阅读说明：本技术 保护车辆的光学传感器免受环境污染物影响的方法 (Method for protecting an optical sensor of a vehicle from environmental pollutants ) 是由 N·比尔哈尔斯 于 2021-05-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及用于保护车辆(10)的光学传感器(20)的方法,其中保护传感器(20)不受环境污染物(40)的影响,如果传感器(20)暴露于环境污染物,则环境污染物粘附在传感器(20)的光学表面(30)上,并且其中通过使用超声场对传感器(20)表面进行超声清洁而使环境污染物远离传感器(20)。超声清洁的超声场由保护装置(60)发射到空气中,以在传感器(20)的光学表面(30)周围提供保护区(50),从而避免使光学表面(30)与环境污染物(40)接触,其中如果环境污染物(40)进入保护区(50),则环境污染物(40)在空气中移动和/或破坏以远离传感器(20),并且其中保护区(50)提供传感器(20)的非接触式清洁。(The invention relates to a method for protecting an optical sensor (20) of a vehicle (10), wherein the sensor (20) is protected from environmental contaminants (40) which adhere to an optical surface (30) of the sensor (20) if the sensor (20) is exposed to the environmental contaminants, and wherein the environmental contaminants are kept away from the sensor (20) by ultrasonically cleaning the surface of the sensor (20) using an ultrasonic field. An ultrasonic cleaning field is emitted into the air by a protection device (60) to provide a protection zone (50) around the optical surface (30) of the sensor (20) to avoid contacting the optical surface (30) with environmental contaminants (40), wherein the environmental contaminants (40) move and/or break in the air away from the sensor (20) if the environmental contaminants (40) enter the protection zone (50), and wherein the protection zone (50) provides a non-contact cleaning of the sensor (20).)

1. Method for protecting an optical sensor (20) of a vehicle (10), wherein the sensor (20) is protected from environmental contaminants (40), the environmental contaminants (40) adhering to an optical surface (30) of the sensor (20) if the sensor (20) is exposed to environmental contaminants (40), and wherein the environmental contaminants (40) are kept away from the sensor (20) by ultrasonically cleaning the sensor (20) surface using an ultrasonic field,

it is characterized in that

The ultrasonic cleaning field is emitted into the air by a protection means (60) to provide a protection zone (50) in front of the optical surface (30) of the sensor (20) to avoid contact of the optical surface (30) with environmental contaminants (40), wherein if the environmental contaminants (40) enter the protection zone (50) they are destroyed in the air and/or removed from the sensor (20) by the ultrasonic field, whereby the protection zone (50) provides a non-contact cleaning of the sensor (20).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the environmental contaminant (40) describes water droplets and/or dirt particles.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical surface (30) describes a transparent windscreen mounted around and/or in front of and/or being a lens of the optical sensor (20).

4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein water droplets contained in the environmental contaminant (40) are evaporated and/or dirt particles contained in the environmental contaminant (40) are crushed due to cavitation in the environmental contaminant (40) caused by an ultrasonic field.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the sound pressure level of the ultrasound field is set to the following value: cavitation is formed if water droplets and/or dirt particles enter the protective zone (50), and the protective zone (50) is shaped and/or sized such that it projects into the air stream.

6. Method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the evaporated water and/or the comminuted dirt are transported away from the sensor (20) by wind by means of an air flow.

7. Method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the air flow is generated by a driving movement of the vehicle and/or by a blower of the protection device (60).

8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the optical surface (30) is arranged in an inclined position with respect to a predetermined forward driving position of the vehicle (10) and/or with respect to the optical axis of the sensor (20).

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the optical surface (30) is part of an ultrasound transducer of the protection device (60) or is mechanically coupled to the transducer of the protection device (60) such that at least part of the ultrasound field is emitted by the optical surface (30) itself.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the environmental contaminants (40) are destroyed by the generated ultrasound field such that they are pushed away from the optical surface (30) in air.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor (20) is continuously used for generating image data as the optical surface (30) moves through a volume of air containing the contaminant (40).

12. Optical sensor (20) for a vehicle (10), comprising a protection device (60) with at least an ultrasound transducer, wherein the ultrasound transducer is adapted to generate an ultrasound field, and wherein the protection device (60) is adapted to perform the method according to any of the preceding claims.

13. The optical sensor (20) of claim 12, wherein the optical sensor (20) is a camera or a lidar sensor or an infrared sensor.

