Electric tow hook self-cleaning method and system, vehicle and storage medium

By designing the self-cleaning method and system of electric trailer hooks and using injectors to spray cleaning liquid, the problems of traditional manual cleaning are solved, and automated cleaning is achieved, and user experience and product competitiveness are improved.

CN119428553AActive Publication Date: 2025-02-14GREAT WALL MOTOR CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411934839.2
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-12-26
Publication Date
2025-02-14
Estimated Expiration
2044-12-26

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Traditional manual cleaning of electric trailer hooks has problems such as cumbersome and incomplete operation, resulting in high cleaning difficulties and poor cleaning effect.

Method used

Design an electric trailer hook self-cleaning method and system, including a trailer system and cleaning system, use the injector to spray cleaning fluid, obtain cleaning condition information through user-triggered operations and vehicle sensors, control the injector to automatically spray cleaning fluid, and realize the trailer Automatic cleaning of hooks.

Benefits of technology

The automatic cleaning of electric trailer hooks is realized, which reduces the need for manual maintenance, effectively reduces the impact of soil accumulation on trailer hooks, ensures its normal use in different environments, and improves user experience and product competitiveness.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention provides an electric tow hook self-cleaning method and system, a vehicle and a storage medium, and an electric tow hook self-cleaning system applied to the vehicle, the electric tow hook self-cleaning system comprises a tow system and a cleaning system, the tow system comprises a tow hook, and the cleaning system comprises an ejector. The ejector is used for ejecting cleaning liquid; the method comprises the following steps: in response to an operation triggered by a user, sending a cleaning instruction to the cleaning system; acquiring cleaning condition information of the vehicle, and judging whether the cleaning condition information meets a cleaning starting condition or not; and under the condition that the cleaning starting condition is met, the ejector is controlled to eject the cleaning liquid to the trailer hook based on the cleaning instruction. Through the method provided by the invention, the problems of high cleaning difficulty and poor cleaning effect caused by traditional manual cleaning of the tow hook are solved.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle technology, and in particular to a self-cleaning method, system, vehicle and storage medium for an electric trailer hook. Background Art

[0002] As a modern automobile accessory, the electric trailer hook (or electric towing hook) is widely used to connect a vehicle with a towed RV, trailer or other towing objects. The electric trailer hook is driven by an electric control system to achieve automatic connection and disconnection, providing a convenient, safe and reliable trailer connection method.

[0003] When traveling with a trailer caravan, you will inevitably encounter bad weather. When the vehicle is driving on a muddy road in rainy and snowy days, the electric trailer hook will be polluted by mud, dust, rainwater, etc. when it is retracted under the vehicle or unfolded to connect to the trailer. The accumulation of pollutants on the trailer hook not only affects the retraction of the trailer hook or the connection with the trailer, but also accelerates its wear and reduces its service life. Traditionally, manual cleaning is used to clean the trailer hook. Traditional cleaning methods usually rely on manual wiping or manual spraying of cleaning fluid, which has the disadvantages of cumbersome operation and incompleteness. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present application proposes an electric trailer hook self-cleaning method, system, vehicle and storage medium to solve the problems of difficult cleaning and poor cleaning effect caused by traditional manual cleaning of trailer hooks.

[0005] The first aspect of the present invention provides a self-cleaning method for an electric trailer hook, and the technical solution adopted is: A self-cleaning method for an electric trailer hook is applied to an electric trailer hook self-cleaning system of a vehicle, wherein the electric trailer hook self-cleaning system comprises a trailer system and a cleaning system, wherein the trailer system comprises a trailer hook, and the cleaning system comprises an injector, wherein the injector is used to inject a cleaning liquid; the method comprises: In response to an operation triggered by a user, sending a cleaning instruction to the cleaning system; Acquiring cleaning condition information of the vehicle, and determining whether the cleaning condition information satisfies a cleaning start condition; When the cleaning start condition is satisfied, the sprayer is controlled to spray the cleaning fluid toward the trailer hook based on the cleaning instruction.

[0006] Optionally, when the cleaning start condition is met, based on the cleaning instruction, controlling the injector to inject the cleaning liquid toward the trailer hook comprises: When the cleaning start condition is met, based on the cleaning instruction, controlling the trailer hook to move according to a preset movement mode; According to the preset motion pattern, the injector is controlled to start injection in an injection pattern corresponding to the preset motion pattern.

[0007] Optionally, the preset motion mode includes a moving track mode or a target position mode; the moving track mode is characterized by the trailer hook switching between the deployed position and the retracted position along a preset moving track, and the target position mode is characterized by the trailer hook moving to the target position; wherein, According to the preset motion mode, controlling the injector to start injection in an injection state corresponding to the preset motion mode comprises: According to the movement trajectory pattern, the injector is controlled to be located at a first injection position, and the injection is started when the trailer hook leaves the deployment position or the recovery position; or, According to the target position mode, the injector is controlled to start injecting at a second injection position to the trailer hook at the target position.

[0008] Optionally, the cleaning condition information includes vehicle speed information and connection status information, and the acquiring the cleaning condition information of the vehicle and determining whether the cleaning condition information satisfies a cleaning start condition includes: Acquiring vehicle speed information of the vehicle and connection status information of the trailer hook; When the vehicle speed information is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the connection state information is in a disconnected state, it is determined that the cleaning condition information satisfies a cleaning start condition.

