Sensor module and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a sensor module and a vehicle, which are used for solving the problem that a sensor lens is easy to smudge in the prior art. The sensor module comprises a sensor cabin which comprises an opening, and the opening is used for exposing a sensor located in the sensor cabin; the cleaning bin comprises a cleaning device; the transmission device is communicated with the sensor bin and the cleaning bin; the transparent medium is located on the transmission device, the transparent medium can move back and forth between the sensor bin and the cleaning bin through the transmission device, and the transparent medium can cover the opening when located in the sensor bin; wherein the cleaning device is used for cleaning the transparent medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of vehicle-mounted devices, and particularly to a sensor module and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Autonomous driving technology is a major trend in current development. In autonomous driving solutions, various sensors are usually installed on the vehicle body to collect environmental information around the vehicle. However, during the movement of the vehicle, the encapsulated sensors are prone to problems such as lens fouling and fogging, which will cause a decline in the imaging quality of the sensors, and further affect the accuracy of subsequent program judgment. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the encapsulated sensor lenses regularly and in a timely manner. The existing solutions usually involve manually wiping the sensor lenses regularly before the vehicle departs, which is time-consuming and laborious. If the sensor lenses are cleaned directly with cleaning devices such as nozzles and windshield wipers during the vehicle's driving process, the data acquisition quality of the sensors may be reduced during the cleaning process. Therefore, a more intelligent and effective sensor protection solution is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a sensor module and a vehicle to solve or at least mitigate the problems mentioned above.

[0004] According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a sensor module is provided, including:

[0005] A sensor chamber including an opening for exposing a sensor located within the sensor chamber;

[0006] A cleaning chamber including a cleaning device;

[0007] A transmission device connecting the sensor chamber and the cleaning chamber; and

[0008] A transparent medium located on the transmission device, the transparent medium being capable of moving back and forth between the sensor chamber and the cleaning chamber through the transmission device, and when the transparent medium is in the sensor chamber, it can cover the opening;

[0009] wherein the cleaning device is used to clean the transparent medium.

[0010] According to one aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, and the vehicle includes the sensor module as described above.

[0011] According to the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, by placing a special transparent medium in front of the lens of the sensor and moving the transparent medium to the cleaning chamber for cleaning when the transparent medium becomes dirty, the problem that the surface of the sensor lens often needs to be cleaned due to stains can be solved, the data acquisition stability of the sensor can be improved, and the driving safety of the vehicle can be ensured. Further, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, a transparent medium can be respectively arranged in the sensor chamber and the cleaning chamber. When the transparent medium in front of the sensor lens needs to be cleaned, the clean transparent medium in the cleaning chamber can be moved in front of the lens in the sensor chamber to realize the alternate use of the two transparent media and reduce the probability of the sensor lens being directly contaminated. Description of the Drawings

[0012] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0013] Figure 1 Fig. shows a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 2 Fig. shows a schematic structural diagram of a sensor module 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 3 Fig. shows a top view structural diagram of a sensor module 200 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 4 Fig. shows a top view structural diagram of a sensor module 200 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5 Fig. shows a schematic diagram of a cleaning device of a sensor module 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure during cleaning.

[0018] Figure 6 Fig. shows a schematic diagram when two transparent media of a sensor module 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are coaxial.

[0019] Figure 7 Fig. shows a schematic structural diagram of a sensor module 200 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 8 Fig. shows a schematic structural diagram of a controller 800 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] In the drawings:

[0022] Sensor bin 210, front panel 211, opening 212, first limiter 213;

[0023] Cleaning bin 220, protective shell 221, side wall 222, second limiter 223;

[0024] Sensor 230, lens 231;

[0025] Cleaning device 240;

[0026] Drive device 250, drive track 251, slide rail 252, first drive device 253, second drive device 254;

[0027] Transparent medium 260, gripper 261, first transparent medium 262, second transparent medium 263;

[0028] Motor 270, first motor 271, second motor 272;

[0029] Cleaning brush 280, first cleaning brush 281, second cleaning brush 282;

[0030] Fan 290. Detailed implementation

[0031] The following further describes the implementation of the present disclosure in detail in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments. The following detailed description of the embodiments and the drawings are used to exemplarily illustrate the principles of the present disclosure, but cannot be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure, that is, the present disclosure is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0032] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be noted that unless otherwise specified, terms such as "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance; the meaning of "plurality" is two or more; terms such as "inner", "outer", "top", "bottom", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present disclosure.

[0033] The sensor bracket provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure is installed on a vehicle, and the following will be combined with Figure 1 The vehicle 100 involved in the present application will be described. Among them, Figure 1FIG. 0 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 100 in which various techniques disclosed herein may be implemented. The vehicle 100 may be a sedan, a truck, a motorcycle, a bus, a boat, an airplane, a helicopter, a lawn mower, an excavator, a snowmobile, an aircraft, a recreational vehicle, an amusement park vehicle, a farm device, a construction device, a streetcar, a golf cart, a train, a trolleybus, or other vehicle. The vehicle 100 may operate in an autonomous mode, either fully or partially. In the autonomous mode, the vehicle 100 may control itself. For example, the vehicle 100 may determine the current state of the vehicle and the current state of the environment in which the vehicle is located, determine the predicted behavior of at least one other vehicle in the environment, determine the confidence level corresponding to the likelihood that the at least one other vehicle will perform the predicted behavior, and control the vehicle 100 itself based on the determined information. When in the autonomous mode, the vehicle 100 may operate without human interaction.

[0034] The vehicle 100 may include various vehicle systems, such as a drive system 142, a sensor system 144, a control system 146, a user interface system 148, a server 150, and a communication system 152. The vehicle 100 may include more or fewer systems, and each system may include multiple units. Further, each system and unit of the vehicle 100 may be interconnected. For example, the server 150 can communicate data with one or more of the drive system 142, the sensor system 144, the control system 146, the user interface system 148, and the communication system 152. Thus, one or more of the described functions of the vehicle 100 may be divided into additional functional components or physical components, or combined into fewer functional components or physical components. In a further example, additional functional components or physical components may be added to the example as Figure 1 shown. The drive system 142 may include multiple operable components (or units) that provide kinetic energy to the vehicle 100. In one embodiment, the drive system 142 may include an engine or a motor, wheels, a transmission, an electronic system, and a power source (or power supply). The engine or the motor may be any combination of the following devices: an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a steam engine, a fuel cell engine, a propane engine, or other forms of engines or motors. In some embodiments, the engine may convert one power source into mechanical energy. In some embodiments, the drive system 142 may include multiple engines or motors. For example, a hybrid vehicle may include a gasoline engine and an electric motor, and there may be other cases.

