阅读说明：本技术 用于自主车辆的传感器组件 (Sensor assembly for autonomous vehicle ) 是由 文卡特什·克里希南 苏尼尔·雷迪·帕蒂尔 拉古·拉曼·苏里尼迪 于 2020-08-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开提供了“用于自主车辆的传感器组件”。一种传感器组件包括壳体,所述壳体具有前室和与所述前室流体隔离的后室。所述后室包括后传感器窗口,且所述前室包括前传感器窗口。所述后室包括后空气入口和后空气出口。所述后空气出口对着所述后传感器窗口。所述前室包括前空气入口和前空气出口。所述前空气入口对着所述前传感器窗口。(The present disclosure provides a "sensor assembly for an autonomous vehicle. A sensor assembly includes a housing having a front chamber and a rear chamber fluidly isolated from the front chamber. The rear chamber includes a rear sensor window and the front chamber includes a front sensor window. The rear chamber includes a rear air inlet and a rear air outlet. The rear air outlet is opposite the rear sensor window. The front chamber includes a front air inlet and a front air outlet. The front air inlet is opposite the front sensor window.)

1. A sensor assembly, comprising:

a housing having a front chamber and a rear chamber fluidly isolated from the front chamber;

the rear chamber includes a rear sensor window;

the antechamber includes a front sensor window;

the rear chamber includes a rear air inlet and a rear air outlet, the rear air outlet facing the rear sensor window; and is

The front chamber includes a front air inlet and a front air outlet, the front air outlet facing the front sensor window.

2. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the front air inlet, the front air outlet, and a front sensor window face in a forward direction of the vehicle.

3. The sensor assembly of claim 2, wherein the front air inlet and the front air outlet are positioned to counteract stagnation pressure outside the housing at the front sensor window.

4. The sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a blower in the rear chamber.

5. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the back chamber includes a main chamber, a side chamber, and an inner wall between the main chamber and the side chamber, and further comprising a blower extending through the inner wall, the inner wall and the blower completely separating the main chamber and the side chamber.

6. The sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising an image sensor having a field of view through the front sensor window and having cooling fins in the front chamber.

7. The sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising an upper chamber and a lidar sensor above the upper chamber, the upper chamber including another air outlet facing the lidar sensor.

8. The sensor assembly of claim 7, further comprising a blower between the rear chamber and the upper chamber.

9. The sensor assembly of any one of claims 1-8, further comprising a blower in the antechamber.

10. A sensor assembly, comprising:

a housing defining a first chamber and a second chamber, the first chamber including an air inlet and the second chamber including an air outlet;

an inner wall between the first chamber and the second chamber;

a blower extending through the inner wall, the inner wall and the blower completely separating the first chamber and the second chamber; and

an image sensor in the second chamber.

11. The sensor assembly of claim 10, wherein the second chamber includes a sensor window and the air outlet faces the sensor window.

12. The sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the image sensor has cooling fins in the second chamber.

13. The sensor assembly of claim 10, further comprising a third chamber having an air outlet, a second interior wall between the first chamber and the third chamber, and a second blower extending through the second interior wall, the second interior wall and the second blower completely separating the first chamber and the third chamber.

14. The sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein the third chamber includes a second sensor window, and an air outlet of the third chamber faces the second sensor window.

15. The sensor assembly of claim 13, further comprising a computer programmed to independently control the rotational speed of the blower and the second blower.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to vehicle sensors.

Background

Autonomous vehicles include a variety of sensors. Some sensors detect internal conditions of the vehicle, such as wheel speed, wheel direction, and engine and transmission variables. Some sensors detect the position or orientation of the vehicle, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors; accelerometers, such as piezoelectric or micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS); gyroscopes, such as rate gyroscopes, ring laser gyroscopes, or fiber optic gyroscopes; an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU); and a magnetometer. Some sensors detect foreign objects, such as radar sensors, scanning laser rangefinders, light detection and ranging (lidar) devices, and image processing sensors (e.g., cameras). Lidar devices detect distance to an object by emitting a laser pulse and measuring the time of flight of the pulse to and from the object. Some sensors are communication devices, such as vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) devices.

