Vehicle Ranging Window Heater Control via Ambient Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ranging devices in vehicles face measurement accuracy issues due to snow adhesion on the cover, and existing solutions that use heaters to melt snow are prone to malfunction if the vehicle speed sensor fails, leading to incorrect electricity calculation for the heater.
Innovation Solution
A ranging apparatus with a light transmissive window and a controller that controls the heater's energization based on ambient temperature, allowing operation even if the vehicle speed sensor malfunctions, ensuring continuous snow melting and accurate distance measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the heater is controlled using both ambient temperature and vehicle speed, then the snow melting efficiency is improved, but the system reliability deteriorates when the vehicle speed sensor malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The control parameters are segmented into essential parameters (ambient temperature) and non-essential parameters (vehicle speed). The controller can operate using only the essential parameter when the non-essential parameter becomes unavailable, ensuring continuous functionality while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is designed in advance to handle the potential failure of the vehicle speed sensor. By preparing a fallback control mode that relies solely on ambient temperature, the system cushions against the reliability risk of sensor malfunction before it occurs.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the vehicle speed sensor is used for heater control, then the energy consumption is optimized, but the measurement precision of the ranging apparatus deteriorates when the sensor malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The control system separates the functions of energy optimization and measurement accuracy. By using only ambient temperature for heater control when the speed sensor fails, the system maintains measurement precision while still providing adequate snow melting functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that can switch between different control modes. When the vehicle speed sensor is functional, it uses both temperature and speed data for optimized control. When the sensor fails, it intermediates by using only temperature data, preventing the malfunction from affecting measurement accuracy.
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 solution ensures stable operation of the heater and maintains measurement accuracy by controlling energization using ambient temperature alone, preventing errors from vehicle speed sensor malfunctions and optimizing energy delivery.
Implementation Method 1
a heater which is configured to add heat to the transmissive window
Data Source
AI summary
A ranging apparatus is provided which is mountable to a vehicle and emits a transmit wave and receives a reflected wave arising from reflection of the transmit signal from an object to calculate a distance to the object. The ranging apparatus includes a light transmissive window, a heater, and a controller. The light transmissive window permits at least one of the transmit wave and the reflected wave to pass through. The heater works to add thermal energy to the light transmissive window. The controller uses an ambient temperature outside the ranging apparatus and a speed of the vehicle derived from a vehicle speed sensor to control energization of the heater. When the vehicle speed sensor is malfunctioning, the controller controls the energization of the heater as a function of the ambient temperature without use of the speed of the vehicle.