Method for automatic deicing and snow removal, system for automatic deicing and snow removal, and vehicle

Abstract

This invention provides an automatic snow and ice removal method, an automatic snow and ice removal system, and a vehicle, comprising the following steps: S1: Determine whether the automatic snow and ice removal function is activated; if yes, proceed to S2; S2: Determine if there is a vehicle usage time t0; if yes, proceed to S3; S3: Before t0, acquire vehicle usage time, location information, and weather information; S4: Acquire the actual temperature at the vehicle's location; if the difference between the actual temperature and the temperature in the weather information is less than or equal to a threshold h0, proceed to step S5; if it is greater than h0, proceed to S6; S5: Determine whether the weather information indicates snow or frost; if yes, proceed to S8; if no, proceed to S1; S6: Determine whether the actual temperature is less than 0℃; if yes, proceed to S7; if no, proceed to S1; S7: Acquire the humidity at the vehicle's location; if the humidity is higher than or equal to a humidity threshold w0, proceed to S8; if it is lower than w0, proceed to S1; S8: Execute the snow and ice removal function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent automotive control, and more specifically, to a method for automatic snow and ice removal, an automatic snow and ice removal system for performing the method, and a vehicle having the system. Background Technology

[0002] When a vehicle is parked outdoors, the front and rear windshields, windows, doors, and other components often fog up, frost up, or freeze due to weather conditions, and may even be covered by a lot of snow. This can obstruct the view of the driver and passengers inside the vehicle, and in severe cases, may make it difficult to open the doors and windows, affecting the normal use of the vehicle and potentially causing damage.

[0003] Most existing vehicles are equipped with a defrost mode, which uses the air conditioning or heating wires to heat a designated area to achieve functions such as defogging, defrosting, de-icing, and snow removal. Generally, the defrost mode requires user operation within the vehicle to activate and is effective in real time, and the defrosting process takes a relatively long time. In addition, many existing vehicles are equipped with remote control functions, allowing users to remotely start the vehicle or activate components such as the air conditioning. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One aspect of the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is how to overcome the drawback of traditional defrosting methods that require a long waiting time to remove ice and snow.

[0005] Furthermore, other aspects of the present invention are also intended to solve or alleviate other technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] This invention provides an automatic snow and ice removal method, an automatic snow and ice removal system, and a vehicle. Specifically, according to one aspect of this invention, the following is provided:

[0007] An automatic snow and ice removal method for vehicles includes the following steps:

[0008] S1: Determine whether the vehicle's automatic de-icing function is activated. If so, proceed to step S2.

[0009] S2: Determine if there is a user-defined car usage time t0. If so, proceed to step S3.

[0010] S3: Before the vehicle usage time t0, obtain the vehicle usage time, vehicle location information, and weather information;

[0011] S4: Before the vehicle usage time t0, obtain the actual temperature of the vehicle's location. If the difference between the actual temperature and the temperature in the weather information is less than or equal to the temperature difference threshold h0, then execute step S5. If it is greater than the temperature difference threshold h0, then execute step S6.

[0012] S5: Before the vehicle usage time t0, determine whether the weather information shows snow or frost. If yes, proceed to step S8; otherwise, return to step S1.

[0013] S6: Before the vehicle usage time t0, determine whether the actual temperature is less than 0℃. If yes, proceed to step S7; otherwise, return to step S1.

[0014] S7: Before the vehicle usage time t0, obtain the humidity of the vehicle's location. If the humidity is higher than or equal to the humidity threshold w0, proceed to step S8. If the humidity is lower than the humidity threshold w0, return to step S1.

[0015] S8: Perform the de-icing function before vehicle usage time t0.

[0016] Optionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the user sets the vehicle usage time t0 through an in-vehicle control device or a remote control device.

[0017] Optionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, in step S3, the vehicle usage time, vehicle location information and weather information are obtained through the network.

[0018] Alternatively, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the temperature is measured in step S4 by a temperature sensor installed on the vehicle.

[0019] Optionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the humidity is measured in step S7 by a humidity sensor installed on the vehicle.

[0020] Optionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the following steps exist between step S1 and step S2:

[0021] S11: Determine if there is a user-defined exception location. If yes, proceed to step S12; otherwise, proceed to step S2.

[0022] S12: Determine whether the vehicle is in the exceptional location. If yes, return to step S1; otherwise, proceed to step S2.

[0023] Optionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, step S3 is performed once every time interval t before the vehicle usage time t0.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides an automatic snow and ice removal system for performing the above-described automatic snow and ice removal method, wherein the automatic snow and ice removal system includes a control unit, an information sensing unit, an on-board server, a network, and an execution unit, wherein the control unit, the information sensing unit, and the execution unit are respectively communicatively connected to the on-board server, and the network is respectively communicatively connected to the control unit and the on-board server;

[0025] The control unit receives the user-set vehicle usage time data and uploads the user-set vehicle usage time to the network;

[0026] The information sensing unit measures the temperature and humidity at the vehicle's location and transmits this information to the onboard server.