Disclosure of Invention

A sensor assembly comprising a housing having a front chamber and a rear chamber fluidly isolated from the front chamber, the rear chamber including a rear sensor window, the front chamber including a front sensor window, the rear chamber including a rear air inlet and a rear air outlet, the rear air outlet facing the rear sensor window, and the front chamber including a front air inlet and a front air outlet, the front air outlet facing the front sensor window.

The front air inlet and the front air outlet may face in a forward direction of the vehicle.

The sensor assembly may include a blower in the antechamber.

The front sensor window may face in a forward direction of the vehicle.

The front air inlet and the front air outlet may be positioned to counteract stagnation pressure outside the housing at the front sensor window.

The sensor assembly may include a blower in the antechamber.

The sensor assembly may include a blower in the rear chamber.

The rear chamber may include a main chamber, a side chamber, and an inner wall between the main chamber and the side chamber, and a blower extending through the inner wall, the inner wall and the blower completely separating the main chamber and the side chamber.

The sensor assembly may include an image sensor having a field of view through the front sensor window and having cooling fins in the front chamber.

The front air inlet, the front air outlet, the rear air inlet and the rear air outlet may be open to the external environment.

The sensor assembly may include an upper chamber including another air outlet facing the lidar sensor, and a lidar sensor above the upper chamber.

The sensor assembly may include a blower between the rear chamber and the upper chamber.

A sensor assembly, comprising: a housing defining a first chamber and a second chamber, the first chamber including an air inlet and the second chamber including an air outlet; an inner wall between the first chamber and the second chamber; a blower extending through the inner wall, the inner wall and the blower completely separating the first chamber and the second chamber; and an image sensor in the second chamber.

The second chamber may include a sensor window, and the air outlet is opposite the sensor window.

The image sensor may have cooling fins in the second chamber.

The sensor assembly may include a third chamber having an air outlet, a second interior wall between the first chamber and the third chamber, and a second blower extending through the second interior wall, the second interior wall and the second blower completely separating the first chamber and the third chamber.

The third chamber may include a second sensor window, and an air outlet of the third chamber faces the second sensor window.

The sensor assembly may include a computer programmed to independently control the rotational speed of the blower and the second blower.

The air inlet and the air outlet may be open to the external environment.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle including a sensor assembly on the roof of the vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sensor assembly including a base and a cover on the base, the cover being shown in hidden lines to show a front compartment and a rear compartment.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the base of the sensor assembly with the tray and lidar sensor removed to show the main chamber of the back chamber.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a stand-alone pallet and lidar sensor.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section through line 5 in fig. 2, showing the image sensor and facing the image sensor.

Fig. 6 is a schematic of the components of the sensor assembly.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, a sensor assembly 10 for a vehicle 12 includes a housing 14 having a front chamber 16 and a rear chamber 18 fluidly isolated from the front chamber 16. The rear chamber 18 includes a rear sensor window 20 and the front chamber 16 includes a front sensor window 22. The rear chamber 18 includes a rear air inlet 24 and a rear air outlet 26. The rear air outlet 26 is opposite the rear sensor window 20. The front chamber 16 includes a front air inlet 28 and a front air outlet 30. The front air inlet 28 is opposite the front sensor window 22.

Air exiting the rear chamber 18 through the rear air outlet 26 creates an air curtain across the rear sensor window 20 and/or creates an air flow to clean the rear sensor window 20. Likewise, air exiting the front chamber 16 through the front air outlet 30 creates a curtain of air across the front sensor window 22 and/or creates an air flow to clean the front sensor window 22. The rear chamber 18 and the front chamber 16 may be pressurized to force air out of the rear air outlet 26 and the front air outlet 30, respectively. Since the rear chamber 18 and the front chamber 16 are fluidly isolated from each other, the rear chamber 18 and the front chamber 16 may be independently pressurized to independently control the airflow at the rear air inlet 24 and the rear air outlet 26. This results in potential energy savings, for example, by not increasing the pressure of the other chamber, since only one of the chambers can be selectively increased based on cleaning needs. This also results in a reduction in noise/vibration/harshness (NVH), for example, because the pressure of only one of the chambers can be selectively increased based on cleaning needs, thereby reducing NVH by not increasing the pressure of the other chamber.

