Ultrasonic Protective Screen Cleaning for Optical Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical monitoring devices, particularly in vehicles, are impaired by precipitation such as rain, snow, and condensation, leading to delayed or incomplete detection of safety information, which is critical for safe vehicle control.
Innovation Solution
The optical monitoring device is equipped with an acoustically coupled ultrasonic transducer that generates ultrasound waves to rapidly clear the protective screen of precipitation, using piezoelectric elements to optimize cleaning efficiency and frequency distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a protective screen is provided to safeguard the lens, then the lens is protected from damage, but visibility is impaired by precipitation accumulating on the screen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies ultrasonic vibration to the protective screen through piezoelectric elements or magnetostrictive elements. These elements generate high-frequency mechanical vibrations that create standing waves on the screen surface, producing cavitation effects that rapidly remove precipitation, condensation, and ice without mechanical contact, thus maintaining lens protection while eliminating visibility impairment.
Solution Approach 2:
The ultrasonic vibration induces phase transitions in the precipitation on the protective screen. The mechanical energy from the vibrations causes ice to melt and water to evaporate through localized heating and cavitation effects, transforming the precipitation from a visible obstructing state to an removed state, thereby clearing the screen while preserving the protective function.
2Ease of operation
If conventional windshield wipers are used to clean the camera field of view, then the screen is cleaned, but partial ice or condensation buildup occurs in the camera field of view which occupants may not notice
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical wiper system with an ultrasonic vibration system. Instead of using mechanical blades that physically scrape the screen, piezoelectric or magnetostrictive elements generate high-frequency vibrations that create standing waves and cavitation, non-contactly removing precipitation. This substitution eliminates the problem of incomplete cleaning in the camera field of view while maintaining ease of operation through automated ultrasonic activation.
3Productivity
If the protective screen is cleaned using surrounding wipers, then the entire surface is cleaned, but the camera field of view may still have residual precipitation and the cleaning process is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cleaning function from the conventional mechanical wiper system and implements it directly on the protective screen through integrated ultrasonic elements. By placing piezoelectric or magnetostrictive elements on the screen surface, the cleaning action is localized and targeted precisely where needed, including the camera field of view area, eliminating the need for complex surrounding wiper mechanisms while achieving complete cleaning coverage.
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 system effectively removes precipitation from the field of view by vaporizing and moving moisture away, ensuring clear visibility and reliable information for the control system, even in harsh conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the protective screen is acoustically coupled to at least one ultrasonic transducer
Implementation Method 2
allows for particularly rapid achievement of a clear view through the protective screen, as the ultrasonic transducers can be efficiently focused on the field of view
Implementation Method 3
using piezoelectric elements to optimize cleaning efficiency and frequency distribution
Data Source
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AI summary
For an optical monitoring system for environmental monitoring with an optical monitoring device whose field of view or scan is captured by a lens, and a protective screen (12; 14; 114, 214; 314; 112; 218; 318) that protects the lens from precipitation and covers at least the field of view or scan of the monitoring device, it is proposed according to the invention that the protective screen (12; 14; 114, 214; 314; 112; 218; 318) is acoustically coupled to at least one ultrasonic transducer (10; 10 aj; 1611; 1612; 1711 - 1718), characterized in that an edge distance (1430) of the at least one transducer (10; 10 aj; 1611; 1612; 1711 - 1718) is a fraction or multiples of the wavelength of the sound waves generated by the at least one transducer (10; 10 aj; 1611; 1612; 1711 - 1718).