External sensor cleaning device and method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides an external sensor cleaning device and a method thereof. The external sensor is arranged on the moving body and is used for detecting the external of the moving body. The cleaning device includes: a cleaning unit configured to spray a cleaning liquid on a detection surface of an external sensor to clean the detection surface; and a sensor performance calculation unit that calculates a performance detection value of the external sensor. The cleaning unit sprays the cleaning liquid on the basis of the calculated performance detection value. The cleaning unit sprays a cleaning liquid on the basis of a change amount of the calculated performance detection value with respect to time or a travel distance of the moving body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an external sensor cleaning device and a method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide access to sustainable transportation systems that also take into account the disadvantaged positions of traffic participants such as the elderly, the disabled or children. In order to achieve the above goals, research and development efforts are being made to further improve the safety and convenience of transportation through developments related to the habitability of vehicles.

[0003] Many external sensors are now installed on the outside of vehicles to detect the external environment of the vehicle. Since the external sensors are affected by wind, rain, dust and mud, they are easily contaminated.

[0004] Patent document 1 discloses a technology that displays information such as "radar cover is dirty" on a display when it is determined that the detection performance of a millimeter wave radar or the like has decreased. Also, patent document 2 discloses a technology that, if the camera is detected to be dirty, notifies the driver that dirt has been detected, sprays water on the windshield, and wipes off the dirt on the windshield with a wiper. Also, patent document 3 discloses a cleaning control device for a lidar window. This disclosure selectively switches between a continuous cleaning mode and an intermittent cleaning mode in which fluid is sprayed intermittently.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-243963

[0007] Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-199260

[0008] Patent document 3: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-28892

[0009] When the vehicle is driven with sand or the like rolled up, the sensor may continue to be dirty. At this time, if the decontamination process is continued by continuously spraying the washer fluid, the washer fluid will be consumed in large quantities, and there will be a problem that the washer fluid needs to be replenished more frequently.

[0010] However, in the drivability of the vehicle, how to avoid excessive consumption of the cleaning fluid of the external sensor and optimize the replenishment frequency is a problem. Summary of the invention

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, this proposal aims to avoid excessive consumption of cleaning fluid for external sensors and optimize the replenishment frequency. Furthermore, it contributes to the development of a sustainable delivery system.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a cleaning device for an external sensor is provided, wherein the external sensor is provided on a mobile body and is used to detect the exterior of the mobile body. The cleaning device for the external sensor comprises: a cleaning unit for spraying cleaning liquid on the detection surface of the external sensor for cleaning; and a sensor performance calculation unit for calculating the performance detection value of the external sensor. The cleaning unit sprays the cleaning liquid based on the calculated performance detection value. The cleaning unit sprays the cleaning liquid based on the calculated change in the performance detection value relative to time or the travel distance of the mobile body.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the cleaning device for the external sensor, the time from when cleaning is interrupted to when cleaning is resumed is determined based on the tank capacity and replenishment frequency of the cleaning liquid.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-mentioned external sensor cleaning device, the sensor performance calculation unit determines whether to restart the stopped cleaning action based on the distance traveled by the mobile body to the destination, the elapsed time since the cleaning unit stops the cleaning action, the travel distance of the mobile body and at least one of the residual amount of the cleaning fluid.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-mentioned external sensor cleaning device, the driving support function of the mobile body is stopped further based on the calculated performance detection value of the external sensor.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-mentioned cleaning device for the external sensor, the moving body is a vehicle, and the detection surface is a bumper or a windshield arranged in front of the detection direction of the external sensor.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-mentioned cleaning device for the external sensor, the external sensor is a lidar.

