System and method for cleaning dirt in vehicle

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for cleaning dirt in a vehicle. A vehicle is disclosed that includes a mat, an air flow unit, and a processor. The pad may include a top wall, a bottom wall, and a plurality of through holes disposed in the top wall. The air flow unit may be configured to blow pressurized air in the cushion interior portion. The processor may detect a trigger event and cause the air flow unit to blow pressurized air in the cushion interior portion in response to detecting the trigger event. When the air flow unit blows pressurized air in the pad interior portion, ambient air near the top wall may be pulled toward the pad interior portion via the plurality of through holes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for cleaning dirt in a vehicle, and more particularly to systems and methods for cleaning a user's shoes before the user enters the vehicle. Background Art

[0002] When a user performs outdoor activities, the user's shoes may become dirty. In such a case, if the user enters the vehicle with dirty shoes, the user's vehicle may become dirty. Dust, sand, and debris from the shoes may enter the vehicle's air duct system, which may affect the performance of the vehicle. In addition, the debris from the shoes may cause the vehicle's seating area, floor, etc. to become dirty.

[0003] Many users manually clean their shoes before entering a vehicle, for example, by rubbing the shoes against each other or against a surface. Such methods are not effective and are cumbersome for users to implement. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure describes a vehicle including a pad, which can enable cleaning of one or more objects, for example, when a user stands on the pad wearing shoes, it is possible to clean shoes. The pad can be arranged in an interior portion of the vehicle or an exterior portion of the vehicle. For example, the pad can be arranged on a vehicle pedal bar, a bumper, a cargo compartment, etc. The pad can have a hollow interior portion and can include a plurality of through holes arranged on the top wall of the pad. The vehicle can also include an air flow unit, which can be configured to blow pressurized air into the interior portion of the pad along the length of the pad. For example, the air flow unit can blow pressurized air into the interior portion of the pad from the left edge of the pad, and cause the pressurized air to flow from the left edge of the pad to the right edge of the pad, and the pressurized air can leave the interior portion of the pad from the right edge of the pad. In some aspects, when the pressurized air is blown along the length of the pad below the top wall, the plurality of through holes can act as a venturi vacuum generator, which can suck or pull the surrounding air arranged above the top wall.

[0005] In some aspects, when the vehicle detects that a shoe may be placed on the mat, the vehicle may activate the air flow unit and cause pressurized air to blow under the top wall. In response to causing the pressurized air to blow under the top wall, ambient air above the top wall may be drawn into the interior portion of the mat via the plurality of through holes due to the venturi effect. The ambient air drawn into the interior portion of the mat via the plurality of through holes may carry debris, dust, sand, etc. that may be on the shoe into the interior portion of the mat, thereby cleaning the shoe. Then, due to the force of the pressurized air flowing from the left edge of the mat to the right edge of the mat, the debris, dust, sand, etc. may leave the interior portion of the mat via the right edge of the mat.

[0006] In other aspects, the vehicle can enable the mat to self-clean, for example, when one or more through-holes may be blocked. To enable the mat to self-clean, the vehicle can activate the air flow unit to blow pressurized air in the interior portion of the mat via the left edge of the mat. The vehicle can also block the pressurized air flow from the right edge of the mat, so that the pressurized air exits the interior portion of the mat via the plurality of through-holes. When the pressurized air exits from the plurality of through-holes, the through-holes can be unblocked (and thus the mat can self-clean).

[0007] The vehicle may also include a light unit, which may be disposed near or on the mat. When the vehicle determines that a user may be approaching the vehicle, the vehicle may illuminate the light unit. The illuminated light unit may indicate to the user that the user should clean the shoes by using the mat before entering the vehicle. The illuminated light unit may also enable the user to conveniently position the mat in the exterior portion of the vehicle.

[0008] The present disclosure discloses a vehicle including an object cleaning mat. The mat may enable a user to clean shoes before entering the vehicle, thereby ensuring that the vehicle remains clean and sanitary. In addition, the vehicle uses the existing vehicle air flow unit to achieve shoe cleaning through the mat, thereby eliminating the need for any complex external hardware. The mat may also be self-cleaning when the mat through-holes may become clogged, thereby enhancing the convenience of operating the mat.

[0009] These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and / or components other than those shown in the accompanying drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

[0011] Figure 1 An environment is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0012] Figure 2 A block diagram of an object cleaning system according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0013] Figure 3 A first view of a vehicle air flow unit coupled to a mat according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0014] Figure 4 A second view of a vehicle air flow unit coupled to a mat according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0015] Figure 5 A flow chart of a cleaning method according to the present disclosure is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the disclosure are shown and which are not intended to be limiting.

[0017] Figure 1 An example environment 100 is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented. The environment 100 may include a vehicle 102, which may be located outdoors, such as in a field, on a road, on a lawn. The vehicle 102 may take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as, for example, a car, a work vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a truck, a minivan, a taxi, a bus, etc. In addition, the vehicle 102 may be a manually driven vehicle, and / or may be configured to operate in a fully autonomous (e.g., unmanned) mode or a partially autonomous mode, and may include any powertrain, such as, for example, a gasoline engine, one or more electric actuation motors, a hybrid powertrain, etc.