[0009] Optionally, the cleaning instruction includes a switch instruction and a cleaning time instruction, and the cleaning time instruction has at least one; in response to the operation triggered by the user, sending the cleaning instruction to the cleaning system includes: Based on the switch operation triggered by the user, sending a switch instruction to the cleaning system; Based on the time selection operation triggered by the user, sending a cleaning time instruction corresponding to the selected cleaning time to the cleaning system; The step of controlling the injector to inject the cleaning fluid toward the trailer hook based on the cleaning instruction includes: Based on the on command and the target cleaning time command in the switch command, the sprayer is controlled to spray the cleaning fluid toward the trailer hook at a cleaning time corresponding to the target cleaning time command.

[0010] Optionally, the step of controlling the injector to be located at a first injection position according to the movement trajectory pattern may then include: According to the movement trajectory mode, the trailer hook is controlled to move along the preset movement trajectory at a first driving speed.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides an electric trailer hook self-cleaning system, the technical solution adopted is: An electric trailer hook self-cleaning system comprises a trailer system and a cleaning system, wherein the trailer system comprises a trailer hook, and the cleaning system comprises: A liquid storage tank for storing cleaning liquid; a water pump, connected to the liquid storage tank; an ejector, connected to the water pump and used for ejecting the cleaning liquid; Function buttons, the function buttons are used to receive a trigger operation from a user; wherein the function buttons include an on button, an off button and at least one cleaning time button; The control module is respectively communicatively connected with the water pump and the function button.

[0012] Optionally, the injector is set at a first injection position, which matches a preset movement trajectory of the trailer hook; or, the injector is set at a second injection position, which matches a target position to which the trailer hook moves; thereby, the cleaning fluid injected by the injector covers the trailer hook.

[0013] Optionally, the system further comprises: A trigger module, configured to send a cleaning instruction to the cleaning system in response to an operation triggered by a user; An acquisition module, used to acquire cleaning condition information of the vehicle and determine whether the cleaning condition information meets a cleaning start condition; A cleaning module is used to control the injector to inject the cleaning liquid toward the trailer hook based on the cleaning instruction when the cleaning start condition is met.

[0014] Optionally, the cleaning module comprises: A motion module, configured to control the trailer hook to move according to a preset motion mode based on the cleaning instruction when the cleaning start condition is met; The injection module controls the injector to start injection in an injection mode corresponding to the preset motion mode according to the preset motion mode.

[0015] Optionally, the injection module includes a first injection submodule or a second injection submodule: A first spraying submodule, for controlling the sprayer to be located at a first spraying position according to the movement trajectory mode, and starting spraying when the trailer hook leaves the deployed position or the retracted position; The second injection submodule is used for controlling the injector to start injection to the trailer hook at the target position at a second injection position according to the target position mode.

[0016] Optionally, the acquisition module includes: An acquisition submodule, used to acquire the vehicle speed information of the vehicle and the connection status information of the trailer hook; The judgment module is used to determine that the cleaning condition information meets the cleaning start condition when the vehicle speed information is less than or equal to a first threshold and the connection state information is in a disconnected state.

[0017] Optionally, the trigger module includes: A first trigger submodule, configured to send a switch instruction to the cleaning system based on a switch operation triggered by a user; A second triggering submodule, configured to send a cleaning time instruction corresponding to the selected cleaning time to the cleaning system based on a time selection operation triggered by a user; The cleaning module comprises: The cleaning execution module is used to control the injector to inject the cleaning liquid to the trailer hook at a cleaning time corresponding to the target cleaning time instruction based on the opening instruction and the target cleaning time instruction in the switch instruction.

[0018] Optionally, the injection module comprises: The speed control module is used to control the trailer hook to move along the preset moving trajectory at a first driving speed according to the moving trajectory mode.

[0019] In a third aspect, the present invention further provides a vehicle, comprising: one or more processors; and One or more machine-readable media having instructions stored thereon, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to perform one or more steps of the method as described in the embodiments of the present application.

[0020] In a fourth aspect, the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, enables the processor to perform one or more steps of the method as described in the embodiments of the present application.

[0021] This application has the following advantages: The self-cleaning method provided in this embodiment can automatically clean the electric trailer hook, especially when encountering rainy and snowy weather or driving on muddy roads during a self-driving trip with a trailer RV. The system can control the cleaning system to automatically clean the electric trailer hook through the user's convenient operation, realize the automated cleaning function, reduce the need for manual maintenance, and effectively reduce the impact of mud accumulation on the electric trailer hook, ensuring its normal use in different environments. Therefore, users can enjoy a more convenient and clean self-driving travel experience. Vehicles equipped with electric trailer hooks equipped with the system and method of this embodiment will greatly improve the ease of use, durability and user experience, and enhance its product competitiveness in modern trailer RVs and smart cars.