[0027] The vehicle server obtains the vehicle usage time, vehicle location information, and weather information from the network, and obtains the temperature and humidity information from the information sensing unit, and determines whether to activate the execution unit to automatically remove ice and snow.

[0028] The execution unit adjusts the vehicle's temperature to melt ice and snow according to the control instructions from the vehicle server.

[0029] Alternatively, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit is a remote control device and / or the execution unit includes an air conditioner and / or a heating element.

[0030] According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is provided, wherein the vehicle has the above-described automatic de-icing and snow removal system.

[0031] The advantages of this invention include: automatically clearing ice and snow before the user-preset vehicle usage time, avoiding the problem of excessively long defrosting mode duration before the user prepares to start the vehicle. Users can remotely control the automatic snow and ice removal system via remote control devices, such as a mobile app, to set the system's activation and deactivation, as well as the usage time. Users can also set exception locations to ensure that the automatic snow and ice removal function is not activated when the vehicle is in an exception location. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the above and other features of the present invention will become apparent, wherein,

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an automatic de-icing and snow removal system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0034] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an automatic de-icing and snow removal method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0035] It is readily understood that, based on the technical solution of this invention, those skilled in the art can propose various interchangeable structural methods and implementations without altering the essential spirit of the invention. Therefore, the following detailed embodiments and accompanying drawings are merely illustrative examples of the technical solution of this invention and should not be considered as the entirety of the invention or as limitations or restrictions on the technical solution of this invention.

[0036] The directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, front, back, top, and bottom mentioned or possibly used in this specification are defined relative to the structures shown in the accompanying drawings. These are relative concepts and may therefore vary depending on their location and usage. Therefore, these or other directional terms should not be interpreted as restrictive. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and similar expressions are used for descriptive and distinguishing purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying the relative importance of the corresponding components.

[0037] refer to Figure 1 This diagram illustrates an automatic snow and ice removal system 100 according to one aspect of the present invention. Since the specific shapes and connection methods of the various components are not the subject of this invention, for clarity and simplicity, all these components are schematically shown in the form of structural modules. Those skilled in the art can select appropriate module shapes and connection methods based on the structural diagram. Furthermore, the given structural diagram is one embodiment of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention after referring to the diagram; these modifications should also be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] In this invention, the automatic snow removal system 100 includes a control unit 1, an information sensing unit 2, an on-board server 3, a network 4, and an execution unit 5. The control unit 1 and the information sensing unit 2 are communicatively connected to the on-board server 3, the on-board server 3 is communicatively connected to the execution unit 5, and the network 4 is communicatively connected to both the on-board server 3 and the control unit 1. The control unit 1 is used to control the entire automatic snow removal system 100. The control unit 1 can be configured as an on-board control unit or a remote control device, such as software on a mobile phone or other remote controllers. Users can modify the state of the automatic snow removal system 100 through the control unit 1, i.e., whether the automatic snow removal system 100 is on or off. The default state of the automatic snow removal system 100 is generally on. When the automatic snow removal system 100 is off, the user must operate the control unit 1 to turn on the automatic snow removal system 100 to activate the automatic snow removal function. Users can set a vehicle usage time t0 via control unit 1. Before this time t0, the automatic de-icing system 100 will clear the ice and snow to avoid the user having to wait too long for the defrosting mode to run after sitting down. Furthermore, users can also set an exception position via control unit 1. When the vehicle is in this exception position, even if the automatic de-icing system 100 is on, it will not automatically de-ic the vehicle. This is suitable for special situations where automatic de-icing is not required.

[0039] The information sensing unit 2 includes various sensors, such as temperature sensors and humidity sensors. The information sensing unit 2 can use the temperature and humidity sensors to measure the temperature and humidity information of the vehicle's location and transmit it to the on-board server 3.

[0040] The network 4 communicates with both the vehicle server 3 and the control unit 1, sharing information from the control unit 1 with the vehicle server 3, such as the user-set vehicle usage time t0 and exception locations. The network 4 also connects to a remote database to obtain other information; for example, it can connect to a GPS database to determine the vehicle's location in real time and share this location information with the vehicle server 3. The network 4 can also provide weather information to determine the weather conditions at the vehicle's location.

[0041] The vehicle-mounted server 3 acquires information transmitted from the information sensing unit 2 and the network 4, and processes and judges the information, such as temperature, humidity, vehicle usage time, location information, and weather information. If the final judgment is to execute the automatic de-icing function, the vehicle-mounted server 3 sends a control signal to the execution unit 5 to start the execution unit 5.

