An electric vehicle camera cleaning control system and method

Abstract

The application discloses an electric vehicle camera cleaning control system and method, which comprises a washing kettle module in which washing liquid is stored, the washing kettle module is connected with a water pump module through a pipeline, the water pump module is connected with a nozzle through a pipeline, an electromagnetic control valve module is arranged in the pipeline between the water pump module and the nozzle to control the on-off of the pipeline, an output end of the cleaning controller module is connected with the water pump module and the electronic control valve module respectively to control the spraying of the washing liquid on the vehicle-mounted camera through the nozzle, the control system further comprises an air pump module, the air pump module is connected with the nozzle through a pipeline, an electronic control valve module is arranged in the pipeline between the air pump module and the nozzle to control the on-off of the pipeline between the air pump module and the nozzle, and output ends of the cleaning controller module are connected with the air pump module and the electronic control valve module respectively. The scheme considers the cleaning of the vehicle-mounted camera under the conditions of rain, frost and the like, and improves the reliability and stability of the cleaning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cleaning electric vehicle in-vehicle cameras, and in particular to a cleaning control system and method for electric vehicle cameras. Background Technology

[0002] Electric vehicles require numerous sensors to collect and perceive data about their surrounding environment when achieving autonomous or driverless operation, and control the vehicle based on this data. Among these, the onboard camera, as a core sensor, performs crucial functions such as environmental perception, obstacle recognition, and path planning. However, during daily driving, the camera surface is easily contaminated by rain, dust, frost, snow, and other pollutants, leading to blurred images, misinterpretations of data, and ultimately, the failure of driverless or autonomous driving functions. Therefore, onboard cameras need to be cleaned. Existing technologies, such as the automatic cleaning method, system, controller, and vehicle for automotive cameras described in patent application number 201811294590.8, include: detecting a camera activation signal, wherein the camera contains a photosensitive element and is located outside the vehicle; detecting a first current value flowing through the camera; determining whether the first current value is less than a first preset threshold; and when the first current value is less than the first preset threshold, sending a first signal to a washing motor located in a washing liquid collection container, wherein the first signal instructs the washing motor to start operating, causing a high-pressure nozzle connected to the washing liquid collection container to spray washing liquid to clean the camera.

[0003] The aforementioned patent uses a washing motor to drive the washing liquid through a nozzle to spray the washing liquid onto the camera, thereby achieving the camera cleaning operation. However, its control strategy is simplistic and does not take into account situations such as rain or low-temperature frost. Under these conditions, the cleaning effect is generally poor, and the cleaning effect cannot be evaluated, making it impossible to initiate manual cleaning operations in a timely manner. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an electric vehicle camera cleaning control system and method that takes into account the cleaning of vehicle cameras under conditions such as rain and frost, improves the reliability and stability of cleaning, and can evaluate the cleaning results and issue timely warnings and other information.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] An electric vehicle camera cleaning control system includes a cleaning controller module, a washing jug module, a water pump module, an electronic control valve module, and a nozzle. The washing jug module contains washing liquid and is connected to the water pump module via a pipe. The water pump module is connected to the nozzle via a pipe. An electromagnetic control valve module is installed in the pipe between the water pump module and the nozzle to control the flow of the pipe. The output of the cleaning controller module is connected to both the water pump module and the electronic control valve module to control the washing liquid to be sprayed onto the vehicle camera through the nozzle. The control system also includes an air pump module connected to the nozzle via a pipe. An electronic control valve module is installed in the pipe between the air pump module and the nozzle to control the flow of the pipe between the air pump module and the nozzle. The output of the cleaning controller module is connected to both the air pump module and the electronic control valve module.

[0007] The control system also includes a heating module for heating the high-pressure airflow generated by the air pump module; the output of the cleaning controller module is connected to the heating module to control the working state of the heating module.

[0008] The cleaning controller module is connected to the sensor module, which is used to collect environmental data of the current vehicle environment. The cleaning controller module controls the working status of the water pump module, air pump module, heating module and electronic control valve module according to the current environmental data of the vehicle environment in order to achieve cleaning of the vehicle camera.

[0009] The cleaning controller module is connected to the vehicle ECU module via CAN and / or LIN bus to obtain vehicle control data.

[0010] A method for cleaning an electric vehicle camera includes collecting environmental information and vehicle status information of the current vehicle, and controlling the working status of a water pump module, an air pump module, a heating module and an electronic control valve module based on the environmental information and vehicle status information, thereby realizing high-pressure washing liquid cleaning of the camera, high-pressure airflow cleaning of the camera, high-pressure high-temperature airflow cleaning of the camera, and high-pressure washing liquid superimposed with high-pressure high-temperature airflow cleaning of the camera.

