Vehicle cleaning system and sensor system with vehicle cleaning device

Abstract

The vehicle cleaning system comprises: a cleaner for spraying a cleaning medium toward a cleaning object; and a control unit for operating the cleaner. After the control unit operates the cleaner in an operation mode A (a first mode) according to a flushing operation signal (201), when the control unit operates the cleaner again within a predetermined time, the control unit operates the cleaner in an operation mode B (a second mode) different from the first mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a cleaning system for a vehicle and a sensor system with a cleaning device for a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the number of vehicles equipped with on-board cameras for photographing conditions around the vehicle has increased. The on-board camera outputs the acquired information to a vehicle ECU or the like that controls the vehicle. The lens of the on-board camera, which is the photographing surface, may be contaminated by rain or mud. Therefore, in the past, it is known that a device for blowing cleaning fluid or compressed air onto the lens of the on-board camera to remove foreign matter such as water droplets attached to the lens has been disclosed in Patent Document 1 or the like.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-171491 Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0007] In the vehicle washer disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is room for improvement in the cleaning method when the same cleaning object is cleaned multiple times.

[0008] A vehicle is equipped with a plurality of cameras or sensors. It is considered that the plurality of cameras or sensors are cleaned by the above-mentioned vehicle cleaner. Then, the vehicle cleaner consumes a lot of power.

[0009] Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a vehicle cleaning system that can realize an efficient cleaning method when the same cleaning object is cleaned multiple times.

[0010] Furthermore, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a sensor system with a vehicle washer that suppresses power consumption.

[0011] Means for solving technical problems

[0012] In order to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned objects, a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention is used for cleaning an object to be cleaned mounted on the vehicle, and the vehicle cleaning system comprises:

[0013] a cleaner that sprays a cleaning medium toward the cleaning object;

[0014] a control unit that operates the cleaning device;

[0015] After the control unit operates the cleaner in a first mode according to an operation signal, when the control unit operates the cleaner again within a predetermined time, the control unit operates the cleaner in a second mode different from the first mode.

[0016] According to the above configuration, when the same cleaning object is cleaned a plurality of times, efficient cleaning can be achieved by changing the cleaning mode (cleaning method).

[0017] In addition, a vehicle cleaning system according to one aspect of the present invention is used to clean a cleaning object mounted on a vehicle, and the vehicle cleaning system includes:

[0018] a cleaner that sprays a cleaning medium toward the cleaning object;

[0019] a control unit that operates the cleaning device according to foreign matter attached to the cleaning object;

[0020] The control unit operates the cleaner in a first mode and, if it is determined that the foreign matter has not been removed, operates the cleaner in a second mode different from the first mode.

[0021] According to the above configuration, when foreign matter attached to the cleaning object cannot be removed even after cleaning, efficient cleaning (foreign matter removal) can be achieved by changing the cleaning method.

[0022] A sensor system with a vehicle cleaner according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:

[0023] A sensor capable of operating in a normal mode and a standby mode;

[0024] a cleaning unit capable of cleaning the sensor according to a working signal, wherein the working signal is output according to a contamination determination result of the sensor;

[0025] a control unit, which controls the sensor and the cleaning unit;

[0026] The sensor is capable of operating in the normal mode in which the sensor operates at a predetermined interval, and in the standby mode in which the sensor operates at a time interval longer than that in the normal mode.

[0027] The cleaning unit can operate in a normal mode in which the cleaning unit operates according to the operation signal, and a prohibition mode in which the cleaning unit does not operate even if the operation signal is input.

[0028] The control unit has:

[0029] an adhesive contamination determination unit that determines that the contamination of the sensor is not removed even by cleaning by the cleaning unit;

[0030] a first mode switching unit configured to switch the sensor from the normal mode to the standby mode when the adhesion contamination determination unit determines that the contamination of the sensor has not been cleared;

[0031] a sensor recovery determination unit that determines whether the contamination is cleared based on the sensor output obtained in the standby mode when the sensor is operated in the standby mode;

[0032] a second mode switching unit that returns the sensor from the standby mode to the normal mode when the sensor recovery determination unit determines that the contamination of the sensor has been cleared;

[0033] The control unit is configured to operate the cleaning unit in the normal mode when the sensor is in the normal mode, and to operate the cleaning unit in the prohibition mode when the sensor is in the standby mode.

[0034] In addition, a sensor system with a vehicle cleaner according to one aspect of the present invention includes:

[0035] A sensor, which is mounted on a vehicle;

[0036] a cleaning unit capable of cleaning the sensor according to a working signal, wherein the working signal is output according to a contamination determination result of the sensor;

[0037] a cleaner control section that controls the cleaning unit;

[0038] The cleaning unit can operate in a normal mode in which the cleaning unit operates according to the operation signal, and a prohibition mode in which the cleaning unit does not operate even if the operation signal is input.

[0039] The cleaning device control unit comprises:

[0040] an adhesive contamination determination unit that determines that the contamination of the sensor is not removed even by cleaning by the cleaning unit;

[0041] a first mode switching section for switching the cleaning unit from the normal mode to the prohibition mode when the adhesion contamination determination section determines that the contamination of the sensor is not removed;

[0042] a condition change determination unit for determining whether any one or more of the following prescribed conditions are satisfied from the time when the first mode switching unit switches to the prohibition mode, namely, a prescribed time has passed, the weather has changed, the temperature has changed by more than a prescribed temperature, the vehicle speed has changed by more than a prescribed speed, or the travel distance has become a prescribed distance;

[0043] A second mode switching unit switches the cleaning unit from the prohibition mode to the normal mode when the condition change determination unit determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0044] In addition, a sensor system with a vehicle cleaner according to one aspect of the present invention includes:

[0045] A sensor, which is mounted on a vehicle;

[0046] a cleaning unit capable of cleaning the sensor according to a working signal, wherein the working signal is output according to a contamination determination result of the sensor;

[0047] a cleaner control section that controls the cleaning unit;

[0048] The cleaning unit can operate in a normal mode in which the cleaning unit operates according to the operation signal, and a prohibition mode in which the cleaning unit does not operate even if the operation signal is input.

[0049] The cleaning device control unit comprises:

[0050] an adhesive contamination determination unit that determines that the contamination of the sensor is not removed even by cleaning by the cleaning unit;

[0051] a first mode switching section for switching the cleaning unit from the normal mode to the prohibition mode when the adhesion contamination determination section determines that the contamination of the sensor is not removed;

[0052] a condition change determination unit for determining whether any one or more of the following prescribed conditions are satisfied from the time when the first mode switching unit switches to the prohibition mode, namely, a prescribed time has passed, the weather has changed, the temperature has changed by more than a prescribed temperature, the vehicle speed has changed by more than a prescribed speed, or the travel distance has become a prescribed distance;

[0053] a second mode switching section that switches the cleaning unit to a test mode, in which it is determined whether the contamination of the sensor is cleared after the cleaning unit is operated for a predetermined number of times or more in the test mode;

[0054] The second mode switching section switches the cleaning unit to the normal mode if it is determined in the test mode that the contamination of the sensor has been cleared, and switches the cleaning unit to the prohibition mode if it is determined in the test mode that the contamination of the sensor has not been cleared.

[0055] Effects of the Invention

[0056] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle cleaning system that can realize an efficient cleaning method when the same cleaning object is cleaned a plurality of times.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sensor system with a vehicle washer that suppresses power consumption. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] Figure 1 It is a plan view of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle cleaning system of the first embodiment and the sensor system of the second embodiment.

[0059] Figure 2 It is a block diagram of the vehicle system according to the first embodiment.

[0060] Figure 3 It is a block diagram of the vehicle cleaning system according to the first embodiment.

[0061] Figure 4 It is a perspective view showing an example of a cleaning object, a cleaning device, and an air curtain device.

[0062] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A three-dimensional view of a cleaning device.

[0063] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 4 A diagram of a rotation state of a liquid nozzle of a cleaning device.

[0064] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 An exploded perspective view of an air curtain device.

[0065] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the vehicle cleaning system.

[0066] Fig. 9 This is a timing chart showing the relationship between the flushing operation signal and the operation state of the cleaning device in the vehicle cleaning system.

[0067] Fig.10 It is a timing chart showing the relationship between the flushing operation signal and the operation state of the cleaning device in the modified example.

[0068] Fig.11 It is a block diagram of a vehicle system according to the second embodiment.

[0069] Fig.12 is the block diagram of the sensor system.

[0070] Fig.13 This is a flowchart executed by the sensor system according to the second embodiment.

[0071] Fig.14 This is a block diagram of a sensor system according to a third embodiment.

[0072] Fig.15 It is a block diagram of a sensor system according to the fourth embodiment and the fifth embodiment.

[0073] Fig.16 This is a flowchart executed by the sensor system according to the fourth embodiment.

[0074] Fig.17 This is a flowchart executed by the sensor system according to the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0075] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in the description of the embodiments, for the convenience of description, the description of the components having the same reference numbers as the components already described is omitted. In addition, the sizes of the components shown in the accompanying drawings may be different from the actual sizes of the components for the convenience of description.

[0076] In the description of the present embodiment, for the convenience of description, "left-right direction", "front-back direction" and "up-down direction" are appropriately mentioned. These directions are Figure 1 Relative directions set in the vehicle 1 shown. Here, the "upward and downward directions" are directions including the "upward direction" and the "downward direction". The "frontward and rearward directions" are directions including the "front direction" and the "rear direction". The "leftward and rightward directions" are directions including the "left direction" and the "right direction".

[0077] (First Embodiment)

[0078] Figure 1 1 is a top view of a vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle cleaning system 100 (hereinafter, referred to as the cleaning system 100) according to the present embodiment. The vehicle 1 includes the cleaning system 100. In the present embodiment, the vehicle 1 is an automobile that can travel in an automatic driving mode.

[0079] First, refer to Figure 2 The vehicle system 2 of the vehicle 1 will be described. Figure 2 2 shows a block diagram of a vehicle system 2. Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle system 2 includes a vehicle control unit 3, an internal sensor 5, an external sensor 6, a light 7, an HMI 8 (Human Machine Interface), a GPS 9 (Global Positioning System), a wireless communication unit 10, and a map information storage unit 11. In addition, the vehicle system 2 includes a steering driver 12, a steering device 13, a brake driver 14, a brake device 15, an acceleration driver 16, and an acceleration device 17.

