Wiper timing and geometry to minimize sensor occlusion
AssigneeWaymo LLC
InventorsBenjamin Ingram, Eric Schmidt, Seth Gilbertson, Nicholas Wiles
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for clearing a sensor cover is described. The system includes a first sensor that rotates within a sensor cover, a plurality of second sensors that are fixed relative to the sensor cover, a first wiper that is configured to clear the sensor cover of debris, and a motor. The motor is capable of rotating the first wiper in a first direction at a first predetermined rotation rate defined at least in part by a second predetermined rotation rate of the first sensor.
Claims18
A method for operating a wiper system, the method comprising:
- determining, based on information related to a field of view of one or more cameras, a rotation rate of one or more wipers of the wiper system;
- and
- rotating the one or more wipers at the rotation rate such that the one or more wipers are not in the field of view of the one or more cameras while the one or more cameras are imaging.
A system for operating a wiper system, the system comprising:
- a sensor cover;
- one or more cameras;
- and
- one or more wipers,
- wherein the wiper system is configured to:
- determine a rotation rate for the one or more wipers based on information related to a field of view of the one or more cameras;
- cause the one or more wipers to rotate at the rotation rate such that the one or more wipers are not in the field of view of the one or more cameras while the one or more cameras are imaging.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.