Apparatus and method for detecting underbody conditions

Abstract

The invention provides equipment for detecting the condition of a vehicle bottom. The equipment comprises a radar sensor; the movement mechanism is mounted on the inner side of the vehicle chassis, is connected with the radar sensor and is configured to enable the radar sensor to move relative to the vehicle body; the control unit is configured to control the movement mechanism to drive the radar sensor to be switched from a first position to a second position in response to the fact that a preset triggering condition is met, and control the radar sensor to execute vehicle bottom condition detection in the second position; the radar sensor is contained inside the vehicle chassis, the detection range of the radar sensor covers the surrounding road environment of the vehicle, and at least part of the radar sensor extends out of the vehicle chassis at the second position. The application also proposes a method for detecting an underbody condition and a computer program product. The radar sensor provided by the invention can execute road environment detection in an accommodating state and execute vehicle bottom look-around detection in an extending state, so that efficient multiplexing of hardware resources and optimization of system cost are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a device for detecting the condition under a vehicle, a method for detecting the condition under a vehicle, and a computer program product. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of autonomous driving technology, parking functions such as Automated Valet Parking (AVP) and Remote Parking Assist (RPA) have gradually become widespread. However, when the vehicle system receives the "automatic parking exit" command, the lack of real-time perception of the environment under the vehicle prevents it from effectively identifying whether there are small animals or even children under the chassis before parking. Even in manual parking scenarios, drivers often overlook the situation under the vehicle due to blind spots. This lack of perception constitutes a significant safety hazard and has become one of the key bottlenecks restricting the safe and reliable deployment of automatic parking functions.

[0003] To address this, some automakers have attempted to install dedicated cameras under vehicles, hoping to monitor the undercarriage condition through visual images. However, such solutions are not only costly to implement, but the optical sensors are also highly susceptible to contamination or damage under the harsh conditions of a vehicle chassis, leading to detection failure. Furthermore, most existing undercarriage detection solutions rely on deploying dedicated sensors, which are often idle while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in a significant waste of vehicle hardware resources and poor economic efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, existing vehicle undercarriage condition detection solutions still have significant shortcomings. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a device for detecting the condition of a vehicle's undercarriage, a method for detecting the condition of a vehicle's undercarriage, and a computer program product, so as to at least solve some of the problems in the prior art.

[0006] According to a first aspect of this application, a device for detecting the condition under a vehicle is provided, wherein the device includes: Radar sensor; A motion mechanism, mounted inside the vehicle chassis and connected to the radar sensor, is configured to move the radar sensor relative to the vehicle body; and The control unit is configured to control the motion mechanism to switch the radar sensor from a first position to a second position in response to a preset trigger condition, and to control the radar sensor to perform undercarriage condition detection in the second position, wherein in the first position, the radar sensor is housed inside the vehicle chassis and its detection range covers the surrounding road environment of the vehicle, and in the second position, the radar sensor extends at least partially to the outside of the vehicle chassis.

[0007] This application specifically includes the following technical concept: the radar sensor can flexibly switch between a concealed state and an extended state. When the radar sensor is not used for under-vehicle condition detection, it can be concealed inside the vehicle body, thereby avoiding the impact of harsh working conditions on the vehicle chassis and ensuring the long-term effectiveness and reliability of the detection function. Furthermore, by enabling the same radar sensor to perform road environment detection in the concealed state and under-vehicle surround-view detection in the extended state, efficient reuse of hardware resources and optimization of system costs are achieved, avoiding the high costs and equipment idleness associated with setting up dedicated under-vehicle cameras. Overall, this fundamentally solves the problem of blind spots under the vehicle in automatic parking scenarios, greatly improving driving safety.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, when the radar sensor is in the first position, its detection range is directed toward the non-metallic material area of ​​the vehicle body shell, particularly toward the vehicle bumper area, plastic grille area, vehicle logo area and / or side door sill area.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment, the motion mechanism includes a first drive assembly configured to drive the radar sensor to rotate out of the vehicle chassis in a rotational manner, or to drive the radar sensor to move vertically downward to extend out of the vehicle chassis in a linear motion manner.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment, the motion mechanism includes a second drive assembly configured to drive the radar sensor to rotate after the radar sensor extends out of the vehicle chassis, thereby enabling a surround-view scan of the environment under the vehicle.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment, the motion mechanism further includes an opening and closing assembly movably mounted on the vehicle chassis and configured to switch between a closed state and an open state, wherein in the closed state, the opening and closing assembly closes an opening on the vehicle chassis, and in the open state, the opening is opened to allow the radar sensor to extend from the vehicle chassis.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment, the preset triggering condition includes at least one of the following: receiving a remote parking command and / or an automatic parking command; detecting that the vehicle has completed parking; detecting that the vehicle has an intention or operation signal to start from the parking space; and / or, the control unit is further configured to control the motion mechanism to drive the radar sensor to switch from the second position back to the first position after the undercarriage condition detection is completed.

