Air suspension system-equipped vehicle front windshield foreign matter removal control method, system, device, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

This invention relates to a method, system, device, and computer-readable storage medium for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system. The method includes: receiving a windshield leaf detection result and / or a signal indicating that the automatic windshield washer fluid wiper has completed; determining if there is a need to remove foreign objects; if not, not delivering high-pressure gas; if there is a need, determining if the air spring is in a lowered position; if so, using the high-pressure gas discharged from the lowered air spring to blow away the foreign objects; otherwise, determining if the air tank has sufficient gas; if sufficient, using the high-pressure gas from the air tank to blow away the foreign objects; if insufficient, activating the air pump to directly blow away the foreign objects. This invention enables automatic control of foreign object removal from the vehicle's windshield while simultaneously recovering exhaust energy from the air suspension system, thus balancing driving safety and energy efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle windshield cleaning control technology, and in particular to a method, system, device, and computer-readable storage medium for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, preventing leaves from clogging the drainage holes below the windshield of vehicles relies solely on manual observation and removal. Especially in autumn and spring, if vehicles are parked temporarily or for extended periods, or driven under trees, leaves can accumulate and fill the windshield drainage holes. If not cleaned promptly, this can lead to poor drainage during the rainy season, allowing rainwater to flow into the engine compartment and interior, damaging vehicle components, causing malfunctions, and increasing repair costs.

[0003] Meanwhile, when there are stains on the windshield, drivers usually clean it by spraying water and then using the wipers. However, after the wipers have wiped, a layer of water film often remains on the windshield surface. Especially at night or in low light, the residual water film can refract light, seriously affecting the driver's vision, causing driving hazards, and hindering safe driving.

[0004] In existing technologies, some vehicles are equipped with windshield cleaning systems based on air pumps, but their air source usually relies on a separate onboard air compressor or air tank, failing to fully utilize the energy of the vehicle's existing pneumatic system. This is especially true for vehicles equipped with air suspension systems, where the air springs discharge high-pressure gas when the vehicle height is lowered; this high-pressure gas is typically released directly into the atmosphere, resulting in energy waste.

[0005] In addition, existing windshield debris removal solutions are usually designed for a single scenario and lack a comprehensive control strategy that simultaneously covers the removal of fallen leaves blocking drainage holes and residual water film. They also fail to differentiate airflow according to the actual density of debris, resulting in energy waste or poor removal effect.

[0006] Therefore, how to fully utilize the high-pressure gas source of the air suspension system while simultaneously solving the problems of fallen leaves clogging the windshield drainage holes and residual water film affecting the driver's visibility after spraying water has become a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, this invention proposes a method, system, device, and computer-readable storage medium for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system. This method enables automatic control of foreign object removal from the windshield of a vehicle while simultaneously recovering and utilizing exhaust energy from the air suspension system, thus balancing driving safety and energy efficiency.

[0008] Specifically, this invention proposes a method for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system, comprising: S1, receive a trigger signal, the trigger signal including the windshield leaf detection result and / or the automatic windshield washer completion signal; S2, determine whether there is a need to remove foreign objects from the windshield based on the trigger signal; if there is no need to remove foreign objects, do not supply high-pressure gas to the windshield; if there is a need to remove foreign objects, proceed to step S3. S3, determine whether the air spring of the air suspension system is in the lowered state; If so, the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring is lowered is used to blow air into the windshield to remove foreign objects. If not, then determine whether the gas in the storage tank is sufficient; If the gas tank is full, the high-pressure gas in the gas tank is used to blow air into the windshield to remove foreign objects. If the gas tank is not full, start the air pump and use the high-pressure gas generated by the air pump to blow away foreign objects.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the air spring is not in the lowered state and the gas in the air tank is insufficient, if the density of fallen leaves does not reach a preset threshold, the air pump is not started to blow air directly, but the air pump is started to replenish the air in the air tank.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when the leaf detection result is valid or the automatic windshield washer completion signal is valid, it is determined that there is a need to remove foreign objects from the windshield; When the leaf fall detection result and the automatic windshield washer completion signal are both valid, the airflow opening corresponding to the leaf fall detection result is set to be higher than the airflow opening corresponding to the automatic windshield washer completion signal.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the leaf fall detection result includes a leaf fall density value, and the leaf fall density value is obtained by means of: A pre-trained target detection model is used to detect single-target fallen leaves in the windshield image, and the fallen leaf recognition results and bounding boxes are output. The area of ​​the marker frame is calculated based on the pixel width and pixel height of the marker frame, and the ratio of the area of ​​the marker frame to the total pixel area of ​​the windshield image is used as the leaf density value. The density of fallen leaves is divided into multiple levels.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when high-pressure gas in the gas tank is used to blow air onto the windshield to remove foreign objects, the air flow rate is adjusted according to the level of the density of fallen leaves or the automatic windshield wiper completion signal.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when using the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring is lowered to remove foreign objects from the windshield, the air flow rate is adjusted to the maximum.