[0011] The collected environmental information includes rainfall and temperature information; the collected vehicle status information includes vehicle speed information; the working status parameters of the water pump module, air pump module, heating module, and electronic control valve module are controlled based on the rainfall, temperature, and vehicle speed information. The working status parameters include on / off status, on / off time, and on / off power.

[0012] The system detects the current rain condition and rainfall amount using a rain sensor. When it is raining, the water pump module is shut down, and the air pump module's operating power is adjusted according to the rainfall amount.

[0013] The heating module's operating status is controlled based on the collected ambient temperature information. When the temperature is below the set threshold, the heating module is turned on; otherwise, it is turned off.

[0014] The intelligent driving system determines the current vehicle driving scenario and matches a cleaning strategy based on the driving scenario. The cleaning strategy includes the control sequence and working time of the water pump module, air pump module, and heating module.

[0015] Each time the vehicle camera is cleaned, the cleaning efficiency is evaluated, and an alarm is triggered or a secondary cleaning function is activated based on the evaluation results.

[0016] The advantages of this invention are: it takes into account the cleaning of vehicle cameras under conditions such as rain and frost, improves the reliability and stability of cleaning, and can evaluate the cleaning results and issue timely warnings, which facilitates accurate initiation of manual cleaning, reduces the number of times the vehicle is driven when the camera is not clear, and improves driving safety and reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The following is a brief explanation of the contents of each of the accompanying drawings and the markings in the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a system architecture diagram of the electric vehicle camera cleaning system of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a rain and snow cleaning strategy table in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a table of mud and sand covering and cleaning strategies in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a system timing diagram of the electric vehicle camera cleaning system of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the system cleaning efficiency verification method of the cleaning system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and the description of the preferred embodiments.

[0024] Existing vehicle camera cleaning technologies only include cleaning with cleaning fluid. This solution employs high-pressure airflow, high-pressure water washing, and high-temperature airflow, combined with autonomous driving algorithms, to achieve real-time monitoring and dynamic cleaning of the camera surface, removing lightly adhering contaminants such as rainwater, frost, snow, and dust. Simultaneously, to determine the system's cleaning efficiency, digital image processing technology is used to photograph the camera lens before and after cleaning, perform grayscale processing, determine its binarization threshold, and compare the original image, monochrome image, and binary image. The accuracy of distinguishing between contaminated and clean areas is subjectively assessed. The threshold is iteratively adjusted until the image achieves optimal matching. By comparing the black and white pixels of the binary image and using appropriate algorithms, the system's cleaning efficiency is determined. Based on the cleaning efficiency, secondary cleaning or manual cleaning upon alarm is initiated, achieving automated monitoring and operation of the cleaning process.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment considers cleaning the vehicle camera under conditions such as rain and frost, improving the reliability and stability of the cleaning process, and enabling timely evaluation of the cleaning results and issuance of warnings. This embodiment provides an electric vehicle camera cleaning control system, including a cleaning controller module, a washing tank module, a water pump module, an electronic control valve module, and nozzles. The washing tank module contains washing liquid and is connected to the water pump module via a pipe. The water pump module is connected to the nozzle via a pipe. An electromagnetic control valve module is installed in the pipe between the water pump module and the nozzle to control the flow of the pipe. The output of the cleaning controller module is connected to both the water pump module and the electronic control valve module to control the spraying of washing liquid through the nozzles onto the vehicle camera. The control system also includes an air pump module connected to the nozzle via a pipe. An electronic control valve module is installed in the pipe between the air pump module and the nozzle to control the flow of the pipe between the air pump module and the nozzle. The output of the cleaning controller module is connected to both the air pump module and the electronic control valve module.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the cleaning controller module, as the core controller, can be used to control the on / off state of the cleaning function and the parameter control during the cleaning process. The water pump module is a water pump motor, which can be installed in the washing jug or in the liquid output pipe of the washing jug. The washing jug stores washing liquid, and the liquid outlet of the washing jug is connected to the water inlet of the water pump module via a pipe. The water outlet of the water pump module is connected to the nozzle via a pipe. An electronic control valve is installed in the pipe between the water outlet of the water pump module and the nozzle to control the opening and closing of the pipe. The water washing function can be realized through the operation of the water pump module, specifically:

[0027] The cleaning controller module connects to the water pump module and electronic control valve via CAN communication to control their operation. When a water wash is needed, the water pump module activates, converting the detergent in the washing tank into high-pressure liquid (high-pressure water flow). This liquid is then transmitted through a pipe controlled by the electronic control valve to a nozzle, which is a water wash nozzle. The liquid sprayed from the nozzle is applied to the vehicle's camera; because it is a high-pressure liquid, it effectively cleans the surface. Simultaneously with the water pump's activation, the electronic control valve opens, allowing the detergent to be sprayed out at high pressure through the nozzle, achieving the purpose of water washing.

