Systems and methods for disinfecting vehicles

Abstract

A system and method for disinfecting the interior of a vehicle, the system comprising: a disinfector disposed on the driver's seat of the vehicle and configured to disinfect the interior of the vehicle; a driver detection sensor configured to detect the presence of a driver in the vehicle; a seat movement adjustment mechanism configured to move the seat; and a controller configured to send a drive signal to the seat movement adjustment mechanism in response to receiving an undetected signal from the driver detection sensor, and then, once the driver's seat is moved, apply a disinfector operation signal for operating the disinfector for a certain period of time.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a disinfection system and a disinfection method for a vehicle. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a disinfection system and a disinfection method for a vehicle, which is capable of disinfecting the interior of the vehicle by adjusting the movement of a seat, and disinfecting a steering wheel and the surrounding environment of the steering wheel using an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV LED) mounted on a headrest or the like. BACKGROUND

[0002] The steering wheel is a component that the driver holds and manually controls the directional movement of the vehicle. Therefore, the driver frequently contacts the steering wheel compared to other components in the vehicle, and thus, most bacteria are inevitably distributed in the steering wheel.

[0003] In addition, people have widely used shared car service vehicles, rental cars, and the like, and bacterial transmission or viral infection can occur whenever many people touch the steering wheel. For example, viral infection and transmission (e.g., COVID-19) can occur only by touching the steering wheel with hands.

[0004] Therefore, a method of installing an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV LED) on a headrest or a head liner of a seat and disinfecting a steering wheel with ultraviolet light irradiated from the UV LED can be used as a method of disinfecting the steering wheel.

[0005] REFERENCE Figure 1 Even when the ultraviolet light is linearly irradiated from the UV LED, if it exceeds a predetermined distance, the intensity of the ultraviolet light decreases from a level of 100% to a level of 25%, and it is known that when the irradiation angle of the ultraviolet light emitted from the UV LED exceeds a predetermined angle, the intensity of the ultraviolet light significantly decreases to a level of 12.5%.

[0006] Therefore, when the UV LED is simply installed on the headrest, the distance from the UV LED to the steering wheel is farther than the distance that the LED can reach, so that the disinfection process effect is inevitably insignificant. In addition, when the UV LED is simply installed on the head liner, the irradiation angle of the ultraviolet light emitted from the UV LED to the steering wheel exceeds a predetermined angle, so that, likewise, the disinfection process effect is inevitably insignificant.

[0007] The information included in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the present disclosure and should not be considered as admitting that this information forms the prior art that is already known in this field. SUMMARY

[0008] The present disclosure is made to solve the above problems related to the prior art.

[0009] In one aspect, the disclosure provides a disinfection system and a disinfection method for a vehicle, which can easily disinfect the interior of the vehicle such as a steering wheel by adjusting the distance between the steering wheel and the UV LED mounted on the headrest to a distance in which the disinfection effect due to the UV LED can be easily exhibited by the forward movement of the seat and the forward pivoting operation of the seatback when the driver and passenger exit conditions are satisfied in the engine-off state, with the ultraviolet light emitted from the UV light-emitting diode (LED).

[0010] In another aspect, the disclosure provides a disinfection system and a disinfection method for a vehicle, which can detect the vertical inclination angle of the steering wheel through a steering column angle sensor and adjust the forward pivoting angle of the seatback according to the detected vertical inclination angle of the steering wheel to allow the UV LED mounted on the headrest to be disposed collinearly with the center portion of the steering wheel, thereby maximizing the disinfection effect due to the ultraviolet light emitted from the UV LED.

[0011] The objects of the disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, other objects of the disclosure not mentioned can be understood from the following description, and will also be obviously understood by the embodiments of the disclosure. Furthermore, the objects of the disclosure can be achieved by the ways described in the embodiments and combinations thereof.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment, the disclosure provides a system for disinfecting the interior of a vehicle, the system including a sterilizer disposed on a driver seat to disinfect the interior space of the vehicle, a driver detection sensor configured to detect the presence of a driver in the interior of the vehicle, a seat movement adjustment mechanism configured to move the driver seat, and a controller configured to apply a driving signal to the seat movement adjustment mechanism when a non-detection signal of the driver detection sensor is received, and then apply a signal for operating the sterilizer for a certain period of time.

[0013] The sterilizer can function as an ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) module mounted on the front of the headrest to emit ultraviolet light to the steering wheel and its surrounding environment.

[0014] The UV light-emitting diode module can include a bezel mounted on the front of the headrest, an LED control substrate mounted on the rear of the bezel, and a shortwave ultraviolet (UVC) LED attached to the LED control substrate.

[0015] A lens configured to adjust the irradiation angle of the ultraviolet light according to the maximum diameter of the steering wheel can be further attached to the front of the UVC LED.

[0016] The driver detection sensor can be used as a body pressure sensor embedded in the seat or as a rear passenger alert (ROA) sensor installed at a predetermined location inside the vehicle.