[0018] The environment 100 may also include a user 104 who may be performing an outdoor activity. The user 104 may be wearing shoes 106 that may be dirty or soiled due to the outdoor activity. In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may include an air matrix or mat 108 that may be configured to facilitate the cleaning of objects placed on the mat 108. For example, the mat 108 may facilitate the cleaning of the shoes 106 before the user 104 enters the vehicle 102. In some aspects, the mat 108 may facilitate shoe cleaning by pulling / extracting debris, dust, sand, etc. from the shoes 106 and outputting the debris to the surrounding environment (or a trash bag). The process of sucking debris from the shoes 106 is described in detail later in the description below.

[0019] The user 104 may cause the mat 108 to clean the shoe 106 by placing the shoe 106 on the mat 108 or by standing on the mat 108 with the shoe 106. The user 104 may enter the vehicle 102 while the shoe 106 may be cleaned by the mat 108. In this manner, the mat 108 facilitates keeping the interior portion of the vehicle clean and healthy, even when the user 104 may be performing outdoor activities that typically result in dirty / dirty shoes.

[0020] although Figure 1 A single pad 108 is shown in FIG. 1 , but the vehicle 102 may include more than one pad without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In some aspects, the pad 108 may be disposed on an exterior portion of the vehicle. For example, the pad 108 may be disposed on a vehicle pedal rod (e.g., Figure 1), bumpers (e.g., rear bumpers), cargo boxes, rocker panels, etc. In additional aspects, one or more pads may be disposed in an interior portion of the vehicle (not shown).

[0021] In an exemplary aspect, the pad 108 can be shaped as a rectangular parallelepiped having a top wall 110, a bottom wall 112, and side walls 114, such as Figure 1 116 of the vehicle. The size of the top wall 110 and the bottom wall 112 and the side wall 114 can depend on the vehicle size and the typical shoe size. In some aspects, the size of the pad wall can be designed so that the user 104 can easily place the shoe 106 on the pad 108 or can stand on the pad 108, wherein the shoe outline is within the pad edge. The top wall 110 and the bottom wall 112 and the side wall 114 can be made of rubber, plastic or any other flexible material. In some aspects, the top wall 110 can include structural geometric ribs to provide strength and stability. In addition, the pad 108 can be lightweight. In addition, the pad interior portion or the pad body can be hollow.

[0022] The top wall 110 may include a plurality of through holes 118 that may act as a venturi vacuum generator when pressurized air may be blown through the interior portion of the cushion and out of one of the side walls 114 or the bottom wall 112. In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may include an air flow unit (in Figure 2 108 ) is shown as an air flow unit 240, which can be configured to blow pressurized air in the interior portion of the cushion below the top wall 110. In an exemplary aspect, the air flow unit is parallel to the XY plane ( Figure 1 As an example, the air flow unit may blow pressurized air from the left edge of the pad to the inner portion of the pad, and the pressurized air may leave the inner portion of the pad via the right edge of the pad and enter the surrounding environment, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown by arrows 120a and 120b.

[0023] When the pressurized air is blown through the interior portion of the mat as described above, ambient air near the top wall 110 can be pulled toward the hollow interior portion of the mat via the plurality of through holes 118 due to the venturi effect. Due to the pulling of ambient air from the top wall 110, debris, dust, sand, etc. that may be on the shoe 106 may be drawn into the hollow interior portion of the mat and, when the shoe 106 may be placed on the top wall 110, the debris, dust, sand, etc. may be moved away from the interior portion of the mat via the right edge of the mat due to the movement of the pressurized air. In this way, when the shoe 106 may be placed on the mat 108, the mat 108 may facilitate shoe cleaning by sucking / extracting debris from the shoe 106.

[0024] When the pressurized air is blown to the outside through the plurality of through-holes 118 (as opposed to drawing ambient air into the interior portion of the cushion), the flow of pressurized air to the surrounding environment via the right edge of the cushion may be blocked. In this case, pressurized air entering the interior portion of the cushion via the left edge of the cushion may exit to the surrounding environment via the plurality of through-holes 118, thereby blowing the pressurized air out through the top wall 110. In an exemplary aspect, the flow of pressurized air to the surrounding environment via the right edge of the cushion may be blocked when the cushion 108 may need to be cleaned and / or one or more of the plurality of through-holes 118 may be clogged.

[0025] In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may be configured to respond based on commands received from the user 104 and / or from vehicle sensor units (in Figure 2 The air flow unit may be configured to automatically control the operation of the air flow unit and / or the flow of pressurized air into the interior portion of the mat or to the exterior based on input received from the vehicle sensing system 232 (shown in FIG. 1 ). For example, when the vehicle 102 detects that a shoe 106 may be placed on the mat 108 based on input obtained from the vehicle sensor unit, the vehicle 102 may automatically activate the air flow unit and cause pressurized air to flow into the interior portion of the mat via the left edge of the mat and exit via the right edge of the mat. As another example, when the vehicle 102 receives a command from the user 104 to clean the mat 108, or when the vehicle 102 itself determines that one or more through-holes 118 may be blocked based on input obtained from the vehicle sensor unit, the vehicle 102 may prevent pressurized air from flowing to the surrounding environment via the right edge of the mat.

