GM has filed a patent application for a self-cleaning LED display technology.
The GM patent filing has been assigned application number US 11,579,340 B2 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and was published on February 14th, 2023. The patent was originally filed on November 11th, 2020, and lists several Michigan-based engineers as the inventors, including Thomas A. Seder, James A. Carpenter, Kai-Han Chang, and Gayatri V. Dadheech.
The patent describes a display system that incorporates an array of LEDs (light emitting diodes) that emit red, green, blue, and violet light. While the red, green, and blue LEDs are visible to the human eye, the violet light is not.
The patent goes on to describe the system as incorporating a photocatalytic coating on a transparent material that covers the display. The photocatalytic coating includes a photo-catalyst that is responsive to ultraviolet radiation, such as is present in both sunlight and the violet light emitted by the display LEDs. There’s also a controller that is configured to turn on the violet LEDs and activate the photo-catalyst in the photocatalytic coating of the transparent material. The net effect of this system is a method of self-cleaning that will help to protect the user from the possible transmission of bacteria and viruses.
This technology has obvious applications for vehicles, including human-pilot vehicles, but also GM’s self-driving vehicles that may go an extended period of time without human maintenance. However, as the GM patent points out, this technology also has numerous applications beyond vehicles, such as “computers, mobile devices, televisions, kiosks, teller machines, and household applications.”
In related news, GM previously filed to patent a system of antimicrobial vehicle cabin surfaces, including a patent that pertains to antimicrobial metallic touch surfaces, and another patent that pertains to antimicrobial surfaces or self-cleaning / self-sanitizing surfaces. The patents were published last September, per previous GM Authority coverage.
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Comments
If I understand this correctly and If this works in keeping the dirt & dust off the instrument panel I’m All In! I’m a little OCD, can’t stand seeing dust on the displays! Maybe that’s just ME……
The way I understand it is it will not removed dust or fingerprints. It will just kills Bacteria and Virus with UV light.
Yes and I hope without causing skin cancers with the ultra violet lights! Think nail salons, tanning beds, etc…n ow in the car? Hope not! I can see law suites down the road by people who suddenly get skin cancers and never supposedly been at those other places but always in their Caddy….LOL!
@manjunk,
Are you one of those who wear tin foil caps on their heads when using a cellphone?
What’s next self washing vehicles?
Dman, I’m all for self washing cars. So, let’s dissect this, If you own the car that has this and your so germophobic why not just wipe the screen with Lysol spray and a paper towel. Most ATM’s are inside a bank or a store so the numbered keys are sterile but the money is still dirty and you still have to get out of the bank/store. Computers, cell phones, household appliances, really. Isn’t cheaper to just wash your hands or use Purell. If someone has sh!t on there fingers and you touch computer keys and you pay more money for ultraviolet light the sh!t on the keys are now sterile, but you still have sh!t on your fingers. Am I missing something here?
Exactly
Years ago when I worked for Isuzu in Tokyo, they developed a self cleaning exterior that was very effective. Unfortunately it was so toxic during the application process, that no plant could incorporate it.
Just what this 70 year old BABYBOOMER has been waiting for all my life.
well, hang around another 10 years.
If you do some searching about GM you will find they invented more technology than any other mfg.
Most of todays tech in the automotive world was brought to the public by GM and now used by all other MFGs.
So, during the China virus there were people who were buying those little UV lights so they can shine it on food, mail, packages, key boards anything they wanted to “disinfect” ironically those lights were Made in China. UV light has been used for decades to kill Bacteria, I don’t know who discovered that but I would bet that it was some one in a pharmaceutical lab.
Magnetic ride suspension comes to mind. A GM invention now found in FERRARI, LAND ROVER and FORD to name a few.
I have u v light attached to my furnace
Years ago when I worked for Isuzu in Tokyo, they developed a self cleaning exterior that was very effective. Unfortunately it was so toxic during the application process, that no plant could incorporate it.