Sensor assembly

Abstract

A sensor assembly includes a housing having an airfoil shape and including a pressure surface and a suction surface, a sensor attached to the housing and disposed on the suction surface, and a nozzle attached to the housing and directed toward the sensor. The vehicle may include an exterior panel, and the sensor assembly may be attached to the exterior panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a sensor assembly. Background Art

[0002] Vehicles (e.g., autonomous vehicles) typically include a variety of sensors. Some sensors detect internal states of the vehicle, such as wheel speed, wheel direction, and engine and transmission variables. Some sensors detect the position and / or orientation of the vehicle, such as global positioning system (GPS) sensors; accelerometers such as piezoelectric or microelectromechanical systems (MEMS); gyroscopes such as rate, ring laser, or fiber gyroscopes; inertial measurement units (IMUs); and magnetometers. Some sensors detect the external world, such as radar sensors, scanning laser rangefinders, light detection and ranging (LIDAR) devices, and image processing sensors (e.g., cameras). Summary of the invention

[0003] According to the present invention, there is provided a sensor assembly, comprising:

[0004] a casing having an airfoil shape and comprising a pressure surface and a suction surface;

[0005] a sensor attached to the housing and disposed on the suction surface, and

[0006] A nozzle is attached to the housing and is directed toward the sensor.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the invention, the housing is attachable to a vehicle.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the invention, wherein the suction surface faces downwards when the housing is attached to the vehicle.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the housing further comprises a lamp attached to the housing.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lamp is arranged on the suction surface of the housing.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lamp is a door-controlled step lighting lamp.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the housing includes an attachment end.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the light is closer to the attachment end than the sensor.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the attachment end is attachable to a vehicle, and when the attachment end is attached to the vehicle, the light is further downward than the sensor.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the invention, wherein when the attachment end is attached to the vehicle, the light is oriented more straight down than the sensor.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor comprises a lens and the nozzle is positioned to spray the liquid over the entire lens.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the housing comprises an attachment end, and the nozzle is further away from the attachment end than the sensor.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor is a camera.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the camera comprises a fisheye lens.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the suction surface comprises a protruding portion on which the sensor is arranged.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor protrudes from the suction surface.

[0022] According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle, comprising:

[0023] External panels;

[0024] a shell extending from the outer panel, the shell having an airfoil shape and including a pressure surface and a suction surface;

[0025] a sensor attached to the housing and disposed on the suction surface; and

[0026] A nozzle is attached to the housing and is directed toward the sensor.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the invention, the vehicle further comprises a door comprising the outer panel.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the invention, the suction surface faces downwards and the pressure surface faces upwards.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the invention, the nozzle is further away from the outer panel than the sensor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional image of the vehicle;

[0031] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle including a sensor assembly;

[0032] Figure 3 is a stereogram of the sensor assembly;

[0033] Figure 4 It is the front view of the sensor assembly;

[0034] Figure 5 The housing of the sensor assembly is along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5;

[0035] Figure 6 is a diagram of a cleaning system for a sensor assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The sensor assembly includes a housing having an airfoil shape and including a pressure surface and a suction surface; a sensor attached to the housing and disposed on the suction surface; and a nozzle attached to the housing and directed toward the sensor.

[0037] The housing may be attached to a vehicle. When the housing is attached to the vehicle, the suction surface may face downward.

[0038] The sensor assembly may include a light attached to the housing. The light may be disposed on a suction surface of the housing. The light may be a door step lighting light. The housing may include an attachment end. The light may be closer to the attachment end than the sensor. The attachment end may be attached to the vehicle, and when the attachment end is attached to the vehicle, the light may be further downward than the sensor. When the attachment end is attached to the vehicle, the light may be oriented more directly downward than the sensor.

[0039] The sensor may include a lens, and the nozzle may be positioned to spray liquid across the lens. The housing may include an attachment end, and the nozzle may be further away from the attachment end than the sensor.

[0040] The sensor may be a camera. The camera may include a fisheye lens.

[0041] The suction surface may include a protruding portion on which the sensor is disposed.

[0042] The sensor may protrude from the suction surface.

[0043] The vehicle includes an outer panel, a shell extending from the outer panel, a sensor attached to the shell, and a nozzle attached to the shell. The shell has an airfoil shape and includes a pressure surface and a suction surface. The sensor is disposed on the suction surface, and the nozzle is directed toward the sensor.

[0044] A vehicle may include a door including an exterior panel.

[0045] The suction surface may face downward and the pressure surface may face upward. The nozzle may be further away from the outer panel than the sensor.