14. Vehicle (10) with an optical sensor (20) according to claim 12 or 13.

15. The vehicle (10) of claim 14, wherein the vehicle (10) includes an electronic control (70) unit with an autopilot function for autopilot driving the vehicle (10) while the optical sensor (20) monitors the surrounding environment.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method for protecting an optical sensor of a vehicle from environmental contaminants. The optical sensor comprises a protection device designed to emit an ultrasound field to create a protection zone in front of the sensor. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle comprising an optical sensor.

Background

The optical sensor of the camera requires a clear field of view to enable data acquisition of a clear image. One aspect is to provide a clean surface on the optics or windshield of the sensor. Optical sensors may become contaminated by the accumulation of dust, dirt, or other environmental contaminants on the optics of the optical sensor. Environmental contaminants may affect the image clarity of the camera. The use of a back cover optic to protect it from the environment minimizes contamination of the sensor. However, when the optics of the sensor are used to render an image, the optics may become contaminated. The operation of the sensor may have to be interrupted due to maintenance or cleaning of the sensor.

US 9880091B 2 describes an automatic ultrasonic cavitation cleaning in a liquid analysis system and the measurement of process liquids contained in containers or flowing in process lines by means of an on-line or side-stream optical system. The window in the water tank is cleaned by generating air bubbles in the water contained in the water tank. The bubbles are generated by generating ultrasonic waves that evaporate part of the water.

US 7684938B 1 describes cleaning a contaminated acoustic window or transducer of an ultrasonic sensor by applying an acoustic cleaning signal to the acoustic ultrasonic window used in flow measurements of a fluid. The transducer of the ultrasonic sensor is cleaned by applying low frequency vibrations.

US 6452672B 1 describes the removal of particulate material adhered to the internal optical surfaces of an optical flow cell for scattered light measurements on a liquid-borne sample. The particulate material may cause distortion in the measurement of scattered light signals from the illuminated sample in the flow cell. The particulate material is removed or cleaned by applying ultrasonic vibrations.

Summary of The Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a contactless cleaning of an optical sensor without interrupting the operation of the optical sensor for data acquisition.

This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous further embodiments of the invention are specified in the following description, dependent claims and the accompanying drawings.

The invention provides a method for protecting an optical sensor of a vehicle. The optical sensor is protected from environmental contaminants that might otherwise adhere to the optical surface of the sensor if the sensor is exposed to environmental contaminants or the contaminants reach the optical surface of the sensor. In other words, environmental contaminants from the external environment may be removed when the optical surface may be exposed to the external environment and/or when the shutter of the optical surface is open when the sensor is used for data acquisition and/or before contaminants from the environment collect at the optical surface of the sensor. The optical surface may be a lens and/or a transparent windscreen for such a lens and/or a transparent part made of glass or plastic. The environmental contaminants may be water from rain and/or dust from the environment and/or some other contaminant or particle from the environment which may deposit on the optical surface and affect the quality of the sensor data or the sharpness of the sensor image. Environmental contaminants may be kept away from the sensor by an ultrasonic field generated in front of the optical surface of the sensor and/or contaminants that have adhered to the surface may be removed using the ultrasonic field. In other words, a strong acoustic wave, preferably stronger than 100dB or stronger than 130dB, may be provided to the volume of air in front of the optical surface, and/or it may be exposed to the optical surface of the sensor, so that the air and/or the optical surface of the sensor may vibrate due to vibrations of the applied ultrasonic frequency and/or the contaminants may drift away from the optical surface of the sensor due to the pressure of the applied ultrasonic frequency or field.

The optical sensor may be a camera and/or a laser radar (LIDAR) sensor and/or a radar sensor and/or an infrared sensor. The optical sensor may be mounted on a vehicle for acquiring sensor data from the environment of the vehicle.