As described below, the front air inlet 28 and the front air outlet 30 may face in the direction of travel of the vehicle 12. In this case, during travel of the vehicle 12, the air traveling through the housing 14 results in a stagnation pressure in front of the housing 14. The front air inlet 28 and the front air outlet 30 face forward, i.e. in a common direction, which causes ram air to be forced into the front air inlet 28. This counteracts the pressure differential between the exterior of the housing 14 and the front chamber 16 at the front air inlet 28, resulting in less additional pressurization (e.g., by a blower or the like) being necessary to cause air to exit the front air outlet 30. The ram air is proportional to the speed of the vehicle 12. In the event that the stagnation pressure is not completely counteracted by the influence of ram air entering the forward air inlet 28, the forward chamber 16 may be pressurized to an increased pressure to overcome the stagnation pressure, and this increase is independent of the pressure of the rear chamber 18, as described above.

Referring to fig. 1, the vehicle 12 may be any passenger or commercial automobile, such as a sedan, a truck, a sport utility vehicle, a cross car, a van, a minivan, a taxi, a bus, or the like. The vehicle 12 may be an autonomous vehicle. The computer 32 may be programmed to operate the vehicle 12 entirely or to a lesser extent independently of human driver intervention. Computer 32 may be programmed to operate a propulsion system, a braking system, a steering system, and/or other vehicle systems based at least in part on data received from sensors, such as image sensors and/or lidar sensors described below. For purposes of this disclosure, autonomous operation means that the computer 32 controls propulsion, braking systems, and steering without input from a human driver; semi-autonomous operation means that the computer 32 controls one or both of propulsion, braking systems, and steering, while the human driver controls the remainder; and non-autonomous operation means that the human driver controls propulsion, braking systems and steering.

The vehicle 12 includes a body 34. The body 34 may be made of any suitable material, such as steel, aluminum, and the like. The body 34 includes body panels that partially define the exterior of the vehicle 12. The body panel may present a class a surface, such as a finished surface that is exposed to the customer's line of sight and free of unsightly blemishes and defects. The vehicle body panel includes, for example, a roof 36 and the like.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the sensor assembly 10 is supported on a component of the vehicle 12, such as a roof 36 of the vehicle 12. The housing 14 may be shaped to match the contour of the vehicle roof 36. The housing 14 may be plastic, metal, or a combination thereof. The housing 14 is sufficiently rigid to remain stationary relative to the remainder of the vehicle 12 (e.g., the roof 36) during movement of the vehicle 12 and to withstand wind and wind forces from outside air currents.

Referring to fig. 2-4, the housing 14 includes a plurality of chambers, including a front chamber 16 and a rear chamber 18. The front chamber 16 is in the vehicle front of the rear chamber 18. The front chamber 16 may be the forwardmost chamber of the housing 14. The rear chamber is behind the front chamber 16 in the vehicle. The rear chamber may be the rearmost chamber of the housing 14. In the example shown in the figures, there is no chamber between the front chamber 16 and the rear chamber, and in other examples, one or more additional chambers may be between the front chamber 16 and the rear chamber.

The rear chamber 18 may be divided into separate chambers, such as a main chamber 38 (fig. 3), two side chambers 40 (fig. 2 and 3), an upper rear chamber 42 (fig. 4), and an upper front chamber 44 (fig. 4). As described below, front chamber 16, side chambers 40, upper rear chamber 42, and upper front chamber 44 are fluidly isolated from one another.