[0046] The sensor assembly described herein facilitates cleaning of the sensor, and thus can allow the sensor to continue to provide useful data and / or more accurately detect the external environment through which the vehicle moves after being completely or partially contaminated or covered with dirt, debris, dust, water, ice, condensation, etc. The sensor assembly utilizes airflow and gravity from a moving vehicle having the sensor assembly, reducing the need to use liquids and / or compressed gases to clean the sensor. In addition, the shape of the housing of the sensor assembly creates a low pressure area across the sensor, which helps remove water, dust, debris, etc. Further, the arrangement of the sensor assembly can avoid the need for the vehicle to have side mirrors, reducing the cost and components of the vehicle. The design of the sensor assembly provides easy assembly and maintenance access.

[0047] refer to Figure 1 , the vehicle 30 may be an autonomous vehicle. The computer may be configured to operate the vehicle 30 independently of human driver intervention (either completely or to a lesser extent). The computer may be programmed to operate the propulsion, braking system, steering, and / or other vehicle systems. For purposes of this disclosure, autonomous operation means that the computer controls the propulsion, braking system, and steering; semi-autonomous operation means that the computer controls one or two of the propulsion, braking system, and steering, and the driver controls the rest; and non-autonomous operation means that the human driver controls each of the propulsion, braking system, and steering.

[0048] The vehicle 30 includes a body 32. The vehicle 30 may be of a body-on-frame construction, where the frame and body 32 of the vehicle 30 are a single component. Alternatively, the vehicle 30 may be of a body-on-frame construction, where the frame supports the body 32 as a separate component from the frame. The frame and body 32 may be formed of any suitable material, such as steel, aluminum, etc.

[0049] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The vehicle body 32 includes a plurality of exterior panels 34, 36. The exterior panels 34, 36 are disposed outside the vehicle 30 and may have a finished exterior surface. At least one of the exterior panels 34, 36 (hereinafter referred to as a first exterior panel 34) is included in a door 38. The door 38 may be a front door. The door 38 may include a window 40.

[0050] The housing 42 may be attached to the vehicle 30, and more specifically, to the first exterior panel 34 of the door 38. The housing 42 may be positioned closer to the window 40 than to the bottom of the door 38 or the vehicle 30, and the housing 42 may be positioned closer to the front edge 44 of the door 38 than to the rear edge 46 of the door 38. The front edge 44 of the door 38 is positioned at the front of the door 38 relative to the vehicle 30, and the rear edge 46 of the door 38 is positioned at the rear of the door 38 relative to the vehicle 30. The housing 42 may be positioned on the door 38 in place of the vehicle 30 including a side view mirror. The housing 42 extends from the first exterior panel 34.

[0051] refer to Figure 3 The housing 42 may be attached to the first exterior panel 34 of the door 38 via the attachment end 48 ( Figure 3 The housing 42 includes an attachment end 48, and the attachment end 48 can be attached to the vehicle 30, such as to the outer panel 34. The attachment end 48 can be attached to the first outer panel 34 via a press fit, via an adhesive, by a tab, via a fastener, etc.

[0052] The housing 42 extends from the first outer panel 34, specifically, from an attachment end 48 attached to the first outer panel 34. The housing 42 may include an inclined portion 50 extending upward and outward from the attachment end 48 relative to the vehicle 30, and the housing 42 may include a horizontal portion 52 extending outward from the inclined portion 50 relative to the vehicle 30. The housing 42 is thus elongated along a bent shape (i.e., a shape having two longitudinal portions connected at an obtuse angle).

[0053] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 5, the shell 42 has an airfoil shape and includes a pressure surface 54 and a suction surface 56. For the purposes of this disclosure, an airfoil shape is a shape that, when moving in a direction of travel, generates an aerodynamic force perpendicular to the direction of travel. The direction of travel in the context of this document is generally the direction of travel of the vehicle 30. For the purposes of this disclosure, the pressure surface 54 is the side of the airfoil shape that experiences higher pressure, and the suction surface 56 is the side of the airfoil shape that experiences lower pressure. The pressure surface 54 and the suction surface 56 extend from a leading edge 58 of the shell 42 to a trailing edge 60. The leading edge 58 is the leading edge relative to the vehicle 30, and the trailing edge 60 is the trailing edge relative to the vehicle 30. When the vehicle 30 is moving forward, air moves from the leading edge 58 to the trailing edge 60 relative to the shell 42. In the direction opposite to the direction of travel, the length from any point on the leading edge 58 to the trailing edge 60 is longer for the suction surface 56 than for the pressure surface 54. When the vehicle 30 moves, airflow opposite the direction of travel is faster over the suction surface 56 than over the pressure surface 54, and the air pressure is lower along the suction surface 56 than along the pressure surface 54. The air pressure along the suction surface 56 may be lower than the air pressure along, for example, the first exterior panel 34. The suction surface 56 may face downward relative to the vehicle 30, and the pressure surface 54 may face upward relative to the vehicle 30.