[0014] The present invention also provides a vehicle windshield foreign object removal control system equipped with an air suspension system, including a signal receiving module, a control module, an actuator module and a windshield foreign object removal module; The signal receiving module is used to receive trigger signals, including windshield leaf detection results and / or automatic windshield washer completion signals, and send the trigger signals to the control module; The control module is used to determine whether there is a need to remove foreign objects from the windshield based on the trigger signal. If there is a need to remove foreign objects: Determine whether the air spring is in the lowered state. If so, output the first control signal to cause the actuator module to deliver the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring is lowered to the windshield foreign object removal module. If not, determine whether the gas in the gas tank is sufficient. If it is sufficient, output a second control signal to cause the actuator module to deliver the high-pressure gas in the gas tank to the windshield foreign object removal module. If the air pressure is insufficient, a third control signal is output to activate the air pump in the actuator module, and the high-pressure gas generated by the air pump is directly delivered to the windshield foreign object removal module. The windshield foreign object removal module is used to receive high-pressure gas delivered by the actuator module and blow air to remove foreign objects from the windshield.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, The control module is also used to, when the air spring is not in the lowered state and the gas in the air tank is insufficient, if the density of fallen leaves does not reach a preset threshold, not to output the third control signal, but to output the fourth control signal to control the air pump to start and replenish the air tank.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, The actuator module also includes a reversing valve group and an air flow solenoid valve with adjustable duty cycle. The reversing valve group includes a first reversing valve, a second reversing valve, a third reversing valve, a fourth reversing valve, and a fifth reversing valve. The first end of the first reversing valve is connected to the main air supply line of the air suspension system, the second end is open to the atmosphere, and the third end is connected to the windshield foreign object removal module. It is used to switch between venting the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring is lowered to the atmosphere or supplying it to the windshield foreign object removal module. The first end of the second reversing valve is connected to the air spring, the second end is connected to the third reversing valve, and the third end is connected to the air pump and the first reversing valve, for switching the air pump to supply air to the air spring or to the air tank and the windshield foreign object removal module. The first end of the third reversing valve is connected to the fourth reversing valve, the second end is connected to the second reversing valve, and the third end is connected to the windshield foreign object removal module, which is used to switch the air tank to supply air to the windshield foreign object removal module or to receive air replenishment from the air pump. The first end of the fourth reversing valve is connected to the air spring, the second end is connected to the third reversing valve, and the third end is connected to the air tank, for switching between supplying air to the air tank, the air spring, or the windshield foreign object removal module. The first end of the fifth reversing valve is connected to the air flow solenoid valve, the second end is connected to the outside of the vehicle, and the third end is connected to the gas nozzle of the windshield foreign object removal module. The fifth reversing valve is used to guide high-pressure gas to the gas nozzle to blow air to the outside of the windshield when energized; and to connect the gas nozzle to the outside of the vehicle to discharge rainwater when not energized.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the actuator module further includes an air flow solenoid valve with an adjustable duty cycle, the air flow solenoid valve being disposed on the pipeline between the reversing valve assembly and the windshield foreign object removal module; When the high-pressure gas in the air tank is used to blow air through the windshield to remove foreign objects, the control module controls the duty cycle of the air flow solenoid valve to adjust the blowing flow rate according to the level of the density of fallen leaves or the automatic windshield wiper completion signal. When the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring is lowered is used to remove foreign objects from the windshield, the control module controls the opening of the air flow solenoid valve to be adjusted to the maximum.

[0018] The present invention also provides a vehicle windshield foreign object removal control device, comprising: A memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the steps of the association annotation method as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0019] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the association annotation method as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0020] The present invention provides a method, system, device, and computer-readable storage medium for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system. It identifies the need for foreign object removal by dual-trigger signal recognition through leaf detection and windshield washer fluid spray. It prioritizes the recovery and utilization of high-pressure gas discharged from the air spring and uses an air tank as a secondary air source to blow air onto the windshield, preventing fallen leaves from clogging the drainage holes and quickly drying the water film. This achieves energy reuse and on-demand start-stop, taking into account both driving safety and overall vehicle energy efficiency.

