Sensor unit for determining orientation of sensor unit, and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor unit (10) for determining an orientation (12) of the sensor unit (10), comprising a circuit board unit (14), at least two sensor elements (16), the at least two sensor elements (16) being arranged on the circuit board unit (14), the at least two sensor elements (16) being provided for determining the orientation (12) of the sensor unit (10), the at least two sensor elements (16) emit and / or receive at least one first ultrasonic wave, the sensor unit (10) being designed to determine an orientation (12) of the sensor unit (10) relative to a reference (18) of the vehicle (100) by adjusting the first ultrasonic wave emitted by means of the at least two sensor elements (16). The invention also relates to a vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a sensor unit for determining the orientation of a sensor unit and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Currently, there are a large number of different solutions for determining the orientation of sensors in the ultrasonic range. Due to the increasing number of ultrasonic sensors and the rising quality requirements in the vehicle field, the demand for innovative and reliable ultrasonic measurement systems continues to climb.

[0003] The continuous weight reduction in the vehicle field for reducing consumption and the increasing competition lead to cost pressure, making it more strongly necessary to have cheap and efficient vehicle components. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The sensor unit for determining the orientation of a sensor unit according to the invention has the following advantages compared to the prior art: By determining the orientation of the sensor unit relative to a reference of the vehicle, the correct installation and positioning of a single ultrasonic sensor unit and the correct positioning of the single ultrasonic sensor unit in an ultrasonic sensor system can be checked. Another advantage is that by referring multiple ultrasonic sensor units to each other, a statistical model can be utilized so that the correct installation of the sensor units can be checked.

[0005] This is achieved according to the invention in that the sensor unit for determining the orientation of a sensor unit has a circuit board unit and at least two sensor elements. The at least two sensor elements are arranged on the circuit board unit, wherein the at least two sensor elements are configured to emit and / or receive at least one first ultrasonic wave, and wherein the sensor unit is configured to determine the orientation of the sensor unit relative to a reference of the vehicle by adjusting the first ultrasonic wave emitted by the at least two sensor elements.

[0006] In other words, by using the beam steering capability of the MEMS ultrasonic sensor array in a defined measurement process, the wavefront is adjusted to point towards the ground at a defined angle so that the reflected wave can be received by the same ultrasonic array, enabling the orientation of the vehicle to be determined. For example, the sensor unit is a MEMS-based ultrasonic sensor. Preferably, the sensor unit can have a large number of sensor elements, such as an oriented ultrasonic array with 2x2 sensor elements. Additionally, preferably, a large number of circuit board units each including a large number of sensor elements can also be provided on the vehicle. The reference of the vehicle can in particular be a coordinate system or an analogue according to DIN 70000, for example. Thus, it can be determined whether the sensor unit has been installed in the vehicle in its provided orientation or positioning in the vehicle. Additionally, preferably, the deformation of the bumper (in which the sensor unit may be installed) can also be determined in the event of an accident or after improper assembly, since the orientation of the sensor unit deviates from the predetermined orientation. Preferably, in particular, the orientation of the sensor unit relative to the predetermined orientation can be determined, and if this orientation deviates by a predetermined value, a signal is output by the sensor unit.

[0007] Preferred further developments of the invention are shown below.

[0008] Preferably, the at least two sensor elements are arranged to emit at least one second ultrasonic wave, and the sensor unit is arranged to adjust the phase shift between the first ultrasonic wave and the second ultrasonic wave in order to determine the orientation of the sensor unit.

[0009] The advantage of this embodiment is that, with the help of the second ultrasonic wave, the detection accuracy of the orientation of the sensor unit relative to the reference of the vehicle can be further improved. Preferably, the two sensor elements can emit a large number of ultrasonic waves, and these ultrasonic waves can be used to determine the orientation of the sensor unit by adjusting the phase shift between each other.

[0010] Additionally, preferably, the sensor unit is arranged to adjust the phase shift such that the first maximum of the first ultrasonic wave and / or the second maximum of the second ultrasonic wave move along a first axis and / or a second axis.

[0011] The advantage of this embodiment is that, with the help of the sensor unit, different reflecting surfaces can be selected in order to determine the orientation of the sensor unit. For example, by adjusting the phase shift, starting from the sensor unit, the maximum of the wavefront can be changed upwards or downwards and left and right. For example, in particular, the first axis can be oriented orthogonally to the placement surface of the vehicle, and / or the second axis can be oriented substantially orthogonally to the first axis.

[0012] Preferably, the sensor unit is configured to emit a first ultrasonic wave according to a predetermined orientation, wherein the sensor unit is configured to compare the propagation time of the first ultrasonic wave at the predetermined orientation with a predetermined reference value in order to determine the orientation of the sensor unit.

[0013] Based on the expected distribution of the time offset at a predefined orientation or incident angle, it can be verified whether the ultrasonic system has been correctly installed.

[0014] Furthermore, preferably, the sensor unit is configured to receive a start signal, wherein the sensor unit is configured to determine the orientation of the sensor unit when the start signal is present.