[0035] The wheels of vehicle 100 can be standard wheels. The wheels of vehicle 100 can be wheels in various forms, including unicycle, bicycle, tricycle, or four-wheel forms, such as the four wheels on a sedan or a truck. Other numbers of wheels are also possible, such as six wheels or more. One or more wheels of vehicle 100 can be operated to rotate in a direction different from that of other wheels. The wheels can be at least one wheel fixedly connected to a transmission. The wheels can include a combination of metal and rubber, or a combination of other substances. The transmission can include a unit operable to transmit the mechanical power of the engine to the wheels. For this purpose, the transmission can include a gearbox, a clutch, a differential gear, and a drive shaft. The transmission can also include other units. The drive shaft can include one or more axles that match the wheels. The electronic system can include a unit for transmitting or controlling electronic signals of vehicle 100. These electronic signals can be used to activate multiple lights, multiple servo mechanisms, multiple motors, and other electronic driving or controlling devices in vehicle 100. The power source can be an energy source that powers the engine or the motor in whole or in part. That is, the engine or the motor can convert the power source into mechanical energy. Exemplarily, the power source can include gasoline, petroleum, petroleum-based fuels, propane, other compressed gas fuels, ethanol, fuel cells, solar panels, batteries, and other electrical energy sources. The power source can additionally or optionally include any combination of a fuel tank, a battery, a capacitor, or a flywheel. The power source can also supply energy to other systems of vehicle 100.

[0036] The sensor system 144 can include multiple sensors for sensing information about the environment and conditions of vehicle 100. For example, the sensor system 144 can include an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) transceiver (such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) transceiver), radar (RADAR), a laser rangefinder / LIDAR (or other distance measurement devices), acoustic sensors, ultrasonic sensors, and cameras or image capture devices. The sensor system 144 can include multiple sensors for monitoring vehicle 100 (such as an oxygen monitor, a fuel gauge sensor, an engine oil pressure sensor, a rain monitor, and temperature, humidity, pressure sensors, etc.). Other sensors can also be configured. One or more sensors included in the sensor system 144 can be driven individually or collectively to update the position, orientation, or both of one or more sensors.

[0037] The IMU may include a combination of sensors (such as an accelerator and a gyroscope) for sensing changes in the position and orientation of vehicle 100 based on inertial acceleration. The GPS transceiver can be any sensor for estimating the geographical location of vehicle 100. For this purpose, the GPS transceiver may include a receiver / transmitter to provide the position information of vehicle 100 relative to the Earth. It should be noted that GPS is an example of a global navigation satellite system. Therefore, in some embodiments, the GPS transceiver can be replaced by a Beidou satellite navigation system transceiver or a Galileo satellite navigation system transceiver. The radar unit can use radio signals to sense objects in the environment where vehicle 100 is located. In some embodiments, in addition to sensing objects, the radar unit can also be used to sense the speed and forward direction of an object approaching vehicle 100. The laser rangefinder or LIDAR unit (or other distance measuring device) can be any sensor that uses lasers to sense objects in the environment where vehicle 100 is located. In one embodiment, the laser rangefinder / LIDAR unit may include a laser source, a laser scanner, and a detector. The laser rangefinder / LIDAR unit is used to operate in a continuous (such as using heterodyne detection) or discontinuous detection mode. The camera can include a device for capturing multiple images of the environment where vehicle 100 is located. The camera can be a still image camera or a dynamic video camera.

[0038] The control system 146 is used to control the operation of vehicle 100 and its components (or units). Accordingly, the control system 146 may include various units, such as a steering unit, a power control unit, a braking unit, and a navigation unit.

[0039] The steering unit can be a mechanical combination for adjusting the forward direction of vehicle 100. The power control unit (such as an accelerator, for example) can be used to control the operating speed of the engine and thus control the speed of vehicle 100. The braking unit can include a mechanical combination for decelerating vehicle 100. The braking unit can use friction in a standard manner to decelerate the vehicle. In other embodiments, the braking unit can convert the kinetic energy of the wheels into electricity. The braking unit can also take other forms. The navigation unit can be any system for determining the driving path or route for vehicle 100. The navigation unit can also dynamically update the driving path during the travel of vehicle 100. The control system 146 may additionally or optionally include other components (or units) not shown or described.

[0040] The user interface system 148 can be used to allow interaction between the vehicle 100 and external sensors, other vehicles, other computer systems, and / or the users of the vehicle 100. For example, the user interface system 148 can include a standard visual display device (e.g., a plasma display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touch screen display, a head-mounted display, or other similar displays), a speaker or other audio output device, a microphone or other audio input device. For example, the user interface system 148 can also include a navigation interface and an interface for controlling the internal environment of the vehicle 100 (e.g., temperature, fan, etc.).

[0041] The communication system 152 can provide a way for the vehicle 100 to communicate with one or more devices or other surrounding vehicles. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication system 152 can communicate directly with one or more devices or through a communication network. The communication system 152 can be, for example, a wireless communication system. For example, the communication system can use 3G cellular communication (e.g., CDMA, EVDO, GSM / GPRS) or 4G cellular communication (e.g., WiMAX or LTE), and can also use 5G cellular communication. Optionally, the communication system can communicate with a wireless local area network (WLAN) (e.g., using ). In some embodiments, the communication system 152 can communicate directly with one or more devices or other surrounding vehicles, for example, using infrared, or ZIGBEE. Other wireless protocols, such as various vehicle communication systems, are also within the scope of the disclosure of this application. For example, the communication system can include one or more dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) devices, V2V devices, or V2X devices, which will perform public or private data communication with vehicles and / or roadside stations.

[0042] The server 150 can control some or all of the functions of the vehicle 100. The autonomous driving control unit in the server 150 can be used to identify, evaluate, and avoid or cross potential obstacles in the environment where the vehicle 100 is located. Generally, the autonomous driving control unit can be used to control the vehicle 100 in the absence of a driver, or to provide assistance to the driver in controlling the vehicle. In some embodiments, the autonomous driving control unit is used to combine data from the GPS transceiver, radar data, LIDAR data, camera data, and data from other vehicle systems to determine the driving path or trajectory of the vehicle 100. The autonomous driving control unit can be activated to enable the vehicle 100 to be driven in an autonomous driving mode.

[0043] Server 150 may include at least one processor (which may include at least one microprocessor), and the processor executes processing instructions (i.e., machine-executable instructions) stored in a non-volatile computer-readable medium (such as a data storage device or a memory). Server 150 may also be a plurality of computing devices that distributively control components or systems of vehicle 100. In some embodiments, the memory may contain processing instructions (e.g., program logic) executed by the processor to implement various functions of vehicle 100. In one embodiment, server 150 is capable of communicating data with drive system 142, sensor system 144, control system 146, user interface system 148, and / or communication system 152. Interfaces in the computing system are used to facilitate data communication between server 150 and drive system 142, sensor system 144, control system 146, user interface system 148, and communication system 152.

[0044] The memory may also include other instructions, including instructions for data transmission, instructions for data reception, instructions for interaction, or instructions for controlling drive system 142, sensor system 144, or control system 146 or user interface system 148.

[0045] In addition to storing processing instructions, the memory may store various information or data, such as image processing parameters, road maps, and path information. This information may be used by vehicle 100 and server 150 during the operation of vehicle 100 in an automatic mode, semi-automatic mode, and / or manual mode.

