Vehicle fording water depth detection system and method, controller and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a vehicle fording water depth detection system and method, a controller and a vehicle, and the system comprises a water depth detection unit which is disposed at a preset height of the vehicle; the controller is connected with the water depth detection unit, when the vehicle enters the wading mode, the controller determines water depth information according to a detection signal output by the water depth detection unit, and the water depth information is the distance from the preset height to the vehicle running ground; after the vehicle enters the wading mode, the controller can actively output the wading depth information in time according to the detection signal of the water depth detection unit, so that a user can be assisted to judge the current wading condition according to the wading depth information, and the wading driving safety is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of transportation vehicles, and more specifically to a vehicle wading water depth detection system and method, a controller, and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] At present, most vehicles are equipped with a driving control strategy for wading mode. When the vehicle enters water, the vehicle's driving mode will be switched to wading mode to control the vehicle to drive in the water. In related technologies, after the vehicle enters the water, it is often unable to actively and timely output wading depth information. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present application is proposed to solve at least one of the above problems. According to a first aspect of the present application, a vehicle wading water depth detection system is provided, comprising: a water depth detection unit, arranged at a preset height of the vehicle;

[0004] A controller is connected to the water depth detection unit. When the vehicle enters the wading mode, the controller determines the water depth information according to the detection signal output by the water depth detection unit, wherein the water depth information is the distance from the water depth detection unit to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0005] In one embodiment of the present application, there are multiple water depth detection units, and the multiple water depth detection units are arranged at different positions of the preset height of the vehicle, and each of the water depth detection units is connected to the controller.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present application, at least one of the plurality of water depth detection units is disposed at the center of at least one wheel hub among the plurality of wheel hubs of the vehicle.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present application, there are multiple water depth detection units, and each of the water depth detection units is respectively arranged at the center of a wheel hub of the vehicle.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present application, the water depth detection unit is a sonar detector.

[0009] The controller is communicatively connected to the sonar detector and is used to compare the detection signal with a preset threshold, wherein when the detected amplitude is less than the preset threshold, it is determined that the location of the sonar detector is not in water;

[0010] The controller is also used to: when the amplitude of the detection signal is not less than a preset threshold, determine that the location of the water depth detection unit is in the water, and determine the water depth information according to the detection signal output by the sonar detector.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present application, the sonar detector comprises:

[0012] A front-end conditioning circuit is connected to the controller and is used to pre-process the acoustic coding pulse signal source to generate a signal source of a predetermined frequency;

[0013] A transmitter, connected to the front-end conditioning circuit, for converting the signal source into an acoustic wave signal and transmitting the acoustic wave signal to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling;

[0014] The receiver is used to receive the echo signal reflected by the sound wave signal from the ground on which the vehicle is running, and convert the echo signal into an echo electrical signal, wherein the detection signal includes the echo electrical signal.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present application, the controller is further used to process the echo electrical signal before performing the comparison, wherein the processing includes at least one of the following processing: filtering processing, signal amplification processing, and noise zeroing processing.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present application, the sound wave transmitting port of the transmitter and the sound wave receiving port of the receiver are both oriented perpendicular to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present application, determining water depth information according to the detection signal output by the sonar detector includes:

[0018] The depth at which the water depth detection unit reaches the ground is calculated as the water depth information based on the time information from the emission of the sound wave signal to the reception of the corresponding echo signal and the propagation speed of the sound wave signal in the water.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present application, the system further includes a display unit, which is electrically connected to the controller. When the vehicle is in the wading mode, the controller controls the display unit to display the water depth information.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present application, the system further comprises an alarm unit, wherein the alarm unit is electrically connected to the controller, and when the vehicle is in the wading mode, the controller controls the alarm unit to send out a wading alarm signal.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present application, the transmitting port of the transmitter and the receiving port of the receiver face forward in the direction of travel of the vehicle;

[0022] The controller is also used to detect the road conditions ahead of the ground on which the vehicle is traveling when the vehicle enters the wading mode.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present application, the system further comprises a display unit;

[0024] The controller is used to obtain a topographic image of the ground in front of the vehicle according to the detection signal, and control the display unit to display the topographic image of the ground in front of the vehicle according to the detection signal;

[0025] The controller is also used to obtain the position information of the obstacle in front of the ground on which the vehicle is traveling according to the detection signal, and control the display unit to display the position information of the obstacle in front of the ground on which the vehicle is traveling according to the detection signal.