[0026] The vehicle 102 may also include a light unit 122 that may be disposed near or on the mat 108. In an exemplary aspect, the light unit 122 may include a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that may surround the mat 108. In another aspect, the LEDs may be shaped as shoes. When the vehicle 102 detects that the user 104 may be located near the vehicle 102 (determined based on input obtained from the vehicle sensor unit), the vehicle 102 may automatically illuminate the light unit 122. The illuminated light unit 122 may provide the user 104 with instructions to place the shoes 106 on the mat 108 before entering the vehicle 102, thereby enabling the vehicle 102 to remain clean. In addition, the illuminated light unit 122 may enable the user 104 to conveniently position the mat 108 in the exterior portion of the vehicle (or in the interior portion of the vehicle if the mat 108 is disposed in the interior portion of the vehicle).

[0027] Although the above description describes aspects in which pad 108 includes a plurality of through holes 118 in top wall 110, the present disclosure is not limited to such aspects. Figure 1As shown in view 124 of FIG. 1 , the pad 108 may include an opening, and the plurality of through-holes 118 may be disposed on the bottom and side surfaces of the opening. The operation of the pad 108 shown in view 124 may be similar to the operation of the pad 108 shown in view 116 (described above). In yet another aspect, the pad 108 may have a slide-in cavity design (as shown in view 126) into which the user 104 may insert the shoe 106. Also in this case, the plurality of through-holes 118 may be disposed on the bottom and side surfaces of the cavity, and the operation of the pad 108 shown in view 126 may be similar to the operation of the pad 108 shown in view 116 (described above).

[0028] Combined with the following Figure 2 Describe the vehicle in further detail.

[0029] Although the above description is described in the context of pad 108 cleaning shoes 106, the present disclosure is not limited to such aspects. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, user 104 may additionally use pad 108 to clean dirty equipment / tools, clothing or towels, car mats, luggage, etc.

[0030] The vehicle 102 implements and / or performs operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the owner's manual and safety guidelines. Furthermore, any actions taken by the user 104 based on notifications provided by the vehicle 102 should comply with all rules (e.g., federal, state, country, city, etc.) specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 102. Notifications as provided by the vehicle 102 should be considered advisories and followed only in accordance with any rules specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 102.

[0031] Figure 2 A block diagram of an object cleaning system 200 according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 2 When Figure 3 and Figure 4 .

[0032] The system 200 may include a vehicle 102, a user device 202, and one or more servers 204 (servers 204) that are communicatively coupled to each other via one or more networks 206 (or networks 206). The user device 202 may be associated with the user 104 and may be, for example, a mobile phone, a laptop, a computer, a tablet, a wearable device, or any other similar device with communication capabilities. The server 204 may be part of a cloud-based computing infrastructure and may be associated with and / or include a telematics service delivery network (SDN) that provides digital data services to the vehicle 102 and other vehicles (not shown) that may be part of a vehicle fleet. In other aspects, the server 204 may be configured to transmit weather condition information associated with a geographic area in which the vehicle 102 may be located to the vehicle 102 via the network 206. The server 204 may transmit weather condition information to the vehicle 102 at a predefined frequency or when the vehicle 102 transmits a request to the server 204 to obtain weather condition information.

[0033] The network 206 illustrates an example communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure may communicate. The network 206 may be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or other configurations operating using any one or more known communication protocols, such as, for example, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), BLE, Wi-Fi based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, ultra-wideband (UWB), and cellular technologies such as time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), high-speed packet access (HSPDA), long-term evolution (LTE), global system for mobile communications (GSM), and fifth generation (5G), to name a few examples.

[0034] The vehicle 102 may include a plurality of units including, but not limited to, a vehicle computer 208, a vehicle control unit (VCU) 210, and an object cleaning unit 212 (or unit 212). The VCU 210 may include a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) 214 arranged to communicate with the vehicle computer 208.

[0035] In some aspects, the user device 202 can be configured to connect to the vehicle computer 208 and / or the unit 212 via the network 206, which can communicate via one or more wireless connections, and / or the user device can communicate using a near field communication (NFC) protocol, Protocol, Wi-Fi, ultra-wideband (UWB), and other possible data connection and sharing technologies to connect directly with the vehicle 102.

[0036] According to the present disclosure, the vehicle computer 208 and / or the unit 212 may be installed anywhere in the vehicle 102. In addition, the vehicle computer 208 may operate as a functional part of the unit 212. The vehicle computer 208 may be or include an electronic vehicle controller having one or more processors 216 and a memory 218. In addition, the unit 212 may be separate from the vehicle computer 208 (e.g., Figure 2 ), or may be integrated as part of the vehicle computer 208.