In order to protect the optical sensor from environmental contaminants, an ultrasonically cleaned ultrasound field is emitted by a protective means to provide a protective zone around the optical surface of the sensor, which protective zone is the area in which the ultrasound field is effective. As a result, contact of the sensor with environmental contaminants is avoided, since the ultrasound field acts on the contaminants before they can reach the optical surface of the sensor. In other words, ultrasonic waves of a predetermined and/or configurable frequency and/or sound pressure level may be generated in the volume of air in front of the optical surface of the sensor, so that cavitation may be induced in environmental contaminants in the air and/or contaminants from the external environment may be prevented from reaching the optical surface of the sensor. The protected area may be a volume of space in air in front of the optical surface that is comprised of the ultrasonic field emitted from the protection device and/or that provides the optical surface with a mask that masks contaminants. The predetermined frequency of the wave may be a frequency at which the environmental contaminant can resonate to cause cavitation. Possible values of the frequency may be in the range of 20kHz to 200 kHz. If environmental contaminants enter the protected area, they can move in the air and/or be damaged away from the sensor. In other words, environmental contaminants may be pushed away from the optical surface in the air due to the pressure of the air flow around the running vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, cavitated contaminants may be blown away by ultrasound and/or blower pressure. Furthermore, the invention describes that the protective zone provides a contactless cleaning of the sensor. In other words, the optical surface of the surface can be cleaned without using a cleaning liquid and/or mechanical parts on the sensor surface and/or optical components of the sensor.

The protective device may be, for example, an ultrasonic transducer and/or a sound generator.

The invention herein provides the advantage of providing a contactless cleaning of the optical surface of the vehicle sensor based on a protection mechanism which ensures that the vehicle sensor can be used for uninterrupted operation during cleaning of the optical surface.

The present invention also includes embodiments that provide features having additional technical advantages.

In one embodiment, the environmental contaminants describe water droplets and/or dirt particles. In other words, raindrops and/or sand particles may be kept away from the optical surface. This provides the following advantages: the actual quality of the optical components and/or lenses and/or sensor data can be maintained by keeping the optical surface of the sensor free from contamination.

In one embodiment, the optical surface describes a transparent windshield that is mounted around and/or in front of the lens of the sensor, and/or the lens itself. In other words, a transparent cover may be used. This provides the advantage that the optics of the sensor can be hidden from direct contact with environmental contaminants. The windscreen may be a plate made of glass or plastic. It can be used to prevent scratching.

In one embodiment, water droplets contained in the contaminants are evaporated and/or dirt particles contained in the contaminants are crushed due to cavitation in the environmental contaminants caused by the ultrasonic field. In other words, if the applied frequency is above the threshold frequency, the contaminant may be reduced in size and/or converted into debris by applying an ultrasonic frequency to the contaminant. The threshold frequency may be a range of ultrasonic frequencies that may be selected to cause growth of bubbles in the contaminants to a maximum extent and/or to an unstable extent. Experiments were performed using exemplary contaminants (water droplets and/or sand particles may be performed to find suitable values for a given set of frequencies and/or sound pressure levels). If the applied frequency is increased above the threshold frequency, the unstable bubbles may collapse into fragments of the contaminant. Cavitation is a standard process that defines the formation of gas bubbles in a liquid or solid when the liquid or solid is subjected to a local pressure drop or fluctuation caused by the liquid or solid being propelled faster than it reacts. This has the advantage that the size and/or weight of the contaminants can be reduced by passing a strong ultrasound field through the contaminants, so that lighter and smaller contaminants can be easily pushed away from the optical surface of the sensor by the air flow.

In one embodiment, the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic field is set to a value such that cavitation is generated if water droplets and/or dirt particles enter the protected zone and the protected zone is shaped and/or sized such that it protrudes into a given air stream. In other words, the pressure of the ultrasonic field may be increased, which may cause vacuum bubbles or voids in the contaminants. The intensity of the ultrasound field can be adjusted so that the protection zone can protrude into the air or be formed over a large area in front of the optical surface, so that contaminants can be cleaned and/or removed into the air volume, which can be located spatially far away from the optical surface. The ultrasonic field can be configured or manipulated to provide a shape of the protected zone to produce optimized cavitation in all directions of the optical surface. The shape of the ultrasound field can be manipulated, for example, by introducing a plurality of transducers in the protective device. This has the following advantages: the evaporation of the water droplets and/or the comminution of the dirt particles can be carried out at a distance from the optical surface of the sensor, so that the intrusion of contaminants into the optical surface from all directions can be avoided.

In one embodiment, the evaporated water and/or the pulverized dirt are removed from the sensor by the wind by means of an air flow. In other words, contaminant debris from cavitation may be blown away by wind pressure around the optical surface of the sensor. This provides the advantage that pieces of water and dirt, which have been reduced in size and weight due to cavitation, can be kept at a distance from the optical surface by the pressure of the wind. The pressure of the wind may be generated by the airflow of the surrounding environment. The air pressure may be standard atmospheric pressure and/or increased wind pressure due to weather conditions.