[0013] In one exemplary embodiment, the control unit is further configured to analyze the detection results of the condition under the vehicle and control the automatic parking process of the vehicle based on the analysis results, wherein if the detection results indicate the presence of a living being under the vehicle, at least one of the following operations is performed: - Pause the automatic parking process or slow down the execution speed of the automatic parking process, and control the radar sensor to perform the undercarriage condition detection again after a predetermined time period. If the detection result shows that the life under the vehicle has disappeared, the automatic parking process is resumed. - Triggers a preset life form expulsion operation; - Terminate the automatic parking process of the vehicle; and / or - Send and / or output notifications to vehicle users' mobile devices in the vehicle; If the detection results indicate that there are no living beings under the vehicle, the automatic parking process is permitted.

[0014] In one exemplary embodiment, the control unit is further configured to: during and / or after a parking operation, perform a first detection of the undercarriage condition of the target parking space using the radar sensor and / or other onboard sensors; upon receiving a remote parking exit command and / or an automatic parking exit command, control the radar sensor to perform a second detection of the undercarriage condition of the target parking space; and compare the results of the first and second detections, and control the automatic parking process of the vehicle based on the comparison results.

[0015] According to a second aspect of this application, a method for detecting the condition under a vehicle is provided, wherein the method is performed by means of the device according to the first aspect of this application, the method comprising the steps of: controlling a motion mechanism to drive a radar sensor to switch from a first position to a second position in response to a preset trigger condition being met; and controlling the radar sensor to perform under-vehicle condition detection in the second position.

[0016] According to a third aspect of this application, a computer program product is provided, comprising computer program instructions, wherein, when executed by a processor, the computer program instructions enable the processor to perform the method according to a first aspect of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The principles, features, and advantages of this application will be better understood below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings include: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown, the vehicle including a device for detecting the condition under the vehicle; Figure 2A schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary arrangement of the radar sensors in a vehicle when the sensors are in a first position is shown. Figures 3A to 3C A schematic diagram illustrating an implementation of a motion mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown; Figures 4A to 4D A schematic diagram illustrating an implementation of a motion mechanism according to another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the application is shown; and Figure 6 A flowchart of a method according to another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial technical effects of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and several exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a vehicle 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown. The vehicle 1 includes a device 10 for detecting the condition of the undercarriage.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, vehicle 1 can support both partial and full autonomous driving, and may also have a manual driving mode. A device 10 for detecting the condition under the vehicle is installed in vehicle 1. This device 10 includes a control unit 11, a motion mechanism 13, and a radar sensor 12. At least some functional modules of device 10 (such as the control unit 11) may be integrated into the autonomous driving domain controller of vehicle 1, or may be implemented as independent functional units.

[0021] The control unit 11, for example, has a processor and a memory (not shown for simplicity). The memory stores computer program instructions, which can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as a hard disk, RAM, or flash memory card. The processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), microcontroller unit (MCU), graphics processing unit (GPU), neural network processing unit (NPU), digital signal processor (DSP), or other general-purpose processor. When the processor executes the computer program instructions in the memory, it can control the motion mechanism 13 to drive the radar sensor 12 to switch between a first position and a second position, and can control the radar sensor 12 to perform under-vehicle condition detection in the second position.