[0021] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and illustrative, and are intended to provide further explanation of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings are included to provide further explanation of the invention; they are incorporated into and constitute a part of this application. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with this specification, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a vehicle windshield debris removal control system equipped with an air suspension system, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the air circuit of a vehicle windshield foreign object removal control system equipped with an air suspension system, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0025] Figure 4 A system block diagram of a vehicle windshield foreign object removal control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0026] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit this application or its application or use. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0028] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0029] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this application. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0030] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this application; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0031] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, these terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. In addition, although the terminology used in this application is selected from commonly known and used terms, some terms mentioned in this application's specification may have been chosen by the applicant according to his or her judgment, and their detailed meanings are explained in the relevant sections of this description. Moreover, this application should be understood not only through the actual terms used, but also through the meaning implied by each term.

[0032] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the removal of foreign objects from a vehicle windshield equipped with an air suspension system, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown. As shown, the method provides by using leaf detection results and automatic windshield washer completion signals as dual trigger sources to automatically identify the windshield removal requirement. Based on the existing air supply status of the air suspension system, high-pressure gas is prioritized to blow air onto the windshield, thereby preventing leaves from clogging the drainage holes below the windshield and quickly drying residual water film on the glass surface, ensuring clear driver visibility and driving safety. The method includes the following steps: S1 receives trigger signals, including the result of windshield leaf detection and / or the signal indicating that the automatic windshield washer fluid has finished spraying. The purpose of the dual trigger source design is to address both scenarios where fallen leaves accumulate and clog the drain holes, and to promptly remove residual water film after windshield washer fluid cleaning, covering the needs for removing foreign objects under both parked and driving conditions.

[0033] S2: Determine if there is a need to remove foreign objects from the windshield based on the trigger signal. If there is no need to remove foreign objects, do not supply high-pressure gas to the windshield to avoid unnecessary energy consumption and system wear. If there is a need to remove foreign objects, proceed to the next step.

[0034] S3. Determine if the air springs of the air suspension system are in the lowered position. If the air springs are in the lowered position, use the high-pressure gas discharged when the air springs are lowered to blow air through the windshield to remove foreign objects, thus recovering the high-pressure gas that would otherwise be discharged into the atmosphere and reducing the vehicle's energy consumption. If the air springs are not in the lowered position, check if the air tank has sufficient gas. If the air tank has sufficient gas, use the high-pressure gas in the air tank to blow air through the windshield to remove foreign objects, ensuring a stable air supply even when the air springs are not venting. If the air tank has insufficient gas, start the air pump and use the high-pressure gas generated by the air pump to directly blow air through the windshield to remove foreign objects, ensuring that the system still has the ability to clear foreign objects in the event of a shortage of air.

[0035] In some examples, when the air spring is not in the lowered state and the gas in the air tank is insufficient, if the density of fallen leaves does not reach the preset threshold, the air pump will not be started to blow air directly. Instead, the air pump will be started to replenish the air tank, so that the air tank is restored to the usable pressure level. Priority is given to ensuring the air supply needs of the air suspension system itself, while also taking into account the air source reserve for the subsequent foreign object removal function.

[0036] In some examples, a need to remove foreign objects from the windshield is determined when either the leaf detection result or the automatic windshield washer fluid wiper completion signal is valid. When both the leaf detection result and the automatic windshield washer fluid wiper completion signal are valid, the airflow rate corresponding to the leaf detection result is set higher than that corresponding to the automatic windshield washer fluid wiper completion signal. This is because leaf accumulation typically requires a larger and more continuous airflow for effective removal, while water film removal focuses more on rapid drying. The different airflow characteristics necessitate prioritizing the higher airflow rate corresponding to the leaf detection result, ensuring the airflow strategy matches the actual state of the foreign object.

[0037] In some examples, the leaf detection results include a leaf density value, which is obtained in the following ways: A pre-trained target detection model is used to detect single-target fallen leaves in the windshield image, and the fallen leaf recognition results and bounding boxes are output. The area of ​​the marker box is calculated based on its pixel width and pixel height. The ratio of the marker box area to the total pixel area of ​​the windshield image is used as the leaf density value. Boxes with pixel values ​​on either the horizontal or vertical coordinates exceeding a certain threshold are excluded from the calculation, indicating that the leaves are not located on the windshield, such as leaves on the ground or beside the vehicle. This avoids invalid detection interfering with air volume decisions. The density of fallen leaves is categorized into multiple levels, such as extremely dense, dense, medium, and sparse. By quantifying the leaf coverage using pixel area ratio, the control module can make air volume decisions based on objective values, avoiding control lag or energy waste caused by subjective human judgment.