In one embodiment, the air flow is generated by the movement of the vehicle and/or by a blower of the protective device. In other words, the wind pressure required to transport cavitated contaminants into the air vapor away from the optical surfaces may be caused by the speed of the vehicle in motion and/or by an external source mounted on the vehicle. The external source of wind pressure may be a fan and/or blower. The external source may be mounted on the vehicle in close proximity to the optical surface of the sensor and/or may be coupled to the optical surface. This provides the advantage that by adjusting the speed of the vehicle and/or the speed or pressure of the fan and/or blower, environmental contaminants and/or different types and/or sizes of contaminants from the external environment can be kept away from the optical surface.

In one embodiment, the optical surface is arranged in an inclined position with respect to a predetermined forward driving position of the vehicle and/or with respect to the optical axis of the sensor. In other words, the optical surface may be positioned at a predetermined angle relative to the reference axis. The reference axis may be the axis of the sensor and/or the direction of vehicle movement, and the angle of the optical surface may be a predetermined angle and/or an adjustable angle depending on the direction of wind and/or vehicle movement. The angular positioning of the optical surface provides directional flexibility in preventing environmental contaminants from affecting the sensor optical surface.

In one embodiment, the optical surface is part of, or mechanically coupled to, an ultrasound transducer of the protection device such that at least a portion of the ultrasound field is emitted by the optical surface itself. In other words, the ultrasound field may be generated directly from and/or in front of the optical surface of the sensor. This has the advantage that the protective zone can cover a volume of air directly in front of and/or around the optical surface, whereby the propagation of contaminants towards the optical surface can be prevented.

In one embodiment, the environmental contaminants are destroyed by the generated ultrasonic field, causing them to be pushed away from the optical surface in air. In other words, the frequency of the ultrasound wave is set to a value that may cause cavitation and/or collapse of the contaminants to such a size: so that it can be pulled away from the protected area due to the pressure of the ultrasonic field and/or the air pressure around the optical surface. The size of the collapsed particles can be controlled by the frequency and/or frequency range of application of the ultrasonic waves. This provides the advantage that the ultrasound can perform a double operation, reducing the size of the environmental pollutants and forcing them into the gas stream by pressure away from the protected zone.

In one embodiment, the sensor is continuously used to acquire data as the optical surface moves through a volume of air containing contaminants. In other words, the sensor may perform an uninterrupted operation of data acquisition if the optical surface is being cleaned and/or cavitation in contaminants is being performed. The data acquisition here may be an image of a camera, for example. This provides the advantage that the image rendered by the camera is not blurred, since the ultrasound field is not visible.

The present invention provides an optical sensor for a vehicle that can operate according to an embodiment of the present invention. The optical sensor may comprise a protection device designed to provide protection and/or cleaning of the optical surface of the optical sensor. The protection device may comprise at least an ultrasound transducer for generating an ultrasound field. The protection device is adapted to perform the method according to any embodiment of the invention.

The invention provides an optical sensor which may be a camera or a lidar sensor or an infrared sensor.

The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising an embodiment of the optical sensor of the invention. The vehicle is in particular a motor vehicle. The vehicle may be an autonomous vehicle. The vehicle may be designed as a passenger car or a truck or a bus, for example.

The vehicle includes an electronic control unit having an automatic driving function. The electronic control unit may be a microprocessor or microcontroller or an embedded system. The electronic control unit may be designed to provide an autopilot function to assist the vehicle in autonomously driving the vehicle. The autopilot function may be designed to assist the vehicle when the optical sensor monitors the surroundings. The autopilot function may assist in vehicle autopilot based on sensor data from the optical sensor.

The invention also comprises a combination of features of the different embodiments.

Drawings

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described. The figures show:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a vehicle of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of the tilted position of the optical surface.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a protective device coupled to an optical surface of a sensor.

Detailed Description

The embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, in this embodiment, the parts described in the embodiment each represent individual features of the invention, which should be considered independently of one another and which also develop the invention independently of one another, and therefore should be regarded as an integral part of the invention, individually or in different combinations than those shown. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by other features of the invention which have already been described.

In the drawings, like reference numerals denote elements providing the same function.

