Wiping device for camera and control method thereof

Abstract

Further, the present invention provides a wiping device for a camera and a method of controlling the same, the wiping device for a camera including: a camera module monitoring a periphery of a vehicle; an operation unit including a rotation unit rotated by a driving unit, a conversion unit connected to the rotation unit and linearly moving, and a cleaning unit connected to the conversion unit and cleaning the camera module; an input section that selects an operation mode of the driving section; and a control unit that determines whether the operation of the drive unit is normal or abnormal and controls a power supply, in which, when the control unit determines that the operation of the drive unit is normal, current measurement is omitted within a set first time range during initial driving of the drive unit, and when the control unit determines that the operation of the drive unit is abnormal, current measurement is omitted within a set second time range during initial driving of the drive unit. An operation current of the drive unit is set.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera wiping device and a control method thereof, and more particularly to a camera wiping device capable of removing or cleaning foreign matter attached to the surface of a protective cover located in front of a camera lens of a vehicle and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Recently, cameras with various purposes are generally provided in front, rear, left and right sides of vehicles. Such cameras display images of the vehicle's surroundings through a display or mirror around the driver to minimize blind spots, thereby facilitating safe driving.

[0003] The front camera and rear camera installed in the vehicle are mainly used as black boxes to analyze the cause of the accident. The left and right side cameras of the vehicle can be used together with the front and rear cameras to provide images of blind spots or confirm the panoramic view during driving or parking.

[0004] The camera of such a vehicle is easily attached to the surface of the camera cover by foreign objects such as rain, snow or dust on the outside, thereby making it difficult for the driver to confirm the image of the surroundings of the vehicle.

[0005] In order to solve this problem, a technique such as installing a wiper is adopted. However, since the wiper is exposed to the outside, the wiper may be contaminated, or even if the wiper is operated, cleaning can only be performed in a limited area.

[0006] Furthermore, the existing camera wiper is driven only by an on / off operation, and therefore, if the wiper is operated in a state where it is immobilized by foreign matter or cannot be operated due to ice formation in winter, the problem of the wiper being damaged also needs to be improved.

[0007] Prior art literature

[0008] Patent Literature

[0009] (Patent Document 0001) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1997-0057846 (published on July 31, 1997) Summary of the invention

[0010] The present invention is proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems. More specifically, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a camera wiping device and a control method thereof as follows: it is capable of wiping the entire area of ​​the surface of the protective cover located in front of the lens of the camera module. Since the blades are not exposed to the outside, the contamination of the wiper can be minimized, and the wiping device can be controlled in a manner that avoids damage.

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a wiping device for a camera, comprising: a shell, in which a driving part is installed; a rotating part, arranged to mesh with and rotate with a worm gear coupled to a first rotating shaft of the driving part; a conversion part, which meshes with the rotating part and converts the rotational motion into a linear reciprocating motion inside the shell; and a cleaning part, which extends from the conversion part to the outside of the shell and wipes the surface of a protective cover arranged in front of the lens of the camera module.

[0012] The rotating part may include: a worm wheel rotating around a second rotating axis arranged parallel to the first rotating axis of the worm gear; and a screw shaft having the worm wheel arranged at one end and a first gear formed on an outer peripheral surface where the worm wheel is not arranged.

[0013] The conversion part may include: a transfer member having a second gear formed on an inner circumferential surface thereof to mesh with the first gear; and an extension member extending to expose at least a portion of the transfer member to the outside of the housing.

[0014] The cleaning part may include: an arm part, one end of which is bent at the end of the extension part in a manner corresponding to the protective cover and has a length corresponding to the height or width of the protective cover; a blade, which is inserted from the front of the arm part and at least a portion of which protrudes toward the rear of the surface of the protective cover and is detachably mounted on the arm part; and a rotating cover, which is combined with the arm part in a manner covering the front of the arm part.

[0015] The arm member may include: a mounting hole formed to allow the blade to be inserted; and a step interfering with the blade along a coupling direction of the blade to prevent the blade from passing through the interior of the mounting hole.

[0016] The blade may include an elastic member arranged to elastically contact a surface of the protective cover while being inserted into the mounting hole; and a mounting member formed integrally with the elastic member and disposed inside the mounting hole while interfering with the step.

[0017] The arm member may include: protrusions, which protrude from both side surfaces of one end of the arm member and selectively interfere with first coupling holes formed on both sides of one end of the rotating cover; and support members, which protrude from both side surfaces of the other end of the arm member and form a rotating shaft when inserted into second coupling holes formed on both sides of the other end of the rotating cover.

[0018] The extension member may be formed with a through hole penetrating through one side adjacent to the transfer member, and the conversion portion may include a guide member arranged side by side with the screw shaft inside the housing and guiding the linear reciprocating movement of the extension member.

[0019] The camera wiping device may further include a cover portion coupled to the housing in a manner of covering the rotating portion, the conveying portion, and the driving portion.

[0020] The camera wiping device may further include: a cleaning liquid spraying module coupled to the outside of the housing and spraying cleaning liquid toward the surface of the protective cover.

[0021] In addition, the present invention provides a control method for a wiping device for a camera, which is a control method for a wiping device for a camera including a rotating part that rotates by a driving part and a conversion part that is connected to the rotating part and moves linearly, including: a wiping mode entering step, causing the wiping device for the camera to automatically or manually enter the wiping mode; and a wiping device operating step, including: an initial position setting step, equipped with a normal judgment step for judging that the wiping device for the camera is operating normally and an event status judgment step for judging that the wiping device for the camera is abnormal, wherein the normal judgment step includes: a skipping step, when the driving part is initially driven, omitting current measurement within a set first time range, wherein, in the event status judgment step, the operating current of the wiping device for the camera is set.