[0018] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for cleaning an external sensor is provided, wherein the external sensor is provided on a mobile body and is used to detect the exterior of the mobile body. The method for cleaning the external sensor comprises: spraying a cleaning liquid on a detection surface of the external sensor for cleaning; calculating a performance detection value of the external sensor; spraying the cleaning liquid based on the calculated performance detection value; and spraying the cleaning liquid based on a change in the calculated performance detection value relative to time or a travel distance of the mobile body.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned cleaning method for the external sensor further includes: determining the time from interrupting cleaning to restarting cleaning based on the tank capacity and replenishment frequency of the cleaning liquid.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned external sensor cleaning method also includes: judging whether to restart the stopped cleaning action based on at least one of the distance traveled by the mobile body to the destination, the elapsed time since the cleaning unit stops the cleaning action, the travel distance of the mobile body and the residual amount of the cleaning liquid.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned external sensor cleaning method further includes: stopping the driving support function of the mobile body based on the calculated performance detection value of the external sensor.

[0022] According to the above embodiment, when the sensor continues to be dirty, the execution of cleaning is suppressed to avoid the unexpected consumption of the cleaning fluid. Thus, the replenishment frequency of the cleaning fluid can be optimized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an external sensor cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart illustrating a method for cleaning an external sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 It is an example diagram for explaining the performance detection according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4A Schematic diagram showing a short dirty cycle and repeated spraying of cleaning fluid.

[0027] Figure 4B A schematic diagram showing a method of calculating an upward trend value of a degree of performance degradation.

[0028] Figure 5A Schematic diagram showing another example of a short dirty cycle with repeated application of cleaning fluid.

[0029] Figure 5B Shows another method of calculating the upward trend value of the degree of performance degradation.

[0030] Figure 6 Shows another method of calculating the upward trend value of the degree of performance degradation.

[0031] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a process for clearing a high-frequency decontamination flag in an external sensor cleaning process according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.

[0032] Description of Reference Numerals

[0033] 100: Cleaning device

[0034] 102: Cleaning Department

[0035] 104: Sensor performance calculation department

[0036] 106: Control Department

[0037] 110: External sensor

[0038] 120: Driving Support Department DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0040] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a cleaning device for an external sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the external sensor cleaning device 100 includes at least but not limited to: a cleaning unit 102 and a sensor performance calculation unit 104. The cleaning device 100 is used to clean the external sensor 110 of the vehicle when the external sensor 110 is dirty due to sand or the like being rolled up while the vehicle is driving.

[0041] The cleaning unit 102 of the cleaning device 100 may include, for example, a tank for accommodating cleaning liquid, a spray head for spraying cleaning liquid on the detection surface of the external sensor 110, etc., which are not shown in the figure. In some types of external sensors 110, the cleaning unit 102 may also include a scraping unit for scraping dirt off the detection surface sprayed with cleaning liquid. As an example, the detection surface is a bumper or a windshield arranged in front of the detection direction of the external sensor 110.

[0042] As an example, the external sensor 110 may be a Lidar, a radar, a camera, or any other sensor that can be installed on the outside of the moving object. In addition, the moving object may include any drivable vehicles such as a vehicle, a two-wheeled vehicle, a boat, or any other similar device. In the following embodiments, the external sensor 110 will be described by a Lidar, and the moving object will be described by a vehicle.

[0043] The sensor performance calculation unit 104 is used to calculate the performance detection value of the external sensor 110. The performance detection value is also called the performance degradation degree, which will be further described later. According to the present invention, the cleaning unit 102 can spray the cleaning liquid on the external sensor 110 based on the calculated performance detection value. In addition, the cleaning unit 102 can spray the cleaning liquid on the external sensor 110 based on the change in the calculated performance detection value relative to time or the travel distance of the vehicle.

[0044] In addition, the cleaning device 100 may also include a control unit 106 to independently control the cleaning device 100. The control unit 106 may also be implemented as a part of the entire vehicle control device by a processor, such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) unit of the vehicle. The ECU unit can be used to control various sensors and detectors of the vehicle, such as the external sensor 110 mentioned above. Thus, the control unit 106 can receive data, and perform various processing and judgments on the data, and then control various actuating components of the vehicle. Various system controls in the vehicle are controlled by the ECU unit. The control unit 106 can be used to control the above-mentioned parts. In addition, when the control unit 106 is used as an ECU unit, it can also be used to control the vehicle, such as controlling the driving support unit 120 to control the driving support function. Thus, the control unit 106 can control various behavior modes of the vehicle, such as acceleration and deceleration, parking, avoidance, etc., and can also detect the vehicle state or the state of the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle by controlling various sensors and detectors. For those skilled in the art, various control methods of the control unit 106 can be designed according to actual needs.