[0022] The system and the vehicle have the same advantages as the above-mentioned electric trailer hook self-cleaning method over the prior art, which will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the present application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0024] Figure 1 is a flowchart of the steps of a self-cleaning method for an electric trailer hook shown in one embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 It is a flow chart of a self-cleaning method for an electric trailer hook according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] With the popularity of trailer RVs, users are increasingly inclined to choose vehicles equipped with electric trailer hooks, and the demand for more efficient and intelligent electric trailer hooks with self-cleaning functions is also increasing. Although electric trailer hooks have many advantages, there are also some challenges and problems in actual use, mainly including: Dirt accumulation problem: During the use of the trailer, the trailer hook will be polluted by mud, dust, rain, etc., especially under adverse driving conditions (such as rainy and snowy weather, muddy roads, etc.). Pollutants not only affect the normal operation of the trailer hook, but also accelerate its wear and reduce its service life.

[0027] Inconvenient cleaning: As the electric trailer hook is usually hidden, the traditional manual cleaning method is not only time-consuming and laborious, but also difficult to completely remove the dirt accumulated on the trailer hook, especially when the trailer hook is under the vehicle or in a difficult-to-reach position. In some cases, there is a lack of cleaning conditions (water, brushes, etc.).

[0028] Therefore, how to improve the convenience of use and maintenance efficiency of electric trailer hooks, and the self-cleaning technology of electric trailer hooks will become an important research direction. By equipping the electric trailer hook with an automatic cleaning system, users can automatically start the cleaning function without getting off the vehicle to remove dirt, dust and stains on the trailer hook.

[0029] To achieve this objective, a first aspect of the present invention provides an electric trailer hook self-cleaning method, which is applied to an electric trailer hook self-cleaning system of a vehicle. The electric trailer hook self-cleaning system includes a trailer system and a cleaning system. The trailer system includes a trailer hook. The cleaning system includes an injector for injecting cleaning fluid.

[0030] Specifically, the self-cleaning system of the dynamic trailer hook mainly includes a trailer system and a cleaning system. The trailer system usually has an electric control module, which controls the movement and positioning of the trailer hook when it is deployed and retracted. The cleaning system has a control module, which controls the injector to spray cleaning fluid and perform cleaning tasks. The electric control module and the control module transmit information and interact with each other through the on-board ECU, so that the self-cleaning operation is performed through the trailer system, the cleaning system and some functions of the ECU.

[0031] In this embodiment, the electric control module and the control module are integrated into the vehicle's ECU. The ECU receives information from various sensors of the vehicle (such as trailer hook position, vehicle speed, trailer connection status, etc.), and based on these data, implements centralized management of instructions such as data acquisition and processing, trailer hook motion control, injection start and stop control, and injection time control, so that the self-cleaning operation is performed through the ECU. Among them, the ECU interacts with the human-computer interaction interface in the vehicle to display the status of the self-cleaning function of the electric trailer hook, and the human-computer interaction interface is provided with function buttons, and the virtual function buttons are displayed accordingly. At the same time, the user can turn on or off the cleaning function through the virtual switch through the vehicle-mounted control interface, and when the cleaning process is started, completed or interrupted, the ECU will provide feedback to the human-computer interaction interface.

[0032] Specifically, the trailer system is responsible for controlling the movement of the electric trailer hook, including the deployment, retraction, position control, locking, etc. of the trailer hook. The trailer system usually consists of a trailer switch, a trailer hook, an electric motor, a transmission device, a mechanical connection device, etc. The trailer switch is integrated on the vehicle touch screen, and the user clicks the trailer switch to control the deployment / retraction of the electric trailer hook. The trailer hook is set at a position below the rear of the trunk corresponding to the chassis of the vehicle, and is responsible for connecting the trailer caravan or other towing equipment. Mechanical components such as the electric motor, the transmission device and the mechanical connection device are connected to the ECU, which is responsible for controlling the trailer hook to automatically deploy or retract when needed. In the deployed position, the electric motor pushes the hook head of the trailer hook to extend and adjust it to a suitable height and position so as to dock with the connecting hook of the towing equipment. After the towing is completed, the trailer hook automatically retracts to its original position, and in the retracted position, it is hidden in the storage position at the bottom or rear of the vehicle. Usually, the telescopic function is activated by a control button or control panel in the vehicle.

[0033] Specifically, the cleaning system is responsible for providing cleaning fluid (such as water or detergent) and spraying it onto the trailer hook to remove impurities such as dirt and mud. In this embodiment, a cleaning system is installed near the trailer hook at the rear of the vehicle, including an injector for spraying cleaning fluid, and the specific position and spray direction of the injector can match the motion mode of the trailer hook. A liquid storage tank stores cleaning fluid. A water pump provides sufficient water pressure and flow to push the cleaning fluid to the injector, wherein the water pump is electrically connected to the ECU, and the ECU controls the injection and stop of the cleaning fluid, as well as the injection time and flow rate. A water pipe connecting the liquid storage tank, the injector and the water pump. Add virtual function buttons on the vehicle touch screen, and the user can at least control the on / off function of the electric trailer hook through the function buttons, and the switch state can be directly fed back to the user interface. At least one sensor is used to detect the current position and motion mode of the trailer hook and control the switch time of the injector.

[0034] In some embodiments, the fluid reservoir can be shared with the vehicle's windshield wiper system, reducing additional space requirements.

[0035] In some embodiments, a control valve is provided on the water pipe, and the control valve is electrically connected to the ECU. The ECU controls the injection flow rate of the cleaning liquid, and controls the injection amount together with the injection time to adjust the cleaning degree.

