Patent ID: 11897437
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  A  F | IPC A  B  F

Claim 0:
1. A method, comprising:
responsive to receiving a request for cleaning an interior of a vehicle, activating an ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) system, operating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, and further operating one or more heated surfaces that include electronically controlled heating elements, radiant panels, and/or fibers, during heating of the interior, to heat the interior above an upper threshold temperature for a first threshold duration; wherein the HVAC system includes a blower configured to generate air flow through the HVAC system, a heating component configured to receive the air flow from the blower, delivery ducting fluidically coupling the heating component to the interior, and a blend door configured to adjust a ratio of hot air to cold air provided to the delivery ducting, and operating the HVAC system to heat the interior above the upper threshold temperature for the first threshold duration comprises:
operating the blower at maximum speed;
generating the hot air at the heating component;
flowing the hot air from the heating component to the interior via the delivery ducting;
setting a position of the blend door to maximize the ratio of the hot air to the cold air provided to the delivery ducting; and
operating the delivery ducting in a floor mode.