# US 12,181,608 B2 · Rotating sensor assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,608 B2 - Document ID: US12181608B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/159,479 - Filed: 2021-01-27 - Published: 2022-07-28 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2021-01-27 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Venkatesh Krishnan; Raghuraman Surineedi; Michael Robertson, Jr.; Rashaun Phinisee; Segundo Baldovino - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181608B2 ## CPC - G01S 7/4817: {relating to scanning} - G01S 7/4813: {Housing arrangements} - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - 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 sensor assembly includes a base, a housing mounted to the base and rotatable relative to the base around an axis in a direction of rotation, a sensing apparatus inside the housing and rotatable with the housing, and a sensor window extending from a point on the housing in a direction that is radially outward and circumferential relative to the axis. The sensor window is flat. The sensing apparatus has a field of view through the sensor window. An exterior surface of the sensor window faces in a direction that is radially outward and circumferentially in the direction of rotation relative to the axis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sensor assembly comprising: a base; a housing mounted to the base and rotatable relative to the base around an axis in a direction of rotation; a sensing apparatus inside the housing and rotatable with the housing; and a sensor window extending from a point on the housing in a direction that is radially outward and circumferential relative to the axis, the sensor window being flat; wherein the sensing apparatus has a field of view through the sensor window; an exterior surface of the sensor window faces in a direction that is radially outward and circumferentially in the direction of rotation relative to the axis; the housing includes an outer wall having a partial cylindrical shape extending circumferentially at a constant outer radius from the axis; and the sensor window is disposed farther from the axis than the outer radius of the outer wall. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a motor arranged to rotate the housing in the direction of rotation relative to the base. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer wall extends circumferentially around the axis for at least 90°. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor window extends from a point nearest the outer wall in the direction that is radially outward and circumferential relative to the axis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor window extends circumferentially around the axis for at most 45°. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor window is rectangular. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor window is one of at least one sensor window, and the at least one sensor window collectively extends circumferentially around the axis for at most 90°. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The sensor assembly of claim 7, wherein the at least one sensor window includes two sensor windows, and each of the sensor windows extends for at most 45°. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sensor assembly of claim 8, wherein the two sensor windows are rotationally symmetric by 180° around the axis with respect to each other. ### Claim 10 A sensor assembly comprising: a base; a housing mounted to the base and rotatable relative to the base around an axis in a direction of rotation; a sensing apparatus inside the housing and rotatable with the housing; and a sensor window extending from a point on the housing in a direction that is radially outward and circumferential relative to the axis, the sensor window being flat; wherein the sensing apparatus has a field of view through the sensor window; an exterior surface of the sensor window faces in a direction that is radially outward and circumferentially in the direction of rotation relative to the axis; the housing includes an outer wall having a partial cylindrical shape extending circumferentially at a constant outer radius from the axis; and the sensor window extends from a point nearest the outer wall in the direction that is radially outward and circumferential relative to the axis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The sensor assembly of claim 10, wherein the housing includes a window wall, the window wall has an opening in which the sensor window is positioned, the window wall is flat and parallel to the sensor window, and the window wall borders the outer wall. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the window wall extends in a direction tangent to the outer wall. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the sensor window is recessed in the window wall. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the housing includes a nonwindow wall, the nonwindow wall borders the window wall, and an exterior surface of the nonwindow wall faces in a direction that is radially outward and circumferentially away from the direction of rotation relative to the axis. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The sensor assembly of claim 14, wherein the outer wall, the window wall, and the nonwindow wall have a constant cross-section along the axis from a bottom of the sensor window to a top of the sensor window. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The sensor assembly of claim 14, wherein the outer wall, the window wall, and the nonwindow wall collectively extend 180° around the axis. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The sensor assembly of claim 16, wherein the sensor window is a first sensor window, the outer wall is a first outer wall, the window wall is a first window wall, the nonwindow wall is a first nonwindow wall, and the housing includes a second outer wall, a second window wall, and a second nonwindow wall that are rotationally symmetric by 180° around the axis with respect to the first outer wall, the first window wall, and the first nonwindow wall.