US 12,005,834 B2
Autonomous seat sanitizing system for a vehicle
Roger Akira Kyle, Frisco, TX (US); Timothy Wang, Ypsilanti, MI (US); and Bryan E. Yamasaki, Ypsilanti, MI (US)
Assigned to Toyota Motor North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed by Toyota Motor North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed on Sep. 23, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/029,854.
Prior Publication US 2022/0088249 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. A61L 2/24 (2006.01); A61L 2/10 (2006.01); B60Q 1/00 (2006.01); B60Q 3/217 (2017.01); B60Q 3/233 (2017.01); B60Q 3/70 (2017.01)
CPC B60Q 3/217 (2017.02) [A61L 2/10 (2013.01); A61L 2/24 (2013.01); B60Q 1/0023 (2013.01); B60Q 3/233 (2017.02); B60Q 3/70 (2017.02); A61L 2202/14 (2013.01); A61L 2202/25 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An autonomous seat sanitizing system for a vehicle, the autonomous seat sanitizing system comprising one or more processors and a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors and storing a vehicle seat sanitizing system control module including computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
detect a person approaching a vehicle;
determine a first distance of the person to a handle of a front seat door and a second distance of the person to a handle of a rear seat door;
if the first distance is less than the second distance, determine if at least one front seat in the vehicle is unoccupied;
if at least one front seat is unoccupied, control operation of the vehicle to direct a sanitizing ultraviolet light onto the at least one unoccupied front seat;
if the second distance is less than the first distance, determine if at least one rear seat in the vehicle is unoccupied; and
if at least one rear seat is unoccupied, control operation of the vehicle to direct a sanitizing ultraviolet light onto the at least one unoccupied rear seat.