[0026] In one embodiment of the present application, the water depth detection unit is a water pressure sensor.

[0027] According to the second aspect of the present application, a method for detecting the water depth of a vehicle wading is also provided, the method comprising: when the vehicle enters a wading mode, outputting water depth information to the vehicle, wherein the water depth detection unit is arranged at a preset height of the vehicle, and the water depth information is the distance from the water depth detection unit to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0028] According to the third aspect of the present application, a controller is also provided, which includes: a storage medium and a processor, wherein the storage medium stores a computer program executed by the processor, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor executes the vehicle wading mode control method described in the above claims.

[0029] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, a vehicle is also provided, comprising a vehicle wading depth detection system as described in the above claims, or a controller as described in the above claims.

[0030] According to the vehicle wading water depth detection system and method, controller, and vehicle provided in the embodiments of the present application, by specifically setting a water depth detection unit at a preset height of the vehicle, when the vehicle enters the wading mode, the water depth information can be determined according to the detection signal output by the water depth detection unit. After the vehicle enters the wading mode, the controller can actively and timely output the wading depth information according to the detection signal of the water depth detection unit, so as to assist the user to judge the current wading condition according to the wading depth information, thereby improving the safety of wading driving. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying creative labor.

[0032] Figure 1A schematic diagram of the side structure of a wading water depth detection system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a top view of a water depth detection system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a method for detecting water depth in water according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 4 It is a flowchart of a method for detecting water depth in water according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein the water depth detection unit is a sonar detector;

[0036] Figure 5 Schematic diagrams of the responses of a sonar detector in air and water respectively according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a structural block diagram of a controller according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Reference numerals:

[0039] 10-Vehicle 20-Water depth detection unit 30-Controller DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present invention more obvious, the exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments of the present invention, and it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of the present invention described in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0041] In the following description, a large number of specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented without one or more of these details. In other examples, in order to avoid confusion with the present invention, some technical features well known in the art are not described.

[0042] It should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in different forms and should not be interpreted as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0043] The purpose of the terms used herein is only to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. When used herein, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said / the" are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "consisting of" and / or "comprising", when used in this specification, confirm the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups. When used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the relevant listed items.

[0044] In order to solve at least part of the problems in the related art, the embodiments of the present application shown below are proposed.

[0045] In order to fully understand the present invention, a detailed structure will be proposed in the following description to illustrate the technical solution proposed by the present invention. The optional embodiments of the present invention are described in detail as follows, but in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present invention may also have other implementations.

[0046] Some embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0047] First, the application scenario of the vehicle wading depth detection system of the present application is introduced. The vehicle wading depth detection system is applied to vehicles with wading mode. The wading mode is a mode in which the vehicle operates in a wading state. Specifically, the wading mode refers to a control state mode that the vehicle enters when it enters the water and reaches a certain wading height. In the wading mode control state, a series of measures are taken on the vehicle to avoid the problem of vehicle paralysis due to water ingress. The vehicle wading depth detection system is used to actively and timely output water depth information when the vehicle enters the wading mode.

[0048] refer to Figure 1-6 An embodiment of the present application provides a wading mode control system for a vehicle, the wading mode control system comprising: a water depth detection unit 20 and a controller 30.