[0028] In addition to the aforementioned water washing function, this embodiment also includes an air washing function. The specific structure of the air washing function includes: an air pump module connected to one end of an electromagnetic control valve module via a high-pressure pipeline; the other end of an electronic control valve connected to a nozzle via a pipeline; a heating module used to heat the high-pressure airflow generated by the air pump module; and the output of a cleaning controller module connected to the heating module to control its operating state. The electronic control valve module can share a single electronic valve with the water washing function, or it can use separate valves, becoming a water washing valve and an air washing valve, respectively, to control the connection between the water washing circuit and the air washing water circuit to the nozzle. The air washing function includes: a cleaning controller module connected to the air pump module via CAN communication to control the operation of the electronic air pump. After the electronic air pump operates, it generates a high-pressure airflow, which passes through a pipeline to the nozzle, and the nozzle sprays out high-pressure gas to clean the camera. A heating module is installed in the pipeline between the air pump module and the nozzle to heat the high-pressure airflow generated by the air pump module, generating a high-pressure, high-temperature airflow, which is then sprayed out through the pipeline nozzle to the camera for cleaning. The heating module can heat the high-pressure airflow by heating resistance wires or other methods to achieve high-pressure, high-temperature airflow; the heating module receives control signals from the cleaning controller module to operate.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning controller module is connected to the sensor module. The sensor module collects environmental data about the vehicle's current location. Based on this data, the cleaning controller module controls the operation of the water pump module, air pump module, heating module, and electronic control valve module to clean the vehicle's camera. The cleaning function's status is controlled according to the vehicle's environmental data, such as whether water washing and air washing are activated and their operating parameters, thereby meeting and matching the current cleaning requirements.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning controller module is connected to the vehicle ECU module via CAN and / or LIN bus to obtain vehicle control data and control signal interaction. The interaction of obtaining vehicle control data and control signals includes, but is not limited to: obtaining cleaning start signal, feedback cleaning completion signal, feedback cleaning efficiency signal, cleaning abnormality alarm signal, and obtaining camera images for cleaning efficiency calculation, etc.

[0031] This embodiment also provides a method for controlling the cleaning of an electric vehicle camera, which controls the cleaning process based on the control system described in the above embodiment; the control method includes the following steps:

[0032] The cleaning camera is started by the vehicle's ECU. The cleaning camera will not be cleaned if the start command is not received. The cleaning controller module will start the cleaning operation when it receives the control command from the vehicle's ECU.

[0033] When the vehicle enters the camera cleaning operation state, it collects the current environmental information and vehicle status information. Based on this information, it controls the operation of the water pump module, air pump module, heating module, and electronic control valve module to achieve high-pressure washing liquid cleaning, high-pressure airflow cleaning, high-pressure high-temperature airflow cleaning, and high-pressure washing liquid combined with high-pressure high-temperature airflow cleaning, respectively. The operation of the water pump module, air pump module, and heating module is controlled according to the vehicle's environmental and status information to achieve corresponding water washing, air washing, and corresponding control parameters.

[0034] In this embodiment, the collected environmental information includes rainfall information and temperature information; the collected vehicle status information includes vehicle speed information; and the working status parameters of the water pump module, air pump module, heating module, and electronic control valve module are controlled based on the rainfall information, temperature information, and vehicle speed information. The working status parameters include the on status, on time, and on power.