[0037] The processor 216 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (eg, memory 218 and / or memory 219) configured to communicate with a corresponding computing system. Figure 2 The processor 216 may utilize the memory 218 to store programs and / or store data in the form of code to perform various aspects of the present disclosure. The memory 218 may be a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores object cleaning program code. The memory 218 may include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0038] According to some aspects, the VCU 210 can share a power bus with the vehicle computer 208 and can be configured and / or programmed to communicate between vehicle systems, connected servers (e.g., server 204), and other vehicles operating as part of a vehicle fleet (e.g., Figure 2The VCU 210 may include or communicate with any combination of ECUs 214, such as, for example, a body control module (BCM) 220, an engine control module (ECM) 222, a transmission control module (TCM) 224, a telematics control unit (TCU) 226, a driver assistance technology (DAT) controller 228, etc. The VCU 210 may also include and / or communicate with a vehicle perception system (VPS) 230, which may be connected to and / or control one or more vehicle sensing systems 232 (or vehicle sensor units). The vehicle sensing system 232 may include one or more vehicle sensors including, but not limited to, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR or “radar”) sensor configured to detect and locate objects inside and outside the vehicle 102 using radio waves, a seating area latch sensor, a seating area sensor, a light detection and ranging (“lidar”) sensor, a door sensor, a proximity sensor, a temperature sensor, a wheel sensor, one or more ambient weather or temperature sensors, an interior vehicle camera and an exterior vehicle camera, a steering wheel sensor, a vehicle accelerometer, a vehicle gyroscope, a vehicle magnetometer, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. The vehicle sensing system 232 may be configured to detect the presence of a user (e.g., user 104) near the vehicle 102, the presence of an object (e.g., shoe 106) on the top wall 110 of the mat 108, the amount of debris on the object / shoe 106, geographic area conditions associated with the geographic area where the vehicle 102 may be located, etc. The vehicle sensing system 232 may also be configured to transmit sensor inputs to the unit 212 at a predefined frequency.

[0039] In some aspects, VCU 210 may control aspects of vehicle operation and implement one or more instruction sets received from server 204 , one or more instruction sets stored in memory 218 , including instructions operating as part of unit 212 .

[0040] The TCU 226 may be configured and / or programmed to provide vehicle connectivity to wireless computing systems on and off the vehicle 102 and may include a navigation (NAV) receiver 234 for receiving and processing GPS signals, module (BLEM) 236, a Wi-Fi transceiver, an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver, and / or may be configured to communicate between the vehicle 102 and other systems (e.g., a vehicle key fob ( Figure 2 ), server 204, user device 202, etc.), other wireless transceivers (including cellular communications) for wireless communication between computers and modules Figure 2 214). The TCU 226 may be configured to communicate with the ECU 214 via a bus.

[0041] ECU 214 may control various aspects of vehicle operation and communications using input from a human driver, input from the vehicle computer 208, unit 212, and / or wireless signal input / command signals received via a wireless connection from other connected devices (such as server 204, user device 202, etc.).

[0042] The BCM 220 typically includes an integration of sensors, vehicle performance indicators, and varactors associated with vehicle systems, and may include processor-based power distribution circuits that may control functions associated with the vehicle body, such as lights, windows, security devices, cameras, audio systems, speakers, wipers, door locks and entry controls, and various comfort controls. The BCM 220 may also operate as a gateway for bus and network interfaces to communicate with remote ECUs ( Figure 2 In some aspects, BCM 220 may be configured to control the lighting of light unit 122 and / or control the operation of an air flow unit and one or more valves associated with vehicle 102 (described below) based on command signals obtained from unit 212 and / or user device 202.

[0043] The DAT controller 228 may provide Level 1 to Level 3 automated driving and driver assistance functions, which may include, for example, active park assist, vehicle reverse assist, and adaptive cruise control, etc. The DAT controller 228 may also provide aspects of user and environmental input that may be used for user authentication.

[0044] In some aspects, the vehicle computer 208 can be connected to an infotainment system 238 (or vehicle human-machine interface (HMI)). The infotainment system 238 can include a touch screen interface portion, and can include voice recognition features, biometric recognition capabilities, and the biometric recognition capabilities can identify users based on facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, or other biometric means. In other aspects, the infotainment system 238 can also be configured to receive user commands via the touch screen interface portion, and / or output or display notifications, navigation maps, etc. on the touch screen interface portion.

[0045] The computing system architecture of the vehicle computer 208, VCU 210 and / or unit 212 may omit certain computing modules. It should be readily understood that Figure 2 The computing environment depicted in FIG. 1 is an example of possible implementations according to the present disclosure and, therefore, should not be considered limiting or exclusive.

[0046] The vehicle 102 may also include an air flow unit 240, a light unit 122, the mats 108, and one or more valves that may be configured to enable or disable the flow of pressurized air from the air flow unit 240 to the mats 108 and / or the surrounding environment. In some aspects, the air flow unit 240 may be part of a vehicle turbocharger system (e.g., a conventional or existing vehicle turbocharger system), and may be, for example, an electric supercharger unit. Figure 3 and Figure 4 An example view of a vehicle turbocharger system connected to the pad 108 is depicted in FIG.