[0080] The vehicle control unit 3 is composed of an electronic control unit (ECU). The vehicle control unit 3 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) storing various vehicle control programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) temporarily storing various vehicle control data. The processor is configured to expand a program specified from the various vehicle control programs stored in the ROM on the RAM, and execute various processes by cooperating with the RAM. The vehicle control unit 3 is configured to control the travel of the vehicle 1.

[0081] The internal sensor 5 is a sensor that can obtain information about the vehicle. The internal sensor 5 is, for example, at least one of an acceleration sensor, a speed (vehicle speed) sensor, a wheel speed sensor, and a gyro sensor. The internal sensor 5 is configured to obtain information about the vehicle including the operating state of the vehicle 1 and output the information to the vehicle control unit 3. The internal sensor 5 may also include a seat sensor that detects whether the driver is sitting in the driver's seat, a face direction sensor that detects the direction of the driver's face, a human sensor that detects whether a person is in the vehicle, a contamination sensor that detects whether a foreign object is attached to the external sensor 6, and the like.

[0082] The external sensor 6 is a sensor that can obtain information outside the vehicle. The external sensor is, for example, at least one of a camera, a radar, a LiDAR, etc. The external sensor 6 is configured to obtain external information of the vehicle including the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 (other vehicles, pedestrians, road shape, traffic signs, obstacles, etc.) and output the information to the vehicle control unit 3. Alternatively, the external sensor 6 may include a weather sensor that detects weather conditions or an illuminance sensor that detects the illuminance of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1.

[0083] The camera is a camera including an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary MOS), etc. The camera is a camera that detects visible light or an infrared camera that detects infrared light.

[0084] The radar is a millimeter wave radar, a microwave radar or a laser radar, etc.

[0085] LiDAR is an abbreviation of Light Detection And Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection And Ranging. LiDAR is a sensor that generally emits invisible light in front of it and obtains information such as the distance to an object, the shape of the object, the material of the object, and the color of the object based on the emitted light and the returned light.

[0086] The light 7 is at least one of a headlight or position light provided at the front of the vehicle 1, a rear combination light provided at the rear of the vehicle 1, a turn signal light provided at the front or side of the vehicle, and various lights for notifying pedestrians or drivers of other vehicles of the status of the vehicle.

[0087] The HMI 8 is composed of an input unit that receives input operations from the driver and an output unit that outputs driving information to the driver. The input unit includes a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a driving mode switch that switches the driving mode of the vehicle 1, etc. The output unit is a display screen that displays various driving information.

[0088] The GPS 9 is configured to obtain the current position information of the vehicle 1 and output the obtained current position information to the vehicle control unit 3. The wireless communication unit 10 is configured to receive the driving information of other vehicles around the vehicle 1 from other vehicles and send the driving information of the vehicle 1 to other vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle communication). In addition, the wireless communication unit 10 is configured to receive basic information from infrastructure such as traffic lights or marker lights and send the driving information of the vehicle 1 to the infrastructure (road-to-vehicle communication). The map information storage unit 11 is an external storage device such as a hard disk drive that stores map information, and is configured to output the map information to the vehicle control unit 3.

[0089] When the vehicle 1 is traveling in the automatic driving mode, the vehicle control unit 3 automatically generates at least one of a steering control signal, an acceleration control signal, and a braking control signal based on the working state information, the surrounding environment information, the current position information, the map information, etc. The steering driver 12 is configured to receive the steering control signal from the vehicle control unit 3, and control the steering device 13 based on the received steering control signal. The brake driver 14 is configured to receive the brake control signal from the vehicle control unit 3, and control the brake device 15 based on the received brake control signal. The acceleration driver 16 is configured to receive the acceleration control signal from the vehicle control unit 3, and control the acceleration device 17 based on the received acceleration control signal. In this way, in the automatic driving mode, the driving of the vehicle 1 is automatically controlled by the vehicle system 2.

[0090] On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the manual driving mode, the vehicle control unit 3 generates a steering control signal, an acceleration control signal, and a braking control signal according to the driver's manual operation of the accelerator pedal, the brake pedal, and the steering wheel. In this way, in the manual driving mode, the steering control signal, the acceleration control signal, and the braking control signal are generated by the driver's manual operation, so the driving of the vehicle 1 is controlled by the driver.

[0091] Next, the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is described. The driving mode is composed of an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode. The automatic driving mode is composed of a fully automatic driving mode, a highly driven driving assistance mode, and a driving assistance mode. In the fully automatic driving mode, the vehicle system 2 automatically performs all driving controls of the steering control, the braking control, and the acceleration control, and the driver is not in a state where he can drive the vehicle 1. In the highly driven driving assistance mode, the vehicle system 2 automatically performs all driving controls of the steering control, the braking control, and the acceleration control, and the driver does not drive the vehicle 1 although he is in a state where he can drive the vehicle 1. In the driving assistance mode, the vehicle system 2 automatically performs a part of the driving controls of the steering control, the braking control, and the acceleration control, and the driver drives the vehicle 1 with the driving assistance of the vehicle system 2. On the other hand, in the manual driving mode, the vehicle system 2 does not automatically perform the driving control, and the driver drives the vehicle 1 without the driving assistance of the vehicle system 2.

[0092] In addition, the driving mode of the vehicle 1 can be switched by operating the driving mode switching switch. In this case, the vehicle control unit 3 switches the driving mode of the vehicle 1 between four driving modes (fully automatic driving mode, high driving assistance mode, driving assistance mode, manual driving mode) according to the driver's operation of the driving mode switching switch. In addition, the driving mode of the vehicle 1 can be automatically switched based on information about a drivable area where the automatic driving vehicle can be driven or a prohibited driving area where the automatic driving vehicle is prohibited, or information about external weather conditions. In this case, the vehicle control unit 3 can switch the driving mode of the vehicle 1 based on this information. Moreover, the driving mode of the vehicle 1 can be automatically switched by using a seat sensor or a face direction sensor. In this case, the vehicle control unit 3 can switch the driving mode of the vehicle 1 based on the output signal from the seat sensor or the face direction sensor.

[0093] Back to Figure 1 As the external sensors 6, the vehicle 1 includes a front LiDAR 6f, a rear LiDAR 6b, a right LiDAR 6r, a left LiDAR 6l, a front camera 6c, and a rear camera 6d. The front LiDAR 6f is configured to obtain information in front of the vehicle 1. The rear LiDAR 6b is configured to obtain information in the rear of the vehicle 1. The right LiDAR 6r is configured to obtain information in the right of the vehicle 1. The left LiDAR 6l is configured to obtain information in the left of the vehicle 1. The front camera 6c is configured to obtain information in front of the vehicle 1. The rear camera 6d is configured to obtain information in the rear of the vehicle 1.

[0094] It is worth noting that in Figure 1In the example shown, the front LiDAR 6f is provided at the front of the vehicle 1, the rear LiDAR 6b is provided at the rear of the vehicle 1, the right LiDAR 6r is provided at the right of the vehicle 1, and the left LiDAR 61 is provided at the left of the vehicle 1, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the front LiDAR, the rear LiDAR, the right LiDAR, and the left LiDAR may be arranged together on the top of the vehicle 1.

[0095] The vehicle 1 has a right headlight 7r and a left headlight 7l as the lights 7. The right headlight 7r is provided at the right portion of the front portion of the vehicle 1, and the left headlight 7l is provided at the left portion of the front portion of the vehicle 1. The right headlight 7r is provided further to the right than the left headlight 7l.

[0096] The vehicle 1 has a front window 1f and a rear window 1b.

[0097] The vehicle 1 includes a cleaning system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning system 100 is a system for removing foreign matter such as water droplets, ice (snow), mud, or dust attached to an object, or for preventing foreign matter from being attached to an object.

[0098] In the present embodiment, the cleaning system 100 includes a front window washer unit (hereinafter referred to as front WW) 101 capable of washing the front window 1f and a rear window washer unit (hereinafter referred to as rear WW) 102 capable of washing the rear window 1b.

[0099] In addition, the cleaning system 100 has a front LiDAR cleaning unit (hereinafter referred to as front LC) 103 capable of cleaning the front LiDAR 6f, and a rear LiDAR cleaning unit (hereinafter referred to as rear LC) 104 capable of cleaning the rear LiDAR 6b.

[0100] In addition, the cleaning system 100 includes a right LiDAR cleaning unit (hereinafter referred to as right LC) 105 capable of cleaning the right LiDAR 6r, and a left LiDAR cleaning unit (hereinafter referred to as left LC) 106 capable of cleaning the left LiDAR 61.

[0101] In addition, the cleaning system 100 includes a right headlamp cleaning unit (hereinafter referred to as right HC) 107 capable of cleaning the right headlamp 7r, and a left headlamp cleaning unit (hereinafter referred to as left HC) 108 capable of cleaning the left headlamp 7l.

[0102] The cleaning system 100 includes a front camera cleaning unit 109a for cleaning the front camera 6c and a rear camera cleaning unit 109b for cleaning the rear camera 6d. Each of the cleaners 101 to 109b includes one or more nozzles, and sprays a cleaning medium such as cleaning liquid, water or air toward an object.

[0103] Figure 31 is a block diagram of a cleaning system 100. The cleaning system 100 includes the cleaning devices 101 to 109b and an integrated control unit 111 for controlling the cleaning devices 101 to 109b. Figure 3 Among the above-mentioned cleaners 101~109b, the front LC103, the front camera cleaning unit 109a, the rear LC104, and the rear camera cleaning unit 109b are shown, and the front WW101, the rear WW102, the right LC105, the left LC106, the right HC107, and the left HC108 are omitted.

[0104] The front LC 103 includes a first cleaning device 120 (an example of a cleaner) for removing foreign matter attached to the front LiDAR 6f, and a first air curtain device 130 for preventing foreign matter from being attached to the front LiDAR 6f.

[0105] The front camera cleaning unit 109a includes a second cleaning device 140 (an example of a cleaner) for removing foreign matter attached to the front camera 6c, and a second air curtain device 150 for preventing foreign matter from being attached to the front camera 6c.

[0106] The rear LC 104 includes a third cleaning device 160 (an example of a cleaner) for removing foreign matter attached to the rear LiDAR 6 b , and a third air curtain device 170 for preventing foreign matter from being attached to the rear LiDAR 6 b .