[0046] Although the autonomous driving control unit is shown as being separate from the processor and the memory, it should be understood that in some embodiments, some or all of the functions of the autonomous driving control unit may be implemented using program code instructions residing in one or more memories (or data storage devices) and executed by one or more processors, and the autonomous driving control unit may, in some cases, use the same processor and / or memory (or data storage device) to implement. In some embodiments, the autonomous driving control unit may be implemented at least in part using various dedicated circuit logics, various processors, various field programmable gate arrays (“FPGA”), various application specific integrated circuits (“ASIC”), various real-time controllers, and hardware.

[0047] Server 150 can control the functions of vehicle 100 based on inputs received from various vehicle systems (e.g., drive system 142, sensor system 144, and control system 146), or inputs received from user interface system 148. For example, server 150 can use inputs from control system 146 to control the steering unit to avoid obstacles detected by sensor system 144. In one embodiment, server 150 can be used to control multiple aspects of vehicle 100 and its systems.

[0048] Although Figure 1 shows various components (or units) integrated into vehicle 100, one or more of these components (or units) can be mounted on vehicle 100 or separately associated with vehicle 100. For example, the computing system can exist partially or entirely independently of vehicle 100. Thus, vehicle 100 can exist in the form of separate or integrated device units. The device units constituting vehicle 100 can communicate with each other in a wired or wireless communication manner. In some embodiments, additional components or units can be added to each system or one or more of the above components or units can be removed from the system (e.g., Figure 1 the LiDAR or radar shown).

[0049] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the sensors in sensor system 144 can be coupled or fixed to the vehicle by nails, screws, tapes, adhesives, welding, soldering, bolts, or similar materials. In other embodiments, the sensors can be coupled or fixed to a roof rack or bracket along the top or bottom of the vehicle. The sensors can be coupled or fixed to the top, side, front, or rear of the vehicle. The sensors can be attached or fixed to the front grille, fender, or mirror of the vehicle. The sensors can be coupled or fixed to any external part of the vehicle.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, sensor system 144 includes sensor module 200. The figure shows a schematic diagram of sensor module 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 and Figure 4 respectively show a top view structural schematic diagram of sensor module 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0051] See Figures 2 - 4, the sensor module 200 includes a sensor chamber 210, a cleaning chamber 220, a transmission device 250 for communicating the sensor chamber 210 and the cleaning chamber 220, and a transparent medium 260 located on the transmission device 250. Among them, the sensor chamber 210 is used to place the sensor 230. The sensor chamber 210 has an opening 212, and this opening 212 is used to expose the sensor 230 located inside the sensor chamber 210, and specifically can be used to expose the lens 231 of the sensor 230. The transparent medium 260 can move back and forth between the sensor chamber 210 and the cleaning chamber 220 driven by the transmission device 250, and when the transparent medium 260 is in the sensor chamber 210, it can cover the opening 212, and when it is in the cleaning chamber 220, it can be cleaned by the cleaning device 240. The cleaning device 240 is placed in the cleaning chamber 220, and the cleaning device 240 is used to clean the transparent medium 260. The cleaning device 240 includes but is not limited to a nozzle and a wiper.

[0052] In this way, during the driving of the vehicle, the transparent medium 260 is blocked in front of the lens 231 of the sensor 230, and most of the dirty substances entering from the opening 212 are blocked by the transparent medium 260, preventing the sensor lens 231 from being contaminated. When the transparent medium 260 becomes dirty, it can be moved to the cleaning chamber 220 for cleaning, so that there is no need to directly operate on the sensor lens 231, avoiding the problem of possible degradation of data acquisition performance during the direct cleaning of the sensor lens 231 by a nozzle, a wiper, etc., thereby ensuring the stability of the performance of the sensor 230 itself and the quality of data acquisition.

[0053] In some embodiments, both the cleaning device 240 and the transmission device 250 have a working state and a non - working state. The cleaning device 240 can clean the transparent medium 260 in the working state and stop cleaning the transparent medium 260 in the non - working state. The transmission device 250 can drive the transparent medium 260 to move in the working state and stop moving in the non - working state. The working state can be considered as the on - state, and the non - working state can be considered as the off - state or the standby state.

[0054] In some embodiments, the sensor chamber 210 and the cleaning chamber 220 can be rigidly and fixedly connected. In one implementation, the sensor chamber 210 and the cleaning chamber 220 can be fixedly connected closely, such as sharing the same side wall 222; in another implementation, there can be a certain distance between the sensor chamber 210 and the cleaning chamber 220, as long as the fixed rigid connection between the two is ensured, such as installing the two chambers on the same rigid object, and the rigid object includes but is not limited to a bracket, a base, etc.

[0055] In some embodiments, the sensors 230 that can be placed in the sensor compartment 210 include, but are not limited to, cameras, Lidar, and Radar. The cameras include, but are not limited to, fisheye cameras, medium - focal - length cameras, long - focal - length cameras, etc. The sensor compartment 210 includes a front panel 211, and an opening 212 is provided on the front panel 211. The opening 212 is used to expose the lens 231 of the sensor 230 located inside the housing. Those skilled in the art can set the size of the opening 212 as needed to ensure that it does not affect the data acquisition effect of the rear sensor, and at the same time, it will not allow too much dirt (such as dust, bird droppings, rain, snow, flying insects, etc.) to enter the sensor compartment 210 due to the opening 212 being too large. Generally, the opening 212 can be circular or square, and the diameter of the circle or the side length of the square is greater than or equal to the surface diameter of the sensor mirror deviation.

[0056] Furthermore, the surface area of the transparent medium 260 is greater than or equal to the area of the opening 212, and the surface area of the opening 212 is greater than or equal to the surface area of the sensor lens 231, ensuring that the opening 212 does not block the light of the lens 231, and the transparent medium 260 can effectively block most of the dirt. That the transparent medium 260 can cover the opening 212 means that when the transparent medium 260 moves to the vicinity of the opening 212 on the transmission device 250, looking from the direction perpendicular to the surface of the opening 212, the projection area of the opening 212 is located within the projection area of the transparent medium 260.

[0057] In some embodiments, the transmission device 250 is located in front of the sensor lens 231 (such as in the lower front position), so that the transparent medium 260 on the transmission device 250 can cover the sensor lens 231. A part of the transmission device 250 is located in the sensor compartment 210, and another part is located in the cleaning compartment 220, thereby connecting the sensor compartment 210 and the cleaning compartment 220. Then, an opening is provided on the side wall 222 shared by the sensor compartment 210 and the cleaning compartment 220, and this opening is used for the passage of the transmission device 250. The transmission device 250 includes a transmission track 251 and a slide rail 252 located on the transmission track 251, and can drive the transparent medium 260 to move back and forth under the drive of the motor 270. The motor 270 can be installed inside the sensor compartment 210 or outside the sensor compartment 210, as long as the motor 270 can drive the transmission device 250 to move. The present disclosure does not limit the installation position of the motor 270. To save space inside the compartment, the transmission device 250 can be set as an "L" - shaped structure. A part of this "L" structure is parallel to the optical axis of the lens 231, and a part is perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens 231 to drive the transparent medium 260 to move back and forth. The optical axis is the central axis passing through the optical center of the lens.