[0022] Radar sensor 12, for example, is a millimeter-wave radar, which detects target objects by emitting electromagnetic waves into the surrounding environment and receiving their echoes. Figure 1 As shown, when the radar sensor 12 is in its first position (shown in solid lines), it is housed within the vehicle chassis 2 and is not visible to the outside; therefore, it can also be referred to as a concealed state. In this state, its detection range is exemplarily directed towards the front of the vehicle for detecting the road surface ahead. However, the number and arrangement of the radar sensors 12 are not limited to this. The radar sensor 12 can also be arranged on the side or rear of the vehicle body, and therefore, when in its first position, it can also be arranged to detect the road environment to the side or rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, Figure 1 The image also exemplarily illustrates, with dashed lines, the second position of the radar sensor 12. In this second position, the radar sensor extends at least partially beyond the vehicle chassis 2, enabling its detection range to cover a portion of the ground environment below the vehicle chassis, thereby achieving detection of the conditions under the vehicle.

[0023] exist Figure 1 The diagram also schematically illustrates a potential obstacle 5 under the vehicle. This obstacle 5 may include, but is not limited to, living beings such as humans and animals, as well as other objects such as stones and metal debris that may damage the vehicle body or pose a safety risk. When the radar sensor 12 is in the second position, it can, for example, detect the presence of the obstacle 5 and its shape and contour data. This data will be transmitted to the control unit 11 for detailed analysis. For example, based on the radar detection results, the control unit 11 can analyze characteristics such as the intensity, frequency changes, and duration of the reflected signal to determine whether the obstacle 5 is a living being. For example, the breathing and subtle movements of a living being will produce specific signal change patterns, which the control unit 11 can identify to determine the presence of a living being. Based on these analysis results, the control unit 11 can make corresponding decisions, such as whether to intervene in the vehicle's automatic parking process or whether to trigger necessary actions to drive away the living being.

[0024] The motion mechanism 13 includes, for example, a fixed bracket mounted inside the vehicle chassis 2 and a movable drive assembly for moving the radar sensor 12 between the first position and the second position. Upon receiving a command from the control unit 11, the drive assembly drives the radar sensor 12 to perform at least one of rotational or linear motion, moving it from the first position to the second position. Figure 1 For the sake of simplicity, the motion mechanism 13 is shown in a simplified manner. Its specific implementation will be further explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Furthermore, the device 10 may also include a communication unit, enabling the control unit 11 to establish a connection with the vehicle user's mobile terminal to receive remote parking commands from outside the vehicle. The control unit 11 may, for example, use the remote parking command as a preset trigger condition and, in response to the command, control the motion mechanism 13 and radar sensor 12 to perform under-vehicle condition detection. The control unit 11 may also be configured to send an alarm message or an automatic parking process termination notification to the vehicle user's mobile terminal via the communication unit when a risk such as a living being is detected under the vehicle.

[0026] In addition, the control unit 11 can also be connected to the vehicle's status sensors, such as, but not limited to, speed sensors, acceleration sensors and accelerator pedal sensors, to detect the vehicle's intention to start from a parking space or operation signals, and can also trigger undercarriage condition detection based on these signals.

[0027] The control unit 11 can also be connected to the driving actuator of the vehicle 1 to send instructions to continue or terminate the automatic parking process based on the undercarriage condition detection results. The driving actuator includes, for example, the power system, transmission system, steering system and braking system, and is configured to perform corresponding vehicle control actions in response to the instructions issued by the control unit 11.

[0028] The control unit 11 may also be connected to the vehicle's input / output units, such as in-vehicle display units (e.g., instrument panel display, central control screen, head-up display (HUD), and / or augmented reality head-up display (AR-HUD), speakers, and haptic feedback devices (e.g., steering wheel or seat vibration devices). The control unit 11 may also be configured to output information related to under-vehicle condition detection to the vehicle occupants, or to issue a notification to terminate the parking process when a safety risk is determined.