[0022] In the normal judgment step, if power is applied to the driving unit to move the conversion unit in the first direction, the skipping step can be performed, and the normal judgment step includes: a cutting step. After the skipping step, if the movement of the conversion unit in the first direction is restricted, the power supply of the driving unit can be released within the set second time range and the set current range.

[0023] In the normality determination step, a position in which the conversion unit can be restricted from moving in the first direction and can only move in a second direction opposite to the first direction may be determined as a correct position.

[0024] The event status judgment step may include: a current cut-off step, cutting off the power supply when an overvoltage higher than the set driving voltage is applied; an interval step, intermittently applying the power supply during a set third time range; and a current continuous supply step, continuously applying the power supply during a fourth time range longer than the third time range.

[0025] In the current cutting-off step, the current may be cut off after gradually reducing the supply current from the current supply current.

[0026] The control method of the wiping device for a camera may further include: a wiping result output step, displaying the result derived from the initial position setting step, wherein the wiping result output step includes: an alarm providing step, displaying the normal operating state of the conversion part; and a warning information transmitting and power cutting step, displaying the abnormal operating state of the conversion part.

[0027] In the wiping device operating step, control may be performed in such a manner that, in the cutting off step, a reduction range of the voltage applied to the driving part is gradually reduced as time passes.

[0028] In addition, the present invention provides a wiping device for a camera, comprising: a camera module, which monitors the surrounding environment of a vehicle; an operating part, which comprises a rotating part rotated by a driving part, a conversion part connected to the rotating part and moving linearly, and a cleaning part connected to the conversion part and cleaning the camera module; an input part, which selects an operation mode of the driving part; and a control part, which determines whether the operation of the driving part is normal or abnormal and controls the power supply, wherein, when the control part determines that the operation of the driving part is normal, when the driving part is initially driven, current measurement is omitted within a set first time range, and when the control part determines that it is abnormal, the operating current of the driving part is set.

[0029] If the movement of the conversion unit in the first direction is restricted, the control unit may release the power supply of the driving unit within the set second time range and the set current range.

[0030] When the operation of the driving unit is judged to be abnormal, the control unit may cut off the power supply when an overvoltage higher than the set driving voltage is applied, or apply the power supply intermittently during a set third time range, or apply the power supply continuously during a fourth time range longer than the third time range.

[0031] The camera wiping device may further include an output unit configured to determine whether the operation of the driving unit is normal or abnormal and display the result.

[0032] The camera wiping device and the control method thereof according to the embodiments of the present invention can have the following effects:

[0033] First, by setting an initial position, the entire area of ​​the surface of the protection cover located in front of the lens of the camera module can be controlled to be wiped;

[0034] Second, in the event status judgment step, the application and cut-off time and interval of the current are adjusted so that even if the conversion unit and the cleaning unit cannot be operated due to foreign matter or freezing, they can be restored to a state where they can be operated in sequence;

[0035] Third, by controlling the magnitude of the voltage applied to the drive unit, the magnitude of the reduction is gradually reduced over time, thereby completely eliminating the tail noise caused by the engine characteristics;

[0036] Fourth, when the cleaning unit and the conversion unit operate malfunctioning, fault protection of the driving unit can be ensured.

[0037] Fifth, through the wiping result output step, the user can confirm whether the camera wiping device is in a normal operation state or in an abnormal operation state.

[0038] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other effects not mentioned through the description of the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] In addition to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present application described below, the above brief description can be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings for the purpose of illustrating the present invention. However, it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the precise arrangements and means shown.

[0040] Figure 1 : is a perspective view showing a camera wiping device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 2 is decomposed and shown Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of a camera wiping device is shown.

[0042] Figures 3 to 5 It is shown Figure 2 Reference diagram showing the assembled state of the camera wiping device.

[0043] Figure 6 and Figure 7 It is shown Figure 2 A perspective view of a camera wiping device showing a rotating portion, a converting portion, and a cleaning portion in operation.

[0044] Figure 8 It is schematically shown Figure 2 Reference diagram of the assembly process of the camera wiping device shown.

[0045] Fig. 9 : is a block diagram showing a method of controlling a camera wiping device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Fig.10 It is shown Fig. 9 A graph of the relationship between current and time for the initial position setting step is shown.

[0047] Fig.11and Fig.12 It is shown Fig. 9 The graph of the relationship between current and time in the event status judgment step is shown.

[0048] Fig.13 is a block diagram showing a camera wiping device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Explanation of symbols

[0050] 100, 200: camera wiping device 110: housing

[0051] 120: Rotation unit 130: Transformation unit

[0052] 140: cleaning part 150: cover part

[0053] 160: cleaning liquid injection module 170: control unit

[0054] 210: Operation unit 220: Input unit

[0055] 10: Camera module 12: Protective cover

[0056] 20: Output DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] Since the present invention is susceptible to various changes and embodiments, specific embodiments will be shown and described in the drawings.

[0058] However, the present invention is not limited to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the concept and technical scope of the present invention.

[0059] Terms including ordinal numbers such as “first”, “second”, etc. may be used to describe various constituent elements, but the constituent elements are not limited by the terms.

[0060] The terms are used only to distinguish one constituent element from another constituent element.

[0061] For example, without departing from the scope of rights of the present invention, a second constituent element may be referred to as a first constituent element, and similarly, a first constituent element may be referred to as a second constituent element.

[0062] The term "and / or" includes a combination of a plurality of associated listed items or any one of the plurality of associated listed items.