[0107] The rear camera cleaning unit 109b includes a fourth cleaning device 180 (an example of a cleaner) for removing foreign matter attached to the rear camera 6d, and a fourth air curtain device 190 for preventing foreign matter from being attached to the rear camera 6d.

[0108] Here, the so-called air curtain device is a device that continuously blows air at a specified wind speed or volume to cleaning objects such as vehicle-mounted sensors or vehicle lamps, and allows a certain amount of wind to flow through the surface of the cleaning object, thereby achieving the air curtain function of preventing foreign matter from adhering to the cleaning object.

[0109] A cleaner control unit (not shown) is provided on each cleaning device 120, 140, 160, 180. In addition, an air curtain control unit (not shown) is provided on each air curtain device 130, 150, 170, 190. Each cleaner control unit and the air curtain control unit are electrically connected to the integrated control unit 111. Each cleaner control unit and the air curtain control unit control the operation of each cleaning device 120, 140, 160, 180 and the air curtain device 130, 150, 170, 190 based on a signal input from the integrated control unit 111. The integrated control unit 111 is electrically connected to the vehicle control unit 3.

[0110] It is worth noting that in this embodiment, the cleaner control unit, the air curtain control unit and the integrated control unit 111 are provided as separate structures, but these control units can also be integrally formed. At this point, the cleaner control unit, the air curtain control unit and the integrated control unit 111 can be composed of a single electronic control unit. In addition, the vehicle control unit 3 and the integrated control unit 111 are provided as separate structures, but the vehicle control unit 3 and the integrated control unit 111 can also be integrally formed. At this point, the vehicle control unit 3 and the integrated control unit 111 can also be composed of a single electronic control unit.

[0111] in addition, Figure 3 The cleaning system 100 shown in the figure is a cleaning system with sensors including various external sensors such as the front LiDAR 6f or the front camera 6c. It is worth noting that the cleaning system 100 may include a cleaning device for removing foreign matter from a sensor not shown in the figure such as a side camera that obtains an image of the side of the vehicle 1, or an air curtain device for preventing foreign matter from adhering.

[0112] Next, refer to Figures 4 to 7 , describing the detailed structures of a cleaning object, a cleaning device for spraying a cleaning liquid toward the cleaning object, and an air curtain device for spraying air (wind) toward the cleaning object.

[0113] Figure 4 A front LiDAR 6f as an example of a cleaning target object, a first cleaning device 120 that sprays a cleaning liquid toward the front LiDAR 6f, and a first air curtain device 130 that sprays air toward the front LiDAR 6f are shown.

[0114] The cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f, which is the object to be cleaned, is formed in a rectangular shape (a laterally long rectangular shape in this example). The first cleaning device 120 sprays cleaning liquid toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f via the liquid nozzle 121. The first air curtain device 130 sprays air toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f via the air nozzle 136. The cleaning surface 21 refers to the detection surface of the front LiDAR 6f.

[0115] The liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 is arranged at a position opposite to the upper side 22 of the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f. That is, the liquid nozzle 121 is preferably arranged at a position opposite to the long side of the laterally long rectangular cleaning surface 21. The liquid nozzle 121 may also be arranged at a position opposite to the lower side 23 of the cleaning surface 21, but when the liquid nozzle 121 is arranged on the lower side 23, water or mud may intrude into the opening of the liquid nozzle 121, so the liquid nozzle 121 is more preferably arranged at a position opposite to the upper side 22.

[0116] The air nozzle 136 of the first air curtain device 130 is arranged at a position opposite to the left side 24 of the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f, which is perpendicular to the upper side 22. That is, the air nozzle 136 is preferably arranged at a position opposite to the short side of the laterally long rectangular cleaning surface 21. The air nozzle 136 may also be arranged at a position opposite to the right side 25 of the cleaning surface 21.

[0117] It is worth noting that the structures of other cleaning objects, cleaning devices for the cleaning objects, and air curtain devices are similar to those of Figure 4 Other cleaning objects include rear LiDAR 6b, right LiDAR 6r, left LiDAR 6l, front camera 6c, rear camera 6d, right headlight 7r, left headlight 7l, front window 1f, rear window 1b, etc., which are external sensors.

[0118] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the first cleaning device 120. Figure 5 As shown, the first cleaning device 120 includes a cylinder 122 , a piston 123 , and a pair of liquid nozzles 121 , 121 .

[0119] The cylinder 122 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a connecting portion 124 is provided at the rear side thereof. A hose for supplying cleaning fluid is connected to the connecting portion 124. The hose is connected to a cleaning fluid tank (not shown) storing cleaning fluid. The cleaning fluid is supplied from the cleaning fluid tank to the cylinder 122 through the connection between the hose and the connecting portion 124.

[0120] The piston 123 is slidably accommodated in the cylindrical cylinder 122. The piston 123 can move forward and backward along the central axis of the cylinder 122 in the front-rear direction.

[0121] The liquid nozzles 121, 121 are arranged in a pair near the front end of the piston 123. The liquid nozzles 121, 121 are provided with a jet port 125 for jetting the cleaning liquid. The liquid nozzles 121, 121 are nozzles capable of jetting the cleaning liquid from the jet port 125 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f. The pair of liquid nozzles 121, 121 have the same structure as each other, so in the following description, the liquid nozzle 121 on the left side is described.

[0122] The liquid nozzle 121 functions as a fluid nozzle (swinging spray nozzle). The so-called fluid nozzle is a nozzle that changes the spray direction of the fluid by causing the fluid flowing through the nozzle to interfere with each other. By having a structure as a fluid nozzle, the liquid nozzle 121 can spray the cleaning liquid at high pressure over a large range of the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f. It is worth noting that the liquid nozzle 121 can spray from the spray port 125 without changing the spray direction of the cleaning liquid.

[0123] Figure 6 1 is a diagram showing the rotation state of the liquid nozzle 121 in the first cleaning device 120. Figure 6 As shown, the liquid nozzle 121 is mounted on the nozzle holder 126. The nozzle holder 126 is mounted to be rotatable relative to the piston 123 around the axis L along the left-right direction. In addition, the liquid nozzle 121 is mounted to be rotatable relative to the nozzle holder 126 around the axis M perpendicular to the above-mentioned axis L direction. By properly rotating the liquid nozzle 121 and the nozzle holder 126 in advance, the injection port 125 of the liquid nozzle 121 can be directed to an appropriate position according to the positional relationship between the front LiDAR 6f and the liquid nozzle 121. In this way, the position of the liquid nozzle 121 can be adjusted in such a way that the cleaning liquid is appropriately sprayed toward the front LiDAR 6f.

[0124] It is worth noting that the liquid nozzle 121 can also be arranged only on one side near the front end of the piston 123. In addition, more than three liquid nozzles 121 can be arranged along the upper side 22 of the cleaning surface 21. Alternatively, one liquid nozzle 121 can be arranged at the front end of the piston 123. In this case, the liquid nozzle 121 preferably has a wide-angle injection port in a manner corresponding to the laterally long rectangular cleaning surface 21. By having a plurality of injection ports or wide-angle injection ports, the cleaning liquid can be attached to the entire cleaning surface relative to the laterally long rectangular cleaning surface such as the cleaning surface 21.

[0125] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the first air curtain device 130. Figure 7 As shown, the first air curtain device 130 includes a housing 131 , an impeller 132 , an air curtain motor 133 , a frame 134 , and a motor box 135 .

[0126] The impeller 132 can be rotated around the rotation axis Ax by the air curtain motor 133. The impeller 132 has a disk-shaped metal plate 132A and a plurality of blades 132b. The plurality of blades 132b are respectively provided to extend in the radial direction of the impeller 132. The plurality of blades 132b are annularly arranged on the metal plate 132A.

[0127] The housing 131 covers the impeller 132. The housing 131 is divided into one side and the other side of the rotation axis Ax of the impeller 132. The housing 131 has a substantially donut-shaped internal space therein. The impeller 132 is accommodated in the internal space. The housing 131 has an inlet 131a for sucking in air and an outlet 131b for blowing out the sucked air. The inlet 131a opens in the direction of the rotation axis Ax at a position corresponding to the plurality of blades 132b of the impeller 132. The outlet 131b opens in a direction intersecting the rotation axis Ax of the impeller 132.

[0128] When the impeller 132 rotates, the air sucked in from the suction port 131a is pressed against the inner circumferential surface 131c of the housing 131 by the blades 132b. The pressed air is guided along the inner circumferential surface 131c of the housing 131 and is directed to the blow-out port 131b. The air directed to the blow-out port 131b is sent out from the blow-out port 131b to the outside of the first air curtain device 130. That is, the air sucked in from the direction of the rotation axis Ax of the impeller 132 is pushed out in the radial direction by the rotating blades 132b and is pressed against the inner circumferential surface 131c of the housing 131, and is sent out from the radially opening blow-out port 131b to the outside of the first air curtain device 130. Then, the air sent out from the blow-out port 131b to the outside is passed through the air nozzle 136 (refer to Figure 4 ), and blows toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f. The impeller 132 having a plurality of blades 132b rotates, and air (wind) is continuously blown toward the cleaning surface 21. The air blown toward the cleaning surface 21 flows along the cleaning surface 21. However, dust near the cleaning surface 21 is carried out of the cleaning surface 21 along with the airflow flowing along the cleaning surface 21, and does not adhere to the cleaning surface 21. In this way, the first air curtain device 130 prevents foreign matter such as dust from adhering to the cleaning surface 21.

[0129] It is worth noting that, in addition to the above examples, as the air supply mechanism of the first air curtain device 130, a propeller fan, a Sirocco fan, a turbo fan, a mixed flow fan, etc. can be used. These non-volumetric air supply mechanisms are easy to obtain a relatively large air volume. In addition, as the air supply mechanism of the first air curtain device 130, a volumetric fan such as a reciprocating, screw, Roots, or blade type can be used. It is worth noting that the air supply mechanism is sometimes also called a blower, a pump, etc. in addition to a fan.

[0130] Next, refer to Figure 8 as well as Fig. 9 , an example of the operation of the cleaning system 100 is described.

[0131] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the cleaning system 100 . Fig. 9 1 is a timing chart showing the relationship between the flushing operation signal and the operation state of the cleaning device in the cleaning system 100 .