[0029] It should be understood that Figure 1 The number and arrangement of the radar sensors 12 shown are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Furthermore, it should be understood that the deployment of the control unit 11 of the device 10 is not limited to the vehicle 1 itself, but can also be remotely deployed, for example, on the vehicle manufacturer's backend server or cloud platform.

[0030] Furthermore, without departing from the core concept of this application, the connection relationships and functional divisions between modules can be adaptively adjusted according to the actual system architecture, and such adjustments should also fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an exemplary arrangement of radar sensors in a vehicle when the radar sensors are in a first position is shown.

[0032] like Figure 2As shown, an installation compartment is formed between the chassis 2 at the bottom of the vehicle body and the body shell 3. When the radar sensor 12 is in the first position, it is supported and housed in the installation compartment by the motion mechanism. The whole is located within the outline of the body shell, achieving a hidden arrangement.

[0033] As mentioned earlier, the radar sensor 12 preferably employs millimeter-wave radar, whose operating frequency band (e.g., 77GHz) allows electromagnetic waves to effectively penetrate non-metallic materials such as plastics and composite materials, but these waves are blocked and reflected by metal components. Therefore, when the radar sensor 12 is positioned in the first location, a motion mechanism supports and precisely positions it so that the main lobe of its detection beam faces the wave-transparent region 31, which is made of non-metallic material, within the vehicle body shell 3. Figure 2 In the example shown, the wave-transparent area 31 is specifically the plastic grille at the front of the vehicle body. It is understood that in other embodiments, the wave-transparent area 31 could also be located in other locations such as the front bumper, wheel arch liners, or the vehicle logo area. In embodiments not shown, the radar sensor 12 can also be installed in the side sill area (also known as the side skirt or sill beam), that is, the lower edge of the side of the vehicle body, in the elongated structure between the front and rear wheels. In this side-mounted scenario, the corresponding wave-transparent area 31 is typically a component made of non-metallic materials, such as a side skirt protector or side panel.

[0034] In the actual assembly, a preset clearance (e.g., 5-10 cm) should be maintained between the radiating surface of the radar sensor 12 and the vehicle body shell 3 facing it. This clearance provides the necessary operating space for the radar sensor 12 to move from the first position to the second position, and also prevents the sensor 12 from colliding with the vehicle body shell 3 due to vehicle vibration.

[0035] With the above arrangement, when the radar sensor 12 is in a concealed state and does not need to perform under-vehicle condition detection, it can effectively realize the detection function of the external road environment, realize the reuse of functions, and greatly save hardware costs.

[0036] Figures 3A to 3C A schematic diagram illustrating an implementation of a motion mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of this application is shown.

[0037] The motion mechanism includes a fixed bracket 130, a first drive assembly 131, a second drive assembly 132, and an opening / closing assembly 133. The fixed bracket 130 is vertically mounted inside the vehicle chassis 2 to provide structural support. The first drive assembly 131 includes a first drive motor 1311, the stator of which is rigidly connected to the fixed bracket 130, for example, via a flange. The motor rotor output shaft is connected to a rigid swing arm 1312, which is pivotally connected, for example, to the output shaft of the first drive motor 1311 via one end. When the first drive motor 1311 operates, it can drive the rigid swing arm 1312 to pivot in a vertical plane.

[0038] The second drive assembly 132 is located at the other end of the rigid swing arm and includes a second drive motor 1321 and a turntable 1322 directly driven by the motor. The radar sensor 12 is fixed on the turntable 1322.

[0039] The opening and closing component 133 can be implemented, for example, as a movable cover, which is movably installed at the opening of the vehicle chassis 2 and can switch between a closed state and an open state.

[0040] like Figure 3A As shown, when the radar sensor 12 is in the first position, the first drive motor 1321 is in standby mode, and the rigid swing arm 1312 is in a vertically upward posture, supporting the radar sensor 12 at the highest point inside the cabin. At this time, the detection range 121 of the radar sensor 12 is aligned with the non-metallic transparent area in the front body panel, enabling it to effectively perform forward road environment detection even when completely concealed. Simultaneously, the movable cover-type opening / closing assembly 133 is in a closed state to seal the opening on the vehicle chassis 2.