[0063] When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or coupled to the other component, but other components may be present in between.

[0064] On the contrary, when it is mentioned that a certain component is “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0065] The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0066] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular also includes the plural.

[0067] In the present application, terms such as "including" or "having" should be understood as being used to specify the presence of the recorded features, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements, parts or their combinations in the specification, without excluding in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features or numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements or parts or their combinations.

[0068] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals regardless of the reference numerals, and repeated description thereof will be omitted.

[0069] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a camera wiping device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is decomposed and shown Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of a camera wiping device is shown.

[0070] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The camera wiping device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a housing 110 , a rotating portion 120 , a transforming portion 130 , a cleaning portion 140 , a cover portion 150 , a cleaning liquid spraying module 160 , and a control portion 170 .

[0071] First, the housing 110 can accommodate a portion of the driving unit 111, the rotating unit 120, and the transforming unit 130 therein, and can provide an assembly structure while the cover 150 is coupled to the upper portion. Of course, the housing 110 and the cover 150 can be coupled relative to each other, and the assembly position of the driving unit 111, the rotating unit 120, and the transforming unit 130 can be set therein.

[0072] Outside the housing 110 , the cleaning portion 140 may be disposed to be connected with the transformation portion 130 , and the camera module 10 and the cleaning liquid spraying module 160 may be combined.

[0073] The driving unit 111 installed in the housing 110 may be a motor or an actuator. Hereinafter, a case where a motor is used as the driving unit will be described as an example.

[0074] A worm gear 112 may be provided on the rotation shaft of the driving portion 111 .

[0075] In addition, the rotating portion 120 may include a worm gear 121 and a screw shaft 122 .

[0076] The worm wheel 121 may be arranged to mesh with the worm gear 112 , and may be arranged not to be parallel to the worm gear 112 .

[0077] At this time, the screw shaft 122 is arranged to rotate with the same rotation axis as the worm gear 121, and similarly, the screw shaft 122 may be arranged not to be parallel to the worm gear 112. A first gear 123 may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the screw shaft 122. Therefore, it may be arranged that if the worm gear 112 rotates, the worm gear 121 and the screw shaft 122 rotate.

[0078] The worm gear 121 and the screw shaft 122 may be connected by key coupling.

[0079] In addition, the conversion portion 130 may mesh with the rotating portion 120 and convert the rotational motion into a linear reciprocating motion.

[0080] The transforming unit 130 may include a transferring member 131 and an extending member 132 .

[0081] The conveying member 131 has a second gear 133 formed on an inner circumferential surface thereof, and the second gear 133 is arranged to mesh with the first gear 123. That is, the screw shaft 122 may be inserted into the conveying member 131.

[0082] The extension member 132 may extend to expose at least a portion from the transfer member 131 to the outside of the housing 110. The extension member 132 may be formed as a whole with the transfer member 131. The extension member 132 may be formed with a through hole 134 that passes through one side. A guide member 135 may be inserted into the through hole 134. The guide member 135 may be arranged side by side with the screw shaft 122 inside the housing 110, and may guide the linear reciprocating motion of the extension member 132. Of course, the guide member 135 may have a function of preventing the transfer member 131 from rotating simultaneously with the rotation of the screw shaft 122.

[0083] In addition, the cleaning portion 140 may extend from the transforming portion 130 toward the outside of the housing 110 , thereby providing a function of wiping the surface of the protection cover 12 located in front of the lens of the camera module 10 .

[0084] The surface of the protective cover 12 may be the lens of the camera, or may be a separate transparent protective cover structure covering the outside of the lens. In addition, the surface of the protective cover 12 is formed as a plane as an example for description. In addition to the plane, it can also be formed as a curved surface with a specified curvature. In this embodiment, the cleaning unit 140 wipes the surface of the transparent protective cover 12 disposed in front of the camera lens as an example for description.

[0085] The cleaning unit 140 will be described in detail later.

[0086] In addition, the cover 150 may be coupled to the housing 110 to cover an upper portion of the housing 110 .

[0087] In addition, the cleaning liquid spray module 160 may be disposed adjacent to the surface of the protection cover 12 outside the housing 110. The cleaning liquid spray module 160 may provide a function of spraying water or cleaning liquid to the surface of the protection cover 12 when the surface of the protection cover 12 is contaminated.

[0088] Furthermore, the control unit 170 may control at least one of the driving unit 111, the camera module 10, and the cleaning liquid spraying module 160. The control unit 170 will be described in detail later.

[0089] Figure 3 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the arm member 141 and the blade 142 of the cleaning unit 140 are separated. Figure 4 14 is a perspective view showing a state where the rotating cover 143 is separated after the blade 142 is coupled to the arm member 141. Figure 5 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a rotating cover 143 is coupled to the arm member 141 of the cleaning unit 140 .

[0090] Reference Figure 3 The cleaning portion 140 may include an arm member 141 , blades 142 , and a rotating cover 143 .

[0091] The arm part 141 may be arranged so that one end portion may correspond to the surface of the protective cover 12 while being bent from the extension part 132. The arm part 141 may be formed to have a length corresponding to the height or width of the surface of the protective cover 12.

[0092] The arm part 141 may include a mounting hole 141 a and a step 141 b .

[0093] The mounting hole 141 a is a region into which the blade 142 is inserted into the arm member 141 , and may be formed to penetrate from the front of the arm member 141 to the rear facing the surface of the protective cover 12 .

[0094] A step 141 b may be provided inside the mounting hole 141 a along the coupling direction of the blade 142 to interfere with the blade 142 and prevent the blade 142 from penetrating through the inside of the mounting hole 141 a .