[0132] The flushing operation signal is a signal for operating the cleaning device. For example, the flushing operation signal is output when the ignition switch of the vehicle 1 is ON, or when the driver operates the washing switch for operating the cleaning device. In addition, for example, when the contamination is detected by the contamination sensor for detecting the contamination of the washing surface 21 of the front LiDAR6f, or when the contamination of the washing surface 21 is detected based on the vehicle surrounding information obtained by the front LiDAR6f, the flushing operation signal is output. In addition, for example, when the automatic driving mode starts, when the weather sensor detects bad weather such as rain and snow, or when the temperature sensor detects a drop in temperature, the flushing operation signal is output. Further, for example, when the speed is detected to increase by the vehicle speed sensor, or when the vehicle 1 is detected to enter a highway based on road traffic information such as the Japan Road Traffic Information Center (JARTIC), etc., the flushing operation signal is output. The output flushing operation signal is input to the vehicle control unit 3, and is input to the integrated control unit 111 via the vehicle control unit 3.

[0133] First, operation example 1 of the cleaning device will be described.

[0134] In step S1, the integrated control unit 111 determines whether a flushing operation signal is input. When it is determined that a flushing operation signal is not input (No in step S1), the integrated control unit 111 repeats the process of step S1. On the other hand, when it is determined that a flushing operation signal is input (Yes in step S1), the integrated control unit 111 moves to step S2. In this example, the flushing operation signal (e.g., Fig. 9 The flushing work signal 205) is input to the integrated control unit 111.

[0135] In step S2, the integrated control unit 111 controls the cleaning device control unit based on the flushing operation signal 205, and causes the first cleaning device 120 to operate in the operation mode A (an example of the first mode). Fig. 9 The operating state 211 indicates that the first cleaning device 120 is operated for only time t1. Thus, the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f for time t1.

[0136] Next, in step S3, the integrated control unit 111 determines whether the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f is cleaned (whether it is in a clean state) by the operation of the operation mode A in step S2. The integrated control unit 111 determines whether foreign matter such as water droplets, ice (snow), mud or dust is attached to the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f based on, for example, the detection result of the contamination sensor. It is worth noting that the integrated control unit 111 can also determine whether foreign matter is attached to the cleaning surface 21 based on, for example, information obtained from the front LiDAR 6f.

[0137] In step S3, when it is determined that the cleaning surface 21 is cleaned (Yes in step 3), the integrated control unit 111 ends the cleaning process of the first cleaning device 120. On the other hand, when it is determined that the cleaning surface 21 is not cleaned (not in a clean state) (No in step 3), the integrated control unit 111 moves to step S4.

[0138] In step S4 , the integrated control unit 111 temporarily stops the operation of the first cleaning device 120 .

[0139] Next, in step S5, the integrated control unit 111 determines whether a predetermined time T1 (e.g., about 1 to 2 hours) has passed since the first cleaning device 120 was stopped. If it is determined that the predetermined time T1 has not passed (No in step S5), the integrated control unit 111 repeats the process of step 5 until the predetermined time T1 has passed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the predetermined time T1 has passed (Yes in step S5), the integrated control unit 111 moves to step S6.

[0140] In step S6, the integrated control unit 111 determines whether the attachment state of the foreign matter attached to the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f has changed. For example, the integrated control unit 111 compares the detection result of the contamination sensor in step S6 with the detection result of the contamination sensor in step S3 to determine whether the attachment state of the foreign matter has changed. It is worth noting that the integrated control unit 111 can also compare the information obtained by the front LiDAR 6f to determine whether the attachment state of the foreign matter has changed.

[0141] In step S6, when it is determined that the attachment state of the foreign matter has not changed (step S6: No), the integrated control unit 111 returns to step S5 to repeat the process. On the other hand, when it is determined that the attachment state of the foreign matter has changed (step S6: Yes), the integrated control unit 111 itself inputs a flushing operation signal for operating the first cleaning device 120.

[0142] Next, in step S7, the integrated control unit 111 determines whether the flushing operation signal is input. If it is determined that the flushing operation signal is not input (No in step S7), the integrated control unit 111 returns to step S5 to repeat the process. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is an input of the flushing operation signal (for example, Fig. 9 In the case of a flushing operation signal 206) (yes in step S7), the integrated control unit 111 moves to step S8.

[0143] In step S8 , the integrated control unit 111 activates the stopped first cleaning device 120 .

[0144] Next, in step S9, the integrated control unit 111 controls the cleaning device control unit to operate the first cleaning device 120 in the operation mode B (an example of the second mode). Fig. 9 The working state 212 is shown as a working mode in which the first cleaning device 120 is operated for a time t2. The working mode B is a working mode different from the working mode A. The working time t2 of the first cleaning device 120 in the working mode B is set to a working time longer than the working time t1 of the first cleaning device 120 in the working mode A. Thus, the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f for a time t2.

[0145] It is worth noting that in Figure 8 In the process, the integrated control unit 111 may also, for example, notify the driver of a warning that the driving mode cannot be switched to the automatic driving mode because the cleaning surface 21 is contaminated, when the foreign matter on the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f is not removed by the operation of the operation mode A (No in step 3). In this case, unnecessary repeated cleaning of foreign matter in an attached state that cannot be removed can be suppressed. In addition, the driver can, based on the warning, for example, stop the vehicle and clean the cleaning surface 21, and implement appropriate measures in subsequent driving. In addition, the integrated control unit 111 may, for example, determine whether the foreign matter on the cleaning surface 21 has been removed based on the detection result of the contamination sensor after the first cleaning device 120 is operated in the operation mode B (step S9), and notify the driver that the foreign matter has been removed if the foreign matter has been removed. In this case, unnecessary cleaning of the cleaning surface 21 in a cleaned state can be suppressed.

[0146] In addition, in the above-mentioned steps S4 to S6, the situation of judging the attachment state of foreign matter after temporarily stopping the first cleaning device 120 for a predetermined time T1 is described, but it is not limited thereto. For example, after temporarily stopping the first cleaning device 120, when judging that bad weather such as rain or snow is changing to good weather such as sunny days based on the detection result of the weather sensor, the attachment state of foreign matter can be judged. This judgment can be, for example, before the predetermined time T1. When the weather changes from rain or snow to sunny days, the state of foreign matter (especially frozen rain and snow) attached to the cleaning surface 21 is easy to change, so the possibility of being removed by washing again becomes higher. In addition, the attachment state of foreign matter can be judged, for example, after temporarily stopping the first cleaning device 120, when judging that the temperature outside the vehicle rises based on the detection result of the temperature sensor. This judgment can also be before the predetermined time T1. When the temperature rises, the state of foreign matter attached to the cleaning surface 21 is also easy to change, so the possibility of being removed by washing again becomes higher.

[0147] As described above, the cleaning system 100 of the present embodiment includes a first cleaning device 120 that sprays a cleaning medium toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f, and an integrated control unit 111 that operates the first cleaning device 120. In addition, after the integrated control unit 111 operates the first cleaning device 120 in the working mode A according to the flushing operation signal 205, if it is determined that the foreign matter cannot be removed, the first cleaning device 120 is temporarily stopped, and when the first cleaning device 120 is operated again after a predetermined time T1, the first cleaning device 120 is operated in the working mode B different from the working mode A. According to this structure, when the foreign matter attached to the cleaning surface 21 cannot be removed by the cleaning of the working mode A, effective cleaning (foreign matter removal) can be performed by changing the cleaning mode to the working mode B. In addition, when the foreign matter cannot be removed by the working mode A, by stopping the first cleaning device 120 within the predetermined time T1, it is possible to suppress the useless cleaning work of the first cleaning device 120 for the attachment that is difficult to be cleaned and removed.

[0148] In addition, the cleaning system 100 is configured to start the stopped first cleaning device 120 and perform the cleaning operation again when the adhesion state of the foreign matter that cannot be removed is detected and the adhesion state of the foreign matter changes. Since the foreign matter becomes easy to remove due to the change in the adhesion state of the foreign matter, it is possible to suppress useless cleaning by cleaning when the adhesion state changes, thereby enabling effective cleaning. Moreover, in the cleaning operation again after the first cleaning device 120 is started, by operating the first cleaning device 120 in an operation mode B different from the first operation mode A, the operation time of the first cleaning device 120, i.e., the spraying time of the cleaning liquid, can be made longer than the first spraying time. Therefore, the foreign matter that cannot be removed by the operation mode A can be effectively cleaned by the operation mode B.

[0149] Next, Operation Example 2 of the cleaning device will be described.

[0150] In the above-mentioned working example 1, when the cleaning device is operated once and then operated again, the spraying time of the cleaning liquid sprayed from the liquid nozzle 121 is increased, but in the working example 2, the spraying pressure of the cleaning liquid sprayed from the liquid nozzle 121 is increased.

[0151] like Fig. 9As shown in FIG. 2 , the integrated control unit 111 controls the cleaning device control unit based on the flushing operation signal 205, and causes the first cleaning device 120 to operate in the operation mode C (an example of the first mode). The so-called "operation mode C" here refers to an operation mode in which the cleaning liquid ejected from the liquid nozzle 121 is ejected at an ejection pressure p1, as shown in the operation state 215. Thus, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f at an ejection pressure p1.

[0152] In addition, the integrated control unit 111 controls the cleaning device control unit based on the flushing operation signal 206, and causes the first cleaning device 120 to operate in the operation mode D (an example of the second mode). The so-called "operation mode D" herein, as shown in the operation state 216, refers to an operation mode in which the cleaning liquid ejected from the liquid nozzle 121 is ejected at an ejection pressure p2. The operation mode D is an operation mode different from the operation mode C. The ejection pressure p2 of the cleaning liquid in the operation mode D is set to be higher than the ejection pressure p1 of the cleaning liquid in the operation mode C. Thus, the cleaning liquid is ejected at an ejection pressure p2 from the liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f.

[0153] It is worth noting that the process of processing the first cleaning device 120 working in working mode C and then working in working mode D is the same as that in Figure 8 The processing flow in the above-described operation example 1 of the cleaning device is the same. In the above-described operation modes C and D, the injection pressure of the cleaning liquid is changed. However, in the operation modes C and D, for example, the injection flow rate of the cleaning liquid may be changed.

[0154] Next, Operation Example 3 of the cleaning device will be described.