[0038] In some examples, when using high-pressure gas from the reservoir to blow air through the windshield to remove debris, the airflow rate is adjusted based on the density of fallen leaves or the completion signal of the automatic windshield washer fluid wipers. Since the gas in the reservoir is a limited reserve, adjusting the flow rate according to the density of fallen leaves achieves a balance between cleaning effectiveness and gas consumption. For example, a larger airflow rate is used when the leaf density is high, while a smaller airflow rate is used when the leaves are sparse or only a film of water is being removed, thus extending the usable time of the reservoir and reducing the frequency of air pump activation.

[0039] In some examples, when using the high-pressure gas expelled when the air spring is lowered to remove foreign objects from the windshield, the airflow rate is set to maximum. Since the high-pressure gas expelled when the air spring is lowered is destined to be released into the atmosphere anyway, it would be wasted if not utilized. Therefore, in this operating condition, there is no need to consider saving air volume. Setting the airflow rate to maximum can complete the foreign object removal operation as much as possible within the limited exhaust period, thereby improving energy recovery and utilization.

[0040] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a vehicle windshield debris removal control system equipped with an air suspension system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown in the figure, the vehicle windshield debris removal control system 200 provided by the present invention includes a signal receiving module 210, a control module 220, an actuator module 230, and a windshield debris removal module 240.

[0041] The signal receiving module 210 is used to receive trigger signals, including the windshield leaf detection result and / or the automatic windshield washer completion signal, and sends the trigger signals to the control module 220.

[0042] The control module 220 determines whether there is a need to remove foreign objects from the windshield based on a trigger signal. If there is a need, it checks whether the air spring is in a lowered state. If so, it outputs a first control signal to cause the actuator module 230 to deliver the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring is lowered to the windshield removal module 240. If not, it checks whether the gas tank is sufficient. If sufficient, it outputs a second control signal to cause the actuator module 230 to deliver the high-pressure gas from the gas tank to the windshield removal module 240. If insufficient, it outputs a third control signal to cause the actuator module 230 to start the air pump, directly delivering the high-pressure gas generated by the air pump to the windshield removal module 240. The control module 220 acts as the central hub of the entire system, coordinating the timing of actions of each air path and module according to preset logic.

[0043] The actuator module 230 receives control signals and, when the air spring is in the lowered state, delivers the high-pressure gas discharged during the lowering of the air spring to the windshield debris removal module 240. When the air spring is not in the lowered state and the air tank has sufficient gas, it delivers the high-pressure gas from the air tank to the windshield debris removal module 240; when the air spring is not in the lowered state and the air tank has insufficient gas, it starts the air pump and delivers the high-pressure gas generated by the air pump directly to the windshield debris removal module 240, realizing on-demand switching and graded utilization of the air source.

[0044] The windshield foreign object removal module 240 is used to receive high-pressure gas delivered by the actuator module 230, and blow air onto the windshield to remove foreign objects, converting the kinetic energy of the airflow into the physical action of removing fallen leaves or drying water film.

[0045] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the air circuit of a vehicle windshield debris removal control system equipped with an air suspension system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown, in some examples, the actuator module 230 includes an air spring 231, an air tank 232, and an air pump 233. The air spring 231 discharges high-pressure gas when lowered, the air tank 232 stores high-pressure gas, and the air pump 233 generates high-pressure gas. The control module 220 is also used to, when the air spring 231 is not in the lowered state and the air tank 232 is insufficient, if the density of fallen leaves has not reached a preset threshold, output a fourth control signal instead of a third control signal to control the air pump 233 to start and replenish the air tank 232. By distinguishing between the two modes of direct air supply by the air pump 233 and replenishment of the air tank 232, the system can prioritize handling the urgent risk of leaf blockage when air supply is tight, and prioritize restoring the pressure of the air tank 232 when the risk is low, thus maintaining the normal function of the air suspension system.

