Described herein are sensor assembly cleaning systems and apparatuses that are adapted to rotate a transparent surface of a sensor assembly independently of a housing of the sensor assembly in order to disperse water, moisture, debris, or the like from the surface. The transparent surface may be a glass window that provides a camera of the sensor assembly with a field-of-view of an external environment. Sensor data captured from various on-board vehicle sensors such as moisture data, image data, vehicle velocity data, or the like can be evaluated against various criteria to determine when and for how long to rotate the transparent surface. Sensor data can be evaluated over a period of time to identify patterns or trends relating to one or more vehicle parameters. An activation schedule for initiating and ceasing rotation of the transparent surface can be determined based on such patterns/trends.

A wiper arrangement for a vehicle is configured for cleaning a sensor field of vision of a windshield and thereby has a wiping element and a carrier. The carrier can be fastened on the windshield. The wiping element is movably mounted on the carrier. The carrier, the wiping element and/or mounting elements acting between the carrier and the wiping element is/are configured so that the wiping element can assume at least one fixed holding position -relative to the carrier, and wherein the wiping element can be brought out of the fixed holding position at least by overcoming a defined holding force. Furthermore, the mounting of the wiping element on the carrier is selected such that the wiping element is always driven to assume at least one specific, preferably a first holding position or second specific holding position with respect to the carrier.

A wiper arrangement for a vehicle is configured for cleaning a sensor field of vision of a windshield and thereby has a wiping element and a carrier. The carrier can be fastened on the windshield. The wiping element is movably mounted on the carrier. The carrier, the wiping element and/or mounting elements acting between the carrier and the wiping element is/are configured so that the wiping element can assume at least one fixed holding position -relative to the carrier, and wherein the wiping element can be brought out of the fixed holding position at least by overcoming a defined holding force. Furthermore, the mounting of the wiping element on the carrier is selected such that the wiping element is always driven to assume at least one specific, preferably a first holding position or second specific holding position with respect to the carrier.

A vehicle monitoring apparatus including: a camera disposed in a vehicle lamp; a guide duct configured to guide outside air introduced into the vehicle; and a nozzle connected to the guide duct and configured to discharge the air to a front side of the camera, thereby improving stability and reliability.

A wiper control technique is provided that can prevent a windshield from being damaged by a falling wiper blade during a wiper parking operation, even when a wiper arm is in a retreat position where the blade is raised and held away from the windshield. In one embodiment, the wiper arm is stopped for a predetermined time interval at a predetermined pause position when the wiper arm is positioned above a parked position and at the retreat position during the wiper parking operation, while the wiper arm is being swung downward toward a lower reversal position. The pause position is a position at which the wiper arm is able to fall toward the windshield to return to a base position. After a lapse of the predetermined time interval, the wiper arm is swung to the parked position.

A Lidar system, a cleaning apparatus for the Lidar system and a method of operation. The cleaning apparatus cleans a surface of the Lidar system. The cleaning apparatus includes a nozzle and a processor. The nozzle discharges a gas at a surface of the Lidar system. The processor is configured to identify a type of debris on the surface, identify a cleaning mode for cleaning the surface based on the type of debris, select a nozzle velocity of the gas from the nozzle based on the cleaning mode, and operate the nozzle to discharge the gas at the nozzle velocity.

A vehicle control apparatus includes one or more electronic control units configured to execute autonomous traveling control of a vehicle based on detection results of a plurality of sensors, a cleaner configured to clean dirt off of at least one of the plurality of sensors. The one or more electronic control units are configured to determine, when cleaning of dirt of a first sensor is executed, whether or not execution of the autonomous traveling control can be continued based on a detection result of one or more remaining sensors among the plurality of sensors, control the vehicle such that a required detection range is narrowed in case it is determined that the execution of the autonomous traveling control cannot be continued, and control the cleaner such that the cleaner cleans dirt off of the first sensor while continuing the execution of the autonomous traveling control.

A windshield wiper cleaning assembly for dislodging debris from a wiper blade includes a housing that is attachable to a windshield wiper arm on a vehicle. A plunger unit is movably integrated into the housing and the plunger unit is urged outwardly from the housing when the plunger unit is turned on. The plunger unit abuts the windshield when the plunger unit is turned on thereby facilitating the arm of the windshield wiper to be urged away from the windshield. Moreover, the plunger is biased to retract into the housing after the plunger unit is turned on thereby facilitating a wiper blade on the windshield wiper arm to strike the windshield. In this way debris can be dislodged from the wiper blade.

A windshield wiper cleaning assembly for dislodging debris from a wiper blade includes a housing that is attachable to a windshield wiper arm on a vehicle. A plunger unit is movably integrated into the housing and the plunger unit is urged outwardly from the housing when the plunger unit is turned on. The plunger unit abuts the windshield when the plunger unit is turned on thereby facilitating the arm of the windshield wiper to be urged away from the windshield. Moreover, the plunger is biased to retract into the housing after the plunger unit is turned on thereby facilitating a wiper blade on the windshield wiper arm to strike the windshield. In this way debris can be dislodged from the wiper blade.

A precipitation index estimation apparatus includes an operation mode data collection unit and an estimation processing unit. The data collection unit is configured to collect operation mode data indicating an operation mode of a windshield wiper, acquired in one or more vehicles positioned in a predetermined area within a predetermined period. The estimation processing unit is configured to estimate a precipitation index indicating an intensity of precipitation in the predetermined area within the predetermined period, based on a proportion of each of a plurality of kinds of operation modes, which is derived from the collected operation mode data.