[0045] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart illustrating a method for cleaning an external sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 The description corresponds to Figure 1 The control flow of the cleaning device is shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, in step S100, the performance degradation degree (performance detection value) of the external sensor is calculated. Figure 3 2 is an example diagram illustrating a performance test value according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the ordinate represents the performance degradation, and the abscissa represents time (seconds, sec). Generally speaking, the performance detection value of the external sensor, that is, the performance degradation, will increase with time; that is, the longer the external sensor operates, the lower its detection performance will be, and the greater the performance degradation will be.

[0046] Taking LiDAR as an example, the detection surface of LiDAR can be divided into multiple grille areas. If there is a stain (sand, mud, rain stains, dirty spots, etc.) in a grille area, it is calculated as a point number (number). The cleaning device can set the preset point number and the obtained point number. The obtained point number is the actual number of points (number) that determine whether there is a stain in the grille area. Then, the above performance degradation can be calculated by the following calculation formula:

[0047] Performance degradation = obtained points / preset points

[0048] The above calculation of the performance degradation is only an example. Those skilled in the art may use any appropriate method to calculate the performance degradation according to the concept of the present invention, and the present invention is not specifically limited thereto.

[0049] Next, in step S102, it is determined whether the performance degradation is greater than a threshold value A. When the performance degradation is less than the threshold value A, it indicates that the external sensor is in a "function maintainable" state. At this time, because the function of the external sensor is maintainable, the cleaning device 100 does not need to be actuated to clean the external sensor. When the performance degradation is greater than the threshold value A, it indicates that the external sensor is in a "function unmaintainable" state. At this time, because the function of the external sensor is unmaintainable, the cleaning device 100 needs to be actuated to clean the external sensor.

[0050] Therefore, when the performance degradation is determined to be less than the threshold value A (i.e., "No") in step S102, the function of the external sensor can still be operated, and the process ends. When the performance degradation is determined to be greater than the threshold value A (i.e., "Yes") in step S102, the function of the external sensor cannot be maintained, and step S104 is executed.

[0051] In step S104, it is determined whether the high frequency decontamination flag is not set. If the result of the determination is no (step S104, yes), then step S106 is executed.

[0052] In step S106, the cleaning device 100 obtains various internal parameters. Such internal parameters include, for example, the value of the performance degradation immediately after the last decontamination, the driving distance of the vehicle from the last decontamination to the present, the time from the last decontamination to the present, etc. The parameters listed here are only examples and can be modified to other suitable parameters during implementation.

[0053] Next, in step S108, the cleaning apparatus 100 calculates the upward trend value of the degree of performance degradation. The calculation method of the upward trend value of the degree of performance degradation will be described below.

[0054] In step S110, the cleaning device 100 determines whether the angle of the time approaching the straight line is less than the threshold value B, or determines whether the angle of the distance approaching the straight line is less than the threshold value C. When the judgment result of one of the above two conditions is yes, step S112 is executed. In addition, the judgment condition of whether the angle of the time approaching the straight line is less than the threshold value B and the judgment condition of whether the angle of the distance approaching the straight line is less than the threshold value C can also be performed in an "AND" manner, that is, the judgment is made in a manner that the two judgment conditions are simultaneously met.

[0055] Next, specific examples of steps S106 to S110 are further described. The following examples are only a few examples, and different modifications and changes can be made according to actual needs.

