IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,363,326
Granted Patent B2
US 10,363,326 · App. 15/647,795 · Granted Jul 30, 2019

Self-cleaning sensor surface

Inventors: Paul Kenneth Dellock (Northville, MI); Stuart C. Salter (White Lake, MI); Harry Lobo (Canton, MI); Venkatesh Krishnan (Canton, MI); Pietro Buttolo (Dearborn Heights, MI)
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
A61L2/10A61L2/26B60Q1/0023A61L2202/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,363,326
App. No.
15/647,795
Granted
Jul 30, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computing device in a vehicle can be programmed to activate a self-cleaning glass surface by irradiating the self-cleaning glass surface with LED ultraviolet radiation based on a determined energy of external ultraviolet radiation and a schedule. The computing device can activate a self-cleaning glass surface by irradiating the self-cleaning glass surface with LED ultraviolet radiation based on determining an optical state of the self-cleaning glass.

Claims (11)

1. A computer apparatus, programmed to:

activate a self-cleaning glass surface by irradiating the self-cleaning glass surface with UV LED radiation based on a determined energy of environmental UV radiation and a schedule.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the UV LED radiation is further based on a determined optical state of the self-cleaning glass.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising: determining an optical state of the self-cleaning glass by determining an IR reflectance of the self-cleaning glass.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the UV LED radiation includes a wavelength 365 nanometers.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising: irradiate the self-cleaning glass surface with UV LED radiation having energy of greater than 1 W/cm 2 .

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: determining the schedule based on expected environmental ultraviolet radiation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: determining external UV radiation energy based on W*sec/cm 2 of UV energy on the self-cleaning glass per time period.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the self-cleaning glass is coated with an optical UV coating.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the schedule includes less than ½ hour of UV LED radiation.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the less than ½ hour of UV LED radiation activates the self-cleaning glass surface for at least 2 to 5 hours.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2017
From: BUTTOLO, PIETRO; DELLOCK, PAUL KENNETH; KRISHNAN, VENKATESH; LOBO, HARRY; SALTER, STUART C.
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 042988/0024 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190015536A1 · Jan 17, 2019