[0036] In some embodiments, the function button includes an on button, an off button, and at least one cleaning time button. When the user touches the on button, the water pump is turned on and the spray of the sprayer is started; when the user touches the off button, the water pump is turned off and the spray of the sprayer is stopped; when the user touches the corresponding cleaning time button, the timing starts when the spray of the sprayer is started, and the spraying is automatically stopped when the cleaning time is up, and the trailer hook automatically moves to the position before self-cleaning.

[0037] Among them, during the self-cleaning process of the electric trailer hook, if the user triggers the switch button for starting and stopping the spraying again, or triggers the trailer switch for deploying / retracting the trailer hook, the self-cleaning function of the electric trailer hook will be turned off and the user's latest intention will be executed.

[0038] Specifically, Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a flowchart of the steps of the self-cleaning method of an electric trailer hook shown in one embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, methods that rely on the present system for self-cleaning include: S1. In response to an operation triggered by a user, a cleaning instruction is sent to a cleaning system; The user triggers the self-cleaning function through the vehicle touch screen. When the user presses the "clean start" button, the system receives the instruction and starts the cleaning process, sending cleaning instructions to the injector. The cleaning instructions may include starting the cleaning fluid injection and controlling the injection amount.

[0039] The user triggers the cleaning operation through the human-machine interface in the car, such as the vehicle touch screen. After the operation is triggered, the vehicle's ECU receives and processes the cleaning command input by the user, instructing the cleaning system to start or stop. For example, the user presses the start button on the vehicle touch screen, and the ECU sends the cleaning command after receiving the command. Press the off button, and the ECU sends the stop cleaning command after receiving the command.

[0040] At the same time, the ECU will receive feedback from the cleaning system and display the current status of the self-cleaning function through the on-board touch screen, whether self-cleaning is being performed (for example, "self-cleaning in progress" or "self-cleaning completed").

[0041] S2. Acquire cleaning condition information of the vehicle and determine whether the cleaning condition information satisfies the cleaning start condition; After receiving the cleaning instruction input by the user, the ECU first obtains the cleaning condition information of the vehicle and determines whether the cleaning condition meets the requirements for starting the self-cleaning function. Only when the conditions are met will the cleaning process be started.

[0042] For example, the cleaning condition information includes the vehicle speed information and the trailer connection status information. The ECU obtains the vehicle speed information through the vehicle's own speed sensor and determines whether the speed information meets the conditions for starting cleaning. The trailer system checks whether the trailer hook is connected to the trailer and sends it to the ECU to determine whether the current connection status of the trailer hook meets the conditions for starting cleaning.

[0043] In some embodiments, the cleaning operation is initiated only when both the vehicle speed information and the connection status information meet the requirements. For example, if the vehicle speed is 0 (the vehicle is stationary) and the trailer hook is not connected to a trailer, the ECU confirms that the cleaning start condition is met and allows the cleaning process to begin.

[0044] Preferably, when the cleaning instruction is an on instruction, the cleaning condition information of the vehicle is obtained; when the cleaning instruction is an off instruction, the cleaning condition information of the vehicle does not need to be obtained.

[0045] S3. When the cleaning start condition is met, based on the cleaning instruction, the injector is controlled to inject cleaning liquid toward the trailer hook.

[0046] Once the cleaning start conditions are met, the ECU provides water pump power, and the water pump pumps the cleaning fluid from the reservoir to the injector through the water pipe, and then starts to spray the cleaning fluid to the trailer hook through the injector. After cleaning is completed, the user presses the close button on the vehicle touch screen to stop spraying the cleaning fluid, and the trailer hook automatically returns to the position before cleaning, ready to continue to perform other subsequent tasks.

[0047] In some embodiments, the cleaning system can set a cleaning time. When the cleaning time is up, the cleaning is considered to be completed and the spraying is automatically stopped.

[0048] Among them, the spray flow rate and spray time can be controlled by controlling the control valve and the water pump to adjust the cleaning effect of the trailer hook.

[0049] In order for the cleaning liquid to cover the entire trailer hook through the injector, the position of the trailer hook and the injection position of the injector can be controlled to be precisely aligned. For example, the position of the injector can be precisely calibrated to ensure that it can cover the cleaning area of ​​the entire electric trailer hook. The injection angle of the injector can be dynamically adjusted according to the deployment and retraction position of the trailer hook. For another example, by adding a sensor, the injector can dynamically adjust the spray angle of the nozzle according to the movement state and current position of the trailer hook to ensure that each spray reaches the surface of the trailer hook.

[0050] In summary, the self-cleaning method provided in this embodiment can automatically clean the electric trailer hook, especially when encountering rainy and snowy weather or driving on muddy roads during a self-driving trip with a trailer RV. The system can control the cleaning system to automatically clean the electric trailer hook through the user's convenient operation, realize the automated cleaning function, reduce the need for manual maintenance, and effectively reduce the impact of mud accumulation on the electric trailer hook, ensuring its normal use in different environments. Therefore, users can enjoy a more convenient and clean self-driving travel experience. Vehicles equipped with electric trailer hooks equipped with the system and method of this embodiment will greatly improve the ease of use, durability and user experience, and enhance their product competitiveness in modern trailer RVs and smart cars.