[0056] Figure 4A Schematic diagram showing a short dirty cycle and repeated cleaning fluid spraying. Figure 4A As shown, Figure 3Similarly, the ordinate represents the degree of performance degradation, and the abscissa represents time (seconds, sec). Before time T1, after the degree of performance degradation of the external sensor 110 rises and exceeds the threshold value A, the external sensor 110 is sprayed with cleaning liquid at time T1. Subsequently, by spraying the cleaning liquid to remove dirt, the performance degradation of the external sensor 110 at time T1 is also improved. However, if the cleaning liquid is sprayed on the external sensor 110 again within a short period of time, such as at time T2. At this time, since the frequency of the dirt removal action is too frequent, the decontamination is repeatedly performed in a short cycle, and the consumption of the cleaning liquid becomes unexpectedly fast. The various internal parameters obtained through step S106 can obtain the usage status of the cleaning device 100.

[0057] Then, if Figure 4B As shown in FIG. 1 , a method for calculating the upward trend of the degree of performance degradation is illustrated. For example, by principal component analysis, using Figure 4B The time approximation line L1 is calculated based on the data of "performance degradation degree-time" shown in the figure, and then the angle (slope) θ1 is calculated from the time approximation line L1, and it is determined whether the angle θ1 is less than the threshold value B. In this example, the determination method is to use an approximation line with time as the horizontal axis.

[0058] Here, the time approaching straight line L1 is from Figure 4B The straight line derived from the performance degradation value between the times T1 and T2 shown in FIG. Figure 4B At time T1, it indicates the time after the cleaning liquid is sprayed on the external sensor 110 for decontamination, and at time T2, it indicates the time when the value of the performance degradation exceeds the threshold value A. Then, the corresponding performance degradation values ​​(i.e., performance detection values) are obtained from these two time points T1 and T2, and the time approximation straight line L1 and its angle θ1 are calculated.

[0059] The time approximation straight line L1 represents the rate of change of the performance degradation degree over time from the time after the external sensor 110 is decontaminated (time T1) to the time when the decontamination is to be prepared for the next time (time T2), which is also the frequency of the decontamination. Therefore, when the angle θ1 of the time approximation straight line L1 is smaller, it means that the time from the previous decontamination (time T1) to the time when the decontamination is to be prepared for the next time (time T2) is longer, and vice versa.

[0060] Therefore, if the angle θ1 of the time-approaching straight line L1 exceeds the threshold value B, it means that the performance degradation degree increases in a short time after the previous decontamination of the external sensor, and the cleaning device 100 does not perform the decontamination process. In this case, it is possible to avoid the cleaning device 100 frequently performing the decontamination process on the external sensor 110, thereby frequently consuming the cleaning liquid.

[0061] Figure 5A Another example of a short dirty cycle is shown with repeated application of cleaning fluid. Figure 5A As shown, Figure 3 Similarly, the ordinate represents the performance degradation, and the abscissa represents time (seconds, sec). Before time T1, after the performance degradation of the external sensor 110 rises and exceeds the threshold value A, the external sensor 110 is sprayed with the cleaning fluid at time T1. Subsequently, by spraying the cleaning fluid to remove dirt, the performance degradation of the external sensor 110 at time T1 is also improved. In this example, the cleaning fluid is repeatedly sprayed within a short distance during the low speed or stop of the vehicle.

[0062] like Figure 5A As shown, if the vehicle is in a low speed or stopped state (the part of line segment I) between time T1 and T2, if the above-mentioned time approaching straight line L1 is used to determine whether to let the cleaning device 100 perform the decontamination process, the time difference (T2-T1) becomes longer due to the short distance traveled by the vehicle, and this condition makes the angle θ1 of the time approaching straight line L1 lower than the threshold value B. At this time, the cleaning device 100 will start the decontamination process. In this case, if the vehicle travels a short distance, but the time interval is long enough, the cleaning liquid will be sprayed on the external sensor 110 again. At this time, since the frequency of the dirt removal action is too frequent, the decontamination is repeatedly performed at a short distance, and the consumption of the cleaning liquid becomes unexpectedly fast.