[0041] exist Figure 3B In response to the command issued by the control unit, the first drive motor 1311 starts and drives the rigid swing arm 1312 to pivot downward in the vertical plane around its output shaft, thereby driving the second drive assembly 132 (including the second drive motor 1321 and the turntable 1322) and the radar sensor 12 located at the end of the swing arm to move synchronously.

[0042] Meanwhile, the movable cover 133 opens the opening 21 on the vehicle chassis 2 through horizontal translation or flipping movement under the action of the corresponding drive motor (e.g., the first drive motor 1311, or another drive motor). As the swing arm 1312 continues to rotate, the radar sensor 12 eventually extends to the outside of the vehicle chassis 2 through the opening 21.

[0043] In this embodiment, although the spatial position of the radar sensor 12 has been lowered, its detection range 121 still mainly points to the front of the vehicle 1, and the coverage of the area under the vehicle is still relatively limited, and the optimal detection position has not yet been achieved.

[0044] exist Figure 3C In the middle, the second drive motor 1321 starts, thereby driving the turntable 1322 and the radar sensor 12 at its end to pivot horizontally around the vertical axis toward the rear of the vehicle. When it moves to the final position, the detection range 121 of the radar sensor 12 is adjusted to face the rear of the vehicle, so that its detection range 121 can cover the key area under the vehicle chassis 2, thereby achieving effective detection of the condition under the vehicle.

[0045] Furthermore, it should be understood that the radar sensor 12 is not limited to starting operation only after reaching its final position. In other embodiments, the radar sensor 12 may also be activated during the horizontal rotation driven by the second drive assembly, and achieve dynamic surround-view detection of the environment under the vehicle through continuous scanning.

[0046] In one embodiment, the second drive motor 1321 and the first drive motor 1311 can adopt a sequential start strategy, that is, after the first drive motor 1311 completes a preset torque or stroke, the second drive motor 1321 starts to perform rotation after a set short delay. Alternatively, an additional position sensor can be provided, and when the control unit detects that the radar sensor 12 has descended to a preset height based on feedback from the position sensor, it then sends a start command to the second drive motor 1321.

[0047] Figures 4A to 4D A schematic diagram illustrating an implementation of a motion mechanism according to another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown.

[0048] and Figures 3A to 3C Similarly, in the illustrated embodiment, the motion mechanism also includes a fixed bracket 130, a first drive assembly 131, a second drive assembly 132, and an opening / closing assembly 133. The difference lies in that, in this embodiment, the first drive assembly 131 employs a gear-rack linear transmission mechanism. Specifically, the first drive assembly 131 includes a first drive motor 1311, which is fixedly mounted on the fixed bracket 130, and a drive gear is mounted on the end of its output shaft. The first drive assembly 131 also includes a vertically oriented linear guide rail 1312, which has a rack structure, for example, on the side facing the drive gear, and the rack meshes with the drive gear. The second drive assembly 132 includes a third drive motor 1323 and a slider driven by it (not shown in detail for simplicity). The second drive assembly 132 forms a sliding engagement with the linear guide rail 1312 via the slider, and can move up and down along the guide rail under the drive of the gear-rack mechanism. The second drive assembly 132 also includes a second drive motor 1321 mounted on the slider and a turntable 1322 driven by the motor. The radar sensor 12 is fixed on the turntable 1322, thereby achieving a rotational scanning function in the horizontal plane on the basis of vertical movement.

[0049] exist Figure 4A In the first position, the radar sensor 12 is not started, and the linear guide rail 1312 maintains its highest position in the vertical direction, so that the radar sensor 12 is completely housed inside the chassis 2. In this state, the detection range 121 of the radar sensor 12 faces forward of the vehicle and is used to detect the road environment ahead. At the same time, the opening and closing assembly 133 is in the closed state, so that the chassis opening is closed.

[0050] exist Figure 4B In response to the command issued by the control unit, the opening and closing component 133 first switches to the open state, opening the chassis opening 21. Then the first drive motor 1311 starts, driving the linear guide rail 1312 to carry the second drive component 132 and the radar sensor 12 downward in the vertical direction through the gear-rack transmission mechanism, so that part of the radar sensor 12 extends out of the chassis.