[0035] In this embodiment, when entering the vehicle-mounted camera cleaning state, the current rain condition and rainfall level are detected by a rain sensor. When it is raining, the water pump module is shut down, and the power of the air pump module is adjusted according to the rainfall level. Because the effect of high-pressure cleaning fluid is minimal in rainy conditions, and the rain already provides the necessary conditions for water washing, this solution controls the air pump module to start and shuts down the water pump module after detecting rain. At this time, only air cleaning is required through the air pump module. Simultaneously, to ensure cleaning reliability, the power of the air pump module is adjusted according to the rainfall level. The power of the air pump module increases with the increase in rainfall. This is to avoid insufficient air pressure and excessive rainwater, which would prevent the rainwater from being blown onto the camera for effective cleaning. Therefore, as the rainfall increases, the water pump power must also increase to achieve the increased air pressure.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, vehicle speed data is acquired via the onboard ECU. During the cleaning process, when it is raining, the air pump's operation is controlled according to the vehicle speed as the vehicle speed increases; the higher the vehicle speed, the higher the air pump power. A pre-calibrated lookup table between vehicle speed and air pump power is used. Upon entering the cleaning process, if it is determined to be raining, the power of an air pump module is calculated based on the rainfall amount as a baseline power. Then, a calibration power corresponding to the current vehicle speed is obtained according to the lookup table. If the calibration power is less than the baseline power, the air pump is controlled using the baseline power; otherwise, it is controlled using the calibration power. Because a higher vehicle speed results in greater impact on the vehicle surface under a given rainfall amount, increasing the air pump power is unnecessary if only cleaning is considered. However, this solution considers not only cleaning but also the interference of rainwater on the camera at high speeds. By increasing the air pump power, the air pressure through the nozzles not only achieves effective cleaning but also blows away rainwater, preventing rainwater interference with the camera during autonomous driving. In a preferred embodiment, when the vehicle is driving in the rain, the air pump is kept running continuously to reduce the interference of rainwater on the camera's operation.

[0037] In this embodiment, when the air pump module is in operation, the operating state of the heating module is controlled based on the collected ambient temperature information. When the temperature is lower than a set threshold, the heating module is turned on; otherwise, the heating module is turned off. This is because if the temperature is too low during the air washing process, rain, snow, freezing rain, etc., may cover the camera. Therefore, the heating module is turned on during air washing to heat the high-pressure gas to form high-pressure, high-temperature gas for camera cleaning. This method can avoid problems such as icing, frost, and rain and snow covering the camera caused by excessively cold temperatures.

[0038] In this embodiment, when entering the vehicle camera cleaning state, the water washing function is activated by default. This means the water pump module is turned on and the water washing solenoid valves are opened simultaneously, using high-pressure washing fluid to clean the vehicle camera. The system then monitors for rain in real time. If it is raining, the air pump module is activated while the water pump module is turned off. If no rain is detected, the intelligent driving system determines the current vehicle driving scenario and matches a cleaning strategy accordingly. The cleaning strategy involves the control sequence and working time of the water pump module, air pump module, and heating module. The intelligent driving system determines the type of contaminants in the camera based on the vehicle's driving environment data before entering the cleaning state. Based on the contaminant type, the cleaning strategy is controlled to either a periodic cycle of air washing and water washing or a periodic cycle of water washing and air washing. After cleaning is completed, a high-temperature, high-pressure air washing is performed to end the camera cleaning state, thus completing the cleaning process. Based on dust, PM2.5, and road mud data from the vehicle's environment prior to cleaning, the system determines whether the contaminant covering the camera is dry or wet. If it's dry, periodic air and water washing are performed, culminating in a high-temperature, high-pressure air washing to end the cleaning process. If it's wet, the same process is repeated. If dust levels in the vehicle's environment exceed dust and PM2.5 thresholds prior to cleaning, it's classified as dry contaminant. If the road is muddy and remains so at cleaning start, it's classified as wet contaminant. If the vehicle has left the muddy road and the time elapsed exceeds a certain threshold, it's classified as dry contaminant. The water washing and cleaning sequence is controlled based on the contaminant type (dry or wet), culminating in a high-temperature, high-pressure air washing to complete the cleaning process.

[0039] Each time the vehicle-mounted camera is cleaned, the cleaning efficiency is evaluated. Based on the evaluation result, an alarm is triggered or a second cleaning function is activated. When the cleaning efficiency meets the requirements, the cleaning is completed and a cleaning completion signal is sent to the vehicle ECU. If the cleaning efficiency does not meet the requirements, the cleaning is repeated, and the cleaning effect is recalculated. If the requirements are met this time, the cleaning is completed and a cleaning completion signal is sent to the vehicle ECU as a reminder. If the efficiency is still not met, the evaluation result is sent to the vehicle ECU and an alarm is triggered. The vehicle ECU controls the vehicle display screen to issue an alarm or sends an alarm to the user's app, requesting manual cleaning or inspection, thus preventing the vehicle from malfunctioning when automatic cleaning fails to meet the requirements. In this embodiment, the cleaning effect is calculated based on the area occupied by contaminants between the images captured by the camera before and after cleaning.