[0095] The blade 142 may include an elastic member 142a and a mounting member 142b.

[0096] The elastic member 142 a may be disposed to elastically contact the surface of the protection cover 12 behind the mounting hole 141 a .

[0097] The mounting piece 142b may be formed as one body with the elastic piece 142a, and may be disposed inside the mounting hole 141a while being interfered by the step 141b. That is, the width of the mounting piece 142b may be formed to be greater than the width between the steps 141b.

[0098] Therefore, if the blade 142 is coupled to the mounting hole 141a, the elastic member 142a is arranged to contact the surface of the protection cover 12 while passing through the mounting hole 141a and being exposed behind the arm part 141, and the mounting member 142b can be located in the mounting hole 141a inside the arm part 141.

[0099] The arm member 141 may include a protruding piece 141 c and a supporting piece 141 d .

[0100] The protrusions 141c may be arranged to protrude respectively from both side surfaces of one end portion of the arm member 141. The protrusions 141c may be arranged to interfere with the rotating cover 143 in a state where the rotating cover 143 is completely coupled.

[0101] The support pieces 141d may be disposed to protrude from both side surfaces of the other end of the arm member 141. The support pieces 141d may constitute a rotation axis of the rotation cover 143 and may be a region to which the rotation cover 143 is rotatably coupled.

[0102] The rotating cover 143 may be disposed to cover the front of the arm member 141. The rotating cover 143 may include first coupling holes 143a formed at both side surfaces of one end portion and second coupling holes 143b formed at both side surfaces of the other end portion.

[0103] The first coupling hole 143 a may be arranged to interfere with the protrusion 141 c of the arm part 141 , and the second coupling hole 143 b may be arranged to be coupled to the support 141 d of the arm part 141 .

[0104] As described above, the blade 142 can be detachably coupled to the mounting hole 141a. The blade 142 is a consumable. When cleaning the surface of the protective cover 12, if the cleaning power decreases, the used blade 142 can be separated and discharged, and a new blade 142 can be installed.

[0105] Figure 5 The arm member 141 is shown in a state where the blade 142 is coupled to the rotating cover 143 .

[0106] like Figure 5As shown, if the supporting members 141d on both sides are respectively coupled to the second coupling holes 143b of the rotating cover 143, the rotating cover 143 is arranged to be rotatable from the arm member 141. At this time, if the coupling is such that the protruding member 141c is inserted into the first coupling hole 143a at one end of the rotating cover 143, the coupling of the rotating cover 143 can be completed. Of course, the process of separating and discharging the blades 142 can be performed in the reverse order of the coupling sequence of the rotating cover 143.

[0107] Therefore, the rotating cover 143 can be arranged to be rotatable with the support member 141d as the rotating axis and can prevent the blade 142 from detaching from the arm part 141, while also providing a function of opening the front of the mounting hole 141a of the arm part 141 so as to separate and discharge the blade 142 during maintenance.

[0108] For example, if the rotating cover 143 is arranged to be in close contact with the arm member 141, it is possible to provide a supporting function while preventing the blade 142 from being separated from the arm member 141, so that the blade 142 is in close contact with the surface of the protective cover 12. In addition, when the rotating cover 143 is free to rotate with the support 141d of the arm member 141 as the rotation axis, it is easy to separate and discharge the blade 142 when replacing it, thereby expecting the effect of simplifying maintenance. In addition, since the rotating cover 143 is arranged to cover the outside of the blade 142, it is possible to achieve the effect of preventing the blade 142 from being contaminated.

[0109] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a state where the conversion unit is arranged at a correct position on the rotating unit, Figure 7 It is shown Figure 6 The illustrated perspective view is a state in which the conversion unit moves on the rotating unit and performs a first cleaning on the surface of the protection cover.

[0110] Reference Figure 6 , the conversion unit 130 and the cleaning unit 140 are arranged at the correct position as the initial driving position. The correct position of the conversion unit 130 and the cleaning unit 140 restricts the conversion unit 130 from moving in the first direction D1 toward the worm wheel 121 on the screw shaft 122, and can indicate a position that can move in the second direction D2 that is opposite to the first direction D1. That is, the correct position can be the position where the first cleaning of the conversion unit 130 starts.

[0111] At this time, the process of setting the initial position so that the conversion unit 130 is arranged at the correct position will be described together with the description of the control unit 170.

[0112] exist Figure 6 In the state, if power is applied to the driving unit 111, the conversion unit 130 and the cleaning unit 140 move linearly from one side of the surface of the protection cover 12 to the second direction D2, and as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, until it moves to the other side of the surface of the protection cover 12. At this time, the first cleaning of the surface of the protection cover 12 is achieved.

[0113] Of course, although not shown in the figure, the transformation portion 130 can be moved along the guide member 135 to pass through the through hole 134 of the extension member 132 .

[0114] exist Figure 7 In this state, if the conversion unit 130 and the cleaning unit 140 move linearly along the first direction D1 again, the conversion unit 130 and the cleaning unit 140 can be restored to the correct position while the second cleaning of the surface of the protection cover 12 is achieved.

[0115] Here, although the driving of the rotating unit 120 and the converting unit 130 is described, when power is applied to the driving unit 111 , the worm gear 112 is rotated.