[0051] exist Figure 4C In the middle, when the linear guide rail 1312 moves to its lowest position, the third drive motor 1323 starts and drives the slider to continue moving downward along the vertical guide rail, so that the radar sensor 12 is fully extended out of the vehicle chassis 2.

[0052] exist Figure 4D When the radar sensor 12 reaches its lowest position with the slider, the second drive motor 1321 starts, driving the turntable 1322 and the radar sensor 12 to rotate around the vertical axis, adjusting the detection range 121 to face the rear of the vehicle underside. In this final position, the radar sensor 12 can scan the area under the vehicle chassis 2, realizing the detection of the condition under the vehicle.

[0053] It should be understood that the motion mechanism that drives the radar sensor 12 to move from the first position to the second position is not limited to the rotational pivot and linear slide rail method described in the above embodiments, but may also be a telescopic sleeve method, a linkage drive method, and other composite motion methods.

[0054] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the application is shown. The method includes steps S1 and S2, and also includes an optional step S3, each of which includes multiple sub-steps. This method can be used, for example, in... Figure 1 This is implemented using the device 10 shown.

[0055] In step S11, it is checked whether a preset trigger condition is met. The preset trigger condition includes, for example, at least one of the following: - Receives a remote parking exit command or an automatic parking exit command; a remote parking exit command is issued by the user outside the vehicle, for example, via a mobile terminal and / or smart key. An automatic parking exit command is triggered by the user inside the vehicle through a human-machine interface, for example.

[0056] - The vehicle has been detected as having completed the parking operation. This can be confirmed by the vehicle positioning system, surround view camera or ultrasonic radar, or by detecting that the vehicle has been fully parked in the parking space. Alternatively, it can be determined by detecting that the vehicle has been shifted to P gear, the engine has been turned off, or the electronic parking system has been activated. - An intention or operational signal to start the vehicle from a parking space is detected. This can be determined, for example, by detecting the driver's door closing, the driver's seat pressure sensor being triggered, the start button being pressed, the accelerator pedal being depressed, or the vehicle shifting from P to D / R.

[0057] If the preset triggering conditions are met, step S12 is executed to control the motion mechanism to switch the radar sensor from a first position to a second position. As mentioned above, this position switching can be achieved, for example, by rotational drive, linear drive, or a combination of both. This can also be done in stages, such as first controlling the motion mechanism to perform a height-lowering action, lowering the radar sensor from its retracted first height position to a second height position, so that its sensing part extends beyond the vehicle chassis plane; then controlling the motion mechanism to perform a horizontal rotation action, causing the radar sensor's detection range to rotate in the horizontal plane, ultimately aligning it with the area to be detected below the vehicle chassis.

[0058] Once the radar sensor moves to the second position, step S21 is executed to control the radar sensor to perform under-vehicle condition detection. Here, the second position includes two possible states: either the radar sensor has completed its descent but has not yet adjusted its angle, or it has further rotated horizontally after the descent to precisely cover the target area. During detection, the radar sensor emits electromagnetic wave signals towards the under-vehicle area and simultaneously receives echo signals reflected from the ground and potential obstacles.

[0059] In step S22, the detection results of the vehicle's underside are analyzed to determine whether a living being exists there. The echo signal is transmitted to the control unit for analysis using signal processing algorithms. Specifically, the time-domain, frequency-domain, and micro-Doppler characteristics of the radar echo are jointly processed to extract key feature information such as the distance, size, and motion state of obstacles under the vehicle. Based on the extracted feature information and a preset life form recognition model, the presence of a living being under the vehicle is determined. For example, when a micro-motion signal with a specific breathing frequency (e.g., 0.2-0.5Hz), heartbeat characteristics (e.g., 1-2Hz), and / or reflection characteristics matching the size of a living being are detected, it is determined that a living being exists under the vehicle.