[0054] The housing 42 may include a top member 62 and a bottom member 64. The top member 62 and the bottom member 64 may be fastened together using, for example, tamper-proof fasteners that require special tools. The top member 62 and the bottom member 64 may be connected at the leading edge 58 and at the trailing edge 60. The top member 62 and the bottom member 64 may be any suitable durable and rigid material, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. The top member 62 and the bottom member 64 may be formed by injection molding. The pressure surface 54 may be on the outside of the top member 62, and the suction surface 56 may be on the outside of the bottom member 64. The pressure surface 54 on the top member 62 and the suction surface 56 on the bottom member 64 may be finished to match the exterior of the exterior panels 34, 36, for example to match the exterior paint of the vehicle 30.

[0055] refer to Figure 2-4 , the suction surface 56 may include a protrusion 66. The protrusion 66 extends outwardly from the housing 42, away from the rest of the suction surface 56 that interfaces with the protrusion 66. A sensor 68 may be attached to the housing 42 and disposed on the suction surface 56. The sensor 68 may thus protrude from the suction surface 56. The protrusion 66 and the sensor 68 may be disposed on the horizontal portion 52 of the bottom member 64 of the housing 42.

[0056] refer to Figure 4 , the sensor 68 may be oriented at least partially downward relative to the vehicle 30. The sensor 68 may point in a direction A; in other words, the sensor 68 may have a field of view AA with the direction A centered in the field of view AA. The direction A may be at an angle α to the direction D that is directly downward, and the angle α may be an acute angle. The field of view AA may include the direction D. The sensor 68 may be oriented at least partially outward relative to the vehicle 30, i.e., away from the vehicle 30. The direction A may point directly downward away from the vehicle 30 at an angle α to the direction D.

[0057] refer to Figure 2-4 , sensor 68 can detect the outside world. For example, sensor 68 can be a radar sensor, a scanning laser rangefinder, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device, or an image processing sensor. For a specific example, sensor 68 can be a camera. Sensor 68 can include lens 70. Specifically, if sensor 68 is a camera, lens 70 can be a fisheye lens. Lens 70 can have a hydrophobic coating. Sensor 68 can communicate with a computer and provide data to the computer for the computer to autonomously or semi-autonomously operate vehicle 30.

[0058] The light 72 can be attached to the housing 42. The light 72 can be disposed on the suction surface 56 of the housing 42. The light 72 can be closer to the attachment end 48 and the first exterior panel 34 than the sensor 68, and when the attachment end 48 is attached to the vehicle 30, the light 72 can be farther downward relative to the vehicle 30 than the sensor 68. The light 72 can be disposed on the inclined portion 50 of the bottom member 64 of the housing 42.

[0059] refer to Figure 4 , the light 72 can be oriented at least partially downward relative to the vehicle 30. The light 72 can point in direction B; in other words, the light 72 can have a beam BB with direction B at the center. Direction B can be at an angle β with direction D that is straight down, and angle β can be an acute angle. Beam BB can include direction D. The light 72 can be oriented at least partially outward relative to the vehicle 30, that is, away from the vehicle 30. Direction B can point straight down away from the vehicle 30 at an angle β with direction D. And when the attachment end 48 is attached to the vehicle 30, the light 72 can be oriented more straight down than the sensor 68; in other words, angle β can be less than angle α.

[0060] refer to Figure 2-4, the lamp 72 may be any lighting system suitable for illuminating the roadway next to the vehicle 30, including tungsten, halogen, high-intensity discharge (HID) such as xenon, light-emitting diode (LED), laser, etc. For example, the lamp 72 may be a gated step lamp, i.e., a lamp oriented to illuminate the ground next to the vehicle 30.

[0061] refer to Figure 6 , the cleaning system 74 of vehicle 30 includes a reservoir 76, a pump 78, a compressor 80, a supply line 82 and one or more nozzles 84. The cleaning system 74 distributes the cleaning fluid stored in the reservoir 76 and the compressed air from the compressor 80 to the nozzle 84. "Cleaning fluid" refers to any liquid stored in the reservoir 76 for cleaning. The cleaning fluid can include solvents, detergents, diluents (such as water), etc. The reservoir 76, pump 78 and nozzle 84 are fluidly connected to each other in sequence (that is, the fluid can flow from one to another). The compressor 80 and the nozzle 84 are fluidly connected to each other.

