US 12,214,755 B2
Autonomous vehicle sensor cleaning system
Wesly Mason Rice, Glenshaw, PA (US); Nikolaus Wittenstein, Glenshaw, PA (US); Zhizhuo Jin, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Paul Kevin Smith, Wexford, PA (US); Sean Joseph Kennelly, Glenshaw, PA (US); Peter Brueckner, Pittsburgh, PA (US); and David Patrick Rice, Wexford, PA (US)
Assigned to AURORA OPERATIONS, INC., Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed by Aurora Operations, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed on Sep. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/473,779.
Application 18/473,779 is a continuation of application No. 17/825,014, filed on May 26, 2022, granted, now 11,801,808.
Application 17/825,014 is a continuation of application No. 16/723,124, filed on Dec. 20, 2019, abandoned.
Application 16/723,124 is a continuation of application No. 15/482,251, filed on Apr. 7, 2017, granted, now 10,518,754, issued on Dec. 31, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0010168 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B60S 1/48 (2006.01); B60S 1/52 (2006.01); B60S 1/54 (2006.01); B60S 1/56 (2006.01)
CPC B60S 1/481 (2013.01) [B60S 1/52 (2013.01); B60S 1/54 (2013.01); B60S 1/56 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensor cleaning system comprising:
a fluid source that supplies a fluid, wherein the fluid source comprises a tank that stores a pressurized volume of the fluid;
a flow control device located within the pressurized volume of the fluid and included in a manifold within the tank, wherein the flow control device controls a flow of the fluid from the fluid source; and
a sensor cleaning unit to clean a sensor of an autonomous vehicle using the fluid from the fluid source that is controlled by the flow control device, wherein the sensor cleaning unit corresponds to the sensor.