[0017] The door lock switch configured to lock or unlock the door and the door open / close switch configured to output an open / close signal for the door can be further output-compatiblely connected to the controller to determine the driver's disembarkation conditions before operating the sterilizer.

[0018] The seat movement adjustment mechanism may include an electric sliding device configured to adjust the forward and backward movement of the seat, an electric reclining device configured to adjust the forward and backward angles of the seat back, and a seat memory device.

[0019] When the controller receives a door lock signal from the door lock switch and a door close signal from the door open / close switch while the engine is off, and also receives a disinfection request signal from the smart terminal held by the driver, the controller can be configured to determine the driver's undetected condition, apply a drive signal for moving the seat forward to the electric sliding device and a drive signal for pivoting the seat back forward to the electric tilting device, and then apply an operation signal for ultraviolet light irradiation to the ultraviolet light emitting diode module for a certain period of time.

[0020] The disinfection system also includes a steering column angle sensor, which is configured to detect the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel and transmit the detected vertical tilt angle to the controller.

[0021] The controller can be configured to apply a drive signal to the electric tilt device based on the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel detected by the steering column angle sensor, so as to adjust the forward pivot angle of the seat back to an angle in which the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module is collinear with the center portion of the steering wheel.

[0022] In another exemplary embodiment, this disclosure provides a method for disinfecting a vehicle, comprising: determining that a driver has exited the vehicle and detecting the driver present inside the vehicle while the engine is off; when the conditions for the driver to exit the vehicle are met and no driver present inside the vehicle is detected, adjusting the seat to direct a disinfection device mounted on the seat toward the steering wheel and its surroundings; irradiating the steering wheel with ultraviolet light from an ultraviolet light-emitting diode module mounted on the seat for a certain period of time; and after irradiating the steering wheel with ultraviolet light for a certain period of time, moving the seat to its initial position.

[0023] In a seat adjustment according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, when the door closing condition, the door locking condition, and the driver not being detected inside the vehicle condition are met in order to determine that the driver is getting off the vehicle, the seat can be moved forward by the drive of the electric sliding device and the seat back can be pivoted forward by the drive of the electric tilting device.

[0024] The disinfection method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may further include detecting the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel, and adjusting the forward pivot angle of the seat back to an angle such that the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module is collinear with the center portion of the steering wheel by controlling the driving amount of the electric tilting device based on the detected vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel.

[0025] The disinfection method according to another embodiment of this disclosure may further include terminating the disinfection control by a controller when the time for ultraviolet light to be emitted from the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module to the steering wheel exceeds the certain time period.

[0026] In another embodiment of this disclosure, when a disinfection command signal based on manual operation via an external smart terminal or manual switch is input to the controller, seat adjustment and ultraviolet light irradiation can be performed immediately before determining whether the sterilizer's operating conditions are met.

[0027] The disinfection method according to another embodiment of this disclosure may further include: terminating disinfection control by a controller when any one of the following conditions is met: door opening condition, door unlocking condition, battery charge level less than a reference value, or ultraviolet light-emitting diode module overheating at a reference temperature or higher.

[0028] In another exemplary embodiment, this disclosure provides a method for disinfecting a vehicle, comprising: determining that a driver in a turned-off state has exited the vehicle; after the driver exit condition is met, determining whether there is a disinfection request signal from an external smart terminal; when there is a disinfection request signal from an external smart terminal, detecting whether a driver is present inside the vehicle; when no driver is detected inside the vehicle, adjusting the seat to guide a disinfection device mounted on the seat to face the steering wheel and its surroundings; irradiating the steering wheel with ultraviolet light from an ultraviolet light-emitting diode module mounted on the seat for a certain period of time; and after irradiating the steering wheel with ultraviolet light for a certain period of time, moving the seat to its initial position.

[0029] In the adjustment of the seat according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, when the door closing condition and the door locking condition are met to determine the driver's exit from the vehicle, and then when the driver is not detected inside the vehicle when there is a disinfection request signal from an external smart terminal, the seat can be moved forward by the drive of the electric sliding device and the seat back can be pivoted forward by the drive of the electric tilting device.

[0030] The disinfection method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may further include detecting the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel, and adjusting the forward pivot angle of the seat back to an angle where the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module and the center portion of the steering wheel are collinear by controlling the driving amount of the electric tilting device based on the detected vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel.

[0031] The disinfection method according to another embodiment of this disclosure may further include terminating the disinfection control by a controller when the time it takes for ultraviolet light to be emitted from the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module to the steering wheel exceeds a certain time period.

[0032] In another embodiment of the disinfection method according to this disclosure, when a disinfection command signal based on manual operation via an external smart terminal or a manual switch is input to the controller, the seat adjustment and ultraviolet light irradiation can be performed immediately before determining whether the door closing conditions and door locking conditions are met.

[0033] The disinfection method according to another embodiment of this disclosure may further include: terminating disinfection control by a controller when any one of the following conditions is met: door opening condition, door unlocking condition, battery charge level less than a reference value, or ultraviolet light-emitting diode module overheating at a reference temperature or higher.

