The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 27, 2026
Filed:
Dec. 16, 2021
Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US);
Da Liu, Milpitas, CA (US);
Daniel Glenn Johnson, San Francisco, CA (US);
Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US);
Abstract
This application relates to techniques for improving sensor cleaning techniques. The techniques described herein utilize heat generated by multiple heat generating components of a vehicle, which is normally wasted. The techniques collect the waste heat to heat fluid stored in a reservoir. The heated fluid is further dispensed to heat and/or clean sensors. In some examples, a vehicle implementing the techniques includes a computing system to control an operation of the vehicle; a sensor to sense an environment of the vehicle; and a sensor cleaning system to clean the sensor with a fluid. In implementations, the sensor cleaning system includes a heat exchanger to apply heat generated by a heat generating component to heat fluid in a reservoir to generate heated fluid, and a dispenser fluidly coupled to the reservoir and configured to dispense the heated fluid toward the sensor to heat or clean the sensor.