This application claims priority to European Patent Application No. EP23213191.2, filed on Nov. 30, 2023, and entitled “ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR A RADAR SYSTEM”. The entirety of this application is incorporated herein by reference.
A sensor system, such as a radar system, a lidar system, a camera system, etc. can be utilized in a variety of contexts where the sensor system is subject to various environmental elements, such as in connection with an autonomous vehicle (AV), in connection with a driver-assistance system of a vehicle, in connection with a security system, etc. Environmental elements include, but are not limited to, rain, snow, water from a water source (such as a car wash), varying temperatures and humidity, etc. Accordingly, the sensor system can be housed within a housing to protect componentry of the sensor system from the environmental elements, where the housing provides for a sealed environment for the housed internal components of the sensor system such that the housed internal components are protected from one or more of the aforementioned environmental elements.
The interior of the housing can become heated or cooled depending on the outside environment in which the sensor system is being used, as well as the use of the internal components within the housing. When the interior of the housing is heated (e.g., due to circuitry in a radar system being active), air within the housing expands. Conversely, as the interior of the housing cools, the air within the housing contracts. This change in air volume can affect sealing of the housing; for example, cracks may develop in a seal employed to seal walls of the housing due to thermal expansion and contraction, thereby undesirably subjecting componentry of the sensor system to the environmental elements referenced above. To prevent such problems from occurring, the housing of the sensor system(s) can include an air vent for receiving a vent component that allows for air to enter and exit the housing, while also preventing moisture from entering the housing. Typically, to apply the air vent to the housing, an aperture is drilled in the housing and the air vent is tightly fit into the aperture. The air vent is then ordered with a custom size from a third-party manufacturer and fit into the aperture. This process is time-consuming, expensive, and risks damage to the housing (and the internal componentry within the housing).
The following is a brief summary of subject matter that is described in greater detail herein. This summary is not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the claims.
Described herein are various technologies that pertain to an electrical connector for a sensor system, where the electrical connector electrically couples the sensor system to other electrical componentry, such as a computing system. The sensor system can be a radar system, a lidar system, a camera system, or any other suitable sensor system that includes componentry that is desirably protected from environmental elements. The sensor system has a housing with a connector opening and circuitry disposed within the housing, where the circuitry can include antennas, amplifiers, digital signal processors (DSPs), etc. The connector is disposed within the connector opening of the housing of the sensor system and electrically connects the circuitry of the sensor system to other electrical componentry, such as a backplane, a computing system, etc. The connector includes a vent that allows for movement of air into and out of the housing by way of the connector opening while preventing moisture from moving into the housing of the sensor system.
An example electrical connector for a sensor system includes a connector housing, a vent opening extending through a surface of the connector housing, and a membrane covering the vent opening. The connector housing has a first portion for connecting to one or more electrical wires and a second portion for connecting to the sensor system. The membrane allows for movement of air through the vent opening and prevents moisture from moving through the vent opening.
An example method for connecting a computing system to circuitry of a sensor system includes providing the sensor system, where the sensor system includes a housing and circuitry disposed within the housing. The method further includes electrically connecting the circuitry of the sensor system to the computing system by way of an electrical connector, where the electrical connector has a vent for allowing air to move into and out of the housing of the sensor system and preventing moisture from moving into the housing of the sensor system.
The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of the systems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such systems and/or methods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. \
The Detailed Description describes exemplary embodiments of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention is broader than and unlimited by the embodiments disclosed herein, and the terms used in the claims have their full ordinary meaning. Features and components of one disclosed embodiment may be incorporated into the other disclosed embodiments. Inventions within the scope of this application may include additional features, or may have less features, than those shown in the embodiments described herein.
Moreover, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from the context, the phrase “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, the phrase “X employs A or B” is satisfied by any of the following instances: X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from the context to be directed to a singular form.
Sensor systems (e.g., radar sensors, a lidar sensors, etc.) employed in platforms, such as autonomous vehicles (AVs)) are sometimes subject to environmental elements (e.g., rain, snow, etc.) or water from a water source (e.g., a car wash). Accordingly, such a sensor system can include a housing that protects internal components (e.g., circuitry) of the sensor system from such elements. However, because these sensor systems may require release and intake of air through the housing (due to the internal components creating heat when energized and cooling when not energized), the housing may need to be vented while also preventing moisture from moving into the housing. Conventional housings for sensor systems include a first aperture that exposes a connection point, where a connector is coupled to the connection point to form an electrical connection between the internal componentry of the sensor and some other system (such as a computing system). Conventional housings for sensor systems also include a second aperture for venting the housing to allow the movement of air in and out of the housing, where a vent plug is separately manufactured to form fit into the second housing, thereby preventing moisture from entering the housing by way of the second aperture but allowing air to pass through the vent plug. When an electrical connector is coupled to connection point, the electrical connector fits snugly into the first aperture to prevent moisture from entering the housing by way of the first aperture. As described above, forming the second aperture, specially manufacturing the vent plug, and fitting the vent plug into the second aperture can add time and expense to the manufacturing of such sensor systems.
