IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,631,729
Granted Patent B2
US 12,631,729 · App. 17/767,292 · Granted May 19, 2026

Sensor system and sensor unit

Inventors: Akinobu Kubota (Shizuoka, JP); Taishi Hachiya (Shizuoka, JP); Masaaki Sato (Shizuoka, JP); Kazuhiro Suzuki (Shizuoka, JP); Toshihisa Hayami (Shizuoka, JP); Yusuke Totsuka (Shizuoka, JP); Masayuki Miwa (Shizuoka, JP)
Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
G01S7/4814B60S1/46B60S1/54B60S1/56G01S7/4865G01S17/10G01S17/89G01S17/931G02B27/0006
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,631,729
App. No.
17/767,292
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sensor system to be mounted on a vehicle includes a LiDAR, a camera, a housing that accommodates the LiDAR and the camera and a cleaner that is attached to the housing and has at least one nozzle configured to clean a first cleaning target surface corresponding to the LiDAR and a second cleaning target surface corresponding to the camera at the same time using a cleaning medium.

Claims (68)

1 . A sensor system to be mounted on a vehicle, the sensor system comprising:

a LiDAR;

a camera;

a housing that accommodates the LiDAR and the camera; and

a cleaner that is attached to the housing and has at least one nozzle configured to clean a first cleaning target surface corresponding to the LiDAR and a second cleaning target surface corresponding to the camera at the same time using a cleaning medium,

wherein the first cleaning target surface and the second cleaning target surface are surfaces of a transmission cover attached to an opening of the housing,

wherein the transmission cover is formed in a manner of extending in an inclined direction toward an inner side of the housing from an upper direction toward a lower direction.

2 . The sensor system according to claim 1 ,

wherein a filter that shields visible light is provided on the first cleaning target surface of the transmission cover.

3 . The sensor system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a cleaner control unit configured to control the cleaner,

wherein the cleaner control unit is integrally attached to the housing.

4 . The sensor system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the cleaner has a first nozzle configured to eject the cleaning medium toward the first cleaning target surface, and a second nozzle configured to eject the cleaning medium toward the second cleaning target surface.

5 . The sensor system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the cleaning medium is at least one of a cleaning liquid and air.

6 . The sensor system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the housing includes a triangle-shaped protruding portion that protrudes outward in at least one of left and right directions of the transmission cover.

7 . The sensor system according to claim 6 ,

wherein the at least one air nozzle is disposed at the protruding portion.

8 . A sensor unit to be mounted on a vehicle, the sensor unit comprising:

a LiDAR;

a camera;

a housing that accommodates the LiDAR and the camera;

a liquid cleaner that has at least one liquid nozzle configured to clean a cleaning target surface corresponding to the LiDAR and the camera using a cleaning liquid;

a transmission cover that is provided in a manner of covering an opening of the housing and is configured as the cleaning target surface,

wherein the transmission cover is formed in a manner of being directed toward an inner side of the housing from an upper direction toward a lower direction; and

an air cleaner that has at least one air nozzle configured to clean the cleaning target surface using air,

wherein the liquid cleaner is attached to an upper portion of the housing, and

wherein the air cleaner is attached to a side portion of the housing.

9 . The sensor unit according to claim 8 ,

wherein the housing includes a protruding portion that protrudes outward in at least one of left and right directions of the transmission cover, and

wherein the at least one air nozzle is disposed at the protruding portion.

10 . The sensor system according to claim 9 ,

wherein the protruding portion is in the shape of a triangle.

11 . The sensor unit according to claim 10 ,

wherein a filter that shields visible light is provided on a surface of the transmission cover corresponding to the LiDAR.

12 . The sensor unit according to claim 8 , further comprising:

a cleaner control unit configured to control the liquid cleaner and the air cleaner,

wherein the cleaner control unit is integrally attached to the housing.

13 . The sensor unit according to claim 8 ,

wherein the liquid cleaner has a first nozzle configured to eject the cleaning liquid toward an area of the cleaning target surface through which light emitted from the LiDAR passes, and a second nozzle configured to eject the cleaning liquid toward an area of the cleaning target surface corresponding to a lens of the camera.

14 . A sensor system to be mounted on a vehicle, the sensor system comprising:

a first sensor;

a second sensor;

a housing that accommodates the first sensor and the second sensor;

a cleaner that has at least one nozzle configured to clean a first cleaning target surface corresponding to the first sensor and a second cleaning target surface corresponding to the second sensor using a cleaning medium;

a transmission cover that is provided in a manner of covering an opening of the housing and is configured as the first cleaning target surface and the second cleaning target surface,

wherein the transmission cover is formed in a manner of being directed toward an inner side of the housing from an upper direction toward a lower direction; and

a cleaner control unit configured to control the cleaner,

wherein the cleaner control unit controls the cleaner to clean the first cleaning target surface and the second cleaning target surface based on dirt information detected by at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor.

15 . The sensor system according to claim 14 ,

wherein the first sensor is a LiDAR,

wherein the second sensor is a camera, and

wherein the dirt information is detected based on point cloud data acquired by the LiDAR.

16 . The sensor system according to claim 15 ,

wherein the cleaner control unit controls the cleaner to clean the first cleaning target surface and the second cleaning target surface when a missing degree of the point cloud data is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold.

17 . The sensor system according to claim 14 ,

wherein the first sensor is a LiDAR,

wherein the second sensor is a camera, and

wherein the dirt information is detected based on image data acquired by the camera.

18 . The sensor system according to claim 14 , further comprising:

a sensor control unit configured to detect the dirt information,

wherein the cleaner control unit and the sensor control unit are integrally attached to the housing.

19 . The sensor system according to claim 14 ,

wherein the housing includes a triangle-shaped protruding portion that protrudes outward in at least one of left and right directions of the transmission cover.

20 . The sensor system according to claim 19 ,

wherein the at least one air nozzle is disposed at the protruding portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2022
From: KUBOTA, AKINOBU; HACHIYA, TAISHI; SATO, MASAAKI; SUZUKI, KAZUHIRO; HAYAMI, TOSHIHISA; TOTSUKA, YUSUKE; MIWA, MASAYUKI
To: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059650/0940 →
Priority Claims (7)
JP 2019-192595 · Oct 23, 2019 · national
JP 2019-192596 · Oct 23, 2019 · national
JP 2019-192597 · Oct 23, 2019 · national
JP 2019-192598 · Oct 23, 2019 · national
JP 2019-195180 · Oct 28, 2019 · national
JP 2019-199532 · Nov 1, 2019 · national
JP 2019-199533 · Nov 1, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220390568A1 · Dec 8, 2022
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