[0040] This embodiment addresses the issue that electric vehicle autonomous driving cameras are easily contaminated by rainwater, dust, frost, snow, and other pollutants during daily driving, leading to blurry images, misinterpretations of data, and malfunctions of autonomous driving functions. It provides an electric vehicle camera cleaning system and a corresponding verification method to assess whether the system meets cleaning requirements.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, an electric vehicle camera cleaning system is characterized by comprising a hardware system and a software system. The hardware system of the electric vehicle camera cleaning system includes a power module, a cleaning controller module, a sensor module, an air pump module, a water pump module, an electronic control valve module, a washing jug module, a heating module, a camera nozzle module, and a piping module.

[0042] The hardware system power module is used to supply power to the low-voltage power modules of the system, and it may include a 12V power module and a 24V power module.

[0043] The hardware system cleaning controller module is used to control the air pump module, water pump module, electronic control valve module, and heating module. It receives signals from the sensor module and communicates with other ECUs in the vehicle. The controller module can control the air pump module and water pump module using three methods: CAN, LIN, and PWM.

[0044] The hardware system sensor module is used to collect environmental parameters of the vehicle body, including temperature information and rainfall information.

[0045] The hardware system air pump module is used to generate high-pressure airflow, which is blown out through the camera nozzle air duct via electronic control valves and pipelines to perform air washing on the camera.

[0046] The hardware system's water pump module generates high-pressure water flow, which is then sprayed through electronically controlled valves and pipelines, and finally sprayed out through the camera's nozzle water channel to wash the camera.

[0047] The hardware system's electronic control valve module is used for precise control and cleaning of contaminated cameras.

[0048] The hardware system's washing pot module is used to wash the camera.

[0049] The hardware system heating module is used to heat the high-pressure airflow to clean the camera in an environment covered by ice and frost.

[0050] The hardware system's camera nozzle module includes an air channel and a water channel, which spray high-pressure water and blow out high-pressure air to clean the camera.

[0051] The hardware system piping module is used for guiding air and water.

[0052] An electric vehicle camera cleaning system is characterized by its software system comprising embedded system software, low-level driver software, and application logic software. Its software system functions include system control strategies, remote upgrades, and fault diagnosis.

[0053] The embedded system software manages system resources and ensures system operation. The underlying driver software encapsulates protocols such as IO, CAN, LIN, and PWM. The application logic software drives operations and implements functional logic.

[0054] Furthermore, this invention employs digital image processing technology to determine the system's cleaning efficiency. It takes photos of the camera lens in the initial state, before cleaning, and after cleaning, performs grayscale processing, confirms the binarization threshold, compares the original image, monochrome image, and binary image, and subjectively evaluates the accuracy of distinguishing between contaminated and clean areas. The threshold is iteratively adjusted until the image achieves optimal matching. By comparing the black and white pixels of the binary image and using a corresponding algorithm, the system's cleaning efficiency is determined, providing a method for verifying cleaning efficiency. This method, based on digital image processing technology, includes the following steps:

[0055] a. Take an initial state photo of the camera (Initial_Camera.jpg); the initial state image can be taken when the vehicle leaves the factory, and the relevant parameters are recorded and stored in the ECU. The electric vehicle camera cleaning control system and method provided by this invention is a general system and method mode, and this invention does not contain specific implementation algorithms; in addition, the cleaning efficiency evaluation provided by this invention includes relative cleaning efficiency and absolute cleaning efficiency, and the selection of specific parameters and methods should be based on the specific vehicle model project.

[0056] b. Contaminate the camera and take a picture of the contaminated camera (Contaminative_Camera.jpg);

[0057] c. Clean the camera and take a picture of the cleaned camera (Cleaned_Camera.jpg);

[0058] d. Perform grayscale processing on Initial_Camera.jpg, Contaminative_Camera.jpg, and Cleaned_Camera.jpg to determine their binarization threshold;

[0059] e. Based on the threshold confirmed in d, perform binary image processing on Initial_Camera.jpg, Contaminative_Camera.jpg, and Cleaned_Camera.jpg, and subjectively evaluate the accuracy of distinguishing between contaminated and clean areas;

[0060] f. Repeat steps d and e to determine the most suitable threshold and generate the most realistic binary image.

[0061] g. Calculate the black and white pixel values, total pixel values, and black and white pixel percentages in Initial_Camera.jpg, Contaminative_Camera.jpg, and Cleaned_Camera.jpg respectively;

[0062] Note: The error rate among the total pixel values ​​in Initial_Camera.jpg, Contaminative_Camera.jpg, and Cleaned_Camera.jpg should be kept below 10%.