Fig. 1 shows a top view of a vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 may be, for example, a passenger car or a bus or a truck. The vehicle 10 may be an autonomous vehicle that includes autonomous driving functionality provided by the electronic control unit 70. The vehicle 10 may include an optical sensor 20 for monitoring or observing the surroundings of the vehicle 10. The optical sensor 20 may be a LIDAR sensor or a camera or radar sensor. In this embodiment, the optical sensor 20 is designed as a camera. The optical sensor 20 may be mounted on the vehicle 10. The optical sensor 20 may be engaged with the optical surface 30 and/or the optical surface 30 may be mounted in front of the optical sensor 20. The optical surface 30 may be a lens or a transparent windshield or transparent cover made of glass or plastic. The optical surface 30 may be designed to focus light. Alternatively or additionally, the optical surface 30 may be designed such that the optical sensor 20 may be protected from contact with contaminants or environmental contaminants 40. The environmental contaminants 40 may be water droplets from rain water and/or dirt particles from the environment. Water particles and/or dirt particles may collect on optical surface 30, thereby reducing the performance and/or clarity of optical surface 30. For example, water droplets and/or dirt particles can blur the image of the camera.

The optical surface 30 can be cleaned or protected from contamination by environmental contaminants 40 so that a sharp image can be acquired from the camera. The electronic control unit 70 of the vehicle 10 can detect the surroundings by means of sensor data from the optical sensor 20. In order to clarify the sensor data of the optical sensor 20, the optical surface 30 may be cleaned or the optical surface 30 may be protected from contamination, which may be caused by environmental contaminants 40 adhering to the optical surface 30. The optical sensor 20 may comprise at least one protection device 60. The protective device 60 may provide a cleaning or protective mechanism to protect the optical surface 30 from environmental contaminants 40. The protective device 60 may be mounted on the vehicle 10 and/or in close proximity to the optical sensor 20. Alternatively or additionally, the protection device 60 may be coupled with the optical surface 30.

The protection device 60 may comprise at least an ultrasound transducer for generating ultrasound waves or ultrasound fields. An ultrasonic field may be generated to create a protected zone 50 in front of the optical surface 30. A protective zone 50 may be formed in the air surrounding the optical surface to prevent environmental contaminants 40 from reaching the optical surface 30. The distance of the protection zone 50 from the optical surface 30 may be set by adjusting the intensity and/or shape of the ultrasound field and/or by varying at least the parameters of the protection means 60. The parameter of the protection device 60 may be the frequency and/or amplitude of the emitted ultrasound waves.

The protective zone 50 can keep the optical surface 30 clean by blocking environmental contaminants 40 in the air from a distance from the optical surface 30. The distance may be in the range of 10 to 20 mm. The protected zone 50 may block environmental contaminants 40 from all directions relative to the optical surface 30. The protected area 50 allows the environmental contaminants 40 to be destroyed in the air. Cavitation caused by frequency fluctuations in the environmental contaminants 40 can destroy the environmental contaminants 40 as the environmental contaminants 40 enter the protected zone 50 and/or as the ultrasonic field passes through them. Alternatively or additionally, environmental contaminants 40 may collapse into fragments due to the interaction of environmental contaminants 40 with protected area 50. The pieces of environmental pollutants 40 may be made small in size and light in weight so that they may be pushed outside of the protected area 50 in the air flow if high pressure is provided in their direction of travel. The high pressure may be a pressure value above a threshold pressure. The threshold pressure may be a predefined pressure value that is equal to a measure of the fragment-to-pressure of the respective contaminant in the environment.

Debris of the environmental pollutants 40 may be pushed away in the air flow by the pressure of the wind. Wind pressure may depend on, for example, weather conditions or normal wind present in the surrounding atmosphere. Alternatively or additionally, debris of environmental contaminants 40 may be dislodged from protected area 50 due to movement of vehicle 10. Wind pressure may be significantly increased due to the movement of the vehicle 10 compared to normal atmospheric pressure. Wind pressure may be increased and/or accommodated by varying the speed of the vehicle 10 so that debris of environmental contaminants 40 due to cavitation may be pushed into the air stream away from the optical surface 30. The protection device 60 provides a contactless cleaning of the optical surface 30 of the optical sensor 20. For example, non-contact cleaning may be performed without the use of mechanical devices or components and/or liquid cleaners on the surface of optical surface 30. Non-contact cleaning can be performed without causing scratches on the optical surface 30. The non-contact cleaning can be performed without causing an interruption in the operation of the optical sensor 20. The non-contact cleaning provided by the invisible protection zone 50 can be performed without sacrificing the quality or clarity of the sensor data of the optical sensor 20.