[0060] If a living being is detected under the vehicle in step S22, the automatic parking process can be paused or its execution speed reduced in step S31 (e.g., the driving speed during automatic parking can be decreased). After a predetermined time period (e.g., 10 seconds), the radar sensor can be controlled to perform under-vehicle condition detection again. If the detection result indicates that the living being under the vehicle has disappeared, the automatic parking process can be resumed. If the living being still present, the automatic parking process can be terminated, or an alarm can be issued to the user's mobile terminal and / or through the vehicle's human-machine interface.

[0061] The length of the predetermined time period can be set based on experience or experimental data. This waiting operation provides a time window for living beings to actively evacuate, effectively improving the usability and user acceptance of the automatic parking function while ensuring system safety.

[0062] In addition, a preset life-repelling operation can be triggered in step S31 when the presence of a living being is detected. This may include, for example, controlling the vehicle to sound its horn, outputting an audible and visual warning at a specific frequency, and / or controlling the vehicle chassis to rise and fall. After the repelling operation is performed, the condition of the vehicle's undercarriage can be detected again using radar sensors as needed to confirm whether the risk has been eliminated.

[0063] If it is determined in step S22 that no living beings are found under the vehicle, the automatic parking process can be allowed to continue in step S32. In addition, a confirmation message can be sent to the vehicle user's mobile terminal, and / or a status notification stating "Safety check completed, no living beings found under the vehicle, automatic parking process proceeding normally" can be output through the in-vehicle human-machine interface.

[0064] In a step not shown, after the undercarriage condition detection is completed, the motion mechanism can be controlled to switch the radar sensor from the second position back to the first position, so that it can be repositioned inside the vehicle chassis. This reset operation avoids the radar sensor being exposed to the harsh environment under the vehicle for extended periods, effectively extending the equipment's lifespan and ensuring the effectiveness of subsequent detection.

[0065] Figure 6 A flowchart of a method according to another exemplary embodiment of this application is shown. The method includes steps S610 to S660.

[0066] In step S610, during and / or after the vehicle performs a parking operation, a first detection of the undercarriage condition of the target parking space is performed using radar sensors and / or other onboard sensors.

[0067] In one embodiment, for example, after confirming that the vehicle has completed the parking operation (this can be done by a comprehensive judgment, for example, through a positioning system, a surround-view camera, a lidar sensor, a radar sensor, and the vehicle gear position signal), the control motion mechanism can switch the radar sensor from a first position to a second position and perform a first detection on the current under-vehicle environment to obtain reference data on the under-vehicle condition.

[0068] In another embodiment, before the vehicle is fully parked in the target parking space, a radar sensor in a first position (which is housed inside the vehicle chassis and in driving environment monitoring mode) can be used to detect the area of ​​the target parking space. Furthermore, during the parking operation, perception data from other onboard sensors (such as cameras, lidar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, etc.) can be integrated to jointly construct a complete environmental model of the target parking area.

[0069] In step S620, the results of the first detection are analyzed and processed to extract the environmental features under the vehicle (such as ground contours, distribution of static obstacles, etc.), and this data is stored as a reference record in a non-volatile memory. If the first detection is performed using a radar sensor in the second position, the motion mechanism can be controlled to retract the radar sensor to the first position after completion.

[0070] When the vehicle is powered on or woken up again, step S630 checks whether a remote parking command or an automatic parking command has been received. If the relevant command is received, step S640 is executed.

[0071] In step S640, the control motion mechanism moves the radar sensor from the first position to the second position to perform a second detection on the underside of the vehicle and obtain real-time data on the current underside condition of the vehicle.

[0072] In step S650, the results of the second detection are analyzed, processed, and stored as comparison data.

[0073] In step S660, the stored reference data is compared with the results of real-time detection, and the execution of the automatic parking process is controlled based on the comparison results.

[0074] In one embodiment, since the first detection incorporates more sensor information, its data accuracy and reliability are higher, and therefore it can be used as a benchmark to verify the credibility of the second detection result.

[0075] For example, if the second detection result indicates the presence of a living being under the vehicle but the confidence level is low (e.g., below 0.8), the sensing data from the first detection can be retrieved for comparison and analysis. If historical data indicates that the radar echo characteristics of the area have been confirmed as static background or noise, then the current low-confidence alarm can be determined to be a false alarm. Through this verification mechanism that combines historical data, false alarms can be effectively identified and filtered, significantly improving the accuracy and reliability of vehicle under-vehicle condition detection.