[0155] In the operation example 3 of the cleaning device, when the cleaning device is operated again after being operated once, the cleaning device is operated so that the number of times the cleaning liquid is ejected from the liquid nozzle 121 increases.

[0156] like Fig. 9 As shown, the integrated control unit 111 controls the cleaning device control unit based on the flushing operation signal 205, and operates the first cleaning device 120 in the operation mode E (an example of the first mode). The so-called "operation mode E" here refers to an operation mode in which the cleaning liquid is sprayed n times from the liquid nozzle 121, as shown in the operation state 218. Thus, the cleaning liquid is sprayed n times from the liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f.

[0157] In addition, the integrated control unit 111 controls the cleaner control unit based on the flushing operation signal 206, and causes the first cleaning device 120 to operate in operation mode F (F1, F2, F3) (an example of the second mode). The so-called "operation mode F" herein, as shown in the operation state 219, refers to an operation mode in which the cleaning liquid is sprayed m times from the liquid nozzle 121. Operation mode F is a different operation mode from operation mode E. The number of sprays m of the cleaning liquid in operation mode F is set to be greater than the number of sprays n of the cleaning liquid in operation mode E. Thus, the cleaning liquid is sprayed m times from the liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f. The m sprays of the cleaning liquid are preferably sprayed continuously (for example, at intervals of less than 5 seconds).

[0158] In the case of working examples 2 and 3 of the above-mentioned cleaning device, as in the case of working example 1 of the cleaning device, foreign matter attached to the cleaning surface 21 that could not be removed in the first method (working method C, E) can be effectively cleaned by the second method (working method D, F).

[0159] (Variation Example)

[0160] Fig.10 1 is a timing chart showing the relationship between the flushing operation signal and the operation state of the cleaning device according to the modified example.

[0161] In the above-mentioned working examples 1 to 3 of the cleaning device, an example is described in which the cleaning device is operated again after being operated once, and the second working mode is operated in a stronger cleaning mode than the first working mode. However, in the embodiment of the cleaning device of the modified example, an example is described in which the second working mode is operated in a weaker cleaning mode than the first working mode. It is worth noting that the operation other than weakening the cleaning mode is the same as in Figure 8 The process flow of the processing in the working example 1 of the cleaning device described in is the same.

[0162] First, Operation Example 4 of the cleaning device will be described.

[0163] In the operation example 4 of the cleaning device, when the cleaning device is operated again after being operated once, the cleaning device is operated so that the injection time of the cleaning liquid injected from the liquid nozzle 121 is shorter than the first injection time.

[0164] like Fig.10As shown in FIG. 3 , the integrated control unit 111 controls the cleaning device control unit based on the flushing operation signal 301, and causes the first cleaning device 120 to operate in the operation mode G (an example of the first mode). The so-called "operation mode G" here refers to an operation mode in which the first cleaning device 120 operates for a time t3, as shown in the operation state 311. As a result, the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f for a time t3.

[0165] In addition, the integrated control unit 111 controls the cleaning device control unit based on the flushing operation signal 302, and causes the first cleaning device 120 to operate in the operation mode H (an example of the second mode). The so-called "operation mode H" here refers to an operation mode in which the first cleaning device 120 operates for a time t4, as shown in the operation state 312. The operation mode H is an operation mode different from the operation mode G. The operation time t4 of the first cleaning device 120 in the operation mode H is set to an operation time shorter than the operation time t3 of the first cleaning device 120 in the operation mode G. As a result, the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f for a time t4.

[0166] Next, Operation Example 5 of the cleaning device will be described.

[0167] In the operation example 5 of the cleaning device, when the cleaning device is operated again after being operated once, the cleaning device is operated so that the injection pressure of the cleaning liquid injected from the liquid nozzle 121 is reduced.

[0168] like Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 3 , the integrated control unit 111 controls the cleaning device control unit based on the flushing operation signal 301, and causes the first cleaning device 120 to operate in the operation mode I (an example of the first mode). The so-called (operation mode I) here refers to an operation mode in which the cleaning liquid ejected from the liquid nozzle 121 is ejected at an ejection pressure p3, as shown in the operation state 321. Thus, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f at an ejection pressure p3.

[0169] In addition, the integrated control unit 111 controls the cleaning device control unit based on the flushing operation signal 302, and causes the first cleaning device 120 to operate in the operation mode J (an example of the second mode). The so-called (operation mode J) here refers to an operation mode in which the injection pressure of the cleaning liquid injected from the liquid nozzle 121 is injected at the injection pressure p4, as shown in the operation state 322. The operation mode J is a different operation mode from the operation mode I. The injection pressure p4 of the cleaning liquid in the operation mode J is set to be lower than the injection pressure p3 of the cleaning liquid in the operation mode I. As a result, the cleaning liquid is injected at the injection pressure p4 from the liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f.

[0170] It should be noted that, in the above-mentioned operation modes I and J, the injection pressure of the cleaning liquid is changed. However, for example, the injection flow rate of the cleaning liquid may also be changed in the operation modes I and J.

[0171] Next, Operation Example 6 of the cleaning device will be described.

[0172] In the operation example 6 of the cleaning device, when the cleaning device is operated again after being operated once, the cleaning device is operated so that the number of times the cleaning liquid is ejected from the liquid nozzle 121 is reduced.

[0173] like Fig.10 As shown, the integrated control unit 111 controls the cleaning device control unit based on the flushing operation signal 301, and makes the first cleaning device 120 work in the working mode K (K1, K2, K3) (an example of the first mode). The so-called "working mode K" here refers to a working mode in which the cleaning liquid is sprayed q times from the liquid nozzle 121, as shown in the working state 331. Thus, the cleaning liquid is sprayed q times from the liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f. The q times of spraying of the cleaning liquid are preferably sprayed continuously (for example, at intervals of less than 5 seconds).

[0174] In addition, the integrated control unit 111 controls the cleaning device control unit based on the flushing operation signal 302, and causes the first cleaning device 120 to operate in the operation mode L (an example of the second mode). The so-called "operation mode L" herein, as shown in the operation state 332, refers to an operation mode in which the cleaning liquid is sprayed r times from the liquid nozzle 121. The operation mode L is a different operation mode from the operation mode K. The number of sprays r of the cleaning liquid in the operation mode L is set to be less than the number of sprays q of the cleaning liquid in the operation mode K. Thus, the cleaning liquid is sprayed r times from the liquid nozzle 121 of the first cleaning device 120 toward the cleaning surface 21 of the front LiDAR 6f.

[0175] However, when the cleaning device is operated in the first mode to perform the cleaning operation, even if all foreign matter cannot be removed by the cleaning operation, a certain portion of foreign matter can be removed. In such a case, according to the working examples 4 to 6 of the above-mentioned cleaning device, by making the second mode (operating mode H, J, L) a cleaning mode weaker than the first mode (operating mode G, I, K), the power consumption of the first cleaning device 120 can be suppressed, and the slight contamination that was not completely removed in the first mode can be effectively cleaned by the second mode.

[0176] It is worth noting that in the above embodiment, an example is described in which after the cleaning device is operated in the first mode, if it is determined that the foreign matter cannot be removed, the cleaning device is temporarily stopped, and the cleaning device is operated in the second mode according to the adhesion state of the foreign matter after a specified time T1 has passed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, after the cleaning device is operated in the first mode, when the flushing operation signal is received again within a specified time T2 (for example, about 10 minutes), the cleaning device is operated in the second mode, and if it is determined that the foreign matter cannot be removed, the cleaning device is temporarily stopped. And then, the same operation as above can be performed. Figure 8 The same processing as that after step S5 in .

[0177] In addition, for example, after the cleaning device is operated in the first mode, within a specified time T2 (for example, about 10 minutes), if the driver repeatedly operates the driving mode switching switch multiple times (for example, more than 5 times) and wants to switch the driving mode to the automatic driving mode (if the flushing operation signal is not released), the cleaning device can be operated in the second mode.

[0178] (Second Embodiment)

[0179] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 1 may include a sensor system 100A with a vehicle cleaner according to the second embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the sensor system 100A). In the second embodiment, the vehicle 1 is an automobile that can travel in an automatic driving mode.

[0180] First, refer to Fig.11 A vehicle system 202 according to a second embodiment of the vehicle 1 will be described. Fig.11 202 is a block diagram of a vehicle system. Fig.11As shown, the vehicle system 202 includes a vehicle control unit 3, an internal sensor 5, an external sensor 6, a light 7, an HMI 8 (Human Machine Interface), a GPS 9 (Global Positioning System), a wireless communication unit 10, and a map information storage unit 11. In addition, the vehicle system 202 includes a steering driver 12, a steering device 13, a brake driver 14, a brake device 15, an acceleration driver 16, and an acceleration device 17. These parts are the same as those in the first embodiment, so detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0181] Fig.12 1 is a block diagram of the sensor system 100A. The sensor system 100A includes the front tank 115, the front pump 112, the rear tank 113, the rear pump 114, and the integrated control unit 220 (an example of a sensor control unit) in addition to the front WW101 to the rear camera cleaner 109b.

[0182] The front WW101, the front LC103, the right LC105, the left LC106, the right HC107, the left HC108, and the front camera cleaner 109a are connected to the front tank 115 via the front pump 112. The front pump 112 delivers the cleaning liquid stored in the front tank 115 to the front WW101, the front LC103, the right LC105, the left LC106, the right HC107, the left HC108, and the front camera cleaner 109a.

[0183] The rear WW 102, the rear LC 104, and the rear camera cleaner 109b are connected to the rear tank 113 via the rear pump 114. The rear pump 114 sends the cleaning fluid stored in the rear tank 113 to the rear WW 102, the rear LC 104, and the rear camera cleaner 109b.

[0184] A driver (not shown) is provided on each of the front WW101 and rear camera cleaners 109b so that the nozzle is in an open state and the cleaning liquid is sprayed toward the cleaning object. The driver provided on the front WW101 and rear camera cleaners 109b is electrically connected to the integrated control unit 220. In addition, the integrated control unit 220 is also electrically connected to the front pump 112, the rear pump 114, and the vehicle control unit 3. In the sensor system 100A, the front WW101 and rear camera cleaners 109b and the pumps 112 and 114 are configured to operate based on the working signal output from the integrated control unit 220. It is worth noting that in the following description, the front WW101 and rear camera cleaners 109b are collectively referred to as the cleaning unit 110.