[0058] In some embodiments, the transparent medium 260 can be arranged on the transmission device 250 through a holder 261. One end of the holder 261 is fixedly connected to the transparent medium 260, and the other end is installed on the transmission device 250 and can move along with the movement of the transmission device 250. Further, one end of the holder 261 clamps the transparent medium 260 and is fixedly connected to the transparent medium 260 through adhesives such as colloids or connecting pieces such as screws and nuts. The other end of the holder 261 is mounted on the transmission track 251 and can slide along the slide rail 252 under the drive of the transmission track 251.

[0059] In some embodiments, the size of the opening 212 is greater than or equal to the size of the sensor lens 231, and the size of the transparent medium 260 is much greater than or equal to the size of the opening 212. The surface of the transparent medium 260 is perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens 231, ensuring that the opening 212 does not affect the imaging effect of the sensor. When the transparent medium 260 is moved in front of the sensor lens 231, it can block most of the dirt and reduce the impact on light transmission. The transparent medium 260 is spaced 15 - 20 mm from the sensor lens 231. If the distance is too close, friction is likely to occur during the movement of the transparent medium 260; if the distance is too far, the protective effect of the transparent medium 260 on the sensor lens 231 may be reduced, and the size of the cleaning chamber 220 is also increased.

[0060] In some embodiments, the cleaning device 240 arranged in the cleaning chamber 220 includes a nozzle for spraying a cleaning medium onto the transparent medium 260. The nozzle can be fixed on the inner shell in the cleaning chamber 220, such as on the top of the inner shell. The installation position of the nozzle ensures that the cleaning medium sprayed by the nozzle can cover the dirty surface of the transparent medium. Further, the nozzle includes a first nozzle and a second nozzle. The first nozzle is used for spraying a cleaning liquid, and the second nozzle is used for spraying a cleaning gas. In addition, the nozzle can also be equipped with a heating function to spray heated cleaning liquid and / or cleaning gas, further improving the cleaning effect.

[0061] In some embodiments, the cleaning device 240 can also include a wiper (not shown in the figure), and the wiper can also be fixed on the inner shell of the cleaning chamber 220 for further cleaning the transparent medium 260. The installation position of the wiper ensures that the wiper can wipe the dirty surface of the transparent medium 260. For example, the wiper is fixed on the top of the inner shell and cooperates with the nozzle to clean the transparent medium 260.

[0062] In some embodiments, the cleaning chamber 220 is also of a housing structure, specifically a sealed structure to prevent external dirty substances from entering the cleaning chamber 220. Of course, openings can also be provided on one or more surfaces of the outer shell to facilitate the discharge of the cleaning medium.

[0063] In some embodiments, a fan 290 may also be provided in the cleaning chamber 220, and the fan 290 is used to discharge the water vapor in the cleaning chamber 220. A heater (not shown in the figure) may also be provided in the cleaning chamber 220, and the heater is used to accelerate the evaporation of the water vapor in the cleaning chamber 220. Those skilled in the art can set the installation positions of the fan 290 and the heater by themselves as long as the required functions can be achieved. Among them, the heater may be set at a position close to the transparent medium 260 to accelerate the evaporation of the residual liquid on the transparent medium 260.

[0064] In some embodiments, the sensor module 200 may further include a cleaning brush 280 located between the cleaning chamber and the sensor chamber. The cleaning brush 280 is used to wipe the transparent medium 260 when the transparent medium 260 passes through, so as to clean substances such as dust, powder and water stains on the transparent medium 260. It should be understood that the cleaning brush 280 may be separately provided in the sensor chamber 210, or separately provided in the cleaning chamber 220, or may be Figure 2 as shown, provided at the connection between the sensor chamber 210 and the cleaning chamber 220 (such as provided at the opening of the side wall 222). The cleaning brush 280 may be provided above the transmission device 250. Preferably, the cleaning brush 280 is as close as possible to the transmission device 250, or the distance between the bottom of the cleaning brush 280 and the top of the transmission device 250 is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, which not only ensures the fixing effect of the cleaning brush 280 on the housing, but also prevents the dirty substances in the sensor chamber 210 from entering the cleaning chamber 220, and prevents the cleaning medium in the cleaning chamber 220 from entering the sensor chamber 210. The predetermined threshold may be 0.5 cm - 2.5 cm, but is not limited thereto. Optionally, the cleaning brush 280 is provided on both sides of the slide rail 252 but does not contact the transmission track 251, so that the cleaning brush 280 will not move with the movement of the transmission track 251, and can also isolate the substance interaction between the cleaning chamber 220 and the sensor chamber 210 as much as possible.

[0065] In some embodiments, the transparent medium 260 can be moved to the cleanable area of the cleaning device in the cleaning chamber 220, and can be moved to a position covering the opening 212 in the sensor chamber 210, such as a position coaxial with the lens 231. The cleanable area of the cleaning device is the area where the cleaning device can perform cleaning. Among them, the cleanable area of the nozzle is the area where the cleaning medium of the nozzle can be sprayed, and the cleanable area of the wiper is the area where the wiper can sweep back and forth. As an example, the transparent medium 260 can be moved to the center position of the cleanable area. The position that the transparent medium 260 can reach can be limited by setting the distance that the transmission device 250 moves each time, or a limiting device can be provided near the target position where the transparent medium 260 needs to stop moving to limit the transparent medium 260 at the target position.

[0066] For example, as Figure 3As shown, a first limiter 213 is provided at a predetermined position of the sensor chamber 210. The first limiter 213 is used to limit the transparent medium 260 at point A directly in front of the lens 231, for example, to prevent the center point of the transparent medium 260 from moving to a position beyond the optical axis of the lens 231. A second limiter 223 is provided at a predetermined position of the cleaning chamber 220. The second limiter 223 is used to limit the transparent medium 260 on the cleanable area of the cleaning device 240, such as limiting it to point B, to ensure that the nozzle can clean the entire surface of the transparent medium 260. The first limiter 213 and the second limiter 223 can be in any form, such as a column structure, a plate structure, a block structure, etc., as long as they can limit the transparent medium 260 to the corresponding position.

[0067] In some other embodiments, the transmission time t0 required for each transmission in a single direction can also be determined according to the transmission speed of the transmission device 250 and the distance that the transparent medium 260 needs to move. When it is necessary to clean the transparent medium 260, the transmission device 250 is controlled to enter the working state, and after the time t0, it is controlled to enter the non-working state. When it is necessary to move the transparent medium 260 from the cleaning chamber 220 to the sensor chamber 210, the transmission device 250 is again controlled to enter the working state, and after the time t0, it is controlled to enter the non-working state. Among them, the distance that the transparent medium 260 needs to move is the distance between the position where it needs to stop in front of the lens 231 and the position where it needs to stop below the cleaning device 240. As an example, the distance that the transparent medium 260 needs to move is the length of the line segment AB.