[0116] For example, if the worm gear 112 rotates clockwise around the first rotation axis R1, the worm wheel 121 can rotate counterclockwise around the second rotation axis R2 as the rotation axis of the screw shaft 122. In this way, while the screw shaft 122 also rotates counterclockwise, the conversion unit 130 moves in the second direction D2 and can perform the first cleaning of the cleaning unit 140. Conversely, if the worm gear 112 rotates counterclockwise around the first rotation axis R1, the worm wheel 121 can rotate clockwise around the second rotation axis R2, while the screw shaft 122 can also rotate clockwise, the conversion unit 130 can move in the first direction D1 and perform the second cleaning of the cleaning unit 140. And, while the conversion unit 130 moves in the first direction D1, it directly contacts the worm wheel 121, or contacts a stopper (not shown) that restricts the conversion unit 130 from moving in the first direction D1 in an area adjacent to the worm wheel 121 and stops at the correct position again. At this time, the stopper may be disposed adjacent to the worm wheel 121 on the screw shaft 122 , or may be provided adjacent to the worm wheel 121 inside the housing 110 , so as to be able to interfere with the movement of the transformation unit 130 in the first direction D1 .

[0117] Although not shown in the figure, the operation of the driving unit 111 can be switched arbitrarily by the user to manually operate the cleaning unit 140, or the cleaning unit 140 can be automatically operated by sensing foreign matter or water droplets formed on the surface of the protective cover 12 by the camera module 10 or a separate sensor.

[0118] Figure 8 It is schematically shown Figure 2 Reference diagram of the assembly process of the camera wiping device shown.

[0119] Reference Figure 8In the camera wiping device 100 , after the conversion unit 130 and the cleaning unit 140 are assembled first, the assembly of the conversion unit 130 and the cleaning unit 140 is installed inside the housing 110 . Of course, the cleaning unit 140 may be installed to be exposed to the outside of the housing 110 .

[0120] After the installation of the conversion unit 130 and the cleaning unit 140 is completed in the housing 110 , the driving unit 111 is installed, and the cover 150 is combined with the upper portion of the housing 110 to cover the driving unit 111 , the rotating unit 120 , and the conversion unit 130 .

[0121] Furthermore, a cleaning liquid spraying module 160 is combined at the lower portion of the housing 110. A first fastening member 161 may be provided at the lower portion of the housing 110, and a second fastening member 162 combined with the first fastening member 161 may be provided at the cleaning liquid spraying module 160. The first fastening member 161 and the second fastening member 162 may be bolted to each other by fasteners.

[0122] Finally, if the camera module 10 is combined with the lower part of the housing 110 in a manner corresponding to the cleaning part 140, the camera wiping device 100 is assembled. A pair of combining parts 113 protruding downward side by side on both sides may be provided at the lower part of the housing 110. The camera module 10 may be provided with fixing parts 11 protruding on both sides, respectively, so as to be combined with the combining parts 113 by fasteners. Therefore, the camera module 10 can be assembled at the lower part of the housing 110 by the fixing parts 11 and the combining parts 113.

[0123] Although shown in the figure, on the shell 110, the combining structure of the cleaning fluid injection module 160 and the camera module 10 can be combined by setting an annular or box-shaped installation area at the lower part of the shell 110 so that it can be inserted into the installation area with one click, in addition to being combined by bolts of fasteners.

[0124] In this way, in the camera wiping device 100, the conversion unit 130, the cleaning unit 140 and the driving unit 111 are installed together with the cover unit 150 on the upper part of the shell 110. At the same time, the camera module 10 and the cleaning liquid injection module 160 are installed on the lower part of the shell 110, and the modularization of a unit can be achieved. Therefore, the assembly parts can be significantly reduced, and it can be expected that the effect of improving the assemblability can be achieved.

[0125] Fig. 9 : is a block diagram showing a method of controlling a camera wiping device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0126] Reference Fig. 9The method for controlling a wiping device for a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a wiping mode entering step ( S110 ), a wiping device operating step ( S120 ), and a wiping result outputting step ( S130 ).

[0127] First, the wiping mode entering step ( S110 ) may include an automatic mode entering step ( S111 ) and a user intervention step ( S112 ).

[0128] In the wiping mode entering step (S110), the camera wiping device may be driven and started. For example, the camera wiping device may be driven automatically when the vehicle is started or the driving power is applied through the automatic mode entering step (S111), or the wiping device operation step (S120) may be performed before the camera wiping device is driven.

[0129] That is, the automatic mode entering step (S111) can automatically drive the camera wiping device before the vehicle starts to travel, at the same time as the vehicle is started or when the driving power is applied (ACC mode or ON mode). Of course, if it is determined in the automatic mode entering step (S111) that the camera wiping device does not need to be driven, the vehicle control unit can also control to prevent the camera wiping device from being driven.

[0130] Furthermore, in the wiping mode entering step (S110), the user intervention step (S112) may be a state in which the automatic mode entering step (S111) is executed by default, or the camera wiping device may be additionally driven by the user's judgment regardless of whether the automatic mode is entered. For example, before the user gets on the vehicle, the camera wiping device may be operated before / after the vehicle is started for the purpose of removing foreign matter stuck on the camera wiping device or the protective cover on the camera module.

[0131] In addition, the wiping device operation step (S120) may include an initial position setting step (S121). Of course, the wiping device refers to the above-mentioned camera wiping device.

[0132] As described above, in the initial position setting step (S121), it is determined whether the conversion unit or the cleaning unit is arranged in the correct position as the initial driving position. If it is determined to be in the correct position, the driving operation is performed normally. If it is determined not to be in the correct position, the position of the conversion unit or the cleaning unit is calibrated.

[0133] The correct position may be the part where the initial driving of the cleaning unit starts from the front end of the left front end or the right front end on the protective cover of the camera module. Of course, the initial position setting step (S121) may also be selectively performed by the user to set the correct position, or may be performed each time the wiping mode entering step (S110) is executed without the user's intervention.

