US 12,285,536 B2
Vehicle cleaning subsystem and method of cleaning a vehicle
Paul D. Schmalenberg, Pittsburg, PA (US); and Frederico Marcolino Quintao Severgnini, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Assigned to TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., Plano, TX (US)
Filed by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc, Plano, TX (US)
Filed on Apr. 2, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/220,997.
Prior Publication US 2022/0313859 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. A61L 2/28 (2006.01); A61L 2/08 (2006.01); A61L 2/24 (2006.01); G01N 21/88 (2006.01)
CPC A61L 2/28 (2013.01) [A61L 2/08 (2013.01); A61L 2/24 (2013.01); G01N 21/88 (2013.01); A61L 2202/14 (2013.01); A61L 2202/25 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle subsystem for cleaning one or more target surfaces in a vehicle cabin, the subsystem comprising:
one or more light sources mounted in the vehicle cabin to project a collimated beam of light to contact the one or more target surfaces in the vehicle cabin;
a sensor module, comprising an array of one or more sensors arranged in the vehicle cabin in a linear spatial configuration that includes one or more inner sensors and one or more outer sensors, mounted adjacent to the one or more target surfaces, to detect as sensor data the light reflected from the one or more target surfaces, wherein the one or more outer sensors are located at opposite ends of the linear spatial configuration and the one or more inner sensors are located between the one or more outer sensors; and
a vehicle cleaning control module, comprising one or more processors, coupled to the sensor module, to execute a set of instructions to:
conduct, in response to the detection, specular reflection analysis of the sensor data by comparing an intensity of reflective light received by the one or more inner sensors and an intensity of reflective light received by the one or more outer sensors; and
determine, in response to the specular reflection analysis, a state of cleanliness of the vehicle cabin.