[0068] In some embodiments, the sensor module 200 further includes a controller (not shown in the figure). The controller can be communicatively connected to at least one of the sensor 230, the transmission device 250, the cleaning device 240, the fan 290, and the heater, and is used to analyze the data collected by the sensor 230 and control the opening and closing of at least one of the cleaning device 240, the transmission device, the fan 290, and the heater, that is, to control these devices to enter the working state and the non-working state respectively. For example, the fan 290 is turned on to enter the working state. The fan 290 can ventilate the cleaning chamber 220 in the working state 290, and the heater can accelerate the evaporation of the water stains on the transparent mechanism 290 in the working state. It should be understood that the controller can control the opening and closing of the transmission device 250 by controlling the opening and closing of the motor 270, that is, to control the transmission device 250 to enter the working state and the non-working state. The controller can be the computing system 150 of the vehicle 100, a part of the computing system 150, or a remote user computing device.

[0069] In one implementation, the controller has an operation interface through which the user can control the opening and closing of cleaning devices such as the nozzle and wiper 240, as well as devices such as the motor 270 and fan 290, by clicking operations and / or input operations of buttons or a mouse. Among them, the user can judge whether to clean the transparent medium according to the degree of dirtiness of the transparent medium observed with the naked eye or according to the detection result of the image detection algorithm. When cleaning is required, the user performs input or click operations on this operation interface to sequentially turn on and off each device. For example, first turn on the motor 270 to move the dirty transparent medium 260 into the cleaning chamber 220, then turn off the motor 270, and turn on the cleaning device 240 to clean the dirty transparent medium 260. In addition, the fan 290 and / or heater can be turned on to quickly discharge the water vapor in the cleaning chamber 220. Optionally, the control interface has option boxes and buttons for each electronic device in the sensor chamber 210 and the cleaning chamber 220, facilitating the user to click and input, such as turning on or off the motor 270, turning on or off the nozzle, turning on or off the fan 290, heater, etc. by clicking, inputting the cleaning duration of the nozzle, the air change duration of the fan 290, the heating duration of the heater, the on duration of the motor 270, etc.

[0070] In another implementation, when the controller detects dirt on the surface of the transparent medium 260, it automatically controls the transmission device 250 to enter the working state to move the transparent medium 260 from the sensor chamber 210 to the cleaning chamber 220 to clean the transparent medium 260. For example, the controller can judge whether the transparent medium 260 is dirty by analyzing the data collected by the sensor 230 (such as the image data of the image acquisition device or the point cloud data of the point cloud acquisition device), and can also identify the type of dirt through a detection algorithm or image processing operation, such as distinguishing solid dirt substances, liquid dirt substances, etc. Further, the controller can also identify the dirt objects, such as bird droppings, flying insects, mud spots, etc. Optionally, the controller can also calculate the dirt area and dirt time (i.e., the existence time of the dirt object) on the transparent medium 260 to determine the degree of dirtiness, and when the degree of dirtiness reaches a predetermined level, control the transmission device 250 to enter the working state to move the transparent medium 260 from the sensor chamber 210 to the cleaning chamber 220.

[0071] In yet another implementation, the controller can also calculate the activation time of the cleaning device 240 based on the transmission speed of the transmission device 250 and the distance that the transparent medium 260 needs to move, so that the cleaning device 240 is automatically activated for cleaning after the transparent medium 260 reaches the cleanable area of the cleaning device 240, realizing intelligent operation. Alternatively, as described above, the controller can calculate the movement time of the transmission device 250 based on the transmission speed of the transmission device 250 and the distance that the transparent medium needs to move. Then, the controller can also automatically control the transmission device 250 to enter the non-working state and automatically control the cleaning device 240 to enter the working state at the arrival of the movement time, thereby cleaning the transparent medium 260.

[0072] In yet another implementation, the controller can also determine the cleaning time of the cleaning device 240 according to the degree of soiling of the transparent medium 260, and control the cleaning device 240 to enter the non-working state at the arrival of the cleaning time. Among them, the cleaning time can be positively correlated with the degree of soiling, that is, the larger the soiled area, the longer the cleaning time, and the longer the soiling time, the longer the cleaning time. The cleaning time of solid substances is longer than that of liquid substances. The controller can also control the cleaning device 240 to enter the non-working state after reaching the cleaning time, and control the transmission device 250 to enter the working state to move the transparent medium 260 from the cleaning chamber 220 to the sensor chamber 210.

[0073] In addition, as described above, a first stopper 213 and a second stopper 223 can be respectively provided in the sensor chamber 210 and the cleaning chamber 220. In some embodiments, a collision detection sensor (not shown in the figure) can also be provided in the first stopper 213 and the second stopper 223. The collision detector can be installed on the side facing the transparent medium 260. The controller can be communicatively connected to the collision detector for obtaining the detection result of the collision detection sensor and controlling the relevant devices to enter the working state or the non-working state according to the detection result. For example, when the controller detects that the second stopper 223 is collided by the transparent medium 260 or its gripper 261 according to the collision detection sensor on the second stopper 223, it controls the transmission device 250 to enter the non-working state and controls the cleaning device 240 to enter the working state; and when it detects that the first stopper 213 is collided by the transparent medium 260 or its gripper 261 according to the collision detection sensor on the first stopper 213, it controls the transmission device 250 to enter the non-working state. It should be understood that whether the first stopper 213 and the second stopper 223 are collided by the transparent medium 260 or its gripper 261 depends on the installation height of the first stopper 213 and the second stopper 223.

[0074] In some embodiments, one transparent medium 260 can be provided in the sensor module 200, and the transparent medium 260 can be as Figure 3moves back and forth on the transmission device as shown. However, after the transparent medium 260 is removed from in front of the lens 231, there may be a situation where there is no protection device in front of the lens 231.

[0075] Therefore, in some other embodiments, as Figure 4 shown, the sensor module 200 may also be provided with two transparent media 260. Correspondingly, the transmission device 250 may include a first transmission device 253 and a second transmission device 254, and the motor 270 may include a first motor 271 and a second motor 272. The first transparent medium 262 is located on the first transmission device 253 and moves with the movement of the first transmission device 253, such as moving back and forth between two bins following the movement of the first transmission device 253; the second transparent medium 263 is located on the second transmission device 254 and moves with the movement of the second transmission device 254, such as moving back and forth between two bins following the movement of the second transmission device 254. Each transmission device has a corresponding transmission track and slide rail, and each transmission device can also be set as an "L" - shaped structure. A part of this "L" - shaped structure is parallel to the optical axis of the lens 231, and a part is perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens 231, so as to drive the corresponding transparent medium to move back and forth between the two bins.

[0076] As an example, the first motor 271 is used to drive the first transmission device 253, and the second motor 272 is used to drive the second transmission device 254. The first motor 271 can be installed in the sensor bin 210, and the second motor 272 can be installed in the cleaning bin 220. Considering that there is often cleaning liquid in the cleaning bin 220, a protective shell 221 can also be provided in the cleaning bin 220 to install the second motor 272 in the protective shell 221. Of course, the first motor 271 and the second motor 272 can also be both installed outside the bin, and the present disclosure does not limit the installation positions of these two motors.