With continued reference to fig. 2-4, the housing 14 may include a base 46 and a cover 48 supported by the base 46. The base 46 may include a floor 50 and an inner wall 52 extending upwardly from the floor 50. The inner wall 52 surrounds, i.e. continuously surrounds, the main chamber 38. The floor 50 in the front chamber 16, main chamber 38 and side chambers 40 may be one continuous element to which the walls 52 are secured, or may be four separate elements extending from the walls.

The lid 48 may abut the floor 50, e.g., around the perimeter of the floor 50, and may abut the wall 52 to enclose and partition the compartment. Referring to fig. 2, the cover 48 abuts the wall 52 to enclose the front chamber 16 between the floor 50, the wall, and the cover 48; and the cover 48 abuts the wall 52 to close the side chamber 40 between the floor 50, the wall and the cover 48.

With continued reference to fig. 2-4, the base 46 may include a tray 54 enclosing the main chamber 38 and separating the upper rear chamber 42 and the upper front chamber 44. Specifically, the bottom of tray 54 abuts wall 52 to enclose main chamber 38 between floor 50, the wall, and the bottom of tray 54. The cover 48 abuts the side 56 of the tray 54 to close the upper rear chamber 42 between the bottom of the tray 54, the side of the tray 54, and the cover 48. The cover 48 abuts the side 56 of the tray 54 to close the upper front chamber 44 between the bottom of the tray 54, the side 56 of the tray 54 and the cover 48.

The sensor assembly 10 includes a plurality of blowers 58 for selectively pressurizing the front chamber 16, the side chambers 40, the upper front chamber 44, and the upper rear chamber 42. The blower 58 may be of any suitable type. As one example, one or more blowers 58 may be impeller driven. As another example, one or more of the blowers 58 may be a fan. The blower 58 may be a one-way blower 58 that may blow air from the main chamber 38 to the side chambers 40, the upper rear chamber 42, and the upper front chamber 44 without allowing air to move from the side chambers 40, the upper rear chamber 42, or the upper front chamber 44 to the main chamber 38.

The blower 58 can selectively move air from the main chamber 38 to the side chambers 40, the upper rear chamber 42, and the upper front chamber 44. Blower 58 pressurizes side chamber 40, upper rear chamber 42 and upper front chamber 44 with air from main chamber 38. A blower 58 extends through the tray 54 from the main chamber 38 to the upper rear 42 and front 44 chambers, as shown in fig. 2 and 4. A blower 58 extends through the wall from the main chamber 38 to the side chamber 40 as shown in fig. 3. The sensor assembly 10 may include one or more blowers 58 in the antechamber 16 for pressurizing air in the antechamber 16, as described further below.

The rear chamber 18 and the front chamber 16 are fluidly isolated from each other. In other words, no fluid is able to flow from the rear chamber 18 to the front chamber 16 or from the front chamber 16 to the rear chamber 18. An inner wall 52 between the front chamber 16 and the rear chamber 18 fluidly isolates the front chamber 16 and the rear chamber 18 from each other. No blower 58 extends through wall 52 between front chamber 16 and rear chamber 18.

As described above, front chamber 16, side chambers 40, and upper chamber are fluidly isolated from one another. In other words, no fluid is able to flow from any one of the front chamber 16, side chamber 40, and upper chamber to any other one of the front chamber 16, side chamber 40, and upper chamber.

The side chamber 40, upper front chamber 44 and upper rear chamber 42 may be completely separated from the main chamber 38. In other words, without being forced by the blower 58, air does not freely move from the main chamber 38 to the side chambers 40, the upper front chamber 44, and the upper rear chamber 42. The inner walls 52 and the tray 54 are air-tight and the only path for the air to communicate from the main chamber 38 to the side chambers 40, the upper front chamber 44 and the upper rear chamber 42 is through the blower 58. As described above, the blower 58 may block air from flowing out of the side chambers 40, the upper front chamber 44, and the upper rear chamber 42 when the blower 58 is not operating.

