Windshield Camera Heating for Frozen Material Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Frozen material on vehicle windshields impedes the functionality of dashboard cameras, preventing clear image capture and requiring time to thaw upon vehicle startup.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system with a front-facing camera and heating elements, including infrared elements or transparent conductive layers, detects and locally heats the windshield to melt frozen material, with optional cleaning elements to remove melted material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle camera system is used to monitor through the windshield, then dashboard camera functionality is enabled, but frozen material on the windshield blocks clear image capture
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of frozen material on the windshield using the camera and image processing algorithms before the vehicle driver needs to use the camera. When frozen material is detected, the heating element is activated in advance to melt the ice, ensuring the camera is ready for immediate use without delay. This preliminary action prevents the harmful effect of frozen material blocking the camera view.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter of the windshield surface by activating a heating element when frozen material is detected. The heating element increases the local temperature of the windshield in the camera's field of view, transforming the physical state of frozen material from solid ice to liquid water, thereby restoring optical transparency and camera functionality.
2Productivity
If the vehicle is started to drive, then the vehicle can be operated, but time is needed to remove frozen material from the windshield
Solution Approach 1:
The system activates the heating element before the driver needs to use the camera, detecting frozen material through image processing and initiating the melting process in advance. This ensures that when the vehicle is started and the driver needs to monitor through the windshield, the frozen material has already been removed, eliminating the time loss that would otherwise be required to clear the windshield.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the vehicle's existing camera and heating systems to automatically detect and remove frozen material without requiring external assistance or manual intervention. The camera detects the frozen material, the processor determines heating is needed, and the heating element melts the ice, all automatically serving the windshield clearing function without driver action.
3Ease of operation
If heating elements are added to the windshield, then frozen material can be melted, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system makes the vehicle's existing heating element serve multiple functions: its primary function for passenger comfort and an additional function for clearing frozen material from the windshield in the camera's field of view. By controlling the heating element to operate locally in the camera's field of view when frozen material is detected, the system adds windshield clearing capability without requiring a completely separate heating system, thereby reducing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies heating locally to the specific region of the windshield in the camera's field of view rather than heating the entire windshield. The processor controls the heating element to target only the area where frozen material is detected, creating a localized heating zone that melts ice precisely where needed. This local application reduces energy consumption and minimizes the complexity of the heating control system compared to full windshield heating.
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
Enables continuous dashboard camera functionality during vehicle parking and immediate use upon startup by melting frozen material on the windshield.
Implementation Method 1
The heating element includes one or more infrared heating elements of the front-facing camera that are arranged around a lens of the front-facing camera. The one or more infrared heating elements are configured to emit infrared energy toward the portion of the windshield.
Implementation Method 2
The heating element includes one or more layers of transparent conductive material embedded in, or implemented on, the portion of the windshield.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes a windshield, a front-facing camera, a heating element, data processing hardware, and memory hardware. The camera is configured to capture image data through a portion of the windshield. The heating element is configured to locally heat the portion of the windshield. The memory hardware is in communication with the data processing hardware and stores instructions that, when executed on the data processing hardware, cause the data processing hardware to perform operations. The operations include determining whether frozen material is covering at least some of the portion of the windshield and, based on determining that frozen material is covering the at least some of the portion of the windshield, activating the heating element to locally heat the portion of the windshield to melt the frozen material covering the at least some of the portion of the windshield.