[0051] The electric trailer hook self-cleaning method of the present application can also be: Step S3 further includes: S31, when the cleaning start condition is met, based on the cleaning instruction, controlling the trailer hook to move according to a preset movement mode; S32. According to the preset motion mode, control the injector to start injection in an injection mode corresponding to the preset motion mode.

[0052] Specifically, the movement mode of the trailer hook is usually defined during the cleaning process. The trailer hook moves according to the preset movement mode, and the spraying movement of the injector is matched with the movement mode of the trailer hook to ensure that the cleaning liquid sprayed by the injector can cover the entire surface of the trailer hook. After the cleaning start conditions are met and the cleaning instruction is received, the ECU will control the trailer hook to move according to the preset movement mode if it is determined that the user has a cleaning demand and the cleaning conditions are met.

[0053] Among them, the preset movement mode of the trailer hook can be divided into a moving track mode or a target position mode. In the moving track mode, the trailer hook moves from the deployed position to the retracted position, or from the retracted position to the deployed position according to the program of its trailer system according to its own moving track. In the target position mode, the trailer hook moves from the deployed position or the retracted position to the reset target position.

[0054] The motion mode of the trailer hook includes the spraying position and spraying timing of the sprayer. The spraying mode determines when and where the sprayer sprays the cleaning liquid onto the surface of the trailer hook. According to different preset motion modes of the trailer hook, the sprayer executes the corresponding motion mode.

[0055] For example, when the trailer hook moves in the form track mode, the injection position of the injector is in the first injection position, and the injector starts to inject continuously while the trailer hook is moving. When the trailer hook moves in the target position mode, the injection position of the injector is in the second injection position, and the injector starts to inject only when the trailer hook is at the target position.

[0056] Therefore, the preset movement mode of the trailer hook ensures that the trailer hook moves to the correct position to facilitate cleaning with the cleaning fluid; the spray mode of the injector ensures that the angle, timing and range of the cleaning fluid spray match the movement state of the trailer hook, ensuring that the cleaning fluid can be effectively sprayed on the surface of the trailer hook, ensuring the maximization of the cleaning effect, and avoiding cleaning blind spots caused by improper position of the trailer hook or improper spraying of the injector.

[0057] Furthermore, step S32 further includes: S321, according to the movement trajectory mode, control the injector to be located at the first injection position, and start injection when the trailer hook leaves the deployed position or the retracted position; or, S322. According to the target position mode, control the injector to start injecting at the second injection position to the trailer hook at the target position.

[0058] In this embodiment, the spray mode mentioned above includes the spray position and spray timing of the sprayer. Among them, the spray position can be pre-calibrated according to the preset motion mode of the trailer hook. Calibration of the spray position of the sprayer can ensure that the cleaning liquid sprayed by the sprayer can always accurately cover the entire trailer hook for cleaning. The spray mode determines how the sprayer sprays the cleaning liquid onto the surface of the trailer hook. According to the preset motion mode of the trailer hook, the spray mode of the sprayer can be: In the moving track mode, the movement track of the trailer hook is pre-stored in the electric control system to ensure that the trailer hook is deployed and recovered according to a specific path. By actually testing the process from the deployed position to the retracted position, or from the retracted position to the deployed position, the moving track of the trailer hook is obtained, and the moving track can obtain multiple cleaning positions of the trailer hook during the movement. Therefore, after the orientation of the multiple cleaning positions passed by the trailer hook has been determined, in the calibration process, the angle and position of the injector can be optimized and adjusted through multiple tests, and the water spraying effect can be tested under different installation conditions of the injector, and finally the best installation position and injection angle that can cover the most or even all cleaning positions in the cleaning range can be confirmed, so this point can be calibrated as the first injection position of the injector in the moving track mode, so the fixed injector is installed at the first injection position. Therefore, once the electric trailer hook starts to move with its own moving track, the injector can take into account the cleaning of the trailer hook at different cleaning positions within the entire range of motion of the trailer hook.

[0059] After determining the first spraying position corresponding to the moving track pattern, the spraying timing is controlled at this time. When the trailer hook just moves from the retracted position or just moves from the deployed position, the sprayer is synchronously controlled to start spraying the cleaning liquid.

[0060] In this embodiment, the initial position (deployment position or retraction position) of the trailer hook can be obtained by the position sensor provided by the trailer system. According to the position signal of the initial position received, the system determines whether it is in the process of deployment or retraction. When the ECU receives the feedback signal provided by the position sensor, it determines that the trailer hook has not started to move. Otherwise, it determines that the trailer hook has started to move. When the trailer hook starts to move, the ECU synchronously starts the cleaning system, and the injector starts to work, continuously cleaning the surface of the trailer hook at the first injection position.

[0061] Furthermore, step S321 further includes: S3211, according to the moving track mode, control the trailer hook to move along the preset moving track at a first driving speed. Therefore, when the trailer hook is deployed and recovered according to the specific preset moving track, the moving speed of the electric trailer hook will be slowed down, and the cleaning system will be started at the same time to achieve the purpose of complete cleaning.