The protection device 60 may be operated while the vehicle 10 is in motion and/or while the optical sensor 20 is acquiring sensor data from the surrounding environment. The protection device 60 may be operated if the optical surface 30 is exposed or uncovered for operation of the optical sensor 20. The protection device 60 may be controlled by an electronic control unit 70 of the vehicle. The protective device 60 may be signaled by the electronic control unit 70 to perform a cleaning operation if the vehicle 10 is switched on and/or is raining and/or when dust is flowing in the air due to wind and/or movement of the vehicle 10.

Fig. 2 shows a diagram of the tilted position of the optical surface 30. The optical surface 30 may be tilted relative to the forward driving position of the vehicle 10 to prevent environmental contaminants 40 in a direction in which the probability of environmental contaminants 40 may be estimated based on the wind direction and/or the direction of travel 80 of the vehicle 10. The optical surface 30 may be a movable surface that can be rotated at a predetermined angle θ along an axis of vehicle motion or a wheel plane of the vehicle 10. The optical surface may be inclined at an angle along the longitudinal axis of wheel motion and/or the x-axis of the direction of travel 80 of the vehicle 10. The optical surface 30 may be tilted by an electronic control unit 70 of the vehicle 10. Alternatively or additionally, the tilt angle may be determined by the electronic control unit 70 of the vehicle 10. The arrangement of the inclined optical surface 30 ensures air flow along the optical surface 30 whenever the vehicle 10 is traveling forward.

As shown in fig. 2, the tilt angle and/or position of the optical surface 30 may be determined based on the travel speed and/or direction of travel 80 of the vehicle 10. If the vehicle is moving straight along a road, the optical surface 30 may be positioned at a 90 ° angle relative to the direction of travel 80 of the vehicle 10. If the vehicle 10 changes the direction of travel 80 and/or wheel motion, the optical surface 30 may rotate perpendicular to the direction of travel 80 of the vehicle 10.

The optical surface 30 may also be inclined at an angle according to the direction of the wind blowing in relation to the movement of the vehicle 10. The protective device 60 may be configured to provide a protective zone 50 such that environmental contaminants 40 flowing in the wind direction may be prevented from affecting the optical surface 30. For example, if wind blows from the right side relative to the direction of travel 80 of the vehicle 10, the optical surface 30 may be inclined 45 ° relative to the direction of travel 80. The wind direction may be determined directly by the electronic control unit 70 and/or by means of a device (not shown here) or compass that may be mounted on the vehicle 10. The wind direction may be predetermined prior to driving the vehicle 10. And/or operate the optical sensor 20 so that the initial positioning of the optical surface 30 can be determined.

Fig. 3 shows a diagram of an optical surface 30 coupled with an ultrasound transducer of a protection device 60. The ultrasound transducer and the protection device 60 may be a single or the same unit and may be used interchangeably for generating the ultrasound field. The protective device 60 may be mechanically coupled or interfaced with the optical surface 30. The protection device 60 may be part of the optical surface 30. The optical surface 30 itself may be the protective device 60. The protection device 60 may be operated or activated if the optical surface 30 is exposed or uncovered and/or the optical sensor is in an activated position for acquiring sensor data from the surrounding environment.

The coupled protective means 60 may provide the protective zone 50 directly in front of the optical surface 30. The protection zone 50 provided by the coupled protection device 60 may be dynamically provided if the optical sensor 20 is activated and/or if the optical surface 30 is exposed for activating the optical sensor 20. Alternatively or additionally, if the optical sensor 20 is activated and/or operated to acquire sensor data from the surrounding environment, the optical surface 30 may momentarily or dynamically begin generating an ultrasound field to create the protected zone 50. The coupled protective device 60 may be a movable device that may be configured to rotate along a reference axis, which may be, for example, an axis of the direction of travel of the vehicle 10. The protected zone 50 may move relative to the optical surface 30 or the angular rotation of the coupled protective device 60.

The main idea is to protect the sensor from water or dirt before reaching the sensor surface. To this end, the idea is to use the physical effect of cavitation. Such as cavitation caused by the ultrasound field surrounding the transducer. The water droplets enter the front of the field, a pressure difference occurs and the water droplets evaporate. The generated steam will be transported through the air flow.

In general, embodiments of implementations show how cavitation-based sensor cleaning and protection is provided.