[0185] Back to Fig.11The vehicle system 202 is electrically connected to the sensor system 100A. The sensor system 100A includes an integrated control unit 220, an external sensor 6, and a cleaning unit 110. The integrated control unit 220 of the sensor system 100A is connected to the vehicle control unit 3 of the vehicle system 202 so as to be communicable.

[0186] The integrated control unit 220 is connected to the cleaning unit 110 and the external sensor 6 so as to be communicable. The integrated control unit 220 controls the operations of the cleaning unit 110 and the external sensor 6 .

[0187] The integrated control unit 220 controls the external sensor 6 and the cleaning unit 110 according to the signal output from the vehicle control unit 3. In the present embodiment, the integrated control unit 220 receives a signal from the vehicle control unit 3 to turn on the cleaning system, and the integrated control unit 220 controls the operation of each cleaning unit 110 based on the input from the external sensor 6.

[0188] The external sensor 6 may be configured to send information to the vehicle control unit 3 via the integrated control unit 220, or may be configured to send information directly to the vehicle control unit 3 without going through the integrated control unit 220. In the second embodiment, the external sensor 6 is configured to send information to the vehicle control unit 3 via the integrated control unit 220.

[0189] The cleaning unit 110 is configured to operate in a normal mode or a prohibition mode. The normal mode is a mode in which the cleaning unit 110 is set to operate according to an operation signal output from the integrated control unit 220. The prohibition mode is a mode in which the cleaning unit 110 is set to not operate even if an operation signal is input from the integrated control unit 220.

[0190] The external sensor 6 is configured to operate in a normal mode or a standby mode. The so-called normal mode is a mode in which the external sensor 6 is set to operate at a predetermined time interval (normal interval) predetermined in advance. The so-called standby mode is a mode in which the external sensor 6 is set to operate at a time interval (standby interval) longer than the normal mode. For example, the standby mode is a mode set to operate at 30-minute intervals, 1-hour intervals, 2-hour intervals, etc.

[0191] like Fig.11 As shown, the integrated control unit 220 includes a normal contamination determination unit 221 , an adhesive contamination determination unit 222 , a sensor recovery determination unit 223 , a first mode switching unit 224 , a second mode switching unit 225 , and a cleaner operation unit 226 .

[0192] Next, refer to Fig.13 The flow of controlling the external sensor 6 and the cleaning unit 110 by the integrated control unit 220 will be described.

[0193] Fig.13is a flowchart executed by the sensor system 100A. Fig.13 The right side of the flowchart shows modes set in the external sensor 6 and the cleaning unit 110 in the respective steps.

[0194] It should be noted that in the following description, the front camera 6 c is taken as an example of the external sensor 6 , and the front camera cleaner 109 a is taken as an example of the cleaning unit 110 .

[0195] When the ignition of the vehicle 1 is turned on and the sensor system 100A is started, first, in step S11, the integrated control unit 220 sets the operation mode of the front camera 6c to the normal mode and the operation mode of the front camera cleaner 109a to the normal mode. The front camera 6c set to the normal mode operates at a normal interval to capture images around the vehicle. In addition, the front camera cleaner 109a set to the normal mode is in an input waiting state to operate according to the input of the operation signal.

[0196] Next, in step S12 , the normal contamination determination unit 221 of the integrated control unit 220 analyzes the captured image output from the front camera 6 c at regular intervals to determine whether the front camera 6 c is contaminated.

[0197] If it is determined that the front camera 6c is not contaminated (step S12: No), the integrated control unit 220 stops the front camera cleaner 109a from operating. On the other hand, if it is determined that the front camera 6c is contaminated (step S12: Yes), the integrated control unit 220 moves to step S13. For example, if the contamination determination unit 221 analyzes that the area with contamination in the image captured by the front camera 6c exceeds 20% of the detection range, the front camera 6c is determined to be contaminated.

[0198] In step S13, the cleaner operating unit 226 of the integrated control unit 220 transmits an operating signal to the front camera cleaner 109a to operate the front camera cleaner 109a and try to remove the contamination attached to the front camera 6c. In this case, the operating mode of the front camera 6c is maintained in the normal mode, and the operating mode of the front camera cleaner 109a is maintained in the normal mode.

[0199] Then, in step S14, the adhesion contamination determination unit 222 of the integrated control unit 220 analyzes the captured image output from the front camera 6c at regular intervals to determine whether the contamination of the front camera 6c has been removed by the cleaning of the front camera cleaner 109a. For example, when the adhesion contamination determination unit 222 determines that the detection range of the external sensor 6 has not been expanded based on the output of the external sensor 6 after the cleaning unit 110 performs the cleaning operation, it determines that the contamination of the external sensor 6 has not been removed. Alternatively, the adhesion contamination determination unit 222 may determine that the contamination of the external sensor 6 has not been removed by the cleaning of the cleaning unit 110 when the cleaning unit 110 has operated for more than a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time.

[0200] If it is determined that the contamination of the front camera 6c has been cleared (step S14: No), the integrated control unit 220 returns to step S12. On the other hand, if it is determined that the contamination of the front camera 6c has not been cleared (step S14: Yes), the integrated control unit 220 moves to step S15.

[0201] In step S15, the first mode switching unit 224 of the integrated control unit 220 changes the operation mode of the front camera 6c from the normal mode to the standby mode. In addition, the integrated control unit 220 changes the operation mode of the front camera cleaner 109a from the normal mode to the prohibition mode. The front camera 6c set to the standby mode operates at a longer standby interval (e.g., 10 minutes to 1 hour interval) than the normal interval of the normal mode to capture images around the vehicle. In addition, the front camera cleaner 109a set to the prohibition mode is in an operation prohibition state where it does not operate even if an operation signal is input.

[0202] Next, the sensor recovery determination unit 223 of the integrated control unit 220 analyzes the captured images output from the front camera 6c at the above-mentioned standby intervals in step S16 to determine whether the contamination of the front camera 6c has been cleared. For example, after a certain period of time (standby interval) has passed after being set to the standby mode, the adhesion status of the contamination can be expected to change with changes in the environment, just as dust is detached due to the wind and attached snow melts due to temperature rise. Moreover, as long as the proportion of the area determined to be contaminated in the image captured by the front camera 6c decreases, it can be expected that the contamination will be further cleared by adding the front camera cleaner 109a for cleaning again. Therefore, after a specified time has passed after being set to the standby mode, the sensor recovery determination unit 223 determines whether the contamination of the front camera 6c has been cleared.

[0203] For example, when the detection range of the external sensor 6 is expanded compared to the detection range of the external sensor 6 that is about to be set to the standby mode, the sensor recovery determination unit 223 determines that the contamination of the external sensor 6 has been cleared. Alternatively, when the sensitivity of the external sensor 6 exceeds the reference sensitivity of the external sensor 6, the sensor recovery determination unit 223 determines that the contamination of the external sensor 6 has been cleared.

[0204] If it is determined that the contamination of the front camera 6c has not been removed (step S16: No), the integrated control unit 220 waits until the above-mentioned waiting interval has passed and then determines again whether there is contamination. If the contamination of the front camera 6c has not been removed, it is considered that the condition of the vehicle has not changed, so even if the front camera cleaner 109a is operated, it cannot be expected that the contamination will be removed.

[0205] On the other hand, when it is determined that the contamination of the front camera 6c is cleared (step S16: Yes), the integrated control unit 220 moves to step S17. It is worth noting that the sensor recovery determination unit 223 determines that the contamination of the front camera 6c is cleared, for example, when the proportion of the area determined to be contaminated in the image taken by the front camera 6c decreases by more than 10%.

[0206] In step S17, the second mode switching unit 225 of the integrated control unit 220 changes the operation mode of the front camera 6c from the standby mode to the normal mode. In addition, the second mode switching unit 225 changes the operation mode of the front camera cleaner 109a from the prohibition mode to the normal mode. The front camera 6c set to the normal mode operates at a normal interval to capture images around the vehicle. In addition, the front camera cleaner 109a set to the normal mode is in an input waiting state to operate according to the input of the operation signal.

[0207] The sensor system 100A of the second embodiment includes an external sensor 6, a cleaning unit 110 capable of cleaning the external sensor 6, and an integrated control unit 220 for controlling the external sensor 6 and the cleaning unit 110. The external sensor 6 can operate in a normal mode in which it operates at a predetermined interval, and in a standby mode in which it operates at a longer time interval than the normal mode. The cleaning unit 110 can operate in a normal mode in which it performs a cleaning operation in response to an operation signal output according to a contamination determination result of the external sensor 6, and in a prohibition mode in which it does not perform a cleaning operation in response to the output operation signal. The integrated control unit 220 includes a normal contamination determination unit 221 for determining whether contamination is attached to the external sensor 6 based on the output of the external sensor 6 when the cleaning unit 110 is in the normal mode, an adhesion contamination determination unit 222 for determining that the contamination of the external sensor 6 has not been removed even by cleaning of the cleaning unit 110, a first mode switching unit 224 for changing the external sensor 6 from the normal mode to the standby mode when the adhesion contamination determination unit 222 determines that the contamination of the external sensor 6 has not been removed, a sensor recovery determination unit 223 for determining whether the contamination of the external sensor 6 has been removed based on the output of the external sensor 6 when the external sensor 6 is in the standby mode, and a second mode switching unit 225 for returning the external sensor 6 from the standby mode to the normal mode when the sensor recovery determination unit 223 determines that the contamination of the external sensor 6 has been removed.