[0062] The first travel speed of the trailer hook can be set by controlling the current between the ECU and the electric motor of the trailer system. When the current transmitted by the ECU to the electric motor is reduced, the speed of the trailer hook is reduced. The first travel speed can be determined according to actual conditions, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0063] In the target position mode, the electric trailer hook will automatically move to a target position, which can be set by the user. The target position is the middle position selected on the movement trajectory of the trailer hook or an area that needs special cleaning, and then stops at the middle position. After the orientation of the target position of the trailer hook has been determined, during the calibration process, the angle and position of the injector can be optimized and adjusted through multiple tests, and the water spraying effect is tested under different installation conditions of the injector, and finally the point with the largest and most uniform cleaning range is confirmed, so this point can be calibrated as the second injection position of the injector in the target position mode, so the fixed injector is installed at the second injection position. Therefore, once the electric trailer hook reaches the middle position, it is ensured that the water spray can cover all cleaning areas of the electric trailer hook.

[0064] After determining the second injection position corresponding to the target mode, the injection timing is controlled at this time. When the trailer hook reaches the middle position, the cleaning system is started.

[0065] In this embodiment, a position sensor (such as a potentiometer, a rotary encoder or a photoelectric sensor) is installed at the target position to obtain the target position of the trailer hook. When the ECU receives the feedback signal provided by the position sensor, it determines that the trailer hook has reached the target position. The ECU automatically starts the cleaning system, triggers the water pump to start, and transports water from the liquid storage tank to the injector through the water pipe to start spraying water to clean the electric trailer hook.

[0066] If the self-cleaning function is not fully cleaned in one go, the user can turn on the self-cleaning function again by pressing the start button.

[0067] Therefore, when the trailer hook selects the moving track mode, the injector is located at the first injection position and starts to spray when the trailer hook leaves the deployed or retracted position. However, when the trailer hook selects the target position mode, the injector is located at the second injection position and starts to spray when the trailer hook reaches the target position. Through the control of the preset motion mode, the injector can start at the right time and spray at the best position, ensuring that the cleaning fluid is sprayed to the area that needs to be cleaned, effectively saving the cleaning fluid and ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of the spraying process.

[0068] In addition, a fixed injection angle and injection range can be predetermined through calibration. The system only needs to focus on the position of the trailer hook and the switch control of the injector, and does not rely on real-time dynamic adjustment of the nozzle angle, thereby reducing control complexity and calculation requirements.

[0069] In combination with the above embodiments, in another embodiment, the present application further provides a self-cleaning method for an electric trailer hook, wherein the cleaning condition information includes vehicle speed information and connection status information. When implementing the method of the present application, step S2 further includes: S21, obtaining vehicle speed information and trailer hook connection status information; S22: When the vehicle speed information is less than or equal to the first threshold and the connection state information is in a disconnected state, it is determined that the cleaning condition information satisfies the cleaning start condition.

[0070] Specifically, the vehicle's current speed information is usually provided by the vehicle's brake control system or speed sensor. The ECU relies on the vehicle speed information to determine whether the vehicle's speed information is less than or equal to a first threshold, where the first threshold can be set to 0-30km / h. When it is equal to 0km / h, the vehicle is stationary, and when it is less than or equal to 30km / h (but not including 0), the vehicle is in a low-speed driving state, thereby avoiding poor injection effect or liquid waste during medium and high-speed movement of the vehicle.

[0071] The connection status information refers to the connection status between the trailer hook and the trailer. The ECU determines whether the trailer hook is in a disconnected state by detecting the switch or electrical connection status on the trailer hook. In some embodiments, a pressure sensor may be provided on the trailer hook or a camera sensor may be provided at the rear of the trunk to determine whether the trailer hook is in a disconnected state by using the pressure information collected by the pressure sensor or the image information collected by the camera sensor. If the trailer hook is in a connected state, the self-cleaning function is disabled; if it is in a disconnected state, the self-cleaning function is allowed to be turned on.

[0072] In this embodiment, the electric trailer hook is triggered to move to the target position or start moving according to a preset moving trajectory only when the vehicle speed information and the connection status information both meet the cleaning conditions.

[0073] In combination with the above embodiments, in another embodiment, the present application further provides a self-cleaning method for an electric trailer hook, wherein the cleaning instruction includes a switch instruction and a cleaning time instruction. When implementing the method of the present application, step S1 further includes: S11, based on the switch operation triggered by the user, sending a switch instruction to the cleaning system; S12, based on the time selection operation triggered by the user, sending a cleaning time instruction corresponding to the selected cleaning time to the cleaning system; Step S3 includes: S33. Based on the on instruction and the target cleaning time instruction in the switch instruction, control the injector to inject the cleaning liquid to the trailer hook at a cleaning time corresponding to the target cleaning time instruction.

[0074] Specifically, the switch command includes an on command and an off command. The on command is sent by the on button, and the off command is sent by the off button, realizing the self-cleaning function of the switch cleaning system. At the same time, a time setting item is added to the human-computer interaction interface, allowing users to select the self-cleaning time. The options include: 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, etc. (the default time is 10 seconds). Each cleaning time button sends a cleaning time command. Users can click the required cleaning time button to select the cleaning time according to the degree of dirtiness of the electric trailer hook.