[0034] Other aspects and preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be discussed below.

[0035] It should be understood that the terms "vehicle" or "of a vehicle" or other similar terms as used herein include motor vehicles in a broad sense, such as motor vehicles including SUVs, buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including various boats and ships, aircraft, etc., and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other vehicles powered by alternative fuels (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As mentioned herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle with two or more power sources, such as a gasoline-powered and an electric-powered vehicle.

[0036] The above and other features of this disclosure will be discussed below. Attached Figure Description

[0037] The above and other features of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments of this disclosure shown in the accompanying drawings, which are given below by way of example only and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0038] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram illustrating how the intensity of ultraviolet (UV) light from a UV light-emitting diode (LED) varies with the irradiation distance and irradiation angle in the related art;

[0039] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram illustrating a disinfection system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view showing a UV LED in a component of a vehicle disinfection system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure mounted on a headrest.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a control block diagram illustrating a disinfection system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of how the irradiation angle of ultraviolet light according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is adjusted depending on whether a lens is attached to a UV LED for a vehicle disinfection system.

[0043] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a disinfection method for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of a disinfection method for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0045] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of reclining the seat back forward in each embodiment of a disinfection method for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale and present slightly simplified representations of various preferred features illustrating the basic principles of this disclosure. Specific design features of this disclosure, such as specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, will be determined in part by the specific intended application and environment of use.

[0047] In the accompanying drawings, throughout several figures, the same reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0048] In the following, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of this disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While this disclosure will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood that this description is not intended to limit this disclosure to those exemplary embodiments. Rather, this disclosure is intended not only to cover the exemplary embodiments thereof, but also to cover various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0050] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram illustrating a disinfection system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration in which an ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) in a component of a vehicle disinfection system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a headrest. Figure 4 This is a control block diagram illustrating a disinfection system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, an ultraviolet light emitting diode module 10 for emitting ultraviolet light to the steering wheel 130 and the surrounding environment of the steering wheel 130 can be mounted on a headrest 120, which is mounted on the upper part of the seat back 110.

[0052] The ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 is a sterilizer used to disinfect the interior space of a vehicle. However, instead of the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10, a sterilizer for spraying liquid disinfectant onto the interior surfaces including the steering wheel 130 can be installed at predetermined locations on the seat back 110 and headrest 120.

[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 includes a frame 12 made of transparent material and mounted on the front of the headrest 120, an LED control board 14 mounted on the rear of the frame 12 and located in the headrest 120, and a short-wave ultraviolet (UVC) LED 16 attached to the front of the LED control board 14 and configured to emit ultraviolet light to the outside through the frame 12.

[0054] Conventional UV LEDs can be used as LEDs that emit ultraviolet light. However, in various implementations, UVC LEDs specifically developed for disinfection can be used to maximize the disinfection effect on the steering wheel.

[0055] like Figure 4As shown, in order to determine whether the ultraviolet light emitting diode module 10 for emitting ultraviolet light toward the steering wheel 130 is operated, a door lock switch 20 for locking or unlocking the door, a door open / close switch 30 for outputting an open / close signal of the door, and a driver detection sensor 40 for detecting the driver inside the vehicle can be used.

[0056] As the driver detection sensor 40, a body pressure sensor or a rear occupant alert (ROA) sensor can be used. The body pressure sensor is embedded in the seat and configured to detect the driver's body pressure, while the rear occupant alert sensor is installed in a predetermined location in the vehicle (e.g., at a predetermined location on the headliner) and configured to detect the presence of a driver. It is a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor.

[0057] Additionally, as a seat movement adjustment mechanism, which allows the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 mounted on the headrest 120 to move as close as possible to the steering wheel 130, it may include an electric sliding device 70, an electric tilting device 80, and a seat memory device 90 that operate in response to a drive signal from the controller 60.

[0058] For reference, the electric sliding device 70 relates to known electric components that can be formed by various mechanisms between the seat rail and the seat cushion frame to adjust the front and rear positions of the seat, and the electric tilting device 80 adjusts the angle of the seat back by pivoting the seat back forward or backward, and relates to known electric components that can be formed by various mechanisms at the boundary between the seat back frame and the seat cushion frame.

[0059] The controller 60 can be formed by control logic that automatically disinfects the steering wheel, or by control logic that disinfects the steering wheel when there is a request from an external smart terminal.

[0060] Furthermore, terms related to control devices, such as “controller,” “control unit,” “control device,” or “control module,” refer to hardware devices including a memory and a processor configured to execute one or more steps interpreted as an algorithmic structure. The memory stores the algorithmic steps, and the processor executes the algorithmic steps to perform one or more processes of methods according to various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Control devices according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented using non-volatile memory and a processor configured to store algorithms for controlling the operation of various components of a vehicle or data regarding software commands for executing the algorithms, and the processor configured to use the data stored in the memory to perform the operations described above. The memory and processor can be separate chips. Alternatively, the memory and processor can be integrated into a single chip. The processor can be implemented as one or more processors. The processor can include various logic circuits and arithmetic circuits that can process data according to a program provided from the memory and generate control signals based on the processing results.

