US 12,251,486 B2
Vehicle sanitizing systems and methods for using the same
Daniel C. Bracken, Frisco, TX (US); Joshua Batie, Frisco, TX (US); Michael D. Dorazio, Santa Monica, CA (US); Randy Kaushek, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA (US); James H. Kikuma, Plano, TX (US); Judy K. Chen, Dallas, TX (US); Juan Acosta, The Colony, TX (US); and Sergei I. Gage, Dallas, TX (US)
Assigned to Toyota Motor North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed by Toyota Motor North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed on Sep. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/470,753.
Prior Publication US 2023/0072695 A1, Mar. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. A61L 2/24 (2006.01); A61L 2/20 (2006.01)
CPC A61L 2/24 (2013.01) [A61L 2/202 (2013.01); A61L 2202/14 (2013.01); A61L 2202/25 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle system comprising:
a vehicle body defining a vehicle interior and a vehicle exterior;
one or more detection devices comprising at least one of a microphone and a camera structurally configured to receive data indicative of conditions within the vehicle interior or on the vehicle exterior;
a sanitization device; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more detection devices and the sanitization device, the controller comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable and executable instruction set, which when executed, causes the processor to:
receive data from the one or more detection devices;
determine a surface at least one of within the vehicle interior or on the vehicle exterior contacted by a user based at least in part on the data from the one or more detection devices;
detect a type of contact based at least in part on the data from the one or more detection devices;
direct the sanitization device to administer a first type of sanitization by the sanitization device in response to determining a first type of contact is detected by the one or more detection devices; and
direct the sanitization device to administer a second type of sanitization by the sanitization device in response to determining a second type of contact is detected by the one or more detection devices.