[0063] Therefore, the vehicle's travel distance needs to be taken into consideration. Figure 5B As shown, another method for calculating the upward trend of the degree of performance degradation is illustrated. For example, by principal component analysis, using Figure 5B The distance approximation line L2 is calculated based on the data of "performance degradation - distance" shown in the figure, and then the angle (slope) θ2 is calculated from the distance approximation line L2, and it is determined whether the angle θ2 is less than the threshold C. In this example, the determination method is to use an approximation line with distance as the horizontal axis.

[0064] Here, the distance approaching straight line L2 is from Figure 5B A straight line is derived from the value of the performance degradation between the distances D1 and D2 shown. Figure 5B , at distance D1, it represents the driving distance after the external sensor 110 is sprayed with cleaning fluid for decontamination, and at distance D2, it represents the driving distance at which the value of the performance degradation exceeds the threshold value A. Then, the corresponding performance degradation value (i.e., the performance detection value) is obtained from the two distances D1 and D2, and the distance approach straight line L2 and its angle θ2 are calculated.

[0065] The distance approaching straight line L2 represents the rate of change of the performance degradation degree over time from the time after the external sensor 110 is decontaminated (distance D1) to the time when the decontamination is to be prepared for the next time (distance D2), which is also the frequency of the decontamination. Therefore, when the angle θ2 of the distance approaching straight line L2 is smaller, it means that the driving distance from the previous decontamination (distance D1) to the time when the decontamination is to be prepared for the next time (distance D2) is longer, and vice versa, it means that the driving distance is shorter.

[0066] Therefore, if the angle θ2 of the distance close to the straight line L2 exceeds the threshold value C, it means that the performance degradation degree increases within a short distance after the previous decontamination of the external sensor, and the cleaning device 100 does not perform the decontamination process. In this case, it is possible to avoid the cleaning device 100 frequently performing the decontamination process on the external sensor 110, thereby frequently consuming the cleaning liquid.

[0067] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the threshold B and the threshold C are determined by first obtaining internal parameters from the vehicle, and then calculating the threshold B and the threshold C. The internal parameters include, for example, the tank capacity of the cleaning fluid, the number of days expected to replenish the cleaning fluid tank, the information of the driving distance / driving time, the information of the driving position, etc.

[0068] Regarding the tank capacity of the cleaning liquid, it can be extracted from the vehicle information. The memory in the vehicle control system can store various vehicle-related information, one of which can be the tank capacity of the cleaning liquid tank of the cleaning device 100 of various external sensors 110. The information on the number of days expected to replenish the cleaning liquid tank can also be extracted from the vehicle information, and can also be obtained from the user login information.

[0069] As an example, the replenishment of the cleaning fluid may be provided with options such as 1 month, 2 months or 3 months or more, and is performed by writing to the memory. In addition, a user interface may be provided to allow the user to make a selection. As another example, the replenishment of the cleaning fluid may be set according to the usage conditions. For example, the control system of the vehicle may provide modes such as energy saving priority, AD automatic driving (automatic drive, AD) function priority, automatic, etc. for the user to choose. Energy saving priority can be set to a cleaning fluid replenishment time of more than 3 months, AD function priority can be set to a cleaning fluid replenishment time of more than 1 month, and the automatic mode, for example, is to transfer to an energy saving trend when the remaining amount in the cleaning tank is lower than a specified level.

[0070] In addition, the vehicle control system may calculate information such as the user's average daily driving distance and driving time, and driving position information from past driving data. In addition, the user's average daily driving distance and driving time information may be predetermined or rewritten from statistics of users within a certain range (such as the whole country) via the network.

[0071] The information about the driving position can be determined from the past driving position information and the current position information, for example. Also, when traveling or other occasions where the driving route is different from the normal driving route, the AD function can be changed to have priority (e.g., exchanged by 1 month). Also, the driving position information is not necessarily required.

[0072] Next, the average driving time per day (or average driving distance per day), tank capacity, and replenishment days can be determined from the above-mentioned various information.

[0073] Next, the threshold B for the time approaching the straight line L1 can be calculated in the following way:

[0074] Allowable spraying time interval for each trip = average driving time per day / (tank capacity / number of replenishment days);

[0075] Threshold value B=arctan(threshold value A / allowable spraying time interval per driving).