[0075] Therefore, the user sends a start command and a cleaning time command with a preset value at the same time. After receiving the two commands, the ECU starts cleaning and timing at the same time. During the cleaning process, the injector will work according to the cleaning time set by the user. When the cleaning time reaches the preset value, it will automatically stop spraying water and instruct the trailer hook to return to its original position (i.e. the position before self-cleaning), thereby further ensuring the cleaning effect and convenience.

[0076] The following provides a specific operation example when the trailer hook selects the target position mode: like Figure 2 The process timing diagram of the electric trailer hook self-cleaning method of this embodiment is shown, and the electric trailer hook self-cleaning method includes the following steps: S101, the user clicks the on / off button on the human-machine interaction interface, and sends function on / off information to the ECU; S102, the user clicks the start button and selects the cleaning time at the same time. When the start command is sent to the ECU, the cleaning time command of the specific set value is sent to the ECU synchronously; and the start state and the close state, as well as the cleaning time are displayed correspondingly; S103, the ECU receives the current vehicle speed information of the brake control system, and the vehicle speed ≤ 30 km / h is used as a precondition for starting the cleaning system; S104, the ECU obtains connection status information of the trailer hook, and the connection status information is a disconnected state as a precondition for starting the trailer system; S105: If the ECU determines that the vehicle speed is less than 30 km / h and the trailer hook is in a disconnected state, the trailer hook is controlled to move to the middle position. After reaching the middle position, the injector in the second injection position is controlled to start injecting cleaning fluid and start timing. S106: As the self-cleaning process proceeds, the cleaning time reaches the set value, the cleaning system is turned off, and the self-cleaning ends.

[0077] S107, when self-cleaning is in progress, the working status is fed back to the human-machine interaction interface, and when self-cleaning is completed, the closed status is sent to the human-machine interaction system.

[0078] Among them, when the trailer hook selects the moving trajectory mode, different from the first embodiment, in step S105, if the preconditions are met, the trailer hook is controlled to move from the initial position, and the injector in the first injection position is synchronously controlled to start injecting cleaning liquid.

[0079] It should be noted that, for the method embodiments, for the sake of simplicity, they are all expressed as a series of action combinations, but those skilled in the art should be aware that the embodiments of the present application are not limited by the described order of actions, because according to the embodiments of the present application, certain steps can be performed in other orders or simultaneously. Secondly, those skilled in the art should also be aware that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments, and the actions involved are not necessarily required by the embodiments of the present application.

[0080] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application provides an electric trailer hook self-cleaning system, which includes a trailer system and a cleaning system, wherein the trailer system includes a trailer hook, and the cleaning system includes: a liquid storage tank for storing cleaning liquid; a water pump connected to the liquid storage tank; an ejector connected to the water pump for ejecting cleaning liquid; a function button for receiving a user's trigger operation; wherein the function button includes an on button, an off button, and at least one cleaning time button; and a control module, which is respectively connected to the water pump and the function button in communication.

[0081] In one feasible solution, the injector is set at a first injection position, which matches the preset movement trajectory of the trailer hook; or, the injector is set at a second injection position, which matches the target position to which the trailer hook moves; thereby, the cleaning fluid injected by the injector covers the trailer hook.

[0082] In one feasible solution, the system further includes: A trigger module, configured to send a cleaning instruction to the cleaning system in response to an operation triggered by a user; An acquisition module is used to acquire cleaning condition information of the vehicle and determine whether the cleaning condition information meets the cleaning start condition; The cleaning module is used to control the injector to spray cleaning fluid onto the trailer hook based on the cleaning instruction when the cleaning start condition is met.

[0083] In one feasible solution, the cleaning module includes: A motion module, used to control the trailer hook to move according to a preset motion mode based on a cleaning instruction when a cleaning start condition is met; The injection module controls the injector to start injection in an injection mode corresponding to the preset motion mode according to the preset motion mode.

[0084] In one feasible solution, the injection module includes a first injection submodule or a second injection submodule: A first spraying submodule, for controlling the sprayer to be located at a first spraying position according to the movement trajectory mode, and starting spraying when the trailer hook leaves the deployed position or the retracted position; The second injection submodule is used for controlling the injector to start injection to the trailer hook at the target position at the second injection position according to the target position mode.

[0085] In one feasible solution, the acquisition module includes: The acquisition submodule is used to acquire the vehicle speed information and the connection status information of the trailer hook; The judgment module is used to determine that the cleaning condition information meets the cleaning start condition when the vehicle speed information is less than or equal to the first threshold and the connection state information is in a disconnected state.

[0086] In one feasible solution, the trigger module includes: A first trigger submodule, configured to send a switch instruction to the cleaning system based on a switch operation triggered by a user; A second trigger submodule, for sending a cleaning time instruction corresponding to the selected cleaning time to the cleaning system based on a time selection operation triggered by a user; The cleaning module includes: The cleaning execution module is used to control the injector to inject cleaning liquid to the trailer hook at a cleaning time corresponding to the target cleaning time instruction based on the opening instruction and the target cleaning time instruction in the switch instruction.

[0087] In one feasible solution, the injection module includes: The speed control module is used to control the trailer hook to move along a preset moving trajectory at a first driving speed according to the moving trajectory mode.

[0088] As for the system embodiment, since it is basically similar to the method embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the method embodiment.

