Heated Windshield Layout for Clear LiDAR and Camera Sensing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing windshields with integrated information acquisition devices, such as laser radars and cameras, face challenges in accurately emitting or receiving light due to fogging, which can lead to inaccurate distance calculations and information acquisition failures.

Innovation Solution

A windshield design featuring an outer and inner glass plate with an intermediate film containing a heat generation layer, including parallel heating wires with a trapezoidal cross-section and a specific wire width, arranged to ensure effective heat generation in the information acquisition region, preventing fogging and ensuring accurate light transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If heating wires are arranged in the information acquisition region to generate heat, then fogging prevention is improved, but the required amount of heat cannot be generated by merely arranging heating wires

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation acquisition accuracyVSAvoidheat generation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical parameters of the heating wires by specifying a wire width not larger than 10 μm and a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. These parameter changes optimize the balance between heat generation capability and light transmission, allowing sufficient heat to prevent fogging while maintaining information acquisition accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite structure combining multiple heating wires with specific geometric characteristics (trapezoidal cross-section, controlled wire width) arranged in the intermediate film. This composite approach enables cumulative heat generation from multiple thin wires to achieve the required temperature for fogging prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Power

If heating wires with larger wire width are used to generate sufficient heat, then heat generation capability is improved, but light transmission is blocked and information acquisition is inhibited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat generation capabilityVSAvoidlight transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the wire width parameter to not larger than 10 μm, which is sufficiently thin to allow light transmission for information acquisition devices while still generating adequate heat when multiple wires are arranged. The trapezoidal cross-sectional shape further optimizes the surface area-to-volume ratio for efficient heat generation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using a single thick heating wire that would block light, the patent segments the heating function into multiple thin wires (each ≤10 μm wide) arranged in parallel. This segmentation allows light to pass through the gaps between wires while collectively generating sufficient heat to prevent fogging.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Illumination intensity

If the wire width of heating wires is reduced to allow light transmission, then light transmission is improved, but the cross-sectional area decreases and heat generation capability is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight transmissionVSAvoidheat generation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the heating function into multiple segmented wires with small individual cross-sectional areas (wire width ≤10 μm). While each individual wire has small heat generation capability, the cumulative effect of multiple wires arranged in parallel achieves the required total heat generation while maintaining light transmission through the gaps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent specifies the wire width parameter (≤10 μm) and cross-sectional shape (trapezoidal) to optimize the balance between heat generation and light transmission. These parameter changes ensure that each wire is thin enough to allow light passage while the optimized geometry maximizes heat generation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

The windshield effectively generates heat to prevent fogging, allowing for accurate information acquisition and reliable operation of devices like laser radars and cameras, even in cold conditions.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of first heating wires that are connected in parallel so as to connect the bus bars to each other, and each of the heating wires has a wire width not larger than 10 μm

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Data Source

PatentEP3718983B1windshield
Publication Date: 2024.12.25 NIPPON SHEET GLASS CO LTD
  • EP3718983B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3718983B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3718983B1 patent drawingFigure 5(a)~5(b)

AI summary

Provided is a windshield that can generate heat such that information can be accurately acquired using an information acquisition device. A laminated glass according to the present invention is a windshield for an automobile to which an information acquisition device for acquiring information from the outside of a vehicle by emitting and/or receiving light can be installed, the windshield including an outer glass plate that includes a first side and a second side that is opposite to the first side, an inner glass plate that is arranged opposite to the outer glass plate and has substantially the same shape as the outer glass plate, and an intermediate film that is arranged between the outer glass plate and the inner glass plate. The windshield includes an information acquisition region that is to be located opposite to the information acquisition device and through which the light passes. The intermediate film includes at least one adhesive layer and a heat generation layer supported by the adhesive layer. The heat generation layer includes, at least in a region that corresponds to the information acquisition region, a pair of bus bars arranged such that the information acquisition region is interposed therebetween and a plurality of first heating wires that are connected in parallel so as to connect the bus bars to each other. Each of the heating wires has a wire width not larger than 10 µm.