Described herein is an electrical connector that is electrically and mechanically coupled to circuitry of a sensor system is operable to electrically couple the circuitry of the sensor system to other electrical componentry, such as a computing system, where the electrical connector allows for venting of a housing of the sensor system when the electrical connector is coupled to the sensor system, thereby eliminating the need for an additional vent opening on the housing of the sensor system. For example, an electrical connector that forms a seal with the housing when mechanically and electrically coupled to the circuitry of the sensor system can include a vent that is configured to allow air to move in and out of the housing through the vent of the electrical connector; the seal formed with the housing prevents moisture from moving into the housing and contacting electrical circuitry of the sensor system. The vent can include a vent opening that extends through a connector housing of the connector and a membrane positioned over the opening that prevents moisture from moving into the electrical connector through the vent opening. Hence, the membrane is permeable to air but not permeable to water or other liquids.
Examples set forth herein relate to a sensor system and the electrical connector being included in an AV; however, the electrical connector and corresponding sensor system can be used in any application in which a housing for holding one or more electrical components needs to be vented. That is, such an electrical connector can be used with any suitable sensor system that includes electrical components, where the electrical components need to be protected from environmental elements while allowing for venting.
Turning now to the drawings,
In the illustrated example, the sensor system 102 includes a housing 114 and circuitry 116 disposed within the housing 114. The housing 114 is configured to protect the circuitry 116 from environmental elements (e.g., rain, snow, etc.) or water from a water source (e.g., a car wash). That is, the sensor system 102 may be positioned on the system 100 such that the sensor system 102 is subject to such elements, and the housing 114 is configured to protect the circuitry 116 and other housed components of the sensor system 102 from such elements. The computing system 102 can be electrically connected to the circuitry 114 by an electrical connector 118 by way of an opening (not shown) in the housing 114. The electrical connector 118 can include a vent 120 that is configured to allow air to move into and out of the housing 114 while also preventing moisture from moving into the housing 114. The electrical connector 118 and vent 120 can take any suitable form that allows for air to move into and out of the housing 114 through the electrical connector while also preventing moisture from moving into the housing 114, such as, for example, any form described herein.
The electrical connector 118 includes a connector housing 230 and the vent 120, where the vent 120 allows for air to move in and out of the housing 114 of the sensor system 102 through the connector opening 228 and further through the connector 118 (e.g., in the direction D shown in
Referring to
The connector housing 230 can be made from a plastic material or any other suitable material. In some implementations, the connector housing 230 can be made by injection molding to include the vent opening 232 (i.e., the electrical connector 118 is formed to include the vent opening 232). In some implementations, the vent opening 232 can be made by drilling a hole into the connector housing 230. However, it should be understood that the connector housing 230 can be made by any means that allows for the vent opening 232 to extend through the connector housing 230, such that air can enter and exit the connector housing 230 by way of the vent opening 232.
Referring to
In the illustrated example, the connector 118 includes a connector housing 230 having a first portion 236 and a second portion 238, but it should be understood that the connector 118 can take any suitable form that allows for other electrical componentry to be electrically connected to circuitry disposed within a housing of a sensor system while also including a vent that allows air to move into and out of the sensor system housing (by way of the electrical connector) when the connector is attached to the sensor system. In addition, the connector 118 is shown as having a single vent 120, but it should be understood that the connector 118 can have any suitable number of vents 120 that allow for air to move into and out of the sensor system housing by way of the connector 118. For example, the connector 118 can have two or more vents, three or more vents, four or more vents, etc. Also, it should be understood that implementations of the connector 118 that include a plurality of vents 120 can have vents positioned at any suitable location on the connector 118 that allows air to move into and out of the sensor system housing by way of the connector 118 when the connector 118 is attached to the sensor system.
In the illustrated examples, the membrane 234 is described as allowing air to move both into and out of the vent opening 232. However, in some instances, the membrane 234 of the vent 120 can be configured to allow for the movement of air in one direction through the vent opening 232 while preventing movement of air in the other direction through the vent opening 232.
The method 300 starts at 302, and at 304 a sensor system is provided, where the sensor system includes a housing that houses electrical circuitry. As noted above, the sensor system can be a radar system, although other types of sensor systems are contemplated. The housing of the sensor system can be at least partially formed of metal, of plastic, of some combination thereof, etc. Further, the housing includes an aperture that is configured to receive a male end of a connector, where the connector and the housing of the sensor system form a seal that is generally impermeable to water when the connector mechanically and electrically coupled to the circuitry of the sensor system.
At 306, an electrical component is provided, where the electrical component is to be electrically coupled to the sensor system. The electrical component can be a computer system, another sensor system (e.g., another radar system coupled in a daisy chain arrangement with the sensor system), etc.
At 308, the sensor system is electrically coupled to the electrical component by way of an electrical connector, where the electrical connector comprises a vent that allows air to enter and exit the electrical connector by way of the vent, and further where air can enter and exit the housing by way of the electrical connector. The vent can include an aperture in housing of the electrical connector and a membrane that covers the aperture, where the membrane is mechanically sealed to the housing of the electrical connector. In an example, the electrical connector is formed of a plastic. The method 300 completes at 310.
Various features are described herein according to at least the following examples:
What has been described above includes examples of one or more embodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable modification and alteration of the above devices or methodologies for purposes of describing the aforementioned aspects, but one of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that many further modifications and permutations of various aspects are possible. Accordingly, the described aspects are intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the details description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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23213191.2 | Nov 2023 | EP | regional |