[0046] In some examples, such as Figure 3 As shown, the air springs 231 of the actuator module 230 include a left front air spring 2311, a right front air spring 2312, a left rear air spring 2313, and a right rear air spring 2314, as well as solenoid valves 2315-2318 that control the above four air springs 231 respectively. These components constitute the original air spring circuit of the vehicle shown in area A. The output end of the air pump 233 is connected to the air supply filter device 234, which is used to dry and reduce noise of the high-pressure gas, reducing the adverse effects of moisture and noise in the compressed gas on subsequent air circuit components and the cleaning effect of the windshield. The output end of the air supply filter device 234 is connected to a one-way valve 235, the output end of the one-way valve 235 is connected to a pressure relief valve 236, and the outlet end of the pressure relief valve 236 is connected to the main air supply line. The one-way valve 235 is oriented from the air pump 233 into the system. When the air pressure in the suction side pipeline of the air pump 233 is lower than the external atmospheric pressure, external gas enters the pipeline through the one-way valve 235. The one-way valve 235 ensures the unidirectional nature of air supply during the suction phase of the air pump 233, maintaining normal air intake circulation in the system. The pressure relief valve 236 is used to release pressure when the system pressure exceeds a preset threshold, preventing damage to air circuit components due to abnormal pressure increases in the air tank 232 or pipelines, and improving the safety and reliability of system operation.

[0047] In some examples, actuator module 230 also includes a reversing valve assembly 237, which includes a first reversing valve 2371, a second reversing valve 2372, a third reversing valve 2373, a fourth reversing valve 2374, and a fifth reversing valve 242. The first reversing valve 2371 has a first end connected to the main air supply line, a second end open to the atmosphere, and a third end connected to the air path of the windshield debris removal module 240 via a two-in-one air line connector 239. The first reversing valve 2371 is used to switch the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring 231 is lowered to either be discharged to the atmosphere or delivered to the windshield debris removal module 240. The first end of the second reversing valve 2372 is connected to the air spring air circuit in area A, the second end is connected to the third reversing valve 2373, and the third end is connected to the air pump 233 and the first reversing valve 2371. The second reversing valve 2372 is used to switch the air pump 233 to supply air to the air spring 231 or to the air tank 232 and the windshield debris removal module 240. The first end of the third reversing valve 2373 is connected to the fourth reversing valve 2374, the second end is connected to the second reversing valve 2372, and the third end is connected to the windshield debris removal module 240 via the two-in-one air circuit connector 239. The third reversing valve 2373 is used to switch the air tank 232 to supply air to the windshield debris removal module 240 or to receive replenishment air from the air pump 233. The first end of the fourth reversing valve 2374 is connected to the air spring circuit in area A, the second end is connected to the third reversing valve 2373, and the third end is connected to the air tank 232. The fourth reversing valve 2374 is used to switch between supplying air to the air tank 232, the air spring 231, or the windshield debris removal module 240. The fifth reversing valve 242 is a two-position three-way reversing valve. Its first end is connected to the air flow solenoid valve 238, the second end is connected to the outside of the vehicle, and the third end is connected to the gas nozzle 241 of the windshield debris removal module 240. The fifth reversing valve 242 is used to guide high-pressure gas to the gas nozzle 241 to blow air onto the outside of the windshield when energized; and to allow the gas nozzle 241 to be connected to the outside of the vehicle to discharge rainwater when not energized. The five reversing valves mentioned above work together to change the air circuit connection state under the command of the control module 220, so that the same air suspension air source can be flexibly allocated between suspension adjustment, air storage and pressure maintenance and foreign object removal functions according to the real-time operating conditions of the vehicle. There is no need to configure a separate air pump for the foreign object removal function, which reduces the overall vehicle hardware cost and layout difficulty.

[0048] In some examples, the actuator module 230 also includes an airflow solenoid valve 238 with an adjustable duty cycle, which is located on the pipeline between the two-in-one air connector 239 and the windshield debris removal module 240. When high-pressure gas from the air tank 232 is used to blow air through the windshield to remove debris, the control module 220 controls the duty cycle of the airflow solenoid valve 238 to adjust the airflow rate based on the leaf density level or the automatic wiper completion signal. When high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring 231 is lowered is used to remove debris from the windshield, the control module 220 controls the airflow solenoid valve 238 to open to its maximum. The adjustable duty cycle airflow solenoid valve 238 allows for stepless or stepped airflow adjustment during the air supply phase from the air tank 232, adapting the output airflow to the current leaf density or water film state and preventing excessive consumption of high-pressure gas. During the exhaust phase of the air spring 231, since this part of the gas is a recovered energy source, adjusting the opening to the maximum can make full use of the exhaust window period to complete the removal of foreign objects.