[0134] The initial position setting step (S121) may include a normality determination step (S122) and an event status determination step (S123).

[0135] The normal determination step (S122) is a state in which the conversion unit or the cleaning unit is located at a correct position, and may include a skip step (S1221) and a cut off step (S1222).

[0136] The skipping step ( S1221 ) may be a step of omitting current measurement within a set first time range during the initial driving of the driving unit.

[0137] Also, the cutting-off step (S1222) may be a step of cutting off the power supply after supplying the limited current after the first time range.

[0138] At this time, in the skip step (S1221) and the cut-off step (S1222), the required current and time conditions will be used. Fig.10 The curve diagram is used to illustrate.

[0139] In addition, the event status judgment step (S123) may include a current cutting step (S1231), a spacing step (S1232), and a current continuous supply step (S1233).

[0140] First, the current cut-off step (S1231) may be a step of cutting off abnormal power supply when an overvoltage above the set driving voltage is applied. For example, if a voltage changes sharply such as a power outage or static electricity is generated, the current may be cut off to protect the machine.

[0141] In addition, the interval step (S1232) may be a step of intermittently applying power within a set third time range when the movement of the conversion unit is limited. For example, power may be applied to the driving unit and then cut off during the third time range, and the application and cut off may be repeated again during the third time range, so that the movement of the conversion unit may be controlled to be smooth.

[0142] In addition, the current continuous supply step (S1233) may be a step of continuously applying power within a set fourth time range when the movement of the conversion unit is limited. At this time, the fourth time range may be a time range longer than the third time range.

[0143] At this time, in the event status judgment step (S123), control can be performed by sequentially operating one or more steps of the current cut-off step (S1231), the interval step (S1232) and the current continuous supply step (S1233), or by repeating this sequential operation control 3 to 5 times and then judging again whether it is a normal operation state or an abnormal operation state. And, if it is in a normal operation state, it can be judged whether the conversion part or the cleaning part is in the correct position, and the initial position setting step (S121) is repeatedly performed again until the conversion part or the cleaning part is in the correct position.

[0144] In this way, the control unit executes the event status determination step (S123), thereby achieving fail safe of the camera wiping device. In addition, the factors that hinder the driving of the camera wiping device can be removed together with the fail safe, thereby guiding the smooth driving of the camera wiping device.

[0145] Furthermore, the wiping result output step (S130) may be a process of determining whether the operation is normally completed or whether the operation is abnormal and allowing the user to confirm through the output unit. The wiping result output step (S130) may include an alarm providing step (S131) ​​and a warning information transmission and power off step (S132).

[0146] That is, the alarm providing step (S131) ​​is a normal operation state, and the initial position is set by the wiping device operation step (S120) of the camera wiping device, so that the user can be informed in a reminder manner that the operation of the camera wiping device is normally completed.

[0147] Furthermore, the warning information transmission and power off step (S132) may be used as a case where an abnormal operation is performed, and the case where the event status determination step (S123) is not completed or the operation of the camera wiping device is not performed or is not completely completed may be used as a warning information transmission and the power off step may be performed. Of course, the order of the warning information transmission and the power off process may be interchangeable.

[0148] The process of the alarm providing step (S131) ​​and the warning information transmission may be transmitted to a display or a speaker of the vehicle or a mobile terminal linked to a user of the vehicle, and may be outputted by a visual or auditory method.

[0149] Fig.10 It is shown Fig. 9 A graph of the relationship between current and time for the initial position setting step is shown.

[0150] As described above, the skipping step (S1221) may be a step of omitting current measurement within a set first time range when the driving unit is initially driven.

[0151] For example, when the conversion unit starts to move in a straight line, if power is applied to the driving unit, a pulse current (in-rush current) will be generated and the driving current range of the driving unit will exceed the reference value. At this time, step (S1221) can be skipped to prevent the control unit from judging the pulse current as a power input error.

[0152] In the initial position setting step (S121), the skipping step (S1221) can prevent the current from being cut off because the current supply exceeds the reference value (the set threshold value of the current), but the skipping time cannot meet the set time range (the set threshold value of the time). At this time, the reference value of the current can be formed in the range of about 0.25 to 1A, and more preferably, can be formed as 0.7A. In addition, the time range set in the skipping time can be formed to be about 0.3 seconds or more.

[0153] Of course, not only in the initial position setting step (S121), but also in the normal driving process, even when each reference value or time range for current or time cannot be satisfied at the same time, control can be performed to prevent the power supply from being cut off.

[0154] In the initial position setting step (S121), power is applied to the driving unit to move the conversion unit in the first direction. If the conversion unit does not move or the conversion unit contacts the worm gear or the stopper, the control unit can determine that the correct position has been set. In the case where power is applied to the driving unit to move the conversion unit in the first direction but the conversion unit or the cleaning unit is not in the correct position, the correct position can be set by moving until the conversion unit does not move in the first direction.

[0155] Of course, after exceeding the first time range set in the skip step (S1221), the current is measured by the control unit or a low-cost precision resistor set in the control unit, and the power supply can be cut off if the driving current range is not met.

[0156] Also, the cutting-off step (S1222) may be a step of cutting off the power supply after supplying the limited current after the first time range.

[0157] More preferably, after the instruction of the cutting step (S1222), the control unit controls by directly cutting off the power supply. Alternatively, after the instruction of the cutting step (S1222), the second time range can also be adjusted so that the control unit cuts off the power supply after the set second time range.