[0063] h. Calculate the system's cleaning efficiency using the corresponding algorithm.

[0064] Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of the electric vehicle camera cleaning system and system cleaning efficiency verification method proposed in this invention are:

[0065] The cleaning system and its cleaning efficiency verification method of this invention offer several advantages. Firstly, the electric vehicle camera cleaning system is highly functional and adaptable, capable of handling autonomous driving function failures caused by camera contamination in various complex environments. Specifically, it can respond quickly to camera contamination, removing the contamination and rapidly restoring autonomous driving functionality. Secondly, the system cleaning efficiency verification method, based on digital image processing technology, is applicable to different camera types across various vehicle models. Using a Python program, it automates and efficiently verifies the system's cleaning efficiency, quickly confirming corresponding parameters during system calibration and significantly shortening the system development and calibration cycle.

[0066] Combination Figure 1 The system architecture diagram shows that the hardware of the electric vehicle camera cleaning system disclosed in this invention mainly includes several modules: a power supply module, a cleaning controller module, a sensor module, an air pump module, a water pump module, an electronic control valve module, a washing jug module, a heating module, a camera nozzle module, and a pipeline module.

[0067] The power module is plugged into the external low-voltage power supply of the vehicle and connected to the vehicle's low-voltage electrical system to power the low-voltage electrical appliances in the cleaning system, including the cleaning controller, water pump, air pump, and sensors.

[0068] The cleaning controller module is the system decision-making unit. It communicates with other ECUs and receives sensor signals within the system to control the water pump, air pump, heating module, and electronic valve module, while also receiving corresponding feedback signals.

[0069] Combination Figure 4The system timing diagram briefly describes the system's operation flow and control strategy. The complete system operation flow mainly includes the following behaviors:

[0070] 1. Power-on cleaning function: When the cleaning controller module receives the ECU power-on signal, it sends a request to the sensor module, and the sensor module returns the current temperature information;

[0071] 2. The cleaning controller module determines the current temperature. If the detected temperature is <3℃, it sends a heating request to the heating module. The heating module starts heating to 50℃ and sends the temperature information back to the cleaning controller module. The cleaning controller module then sends requests to the electronic control valve, air pump, water pump, and heating module, completing the following actions in sequence:

[0072] (1) The electronic control valve module opens all valve channels;

[0073] (2) The air pump module sprays high-pressure, high-temperature airflow for 30 seconds;

[0074] (3) The water pump module sprays high-pressure cleaning fluid for 3 seconds;

[0075] (4) The air pump module sprays high-pressure, high-temperature airflow for 10 seconds;

[0076] (5) The heating module stops heating;

[0077] (6) The electronic control valve module closes all valve channels.

[0078] 3. Driving cleaning function: The cleaning controller module periodically requests the vehicle speed signal from the ECU and periodically sends requests to the sensor module for temperature and rainfall information.

[0079] 4. The cleaning controller module, based on actual driving conditions, can categorize operating conditions into periods of rain and snow during driving, and periods of mud and sand cover during driving, with corresponding cleaning strategies as follows: Figure 3 As shown in the table. This table outlines the phased rain and snow cleaning strategies during driving. Figure 4 The table shows the mud and sand cleaning strategy during operation. The control strategy of the cleaning system demonstrates the core principles of the system. Environmental conditions drive the system, dynamically adjusting the cleaning mode based on real-time monitoring of temperature, rainfall, vehicle speed, mud and sand moisture content, and coverage area. Multi-modal collaboration combines high-pressure air washing, water washing, and heated air washing to address different pollution scenarios. Energy efficiency optimization balances cleaning effectiveness and energy consumption through power grading (e.g., 60% / 80% / 100%) and heating control.

[0080] The above control strategy is merely one cleaning strategy for this system. The parameters involved in this cleaning strategy, such as cleaning duration, power level, and range definition, are only reference strategies for this invention. For those skilled in the art, this invention can be modified and varied in various ways, and its parameter boundaries should be determined according to the actual system design and calibration in the actual project. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the control strategy of this invention should be included within the protection scope of this invention.