[0049] The water depth detection unit 20 is disposed at a preset height of the vehicle 10. The controller 30 is connected to the water depth detection unit 20. When the vehicle 10 enters the wading mode, the controller 30 determines the water depth information according to the detection signal output by the water depth detection unit 20, wherein the water depth information is the distance from the water depth detection unit 20 to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0050] When the vehicle enters the wading mode, the controller determines the water depth information according to the detection signal output by the water depth detection unit, that is, the controller calculates the distance between the water depth detection unit and the ground on which the vehicle is traveling as the water depth information. In the present application, after the vehicle enters the wading mode, the controller can actively and timely output the wading depth information according to the detection signal of the water depth detection unit, so as to assist the user to judge the current wading condition according to the wading depth information and improve the safety of wading driving.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present application, the number of water depth detection units 20 can be multiple, and the multiple water depth detection units 20 are arranged at different positions of the preset height of the vehicle 10. The value of the above-mentioned preset height needs to be determined in combination with factors such as the type of vehicle 10 and the implementation method of the vehicle wading mode. Each water depth detection unit 20 is connected to the controller 30, so that the detection signal detected by each water depth detection unit 20 is sent to the controller 30 respectively. That is, the distance between the multiple water depth detection units 20 and the ground on which the vehicle is traveling is the same, so that the detection reference lines of the multiple water depth detection units 20 are basically located at the same reference line, so that the controller 30 can treat the detection signals sent by different water depth detection units 20 according to the same weight. Exemplarily, the multiple water depth detection units 20 can be distributed at the same preset height position of the vehicle 10 in a manner such as but not limited to array arrangement, random arrangement, and straight-line arrangement.

[0052] In the embodiment of the present application, at least one water depth detection unit 20 among the multiple water depth detection units 20 is disposed at the center of at least one wheel hub among the multiple wheel hubs of the vehicle 10. In the embodiment of the present application, the number of water depth detection units 20 is multiple, and each water depth detection unit 20 is respectively disposed at the center of one wheel hub of the vehicle. For example, the number of water depth detection units 20 is four, and the four water depth detection units 20 are respectively disposed at the centers of the four wheel hubs of the vehicle 10. In some other embodiments, those skilled in the art can set the number and position of the water depth detection units 20 according to actual conditions, as long as it can ensure that at least one water depth detection unit 20 is disposed at the center of at least one wheel hub among the four wheel hubs of the vehicle 10. For example, the number of water depth detection units 20 can be set to one, two, three, five or more; the position of the water depth detection unit 20 can be partially set at the center of the wheel hub of the vehicle 10, and partially set on the chassis of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the position of the water depth detection unit 20 on the chassis of the vehicle 10 includes the axle, steering knuckle, frame, subframe, stabilizer bar and other structures of the chassis.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present application, when setting the controller 30, any control device that can receive the detection signal sent by the water depth detection unit 20 and control the vehicle 10 to enter the wading mode can be used. For example, the controller 30 can be a vehicle controller, a vehicle terminal, a local controller, etc. of the vehicle 10. The controller 30 can be connected to the water depth detection unit 20 through, for example, a Can bus. Specifically, refer to Figure 1-2 , the controller 30 is composed of four intelligent domains: front, back, left and right.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present application, the controller 30 is used to determine that the location of the water depth detection unit 20 is not located in the water when the detection signal of the water depth detection unit 20 obtained is less than a preset threshold value, and control the vehicle 10 not to enter the wading mode. When the detection signal of the water depth detection unit 20 obtained is not less than the preset threshold value, it is determined that the location of the water depth detection unit 20 is located in the water, and the vehicle 10 is controlled to enter the wading mode, and the water depth information is determined according to the detection signal, and the water depth information is output to the vehicle 10.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present application, when there are multiple water depth detection units 20, the controller 30 is used to control the vehicle 10 to enter the wading mode when it is detected that the positions of at least a preset number of water depth detection units 20 are in the water, that is, when the detection signals of at least a preset number of water depth detection units 20 are not less than the preset threshold. In some other embodiments, the preset number can be 1, that is, as long as there is a water depth detection unit 20 among the multiple water depth detection units 20 whose detection signal is less than the preset threshold, the controller 30 controls the vehicle 10 to enter the wading mode, and the vehicle 10 is more likely to enter the wading mode. In some other embodiments, the preset number can be the total number of water depth detection units 20, that is, only after the detection signals of all water depth detection units 20 are not less than the preset threshold, the controller 30 will control the vehicle 10 to enter the wading mode. In this way, the condition for the vehicle 10 to enter the wading mode is more stringent. The size of the preset number is between 1 and the total number of water depth detection units 20. It is specifically related to the coverage of the scene application of the wading mode, the driving habits of the driver and other factors. The technicians in this field shall set the preset number according to the specific situation. In a non-aqueous medium, there will be almost no effective echo signal from the sonar detector. When the signal-to-noise ratio is very good, the signal within the system frequency band can be extracted. However, if the signal-to-noise ratio is average, the useful signal in the air will be submerged in the noise. Only in the water medium, after the sound waves are attenuated, scattered, refracted, transmitted and other losses during propagation, part of the sound waves will be reflected back to the receiving port of the receiver. If no effective echo electrical signal is extracted or the amplitude is very small during the signal processing of the controller, the output result is a non-water area. If an effective echo electrical signal with a large amplitude is extracted, the water area information given by the system is verified.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present application, the water depth detection unit 20 is a sonar detector, which includes a front-end conditioning circuit, a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter and the receiver can be integrated together or can also be separate devices. The transmitter and the receiver both include a transducer, which is a component that realizes the conversion between sound energy and other forms of energy such as mechanical energy, electrical energy, magnetic energy, etc.