[0061] The control device may be at least one microprocessor operated by a predetermined program, which may include a series of commands for performing the methods included in the various exemplary embodiments described above in this disclosure.

[0062] The above disclosure can also be implemented as computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium is any data storage device that can store data that can be subsequently read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable recording media include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), silicon disk drives (SDDs), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and implementations as carrier waves (e.g., transmission over the Internet).

[0063] In various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, each of the above operations can be performed by a control device, and the control device can be configured by multiple control devices or a single integrated control device.

[0064] In various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the control device may be implemented in hardware or software, or in a combination of hardware and software.

[0065] Therefore, controller 60 is the control logic for automatically disinfecting the steering wheel. When receiving a door lock signal from door lock switch 20, a door close signal from door open / close switch 30, and a no-detection signal from driver detection sensor 40, controller 60 can be configured to apply a drive signal for forward movement of seat 100 to electric sliding device 70, simultaneously apply a drive signal for forward pivoting of seat back 110 to electric tilting device 80, and then apply an operation signal for emitting ultraviolet light to ultraviolet light emitting diode module 10 for a certain period of time.

[0066] In various embodiments, controller 60 may be control logic for performing disinfection on steering wheel 130 when a request from an external smart terminal is received. When a door lock signal from door lock switch 20 and a door close signal from door open / close switch 30 are received, and a disinfection request signal is received from a smart terminal held by the driver, and then when a driver detection sensor 40 receives an undetected signal to determine that no driver is detected, controller 60 may be configured to apply a drive signal for forward movement of seat 100 to electric sliding device 70, and a drive signal for forward pivoting of seat back 110 to electric tilting device 80, and then apply an operation signal for emitting ultraviolet light to ultraviolet light emitting diode module 10 for a certain period of time.

[0067] Meanwhile, in order to keep the intensity of the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet LED module 10 to the steering wheel 130 above a predetermined level, it is preferable that the central portion of the ultraviolet light is arranged collinearly with the central portion of the steering wheel 130.

[0068] Therefore, the disinfection system disclosed herein also includes a steering column angle sensor 50 for detecting the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel 130 and transmitting the vertical tilt angle to the controller 60.

[0069] In one embodiment, the steering column angle sensor 50 can be used as an angle measurement sensor mounted at a predetermined position on the steering column, on which the steering wheel 130 is mounted to be steerable, and the angle measurement sensor is configured to detect the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel 130.

[0070] As is known, since the steering wheel 130 can tilt up or down depending on the driver's physical condition, the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel 130 can be accurately measured when the controller 60 receives a detection signal from the steering column angle sensor 50.

[0071] Therefore, when the controller 60 receives the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel 130 from the steering column angle sensor 50, the controller 60 applies a signal to the electric tilting device 80 to control the amount of drive, so as to adjust the forward pivot angle of the seat back 110 to an angle in which the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 and the center portion of the steering wheel 130 are collinear, so that the center portion of the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 can be collinear with the center portion of the steering wheel 130.

[0072] refer to Figure 5A When the angle of the ultraviolet light emitted from the UVC LED 16 is greater than the maximum diameter of the steering wheel 130, the intensity of the ultraviolet light may be weaker.

[0073] On the other hand, such as Figure 5B As shown, in the components of the ultraviolet light emitting diode module 10, the lens 18 is further attached to the front of the UVC LED 16, so that the irradiation angle of the ultraviolet light emitted from the UVC LED 16 can be adjusted to suit the maximum diameter of the steering wheel 130, so that the intensity of the ultraviolet light emitted from the UVC LED 16 can be kept strong until the ultraviolet light reaches the steering wheel 130.

[0074] Here, the disinfection method of this disclosure, performed based on the above-described structure, will be described in detail below.

[0075] First embodiment

[0076] The disinfection method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized in that, when the conditions for the driver to get out of the vehicle are met while the vehicle is turned off, disinfection control processing is automatically performed on the steering wheel 130 and its surrounding environment.

[0077] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of a disinfection method for vehicles according to the present disclosure.

[0078] First, determine the conditions for the driver to exit the vehicle while the engine is off.

[0079] Then, determine whether the door is closed, and if so, determine whether the door is locked (S101 and S102).

[0080] For example, when the driver gets out of the vehicle, after turning off the engine and closing the door, the door closing signal of the door open / close switch 30 is sent to the controller 60. Subsequently, when the driver uses the smart key to perform the door locking operation, the door locking signal of the door locking switch 20 is transmitted to the controller 60.

[0081] Therefore, when the controller 60 receives the door lock signal from the door lock switch 20 and the door close signal from the door open / close switch 30, it determines that the conditions for the driver to get off the vehicle have been initially met.

[0082] However, since drivers other than the one in question may remain in the vehicle, it is necessary to determine whether the driver is not detected so that the presence of the driver in the vehicle can be determined after a certain period of time (S103).