[0047] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the vehicle turbocharger system may include an air filter 302, a mechanical turbine 304, a bypass compressor 306, an air cooler 308, a vehicle intake manifold 310, and an air flow unit 240. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that during vehicle movement or when the vehicle 102 requires thrust, air may be drawn into the vehicle turbocharger system by the mechanical turbine 304 via the air filter 302 (e.g., by using waste heat) and / or the air flow unit 240 (e.g., by using vehicle battery energy). The drawn air may be compressed by the compressor 306 and cooled by the air cooler 308 before being fed into the vehicle intake manifold 310 to provide thrust to the vehicle 102. Since the operation of the vehicle turbocharger system is known in the art, it will not be described in detail here.

[0048] In some aspects, the vehicle 102 may further include a first valve 312, a second valve 314, a third valve 316, a pneumatic tube 318, and an exhaust tube 320, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown. The pneumatic tube 318 can connect the air flow unit 240 with the inner part of the cushion (e.g., via the left end / edge of the cushion), and can be configured to transfer pressurized air from the air flow unit 240 to the inner part of the cushion so that the pressurized air can be blown parallel to the cushion plane. The second valve 314 can be disposed on the pneumatic tube 318 and between the air flow unit 240 and the inner part of the cushion, as shown. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown. The second valve 314 can be configured to move between an open position and a closed position. In some aspects, when the second valve 314 can be in the open position, the second valve 314 can enable pressurized air to flow from the air flow unit 240 to the interior portion of the cushion, and when the second valve 314 can be in the closed position, the second valve can prohibit pressurized air from flowing from the air flow unit 240 to the interior portion of the cushion.

[0049] Similar to the second valve 314, the first valve 312 may also be configured to move between an open position and a closed position. When the first valve 312 may be in the open position, the first valve 312 may enable pressurized air to flow from the air flow unit 240 to the vehicle intake manifold 310 (via the air cooler 308), and when the first valve 312 may be in the closed position, the first valve may prohibit pressurized air from flowing from the air flow unit 240 to the vehicle intake manifold 310.

[0050] The exhaust tube 320 may be connected to the inner portion of the cushion, for example, at an end / edge of the cushion 108, which may be opposite to the cushion end / edge to which the pneumatic tube 318 may be attached. As an example, the exhaust tube 320 may be attached to the right cushion end / edge, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some aspects, exhaust duct 320 can be a portion of pneumatic duct 318. In other aspects, exhaust duct 320 can be distinct from pneumatic duct 318. Exhaust duct 320 can be configured to exhaust or output pressurized air received from the interior portion of the cushion (which the interior portion of the cushion receives from air flow unit 240) to the surrounding environment.

[0051] In some aspects, the third valve 316 can be disposed on the exhaust duct 320 and configured to move between an open position and a closed position. When the third valve 316 can be in the open position, the third valve 316 can enable the exhaust duct 320 to output pressurized air from the cushion interior portion to the surrounding environment, and when the third valve 316 can be in the closed position, the third valve can prohibit the pressurized air from being discharged from the exhaust duct 320 to the surrounding environment. In some aspects, when the third valve 316 can be in the closed position, the pressurized air can escape from the cushion interior portion or be output to the surrounding environment via the plurality of through-holes 118.

[0052] As described above, the vehicle 102 may also include a unit 212. According to some aspects, the unit 212 may be integrated with and / or executed as part of the ECU 214. The unit 212, whether it is integrated with the vehicle computer 208 or the ECU 214, or whether it operates as a standalone computing system in the vehicle 102, may include a transceiver 242, a processor 244, and a computer-readable memory 246.

[0053] The transceiver 242 may be configured to receive information / input from one or more external devices or systems (e.g., user device 202, server 204, etc.) via the network 206. In addition, the transceiver 242 may transmit notifications, requests, signals, etc. to the external devices or systems. In addition, the transceiver 242 may be configured to receive information / input from vehicle components (such as, VCU 210, etc.). In addition, the transceiver 242 may transmit signals (e.g., command signals) or notifications to vehicle components, such as BCM 220, infotainment system 238, etc.

[0054] The processor 244 and the memory 246 can be the same or similar to the processor 216 and the memory 218, respectively. In some aspects, the processor 244 can utilize the memory 246 to store programs and / or store data in code form to perform various aspects according to the present disclosure. The memory 246 can be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores object cleaning program code.

[0055] In operation, when the user 104 may be approaching the vehicle 102 (or near the pad 108), the vehicle sensing system 232 may detect the presence of the user 104 near the vehicle 102. The processor 244 may obtain input from the vehicle sensing system 232 and may determine the presence of the user near the vehicle 102 based on the input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 232. In response to determining the presence of the user near the vehicle 102, the processor 244 may transmit a command signal to the BCM 220 and cause the light unit 122 to illuminate via the BCM 220. As described above in conjunction with Figure 1 As described, the illuminated light unit may provide an indication to the user 104 that the user 104 should clean the shoes 106 before entering the vehicle 102. The illuminated light unit may also facilitate the user 104 to position the mat 108 in the vehicle exterior portion.