[0057] The front-end conditioning circuit is connected to the controller 30 and is used to pre-process the acoustic coded pulse signal source to generate a signal source of a predetermined frequency. The transmitter is connected to the front-end conditioning circuit and is used to convert the signal source into an acoustic signal and transmit the acoustic signal to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling. Specifically, the front-end conditioning circuit is used to receive the acoustic coded pulse signal source of the controller 30 and adjust the acoustic coded pulse signal source according to the instructions of the controller 30 to generate a signal source of a predetermined frequency. The transmitter is used to convert the signal source into an acoustic signal and transmit the acoustic signal to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling. The acoustic signal emitted by the transmitter can be a low-frequency 10kHz or high-frequency 400kHz acoustic signal. The frequency needs to take into account the specific water depth, accuracy, transducer parameters, etc. The higher the frequency, the higher the accuracy, and the smaller the propagation distance. The receiver is used to receive the echo signal reflected by the acoustic signal from the ground on which the vehicle is traveling, and convert the echo signal into an echo electrical signal, and the detection signal includes the echo electrical signal.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present application, the controller 30 is also communicatively connected to the sonar detector, and is used to obtain the echo electric signal, and compare the echo electric signal with a preset threshold value, wherein when the amplitude of the echo electric signal is less than the preset threshold value, it is determined that the position of the sonar detector is not in the water. The controller 30 is also used to: when the amplitude of the echo electric signal is not less than the preset threshold value, determine that the position of the water depth detection unit 20 is in the water, and determine the water depth information according to the detection signal output by the sonar detector.

[0059] When the vehicle 10 travels into a continuous water area, the beam signal emitted by the transmitter's transmitting port will be reflected and scattered from the water-earth interface layer and then returned to the receiver's receiving port; if it is a non-water area (i.e., air layer-ground), the beam will be reflected and scattered from the air-earth (or other obstacles) interface layer. Since the amplitude of the received echo signal in the water area and the air domain is different: the amplitude in the air is significantly lower than that in the water area, this feature point is used to compare the amplitude with the preset threshold after receiving the echo electrical signal. If the amplitude is lower than the preset threshold, it is judged as a non-water area; if the amplitude is not less than the preset threshold, it is judged as a water area. If it is a water area, the wading mode is entered; and if it is a non-water area, the wading mode is not started and the depth information is not output. The system of the present application has a biggest advantage over the camera system: that is, ignoring the influence of light intensity on the system, even in the night driving section, the vehicle 10 system can start the wading mode more accurately. At the same time, since the GPU does not need to participate in image recognition, the requirements for system computing power will also be reduced, which helps the system reduce costs.

[0060] In an embodiment of the present application, the controller determines the water depth information based on the detection signal output by the sonar detector, including: calculating the depth of the water depth detection unit 20 reaching the ground as the water depth information based on the time information from the emission of the sound wave signal to the reception of the corresponding echo signal and the propagation speed of the sound wave signal in the water.