[0083] For example, when the controller 60 receives a driver-not-detected signal from a body pressure sensor or ROA sensor used as a driver detection sensor 40, it determines that there is no driver in the vehicle.

[0084] Subsequently, when the door closing condition, the door locking condition, and the undetected condition of the driver inside the vehicle are all met, the forward movement of the seat 100 caused by the drive of the electric sliding device 70 and the forward pivoting of the seat back 110 caused by the drive of the electric tilting device 80 are executed (S104 and S105).

[0085] Therefore, the seat 100 moves forward as far as possible, while the seat back 110 leans towards the steering wheel 130, so that the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 mounted on the headrest 120 is as close as possible to the steering wheel 130.

[0086] Next, during a predetermined time period, ultraviolet light is emitted from the UVC LED 16 of the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 mounted on the headrest 120 toward the steering wheel 130 (S106).

[0087] As described above, when the conditions for the driver and passengers to alight are met in the off state, the distance between the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 mounted on the headrest 120 and the steering wheel 130 is automatically adjusted to a distance at which the disinfection effect produced by the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 can be easily achieved by moving the seat 100 forward and pivoting the seat back 110 forward, so that the steering wheel 130 can be easily disinfected by the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10.

[0088] In order to keep the intensity of the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 to the steering wheel 130 above a predetermined level, it is preferable that the central portion of the ultraviolet light is arranged collinearly with the central portion of the steering wheel 130.

[0089] Therefore, such as Figure 8As shown, the operation of pivoting the seat back 110 forward (S105) includes detecting the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel 130 (S105-1) and adjusting the forward pivot angle of the seat back 110 based on the detected vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel 130 (S105-2).

[0090] In this case, when adjusting the forward pivot angle of the seat back 110 (S105-2), the forward pivot angle of the seat back 110 is adjusted to the angle where the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 and the center part of the steering wheel 130 are collinear by controlling the driving amount of the electric tilting device 80.

[0091] More specifically, when the controller 60 receives the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel 130 detected by the steering column angle sensor 50, the controller 60 applies a signal to the electric tilt device 80 to control the amount of drive, so as to adjust the forward pivot angle of the seat back 110 to an angle in which the UVC LED illumination reference line of the ultraviolet light emitting diode module 10 is collinear with the steering column axis (the central portion of the steering wheel 130), such that the central portion of the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light emitting diode module 10 can be collinear with the central portion of the steering wheel 130.

[0092] As described above, the forward pivot angle of the seat back 110 is adjusted according to the tilt angle of the steering wheel 130 to allow the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 mounted on the headrest 120 to be arranged collinearly with the center portion of the steering wheel 130, thereby maximizing the disinfection effect on the steering wheel 130 and its surrounding environment due to the ultraviolet light emitted from the UVC LED 16 of the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10.

[0093] In the above embodiments, disinfection control processing of the steering wheel 130 and its surrounding environment is automatically performed. However, as an example of manual operation, when a disinfection command signal based on manual operation via an external smart terminal or manual switch is input to the controller 60, the adjustment of the seat 100 (S104 and S105) and the irradiation of ultraviolet light (S106) can be performed immediately before determining whether the sterilizer operation conditions are met.

[0094] When it is determined that the time for ultraviolet light to be emitted from the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 to the steering wheel 130 exceeds a certain time period (predetermined disinfection time) (S107), the controller 60 terminates the disinfection control, so that the seat 100 and the seat back 110 can be driven back to their initial positions (S108).

[0095] For example, when it is determined that the time it takes for ultraviolet light to be emitted from the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 to the steering wheel 130 exceeds a certain time period (predetermined disinfection time) (S107), the seat 100 and the seat back 110 can be driven and controlled to return to their initial positions toward the seat positions recorded in the seat memory device 90.

[0096] During the disinfection control process, the controller 60 terminates the disinfection control when any of the following conditions are met: door opening condition, door unlocking condition, battery charge level less than reference value, or ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 overheating at reference temperature or higher.

[0097] That is, since the conditions for opening and unlocking the door are conditions that allow the driver to get on the vehicle, the condition that the battery charge is less than the reference value is a condition to prevent battery discharge, and the condition that the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 overheats at the reference temperature or higher is a condition to prevent fire, the disinfection control is terminated when any of these conditions are met.

[0098] Second embodiment

[0099] The disinfection method according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized in that, when a request from an external smart terminal occurs while the vehicle is off, disinfection control processing is performed on the steering wheel 130 and its surrounding environment.

[0100] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of the disinfection method for vehicles according to the present disclosure.

[0101] First, determine the conditions for the driver to exit the vehicle while the engine is off.

[0102] Then, determine whether the door is closed, and if so, determine whether the door is locked (S201 and S202).

[0103] For example, when the driver gets out of the vehicle, after turning off the engine and closing the door, the door closing signal of the door open / close switch 30 is transmitted to the controller 60. Subsequently, when the driver uses the smart key to perform the door locking operation, the door locking signal of the door locking switch 20 is transmitted to the controller 60.