[0049] In some examples, the windshield debris removal module 240 includes multiple gas nozzles 241 positioned near the washer nozzles below the windshield of the vehicle. The airflow direction of the gas nozzles 241 is parallel to the windshield or slightly outward. Positioning the nozzles near the washer nozzles utilizes existing structural space below the windshield, reducing the need for additional openings and wiring. The nozzle direction being parallel to or slightly outward prevents high-pressure gas from directly impacting the glass surface and causing damage, while simultaneously creating an effective cleaning area along the glass surface, pushing fallen leaves out of the drain holes or directly dispersing the water film. The specific location and number of gas nozzles 241 can be determined through a limited number of experiments or through a limited number of computer fluid dynamics simulations to achieve an optimal balance between debris removal effectiveness and airflow uniformity.

[0050] In some examples, the vehicle windshield debris removal control system 200 also includes a camera image acquisition module 250 and a leaf detection module 260. The camera image acquisition module 250 includes a camera mounted at a preset position on the rearview mirror inside the vehicle to acquire images of the windshield. This mounting position provides a wide field of view, completely covering the windshield area, while avoiding exposure to harsh external environments, thus extending its service life. The leaf detection module 260 receives the windshield image and uses a pre-trained YOLOv5s object detection model to perform single-target leaf detection on the windshield image, outputting leaf recognition results and bounding boxes. Each leaf recognition bounding box includes the leaf's center x-coordinate pixel value, leaf center y-coordinate pixel value, leaf pixel width value, and leaf pixel height value relative to the actual pixel size of the input image. Based on the leaf recognition result, an output value of 1 indicates that there are leaves on the vehicle's windshield, otherwise 0 indicates that there are no leaves on the windshield. The area of ​​the marked box is calculated based on its pixel width and height values. The ratio of the marked box area to the total pixel area of ​​the windshield image is used as the leaf density value, which is then divided into multiple levels. During the calculation, if the pixel value of the marked box's horizontal or vertical coordinate is greater than a certain threshold, the marked box is not included in the area ratio calculation, indicating that it corresponds to leaves not located on the windshield, such as leaves on the ground or leaves on the right or left side of the vehicle away from trees, thus avoiding invalid detections interfering with air volume decisions. To improve the adaptability of the leaf detection algorithm to different scenarios, the windshield leaf training dataset covers low light in the early morning, strong light at noon, dusk in the afternoon, daytime, nighttime, and environments with sparse and dense leaf falling, with a total dataset of no less than 5000 images, of which no less than 600 images are available for each different leaf falling environment. The leaf detection module 260 sends the leaf detection results to the signal receiving module 210. Using a pre-trained target detection model for single-target leaf detection, the system can continuously monitor leaf accumulation while the vehicle is parked or in motion, enabling automatic triggering of the foreign object removal function without manual intervention from the driver.

[0051] In some examples, the vehicle windshield debris removal control system 200 also includes a power module 270. The power module 270 supplies power to the vehicle windshield debris removal control system 200 and maintains power to the leaf detection module 260 in a low-power standby state after the vehicle is locked. When the leaf detection module 260 detects falling leaves, the power module 270 activates the control module 220, actuator module 230, and windshield debris removal module 240. Even after the vehicle is locked, if leaves continue to fall and accumulate, they may still clog the drain holes. Therefore, keeping the leaf detection module 260 in low-power standby allows for timely activation of the entire system upon detecting leaves, achieving automatic protection while the vehicle is locked and preventing water damage due to driver negligence in clearing fallen leaves.

[0052] In some examples, the signal receiving module 210 is also used to monitor the pressure status of the gas storage tank 232 and the lifting status of the air spring 231, and send the pressure status and lifting status to the control module 220. By acquiring the pressure of the gas storage tank 232 and the lifting information of the air spring 231 in real time, the control module 220 can accurately determine the currently available gas source type and volume, thereby making the correct selection in the three-source priority logic and avoiding invalid actions or energy waste caused by misjudgment of the gas source status.

[0053] The following specific embodiment illustrates the operation process of the vehicle windshield foreign object removal control system 200.

[0054] After the system is powered on, the control module 220 first automatically checks whether the signals from the camera image acquisition module 250 and the leaf detection module 260 are valid. When the camera image acquisition is valid, or the automatic windshield washer fluid wiper completion signal is valid, the windshield debris removal function is enabled. After being enabled, the system enters a loop monitoring state. The leaf detection module 260 continuously infers the density of fallen leaves from the windshield image, and the signal receiving module 210 simultaneously monitors the automatic windshield washer fluid wiper completion signal until a scene with fallen leaves is detected or the wiper completion signal is triggered.