[0081] Combination Figure 5 The flowchart illustrates the system cleaning efficiency verification method provided by this invention. Based on digital image processing technology, this method quantitatively analyzes the changes in contaminated pixels on a camera lens before and after cleaning, calculating relative and absolute cleaning efficiency to achieve an objective evaluation of the cleaning effect. This method supports automated testing and multi-scenario adaptation, and is suitable for laboratory calibration and real-vehicle verification. The specific implementation steps of this verification method are as follows:

[0082] Step 1: Take an initial state photo of the camera (Initial_Camera.jpg); the initial state image can be taken at the factory when the vehicle leaves the factory, and the relevant parameters are recorded and stored in the ECU. The electric vehicle camera cleaning control system and method provided by this invention is a general system and method mode, and this invention does not contain specific implementation algorithms; in addition, the cleaning efficiency evaluation provided by this invention includes relative cleaning efficiency and absolute cleaning efficiency, and the selection of specific parameters and methods should be based on the specific vehicle model project.

[0083] Step 2: Before the pneumatic cleaning process, take a picture of the contaminated camera (Contaminative_Camera.jpg);

[0084] Step 3: Clean the camera using the cleaning control strategy described above;

[0085] Step 4: Take a photo of the cleaned camera (Cleaned_Camera.jpg);

[0086] Step 5: Perform grayscale processing on Initial_Camera.jpg, Contaminative_Camera.jpg, and Cleaned_Camera.jpg to confirm their binarization threshold;

[0087] Step Six: Based on the threshold confirmed in Step Five, perform binary image processing on Initial_Camera.jpg, Contaminative_Camera.jpg, and Cleaned_Camera.jpg, subjectively evaluate the accuracy of distinguishing between contaminated and clean areas; determine the most suitable threshold, and generate the most realistic binary image;

[0088] Step 7: Calculate the black and white pixel values, total pixel values, and black and white pixel percentages in Initial_Camera.jpg, Contaminative_Camera.jpg, and Cleaned_Camera.jpg;

[0089] Step Nine: Calculate and evaluate. System relative cleaning efficiency (ability to remove contaminants):

[0090]

[0091] System absolute cleaning efficiency (ability to restore to its original state):

[0092]

[0093] in:

[0094] η relative The system's relative cleaning efficiency;

[0095] η absolute The system's absolute cleaning efficiency;

[0096] η cleaned_white_pixel_precentage : Percentage of white pixels before cleaning, calculated as the white pixel value / total pixel value of the image before cleaning;

[0097] η cleaned_black_pixel_precentage The percentage of black pixels before cleaning is calculated as the black pixel value / total pixel value of the processed image before cleaning.

[0098] η contaminative_white_pixel_precentage The percentage of white pixels after cleaning is calculated as the white pixel value / total pixel value of the image after cleaning.

[0099] η contaminative_black_pixel_precentage The percentage of black pixels after cleaning is calculated as the black pixel value divided by the total pixel value after image processing.

[0100] η initial_white_pixel_precentage The percentage of white pixels in the original state is calculated as the white pixel value divided by the total pixel value after processing the original image.

[0101] η initial_black_pixel_precentageThe percentage of black pixels in the original state is calculated as the black pixel value / total pixel value of the original image after processing.

[0102] Through η relative η absolute Two parameters are used to evaluate the efficiency of the cleaning process. Three images are used: an initial image, an image before cleaning, and an image taken by the camera after cleaning. The grayscale values ​​are then used to calculate the corresponding black and white pixel values ​​and the efficiency. The relative cleaning efficiency and absolute cleaning effect are compared with pre-set thresholds to determine whether the cleaning meets the requirements.

[0103] The following is a practical example using a Python program to verify the system's efficiency. During the application of this example, the following... Figure 5 The flowchart shown above, combined with the steps described above, will be analyzed step by step.

[0104] Take photos of the camera in its initial state; in real-world scenarios, use a vehicle to expose the camera to contaminants, or manually apply dust evenly for rapid verification; take photos of the contaminated camera; clean the camera; take photos of the cleaned camera; acquire standard images Initial_Camera.jpg, Contaminative_Camera.jpg, and Cleaned_Camera.jpg;

[0105] The image is preprocessed; specifically, the cv2.imread method is used to read the image.

[0106] Initial_Camera_image = cv2.imread('Initial_Camera.jpg', cv2.IMREAD_GRAYSCALE)

[0107] Contaminative_Camera_image = cv2.imread('Contaminative_Camera.jpg',cv2.IMREAD_GRAYSCALE)

[0108] Cleaned_Camera_image = cv2.imread('Cleaned_Camera.jpg', cv2.IMREAD_GRAYSCALE)

[0109] Generate the corresponding grayscale histogram; specifically, use cv2.calcHist to generate the histogram.