[0076] Next, the threshold C for the distance close to the straight line L2 can be calculated in the following way:

[0077] The allowable spraying distance interval for each driving = average driving distance per day / (tank capacity / number of replenishment days);

[0078] Threshold C=arctan(threshold A / allowable spraying distance interval per driving).

[0079] As described above, when the cleaning device 100 determines in step S110 that the angle θ1 of the time approaching straight line L1 is less than the threshold value B, or determines that the angle θ2 of the distance approaching straight line L2 is less than the threshold value C (i.e., yes), step S112 is executed. In step S112, the cleaning device 100 performs a decontamination process on the external sensor 110. That is, the cleaning device 100 sprays the cleaning liquid onto the external sensor 110 to remove the dirt, and the control process is terminated.

[0080] Furthermore, in step S110, when the cleaning device 100 determines that the angle θ1 of the time approximation line L1 is greater than the threshold value B, or determines that the angle θ2 of the distance approximation line L2 is greater than the threshold value C, step S116 is executed. In step S116, the vehicle control device (for example, implemented by the control unit 106) can stop or pause the driving support function (driving support unit 120) of the vehicle based on the above-mentioned determination result of the cleaning device 100. Thereafter, in step S118, the cleaning device 100 sets the high-frequency decontamination flag, and then ends this process.

[0081] Figure 6 Another way to calculate the degree of performance degradation is to show the upward trend value. Figure 6As shown, it illustrates a situation where the performance degradation of the external sensor 110 increases rapidly, for example, the detection surface of the external sensor 110 is suddenly shielded, causing the performance degradation to increase rapidly. In this situation, the slope (angle) of the time approximation straight line L1 becomes smaller and may be lower than the threshold value B. At this time, although there is no problem, the cleaning device 100 still sprays the cleaning liquid on the external sensor 110 to perform a decontamination process.

[0082] Furthermore, when step S104 determines that the high-frequency decontamination flag is set (step S104, No), step S112 is executed to clear the high-frequency decontamination flag. Figure 7 A schematic flow chart illustrating a process of clearing a high-frequency decontamination flag in an external sensor cleaning process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] like Figure 7 As shown, in step S200, the cleaning device 100 determines whether the distance from the vehicle to the destination is less than a threshold value D. If the distance to the destination is less than the threshold value D ("yes"), the subsequent step S202 is performed. On the contrary, if the distance to the destination is greater than the threshold value D ("no"), step S210 is performed to prepare for the next driving and remove dirt, and the high-frequency decontamination flag is cleared, and the control process ends. At this time, cleaning for removing dirt can also be performed.

[0084] In step S202, the cleaning device 100 determines whether the time from when the high-frequency decontamination flag is set is less than the threshold value E. If the time after setting is less than the threshold value E ("yes"), the subsequent step S204 is performed. On the contrary, if the time after setting is greater than the threshold value E ("no"), step S210 is performed to clear the high-frequency decontamination flag and end the control process.

[0085] In step S204, the cleaning device 100 determines whether the distance from when the high-frequency decontamination flag is set is less than the threshold value F. If the distance after setting is less than the threshold value F ("yes"), the subsequent step S206 is performed. On the contrary, if the distance after setting is greater than the threshold value F ("no"), step S210 is performed to clear the high-frequency decontamination flag and end the control process.

[0086] In step S206, the cleaning device 100 determines whether the residual amount of the cleaning liquid is less than the threshold value G. If the residual amount of the cleaning liquid is less than the threshold value G ("yes"), it indicates that the residual amount of the cleaning liquid is insufficient, and the control process ends. On the contrary, if the residual amount of the cleaning liquid is greater than the threshold value G ("no"), it indicates that the residual amount of the cleaning liquid is sufficient, and step S210 is executed to clear the high-frequency decontamination flag, and the control process ends.