[0055] When a need for removing foreign objects from the windshield is detected, the control module 220 first checks whether the air spring 231 is in a lowered state. If so, the control module 220 outputs a first control signal to energize the left coil of the first reversing valve 2371. This causes the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring 231 is lowered to flow through the main air supply line and the two-in-one air line connector 239 to the air flow solenoid valve 238. Simultaneously, the air flow solenoid valve 238 is adjusted to its maximum opening. The air pump 233, the second reversing valve 2372, the third reversing valve 2373, and the fourth reversing valve 2374 remain de-energized to ensure that all the high-pressure gas discharged by the air spring 231 is recovered for the foreign object removal operation. Subsequently, the fifth reversing valve 242 is energized, and the high-pressure gas is blown through the gas nozzle 241 to the outside of the windshield to prevent fallen leaves from clogging the drain holes or to quickly remove residual water film.

[0056] If the air spring 231 is not in the lowered state, the control module 220 further determines whether there is sufficient gas in the air tank 232. If there is sufficient gas in the air tank 232, the control module 220 outputs a second control signal to energize the left coil of the fourth reversing valve 2374, the third reversing valve 2373, and the fifth reversing valve 242, while the air pump 233 and other reversing valves remain de-energized. Air is supplied from the air tank 232 through the fourth reversing valve 2374, the third reversing valve 2373, and the two-in-one air connector 239 to the windshield foreign object removal module 240. At this time, the control module 220 adjusts the duty cycle of the air flow solenoid valve 238 according to the density value of fallen leaves: when the density value of fallen leaves is greater than or equal to 35%, it controls it to be at an extremely dense opening; when it is greater than or equal to 25%, it controls it to be at a dense opening; when it is greater than or equal to 15%, it controls it to be at a medium opening; when it is greater than zero, it controls it to be at a sparse opening; if the current trigger source is the automatic wiper completion signal of the windshield washer fluid spray and the density value of fallen leaves is zero, it controls it to be at the windshield descaling opening, so that the air flow rate matches the current foreign object removal status, avoiding unnecessary waste of gas in the air tank 232.

[0057] If the gas in the gas tank 232 is insufficient, the control module 220 further determines whether the density of fallen leaves on the windshield reaches the preset threshold for directly operating the air pump 233. If the threshold is reached, the control module 220 outputs a third control signal to energize the left coil of the first reversing valve 2371, energize the fifth reversing valve 242, and start the air pump 233. The second reversing valve 2372, the third reversing valve 2373, and the fourth reversing valve 2374 remain de-energized, and the air flow solenoid valve 238 is opened to its maximum. The high-pressure gas directly generated by the air pump 233 is supplied to the windshield debris removal module 240 through the main air supply line, the first reversing valve 2371, and the two-in-one air line connector 239 to deal with the risk of emergency leaf blockage. If the preset threshold is not reached, the control module 220 outputs a fourth control signal to energize the second reversing valve 2372, energize the left coil of the fourth reversing valve 2374, start the air pump 233, and keep the other reversing valves de-energized. The air pump 233 replenishes the air tank 232. After the air replenishment is completed, the system returns to the cycle monitoring state, giving priority to ensuring the air supply reserve of the air suspension system.

[0058] After the high-pressure gas is blown out through the gas nozzle 241, it continuously blows the windshield until the fallen leaves are removed or the water film dissipates. When the system determines that there is no need to remove foreign objects, it controls the first reversing valve 2371, the second reversing valve 2372, the third reversing valve 2373, the fourth reversing valve 2374, and the air pump 233 to return to the de-energized state. The air flow solenoid valve 238 is closed, and the fifth reversing valve 242 is de-energized and reset to allow the gas nozzle 241 to communicate with the outside of the vehicle in order to discharge any rainwater that may have entered the pipeline. The system then waits for the next trigger.

[0059] Figure 4 A system block diagram of a vehicle windshield debris removal control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. As shown, the vehicle windshield debris removal control device 400 includes an internal communication bus 401, a processor 402, a read-only memory (ROM) 403, a random access memory (RAM) 404, and a communication port 405. When applied to a personal computer, the vehicle windshield debris removal control device 400 may also include a hard disk 406. The internal communication bus 401 enables data communication between the components of the device 400. The processor 402 can perform judgments and issue prompts. In some embodiments, the processor 402 may consist of one or more processors. In some embodiments, the vehicle windshield debris removal control device 400 can send and receive information and data from a network through the communication port 405. For example, the communication port 405 can enable data communication between the vehicle windshield debris removal control device 400 and external devices. Multiple image sensors are arranged around the vehicle to acquire image data of the vehicle's surrounding environment in real time. The acquired image frames are transmitted to the processor 402 via communication port 405 and then through the internal communication bus 401. The vehicle's windshield debris removal control device 400 may also include different types of program storage units and data storage units, such as a hard disk 406, read-only memory (ROM) 403, and random access memory (RAM) 404, capable of storing various data files used for computer processing and / or communication, as well as possible program instructions executed by the processor 402. The processor 402 executes these instructions to implement the main part of the method. The results processed by the processor 402 are transmitted to the user equipment via communication port 405 and displayed on the user interface.