[0061] The entire sonar detector is based on the sonar equation (all in d):

[0062] DT=SL-2*TL-NL+TS+DI

[0063] Among them, DT is the strength of the echo signal, SL is the strength of the signal source, TL is the propagation loss during the transmission process. Since the transmission and reception are two-way, the propagation loss is twice as much, NL is the noise level during the transmission process, TS is the strength of the source signal reaching the target area after the propagation loss and noise, and DI is due to the influence of directivity. According to this sonar equation, the parameter performance indicators of the entire system can be determined, thereby providing a solid system foundation for the hardware design of the system and the subsequent algorithm design.

[0064] In the embodiment of the present application, the controller 30 processes the echo electric signal before the comparison, wherein the processing includes at least one of the following processing: filtering processing, signal amplification processing, and noise zeroing processing. Since the signals received by the receiver are mostly at the MV level, and at the same time, the echo electric signal belongs to a mixed signal, including multipath reflection signals, environmental noise, etc., therefore, the echo signal needs to be transmitted to the controller 30 by the receiver through the CAN bus, and the controller 30 is used to process the echo electric signal before the comparison. For example, the echo electric signal is amplified by a signal, such as 100 times amplitude amplification, low-pass / high-pass / band-pass filtering processing and other digital filtering, top mute performs noise zeroing before the first echo signal to facilitate later data processing, deconvolution helps to improve the SNR of the signal, or matching, ADC analog-to-digital conversion, considering the common-mode signal interference at both ends, a differential input ADC circuit can be used, 24bits power supply voltage 12V 50khz sampling rate (this sampling rate should also be associated with the main frequency of the source signal). Since different functional circuits may have different power supplies, the power management circuit requires additional design.

[0065] In the embodiment of the present application, the sound wave transmitting port of the transmitter and the sound wave receiving port of the receiver are both oriented perpendicular to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling. That is, when the vehicle 10 is traveling on the ground on which the vehicle is traveling, the transmitting port of the transmitter transmits a sound wave signal to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling in a vertical beam manner, and the sound wave receiving port of the receiver receives an echo signal formed by reflection and scattering of the ground on which the vehicle is traveling in a vertical beam manner.

[0066] In the embodiment of the present application, the system further includes a display unit, which is electrically connected to the controller 30. When the vehicle 10 is in the wading mode, the controller 30 controls the display unit to display water depth information. Specifically, the display unit may be a tablet computer, a mobile phone, or other device with a display screen on the vehicle 10. When the vehicle 10 is in the wading mode, the tablet computer may display water depth information so that the driver of the vehicle 10 may be aware of the water depth information of the vehicle 10 in a timely manner.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present application, the system further includes an alarm unit, which is electrically connected to the controller 30. When the vehicle 10 is in the wading mode, the controller 30 controls the alarm unit to send out a wading alarm signal. Specifically, the alarm unit may be an indicator light and / or a speaker installed on the vehicle 10, and the speaker and / or the indicator light may be controlled to send out sound alarm information and / or light alarm information, so as to promptly warn the driver of the vehicle 10 of the risk.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, the controller 30 controls the transmitting port of the transmitter and the receiving port of the receiver to face the front side of the driving direction of the vehicle 10. The controller 30 is also used to detect the road conditions in front of the ground where the vehicle is driving after the vehicle 10 enters the wading mode. If the direction in which the beam emitted by the transmitting port of the transmitter is perpendicular to the ground where the vehicle is driving is defined as the first direction, then when it is necessary to detect the road conditions in front of the vehicle 10, the transmitting port of the transmitter and the receiving port of the receiver are adjusted to form a certain angle with the first direction, so that the beam emitted by the transmitting port of the transmitter can be transmitted to the ground in front of the driving direction of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the transmitting port of the transmitter can be rotatably set on the transmitter, and the receiving port of the receiver can be rotatably set on the receiver, and the driving unit is used to drive the transmitting port to rotate and the receiving port to rotate to adjust the direction of the transmitting port and the receiving port. The controller 30 is connected to the driving unit. When the vehicle 10 enters the wading mode, the controller 30 controls the driving unit to adjust the direction of the transmitting port and the receiving port to face the front side of the driving direction of the vehicle 10, so as to detect the road conditions in front of the driving direction of the vehicle 10. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the transmitter and the receiver are rotatably arranged on the vehicle, and the direction of the transmitted beam is adjusted by rotating the transmitter or the receiver as a whole, so that the receiver can accurately receive the echo signal. In some embodiments, the controller 30 is used to obtain the topographic image of the ground in front of the vehicle according to the detection signal, and control the display unit to display the topographic image. The display of the topographic image enables the driver to make an accurate judgment on the driving road condition in front of the vehicle, and can remind the driver to avoid obstacles when obstacles appear on the road, thereby improving driving safety in water. The controller 30 is also used to obtain the position information of the obstacle in front of the ground where the vehicle is traveling according to the detection signal, and control the display unit to display the position information of the obstacle in front of the ground where the vehicle is traveling. By displaying this information, the driver can be reminded to avoid obstacles, thereby improving driving safety in water.