[0015] The advantage of this embodiment is that a central unit, such as a vehicle control device, can trigger the determination of the orientation of the sensor unit. In this case, the vehicle control device can in particular check whether all sensor units are available for the control device, so that subsequently the orientation of all sensor units can be determined and compared with each other.

[0016] Preferably, the sensor unit is configured to receive a temperature value and / or a geographical location, wherein the sensor unit is configured to adjust the orientation of the sensor unit based on the temperature value and / or the geographical location.

[0017] The advantage of this embodiment is that the wave speed changes according to, for example, altitude or air pressure, and based on the ambient temperature as well as the GPS coordinates or geographical location, the determination of the orientation based on the corresponding wave speed can be improved or adjusted.

[0018] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle having a first sensor unit as described above and below, wherein the first sensor unit is configured to emit at least one first ultrasonic wave, and wherein the first sensor unit is configured to determine a first orientation of the first sensor unit relative to a reference of the vehicle by adjusting the emitted first ultrasonic wave.

[0019] For example, the vehicle may have parking sensors, such as ultrasonic parking sensors or the like. Preferably, the ultrasonic parking sensors are arranged in the front and rear regions of the vehicle. Thus, the first sensor unit of the vehicle can in particular be oriented such that it can monitor the ground area in the front or rear region of the vehicle. By means of one of the emitted first ultrasonic waves, the sensor unit can determine and / or obtain the orientation of the first sensor unit relative to the reference of the vehicle, so that the correct installation position of the sensor unit can be checked.

[0020] Furthermore, preferably, the vehicle has a second sensor unit as described above and below, wherein the second sensor unit is configured to emit a third ultrasonic wave, and wherein the second sensor unit is configured to determine a second orientation between the second sensor unit and a reference of the vehicle by adjusting the third ultrasonic wave, and wherein the vehicle is configured to adjust the first orientation and / or the second orientation based on a comparison between the first orientation and the second orientation.

[0021] The advantage of this embodiment is that by comparing the first orientation and the second orientation, a possible error mean of the orientation can be detected, and the determination of the orientation of the first sensor unit and / or the second sensor unit can be repeated. Preferably, the second sensor unit is arranged in the rear region or the front region in the same way as the first sensor unit.

[0022] Furthermore, preferably, the vehicle has a symmetry axis, and wherein the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to this symmetry axis.

[0023] The advantage of this embodiment is that if the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are arranged symmetrically with respect to each other, then there are substantially similar and / or identical conditions for the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit, so that the comparability of the recorded ultrasonic values can be further improved. For example, the symmetry axis can be the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, such that the first sensor unit is arranged on the left side of the vehicle and the second sensor unit is arranged on the right side of the vehicle. Therefore, preferably, the comparability of the received ultrasonic values and the comparability of the determined orientations can be compared. "Substantially symmetric" in this regard particularly means a deviation of + / - 5%, especially manufacturing-related tolerances.

[0024] Preferably, the first sensor unit is configured to emit a first set of ultrasonic waves, and wherein the second sensor unit is configured to receive at least a part of the first set of ultrasonic waves in order to determine the second orientation.

[0025] The advantage of this embodiment is that one sensor unit on the vehicle can emit a set of ultrasonic waves and a large number of other or adjacent sensors can receive the reflections. In this way, the positions of the sensor units relative to each other can be checked assuming the vehicle together with a flat ground. Statistical methods can be used in particular here. Description of the Drawings

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Shown in the drawings are:

[0027] Figure 1 A sensor unit according to an embodiment

[0028] Figure 2 A vehicle according to one embodiment

[0029] Figure 3 A vehicle according to one embodiment Detailed embodiments

[0030] Preferably, in all the figures, all identical elements, units and / or systems are provided with the same reference numerals

[0031] Figure 1 The sensor unit 10 according to one embodiment is shown. Preferably, the sensor unit 10 for determining the orientation 12 of the sensor unit 10 has a circuit board unit 14 and at least two sensor elements 16, wherein at least two sensor elements 16 are arranged on the circuit board unit 14, and wherein at least two sensor elements 16 are arranged to emit and / or receive at least one first ultrasonic wave, and wherein the sensor unit 10 is arranged to determine the orientation 12 of the sensor unit 10 relative to the reference 18 of the vehicle by adjusting the first ultrasonic wave emitted by means of at least two sensor elements 16

[0032] As shown in Figure 1 the sensor unit 10 includes at least one circuit board unit 14, and the sensor unit can in particular be a MEMS-based ultrasonic sensor array. At least two sensor elements 16, such as ultrasonic sensors, can be arranged on the circuit board unit 14. As shown in Figure 1 four sensor elements 16 are arranged on the circuit board unit in a 2x2 array. Thus, the sensor unit 10 can emit and / or receive at least one first ultrasonic wave, preferably emit and / or receive a second ultrasonic wave, and / or more preferably emit and / or receive a large number of ultrasonic waves, by means of two sensor elements or four sensor elements. In addition, preferably, the sensor unit 10 can be arranged to adjust the phase shift between the first ultrasonic wave and the second ultrasonic wave in order to determine the orientation 12 of the sensor unit 10. In this case, preferably by adjusting the phase shift, the wavefront can be oriented up / down and left / right by means of the excitation generated by the sensor element 16

