Sensor cleaning system

• US 10,569,746 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Schmidt, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr, Michael E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ayalew, Tinsae B
• Application Number:
  US15/458,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20180265048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 134 56 R
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/12 Brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/143 Wipes
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 1/165 Scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 13/00 Accessories or details of general applicability for machines or apparatus for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 5/02 Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0818 including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/46 using liquid; Windscreen washers
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/542 using wiping devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/566 including wiping devices B60S1/563, B60S1/583 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/30 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/151 Gas blown
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/152 Scraping; Brushing; Moving band
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/157 Monitoring by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1793 Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/15 Preventing contamination of the components of the optical system or obstruction of the light path
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/534 by measuring transmission alone, i.e. determining opacity
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2007/4977 including means to prevent or remove the obstruction

Abstract

A system includes a sensor base, a sensor cover having a window that is rotatably mounted to the base. The system includes a contacting cleaner and a contactless cleaner. The system further includes a processor that is programmed to actuate, first, the contactless cleaner and, then, upon determining that opacity of the window exceeds a predetermined threshold after actuation of the contactless cleaner, the contacting cleaner.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computer that includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions such that the processor is programmed to;

actuate, first, a contactless cleaner upon determining that an opacity of a window of a cover of a sensor exceeds a first predetermined threshold, and, then, after actuation of the contactless cleaner and upon determining that opacity of the window exceeds a second predetermined threshold that is different than the first predetermined threshold, a contacting cleaner;

determine a change in a rotational speed of the cover upon actuation of the contacting cleaner; and

cause an adjustment to interpretation of data from the sensor according to the changed rotational speed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the contactless cleaner includes an air nozzle directed to the window or a cleaning fluid spray nozzle directed to the window.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the contacting cleaner includes a wiper mechanically connected to an actuator, and the processor is further programmed to actuate the actuator to move the wiper to a window contacting position.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the contacting cleaner has a contactless position and a window contacting position, and the contacting cleaner physically touches the window in a window contacting position.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein an electromechanical actuator is mechanically coupled to the contacting cleaner, wherein the processor is further programmed to actuate the electromechanical actuator to move the contacting cleaner from the contactless position to the window contacting position.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the contactless cleaner is a first contactless cleaner, and the processor is further programmed to:

actuate the first contactless cleaner; and

then actuate a second contactless cleaner upon determining that the opacity of the window exceeds a third predetermined threshold after actuation of the first contactless cleaner.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further programmed to actuate the second contactless cleaner upon determining that the opacity of the window exceeds the first predetermined threshold after actuation of the first contactless cleaner for a predetermined time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the contactless and the contacting cleaners are mounted to the cleaning arm that is mounted to a sensor base.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to deactivate a sensor excitation source upon actuation of the contacting cleaner.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to actuate the contacting cleaner based at least in part on a rotational position of the window.

11. A system, comprising:

a sensor base;

a sensor cover including a window and rotatably mounted to the base;

a contacting cleaner and a contactless cleaner; and

a processor programmed to;

actuate, first, the contactless cleaner and, then, upon determining that opacity of the window exceeds a predetermined threshold after actuation of the contactless cleaner, the contacting cleaner;

determine a change in a rotational speed of the cover upon actuation of the contacting cleaner; and

cause an adjustment to interpretation of data from a sensor according to the changed rotational speed.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the contacting cleaner has a contactless position and a window contacting position, and the contacting cleaner physically touches the window in a window contacting position.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising an electromechanical actuator mechanically coupled to the contacting cleaner, wherein the processor is further programmed to actuate the electromechanical actuator to move the contacting cleaner from the contactless position to the window contacting position.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the contactless cleaner is a first contactless cleaner and the system further includes a second contactless cleaner, and the processor is further programmed to:

actuate the first contactless cleaner; and

then actuate the second contactless cleaner upon determining that the opacity of the window exceeds a predetermined threshold after actuation of the first contactless cleaner.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further programmed to actuate the second contactless cleaner upon determining that the opacity of the window exceeds a predetermined threshold after actuation of the first contactless cleaner for a predetermined time.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a cleaning arm mounted to the sensor base, wherein the contactless and the contacting cleaners are mounted to the cleaning arm.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further programmed to deactivate a sensor excitation source upon actuation of the contacting cleaner.