[0042] The execution unit 5 is an on-board heating device capable of changing the temperature of the car, such as a car air conditioner, heating wires installed on the car windows and doors, etc. The execution unit 5 receives a control signal from the on-board server 3 and then starts working, generating heat to melt the ice and snow.

[0043] refer to Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of an automatic snow and ice removal method according to an embodiment of the present invention, with blank boxes corresponding to the start and end of the method. The method includes the following steps:

[0044] S1: Determine whether the vehicle's automatic de-icing function is activated. If yes, proceed to step S11; otherwise, do not activate the de-icing function.

[0045] S11: Determine if there is a user-defined exception location. If yes, proceed to step S12; otherwise, proceed to step S2.

[0046] S12: Determine whether the vehicle is in the exceptional location. If yes, return to step S1; otherwise, proceed to step S2.

[0047] S2: Determine if there is a user-defined car usage time t0. If so, proceed to step S3.

[0048] S3: Before the vehicle usage time t0, obtain the vehicle usage time, vehicle location information, and weather information;

[0049] S4: Before the vehicle usage time t0, obtain the actual temperature of the vehicle's location. If the difference between the actual temperature and the temperature in the weather information is less than or equal to the temperature difference threshold h0, then execute step S5. If it is greater than the temperature difference threshold h0, then execute step S6.

[0050] S5: Before the vehicle usage time t0, determine whether the weather information shows snow or frost. If yes, proceed to step S8; otherwise, return to step S1.

[0051] S6: Before the vehicle usage time t0, determine whether the actual temperature is less than 0℃. If yes, proceed to step S7; otherwise, return to step S1.

[0052] S7: Before the vehicle usage time t0, obtain the humidity of the vehicle's location. If the humidity is higher than or equal to the humidity threshold w0, proceed to step S8. If the humidity is lower than the humidity threshold w0, return to step S1.

[0053] S8: Perform the de-icing function before vehicle usage time t0.

[0054] First, the automatic de-icing and snow removal function is executed based on the user-set vehicle usage time. The automatic de-icing and snow removal function should have started or been completed before the vehicle usage time.

[0055] Step S1 determines whether the automatic snow removal system is on or off through the vehicle server 3. If the automatic snow removal system 100 is on, the following steps can be performed. If the automatic snow removal system 100 is off, the following steps cannot be performed. Instead, the following steps can only be performed after the user manually activates the automatic snow removal function through the control unit 1.

[0056] Steps S11 and S12 are steps to determine whether there is a user-defined exception location and whether the vehicle is in the user-defined exception location, and these are also performed by the vehicle server 3. When the vehicle server 3 obtains the exception location set by the user through the control unit 1 and determines that the vehicle is in the exception location, even if the automatic de-icing system 100 is turned on at this time, the automatic de-icing function will not be executed.

[0057] In step S2, the vehicle server 3 obtains the user-set vehicle usage time t0 from the control unit 1. This means that the automatic de-icing function needs to be executed before time t0. Therefore, all subsequent steps are performed before the vehicle usage time t0.

[0058] In step S3, the vehicle server 3 obtains the vehicle usage time t0 (uploaded to the network by the control unit), vehicle location information (obtained from the GPS database), and weather information (obtained from the weather database, including weather conditions such as rain, snow, frost, and temperature and humidity information) from the network 4. These three pieces of information are insufficient to determine whether to execute the automatic de-icing function. This is because the weather information obtained from the network is only approximate weather information for the vehicle's location, not the actual temperature and humidity around the vehicle. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the vehicle's actual temperature and humidity in real time. Furthermore, since vehicle location information and weather information may change in some situations, they need to be updated via the network 4. Therefore, in this invention, step S3 is executed every time interval t before the vehicle usage time t0 to update the vehicle location and weather information. The time interval t can be, for example, one hour.

[0059] Because the car may be indoors and therefore not match the weather information obtained from the network, step S4 is used to determine whether the weather information is consistent with the actual temperature information of the vehicle's location. A temperature difference threshold h0 is set here. If the difference between the temperature in the weather information and the actual temperature of the vehicle's location is less than or equal to the temperature difference threshold h0, the weather information is considered accurate, and step S5 is executed. If the difference between the temperature in the weather information and the actual temperature of the vehicle's location is greater than the temperature difference threshold h0, the weather information is considered inaccurate, and the vehicle may be indoors. In this case, steps S6 and S7 are executed to measure and determine the actual temperature and humidity of the vehicle.

[0060] In step S5, it is determined whether the weather information is snow or frost. If the weather information is snow or frost, there is a high probability that there is snow or ice on the car. In this case, step S8 is executed directly to remove the snow and ice.