[0033] Figure 2 The vehicle 100 according to one embodiment is shown. Preferably, the vehicle 100 has at least one first sensor unit 10. Preferably, the first sensor unit 10 is arranged to emit at least one first ultrasonic wave, and wherein the first sensor unit 10 is arranged to determine the orientation 12 of the first sensor unit 10 relative to the reference 18 of the vehicle 100 by adjusting the emitted first ultrasonic wave. As shown in Figure 2As shown, the first sensor unit 10 is in the front region of the vehicle 100, in particular on a first side with respect to the axis of symmetry 54. As in Figure 2 As shown, the axis of symmetry 54 can preferably be the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the vehicle 100. Additionally, preferably, the vehicle 100 has a reference 18, which can in particular be a coordinate system or an analogue according to DIN 70000. Additionally, preferably, the vehicle 100 has a second sensor unit 50. The second sensor unit 50 can be set up to determine a second orientation 52. As in Figure 2 As shown, the second sensor unit 50 is on a second side with respect to the axis of symmetry 54. For example, the first sensor unit 10 can emit a first set of ultrasonic waves in the front region of the vehicle 100, for example. Thus, the second sensor unit 50 or a plurality of additional ultrasonic sensors can receive at least a part of this set of ultrasonic waves in order to thereby be able to determine the second orientation 52.

[0034] Figure 3 FIG. shows a vehicle 100 according to an embodiment. The vehicle 100 has a first sensor unit 10 for determining a first orientation 12 and a second sensor unit 50 for determining a second orientation 52 with respect to a reference 18 of the vehicle 100. In this case, the first sensor unit 10 and the second sensor unit 50 can emit at least one ultrasonic wave onto a placement surface 101 and, based on the reflection or change of this ultrasonic wave, determine the orientation 12 or 52 with respect to the reference 18 of the vehicle 100 by means of beamforming.

Claims

1. A sensor unit (10) for determining an orientation (12) of a sensor unit (10), the sensor unit comprising: - a circuit board unit (14), - at least two sensor elements (16), -in, The at least two sensor elements (16) are arranged on the circuit board unit (14), wherein the at least two sensor elements (16) are configured to emit and / or receive at least one first ultrasonic wave, wherein the sensor unit (10) is configured to determine an orientation (12) of the sensor unit (10) relative to a reference (18) of the vehicle (100) by adjusting the first ultrasonic wave emitted by means of the at least two sensor elements (16).

2. The sensor unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein: The at least two sensor elements (16) are configured to emit at least one second ultrasonic wave, wherein the sensor unit (10) is configured to adjust a phase shift between the first ultrasonic wave and the second ultrasonic wave in order to determine an orientation (12) of the sensor unit (10).

3. The sensor unit (10) according to claim 2, wherein: The sensor unit (10) is configured to adjust the phase shift in such a way that a first maximum of the first ultrasonic wave and / or a second maximum of the second ultrasonic wave moves along a first axis and / or a second axis.

4. The sensor unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein: The sensor unit (10) is configured to emit the first ultrasonic wave according to a predetermined orientation, wherein the sensor unit (10) is configured to compare a propagation time of the ultrasonic wave in the predetermined orientation with a predetermined reference value so as to determine an orientation (12) of the sensor unit (10).

5. The sensor unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein: The sensor unit (10) is configured to receive an activation signal, wherein the sensor unit (10) is configured to determine an orientation (12) of the sensor unit (10) when the activation signal is present.

6. The sensor unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein: The sensor unit (10) is configured to receive a temperature value and / or a geographical position, wherein the sensor unit (10) is configured to adjust an orientation (12) of the sensor unit (10) depending on the temperature value and / or the geographical position.

7. A vehicle (100) having a first sensor unit (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein: The first sensor unit (10) is configured to emit at least one first ultrasonic wave, wherein the sensor unit (10) is configured to determine an orientation (12) of the first sensor unit (10) relative to a reference (18) of the vehicle (100) by adjusting the emitted first ultrasonic wave.

8. The vehicle (100) according to claim 7, wherein: The vehicle (100) has a second sensor unit (50) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second sensor unit (50) is configured to emit a third ultrasonic wave, wherein the sensor unit (50) is configured to determine a second orientation (52) between the second sensor unit (50) and a reference (18) of the vehicle (100) by adjusting the third ultrasonic wave, wherein the vehicle (100) is configured to adjust the first orientation (12) and / or the second orientation (52) as a function of a comparison between the first orientation (12) and the second orientation (52).

9. The vehicle (100) according to claim 8, wherein: The vehicle (100) has an axis of symmetry (54), wherein the first sensor unit (10) and the second sensor unit (50) are arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to the axis of symmetry (54).

10. The vehicle (100) according to any one of claims 8 to 9, wherein: The first sensor unit (10) is configured to emit a first set of ultrasonic waves, wherein the second sensor unit (50) is configured to receive at least a portion of the first set of ultrasonic waves in order to determine the second orientation (52).

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