Autonomous Vehicle Windshield LiDAR Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current LiDAR sensors used in autonomous vehicles are aesthetically unpleasing, space-consuming, and vulnerable to damage when integrated into car designs, and existing glass configurations do not allow sufficient infrared signal transmission for new generation LiDAR sensors to operate effectively.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a LiDAR sensor into a windshield with a glass sheet having a low absorption coefficient in the infrared range (1051 nm to 1650 nm) and an infrared filter, allowing for high infrared transmission and minimal design changes, while maintaining safety and aesthetic appeal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional windshield glass is used, then thermal comfort is improved through athermic coating, but infrared transmission for LiDAR is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The windshield is divided into two functional zones: a first zone with an infrared filter for thermal comfort and a second zone without the filter for LiDAR transmission. This segmentation allows each zone to independently fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The infrared filter is applied selectively only to the first zone of the windshield, leaving the second zone free of the filter. This local quality approach ensures that thermal comfort is maintained in the driver's view area while LiDAR signals can pass through the sensor zone with sufficient intensity.
2Measurement precision
If LiDAR sensors are mounted externally on car body, then detection capability is improved, but aesthetic appearance and space utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The LiDAR sensor is merged with the windshield structure by integrating it into the second zone of the glass. This combination eliminates the need for separate external mounting structures, maintaining the car's aesthetic appearance while preserving full detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The windshield serves multiple functions: it provides thermal comfort through the infrared filter in the first zone, allows LiDAR operation through the filter-free second zone, and structurally houses the LiDAR sensor. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional external components.
3Device complexity
If LiDAR sensors are embedded in bumpers or headlight systems, then integration is improved, but vulnerability to damage and climatic conditions worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The LiDAR sensor is positioned within the windshield structure, which serves as a protective barrier against external damage and climatic conditions. This prior protection approach shields the sensitive sensor from stones, debris, and environmental exposure before they can cause harm.
Solution Approach 2:
The LiDAR sensor is nested within the windshield assembly, with the glass structure acting as a protective outer layer. This nesting arrangement protects the sensor while maintaining its functional integration into the vehicle's front structure.
4Temperature
If glass with high infrared absorption is used, then thermal comfort is improved, but LiDAR signal transmission intensity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The windshield is segmented into zones with different infrared transmission properties, allowing the overall glass to maintain thermal comfort functionality while providing a specific pathway for LiDAR signal transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The infrared filter is applied with local quality - present in the first zone for thermal comfort, absent in the second zone for LiDAR transmission - ensuring that signal intensity is maintained where needed while preserving thermal regulation elsewhere.
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 precise 3D mapping of surroundings for autonomous vehicle navigation, preventing collisions and optimizing data transmission with uniform intensity and reduced bandwidth usage, while maintaining thermal comfort and aesthetic considerations.
Implementation Method 1
a at least one glass sheet having an absorption coefficient lower than 5 m−1 in the wavelength range from 1051 nm to 1650 nm
Implementation Method 2
an infrared filter
Implementation Method 3
LiDAR (acronym of Light Detection And Ranging)... LiDAR is a technology that measures distance by illuminating a target with an infrared (IR) laser light
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns an automotive glazing comprising (i) at least one glass sheet having an absorption coefficient lower than 5 m−1 in the wavelength range from 1051 nm to 1650 nm and having an external face and an internal face, and (ii) an infrared filter. According to the present invention, an infrared-based remote sensing device in the wavelength range from 1051 nm to 1650 nm, is placed on the internal face of the glass sheet in a zone free of the infrared filter layer.