[0056] When the user 104 stands on the mat 108 (specifically, on the top wall 110) wearing the shoe 106 or places the shoe 106 on the top wall 110 to clean the shoe 106, the vehicle sensing system 232 can detect the presence of an object (e.g., the shoe 106) on the top wall 110. The processor 244 can obtain input from the vehicle sensing system 232 and can determine the presence of the object on the top wall 110 based on the input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 232. In some aspects, when the processor 244 determines the presence of the object on the top wall 110, the processor 244 can determine that a triggering event may have occurred. The triggering event can indicate to the processor 244 that the user 104 may desire the mat 108 to clean the object (i.e., the shoe 106) placed on the top wall 110.

[0057] Although the above description describes aspects in which the processor 244 determines that a triggering event may have occurred when the processor 244 determines the presence of an object on the top wall 110, the present disclosure is not limited to such aspects. In additional or alternative aspects, the processor 244 may determine that a triggering event may have occurred when the processor 244 obtains a command signal or request from the user 104 to clean the shoes 106 by using the pad 108. In some aspects, the user 104 may transmit a command signal or request to the transceiver 242 via the user device 202, the infotainment system 238, a key fob (not shown) associated with the vehicle 102, etc. The processor 244 may obtain the command signal or request from the transceiver 242, and may determine that a triggering event may have occurred in response to obtaining the command signal / request from the transceiver 242.

[0058] In response to determining that a triggering event may have occurred, the processor 244 may transmit a command to the BCM 220 to cause the air flow unit 240 to blow pressurized air into the interior portion of the cushion. Specifically, in response to determining that a triggering event may have occurred, the processor 244 may activate the air flow unit 240 via the BCM 220 to move the first valve 312 to a closed position, and to move the second valve 314 and the third valve 316 to an open position.

[0059] In response to activating the air flow unit 240, the air flow unit 240 may begin to generate pressurized air. Since the first valve 312 may be in a closed position, the pressurized air may not enter the vehicle intake manifold 310 (via the air cooler 308). In addition, since the second valve 314 may be in an open position, the pressurized air generated by the air flow unit 240 may move toward the interior portion of the mat via the pneumatic tube 318 and the left edge of the mat. The pressurized air may then flow through the mat body along the length of the mat and exit the interior portion of the mat via the exhaust tube 320 (because the third valve 316 may be in an open position) to the surrounding environment, such as Figure 3 As shown by arrow 322 in FIG.

[0060] As pressurized air may flow through the pad body along the length of the pad and below the top wall 110, ambient air above the top wall 110 may be drawn or pumped into the interior portion of the pad due to the venturi effect, such as Figure 3324 in the figure. The ambient air drawn into the interior portion of the pad may also bring in debris, dust, sand, etc. that may be on the shoe 106, thereby promoting shoe cleaning. The ambient air with debris can enter the interior portion of the pad and can be pushed toward the exhaust pipe 320 by the flow of pressurized air entering the interior portion of the pad via the pneumatic tube 318. The exhaust pipe 320 can then output the ambient air with debris to the surrounding environment, where the debris may be collected in a garbage bag or fall on the ground. In this way, the processor 244 can achieve shoe cleaning by controlling the operation of the air flow unit 240 and the first valve 312, the second valve 314, and the third valve 316.

[0061] As described above, the vehicle sensing system 232 may also be configured to detect the amount of debris on the object / shoe 106 and geographic area conditions (e.g., road conditions) associated with the geographic area where the vehicle 102 may be located. The processor 244 may obtain input from the vehicle sensing system 232 when the shoe 106 may be placed on the mat 108 or the user 104 may stand on the mat 108 wearing the shoe 106. The processor 244 may also obtain weather condition information associated with the geographic area where the vehicle 102 may be located from the server 204.

[0062] In some aspects, the processor 244 may be configured to control the air flow unit operation (e.g., operation time duration, duty cycle, power, etc.) based on input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 232 and weather condition information obtained from the server 204. As an example, the processor 244 may determine the amount of debris that is on the shoe 106 based on input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 232 when the shoe 106 may be placed on the pad 108 and the pad 108 may draw or suck debris into the inner portion of the pad (as described above), and the processor 244 may control the air flow unit operation based on the determined amount of debris. Specifically, the processor 244 may determine an optimal duration to operate / activate the air flow unit 240 based on the amount of debris that is on the shoe 106. For example, the processor 244 may activate the air flow unit 240 for a duration until no debris may remain on the shoe 106 (determined based on input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 232).

[0063] The processor 244 may also determine the optimal duration for operating / activating the air flow unit 240 based on the road conditions and / or weather condition information that the vehicle 102 may be in. As an example, when the road conditions indicate that the road may be dusty, muddy, or may have a thick layer of snow, the processor 244 may operate / activate the air flow unit 240 for a longer duration because the shoes 106 may be dirtier or may have more debris when the user 104 walks on such a road. As another example, when the weather condition information indicates that it may be snowing or raining, the processor 244 may operate / activate the air flow unit 240 for a longer duration.