[0208] When the external sensor 6 is cleaned by the cleaning unit 110 but the contamination of the external sensor 6 is not removed, even if the external sensor 6 is used to detect information, the detected information lacks accuracy. Therefore, when the external sensor 6 is contaminated, it is mostly useless to make the external sensor 6 perform detection work at normal intervals. Therefore, when the contamination of the external sensor 6 is not removed, the integrated control unit 220 sets the external sensor 6 to the standby mode and extends the time interval of the external sensor 6 to reduce the power consumed by the external sensor 6. In addition, when the external sensor 6 is working in the standby mode, it is in a state where the contamination of the external sensor 6 cannot be removed even if it is cleaned, so it is useless to make the cleaning unit 110 work. Therefore, the integrated control unit 220 is set to make the cleaning unit 110 in the prohibition mode and make the cleaning unit 110 not work when the external sensor 6 is in the standby mode. Thereby, the power consumed by the cleaning unit 110 and the cleaning medium can be saved. However, it is not preferred to put the external sensor 6 in the standby mode in advance and make the external sensor 6 not work. In addition, it is not realistic for the driver of the vehicle to determine that the contamination of the external sensor 6 has been cleared and reset the external sensor 6 to the normal mode. Therefore, when the integrated control unit 220 determines that the contamination of the external sensor 6 has been cleared (the adhesion state of the contamination has changed) in the detection of the external sensor 6 in the standby mode, it returns the external sensor 6 to the normal mode. In addition, the integrated control unit 220 returns the cleaning unit 110 to the normal mode in coordination with the return of the external sensor 6 to the normal mode, and operates the cleaning unit 110 according to the input of the operation signal.

[0209] It is worth noting that in the second embodiment, the general contamination determination unit 221, the adhesion contamination determination unit 222, the sensor recovery determination unit 223, the first mode switching unit 224, the second mode switching unit 225, and the cleaner operation unit 226 are structures included in the integrated control unit 220 (an example of the sensor control unit), but are not limited to this. For example, these units 221 to 226 may be structures included in the vehicle control unit 3 that controls the travel of the vehicle 1, or may be structures included in the cleaner control unit provided for controlling the cleaning unit 110.

[0210] (Third Embodiment)

[0211] Fig.14 It is a block diagram of a sensor system 100B according to the third embodiment.

[0212] like Fig.14As shown, the normal contamination determination unit 221 can be incorporated as a part of the vehicle control unit 3. In the present embodiment, the vehicle control unit 3 determines the operation of the cleaning unit 110 based on the output of the external sensor 6. The integrated control unit 320 operates a specific cleaning unit 110 based on a signal from the vehicle control unit 3 to operate the specific cleaning unit 110. That is, the determination of the contamination of the external sensor 6 when the external sensor 6 is set to the normal mode can be performed by the vehicle control unit 3. In this case, the integrated control unit 320 on the sensor system 100B side is a structure including an adhesion contamination determination unit 222, a sensor recovery determination unit 223, a first mode switching unit 224, a second mode switching unit 225, and a cleaner operating unit 226.

[0213] The flowchart executed by the sensor system 100B of the third embodiment is Fig.13 The same, so the detailed description is omitted. In the sensor system 100B of the third embodiment, the vehicle control unit 3 evaluates the sensor information output by the external sensor 6 in order to control the vehicle 1. Therefore, even if the vehicle control unit 3 is configured to perform contamination determination in normal times, the workload of incorporating this function into the vehicle control unit 3 is unlikely to increase. In the case of such a structure, the vehicle control unit 3 is configured to receive sensor information from the external sensor 6 via the integrated control unit 320, and based on the received sensor information, send an operating signal to the cleaning unit 110 to remove the contamination of the external sensor 6 in normal times.

[0214] However, when sticky contamination that cannot be removed even by cleaning the cleaning unit 110 adheres to the external sensor 6, similarly to the above-mentioned second embodiment, the external sensor 6 and the cleaning unit 110 are controlled by the integrated control unit 320 on the sensor system 100B side to remove the contamination of the external sensor 6.

[0215] The configuration of the sensor system 100 according to the third embodiment is also similar to the sensor system 100A according to the second embodiment, and can suppress power consumption.

[0216] (Fourth Embodiment)

[0217] Fig.15 100C is a block diagram of a sensor system according to a fourth embodiment. Fig.16 is a flowchart executed by the sensor system 100C of the fourth embodiment. It is worth noting that Fig.16 The right side of the flowchart shows the modes in which the front camera 6c and the front camera cleaner 109a are set in each step.

[0218] The sensor system 100C of the fourth embodiment is configured such that the integrated control unit 230 (an example of a cleaner control unit) functions as a cleaner control unit that controls the cleaning unit 110. The integrated control unit 230 is configured such that Fig.15 The device shown has a normal contamination determination unit 231 , an adhesive contamination determination unit 232 , a condition change determination unit 233 , a first mode switching unit 234 , a second mode switching unit 235C, and a cleaner operation unit 236 .

[0219] The functions of the normal contamination determination unit 231 , the adhesive contamination determination unit 232 , and the cleaner operation unit 236 are the same as those of the normal contamination determination unit 221 , the adhesive contamination determination unit 222 , and the cleaner operation unit 226 in the integrated control unit 220 of the second embodiment.

[0220] like Fig.16 As shown, when the ignition of the vehicle 1 is turned on and the sensor system 100C is started, first, in step S21, the integrated control unit 230 sets the operation mode of the front camera cleaner 109a to the normal mode. The front camera cleaner 109a set to the normal mode is in an input waiting state to operate according to the input of the operation signal.

[0221] Next, in step S22 , the normal contamination determination unit 231 of the integrated control unit 230 analyzes the captured image output from the front camera 6 c and determines whether the front camera 6 c is contaminated.

[0222] If it is determined that the front camera 6c is not contaminated (step S22: No), the integrated control unit 230 stops the front camera cleaner 109a from operating and continues to obtain the captured image from the front camera 6c. On the other hand, if it is determined that the front camera 6c is contaminated (step S22: Yes), the integrated control unit 230 moves to step S23.

[0223] In step S23, the integrated control unit 230 outputs an operation signal to the front camera cleaner 109a via the cleaner operation unit 236 to operate the front camera cleaner 109a, and attempts to remove the contaminants attached to the front camera 6c.

[0224] Next, in step S24, the adhesion contamination determination unit 232 of the integrated control unit 230 analyzes the captured image output from the front camera 6c, and determines whether the contamination of the front camera 6c has been removed by the cleaning of the front camera cleaner 109a.

[0225] If it is determined that the contamination of the front camera 6c has been cleared (step S24: No), the integrated control unit 230 returns to step S22. On the other hand, if it is determined that the contamination of the front camera 6c has not been cleared (step S24: Yes), the adhesion contamination determination unit 232 of the integrated control unit 230 moves to step S25.

[0226] In step S25, the first mode switching unit 224 of the integrated control unit 230 changes the operation mode of the front camera cleaner 109a from the normal mode to the disabled mode. The front camera cleaner 109a set to the disabled mode is in an operation disabled state where it does not operate even when an operation signal is input.

[0227] Next, in step S26, after the front camera cleaner 109a is switched to the prohibition mode, the condition change determination unit 233 of the integrated control unit 230 determines whether the surrounding conditions of the vehicle have changed to meet a predetermined condition. The so-called predetermined condition refers to, for example, the passage of a predetermined time, a change in weather, a change in temperature by a predetermined temperature or more, a change in vehicle speed by a predetermined speed or more, a travel distance of a predetermined distance or more.

[0228] If it is determined that the change of the prescribed condition has occurred (step S26: Yes), the integrated control unit 230 moves to step S27. On the other hand, if it is determined that the change of the prescribed condition has not occurred (step S26: No), the integrated control unit 230 repeats the determination process until it is determined that the change of the prescribed condition has occurred. If the change of the prescribed condition has not occurred, it is predicted that the condition of the host vehicle has not changed, and therefore, even if the front camera cleaner 109a is operated, it cannot be expected to remove the contamination.

[0229] In step S27, the second mode switching unit 235C of the integrated control unit 230 changes the operation mode of the front camera cleaner 109a from the prohibition mode to the normal mode. The front camera cleaner 109a set to the normal mode is in an input waiting state to operate according to the input of the operation signal.

[0230] For example, after the cleaning unit 110 is switched to the prohibition mode, the adhesion state of the contamination changes and becomes removable after a specified time (e.g., 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.). In addition, sometimes the attached mud becomes easier to remove due to the weather changing from sunny to rainy. Or, sometimes the attached snow becomes easier to remove due to the weather changing from snowfall to rain. In addition, sometimes the attached snow may melt due to rising temperatures. In addition, sometimes the snow or dust is blown away by the wind due to changes in vehicle speed. In addition, sometimes the adhesion state of the contamination changes due to driving over a specified distance. In this way, when the conditions of the vehicle 1 or the conditions around the vehicle 1 change, it is expected that the adhesion state of the contamination changes and becomes removable. Therefore, when the condition change determination unit 233 determines that a change in the specified conditions has occurred, the operating mode of the front camera cleaner 109a is changed from the prohibition mode to the normal mode.

[0231] The sensor system 100C of the fourth embodiment changes the cleaning unit 110 to the prohibition mode when it is determined that the contamination of the external sensor 6 cannot be removed by cleaning the cleaning unit 110, and then changes the cleaning unit 110 to the normal mode when it is determined that the prescribed condition that the adhesion state of the contamination of the external sensor 6 can be changed is satisfied. According to this structure, the prohibition mode is maintained until the prescribed condition that the contamination becomes easy to remove is satisfied, so it is possible to suppress useless operation of the cleaning unit 110 and suppress power consumption of the system.

[0232] (Fifth Embodiment)

[0233] Fig.17 This is a flowchart executed by the sensor system 100D of the fifth embodiment. Fig.15 is a block diagram of a sensor system 100D according to the fifth embodiment. Fig.17 The modes set for the front camera 6c and the front camera cleaner 109a in each step are also shown on the right side of the flowchart.

[0234] The sensor system 100D of the fifth embodiment is similar to the sensor system 100C of the fourth embodiment in that the integrated control unit 230 functions as a cleaner control unit that controls the cleaning unit 110. Fig.15 As shown, the integrated control unit 230 of the sensor system 100D includes a normal contamination determination unit 231 , an adhesive contamination determination unit 232 , a condition change determination unit 233 , a first mode switching unit 234 , a second mode switching unit 235D, and a cleaner operation unit 236 .

[0235] The functions of the normal contamination determination unit 231 , the adhesive contamination determination unit 232 , the condition change determination unit 233 , the first mode switching unit 234 , and the cleaner operation unit 236 are the same as those of the integrated control unit 230 of the fourth embodiment.

[0236] like Fig.17 As shown, the processing contents of steps S31 to S36 in the sensor system 100D are similar to those of steps S31 to S36. Fig.16 The processing contents of step S21 to step S26 in the sensor system 100C shown are the same.

