, or is about to be opened. For example, the controller 40 may receive an input from a door opening sensor indicating that the door is unlocked or opened. Based on this, the system judges that the occupant is about to enter the vehicle compartment, and thus the sterilizing function needs to be turned off, thereby proceeding to step S1800.

For illustrative purposes, this specification schematically illustrates some of the plurality of end conditions with reference to fig. 8. It is understood that more or fewer final conditions may be provided to assist in the operation of the sterilization system of the present invention, as desired.

Returning to fig. 5, upon determining that the end condition is satisfied, the system proceeds to step S1800 and performs a plurality of post-processing operations to terminate the sterilizing function. At operation S1820, the controller 40 stops activating the sterilizing lamp 28. For example, the controller 40 may control the deactivation of the power to the germicidal lamp 28 and the deactivation of the germicidal lamp 28.

At operation S1840, the controller 40 instructs the support member to move to return to the end position. In one embodiment, the final position may include an original position before the movement of the supporter at operation S1520; thus, when the user returns to the vehicle after the sterilization is completed, the user does not feel that the change is generated in the vehicle. In other embodiments, the end location may comprise other locations. The end position may comprise a fully closed position, for example when the disinfection lamp is connected to the sun blind.

For illustration purposes, the description is made in this specification in the order in which operation S1840 is performed after operation S1820. In different embodiments, the order of operation S1820 and operation S1840 may be reversed. For example, when it is determined that there is no occupant in the entire vehicle compartment, operation S1840 may be performed to move the support to the end position, and then operation S1820 may be performed to stop activating the sterilizing lamp 28. Optionally, the system also sends a prompt to the user to indicate that the sterilization is complete. For example, it may send information to a user's remote device through the communication module.

Finally, the system ends at S1900.

Referring to fig. 9, a method S200 according to a particular embodiment of the present application is schematically illustrated in conjunction with fig. 1-4. As described elsewhere in this specification, a vehicle sunroof system has a movable portion, such as a sunroof 12 or a sunshade 20, that is movable via motor drive under the command of a controller to close a vehicle roof opening 15. The sun blind 20 may have an end 21 in the vehicle longitudinal direction L. An ultraviolet germicidal lamp 28 may be fixedly attached to the end portion 21. In this way, the ultraviolet germicidal lamp 28 may be hidden inside the roof structure 14 when the sun shade 20 is in the fully closed position.

As shown in fig. 9, the control method S200 of the sun shade system starts at step S2100. At step S2200, the system may determine whether initial conditions for starting the disinfection function are met. As described elsewhere in this specification and with reference to fig. 6, different initial conditions may be set as desired.

If the initial conditions are met, at step S2300, the controller 40 can receive signals from a plurality of vehicle sensors, such as occupancy sensors, in-vehicle cameras, infrared sensors, and the like, as described elsewhere in this specification. Based on this signal, it is possible to determine whether there is an occupant in the vehicle cabin interior space S at step S2400. If so, the method S200 ends at step S2950. If false, the method S200 optionally proceeds to step S2500.

Subsequently, at step S2500, the system may power the ultraviolet germicidal lamp 28 to activate it, thereby emitting germicidal light. Subsequently at step S2600, the controller 40 may drive the motor to move the movable portion, e.g., the shade 20, from, e.g., the fully closed position to the forward position shown in fig. 1 such that the ultraviolet germicidal lamp 28 is positioned above the front row of seats 17, 19. Thus, the ultraviolet sterilizing lamp 28 emits the sterilizing light to irradiate at least a portion of the passenger compartment space S1 in the front row of the vehicle compartment. Due to the presence of the seats 17, 19, the sterilizing light may not be irradiated to most of the rear seating space S2 when the sunshade screen 20 is in the front position.

At step S2700, the controller 40 may drive the sunshade screen 20 to move from the front position shown in fig. 1 to the rear position shown in fig. 4 such that the ultraviolet sterilizing lamp 28 is positioned above the rear seat (not shown). Thus, the sterilizing light from the ultraviolet sterilizing lamp 28 is gradually irradiated to the rear seating space S2 during the movement. Optionally, the system may further control the speed of movement of the shade 20 such that a majority of the locations within the passenger compartment S are illuminated for a period of time that exceeds the minimum time required for sterilization. For example, the speed may be set to 2cm/min so that the sun shade 20 and the sterilizing lamp 28 may move from the front position to the rear position within 60 minutes. Thereby, the system completes the sterilization function and proceeds to step S2800. Alternatively, as described elsewhere in this specification and fig. 8, in other embodiments, the controller 40 may execute step S2800 after other end conditions are met.

Subsequently, the controller 40 may instruct the sun shade 20 to return to, for example, a fully closed position based on completion of the disinfecting function at step S2800 to re-conceal the ultraviolet disinfecting lamp 28 inside the roof structure 14 and instruct the de-energizing to de-activate the ultraviolet disinfecting lamp 28 at S2900. Finally, method S200 ends at step S2950.

For simplicity, the method S200 is described above with reference to moving the shade 20 to the forward position shown in FIG. 1 and then incrementally to the rearward position shown in FIG. 4. In another embodiment, it is also possible to move the sunshade 20 to the rear position shown in fig. 4 in step S2600, and then move the sunshade 20 from the rear position to the front position shown in fig. 1 at a certain speed in step S2700.

As set forth herein, the present disclosure provides, in one or more embodiments, a decontamination system for a vehicle. It will be understood that various changes, modifications and variations may be effected to the particular embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In each of the illustrative embodiments discussed in this application specification, a non-limiting example of an exemplary process may be performed by the illustrated computing system. With respect to each process, a computing system executing the process may become configured as a special-purpose processor to perform the process for the limited purpose of performing the process. All processes need not be performed in their entirety and should be understood as examples of the types of processes that may be performed to implement the elements of the invention. Additional steps may be added to or removed from the exemplary process as desired. The scope of the preferred embodiments of the present invention includes other implementations in which functions may be performed out of the order shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the art of the embodiments of the present invention.

The following claims particularly point out certain combinations and subcombinations regarded as novel and nonobvious. These claims may refer to "an" element or "a first" element or the like. Such claims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. Other combinations and subcombinations of the described features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of the present claims or through presentation in this or a related application. Such claims, whether broader, narrower, equal, or different in scope to the original claims, also are regarded as included within the subject matter of the present disclosure.