[0064] In other aspects, the processor 244 can determine the optimal air pressure of the pressurized air output by the air flow unit 240 and entering the interior portion of the pad based on the amount of debris on the shoe 106, road conditions, and / or weather condition information. The processor 244 can also control the air flow unit operation and / or valve operation based on the determined optimal air pressure. For example, when the amount of debris on the shoe 106 may be high, the processor 244 can increase the pressure associated with the pressurized air. As another example, when the road conditions indicate that the road may be dusty, muddy, or may have a thick layer of snow, the processor 244 can increase the pressure associated with the pressurized air. As yet another example, when the road may be clear (no dust or minimal dust) and / or the weather condition information indicates that the weather in the geographic area where the vehicle 102 may be located is clear, the processor 244 can reduce the pressure and / or reduce the duration of operating the air flow unit 240.

[0065] Although the above description describes aspects in which the processor 244 controls the air flow unit operation based on the amount of debris on the shoe 106, road conditions, and / or weather condition information, in other aspects, the processor 244 can control the air flow unit operation based on the shoe size. For example, when the shoe size may be smaller, the processor 244 can reduce the air flow unit operation duration and / or air pressure. In other aspects, the air flow unit operation duration can be timer-based (i.e., can operate for a fixed duration), and the operation duration can be customizable / adjustable by the user 104.

[0066] In some aspects, the processor 244 can also enable the pad 108 to self-clean when the processor 244 determines that one or more through-holes 118 may be blocked (based on input obtained from the vehicle sensing system 232), or when the processor 244 obtains a request from the user 104 to clean the pad 108. In some aspects, the user 104 can transmit a request to clean the pad 108 to the transceiver 242 via the user device 202 or the infotainment system 238. The processor 244 can obtain the request from the transceiver 242.

[0067] In response to obtaining a request from the user 104 or determining that one or more of the through-holes 118 may be blocked, the processor 244 may activate the mat cleaning mode. In this mode, the processor 244 may first transmit an audible and / or visual notification to the user 104 (via the user device 202 and / or the infotainment system 238), requesting the user 104 to move away from the mat 108. The processor 244 may then transmit a command signal to the BCM 220 and cause the first valve 312 and the third valve 316 to close and the second valve 314 to open. The processor 244 may also activate the air flow unit 240.

[0068] In response to activating the air flow unit 240, the air flow unit 240 may generate pressurized air. Since the first valve 312 may be closed, the pressurized air may not flow to the vehicle intake manifold 310. In addition, since the second valve 314 may be open, the pressurized air may flow into the interior portion of the cushion via the pneumatic tube 318 and the left edge of the cushion. In addition, since the third valve 316 may be closed, the pressurized air may not exit into the surrounding environment via the exhaust tube 320. Instead, in this case, the pressurized air may exit into the surrounding environment via the plurality of through holes 118 (e.g., Figure 4 402 in the figure), thereby unclogging and cleaning the pad 108. In this way, the processor 244 achieves pad cleaning by using the same air flow unit 240 used to clean the shoe 106.

[0069] Figure 5 A flow chart of an example object cleaning method 500 according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 5 The following process is exemplary and is not limited to the steps described below. Furthermore, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps than shown or described herein, and may include the steps in an order different from that described in the example embodiments below.

[0070] The method 500 begins at step 502. At step 504, the method 500 may include detecting, by the processor 244, that a triggering event may have occurred. As described above, the processor 244 may detect that a triggering event may have occurred when the processor 244 determines the presence of an object (e.g., the presence of a shoe) on the top wall 110. The processor 244 may also detect that a triggering event may have occurred when the processor 244 obtains a command signal or request from the user 104 to clean the shoe 106 by using the pad 108.

[0071] At step 506 , method 500 may include causing, by processor 244 , air flow unit 240 to blow pressurized air into the interior portion of the pad to enable shoe cleaning through pad 108 , in response to detecting that a triggering event may have occurred, as described above.

[0072] Method 500 may end at step 508 .

[0073] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of the above disclosure, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present disclosure can be practiced. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in this specification to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but each embodiment may not necessarily include the specific features, structures, or characteristics. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when features, structures, or characteristics are described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, those skilled in the art will recognize such features, structures, or characteristics in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0074] In addition, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be performed in one or more of the following: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and programs described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to specific system components. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components that have different names but the same function.

[0075] It should also be understood that the word "example" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting in nature. More specifically, the word "example" as used herein indicates one of several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is placed on the specific example described.

[0076] Computer-readable media (also referred to as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) media that participate in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. A computing device may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0077] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes may be practiced by performing the described steps in an order different from that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of the processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0078] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Upon reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but should be determined with reference to the entire scope of the appended claims and equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and expected that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and change.