[0077] As an example, each transparent medium also has a corresponding gripper 261 for installing on the corresponding transmission device 250. Moreover, the cleaning brush 280 in the embodiment of the present disclosure can also be provided with two brush grooves, thus respectively forming a first cleaning brush 281 and a second cleaning brush 282. The first cleaning brush 281 is for the first transparent medium 262 to pass through, and the second cleaning brush 282 is for the second transparent medium 263 to pass through, so as to clean the corresponding transparent medium respectively.

[0078] As an example, when moving to a specific position, both the first transparent medium 262 and the second transparent medium 263 can cover the opening 212 and are also coaxial with the sensor lens 231, that is, the optical axes of the first transparent medium 262, the second transparent medium 263, and the lens 231 coincide. When the two transparent media are coaxial, the distance between the two transparent media ensures that there is no friction during the movement of the two transparent media and also ensures that the device size is not increased due to too large a distance.

[0079] In this way, the second transparent medium 263 can be driven by the second transmission device 254 to move into the sensor chamber 210 (such as in front of the first transparent medium 262), and then the first transparent medium 262 is driven by the first transmission device 253 to move into the cleaning chamber 220 for cleaning. The first transparent medium 262 can be driven by the first transmission device 253 to move into the sensor chamber (such as between the second transparent medium 263 and the lens 231), and then the second transparent medium 263 is driven by the second transmission device 254 to move into the cleaning chamber 220 for cleaning. This operation mode can ensure that there is always a transparent medium blocking in front of the lens 231, reducing the probability of the lens 231 being soiled. Figure 5 The figure shows a schematic diagram of cleaning the transparent medium in the cleaning chamber. Figure 6 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the two transparent media being coaxial with the sensor lens.

[0080] As another example, the alternating appearance of the two transparent media can also be achieved by controlling the movement modes of the first transmission device 253 and the second transmission device 254, that is, by controlling to ensure that the soiled transparent medium in front of the lens 231 is just removed, and another clean transparent medium is immediately moved in front of the lens 231.

[0081] It should be noted that the first transparent medium 262 and the second transparent medium 263 can move only on the respective first transmission device 253 and second transmission device 254 where they are located, or a loop movement of the first transparent medium 262 and the second transparent medium 263 can be achieved, that is, continue to move after switching from the first transmission device 253 to the second transmission device 254, or continue to move after switching from the second transmission device 254 to the first transmission device 253. At this time, a first grasping device (not shown in the figure) can also be provided in the sensor bin 210, and this first grasping device is used to switch the first transparent medium 262 or the second transparent medium 263 from the second transmission device 254 to the first transmission device 253. A second grasping device (not shown in the figure) can also be provided in the cleaning bin 220, and this second grasping device is used to switch the first transparent medium 262 or the second transparent medium 263 from the first transmission device 253 to the second transmission device 254. The first grasping device and the second grasping device can be robotic arms, and their opening and closing can also be controlled by a controller. Thus, the loop movement of the first transparent medium 262 and the second transparent medium 263 is realized, so that the first transparent medium 262 and the second transparent medium 263 can be installed at the same position in front of the lens 231 each time, ensuring the image acquisition accuracy within a continuous period.

[0082] For example, if the first transparent medium 262 on the first transmission device 253 in the sensor bin 210 is dirty, the second transparent medium 263 located in the cleaning bin 220 is switched from the first transmission device 253 to the second transmission device 254 by the second grasping device, and the second motor 272 is turned on to control the second transmission device 254 to enter the working state, and the second transparent medium 263 is moved from the cleaning bin 220 to the sensor bin 210. When the second transparent medium 263 reaches in front of the first transparent medium 262, the second transmission device 254 is controlled to enter the non-working state, and the first motor 271 is turned on to control the first transmission device 253 to enter the working state, and the first transparent medium 262 is moved from the sensor bin 210 to the cleaning bin 220. Then the first motor 271 is turned off, and the second transparent medium 263 is switched from the second transmission device 254 to the first transmission device 253 by the first grasping device, such as switching to the position where the first transparent medium 262 was originally located.

[0083] Through this process, the dirty transparent medium in the sensor bin 210 is replaced with the clean transparent medium in the cleaning bin 220, and the clean transparent medium in the cleaning bin 220 is replaced with the dirty transparent medium in the sensor bin 210, and both transparent media are located on the first transmission device 253. Similarly, if the clean transparent medium in the sensor bin 210 becomes dirty again, the two transparent media are swapped in the same way.

[0084] In some embodiments, when the controller detects that the first transparent medium 262 located in the sensor bin 210 is dirty, it can control the second transmission device 254 to move the second transparent medium 263 from the cleaning bin 220 to the sensor bin 210 (such as in front of the lens 231), and control the first transmission device 253 to move the first transparent medium 262 to the cleaning bin 220 for cleaning. When the controller detects that the second transparent medium 263 located in the sensor bin 210 is dirty, it can also control the first transmission device 253 to move the first transparent medium 262 from the cleaning bin 220 to the sensor bin 210 (such as in front of the lens 231), and control the second transmission device 254 to move the second transparent medium 263 to the cleaning bin 220 for cleaning.

[0085] In other embodiments, when the controller detects that the first transparent medium 262 on the first transmission device 253 in the sensor bin 210 is dirty, it can control the second gripper to switch the second transparent medium 263 located in the cleaning bin 220 from the first transmission device 253 to the second transmission device 254, and control the second transmission device 254 to enter the working state to move the second transparent medium 263 from the cleaning bin 220 to the sensor bin 210. When the second transparent medium 263 reaches directly in front of the lens 231 (which can be judged by the naked eye, or according to the transmission speed of the transmission device and the distance that the transparent medium needs to move, or according to the detection result of the collision detector on the positioning bin in the first bin), the controller controls the first transmission device 253 to enter the working state, moves the first transparent medium 262 from the sensor bin 210 to the cleaning bin 220, then controls the first transmission device 253 to enter the non - working state, and controls the first gripper to switch the second transparent medium 263 from the second transmission device 254 to the first transmission device 253, that is, to the position where the first transparent medium 262 was originally located. Similarly, if the clean transparent medium in the sensor bin 210 gets dirty again, the same control method is used to swap the two transparent media. Generally, the first and second grippers switch the transparent medium between the two transmission devices through the gripper 261 that grips the transparent medium. And in the embodiments of the present disclosure, a guiding mechanism can be set at the position where switching is required, and according to this guiding mechanism, the gripper 261 can be conveniently, quickly and accurately placed at the position where switching is required.

