Photoluminescent disinfecting and charging bin

• US 9,583,968 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Muiter, James Hadley
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, JASON
• Application Number:
  US14/518,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20150137747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 362487-488, 362509-510
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/14 of electrically-heated lighters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition

Abstract

A charging and disinfecting tray for a vehicle is disclosed. The charging and disinfecting tray comprises a wireless charger for charging an electronic device and a lighting apparatus. The lighting apparatus comprises a disinfecting apparatus, which incorporates at least one photoluminescent indicator. A controller is in communication with the wireless charger and the lighting apparatus and is operable to control the photoluminescent indicator by initiating a sterilization operation with the disinfecting apparatus.

Claims

1. A charging and disinfecting tray for a vehicle comprising:

a wireless charger for charging an electronic device on the tray;

a lighting apparatus comprising a disinfecting apparatus comprising at least one photoluminescent indicator; and

a controller configured to control the wireless charger and the lighting apparatus and operable to activate the at least one photoluminescent indicator by initiating a sterilization operation with the disinfecting apparatus.

2. The charging and disinfecting tray according to claim 1, wherein the disinfecting apparatus comprises an ultraviolet light source configured to illuminate a first photoluminescent portion of the at least one photoluminescent indicator in a first color.

3. The charging and disinfecting tray according to claim 2, wherein the lighting apparatus further comprises a visible light source configured to provide ambient lighting for the tray.

4. The charging and disinfecting tray according to claim 3, wherein the visible light source is configured to illuminate a second photoluminescent portion of the at least one photoluminescent indicator in a second color different than the first color.

5. The charging and disinfecting tray according to claim 4, wherein the first photoluminescent portion comprises a first absorption range corresponding to the visible light source and the second photoluminescent portion comprises a second absorption range corresponding to the ultraviolet light source.

6. The charging and disinfecting tray according to claim 4, wherein the visible light source is configured to emit an emission having a third color different from the first color and the second color.

7. The charging and disinfecting tray according to claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to control an intensity of the emission from the visible light source to control an output color of light emitted from the tray.

8. The charging and disinfecting tray according to claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the output color of light emitted from the tray by selectively activating the visible light source blend the second color and the third color during the sterilization operation.

9. A charging tray for a vehicle comprising:

a wireless charger for charging an electronic device on the tray disposed in a disinfecting compartment;

a lighting apparatus comprising at least one photoluminescent indicator; and

a controller configured to control the wireless charger and the lighting apparatus and operable to control the lighting apparatus to output a color of light corresponding to a charge level of the electronic device.

10. The charging tray according to claim 9, wherein the lighting apparatus comprises a visible light source configured to excite a first photoluminescent portion of the photoluminescent indicator.

11. The charging tray according to claim 10, wherein the visible light source is configured to emit a first emission corresponding to a first color of light and the photoluminescent portion is configured to emit a second emission corresponding to a second color of light.

12. The charging tray according to claim 11, wherein controller is configured to adjust an intensity of the visible light source to selectively blend the first color with the second color to generate an output color emitted from the compartment.

13. The charging tray according to claim 12, wherein the output color emitted from the compartment corresponds to the charge level of the electronic device.

14. The charging tray according to claim 9, wherein the lighting apparatus further comprises a disinfecting apparatus comprising an ultraviolet light source.

15. The charging tray according to claim 9, wherein the at least one photoluminescent indicator comprises a second photoluminescent portion configured to be selectively excited in response to receiving an emission from the ultraviolet light source.

16. A charging and disinfecting tray for a vehicle comprising:

a wireless charger for charging an electronic device on the tray;

a lighting apparatus comprising a disinfecting apparatus comprising at least one photoluminescent indicator; and

a controller configured to control the wireless charger and the lighting apparatus and operable to activate the photoluminescent indicator by initiating a sterilization operation with the disinfecting apparatus.

17. The charging and disinfecting tray according to claim 16, wherein the lighting apparatus comprises a visible light source operable to emit a first emission corresponding to a first color.

18. The charging and disinfecting tray according to claim 17, wherein first emission is configured to excite a first photoluminescent portion of the photoluminescent indicator to output a second color of light.

19. The charging and disinfecting tray according to claim 18, wherein the disinfecting apparatus is configured to emit an ultraviolet emission of light configured to excite a second photoluminescent portion of the photoluminescent indicator to output a third color of light.

20. The charging and disinfecting tray according to claim 18, wherein the controller is further operable to selectively combine the second color and the third color to generate an output color corresponding to a status of at least one of the wireless charger, the disinfecting apparatus, and the electronic device.