The sensor assembly 10 includes a plurality of sensor windows 20, 22. In the example shown in the figures, the sensor windows 20, 22 are at the front chamber 16 and the side chambers 40. The sensor windows 20, 22 may face in any suitable direction.

The sensor assembly 10 includes an image sensor 60 at each sensor window 20, 22. Image sensor 60 may include a field of view through respective sensor windows 20, 22 in antechamber 16. In particular, the sensor windows 20, 22 allow light to pass therethrough, and the image sensor 60 is positioned to sense the light passing through the sensor windows 20, 22. The sensor windows 20, 22 may be glass of the image sensor 60 or glass adjacent to the image sensor 60.

The image sensor 60 may detect foreign objects, such as objects and/or features of the surroundings of the vehicle 12, such as other vehicles, road lane markings, traffic lights and/or signs, pedestrians, etc. For example, the sensors may include radar sensors, scanning laser rangefinders, light detection and ranging (lidar) devices, and image processing sensors (e.g., cameras). The sensors may include communication devices, such as vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) devices.

The image sensor 60 may include cooling fins 62. Cooling fins 62 may be in the main chamber 38 for cooling by moving air in the main chamber 38. The image sensor 60 may extend through the inner wall 52 such that the cooling fins 62 are located in the main chamber 38. For example, referring to fig. 2, cooling fins 62 at side chamber 40 extend through wall 52 to main chamber 38, and one cooling fin at front chamber 16 extends through inner wall 52 to main chamber 38. With continued reference to fig. 2, the two image sensors 60 in the antechamber 16 have cooling fins 62 in the antechamber 16, i.e. cooling by moving air in the antechamber 16. The cooling fins 62 have a relatively high thermal conductivity. For example, the fins may be aluminum or any other suitable material.

The sensor assembly 10 includes air outlets 26, 30 at each image sensor 60. Referring to fig. 5, the air outlets 26, 30 are directed towards the respective sensor windows 20, 22. In one example, air from the air outlets 26, 30 may flow through the sensor windows 20, 22 to act as a curtain and prevent debris from blocking the field of view of the image sensor 60 through the front sensor window 22. In another example, air exhausted from the air outlets 26, 30 may be directed toward the sensor windows 20, 22. Debris on or near the sensor windows 20, 22 may be removed from the sensor windows 20, 22 by air from the front air outlet 30. In another example, air from the air outlets 26, 30 may defog or defrost the front sensor window 22. The air outlets 26, 30 shown in fig. 5 may be the same as the air outlets 26, 30 at each image sensor 60 shown in the figures.

Referring to fig. 2 and 4, the sensor assembly 10 includes at least one front air inlet 28. The front air inlet 28 is open to the external environment. In the example shown in the figures, the sensor assembly 10 includes two front air inlets 28. The front air inlet 28 supplies air to the front chamber 16. For example, the front air inlet 28 may face in the forward direction of the vehicle. In such an example, ram air is forced into the front air inlet 28 as the vehicle 12 moves forward. As described above, sensor assembly 10 may include a blower 58 at front air inlet 28 for additionally drawing air from the exterior into front chamber 16. The front chamber 16 is pressurized by ram air and/or a blower 58.

As described above, front air inlet 28 and front air outlet 30 are positioned to counteract a pressure differential between the stagnation pressure outside front chamber 16 and the pressure in front chamber 16 during forward movement of vehicle 12. During forward movement of the vehicle 12, ram air enters the front chamber 16 through the front air inlet 28 (i.e., air is forced into the front air inlet 28 by the forward movement of the vehicle 12), increasing the pressure inside the front chamber 16. The pressure inside the chamber can be further increased by a blower 58 at the air inlet 28. The ram air and optionally the air introduced by the blower 58 both reduce the pressure outside the front chamber 16 and increase the pressure in the front chamber 16. Therefore, less pressure needs to be generated (i.e., by the blower 58) in order to expel air from the front air outlet 30 to clean, defrost, defog, etc. the sensor windows 20, 22.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, the housing 14 includes an air intake 64 to introduce air that is pressurized and discharged through the rear air outlet 26. The air intake 64 is in fluid communication with the main chamber 38. Specifically, the air intake 64 may extend from the outside through the inner wall 52 of the housing 14 to the main chamber 38. The air intake 64 may be open to the outside, for example, in the rearward direction of the vehicle. The air intake 64 may include a filter for filtering dust, water droplets, etc. to prevent them from entering the main chamber 38.