[0110] Initial_Camera_image_histogram = cv2.calcHist([Initial_Camera_image],[0], None,

[256] , [0, 256])

[0111] Contaminative_Camera_image_histogram = cv2.calcHist([Contaminative_Camera_image], [0], None,

[256] , [0, 256])

[0112] Cleaned_Camera_image_histogram = cv2.calcHist([Cleaned_Camera_image],[0], None,

[256] , [0, 256])

[0113] The binarization threshold is confirmed to be 160. Specifically, the cv2.threshold method is used to set the threshold to 160 to generate a binarized image.

[0114] Initial_Camera_image_thresh=cv2.threshold(Initial_Camera_image,160,255,cv2.THRESH_BINARY)

[0115] Contaminative_Camera_image_thresh=cv2.threshold(Contaminative_Camera_image,160,255,cv2.THRESH_BINARY)

[0116] Cleaned_Camera_image_thresh=cv2.threshold(Cleaned_Camera_image,160,255,cv2.THRESH_BINARY)

[0117] By observing the generated binarized image through the above experiments and statistically analyzing the corresponding pixel value ratios, the final result shows that the system's relative cleaning efficiency is 55.08% and its absolute cleaning efficiency is 94.82%, which meets the cleaning requirements.

[0118] Obviously, the specific implementation of this invention is not limited to the above-described methods. Any non-substantial improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution of this invention are within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning and controlling an electric vehicle camera, comprising collecting environmental information and vehicle status information of the current vehicle location, and controlling the working states of a water pump module, an air pump module, a heating module, and an electronic control valve module based on the environmental information and vehicle status information, thereby respectively achieving high-pressure cleaning of the camera with washing liquid, high-pressure airflow cleaning of the camera, high-pressure high-temperature airflow cleaning of the camera, and high-pressure washing liquid combined with high-pressure high-temperature airflow cleaning of the camera; characterized in that: When entering the vehicle camera cleaning mode, the water washing function is activated by default. The water pump module is turned on, and the water washing solenoid valve is opened simultaneously. The vehicle camera is cleaned with high-pressure washing fluid. The system monitors for rain in real time. If it is raining, the air pump module is activated while the water pump module is turned off. The power of the air pump module is adjusted according to the rainfall amount, increasing with the rainfall. As the vehicle speed increases, the air pump operation is controlled accordingly; the higher the vehicle speed, the greater the air pump power. A pre-calibrated table is used to determine the relationship between vehicle speed and air pump power. During the cleaning process, if it is determined to be raining, a baseline power for the air pump module is calculated based on the rainfall amount. Then, a calibration power corresponding to the current vehicle speed is obtained from the speed-power mapping table. If the calibration power is less than the baseline power, the air pump is controlled at the baseline power; otherwise, it is controlled at the calibration power. The heating module's operating status is controlled based on the collected ambient temperature information. When the temperature is lower than the set threshold, the heating module is turned on; otherwise, the heating module is turned off. If no rain is detected, the intelligent driving system determines the current vehicle driving scenario and matches a cleaning strategy accordingly. The cleaning strategy includes the control timing and working time of the water pump module, air pump module, and heating module. The intelligent driving system determines the type of contaminants in the camera based on the vehicle's driving environment data before entering the cleaning state. Based on the type of contaminants, the system controls the cleaning strategy to perform either air washing and water washing in a cyclical manner or water washing and air washing in a cyclical manner. After the cleaning is completed, a high-temperature and high-pressure air washing is performed to end the camera cleaning state, thus completing the cleaning process.

2. The electric vehicle camera cleaning control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The collected environmental information includes rainfall and temperature information; the collected vehicle status information includes vehicle speed information; the working status parameters of the water pump module, air pump module, heating module, and electronic control valve module are controlled based on the rainfall, temperature, and vehicle speed information. The working status parameters include on / off status, on / off time, and on / off power.

3. The electric vehicle camera cleaning control method as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The system detects the current rain condition and rainfall amount using a rain sensor. When it is raining, the water pump module is shut down, and the air pump module's operating power is adjusted according to the rainfall amount.

4. A method for cleaning control of an electric vehicle camera as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The intelligent driving system determines the current vehicle driving scenario and matches a cleaning strategy based on the driving scenario. The cleaning strategy includes the control sequence and working time of the water pump module, air pump module, and heating module.

5. A method for cleaning control of an electric vehicle camera as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: Each time the vehicle camera is cleaned, the cleaning efficiency is evaluated, and an alarm is triggered or a secondary cleaning function is activated based on the evaluation results.

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