[0158] exist Fig.10In the step (S1222), the power-off step means cutting off the power supply after the set second time range, and can be controlled to minimize the second time range.

[0159] Furthermore, in the initial position setting step ( S121 ), the driving unit may be controlled by the control unit to move the transforming unit in the first direction and then perform at least one operation of moving the transforming unit in the second direction.

[0160] Fig.11 and Fig.12 It is shown Fig. 9 The graph of the relationship between current and time in the event status judgment step is shown.

[0161] Fig.11 (a) shows a case where the interval step (S1232) is performed by intermittently supplying a plurality of currents of the same magnitude at the same interval within the third time range.

[0162] That is, if the washing unit cannot move due to foreign matter or ice formed on the surface of the protective cover and current is supplied intermittently, the washing unit can move together with the conversion unit while the foreign matter falls off or the ice falls off.

[0163] Fig.11 (b) shows a situation in which a current continuous supply step (S1233) is performed in which a current of a predetermined magnitude is applied over a set fourth time range.

[0164] That is, if the cleaning unit cannot move due to foreign matter or ice formed on the surface of the protective cover and a predetermined current is continuously supplied, the cleaning unit can move together with the conversion unit while the foreign matter falls off or the ice falls off.

[0165] Of course, the control unit can apply the interval step (S1232) and the current continuous supply step (S1233) in parallel, and the application order is not limited.

[0166] Fig.12 (a) is a graph showing that when the power supply of a conventional driving unit is cut off, a tail sound is generated due to a sudden cut-off.

[0167] Due to the characteristics of the motor, when the motor stops, it may produce reverse rotation due to the back electromotive force, thus forming this tail sound. Users who are sensitive to sound may judge it as bad or may be stressed by it.

[0168] To prevent this from happening, Fig.12 In (b), at the time point of cutting off the power supply, the control unit can control the magnitude of the voltage applied to the driving unit so that the reduction amplitude of the voltage gradually decreases with the passage of time.

[0169] For example, if the voltage applied to the drive unit is 10V when the power is cut off, it will be 7V after N seconds which is the set unit time, 5V after 2N seconds, and 4V after 3N seconds. The power can be gradually cut off while the voltage reduction rate gradually decreases.

[0170] By gradually cutting off the power supply in this manner, it is possible to prevent the generation of counter electromotive force, thereby preventing the generation of tail noise in the motor.

[0171] Fig.13 is a block diagram showing a camera wiping device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0172] Reference Fig.13 According to another embodiment of the present invention, a camera wiping device 200 may include a camera module 10 , an operation unit 210 , an input unit 220 , a control unit 170 , and an output unit 20 .

[0173] The control method by the camera module 10 and the control unit 170 is the same as the above, so the repeated description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the operation unit 210 may include a driving unit 111, a rotating unit 120, a transforming unit 130 and a cleaning unit 140, and since the relevant detailed descriptions have been made above, the additional descriptions will be omitted.

[0174] The input part 220 provides a function of selecting one of the user intervention mode and the automatic mode, and may be provided as a switch structure provided inside the vehicle. Although not shown, the input part 220 may be located at the same position or in a similar area as a switch structure for operating the measured front or rear wiper.

[0175] Furthermore, as described above, the output unit 20 has a function of providing a prompt or receiving warning information and displaying it so that the user can confirm it, and can be implemented as a display or speaker of the vehicle or a mobile terminal linked to the user of the vehicle.

[0176] Therefore, the camera wiping device according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following effects: since the camera wiping device for wiping the surface of the protective cover located in front of the lens of the camera module is composed of one module, the operability and compatibility can be improved, and the entire surface area of ​​the protective cover can be wiped, so a camera with a wider viewing angle than the existing camera can be used, and the blades are arranged on the inner side of the rotating cover to minimize external contamination, and the blades can be easily disassembled by using the rotating cover. With the shell as the center, the conversion part, the cleaning part and the driving part can be installed on the upper part, and the camera module and the cleaning liquid injection module can be arranged at the same time on the lower part, so that the modularization of a unit can be realized, and the assembly parts can be significantly reduced.

[0177] In addition, the control method of the camera wiping device according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following effects: it can be controlled in a manner to wipe the entire area of ​​the surface of the protective cover located in front of the lens of the camera module through the initial position setting, and the power application and cut-off time and interval are adjusted in the event status judgment step, so that even when the conversion part and the cleaning part are unable to operate due to foreign matter or freezing, they can be restored to a state where they can be operated sequentially, and by controlling the magnitude of the voltage applied to the driving part so that the reduction amplitude gradually decreases with the passage of time, the tail sound formed by the motor characteristics can be perfectly eliminated, and when the cleaning part and the conversion part operate poorly, the fault protection of the driving part can be ensured, and the user can confirm whether the camera wiping device is in a normal operating state or an abnormal operating state through the wiping result output.

[0178] In order to illustrate the technical idea of ​​the present invention, the present invention is shown and described with specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the same structure and function as the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications can be implemented without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, such modifications should also be regarded as belonging to the scope of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A camera wiping device, comprising: A housing having a driving unit mounted therein; a rotating portion arranged to mesh with and rotate with a worm gear coupled to a first rotating shaft of the driving portion; a conversion part meshing with the rotating part and converting the rotational motion into a linear reciprocating motion inside the housing; as well as The cleaning unit extends from the conversion unit to the outside of the housing and wipes the surface of a protection cover provided in front of a lens of the camera module.

2. The camera wiping device according to claim 1, wherein: The rotating part comprises: a worm gear that rotates around a second rotation axis that is arranged parallel to the first rotation axis of the worm gear; The screw shaft has the worm wheel arranged at one end thereof, and a first gear is formed on the outer peripheral surface where the worm wheel is not arranged.