As described above, the blower 58 in the main chamber 38 draws air from the main chamber 38 and pressurizes the air in the side chambers 40, the upper rear chamber 42 and the upper front chamber 44. Blower 58 is independently operable such that any of side chamber 40, upper rear chamber 18, and upper front chamber 44 may be independently pressurized to different pressures to independently control the air output through rear air outlet 26, front lidar cleaning tank 68 (described further below), and rear lidar cleaning tank 70 (described further below).

Specifically, the blower 58 between the main chamber 38 and the side chamber 40 is driven to pressurize air in the side chamber 40 to control the air output through the rear air outlet 26 at the side chamber 40. The pressure in the side chamber 40 may be proportional to the rotational speed of the blower 58, i.e., the pressure in the side chamber 40 increases as the rotational speed of the blower 58 increases toward the side chamber 40. The increased pressure in the side chamber 40 results in an increased airflow through the rear air outlet 26. The blowers 58 may be independently operated such that any of the side chambers 40 may be independently pressurized to different pressures to independently control the air output through the rear air outlet 26.

Referring to fig. 2 and 4, sensor assembly 10 may include a lidar sensor 66 above rear chamber 18. Lidar sensor 66 may be supported on the bottom of tray 54. The lidar sensor 66 shown in the figure is a scanning lidar sensor 66. Lidar sensor 66 extends upwardly through cover 48. In other words, cover 48 has an aperture, and lidar sensor 66 extends through the aperture.

Cover 48 includes at least one air outlet facing lidar sensor 66. For example, as described above, cover 48 may include a front lidar cleaning slot 68 in upper front chamber 44 and a rear lidar cleaning slot 70 in upper rear chamber 42. Both front lidar cleaning slot 68 and rear lidar cleaning slot 70 face lidar sensor 66. Front lidar cleaning slot 68 may extend 120 degrees around lidar sensor 66, and rear lidar cleaning slot 70 may extend 240 degrees around lidar sensor 66.

As described above, the blower 58 in the main chamber 38 draws air from the main chamber 38 and pressurizes the air in the upper rear chamber 42 and the upper front chamber 44. Blower 58 between main chamber 38 and upper rear and front chambers 42, 44 is driven to pressurize air in upper rear and front chambers 42, 44 to control the output of air through rear and front lidar cleaning tanks 70, 68, respectively. In other words, the air flow from rear lidar cleaning tank 70 and from front lidar cleaning tank 68 may be independently controlled. This accommodates the speed and direction of the vehicle 12, wind speed and direction, etc.

As described above, the blowers 58 may be independently operated to independently pressurize the chambers. Specifically, the sensor assembly 10 may have a computer 32 programmed to independently control the rotational speed of the blower 58. The speed of rotation of each blower 58 may be based on the speed and direction of vehicle 12, the wind speed and direction, the detection of obstacles on sensor windows 20, 22 or lidar sensors 66, the detection of airborne matter such as dust, precipitation, etc.; and the computer 32 may be programmed to receive input indicative of such information from sensors, computers, control modules, etc. of the vehicle 12. "based on" and "in response to" are used herein to refer to causal relationships, not just temporal relationships.