[0237] When it is determined that a change in the prescribed condition has occurred (step S36: Yes), the integrated control unit 230 changes the operation mode of the front camera cleaner 109a from the prohibition mode to the test mode through the second mode switching unit 135D in step S37. The front camera cleaner 109a set to the test mode is in an input waiting state to operate for a prescribed number of times or more according to the input of the operation signal. The so-called test mode is a mode in which the cleaning unit 110 is set to operate for a prescribed number of times according to the operation signal output from the integrated control unit 230.

[0238] Next, in step S38, the integrated control unit 230 outputs an operation signal to the front camera cleaner 109a through the cleaner operation unit 236 to operate the front camera cleaner 109a, and attempts to remove the contaminants attached to the front camera 6c more than a predetermined number of times.

[0239] Next, in step S39 , the integrated control unit 230 analyzes the captured image output from the front camera 6 c and determines whether the contamination of the front camera 6 c has been removed by the front camera cleaner 109 a for a predetermined number of times or more.

[0240] If it is determined that the contamination of the front camera 6c has not been removed (step S39: No), the second mode switching unit 235D of the integrated control unit 230 returns to step S35 and changes the operation mode of the front camera cleaner 109a from the test mode to the prohibition mode. Then, the integrated control unit 230 repeats the processing after step S35 again.

[0241] On the other hand, when it is determined that the contamination of the front camera 6 c has been cleared (step S39 : Yes), the integrated control unit 230 proceeds to step S40 .

[0242] In step S40, the second mode switching unit 235D of the integrated control unit 230 changes the operation mode of the front camera cleaner 109a from the test mode to the normal mode. The front camera cleaner 109a set to the normal mode is in an input waiting state to operate according to the input of the operation signal.

[0243] In the sensor system 100D of the fifth embodiment, in the cleaning unit 110 operating in the prohibition mode, when it is determined that the prescribed condition that the adhesion state of the contamination of the external sensor 6 has changed is met, the cleaning unit 110 is changed to the test mode, and attempts to remove the contamination of the front camera 6c are made for a prescribed number of times or more, and when it is determined that the contamination has been removed, the cleaning unit 110 is changed to the normal mode. According to this structure, until the prescribed condition that the contamination becomes easy to remove is met and it is determined that the contamination has been removed in the test mode, the normal mode will not be returned, so that the useless operation of the cleaning unit 110 can be further suppressed, and the power consumption of the system can be suppressed.

[0244] <Various Modifications>

[0245] The above describes the embodiment of the present invention, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the description of the embodiment. The present embodiment is only an example, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in the embodiment can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention is determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

[0246] In this embodiment, the driving mode of the vehicle is described by taking the fully automatic driving mode, the highly-assisted driving mode, the assisted driving mode, and the manual driving mode as examples, but the driving mode of the vehicle should not be limited to these four modes. The driving mode of the vehicle may include at least one of these four modes. For example, the driving mode of the vehicle may only execute one of them.

[0247] Moreover, the distinction and display method of the vehicle's driving mode can be appropriately changed according to the autonomous driving laws or regulations of each country. Similarly, the definitions of "full autonomous driving mode", "high driving assistance mode" and "driving assistance mode" recorded in the description of this embodiment are only examples, and these definitions can be appropriately changed according to the autonomous driving laws or regulations of each country.

[0248] In the above embodiment, an example is described in which the cleaning system 100 and the sensor systems 100A to 100D are mounted on a vehicle capable of automatic driving. However, the cleaning system 100 or the sensor systems 100A to 100D may be mounted on a vehicle that is not capable of automatic driving.

[0249] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the cleaning system 100 is described as a structure including the external sensor 6, but the cleaning system 100 may be a structure not including the external sensor 6. However, when the cleaning system 100 is configured as a component including the external sensor 6, it is preferable to easily improve the positioning accuracy of the cleaning devices 103 to 106, 109a, and 109b relative to the external sensor 6. In addition, when the cleaning system 100 is mounted on the vehicle 1, the external sensor 6 can be installed together, so that the assembly performance on the vehicle 1 can be improved.

[0250] In the above embodiment, as the cleaner and air curtain device for cleaning the external sensor 6 and preventing contamination from attaching, the device for cleaning the LiDAR 6f, 6b, 6r, 6l and the device for cleaning the front camera 6c and the rear camera 6d are described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The cleaning system 100 may also include a cleaner and an air curtain device for cleaning the radar instead of the sensor cleaners 103 to 106, 109a, 109b, or may also include the sensor cleaners 103 to 106, 109a, 109b.

[0251] It is worth noting that the external sensors 6 such as LiDAR 6f, 6b, 6r, and 6l have a detection surface and a cover covering the detection surface. The cleaner or air curtain device for cleaning the external sensor 6 and preventing contamination from adhering may be configured to clean the detection surface and send air, or may be configured to clean the cover covering the sensor and send air.

[0252] The cleaning fluid sprayed by the cleaning system 100 contains water or detergent. The cleaning media sprayed to the front and rear windows 1f, 1b, headlights 7r, 7l, LiDAR 6f, 6b, 6r, 6l, and cameras 6c, 6d can be different or the same.

[0253] The cleaning devices 101 to 109b are provided with one or more ejection holes for ejecting the cleaning medium. The cleaning devices 101 to 109b may be provided with one or more ejection holes for ejecting the cleaning liquid and one or more ejection holes for ejecting the air.

[0254] Each cleaner 101 to 109b may be provided separately or in a plurality of units. For example, the right LC 105 and the right HC 107 may be configured as a single unit. In contrast to the integration of the right headlight 7r and the right LiDAR 6r, the right LC 105 and the right HC 107 may be configured as a single unit.

[0255] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-113845 filed on June 19, 2019 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-113846 filed on June 19, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A sensor system with a vehicle cleaner, wherein: have: A sensor capable of operating in a normal mode and a standby mode; a cleaning unit capable of cleaning the sensor according to a working signal, wherein the working signal is output according to a contamination determination result of the sensor; a control unit, which controls the sensor and the cleaning unit; The sensor is capable of operating in the normal mode in which the sensor operates at a predetermined interval, and in the standby mode in which the sensor operates at a time interval longer than that in the normal mode. The cleaning unit can operate in a normal mode in which the cleaning unit operates according to the operation signal, and a prohibition mode in which the cleaning unit does not operate even if the operation signal is input. The control unit has: an adhesive contamination determination unit that determines that the contamination of the sensor is not removed even by cleaning by the cleaning unit; a first mode switching unit configured to switch the sensor from the normal mode to the standby mode when the adhesion contamination determination unit determines that the contamination of the sensor has not been cleared; a sensor recovery determination unit that determines whether the contamination is cleared based on the sensor output obtained in the standby mode when the sensor is operated in the standby mode; a second mode switching unit that returns the sensor from the standby mode to the normal mode when the sensor recovery determination unit determines that the contamination of the sensor has been cleared; The control unit is configured to operate the cleaning unit in the normal mode when the sensor is in the normal mode, and to operate the cleaning unit in the prohibition mode when the sensor is in the standby mode.

2. The sensor system with a vehicle cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The control unit includes a normal contamination determination unit that determines that contamination is attached to the sensor based on the output of the sensor and outputs the operation signal to the cleaning unit when the cleaning unit is in the normal mode. The normal contamination determination unit, the adhesive contamination determination unit, the sensor recovery determination unit, the first mode switching unit, and the second mode switching unit are provided in a sensor control unit that controls the sensor and the cleaning unit based on a signal output from a vehicle control unit that controls vehicle travel.

3. The sensor system with a vehicle cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The adhesion contamination determination unit is configured to determine that the contamination of the sensor is not removed even by cleaning of the cleaning unit when notified that the contamination is not removed from the sensor even after the cleaning unit is operated a predetermined number of times or the cleaning unit is operated a predetermined number of times or more within a predetermined time.

4. A sensor system with a vehicle cleaner, wherein: have: A sensor, which is mounted on a vehicle; a cleaning unit capable of cleaning the sensor according to a working signal, wherein the working signal is output according to a contamination determination result of the sensor; a cleaner control section that controls the cleaning unit; The cleaning unit can operate in a normal mode in which the cleaning unit operates according to the operation signal, and a prohibition mode in which the cleaning unit does not operate even if the operation signal is input. The cleaning device control unit comprises: an adhesive contamination determination unit that determines that the contamination of the sensor is not removed even by cleaning by the cleaning unit; a first mode switching section for switching the cleaning unit from the normal mode to the prohibition mode when the adhesion contamination determination section determines that the contamination of the sensor is not removed; a condition change determination unit for determining whether any one or more of the following prescribed conditions are satisfied from the time when the first mode switching unit switches to the prohibition mode, namely, a prescribed time has passed, the weather has changed, the temperature has changed by more than a prescribed temperature, the vehicle speed has changed by more than a prescribed speed, or the travel distance has become a prescribed distance; A second mode switching unit switches the cleaning unit from the prohibition mode to the normal mode when the condition change determination unit determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

5. A sensor system with a vehicle cleaner, wherein: have: A sensor, which is mounted on a vehicle; a cleaning unit capable of cleaning the sensor according to a working signal, wherein the working signal is output according to a contamination determination result of the sensor; a cleaner control section that controls the cleaning unit; The cleaning unit can operate in a normal mode in which the cleaning unit operates according to the operation signal, and a prohibition mode in which the cleaning unit does not operate even if the operation signal is input. The cleaning device control unit has: an adhesive contamination determination unit that determines that the contamination of the sensor is not removed even by cleaning by the cleaning unit; a first mode switching section for switching the cleaning unit from the normal mode to the prohibition mode when the adhesion contamination determination section determines that the contamination of the sensor is not removed; a condition change determination unit for determining whether any one or more of the following prescribed conditions are satisfied from the time when the first mode switching unit switches to the prohibition mode, namely, a prescribed time has passed, the weather has changed, the temperature has changed by more than a prescribed temperature, the vehicle speed has changed by more than a prescribed speed, or the travel distance has become a prescribed distance; a second mode switching section that switches the cleaning unit to a test mode in which it is determined whether the contamination of the sensor is cleared after the cleaning unit is operated for a predetermined number of times or more; The second mode switching section switches the cleaning unit to the normal mode if it is determined in the test mode that the contamination of the sensor has been cleared, and switches the cleaning unit to the prohibition mode if it is determined in the test mode that the contamination of the sensor has not been cleared.

Images