Systems and methods for thermal management of vehicle sensor devices

1. A vehicle sensor system comprising:

a sensor that is attached to a vehicle;

a temperature monitor configured to collect temperature data corresponding to the sensor;

a processor in communication with the temperature monitor;

a sensor cleaning subsystem that comprises a cleaning fluid reservoir and a port that is positioned to direct cleaning fluid from the reservoir to the sensor for cleaning the sensor and heating the sensor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more programming instructions that when executed by the processor, will cause the processor to:

receive temperature data corresponding to the sensor from the temperature monitor,

determine whether a current temperature of the sensor is less than a threshold temperature, and

in response to determining that the current temperature is less than the first threshold temperature, cause the sensor cleaning subsystem to:

heat the cleaning fluid, and

initiate a cleaning cycle and direct the heated cleaning fluid to the sensor to increase the current temperature of the sensor.

2. The vehicle sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the threshold temperature is greater than a lower bound of an operational temperature range of the sensor.

3. The vehicle sensor system of claim 1 , further comprising programming instructions that when executed by the processor, will cause the processor to, before causing the sensor cleaning subsystem to initiate the cleaning cycle:

determine whether the vehicle is in a safe to clean mode; and

initiate the cleaning cycle only in response to determining that the vehicle is in the safe to clean mode.

4. The vehicle sensor system of claim 1 , further comprising programming instructions that, when executed by the processor, will cause the processor to, before causing the sensor cleaning subsystem to initiate the cleaning cycle:

determine whether the vehicle is in an idle mode; and

cause the sensor cleaning subsystem to initiate the cleaning cycle only in response to determining that the vehicle is in the idle mode.

5. The vehicle sensor system of claim 4 , further comprising programming instructions that, when executed by the processor, will cause the processor to, in response to determining that the vehicle is not in the idle mode, cause a temperature control subsystem of the vehicle to initiate a heating cycle to heat the sensor.

6. The vehicle sensor system of claim 5 , further comprising programming instructions that, when executed by the processor, will cause the processor to:

determine whether the current temperature of the sensor is less than a second threshold temperature; and

in response to determining that the current temperature is less than the second threshold temperature, cause the sensor cleaning subsystem to:

heat the cleaning fluid, and

initiate the cleaning cycle and direct the heated cleaning fluid to the sensor to heat the sensor.

7. The vehicle sensor system of claim 6 , wherein the second threshold temperature is less than the first threshold temperature.

8. The vehicle sensor system of claim 6 , further comprising programming instructions that when executed by the processor, will cause the processor to, before causing the sensor cleaning subsystem to initiate the cleaning cycle:

determine whether the vehicle is in a safe to clean mode; and

initiate the cleaning cycle only in response to determining that the vehicle is in the safe to clean mode.

9. The vehicle sensor system of claim 5 , wherein initiation of the heating cycle comprises at least one of the following:

turn on the temperature control subsystem;

increase the heating efficiency of the temperature control subsystem; or

decrease the cooling efficiency of the temperature control subsystem.

10. The vehicle sensor system of 1 , further comprising stopping the cleaning cycle upon occurrence of one or more of the following:

after a pre-determined time period;

in response to determining that the current temperature of the sensor is less than the first threshold temperature;

receipt of user instructions;

in response to determining that it is unsafe to continue the cleaning cycle; or

end of an idle mode of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle sensor system of 1 , wherein causing the sensor cleaning subsystem of the vehicle to heat the cleaning fluid comprises heating the cleaning fluid using thermal energy obtained from at least one of the following: waste thermal energy generated by an engine of the vehicle; thermal energy used in a cabin of the vehicle; or a dedicated thermal energy source for heating the cleaning fluid.

12. A method for heating a sensor of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving temperature data corresponding to the sensor from a temperature monitor associated with the sensor;

determining whether a current temperature of the sensor is less than a first threshold temperature; and

in response to determining that the current temperature is less than the first threshold temperature, causing a sensor cleaning subsystem of the vehicle to:

heat a cleaning fluid, and

initiate a cleaning cycle and direct the heated cleaning fluid to the sensor to increase the current temperature of the sensor.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the threshold temperature is greater than a lower bound of an operational temperature range of the sensor.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, before causing the sensor cleaning subsystem to initiate the cleaning cycle:

determining whether the vehicle is in a safe to clean mode; and

initiating the cleaning cycle only in response to determining that the vehicle is in the safe to clean mode.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, before causing the sensor cleaning subsystem to initiate the cleaning cycle:

determining whether the vehicle is in an idle mode; and

causing the sensor cleaning subsystem to initiate the cleaning cycle only in response to determining that the vehicle is in the idle mode.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, in response to determining that the vehicle is not in the idle mode, causing a temperature control subsystem of the vehicle to initiate a heating cycle to heat the sensor.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining whether the current temperature of the sensor is less than a second threshold temperature; and

in response to determining that the current temperature is less than the second threshold temperature, causing the sensor cleaning subsystem to:

heat the cleaning fluid, and

initiate the cleaning cycle and direct the heated cleaning fluid to the sensor to heat the sensor.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second threshold temperature is less than the first threshold temperature.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising, before causing the sensor cleaning subsystem to initiate the cleaning cycle:

determining whether the vehicle is in a safe to clean mode; and

initiating the cleaning cycle only in response to determining that the vehicle is in the safe to clean mode.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein initiation of the heating cycle comprises at least one of the following:

turning on the temperature control subsystem;

increasing the heating efficiency of the temperature control subsystem; or

decreasing the cooling efficiency of the temperature control subsystem.

21. The method of claim 12 , further comprising stopping the cleaning cycle upon occurrence of one or more of the following:

after a pre-determined time period;

in response to determining that the current temperature of the sensor is less than the first threshold temperature;

receipt of user instructions;

in response to determining that it is unsafe to continue the cleaning cycle; or

end of an idle mode of the vehicle.

22. The method of claim 12 , wherein causing the sensor cleaning subsystem of the vehicle to heat the cleaning fluid comprises heating the cleaning fluid using thermal energy obtained from at least one of the following: waste thermal energy generated by an engine of the vehicle; thermal energy used in a cabin of the vehicle; or a dedicated thermal energy source for heating the cleaning fluid.