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US 10,647,173 B2Granted
Vehicle sensor temperature control
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsMahmoud Yousef Ghannam, Aed M. Dudar, Venkatesh Krishnan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle includes an exterior surface, a sensor disposed on the exterior surface, a passenger cabin fixed relative to the exterior surface, a duct receiving airflow from the passenger cabin, and a valve disposed in the duct and movable between a first position directing the airflow to the sensor and a second position directing the airflow outside the vehicle.
Claims19
A vehicle comprising:
- an exterior surface;
- a sensor disposed on the exterior surface;
- a passenger cabin fixed relative to the exterior surface;
- a duct receiving airflow downstream from the passenger cabin;
- and
- a valve disposed in the duct and movable between a first position directing the airflow to the sensor and a second position directing the airflow away from the passenger cabin and outside the vehicle.
3 more elements
A controller comprising a processor, the processor programmed to:
- instruct an actuator to move a valve of a vehicle to a first position upon determining that a temperature of a sensor is one of above and below a temperature threshold and that a pressure of the passenger cabin is above a pressure threshold, wherein the sensor is disposed on an exterior surface of the vehicle, and the valve is movable between the first position directing airflow from a passenger cabin of the vehicle to the sensor and a second position directing the airflow outside the vehicle.
A method comprising:
- instructing an actuator to move a valve of a vehicle to a first position upon determining that a temperature of a sensor is one of above and below a temperature threshold and that the passenger cabin is unoccupied, wherein the sensor is disposed on an exterior surface of the vehicle, and the valve is movable between the first position directing airflow from a passenger cabin of the vehicle to the sensor and a second position directing the airflow outside the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.