[0062] The reservoir 76 may be a tank that can be filled with a liquid (e.g., washer fluid for cleaning). The reservoir 76 may be disposed at the front of the vehicle 30, specifically, in the engine compartment in front of the passenger compartment. The reservoir 76 may store washer fluid that is used only to supply the nozzle 84, or may also be used for other purposes (e.g., to supply to the windshield).

[0063] The pump 78 may force the washer fluid through the supply line 82 to the nozzle 84 with sufficient pressure to cause the washer fluid to be ejected from the nozzle 84. The pump 78 is fluidly connected to the reservoir 76. The pump 78 may be attached to the reservoir 76 or disposed in the reservoir 76.

[0064] Compressor 80 increases the pressure of the gas by reducing the volume of the gas or forcing additional gas into a constant volume. Compressor 80 can be any suitable type of compressor, for example, a positive displacement compressor such as a reciprocating compressor, an ionic liquid piston compressor, a rotary screw compressor, a rotary vane compressor, a rolling piston compressor, a scroll compressor, or a diaphragm compressor; a dynamic compressor, such as a bubble compressor, a centrifugal compressor, a diagonal flow compressor, a mixed flow compressor, or an axial flow compressor; or any other suitable type.

[0065] A supply line 82 extends from the compressor 80 and from the pump 78 to the nozzle 84. The supply line 82 may be, for example, a flexible tube.

[0066] refer to Figure 2-46, the cleaning system 74 includes one or more nozzles 84, and is depicted in the figures as including one nozzle 84. The nozzle 84 is attached to the housing 42 and directed toward the sensor 68. The nozzle 84 is positioned to spray liquid or output gas over substantially the entire lens 70 of the sensor 68, or to spray or output liquid or gas over substantially the entire lens 70 of the sensor 68. The nozzle 84 can be positioned farther from the first outer panel 34 and the attachment end 48 than the sensor 68, and the nozzle 84 can be directed inward relative to the vehicle 30. The nozzle 84 can be positioned on the horizontal portion 52 of the bottom member 64 of the housing 42, specifically, on the protrusion 66. The nozzle 84 can be positioned on the suction surface 56.

[0067] The present disclosure has been described in an illustrative manner, and it should be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than limitation. "Substantially" as used herein means that the size, duration, shape or other adjective may vary slightly from that described due to physical defects, power outages, variations in processing or other manufacturing, etc. In view of the above teachings, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible, and the present disclosure may be implemented in ways other than those specifically described.

Claims

1. A sensor assembly, comprising: a housing having an airfoil shape including an outer pressure surface and an outer suction surface, the airfoil shape generating a force perpendicular to the direction of travel when moving in the direction of travel, the outer suction surface being subjected to a lower pressure than the outer pressure surface; a sensor attached to the housing and disposed on the external suction surface; as well as A nozzle is attached to the housing and directed toward the sensor.

2. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The housing is attachable to a vehicle and the exterior suction surface faces downward when the housing is attached to the vehicle. 3 . The sensor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a light attached to the outer suction surface of the housing.

4. The sensor assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The lamp is a door-controlled step lighting lamp.

5. The sensor assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The housing includes an attachment end, and the light is closer to the attachment end than the sensor.

6. The sensor assembly according to claim 5, wherein: The attachment end is attachable to a vehicle, and when the attachment end is attached to the vehicle, the light is further downward than the sensor.

7. The sensor assembly according to claim 6, wherein: When the attachment end is attached to the vehicle, the light is oriented straighter downward than the sensor.

8. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor includes a lens, and the nozzle is positioned to spray liquid across the lens.

9. The sensor assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The housing includes an attachment end, and the nozzle is further away from the attachment end than the sensor.

10. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor is a camera.

11. The sensor assembly according to claim 10, wherein: The camera includes a fisheye lens.

12. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The external suction surface includes a protruding portion on which the sensor is disposed.

13. The sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The sensor protrudes from the outer suction surface.

14. A vehicle comprising: External panels; and A sensor assembly according to any one of claims 1-13 attached to the outer panel.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 further comprising a door containing the exterior panel.

16. A vehicle comprising: External panels; a shell extending from the outer panel, the shell having an airfoil shape, the airfoil shape including an outer pressure surface and an outer suction surface, the airfoil shape generating a force perpendicular to the direction of travel when moving in the direction of travel, the outer suction surface being subjected to a lower pressure than the outer pressure surface; a sensor attached to the housing and disposed on the external suction surface; as well as A nozzle is attached to the housing and directed toward the sensor.

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