[0089] The present application also provides a vehicle, including: one or more processors; and One or more machine-readable media having instructions stored thereon, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to perform the steps of the method described in the embodiments of the present application.

[0090] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, enables the processors to perform the steps of the method described in the embodiment of the present application.

[0091] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0092] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present application may be provided as methods, devices, or computer program products. Therefore, the embodiments of the present application may adopt the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment in combination with software and hardware. Moreover, the embodiments of the present application may adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program codes.

[0093] The embodiments of the present application are described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, terminal devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing terminal device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing terminal device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0094] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing terminal device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory produce a manufactured product including an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0095] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing terminal device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable terminal device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for executing on the computer or other programmable terminal device to implement the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0096] Although the preferred embodiments of the present application have been described, those skilled in the art may make additional changes and modifications to these embodiments once they have learned the basic creative concept. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0097] Finally, it should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or terminal device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or terminal device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprise a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or terminal device including the elements.

[0098] The above is a detailed introduction to the provided electric trailer hook self-cleaning method, system, vehicle and storage medium. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core idea; at the same time, for general technicians in this field, according to the ideas of the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. A self-cleaning method for an electric trailer hook, characterized in that: An electric trailer hook self-cleaning system applied to a vehicle, the electric trailer hook self-cleaning system comprising a trailer system and a cleaning system, the trailer system comprising a trailer hook, the cleaning system comprising an injector, the injector being used to inject a cleaning liquid; the method comprising: In response to an operation triggered by a user, sending a cleaning instruction to the cleaning system; Acquiring cleaning condition information of the vehicle, and determining whether the cleaning condition information satisfies a cleaning start condition; When the cleaning start condition is satisfied, the sprayer is controlled to spray the cleaning fluid toward the trailer hook based on the cleaning instruction.

2. The self-cleaning method for an electric trailer hook according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the cleaning start condition is met, based on the cleaning instruction, controlling the injector to inject the cleaning liquid toward the trailer hook comprises: When the cleaning start condition is met, based on the cleaning instruction, controlling the trailer hook to move according to a preset movement mode; According to the preset motion pattern, the injector is controlled to start injection in an injection pattern corresponding to the preset motion pattern.

3. The self-cleaning method for an electric trailer hook according to claim 2, characterized in that: The preset motion mode includes a moving track mode or a target position mode; the moving track mode is characterized by the trailer hook switching between the deployed position and the retracted position along a preset moving track, and the target position mode is characterized by the trailer hook moving to the target position; wherein, According to the preset motion mode, controlling the injector to start injection in an injection state corresponding to the preset motion mode comprises: According to the movement trajectory pattern, the injector is controlled to be located at a first injection position, and the injection is started when the trailer hook leaves the deployment position or the recovery position; or, According to the target position mode, the injector is controlled to start injecting at a second injection position to the trailer hook at the target position.

4. The self-cleaning method for an electric trailer hook according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning condition information includes vehicle speed information and connection status information. The acquiring the cleaning condition information of the vehicle and determining whether the cleaning condition information satisfies a cleaning start condition include: Acquiring vehicle speed information of the vehicle and connection status information of the trailer hook; When the vehicle speed information is less than or equal to a first threshold, and the connection state information is in a disconnected state, it is determined that the cleaning condition information satisfies a cleaning start condition.

5. The self-cleaning method for an electric trailer hook according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning instruction includes a switch instruction and a cleaning time instruction, and the cleaning time instruction has at least one; The step of sending a cleaning instruction to the cleaning system in response to an operation triggered by a user includes: Based on the switch operation triggered by the user, sending a switch instruction to the cleaning system; Based on the time selection operation triggered by the user, sending a cleaning time instruction corresponding to the selected cleaning time to the cleaning system; The step of controlling the injector to inject the cleaning fluid toward the trailer hook based on the cleaning instruction includes: Based on the on command and the target cleaning time command in the switch command, the sprayer is controlled to spray the cleaning fluid toward the trailer hook at a cleaning time corresponding to the target cleaning time command.

6. The self-cleaning method for an electric trailer hook according to claim 3, characterized in that: According to the movement trajectory pattern, controlling the injector to be located at a first injection position, then comprising: According to the movement trajectory mode, the trailer hook is controlled to move along the preset movement trajectory at a first driving speed.

7. An electric trailer hook self-cleaning system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a trailer system and a cleaning system, wherein the trailer system comprises a trailer hook, and the cleaning system comprises: A liquid storage tank for storing cleaning liquid; a water pump, connected to the liquid storage tank; an ejector, connected to the water pump and used for ejecting the cleaning liquid; Function buttons, the function buttons are used to receive a trigger operation from a user; wherein the function buttons include an on button, an off button and at least one cleaning time button; The control module is respectively communicatively connected with the water pump and the function button.

8. The electric trailer hook self-cleaning system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The injector is set at a first injection position, which matches the preset movement trajectory of the trailer hook; or, the injector is set at a second injection position, which matches the target position to which the trailer hook moves; so that the cleaning liquid injected by the injector covers the trailer hook.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that: include: one or more processors; and One or more machine-readable media having instructions stored thereon, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the vehicle to perform the steps of one or more of the methods of any one of claims 1-6.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: Instructions are stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform the steps of one or more methods as described in any one of claims 1-6.

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