[0079] Unless explicitly indicated to the contrary in this article, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meanings as understood by the skilled person described herein. Specifically, unless the claim states an explicit limitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as "one", "the", "said" and the like should be interpreted as describing one or more of the indicated elements. Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood in other ways within the context when used, conditional language such as, in particular, "can", "may", "can" or "may" is generally intended to express that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements and / or steps, while other embodiments may not include certain features, elements and / or steps. Therefore, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require each feature, element and / or step in any way.

[0080] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a pad is provided in a vehicle exterior portion including at least one of a pedal bar, a bumper, and a cargo box.

[0081] According to the present invention, a method for cleaning an object includes: a trigger event is detected by a processor; and the processor causes an air flow unit of a vehicle to blow pressurized air into an inner part of a pad in response to detecting the trigger event, wherein: the pad includes a top wall, a bottom wall, and a plurality of through holes arranged in the top wall; the air flow unit is configured to blow pressurized air into the inner part of the pad parallel to the plane of the pad; and when the air flow unit blows pressurized air into the inner part of the pad, the surrounding air near the top wall is pulled toward the inner part of the pad via the plurality of through holes.

[0082] In one aspect of the invention, the method comprises determining the presence of an object on the ceiling wall based on input obtained from a sensor unit, wherein detecting the triggering event comprises determining the presence of the object on the ceiling wall.

[0083] In one aspect of the invention, the method includes obtaining a command signal from a user device or a key fob associated with a vehicle, wherein detecting a triggering event includes obtaining the command signal.

[0084] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, which has instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: detect a trigger event; and in response to detecting the trigger event, cause an air flow unit of the vehicle to blow pressurized air into an inner portion of a pad of a pad, wherein: the pad includes a top wall, a bottom wall, and a plurality of through holes arranged in the top wall; the air flow unit is configured to blow pressurized air into the inner portion of the pad parallel to the plane of the pad; and when the air flow unit blows pressurized air into the inner portion of the pad, ambient air near the top wall is pulled toward the inner portion of the pad via the plurality of through holes.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a pad, the pad comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, and a plurality of through holes disposed in the top wall; an air flow unit configured to blow pressurized air in the interior portion of the mat, wherein the pressurized air is blown parallel to a plane of the mat; as well as a processor communicatively coupled to the air flow unit, wherein the processor is configured to: A triggering event is detected; and causing the air flow unit to blow the pressurized air in the interior portion of the cushion in response to detecting the triggering event, When the air flow unit blows the pressurized air in the cushion inner portion, ambient air near the top wall is pulled toward the cushion inner portion via the plurality of through holes.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the air flow unit is part of a vehicle turbocharger system.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor unit, wherein the sensor unit is configured to: detecting the presence of a user near the vehicle; detecting the presence of an object on the top wall; detecting an amount of debris located on the object; and A geographic area condition associated with a geographic area in which the vehicle is located is detected.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the object is a user's shoe.

5. The vehicle of claim 3, further comprising a light unit disposed proximate to the pad, wherein the processor is further configured to: obtaining input from said sensor unit; determining the presence of a user near the vehicle based on the input; and The light unit is illuminated in response to determining the presence of the user.

6. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to: obtaining input from said sensor unit; and The presence of the object on the top wall is determined based on the input, wherein the processor detects the triggering event when the processor determines the presence of the object on the top wall.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to: In response to determining the presence of the object on the top wall, determining at least one of the amount of debris on the object and the geographic area condition based on the input; determining at least one of an optimal duration for blowing the pressurized air in the interior portion of the mat and an optimal air pressure associated with the pressurized air based on at least one of the amount of debris and the geographic area conditions; and The air flow unit is caused to blow the pressurized air in the cushion interior portion based on the at least one of the optimal duration and the optimal air pressure.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a pneumatic tube connecting the cushion interior portion and the air flow unit, wherein the pneumatic tube is configured to transfer the pressurized air from the air flow unit to the cushion interior portion such that the pressurized air blows parallel to the cushion plane; as well as a first valve disposed in the pneumatic tube between the air flow unit and the cushion interior portion, wherein when the first valve is open, the first valve enables pressurized air to flow from the air flow unit to the cushion interior portion, and wherein when the first valve is closed, the first valve prohibits pressurized air from flowing from the air flow unit to the cushion interior portion.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the processor causes the air flow unit to blow the pressurized air in the cushion interior portion by activating the air flow unit and causing the first valve to open.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising an exhaust duct connected to the interior portion of the mat and a second valve disposed in the exhaust duct, wherein the exhaust duct is configured to output the pressurized air to an ambient environment when the second valve is open, and wherein the exhaust duct is configured to prohibit discharge of the pressurized air to the ambient environment when the second valve is closed.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein when the second valve is closed, the pressurized air exits through the plurality of through holes to the ambient environment.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: obtaining a request from a user to clean the pad; closing the second valve and opening the first valve in response to receiving the request; and The air flow unit is caused to blow the pressurized air in the cushion interior portion in response to closing the second valve and opening the first valve.

13. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain a command signal from a user device or a key fob associated with the vehicle, and wherein the processor detects the triggering event when the processor obtains the command signal.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the pad interior portion is hollow.

15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the mat is disposed in an interior portion of the vehicle.

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