[0069] In some other embodiments, the water depth detection unit 20 is a water pressure sensor, and the water pressure sensor is connected to the controller 30. The water pressure sensor can detect the water pressure signal of its own location, and the controller 30 is used to compare the water pressure signal with a preset threshold value to determine the location of the water pressure sensor, that is, to determine whether the location of the water pressure sensor is located in the water. Specifically, when the water pressure signal of the water pressure sensor obtained by the controller 30 is less than the preset pressure value, it is determined that the location of the water pressure sensor is not in the water, and the vehicle 10 is controlled not to enter the wading mode; if the water pressure signal of the water pressure sensor is not less than the preset pressure value, it is determined that the location of the water pressure sensor is in the water, and the vehicle 10 is controlled to enter the wading mode, and the water depth information is determined according to the water pressure signal, and the water depth information is output to the vehicle 10. The preset pressure value can be an atmospheric pressure value, etc. In some other embodiments, the signal source of the detection unit can be an electric spark source, a boomer source (geo-boomer 300-500 towed sound source) or an air gun source. From the perspective of the source signal, the above-mentioned sound sources have corresponding applications in different accuracy requirements and different distance measurements. Therefore, theoretically and in principle, the signal source used in this application may be replaced by the above-mentioned sound source, but it must also be selected and designed based on the actual parameter performance requirements of the application scenario.

[0070] When the wading mode is turned on, when a certain water depth is reached, vehicles that meet the preset conditions will turn on the emergency floating mode, that is, the floating state. The floating escape technology allows the driver to ensure the safety of himself and the vehicle when encountering extreme situations. When the vehicle is in the floating mode, the water depth information is also the vertical distance from the critical point of the water surface and the air interface to the ground where the vehicle is running. When the vehicle 10 enters the emergency floating mode, the bottom of the water depth detector's probe should be located at the critical point of the water surface and the air interface. At this time, the controller 30 can output the vertical distance from the critical point of the water surface and the air interface to the ground where the vehicle is running according to the detection signal output by the water depth detection unit 20, that is, determine the water depth information.

[0071] The present application also provides a method for detecting the water depth of a vehicle wading, referring to Figure 3 The vehicle wading water depth detection method includes:

[0072] When the vehicle enters the wading mode, water depth information is output to the vehicle, wherein a water depth detection unit is set at a preset height of the vehicle, and the water depth information is the distance from the water depth detection unit to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling. Figure 4The flowchart of a wading water depth detection system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the water depth detection unit is a sonar detector. The sonar detector includes a front-end conditioning circuit, a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter and the receiver can be integrated together or can also be separate devices. The front-end conditioning circuit is connected to the controller 30, and is used to pre-process the acoustic wave coded pulse signal source to generate a signal source of a predetermined frequency. The transmitter is connected to the front-end conditioning circuit, and is used to convert the signal source into an acoustic wave signal, and transmit the acoustic wave signal to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling. The receiver is used to receive the echo signal reflected by the acoustic wave signal from the ground on which the vehicle is traveling, and convert the echo signal into an echo electrical signal, and the detection signal includes the echo electrical signal. The controller 30 is also communicatively connected to the sonar detector, and is used to obtain the echo electrical signal, and compare the echo electrical signal with a preset threshold, wherein when the amplitude of the echo electrical signal is less than the preset threshold, it is determined that the location of the sonar detector is not in the water. The controller 30 is also used to: determine that the location of the water depth detection unit 20 is in the water when the amplitude of the echo electric signal is not less than a preset threshold, and determine the water depth information according to the detection signal output by the sonar detector. Figure 4 The wading water depth detection method of the present application is described in detail.