[0104] Therefore, when the controller 60 receives the door lock signal from the door lock switch 20 and the door close signal from the door open / close switch 30, it determines that the conditions for the driver to get off the vehicle have been initially met.

[0105] Subsequently, after the door closing condition and the door locking condition are met, it is determined whether there is a disinfection request signal from an external smart terminal (S203), and when there is a disinfection request signal from an external smart terminal, it is determined whether the undetected condition of not detecting the driver inside the vehicle is met (S204).

[0106] For example, when the controller 60 receives a wireless signal (disinfection request signal) from an external smart terminal, it determines whether the driver-not-detected condition is met, since a driver other than the driver may remain in the vehicle, in order to determine whether a driver is present in the vehicle within a certain period of time.

[0107] Subsequently, after the controller 60 receives the wireless signal (disinfection request signal) from the external smart terminal, when the condition that the driver is not detected inside the vehicle is met, the controller executes the forward movement of the seat 100 caused by the drive of the electric sliding device 70 and the forward pivoting of the seat back 110 caused by the drive of the electric tilting device 80 (S205 and S206).

[0108] Therefore, the seat 100 is moved forward as much as possible, while the seat back 110 is tilted towards the steering wheel 130, so that the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 mounted on the headrest 120 is as close as possible to the steering wheel 130.

[0109] Next, during a predetermined time period, ultraviolet light is emitted from the UVC LED 16 of the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 mounted on the headrest 120 toward the steering wheel 130 (S207).

[0110] As described above, when the conditions for the driver and passengers to alight are met in the off state, the distance between the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 mounted on the headrest 120 and the steering wheel 130 is automatically adjusted to a distance at which the disinfection effect produced by the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 can be easily achieved by moving the seat 100 forward and pivoting the seat back 110 forward, so that the steering wheel 130 can be easily disinfected by the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10.

[0111] In order to keep the intensity of the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 to the steering wheel 130 above a predetermined level, it is preferable that the central portion of the ultraviolet light is arranged collinearly with the central portion of the steering wheel 130.

[0112] Therefore, such as Figure 8As shown, the operation of pivoting the seat back 110 forward (S206) includes detecting the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel 130 (S105-1) and adjusting the forward pivot angle of the seat back 110 according to the detected vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel 130 (S105-2).

[0113] In this case, when adjusting the forward pivot angle of the seat back 110 (S105-2), the forward pivot angle of the seat back 110 is adjusted to the angle where the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 and the center part of the steering wheel 130 are collinear by controlling the driving amount of the electric tilting device 80.

[0114] More specifically, when the controller 60 receives the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel 130 detected by the steering column angle sensor 50, the controller 60 applies a signal to the electric tilt device 80 to control the amount of drive, so as to adjust the forward pivot angle of the seat back 110 to an angle in which the UVC LED illumination reference line of the ultraviolet light emitting diode module 10 is collinear with the steering column axis (the central portion of the steering wheel 130), such that the central portion of the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light emitting diode module 10 can be collinear with the central portion of the steering wheel 130.

[0115] As described above, the forward pivot angle of the seat back 110 is adjusted according to the tilt angle of the steering wheel 130 to allow the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 mounted on the headrest 120 to be arranged collinearly with the center portion of the steering wheel 130, thereby maximizing the disinfection effect due to the ultraviolet light emitted from the UVC LED 16 of the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10.

[0116] In another embodiment described above, disinfection control processing of the steering wheel 130 and its surrounding environment is performed automatically. However, as an example of manual operation, when a disinfection command signal based on manual operation via an external smart terminal or manual switch is input to the controller 60, the adjustment of the seat 100 (S205 and S206) and the irradiation of ultraviolet light (S207) can be performed immediately before determining whether the door closing conditions and door locking conditions are met.

[0117] When it is determined that the time for ultraviolet light to be emitted from the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 to the steering wheel 130 exceeds a certain time period (predetermined disinfection time) (S208), the controller 60 terminates the disinfection control, so that the seat 100 and the seat back 110 can be driven back to their initial positions (S209).

[0118] For example, when it is determined that the time it takes for ultraviolet light to be emitted from the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 to the steering wheel 130 exceeds a certain time period (predetermined disinfection time) (S208), the seat 100 and the seat back 110 can be driven and controlled to return to their initial positions toward the seat positions recorded in the seat memory device 90.

[0119] During the disinfection control process, the controller 60 terminates the disinfection control when any of the following conditions are met: door opening condition, door unlocking condition, battery charge level less than reference value, or ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 overheating at reference temperature or higher.

[0120] That is, since the conditions for opening and unlocking the door are conditions that allow the driver to get on the vehicle, the condition that the battery charge is less than the reference value is a condition to prevent battery discharge, and the condition that the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module 10 overheats at the reference temperature or higher is a condition to prevent fire, the disinfection control is terminated when any of these conditions are met.

[0121] This disclosure provides the following effects through the above-mentioned problem-solving methods.