3. The camera wiping device according to claim 2, wherein: The transformation unit comprises: A transfer member having a second gear formed on an inner peripheral surface thereof to mesh with the first gear; The extension member extends from the transfer member to expose at least a portion of the extension member to the outside of the housing.

4. The camera wiping device according to claim 3, wherein: The cleaning unit comprises: an arm member having one end bent at an end of the extension member in a manner corresponding to the protective cover and having a length corresponding to the height or width of the protective cover; a blade inserted from the front of the arm member, at least a portion of which protrudes toward the rear of the surface facing the protective cover, and detachably mounted on the arm member; The rotating cover is coupled to the arm member so as to cover the front of the arm member.

5. The camera wiping device according to claim 4, wherein: The arm member comprises: A mounting hole formed for inserting the blade; The step interferes with the blade along the joining direction of the blade to prevent the blade from passing through the interior of the mounting hole.

6. The camera wiping device according to claim 5, wherein: The blade comprises: an elastic member arranged to elastically contact with a surface of the protective cover while being inserted into the mounting hole; The mounting member is formed as a whole with the elastic member and is disposed inside the mounting hole while interfering with the step.

7. The camera wiping device according to claim 4, wherein: The arm member comprises: protrusions, respectively protruding from both side surfaces of one end of the arm member, and selectively interfering with first coupling holes formed on both sides of one end of the rotating cover; The support members protrude from both side surfaces of the other end of the arm member and are inserted into the second coupling holes formed at both sides of the other end of the rotating cover to form a rotating shaft.

8. The camera wiping device according to claim 3, wherein: The extension member is formed with a through hole penetrating through a side adjacent to the transfer member. The conversion portion includes a guide member arranged in parallel with the screw shaft inside the housing and guiding the linear reciprocating movement of the extension member.

9. The camera wiping device according to claim 1, further comprising: The cover is coupled to the housing in a manner of covering the rotating part, the conveying part, and the driving part.

10. The camera wiping device according to claim 1, further comprising: The cleaning liquid spraying module is combined with the outside of the shell and sprays the cleaning liquid toward the surface of the protection cover.

11. A method for controlling a camera wiping device, comprising: a rotating part that rotates by a driving part and a converting part that is connected to the rotating part and moves linearly; the method comprising: a wiping mode entering step, causing the camera to automatically or manually enter a wiping mode using a wiping device; as well as The wiping device operation step includes: an initial position setting step, a normal judgment step for judging whether the camera wiping device is operating normally, and an event condition judgment step for judging whether the camera wiping device is operating abnormally. Wherein, the normal judgment step includes: skipping step, when the driving unit is initially driven, omitting current measurement within the set first time range, Wherein, in the event status determination step, an operating current of the camera wiping device is set.

12. The method for controlling a camera wiping device according to claim 11, wherein: In the normal determination step, if power is applied to the driving unit to move the conversion unit in the first direction, the skipping step is performed. The normality determination step includes a cutting step of, after the skipping step, releasing the power supply of the driving unit within a set second time range and a set current range if the movement of the conversion unit in the first direction is restricted.

13. The method for controlling a camera wiping device according to claim 12, wherein: In the normality determination step, a position where the conversion unit can move only in a second direction opposite to the first direction while movement in the first direction is restricted is determined as a correct position.

14. The method for controlling a camera wiping device according to claim 11, wherein: The event status determination step comprises: A current cut-off step of cutting off the power supply when an overvoltage exceeding a set driving voltage is applied; an interval step of intermittently applying power during a set third time range; The current continuously supplying step continuously applies power during a fourth time range longer than the third time range.

15. The method for controlling a camera wiping device according to claim 14, wherein: In the current cutoff step, the current is cutoff after the supply current is gradually reduced from the current supply current.

16. The method for controlling the camera wiping device according to claim 11, further comprising: a wiping result outputting step, displaying the result derived from the initial position setting step, Wherein, the wiping result output step includes: an alarm providing step, displaying a normal operating state of the conversion unit; The warning information transmission and power-off steps indicate the abnormal operation status of the conversion unit.

17. The method for controlling a camera wiping device according to claim 12, wherein: In the wiping device operating step, control is performed in such a manner that, in the cutting step, the reduction range of the voltage applied to the driving part is gradually reduced as time passes.

18. A camera wiping device, comprising: A camera module to monitor the surroundings of the vehicle; An operating unit including a rotating unit that rotates by a driving unit, a transforming unit that is connected to the rotating unit and moves linearly, and a cleaning unit that is connected to the transforming unit and cleans the camera module; an input unit for selecting an operation mode of the driving unit; and a control unit, which determines whether the operation of the driving unit is normal or abnormal and controls the power supply, When the control unit determines that the operation of the drive unit is normal, current measurement is omitted within a set first time range during the initial drive of the drive unit, and when the control unit determines that the operation is abnormal, the operating current of the drive unit is set.

19. The camera wiping device according to claim 18, wherein: If the movement of the conversion unit in the first direction is restricted, the control unit releases the power supply of the driving unit within a set second time range and a set current range.

20. The camera wiping device according to claim 18, wherein: When the operation of the driving unit is judged to be abnormal, the control unit cuts off the power supply when an overvoltage higher than the set driving voltage is applied, or applies the power supply intermittently during a set third time range, or applies the power supply continuously during a fourth time range longer than the third time range.

21. The camera wiping device according to claim 18, further comprising: The output unit determines whether the operation of the driving unit is normal or abnormal, and displays the result.

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