[0073] First, execute step S1. Specifically, the front-end conditioning circuit is used to receive the acoustic coded pulse signal source of the controller 30, and adjust the acoustic coded pulse signal source according to the instruction of the controller 30 to generate a signal source of a predetermined frequency. Then, the transmitter is used to convert the signal source into an acoustic signal, and the transmitting port of the transmitter transmits the acoustic signal to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling. The acoustic signal emitted by the transmitter can be a low-frequency 10kHz or high-frequency 400kHz acoustic signal. The receiving port of the receiver receives the echo signal reflected back by the acoustic signal from the ground on which the vehicle is traveling, and the receiver is used to convert the echo signal into an echo electrical signal. The controller 30 is used to obtain the echo electrical signal and compare the echo electrical signal with a preset threshold, wherein, when the amplitude of the echo electrical signal is less than the preset threshold, it is determined that the position of the sonar detector is not in the water; when the amplitude of the echo electrical signal is not less than the preset threshold, it is determined that the position of the water depth detection unit 20 is in the water.

[0074] Then, execute step S2. Specifically, when it is determined that the location of the water depth detection unit 20 is in the water, the controller determines the water depth information according to the detection signal output by the sonar detector, and the water depth information is determined by: according to the time information from the emission of the sound wave signal to the reception of the corresponding echo signal and the propagation speed of the sound wave signal in the water, the depth of the water depth detection unit 20 reaching the ground is calculated as the water depth information. At the same time, the on-board tablet computer, mobile phone or other device with a display screen on the vehicle 10 can display the water depth information so that the driver of the vehicle 10 can be aware of the water depth information of the vehicle 10 in time, and the indicator light and / or speaker installed on the vehicle 10 can send out sound alarm information and / or light alarm information to promptly warn the driver of the vehicle 10 of the risk.

[0075] The present application also provides a controller 100, referring to Figure 6 The controller 100 includes: a storage medium 110 and a processor 120. The storage medium 110 stores a computer program executed by the processor. When the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor executes the above-mentioned vehicle wading water depth detection method.

[0076] Figure 6 FIG. 1 shows a structural block diagram of a controller according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 As shown, the controller 100 according to the embodiment of the present application may include a storage medium 110 and a processor 120. The storage medium 110 stores a computer program executed by the processor 120. When the computer program is executed by the processor 120, the processor 120 executes the vehicle wading depth detection method according to the embodiment of the present application described above. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific operation of the controller deployment device according to the embodiment of the present application in combination with the above content, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0077] The storage medium 110 may include, for example, a memory card of a smart phone, a storage component of a tablet computer, a hard disk of a personal computer, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), a USB memory, or any combination of the above storage media. The computer-readable storage medium may be any combination of one or more computer-readable storage media.

[0078] In addition, the present application embodiment also provides a vehicle 10, referring to Figure 1 to Figure 6 The vehicle 10 includes: any one of the above-mentioned vehicle wading depth detection systems, or any one of the above-mentioned controllers. Exemplarily, the vehicle 10 may be, for example, but not limited to, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, etc. That is, as long as the vehicle 10 is provided with a wading mode, and the vehicle 10 can turn on the emergency floating mode under certain circumstances, it is within the scope of the vehicle shown in this patent.

