The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 07, 2023
Filed:
Oct. 19, 2020
Ford Global Technologies, Llc, Dearborn, MI (US);
Alan Gutowski, Wixom, MI (US);
Curtis Jones, Wixom, MI (US);
Fred Koberstein, Troy, MI (US);
Stephen White, Saline, MI (US);
Peter Mitchell Lyon, Brighton, MI (US);
John Rollinger, Troy, MI (US);
Scott Thompson, Belleville, MI (US);
M. Scott Christensen, Canton, MI (US);
David Hancock, Flat Rock, MI (US);
Adam Richards, Royal Oak, MI (US);
Steve Skikun, Commerce Charter Township, MI (US);
Frank Fusco, Plymouth, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, while receiving power from an external power source and responsive to receiving a request for cleaning an interior of a vehicle, operating an electric heater of a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the interior above an upper threshold temperature for a first threshold duration using the power received from the external power source. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes while vehicle battery power and fuel are conserved by using power supplied from the external power source.