[0122] First, when the conditions for the driver and passengers to exit the vehicle are met while the engine is off, the distance between the ultraviolet LED module installed on the headrest and the steering wheel is automatically adjusted to a distance at which the disinfection effect produced by the ultraviolet LED module can be easily achieved by moving the seat forward and pivoting the seat back forward. This allows the steering wheel to be easily disinfected by the ultraviolet light emitted from the UVC LED of the ultraviolet LED module.

[0123] Second, the forward reclining angle of the seat back is adjusted according to the tilt angle of the steering wheel to allow the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module mounted on the headrest to be collinearly positioned with the center part of the steering wheel, thereby maximizing the disinfection effect caused by the ultraviolet light emitted from the UVC LED of the ultraviolet light-emitting diode module.

[0124] Finally, it may prevent the spread of bacteria or viral infections caused by touching the steering wheel.

[0125] For ease of interpretation and precise definition of the appended claims, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “outer,” “up,” “lower,” “upward,” “downward,” “front,” “rear,” “back,” “inner side,” “outer side,” “inward,” “outer,” “internal,” “external,” “inner,” “external,” “forward,” and “backward” are used to describe these features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of the features shown in the accompanying drawings. It should also be understood that the term “connection” or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connections.

[0126] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure may be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its technical spirit and essential characteristics. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative in all respects rather than limiting.

Claims

1. A system for disinfecting an interior of a vehicle, comprising: a sterilizer disposed on a driver's seat of the vehicle and configured to disinfect the interior of the vehicle; a driver detection sensor configured to detect a presence of a driver within the vehicle; a seat movement adjustment mechanism configured to move the driver's seat; and a controller configured to transmit a driving signal to the seat movement adjustment mechanism in response to receiving a non-detection signal from the driver detection sensor, and to adjust a distance and an angle between the sterilizer and an object surrounding the sterilizer, and then to apply a sterilizer operation signal for operating the sterilizer for a certain period of time once the driver's seat is moved, wherein the seat movement adjustment mechanism comprises: an electric sliding device configured to adjust forward and rearward movement of the driver's seat; an electric tilting device configured to adjust a forward and rearward angle of a seat back of the driver's seat; and a seat memory device configured to be programmed to memorize a position of the driver's seat, wherein the controller is configured to be programmed to control the electric sliding device, the electric tilting device, and the seat memory device, and a function of each of the electric sliding device, the electric tilting device, and the seat memory device. the sterilizer is an ultraviolet light emitting diode module located on a front portion of a headrest of the driver's seat, the ultraviolet light emitting diode module being configured to be controlled by the controller to emit ultraviolet light toward a steering wheel, thereby disinfecting the steering wheel and an environment surrounding the steering wheel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, the ultraviolet light emitting diode module comprises:

3. The system of claim 2, wherein, a bezel disposed on the front portion of the headrest; an LED control substrate disposed on a rear portion of the bezel; and a short wave ultraviolet LED attached to the LED control substrate. the short wave ultraviolet LED includes a lens disposed at a front portion of the short wave ultraviolet LED, the lens being configured to be controlled to adjust an irradiation angle of ultraviolet light according to an outer diameter of the steering wheel.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein, the driver detection sensor includes at least one of a body pressure sensor disposed within the driver's seat and a rear passenger alarm sensor disposed within the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein, 6.The system of claim 2, further comprising: a door locking switch configured to lock or unlock a door of the vehicle; and a door opening / closing switch configured to output an opening signal and a closing signal of the door, respectively, wherein the door locking switch and the door opening / closing switch are configured to communicate with the controller to determine whether a driver is within the vehicle before the controller operates the sterilizer. the driving signal of the controller includes a first driving signal and a second driving signal, ​ 7. The system of claim 6, wherein, ​ And wherein, when the controller receives a door lock signal of the door lock switch and a door close signal of the door open / close switch and receives a sterilization request signal from an external terminal held by a driver while the vehicle is turned off, the controller is configured to determine a driver's non-detection condition, to apply the first drive signal for forward movement of the driver's seat to the electric slide device, and to apply the second drive signal for forward pivoting movement of the seat back to the electric tilt device, and then to apply the sterilizer operation signal for ultraviolet light irradiation to the ultraviolet light emitting diode module for the certain period of time.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a steering column angle sensor configured to detect a vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel and transmit the detected vertical tilt angle to the controller.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein, The controller is configured to apply the second drive signal to the electric tilt device such that a forward pivoting angle of the seat back is controlled according to the vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel to adjust the forward pivoting angle to an angle at which the ultraviolet light emitting diode module is disposed collinearly with a center portion of the steering wheel.

