An apparatus and a method for cleaning glass used in cars or cameras are disclosed. Said cleaning apparatus comprises glass, multiple electrodes placed in series on top of said glass, a dielectric layer stacked on top of said electrodes, and a hydrophobic layer stacked on top of said dielectric layer and on whose surface a droplet forms. Here, said droplet moves towards the outer edge of said glass by application of differing direct current voltages to several of said electrodes.

A patterned conductor that includes a metal linear conductor positioned on one placement surface that has a main cut surface orthogonal to its longitudinal direction, a plurality of metal crystal grains. In the main cut surface of thereof, a metal crystal grain(s) having a length h.sub.0 along a normal direction to the placement surface, which length is larger than one third of a height H of the linear conductor along the normal direction to the placement surface. A minimum value of a ratio (h.sub.0/w.sub.0), which is a ratio of the length h.sub.0 of the metal crystal grain(s) along the normal direction to the placement surface with respect to a length w.sub.0 along the placement surface, is not less than 1.2.

A patterned conductor that includes a metal linear conductor positioned on one placement surface that has a main cut surface orthogonal to its longitudinal direction, a plurality of metal crystal grains. In the main cut surface of thereof, a metal crystal grain(s) having a length h.sub.0 along a normal direction to the placement surface, which length is larger than one third of a height H of the linear conductor along the normal direction to the placement surface. A minimum value of a ratio (h.sub.0/w.sub.0), which is a ratio of the length h.sub.0 of the metal crystal grain(s) along the normal direction to the placement surface with respect to a length w.sub.0 along the placement surface, is not less than 1.2.

A device (1) for eliminating deposits and/or precipitation on a substrate (10, 110) comprises at least one transducer (20, 120) captively connected to the substrate (10, 110) by a connection layer (30), wherein the connection layer (30) is arranged between the substrate (10, 110) and the transducer (20, 120). The invention provides for the connection layer (30) to comprise a connection material (31) and a filling material (32). Furthermore, an optical system for environment monitoring comprising an optical monitoring device comprising a lens and/or an observation window and the above device is provided, wherein the lens or the observation window is formed by the substrate.

A cleaning system for a vehicle includes a beam optics assembly that emits a laser beam to irradiate a region on a glass article of the vehicle, debris detection circuitry that detects debris accumulated over the region, and control circuitry. The control circuitry calibrates a set of parameters associated with the laser beam emitted from the beam optics assembly based on detection of the debris accumulated over the region on the glass article, controls an exposure level of the laser beam on the debris accumulated based on calibration of the set of parameters associated with the laser beam, wherein the exposure level is controlled based on pulsing the laser beam at a calibrated rate that limits penetration of the laser beam to a depth that is less than a thickness of the glass article, and removes the debris accumulated over the region on the glass article using the laser beam.

A cleaning system for a vehicle includes a beam optics assembly that emits a laser beam to irradiate a region on a glass article of the vehicle, debris detection circuitry that detects debris accumulated over the region, and control circuitry. The control circuitry calibrates a set of parameters associated with the laser beam emitted from the beam optics assembly based on detection of the debris accumulated over the region on the glass article, controls an exposure level of the laser beam on the debris accumulated based on calibration of the set of parameters associated with the laser beam, wherein the exposure level is controlled based on pulsing the laser beam at a calibrated rate that limits penetration of the laser beam to a depth that is less than a thickness of the glass article, and removes the debris accumulated over the region on the glass article using the laser beam.

A lighting assembly is presented herein. The lighting assembly includes a receptacle terminal having a connection portion defining an aperture configured to receive a corresponding plug terminal along a longitudinal axis and a terminal housing defining an opening and a cavity in which the connection portion is disposed. The connection portion is sized, shaped, and arranged within the cavity to be movable along a lateral axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

The disclosure describes systems and methods for controlling a heating element of a window of a vehicle. The systems and methods include capturing an image of the window with a camera of the vehicle. The image is analyzed to determine a state of the window and the heating element is controlled based on the state of the window.

An image pickup apparatus 100 has a casing; a camera unit configured to be disposed in the casing and hold a lens; a protecting member 140 configured to protect the camera unit; and a holding member configured to hold the protecting member 140 and to be rotatably held to the casing around a shaft serving as a central axis. The holding member is rotatable between a first position at which the protecting member 140 is fixed to the casing and a second position at which the protecting member 140 is attachable to and detachable from the casing.

Self-cleaning device and method using electrical oscillation and mechanical oscillation are disclosed. The self-cleaning device comprises at least one first electrode disposed on a solid material layer, a first dielectric layer disposed on the first electrode, a hydrophobic layer disposed on the first dielectric layer and at least one mechanical oscillation unit. Here, electrical oscillation for oscillating a droplet in a horizontal direction is generated by applying a first electric signal to the first electrode, thereby merging the droplets formed on the hydrophobic layer, and the mechanical oscillation unit moves the merged droplets in a specific direction or atomizes the merged droplets to remove the merged droplets by generating mechanical oscillation for oscillating the droplet in a vertical direction.