The computer 32 as shown in fig. 6 includes a known processor and memory. The memory includes one or more forms of computer-readable media and stores instructions executable by the processor for performing various operations including as disclosed herein. The computer 32 may include programming to operate one or more of braking, propulsion (e.g., controlling acceleration in the vehicle 12 by controlling one or more of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a hybrid engine, etc.), steering, climate control, interior and/or exterior lights, etc., of the vehicle 12, and to determine whether and when such operations are controlled by the computer 32 rather than by a human operator. In addition, computer 32 may be programmed to determine whether and when such operations are controlled by a human operator.

With continued reference to fig. 6, the computer 32 may include or be communicatively coupled with one or more processors, such as via a vehicle network, such as a communication bus, as further described below, for example, included in components included in the vehicle 12, such as sensors, Electronic Controller Units (ECUs), etc., for monitoring and/or controlling various vehicle components, such as powertrain controllers, brake controllers, steering controllers, etc. The computer 32 is typically arranged for communication over a vehicle communication network that may include a bus in the vehicle 12, such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) or the like, and/or other wired and/or wireless mechanisms.

Via the vehicle network, the computer 32 may send messages to various devices in the vehicle 12 and/or receive messages (e.g., CAN messages) from various devices, such as sensors, actuators, human machine interfaces, etc. (HMI). Alternatively or additionally, where the computer 32 actually includes multiple devices, a vehicle communication network may be used for communication between the devices represented in this disclosure by the computer 32. Further, as described below, various controllers and/or sensors may provide data to the computer 32 via a vehicle communication network.

The present disclosure has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology used is intended to be in the nature of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings, and the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

According to the invention, a sensor assembly is provided, having: a housing having a front chamber and a rear chamber fluidly isolated from the front chamber, the rear chamber including a rear sensor window, the front chamber including a front sensor window, the rear chamber including a rear air inlet and a rear air outlet, the rear air outlet facing the rear sensor window, and the front chamber including a front air inlet and a front air outlet, the front air outlet facing the front sensor window.

According to one embodiment, the front air inlet and the front air outlet face in a forward direction of the vehicle.

According to one embodiment, the invention is also characterized by a blower in the antechamber.

According to one embodiment, the front sensor window faces in a forward direction of the vehicle.

According to one embodiment, the front air inlet and the front air outlet are positioned to counteract stagnation pressure outside the housing at the front sensor window.

According to one embodiment, the invention is also characterized by a blower in the antechamber.

The invention also features a blower in the rear chamber according to one embodiment.

According to one embodiment, the rear chamber includes a main chamber, a side chamber and an inner wall between the main chamber and the side chamber, and further includes a blower extending through the inner wall, the inner wall and the blower completely separating the main chamber and the side chamber.

According to one embodiment, the invention also features an image sensor having a field of view through the front sensor window and having cooling fins in the front chamber.

According to one embodiment, the front air inlet, the front air outlet, the rear air inlet and the rear air outlet are open to the external environment.

According to one embodiment, the invention also features an upper chamber and a lidar sensor above the upper chamber, the upper chamber including another air outlet facing the lidar sensor.

According to one embodiment, the invention also features a blower between the rear chamber and the upper chamber.

According to the present invention, there is provided a sensor assembly having: a housing defining a first chamber and a second chamber, the first chamber including an air inlet and the second chamber including an air outlet; an inner wall between the first chamber and the second chamber; a blower extending through the inner wall, the inner wall and the blower completely separating the first chamber and the second chamber; and an image sensor in the second chamber.

According to one embodiment, the second chamber comprises a sensor window and the air outlet is directed towards the sensor window.

According to one embodiment, the image sensor has cooling fins in the second chamber.

According to one embodiment, the invention is further characterized by a third chamber having an air outlet, a second interior wall between the first chamber and the third chamber, and a second blower extending through the second interior wall, the second interior wall and the second blower completely separating the first chamber and the third chamber.

According to one embodiment, the third chamber comprises a second sensor window, and an air outlet of the third chamber faces the second sensor window.

According to one embodiment, the invention also features a computer programmed to independently control the rotational speeds of the blower and the second blower.

According to one embodiment, the air inlet and the air outlet are open to the external environment.