Patent ID: 11919487
Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G  H | IPC B

Claim 14:
15. A method of operating a sensor system at a vehicle body, the method comprising:
in response to determining, by the sensor system, via at least one sensor of the sensor system, that a sensor lens of the sensor system is at least partially obscured by at least a threshold amount, initiating, by the sensor system, via a cleaning assembly of the sensor system, a cleaning process on a portion of a sensor lens disposed within a chamber of the sensor system and at least partially separated from airflow exterior to the chamber, wherein the sensor system comprises:
a sensor housing comprising:
the sensor lens,
at least one sensor, and
a heat sink attached to an outside surface of the sensor housing, and connected to the at least one sensor,
wherein the sensor housing is moveable at least partially into and out of the chamber, and wherein the heat sink is not exposed to airflow exterior to the chamber in response to the sensor housing being moved completely into the chamber;

in response to determining, by the sensor system, via the at least one sensor of the sensor system, that the heat sink requires cooling, moving, by the sensor system, the sensor housing at least partially out of the chamber to expose the heat sink to the airflow exterior to the chamber; and
directing, by the sensor system, via a pump element and one or more drain hoses of the cleaning assembly, fluid expelled for the cleaning away from one or more viewing panels at the vehicle body.