Acoustic Emission Sensor Control for Abrasion-Safe Wiper Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in accurately detecting environmental conditions such as rainfall and debris, which can degrade sensors and cause abrasive damage to optical surfaces, leading to inefficient cleaning methods that may damage the vehicle's components.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an acoustic emission-based device control system, where sensors mounted on wiper blade assemblies detect vibrations from particle collisions to calculate environmental parameters, allowing for precise operation and alternative cleaning methods to prevent abrasive damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wiper blade assemblies are activated to clean sensors and optical surfaces, then sensor visibility is maintained, but abrasive damage may occur to the sensors and optical surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic emission sensors detect environmental conditions (rain, debris) before the wiper blade assembly is activated. By identifying harmful particles in advance, the system can prevent wiper activation during conditions that would cause abrasive damage, while still maintaining sensor visibility through alternative cleaning methods or timely intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors acoustic emissions from particle collisions and uses this feedback to determine when to activate the wiper blade assembly. The feedback mechanism allows the system to distinguish between benign conditions (rain) and harmful conditions (debris with high collision energy), enabling selective activation that maintains reliability while preventing damage
2Measurement precision
If acoustic emission sensors are used to detect environmental conditions, then detection precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic emission sensors serve multiple functions: detecting rain, identifying debris, measuring particle collision energy, and triggering appropriate cleaning responses. By making the sensor system multi-functional, the patent achieves high measurement precision without proportionally increasing device complexity, as a single sensor type handles multiple detection tasks
Solution Approach 2:
The acoustic emission sensors automatically detect and characterize environmental conditions without requiring external intervention or complex processing systems. The sensors self-calibrate by measuring the acoustic signature of particle collisions, providing precise environmental detection through inherent physical principles rather than complex electronic systems
3Device complexity
If traditional cleaning methods are used without environmental detection, then device complexity is reduced, but harmful factors increase due to abrasive damage
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic emission detection system performs preliminary assessment of environmental conditions before cleaning is initiated. By detecting debris and high-energy particles in advance, the system can prevent cleaning operations that would cause abrasive damage, maintaining simple cleaning hardware while adding only a lightweight detection layer
Solution Approach 2:
The acoustic emission sensors act as an intermediary between the environment and the cleaning system. This intermediary layer provides critical information about environmental conditions without requiring complex cleaning mechanisms, enabling the system to avoid abrasive damage through intelligent control rather than hardware complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This system enables precise detection of environmental conditions, preventing abrasive damage to sensors and optical surfaces, and allows for real-time, fine control of vehicle operations, ensuring safe navigation and maintaining sensor visibility.
Implementation Method 1
acoustic emission based device control
Implementation Method 2
sensors mounted on wiper blade assemblies detect vibrations from particle collisions
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are methods for acoustic emission based device control. Some methods described also include receiving information associated with a first acoustic emission sensor, a second acoustic emission sensor, and a third acoustic emission sensor is received. In embodiments, the information corresponds to an event. In accordance with the first, second, and third acoustic emission sensor information, the first, second, and third timestamps, and a geometry of the surface, a unit vector is calculated from each acoustic emission sensor in the direction of the event's origin. Parameters are calculated based on the unit vectors. Systems and computer program products are also provided.