# US 11,451,765 B2 · System and method for determining when a sensor is polluted > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,451,765 B2 - Document ID: US11451765B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/158,430 - Filed: 2021-01-26 - Published: 2022-01-20 - Granted: 2022-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-16 - Assignees: DENSO International America, Inc.; Denso Corporation - Applicants: Denso International America, Inc.; Denso Corporation - Inventors: Shawn Hunt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451765B2 ## CPC - H04N 17/002: {for television cameras} - G01S 7/497: Means for monitoring or calibrating - G01S 17/86: Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - G01S 2007/4975: {of sensor obstruction by, e.g. dirt- or ice-coating, e.g. by reflection measurement on front-screen} - H04N 23/52: Elements optimising image sensor operation, e.g. for electromagnetic interference [EMI] protection or temperature control by heat transfer or cooling elements - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract A system includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor having one or more modules. The modules include instructions that cause the processor to receive first sensor information from a first sensor and second sensor information of a shared field of view. The instructions cause the processor to detect one or more objects within the shared field of view using the first sensor information and the second sensor information. When one or more discrepancies are identified between the one or more objects detected using the first sensor information and the one or more objects detected using the second sensor information are detected, the instructions that cause the processor to determine that the first sensor or the second sensor needs cleaning. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a processor; a memory in communication with the processor, the memory including a receiver module, an object detection module, and a pollution detection module; wherein the receiver module includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive first sensor information from a first sensor mounted to a vehicle having a first field of view, and receive second sensor information from a second sensor mounted to the vehicle having a second field of view, wherein at least a portion of the second field of view overlaps at least a portion of the first field of view to define a shared field of view; wherein the object detection module includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: determine a number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the first sensor information, and determine a number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the second sensor information; and wherein the pollution detection module includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine that one of the first sensor and the second sensor needs cleaning when there is a difference between the number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the first sensor information and the number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the second sensor information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive the first sensor information and receive the second sensor information when the vehicle is at a standstill. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the pollution detection module further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: determine if the number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the first sensor information is greater than the number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the second sensor information; and output a signal indicating that the second sensor needs cleaning. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are of different sensor types. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the first sensor is a LIDAR sensor and the second sensor is a camera sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are a same type of sensor. ### Claim 7 A method comprising the steps of: receiving first sensor information from a first sensor mounted to a vehicle having a first field of view; receiving second sensor information from a second sensor mounted to the vehicle having a second field of view, wherein at least a portion of the second field of view overlaps at least a portion of the first field of view to define a shared field of view; determining a number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the first sensor information; determining a number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the second sensor information; and determining that one of the first sensor and the second sensor needs cleaning when there is a difference between the number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the first sensor information and the number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the second sensor information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the steps of receiving the first sensor information and receiving the second sensor information are performed when the vehicle is at a standstill. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of: determining if the number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the first sensor information is greater than the number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the second sensor information; and outputting a signal indicating that the second sensor needs cleaning. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are of different sensor types. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first sensor is a LIDAR sensor and the second sensor is a camera sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are a same type of sensor. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to: receive first sensor information from a first sensor mounted to a vehicle having a first field of view; receive second sensor information from a second sensor mounted to the vehicle having a second field of view, wherein at least a portion of the second field of view overlaps at least a portion of the first field of view to define a shared field of view; determine a number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the first sensor information; determine a number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the second sensor information; and determine that one of the first sensor and the second sensor needs cleaning when there is a difference between the number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the first sensor information and the number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the second sensor information. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein receiving the first sensor information and receiving the second sensor information are performed when the vehicle is at a standstill. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: determine if the number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the first sensor information is greater than the number of objects detected within the shared field of view using the second sensor information; and output a signal indicating that the second sensor needs cleaning. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are of different sensor types. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first sensor is a LIDAR sensor and the second sensor is a camera sensor.