Vehicle odor remediation

• US 10,246,103 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2017
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dudar, Aed M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berona, Kimberly S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US15/585,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20180319406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 700 97, 422 98, 422129, 4234371, 96115, 210638, 123523, 510179, 568913, 435 99, 454187, 4554563, 62 481, 73 3101, 236 44 A, 524 80, 4272481, 2505781, 235381
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00357 Air-conditioning arrangements specially adapted for particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/008 the input being air quality
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00821 the components being ventilating, air admitting or air distributing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/0085 Smell or pollution preventing arrangements B60H3/0007, B60H3/0071, B60H3/02, B60H3/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/00 Input parameters relating to occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2900/00 Indexing codes relating to the purpose of, or problem solved of road vehicle drive control systems not otherwise provided for in groups B60W30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A method includes detecting, based on a first location of a vehicle and weather data, a condition for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the vehicle. The first location is a current location of the vehicle. The process further includes determining that a level of VOCs in the vehicle is greater than a predetermined level. A second location is selected to expedite removal of the VOCs, and the vehicle is navigated to the second location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, based in part on a first location of a vehicle and weather data, a condition for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the vehicle, the first location being a current location of the vehicle;

determining that a first level of VOCs in the vehicle is greater than a predetermined level;

selecting a second location to expedite removal of the VOCs; and

navigating the vehicle to the second location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the condition for removing volatile organic compounds includes an intensity of sunlight above a predetermined intensity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition for removing volatile organic compounds includes the second location being within a predetermined distance of the first location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition for removing volatile organic compounds includes an ambient temperature above a predetermined temperature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the second location is based on an availability of sunlight with an intensity above a predetermined intensity at the second location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the second location is based on the second location being an outdoor location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a VOC removal operation including at least one of following actions:

(1) opening at least one window of the vehicle;

(2) activating at least one of a vehicle heater and a component heating element;

(3) activating a fan; and

(4) running an engine.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

recording one or more parameters related to the VOC removal operation, wherein the one or more parameters includes at least one of;

a period of time for the VOC for at least one of the actions of the VOC removal operation;

a temperature of an interior of the vehicle at one or more times during the VOC removal operation; and

an intensity of sunlight measured by a sensor in the vehicle during the VOC removal operation.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

estimating, based on the parameters, a second level of VOCs, the second level indicating a level of VOCs in the interior of the vehicle following the VOC removal operation.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a vehicle user requested volatile organic compound removal from the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a minimum time period for removing VOCs from a vehicle, wherein detecting the condition for removing VOCs from the vehicle is based in part on the minimum time period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the minimum time period for removing VOCs from the vehicle is based in part on a required time to heat an interior of the vehicle to a target temperature.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein detecting the condition for removing VOCs from the vehicle further includes determining that the vehicle is not scheduled to be used for a period of time greater than the minimum time period for removing VOCs from the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the condition for removing VOCs from the vehicle includes:

predicting an amount of time the vehicle is available for removing VOCs from the vehicle; and

determining that the predicted the amount of time available for removing VOCs from the vehicle is greater than the minimum time period for removing VOCs from the vehicle.

15. A computer, comprising a processor and a non-transitory memory, the memory storing instructions such that the computer is programmed to:

detect, based in part on a first location of a vehicle and weather data, a condition for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the vehicle, the first location being a current location of the vehicle;

determine that a first level of VOCs in the vehicle is greater than a predetermined level;

select a second location to expedite removal of the VOCs; and

navigate the vehicle to the second location.

16. The computer of claim 15 wherein the condition for removing volatile organic compounds includes an intensity of sunlight above a predetermined intensity.

17. The computer of claim 15, wherein the condition for removing volatile organic compounds includes an ambient temperature above a predetermined temperature.

18. The computer of claim 15, further programmed to execute a VOC removal operation including at least one of following actions:

(1) opening at least one window of the vehicle;

(2) activating at least one of a vehicle heater and a component heating element;

(3) activating a fan; and

(4) running an engine.

19. The computer of claim 18, further programmed to:

record one or more parameters related to the VOC removal operation, wherein the one or more parameters includes at least one of;

a period of time for the VOC for at least one of the actions of the VOC removal operation;

a temperature of an interior of the vehicle at one or more times during the VOC removal operation; and

an intensity of sunlight measured by a sensor in the vehicle during the VOC removal operation.

20. The computer of claim 19, further programmed to:

estimate, based on the parameters, a second level of VOCs, the second level indicating a level of VOCs in the interior of the vehicle following the VOC removal operation.