[0086] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7As shown, the sensor module 200 may include two cleaning bins 220, which are respectively located on opposite sides of the sensor bin 210 and are rigidly connected to the sensor bin 210. The transmission device 250 is simultaneously connected to the first cleaning bin, the sensor bin 210, and the second cleaning bin. Two transparent media are still provided on the transmission device 250, where the first transparent medium 262 is located in the sensor bin 210 and the second transparent medium 263 is located in the first cleaning bin. Cleaning devices 240 are provided in both cleaning bins 220, and the cleaning devices 240 of the two cleaning bins are symmetrically distributed. For example, if the cleaning device in the first cleaning bin is at a first distance from point A, then the cleaning device in the second cleaning bin is also at the first distance from point A. For at least devices such as fans, water filtering brushes, heaters, etc., the two cleaning bins may adopt the same configuration or different configurations, and the present disclosure does not limit this. Optionally, the same type of device in the two cleaning bins is symmetrically distributed with respect to the sensor bin 210.

[0087] That is, one of the two cleaning bins 220 (the first cleaning bin) includes a transparent medium, and the other cleaning bin (the second cleaning bin) does not include a transparent medium. Since both transparent media are located on the transmission device 250, when the transmission device 250 moves each time, the moving directions of the two transparent media remain the same. Among them, the first transparent medium 262 can move back and forth between the sensor bin 210 and the second cleaning bin under the drive of the transmission device 250; the second transparent medium 263 can move back and forth between the first cleaning bin and the sensor bin 210 under the drive of the transmission device 250.

[0088] As an example, when the first transparent medium 262 in the sensor bin 210 is moved into the second cleaning bin (such as being moved to the cleanable area of the cleaning device), the second transparent medium 263 in the first cleaning bin is moved into the sensor bin 210 (such as being moved in front of the sensor lens 231). After that, when the second transparent medium 263 in the sensor bin 210 is moved in the reverse direction into the first cleaning bin, the first transparent medium 262 in the second cleaning bin is moved in the reverse direction into the sensor bin 210. The distance between the two transparent media on the transmission device 250 remains unchanged. The first transparent medium 262 can be preset in front of the sensor lens 231, and the second transparent medium can be preset at the fixed cleaning position of the first cleaning bin to ensure that each movement can move the transparent medium to the required position. In this way, the embodiment of the present disclosure can connect the transmission device 250 to three adjacent bins and set transparent media in the sensor bin 210 and one of the cleaning bins to achieve the cleaning of the transparent medium in front of the lens 231.

[0089] According to the technical solution of the embodiments of the present disclosure, by placing a dedicated transparent medium 260 in front of the sensor 230 and moving the transparent medium 260 to the cleaning bin 220 for cleaning when the transparent medium 260 gets dirty, the problem that the surface of the sensor lens 231 often gets stained and needs to be cleaned can be solved, the data acquisition quality of the sensor 230 can be improved, and the driving safety of the vehicle can be ensured. Further, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, a transparent medium 260 can be respectively arranged in the sensor bin 210 and the cleaning bin 220. When the transparent medium 260 in front of the sensor lens 231 needs to be cleaned, the cleaned transparent medium 260 in the cleaning bin 220 can be moved in front of the lens 231 in the sensor bin 210 to realize the alternating use of the two transparent media and reduce the probability of the sensor lens 231 being directly contaminated.

[0090] Moreover, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, a fan 290 and a heater can be arranged in the cleaning bin to accelerate the discharge of water vapor in the cleaning bin and the volatilization of water stains on the transparent medium, and keep the cleaning bin 220 dry. Moreover, a cleaning brush 280 is arranged at the connection between the cleaning bin 220 and the sensor bin 210, which helps to brush off the dust and water stains on the transparent medium 260. This solution can be remotely operated by a controller to intelligently control the replacement and cleaning of the transparent medium 260, timely clean the stains on the transparent medium 260, ensure the permeability of the transparent medium 260, and the imaging effect of the sensor lens 231.

[0091] Figure 8 A diagram of a machine in an example form of a controller 800 is shown. The controller 800 can be a control computer system 150 on the vehicle 100, or can be other computing devices on or remote from the vehicle. When the instruction set is executed and / or the processing logic is started in the computing device, the machine can execute any one or more of the methods described and / or required herein. In an alternative embodiment, the machine operates as a stand-alone device, or can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine can operate as a server or a client machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine can be a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a tablet computing system, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a smart phone, a web application, a set-top box (STB), a network router, a switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing an instruction set (sequentially or otherwise) specifying actions to be taken by the machine or starting the processing logic. Further, although only a single machine is illustrated, the term "machine" can also be understood to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute an instruction set (or multiple instruction sets) for executing any one or more of the methods described and / or required herein.

[0092] Example controller 800 may include a data processor 802 (e.g., a system-on-chip (SoC), a general-purpose processing core, a graphics core, and optionally other processing logic) and a memory 804 (e.g., a memory) that can communicate with each other via a bus 806 or other data transfer system. The controller 800 may also include various input / output (I / O) devices and / or interfaces 810, such as a touchscreen display, an audio jack, a voice interface, and an optional network interface 812. In an example embodiment, the network interface 812 may include one or more radio transceivers configured to communicate with any one or more standard wireless and / or cellular protocols or access technologies (e.g., second generation (2G), 2.5 generation, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), and next-generation radio access of cellular systems, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), LTE, CDMA2000, WLAN, Wireless Router (WR) mesh, etc.). The network interface 812 may also be configured to be used with various other wired and / or wireless communication protocols (including TCP / IP, UDP, SIP, SMS, RTP, WAP, CDMA, TDMA, UMTS, UWB, WiFi, WiMax, Bluetooth, IEEE802.11x, etc.). In essence, the network interface 812 may actually include or support any wired and / or wireless communication and data processing mechanism through which information / data can be propagated between the controller 800 and another computing or communication system via a network 814.

[0093] The memory 804 may represent a machine-readable medium (or computer-readable storage medium) on which one or more instruction sets, software, firmware, or other processing logic (such as logic 808) that implement any one or more of the methods or functions described and / or claimed herein are stored. During execution by the controller 800, logic 808 or a portion thereof may also be entirely or at least partially disposed within the processor 802. As such, the memory 804 and the processor 802 may also constitute a machine-readable medium (or computer-readable storage medium). Logic 808 or a portion thereof may also be configured as processing logic or logic, at least a portion of which is implemented in hardware. Logic 808 or a portion thereof may also be transmitted or received via the network interface 812 over the network 814. Although the machine-readable medium (or computer-readable storage medium) of the example embodiments may be a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" (or computer-readable storage medium) should be understood to include a single non-transitory medium or multiple non-transitory media (such as a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and computing systems) that store one or more instruction sets. The term "machine-readable medium" (or computer-readable storage medium) may also be understood to include any non-transitory medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying an instruction set for a machine to execute and cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods of the various embodiments or capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a data structure utilized by or associated with such an instruction set. The term "machine-readable medium" (or computer-readable storage medium) may thus be understood to include, but is not limited to, solid-state memory, optical media, and magnetic media.

[0094] The disclosed and other embodiments, modules, and functional operations described in this document can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware (including the structures disclosed herein and their structural equivalents), or in combinations of one or more of them. The disclosed and other embodiments can be implemented as one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, a data processing apparatus. The computer-readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter affecting a machine-readable propagated signal, or a combination of one or more of them. The term “data processing apparatus” encompasses all apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. The apparatus can also include code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, such as code constituting processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them. A propagated signal is an artificially generated signal, such as an electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal generated by a machine to encode information to be transmitted to a suitable receiver apparatus.