[0061] In steps S6 and S7, the temperature and humidity at the vehicle's location are measured by the information sensing unit 2, namely the temperature sensor and humidity sensor installed on the vehicle. First, in step S6, the temperature information measured by the temperature sensor is sent to the vehicle server 3. The vehicle server 3 determines whether the temperature is greater than 0°C. If the temperature is higher than or equal to 0°C, ice will not form, so the automatic de-icing function is not required. In step S7, the humidity information measured by the humidity sensor is sent to the vehicle server 3. The vehicle server 3 determines whether the humidity is lower than a pre-stored humidity threshold w0. When the humidity is less than w0, it is difficult for ice and snow to form around the vehicle body due to the low humidity, so the automatic de-icing function is not required. The humidity threshold w0 is pre-determined experimentally and pre-stored in the database of the vehicle server 3.

[0062] Finally, in step S8, the vehicle server 3 sends control commands to the vehicle heating devices, such as the vehicle air conditioner and the heating wires arranged on the windows and doors, to heat the vehicle and melt the ice and snow. It is important to emphasize that this step must be performed before the vehicle usage time t0, so that when the user uses the vehicle during the usage time, the automatic de-icing function has already been performed or has ended.

[0063] It should be understood that users can also schedule the automatic snow and ice removal function directly through control unit 1. In this case, the user presets the time t1 for the automatic snow and ice removal function to take effect in control unit 1. When time t1 is reached, the vehicle server 3 sends control information to the execution unit to start the execution unit to melt the ice and snow.

[0064] In addition, as soon as the automatic de-icing function is activated, the on-board server 3 will send feedback information to the control unit 1 to notify the user that the automatic de-icing function has been activated.

[0065] It should be understood that the automatic snow and ice removal system of the present invention can be installed on various vehicles, including cars, trucks, buses, etc. Therefore, the subject matter of the present invention also aims to protect various vehicles equipped with the automatic snow and ice removal system of the present invention.

[0066] It should be understood that all the above preferred embodiments are exemplary and not restrictive, and various modifications or variations made by those skilled in the art to the specific embodiments described above under the concept of the present invention should be within the legal protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for automatic deicing and snow removal for a vehicle, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: S1: judging whether the vehicle automatic deicing and snow removing function is turned on, if yes, executing step S2; S2: judging whether there is a user set vehicle use time t0, if yes, executing step S3; S3: before the vehicle use time t0, obtaining the vehicle use time, vehicle location information and weather information; S4: before the vehicle use time t0, obtaining the actual temperature of the location where the vehicle is located, if the difference between the actual temperature and the temperature in the weather information is less than or equal to a temperature difference threshold h0, executing step S5, if greater than the temperature difference threshold h0, executing step S6; S5: before the vehicle use time t0, judging whether the weather information shows snow or frost weather, if yes, executing step S8, if no, returning to execute step S1; S6: before the vehicle use time t0, judging whether the actual temperature is less than 0℃, if yes, executing step S7, if no, returning to execute step S1; S7: before the vehicle use time t0, obtaining the humidity of the location where the vehicle is located, if the humidity is higher than or equal to a humidity threshold w0, executing step S8, if the humidity is lower than the humidity threshold w0, returning to execute step S1; S8: before the vehicle use time t0, executing the deicing and snow removing function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The user sets the vehicle use time t0 through a vehicle-mounted control device or a remote control device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, In step S3, the vehicle use time, vehicle location information and weather information are obtained through a network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, In step S4, the temperature is measured by a temperature sensor installed on the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, In step S7, the humidity is measured by a humidity sensor installed on the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, Between step S1 and step S2, there is the following step: S11: judging whether there is a user set exception location, if yes, executing step S12, if no, executing step S2; S12: judging whether the vehicle is in the exception location, if yes, returning to execute step S1, if no, executing step S2.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, Before the vehicle use time t0, step S3 is executed once every time interval t.

8. An automatic deicing and snow-removing system for performing the method of automatic deicing and snow-removing according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by The system comprises a control unit, an information sensing unit, a vehicle-mounted server, a network and an executing unit, the control unit, the information sensing unit and the executing unit are respectively in communication connection with the vehicle-mounted server, and the network is respectively in communication connection with the control unit and the vehicle-mounted server; The control unit receives user set vehicle use time data and uploads the user set vehicle use time to the network; The information sensing unit measures the temperature and humidity of the location where the vehicle is located and transmits the temperature and humidity information to the vehicle-mounted server, The vehicle-mounted server obtains the vehicle use time, vehicle location information and weather information from the network and obtains the temperature and humidity information from the information sensing unit and judges whether to start the executing unit to automatically deice and remove snow; The executing unit adjusts the temperature of the vehicle to melt ice and snow according to the control instruction of the vehicle-mounted server.

9. The automatic deicing system of claim 8, wherein, The control unit is a remote control device and / or the executing unit comprises an air conditioner and / or an electric heating wire.

10. A vehicle characterized by comprising: The vehicle has the automatic deicing and snow removing system according to claim 8 or 9.

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