10. A method for sterilizing an interior of a vehicle, comprising: detecting, by a driver detection sensor, whether a driver is present in the vehicle and whether a door is closed and locked in a condition that the vehicle is turned off; adjusting, by a seat movement adjustment mechanism under control of a controller, a driver's seat to direct an ultraviolet light emitting diode module provided on a headrest of the driver's seat to be aligned with a steering wheel and an environment around the steering wheel when it is determined that the driver is not present in the vehicle; performing, under control of the controller, ultraviolet light irradiation from the ultraviolet light emitting diode module to the steering wheel for a certain period of time in response to adjusting the driver's seat; and moving, by the seat movement adjustment mechanism under control of the controller, the driver's seat to a previous position in response to completing the ultraviolet light irradiation for the certain period of time; wherein the seat movement adjustment mechanism comprises: an electric slide device configured to adjust forward movement and backward movement of the driver's seat; an electric tilt device configured to adjust a forward angle and a backward angle of a seat back of the driver's seat; and a seat memory device configured to be programmed to memorize a position of the driver's seat, wherein the controller is configured to be programmed to control the electric slide device, the electric tilt device, and the seat memory device, and functions of each of the electric slide device, the electric tilt device, and the seat memory device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The adjustment of the driver's seat includes forward movement of the driver's seat according to drive of the electric slide device and forward pivoting of a seat back of the driver's seat according to drive of the electric tilt device under control of the controller once it is determined that the door is closed and locked and the driver is not present in the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: detecting a vertical inclination angle of the steering wheel through a steering column angle sensor; and adjusting a forward pivot angle of a seatback of the seat to an angle at which the ultraviolet light emitting diode module is disposed collinearly with a center portion of the steering wheel through the electric tilting device by controlling an amount of driving of the electric tilting device according to the detected vertical inclination angle. 13.The method of claim 10, further comprising terminating, by the controller, the irradiation of the ultraviolet light when a period of time during which ultraviolet light is emitted from the ultraviolet light emitting diode module to the steering wheel exceeds the certain period of time. 14.The method of claim 10, further comprising, before detecting whether a driver is present in the vehicle, immediately adjusting the driver seat and performing the irradiation of the ultraviolet light in a case where a sterilization command signal manually operated according to an external smart terminal or a manual switch is input to the controller. 15.The method of claim 10, further comprising terminating, by the controller, the irradiation of the ultraviolet light when any one or more of conditions including an opening condition of the vehicle door, an unlocking condition of the vehicle door, a condition that a battery charge amount is less than a reference value, and a condition that the ultraviolet light emitting diode module is overheated at a reference temperature or higher. 16.A method for sterilizing an interior of a vehicle, comprising: determining, by a driver detection sensor, whether a driver is present in the vehicle and whether a vehicle door is closed and locked in a case where the vehicle is turned off; determining, by a controller, whether a sterilization request signal has been received by an external smart terminal of the driver upon determining that the driver is not present in the vehicle; detecting, by the driver detection sensor, the presence of the driver in the vehicle upon receiving the sterilization request signal by the external smart terminal; adjusting, by a seat moving adjustment mechanism under control of the controller, a driver seat to guide an ultraviolet light emitting diode module mounted on a headrest of the driver seat toward a steering wheel and a surrounding environment of the steering wheel upon detecting that the driver is not present in the vehicle; in response to adjusting the driver seat, performing, under control of the controller, irradiation of ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light emitting diode module disposed on the headrest to the steering wheel for a certain period of time; and moving, by the seat moving adjustment mechanism under control of the controller, the driver seat to a previous position after performing the irradiation of the ultraviolet light for the certain period of time; wherein the seat moving adjustment mechanism comprises: an electric sliding device configured to adjust forward and rearward movement of the driver seat; an electric tilting device configured to adjust a forward angle and a rearward angle of a seatback of the driver seat; and a seat memory device configured to be programmed to memorize a position of the driver seat, wherein the controller is configured to be programmed to control the electric sliding device, the electric tilting device, and the seat memory device, and functions of each of the electric sliding device, the electric tilting device, and the seat memory device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The adjustment of the driver seat includes performing forward movement of the driver seat according to driving of an electric slide device and performing forward pivoting of a seat back of the driver seat according to driving of an electric tilt device when it is determined that the vehicle door is closed and locked and a driver is not present in the vehicle upon receiving the sterilization request signal of the external smart terminal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: detecting a vertical tilt angle of the steering wheel through a steering column angle sensor; and adjusting a forward pivoting angle of the seat back by the electric tilt device to an angle at which the ultraviolet light emitting diode module is disposed collinearly with a center portion of the steering wheel according to the detected vertical tilt angle by controlling an amount of driving of the electric tilt device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising terminating, by the controller, irradiation of ultraviolet light when a time during which ultraviolet light is emitted from the ultraviolet light emitting diode module to the steering wheel exceeds the certain period of time.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising, before determining whether a driver is present in the vehicle, immediately performing adjustment of the driver seat and irradiation of ultraviolet light when a sterilization command signal manually operated according to the external smart terminal or a manual switch is input to the controller.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising terminating, by the controller, irradiation of ultraviolet light when any one or more of conditions including an opening condition of the vehicle door, an unlocking condition of the vehicle door, a condition in which a battery charge amount is less than a reference value, and a condition in which the ultraviolet light emitting diode module is overheated at a reference temperature or higher.

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