[0095] A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including a compiled or interpreted language, and the computer program can be deployed in any form, including being deployed as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program need not reside in a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (such as one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple cooperating files (such as files that store one or more modules, subroutines, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed to execute on one computer or on multiple computers located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0096] The processes and logical flows described in this document can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logical flows can also be performed by, and the apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit).

[0097] Processors suitable for executing computer programs include, for example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory or a random access memory or both. Essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing the instructions and one or more memory devices for storing the instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include one or more mass storage devices for storing data (such as magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks), or the computer will also be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to the one or more mass storage devices or both. However, a computer need not have such devices. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media, and memory devices, including, for example, semiconductor memory devices such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM disks and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

[0098] Although the present disclosure contains many details, these details should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any disclosure or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments of a particular disclosure. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments in the present disclosure may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments. Additionally, although the features may have been described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, in some cases one or more features from a claimed combination may be excluded from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variation of a sub-combination.

[0099] Similarly, although operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed to achieve a desired result. Additionally, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described in the present disclosure should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments. Only some implementations and examples have been described, and other implementations, enhancements, and variations may be made based on what is described and illustrated in the present disclosure.

[0100] The description of the embodiments described herein is intended to provide a general understanding of the structures of the various embodiments, and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all elements and features of the components and systems that may utilize the structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the description provided herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The figures herein are merely representative and may not be drawn to scale. Some scales may be enlarged while others may be minimized. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0101] Some embodiments implement functionality in two or more specific, interconnected hardware modules or devices, where control and data signals are communicated between and through the modules, or as part of an application specific integrated circuit. Thus, example systems are applicable to software, firmware, and hardware implementations.

[0102] Although the exemplary embodiments or examples of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the foregoing exemplary discussion is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the specific forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. Accordingly, the subject matter disclosed should not be limited to any single embodiment or example described herein, but should be construed in accordance with the breadth and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A sensor module, comprising: A sensor chamber, including an opening for exposing a sensor located within the sensor chamber; A cleaning chamber, including a cleaning device; A transmission device connecting the sensor chamber and the cleaning chamber; And A transparent medium located on the transmission device, which can move back and forth between the sensor chamber and the cleaning chamber through the transmission device, and when the transparent medium is in the sensor chamber, it can cover the opening; Wherein, the cleaning device is used to clean the transparent medium.

2. The sensor module according to claim 1, further comprising: A cleaning brush located between the sensor chamber and the cleaning chamber, for wiping the transparent medium when the transparent medium passes through the cleaning brush.

3. The sensor module according to claim 2, wherein, The cleaning brush is located at the connection between the sensor chamber and the cleaning chamber and above the transmission device.

4. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein, The transmission device includes a transmission track and a slide rail located on the transmission track. The sensor module further includes a gripper, one end of which is fixedly connected to the transparent medium, and the other end is installed on the transmission track and can slide along the slide rail.

5. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein, The cleaning chamber further includes at least one of the following: A fan for exhausting moisture in the cleaning chamber; A heater for accelerating the evaporation of moisture in the cleaning chamber.

6. The sensor module according to claim 1 further includes a controller, and the controller is adapted to control at least one of the cleaning device and the transmission device to enter a working state and a non-working state, wherein, The cleaning device can clean the transparent medium in the working state, and the transmission device can drive the transparent medium to move in the working state.

7. The sensor module according to claim 6, wherein, The controller is further adapted to control at least one of the cleaning device and the transmission device to enter the working state and the non-working state in response to a user's interface operation, and the interface operation includes at least one of an input operation and a click operation.

8. The sensor module according to claim 6, wherein, The controller is further adapted to judge whether the transparent medium is dirty according to the data collected by the sensor, and when it is determined that the transparent medium is dirty, control the transmission device to enter the working state to move the transparent medium from the sensor chamber to the cleaning chamber.

9. The sensor module according to claim 6, wherein, The controller is further adapted to calculate the opening time of the cleaning device according to the transmission speed of the transmission device and the distance that the transparent medium needs to move, and control the cleaning device to enter the working state when the opening time is reached.

10. The sensor module according to claim 6, wherein, The controller is further adapted to determine the cleaning time of the cleaning device according to the degree of dirt of the transparent medium, and control the cleaning device to enter the non-working state when the cleaning time is reached.

11. The sensor module according to claim 6, further comprising: A first limiter located within the sensor chamber, which is used to limit the transparent medium directly in front of the lens of the sensor.

12. The sensor module according to claim 11, wherein, The first limiter includes a collision detection sensor, and the controller is adapted to turn off the transmission device when it detects that the first limiter is collided according to the collision detection sensor.

13. The sensor module according to claim 6, further comprising: A second limiter located within the cleaning chamber, which is used to limit the transparent medium within the cleanable area of the cleaning device.

14. The sensor module according to claim 13, wherein, The second stopper includes a collision detection sensor, and the controller is adapted to control the cleaning device to enter the working state when it detects that the second stopper is collided according to the collision detection sensor.

15. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein, The transmission device includes a first transmission device and a second transmission device; The transparent medium includes a first transparent medium located on the first transmission device and a second transparent medium located on the second transmission device, and both the first transparent medium and the second transparent medium can cover the opening when in the sensor chamber.

16. The sensor module according to claim 15, wherein, The sensor chamber further includes a first motor for driving the first transmission device to move; The cleaning chamber further includes a second motor for driving the second transmission device to move, and the second motor is disposed in a protective housing located within the cleaning chamber.

17. The sensor module according to claim 15, wherein, The second transparent medium can be driven by the second transmission device to move in front of the first transparent medium, so that the first transparent medium is driven by the first transmission device to move to the cleaning chamber for cleaning; The first transparent medium can be driven by the first transmission device to move between the second transparent medium and the lens, so that the second transparent medium is driven by the second transmission device to move into the cleaning chamber for cleaning.

18. The sensor module according to claim 15, further comprising a controller, and the controller is configured to: When it detects that the first transparent medium located in the sensor chamber is dirty, control the second transmission device to move the second transparent medium into the sensor chamber, and control the first transmission device to move the first transparent medium into the cleaning chamber for cleaning; and When it detects that the second transparent medium located in the sensor chamber is dirty, control the first transmission device to move the first transparent medium into the sensor chamber, and control the second transmission device to move the second transparent medium into the cleaning chamber for cleaning.

19. The sensor module according to claim 15, further comprising: A first grasping device located in the sensor chamber, and the first grasping device is used to switch the first transparent medium or the second transparent medium from the second transmission device to the first transmission device; And A second grasping device located in the cleaning chamber, and the second grasping device is used to switch the first transparent medium or the second transparent medium from the first transmission device to the second transmission device.

20. A vehicle comprising the sensor module according to any one of claims 1-19.

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