[0087] In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, other vehicle control functions can also be integrated. For example, in step S208, the control system of the vehicle (as an example, such as the above-mentioned control unit 106) determines whether the execution conditions of other vehicle control functions other than the external sensor being dirty are not ready. When the execution conditions of other vehicle control functions are not ready, the control process ends. At this time, because the execution of other vehicle control functions is not ready, it may not be possible to drive, so the external sensor decontamination process may not be performed. On the contrary, if the execution conditions of other vehicle control functions are ready, step S210 is executed to clear the high-frequency decontamination flag and end the control process. In other words, if the conditions for executing vehicle control functions other than sensor dirt are met, the cleaning device 100 can perform the decontamination process.

[0088] When any of the judgment results of the above steps S200 to S208 is negative, step S210 is executed, i.e., the high-frequency decontamination flag is cleared, and the control process ends. In addition, while clearing the high-frequency decontamination flag, the cleaning of the dirt can also be performed. In addition, the conditions described in the above steps S200 to S208 can also be judged by "AND", that is, the conditions are simultaneously established.

[0089] In addition, the thresholds E, F, and G can be fixed values, or can be set based on the user's driving information settings. For example, the average driving time or average driving distance of each driving trip, or a specified ratio of these values ​​(such as 1 / 2, etc.). In addition, the thresholds E, F, and G can also be set directly by the user.

[0090] In addition, only a part of the conditions described in the above steps S200 to S208 may be used. In addition, the order of judging the conditions in the above steps S200 to S208 is not particularly limited and can be adjusted arbitrarily.

[0091] According to the above embodiment, when the sensor continues to be dirty, the execution of cleaning is suppressed to avoid the unexpected consumption of the cleaning fluid. Thus, the replenishment frequency of the cleaning fluid can be optimized.

[0092] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cleaning device for an external sensor, wherein the external sensor is disposed on a moving body and is used to detect the exterior of the moving body, the cleaning device for the external sensor comprising: A cleaning unit sprays a cleaning liquid on the detection surface of the external sensor for cleaning; as well as A sensor performance calculation unit calculates the performance detection value of the external sensor, wherein the cleaning unit sprays the cleaning liquid based on the calculated performance detection value, The washing unit sprays the washing liquid based on the calculated amount of change in the performance detection value with respect to time or the travel distance of the moving body.

2. The cleaning device for an external sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The time from when cleaning is interrupted to when cleaning is resumed is determined based on the tank capacity and the replenishment frequency of the cleaning liquid.

3. The cleaning device for an external sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensor performance calculation unit determines whether to restart the stopped decontamination action based on the distance traveled by the mobile body to the destination, the elapsed time since the cleaning unit stopped the decontamination action, the travel distance of the mobile body, and at least one of the residual amount of the cleaning liquid.

4. The cleaning device for an external sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: Based on the calculated performance detection value of the external sensor, the driving support function of the mobile body is stopped.

5. The cleaning device for an external sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moving object is a vehicle, and the detection surface is a bumper or a windshield provided in front of a detection direction of the external sensor.

6. The cleaning device for an external sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The external sensor is a lidar.

7. A method for cleaning an external sensor, wherein the external sensor is disposed on a moving body and is used to detect the exterior of the moving body, the method comprising: Spraying cleaning fluid on the detection surface of the external sensor for cleaning; Calculating a performance detection value of the external sensor; spraying the cleaning fluid based on the calculated performance detection value; as well as The washer fluid is sprayed based on the calculated amount of change in the performance detection value with respect to time or the travel distance of the moving body.

8. The method for cleaning an external sensor according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes: The time from when cleaning is interrupted to when cleaning is resumed is determined based on the tank capacity and the replenishment frequency of the cleaning liquid.

9. The external sensor cleaning method according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes: Whether to restart the stopped decontamination operation is determined based on at least one of the distance traveled by the mobile body to the destination, the elapsed time since the decontamination operation was stopped, the travel distance of the mobile body, and the remaining amount of the cleaning fluid.

10. The external sensor cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: Based on the calculated performance detection value of the external sensor, the driving support function of the mobile body is stopped.

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