[0079] The present invention has been described by the above embodiments, but it should be understood that the above embodiments are only for the purpose of example and description, and are not intended to limit the present invention to the scope of the described embodiments. In addition, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and more variations and modifications can be made according to the teachings of the present invention, and these variations and modifications all fall within the scope of the protection claimed by the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is defined by the attached claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A vehicle wading water depth detection system, characterized in that: include: a water depth detection unit, arranged at a preset height of the vehicle; A controller is connected to the water depth detection unit. When the vehicle enters the wading mode, the controller determines the water depth information according to the detection signal output by the water depth detection unit, wherein the water depth information is the distance from the water depth detection unit to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that There are multiple water depth detection units, and the multiple water depth detection units are arranged at different positions of the preset height of the vehicle, and each of the water depth detection units is connected to the controller.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that At least one of the plurality of water depth detection units is disposed at a center of at least one wheel hub among a plurality of wheel hubs of the vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that There are multiple water depth detection units, and each of the water depth detection units is respectively arranged at the center of a wheel hub of the vehicle.

5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The water depth detection unit is a sonar detector. The controller is communicatively connected to the sonar detector and is used to compare the detection signal with a preset threshold, wherein when the amplitude of the detection signal is less than the preset threshold, it is determined that the location of the sonar detector is not in water; The controller is also used to: when the amplitude of the detection signal is not less than a preset threshold, determine that the location of the water depth detection unit is in the water, and determine the water depth information according to the detection signal output by the sonar detector.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that The sonar detector comprises: A front-end conditioning circuit is connected to the controller and is used to pre-process the acoustic coding pulse signal source to generate a signal source of a predetermined frequency; A transmitter, connected to the front-end conditioning circuit, for converting the signal source into an acoustic wave signal and transmitting the acoustic wave signal to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling; The receiver is used to receive the echo signal reflected by the sound wave signal from the ground on which the vehicle is running, and convert the echo signal into an echo electrical signal, wherein the detection signal includes the echo electrical signal.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that The controller is further configured to process the echo electrical signal before performing the comparison, wherein the processing includes at least one of the following processing: filtering processing, signal amplification processing, and noise zeroing processing.

8. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that The sound wave transmitting port of the transmitter and the sound wave receiving port of the receiver are both oriented perpendicular to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling.

9. The system according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that: Determining water depth information according to the detection signal output by the sonar detector includes: The depth at which the water depth detection unit reaches the ground is calculated as the water depth information based on the time information from the emission of the sound wave signal to the reception of the corresponding echo signal and the propagation speed of the sound wave signal in the water.

10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The system further includes a display unit, which is electrically connected to the controller. When the vehicle is in the wading mode, the controller controls the display unit to display the water depth information.

11. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The system further comprises an alarm unit, which is electrically connected to the controller. When the vehicle is in the wading mode, the controller controls the alarm unit to send out a wading alarm signal.

12. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that The transmitting port of the transmitter and the receiving port of the receiver face forward in the direction of travel of the vehicle. The controller is also used to detect the road conditions ahead of the ground on which the vehicle is traveling when the vehicle enters the wading mode.

13. The system according to claim 12, characterized in that The system also includes a display unit; The controller is used to obtain a topographic image of the ground in front of the vehicle according to the detection signal, and control the display unit to display the topographic image; The controller is also used to obtain the position information of the obstacle in front of the ground on which the vehicle is traveling according to the detection signal, and control the display unit to display the position information of the obstacle in front of the ground on which the vehicle is traveling.

14. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The water depth detection unit is a water pressure sensor.

15. A method for detecting the water depth of a vehicle, characterized in that: The method comprises: When the vehicle enters the wading mode, water depth information is output to the vehicle, wherein the water depth detection unit is set at a preset height of the vehicle, and the water depth information is the distance from the water depth detection unit to the ground on which the vehicle is traveling.

16. A controller, characterized in that: include: A storage medium and a processor, wherein the storage medium stores a computer program executed by the processor, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor executes the vehicle wading water depth detection method as described in claim 15.

17. A vehicle, characterized in that: It includes a vehicle wading water depth detection system as described in claims 1-14, or a controller as described in claim 16.

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