A system to localize debris on an optical surface of a vehicle includes a first array along a first side of a perimeter of the optical surface and including a light source to emit light into a thickness of the optical surface. A second array is along a second side of the perimeter, opposite the first side, and includes a light detector to detect light scatter in the thickness and provide a corresponding output. A third array is along a third side of the perimeter and includes a light source to emit light. A fourth array is along a fourth side of the perimeter, opposite the third side, and includes a light detector to detect light scatter and provide a corresponding output. A controller identifies a presence of the debris, determines a position of the debris based on the output from the light detectors, and remediates the debris.

A sensor system equipped with a vehicular cleaner comprising: a sensor configured to operate in a normal mode and a standby mode; a cleaner unit configured to clean the sensor in response to an operation signal output in accordance with a dirt determination result of the sensor; and a control unit configured to control the sensor and the cleaner unit. The sensor is configured to operate in the normal mode, in which the sensor is operated at a predetermined cycle, and in the standby mode, in which the sensor is operated at a cycle longer than in the normal mode. The cleaner unit is configured to operate in a regular mode in which the cleaner unit operates in response to the operation signal and to operate in a block mode in which the cleaner unit does not operate even when the operation signal is input.

An apparatus includes an exterior surface including an aperture, a sensor defining a field of view oriented through the aperture, a nozzle shell on the exterior surface and including a nozzle panel facing the aperture, and a heating element disposed in or on the nozzle panel. The nozzle panel includes a nozzle.

A cleaning method (1) for cleaning a glazed surface (20) of a vehicle (2), said vehicle (2) comprising a cleaning device (21) comprising a wiping system (210) with at least one spray device for spraying a liquid (Lq), characterized in that said cleaning method (1) involves verifying (E1) a first condition (C1) that the current season (sc) is spring or summer, verifying (E2) a second condition (C2) which is the probability (pb) of there being insect strike (is) on said glazed surface (20), and verifying (E3) a third condition (C3) that said vehicle (2) is stopped. If all of the conditions (C) are met, then activating (E4) the cleaning device to begin a cleaning cycle (Cy), and executing (E5) the cleaning cycle (Cy) using said cleaning device (21).

A process (1) for de-icing a glazed surface (20) of a vehicle (2) is disclosed. A de-icing device (21) includes a wiper system (210) with at least one device for spraying a liquid (L, Lq), and is used to perform a method involving verification (E1) of a primary condition (C1) according to which the ignition (Cc) of the said vehicle (2) is activated, verification (E2) of a secondary condition (C2) according to which the exterior temperature (t) is below a temperature threshold (Th1), verification (E3) of a tertiary condition (C3) according to which a demisting function (fd) is activated; and when all of the conditions are fulfilled, then activation (E4) of the de-icing device (21) in order to start a de-icing cycle (Cy). The de-icing cycle (Cy) comprising spraying by the device for spraying of the liquid (L, Lq) onto the glazed surface (20).

A display control device installed in a vehicle includes a receiving unit that receives information concerning dirt of a vehicle-mounted sensor installed in the vehicle, and a control unit that controls display of a wash execution button displayed on a display device installed in the vehicle for executing washing of the vehicle-mounted sensor, based on the information concerning the dirt received by the receiving unit.

Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for sensor cleaning systems. A region of a sensor window is identified to be blocked by an obscurant. The location of the region is determined using the sensor associated with the sensor window. An acousto-vibratory cleaning system receives the location of the region and produces a fluid droplet to be dispensed at a specified point on a two-dimensional plane of the surface of the sensor window. Sonic actuators are activated to capture the fluid droplet in acoustic levitation. Acoustic forces guide the fluid droplet to the region being obscured. Once the fluid droplet is in cleaning position, vibration of the sensor window is activated to incrementally clear the obscurant by vibrating the droplet along the obscurant. The acousto-vibratory cleaning system generates additional acoustic forces to guide the contaminated fluid droplet to a closest drainage canal.

Provided are methods for acoustic emission based device control. Some methods described also include receiving information associated with a first acoustic emission sensor, a second acoustic emission sensor, and a third acoustic emission sensor is received. In embodiments, the information corresponds to an event. In accordance with the first, second, and third acoustic emission sensor information, the first, second, and third timestamps, and a geometry of the surface, a unit vector is calculated from each acoustic emission sensor in the direction of the event's origin. Parameters are calculated based on the unit vectors. Systems and computer program products are also provided.

A sensor protection device is configured to protect an environmental sensor of a vehicle. The sensor protection device includes a protector that is disposed to face the environmental sensor and configured to be movable with respect to the environmental sensor and includes a movement mechanism configured to provide power to the protector. The movement mechanism has a structure to move the protector.

A vehicle cleaner system includes: a cleaner unit configured to be mounted on a vehicle and to discharge a cleaning medium to an external sensor that acquires information outside the vehicle so as to clean the external sensor; and a cleaner control unit configured to control the cleaner unit. The cleaner control unit is configured to acquire weather information, and control the cleaner unit such that at least one of a type of the cleaning medium, a discharge amount of the cleaning medium, the number of times of discharge of the cleaning medium, the number of times of discharge of the cleaning medium per unit time, and a discharge time of the cleaning medium varies according to the weather information.