IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,161,774
Granted Patent B2
US 12,161,774 · App. 17/307,372 · Granted Dec 10, 2024

Apparatus and method for disinfection of object

Inventor: Brant Candelore (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
A61L2/24A61L2/10A61L2202/11A61L2202/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,161,774
App. No.
17/307,372
Granted
Dec 10, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus is provided for disinfection of an object. The apparatus includes a rotatable platform, a reflective surface on the rotatable platform, and a transmissive base to carry the object. The apparatus acquires information associated with the object, which includes one of a size of the object, a relative position, or an angular orientation of the object with respect to an ultraviolet light source. The apparatus determines one or more control parameters based on the acquired information, which includes one of a distance between the transmissive base and the reflective surface, a time period, or a speed of rotation of the rotatable platform. Based on the one or more control parameters, the apparatus controls a movement of the transmissive base and the rotation of the rotatable platform, to cause the reflective surface to reflect an ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet light source onto the object, via the transmissive base.

Claims (40)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a rotatable platform configured to rotate about a first axis;

a reflective surface on the rotatable platform;

a transmissive base configured to carry an object, wherein

the transmissive base is movable along a direction of the first axis, and

the transmissive base is rotatably engaged with the rotatable platform through connecting members; and

circuitry configured to:

acquire information associated with the object, wherein the information associated with the object comprises at least one of a size of the object, a relative position of the object with respect to an ultraviolet light source, or an angular orientation of the object with respect to the ultraviolet light source;

determine one or more control parameters based on the acquired information associated with the object, wherein the one or more control parameters comprise at least one of a distance between the transmissive base and the reflective surface along the first axis, a time period of rotation of the rotatable platform, or a speed of the rotation of the rotatable platform; and

control, based on the determined one or more control parameters, a movement of the transmissive base along the direction of the first axis and the rotation of the rotatable platform, to cause the reflective surface to reflect an ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet light source onto the object, via the transmissive base.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reflective surface and the transmissive base are coaxial with the rotatable platform.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the distance between the transmissive base and the reflective surface along the first axis based on the controlled movement of the transmissive base.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an actuator configured to move the transmissive base along the direction of the first axis, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the actuator to change the distance between the transmissive base and the reflective surface.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the ultraviolet light source is an ultraviolet lamp,

the circuitry is further configured to transmit a control signal to the ultraviolet light source based on the determined one or more control parameters,

the control signal is configured to control a parameter associated with the ultraviolet light source, and

the parameter comprises at least one of an emission time of the ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet light source, an angular orientation of the emitted ultraviolet light, a wavelength of the emitted ultraviolet light, or an intensity of the emitted ultraviolet light.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a first sensor configured to detect the information associated with the object, wherein

the circuitry is communicably coupled to the first sensor, and

the circuitry is further configured to:

control the first sensor to detect the at least one of the size of the object, the relative position of the object with respect to the ultraviolet light source, or the angular orientation of the object with respect to the ultraviolet light source; and

acquire the information associated with the object based on the detection by the first sensor.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a second sensor configured to measure an intensity of the ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet light source, wherein

the circuitry is communicably coupled to the second sensor, and

the circuitry is further configured to:

acquire the measured intensity of the ultraviolet light from the second sensor; and

control at least one of the time period of the rotation of the rotatable platform or the speed of the rotation of the rotatable platform based on the acquired intensity.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

determine an emission time of the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source based on at least one of the acquired intensity or a wavelength of the emitted ultraviolet light; and

control at least one of the time period of the rotation of the rotatable platform or the speed of the rotation of the rotatable platform based on the determined emission time.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

acquire information associated with the ultraviolet light source, wherein the information associated with the ultraviolet light source comprises at least one of a location of the ultraviolet light source, an angular orientation of the ultraviolet light source with respect to the reflective surface, or a wavelength of the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source; and

determine, based on the acquired information associated with the ultraviolet light source, the one or more control parameters.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transmissive base comprises an ultraviolet transmissive material.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the reflective surface has a concave surface, and

the concave surface is configured to reflect the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source as a focused beam on the object.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotatable platform comprises an actuator configured to control at a tilt of the transmissive base about a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the rotation of the rotatable platform to be one of a continuous rotation or a cyclic rotation.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2021
From: CANDELORE, BRANT
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057076/0748 →
Continuity (1)
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