[0076] Although specific embodiments of this application are described in detail herein, they are given for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. Various substitutions, modifications, and alterations can be conceived without departing from the spirit and scope of this application.

Claims

1. A device (10) for detecting the condition under a vehicle, wherein, The device (10) includes: Radar sensor (12); A motion mechanism (13), mounted inside the vehicle chassis and connected to the radar sensor (12), is configured to move the radar sensor (12) relative to the vehicle body; and The control unit (11) is configured to control the motion mechanism (13) to drive the radar sensor (12) from a first position to a second position in response to a preset trigger condition, and to control the radar sensor (12) to perform vehicle undercarriage detection in the second position, wherein in the first position, the radar sensor (12) is housed inside the vehicle chassis and its detection range covers the surrounding road environment of the vehicle, and in the second position, the radar sensor (12) extends at least partially to the outside of the vehicle chassis.

2. The device (10) according to claim 1, wherein, When the radar sensor (12) is in the first position, its detection range is directed toward the non-metallic material area of ​​the vehicle body shell, especially toward the vehicle bumper area, plastic grille area, vehicle logo area and / or side door sill area.

3. The device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The motion mechanism (13) includes a first drive assembly (131) configured to drive the radar sensor (12) to rotate out of the vehicle chassis in a rotational manner, or to drive the radar sensor (12) to move downward in the vertical direction to extend out of the vehicle chassis in a linear motion manner.

4. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The motion mechanism (13) includes a second drive assembly (132) configured to drive the radar sensor (12) to rotate after the radar sensor (12) extends out of the vehicle chassis, so as to enable a surround-view scan of the environment under the vehicle.

5. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The motion mechanism (13) further includes an opening and closing assembly (133) which is movably mounted on the vehicle chassis and configured to switch between a closed state and an open state. In the closed state, the opening and closing assembly (133) closes an opening on the vehicle chassis, and in the open state, the opening is opened to allow the radar sensor (12) to extend from the vehicle chassis.

6. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The preset triggering condition includes at least one of the following: Receives remote docking command and / or automatic docking command; The vehicle has been detected as having completed the parking operation. The vehicle was detected to have an intention or signal of operation to start from the parking space; and / or The control unit (11) is also configured to, after the undercarriage condition detection is completed, control the motion mechanism (13) to drive the radar sensor (12) to switch from the second position back to the first position.

7. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The control unit (11) is further configured to analyze the detection results of the vehicle's undercarriage condition and control the vehicle's automatic parking process based on the analysis results, wherein, If the detection results indicate the presence of life under the vehicle, then perform at least one of the following operations: - Pause the automatic parking process or slow down the execution speed of the automatic parking process, and control the radar sensor (12) to perform the vehicle bottom condition detection again after a predetermined time period. If the detection result shows that the life under the vehicle has disappeared, the automatic parking process is resumed. - Triggers a preset life form expulsion operation; - Terminate the automatic parking process of the vehicle; and / or - Send and / or output notifications to vehicle users' mobile devices in the vehicle; If the detection results indicate that there are no living beings under the vehicle, the automatic parking process is permitted.

8. The device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The control unit (11) is also configured to: During and / or after a vehicle is parked, a first detection of the undercarriage condition of the target parking space is performed using the radar sensor (12) and / or other onboard sensors. Upon receiving a remote parking command and / or an automatic parking command, the radar sensor (12) is controlled to perform a second detection of the undercarriage condition of the target parking space; as well as The results of the first and second detections are compared, and the automatic parking process of the vehicle is controlled based on the comparison results.

9. A method for detecting the condition under a vehicle, wherein, The method is performed using the device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and the method includes the following steps: In response to the fulfillment of a preset trigger condition, the control motion mechanism (13) drives the radar sensor (12) to switch from a first position to a second position; and The control radar sensor (12) performs undercarriage condition detection in the second position.

10. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions, wherein, When executed by a processor, the computer program instructions enable the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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