[0060] The above-described signal processing method can be implemented as a computer program, stored in hard disk 406, and loaded into processor 402 for execution, in order to implement the foreign object removal control method for the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system as described in this application.

[0061] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the aforementioned methods for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system.

[0062] The specific implementation methods and technical effects of the vehicle windshield foreign object removal control system, the vehicle windshield foreign object removal control device, and the computer-readable storage medium can all be found in the embodiments of the vehicle windshield foreign object removal control method equipped with an air suspension system provided by the present invention, and will not be repeated here.

[0063] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. By recovering and reusing the high-pressure gas discharged when the air springs in the air suspension system are lowered, and using it as a high-pressure air source for removing foreign objects from the windshield, the energy waste caused by the direct discharge of air spring exhaust into the atmosphere is avoided. This achieves energy reuse of high-pressure gas and improves the overall energy efficiency of the vehicle. Simultaneously, by setting a three-tiered air source priority strategy—prioritizing air spring exhaust, followed by the air tank, and then using the air pump as a backup—a reliable high-pressure air source is ensured to be provided under different vehicle conditions, balancing energy efficiency and system reliability.

[0064] 2. A dual-trigger mechanism is introduced, using the windshield leaf detection result and the automatic wiper completion signal from the washer fluid spray as two independent trigger sources. The leaf detection trigger prevents fallen leaves from clogging the drainage holes below the windshield, avoiding damage to the vehicle due to poor drainage during the rainy season; the washer fluid wiper completion signal trigger quickly dries any residual water film on the windshield, preventing it from obstructing the driver's view. The two trigger sources can be enabled independently or simultaneously. When both are active, the higher airflow rate corresponding to the leaf detection result is prioritized, achieving comprehensive control over two different foreign object scenarios.

[0065] 3. Based on the density of fallen leaves, the airflow rate is adjusted via a duty cycle-adjustable solenoid valve, achieving on-demand air supply. A larger flow rate is used when the leaves are dense, and a smaller flow rate is used when they are sparse, avoiding energy waste or poor removal efficiency caused by a fixed flow rate output. Simultaneously, in spring exhaust mode, the flow rate is adjusted to the maximum to fully utilize transient exhaust energy, while in air tank mode, it is adjusted in stages for precise control, reflecting the control concept of fully utilizing transient air source and distributing steady-state air source as needed.

[0066] 4. The gas nozzles are located near the washer nozzles below the windshield, with the airflow direction parallel to the windshield or slightly tilted outwards. This prevents high-pressure gas from directly hitting the glass surface, and the core objective is to prevent fallen leaves from clogging the drain holes and to remove residual water film. Simultaneously, the fifth reversing valve allows the gas nozzles to connect to the outside of the vehicle when not energized. This allows rainwater entering through the nozzles to be drained when the foreign object removal function is not in operation, achieving dual-state protection of closed-loop air supply during operation and open drainage when not in operation, preventing water accumulation and corrosion in the pipes.

[0067] 5. After the vehicle is locked, the leaf detection module is kept in low-power standby power. When a leaf scene is detected, the other modules of the system are activated to perform foreign object removal operations. This balances the effectiveness of the function with the control of the overall vehicle power consumption and solves the problem of leaf accumulation that cannot be automatically handled when the vehicle is parked.

[0068] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability between hardware and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described above in a generalized manner in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as departing from the scope of the invention.

[0069] The various illustrative logic modules and circuits described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternatives, it may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors cooperating with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0070] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of both. The software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor such that the processor can read and write information to / from the storage medium. In an alternative, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In an alternative, the processor and storage medium may reside as discrete components in the user terminal.

[0071] In one or more exemplary embodiments, the described functionality may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software as a computer program product, the functionality may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on or through a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media, encompassing any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one location to another. A storage medium may be any available medium accessible to a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a computer. Any connection is also legitimately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of a medium. As used in this article, disk and disc include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital multi-purpose discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs. Disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of these should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0072] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the exemplary embodiments described above without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that this invention cover modifications and variations falling within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system, comprising: S1, receive a trigger signal, the trigger signal including the windshield leaf detection result and / or the automatic windshield washer completion signal; S2, determine whether there is a need to remove foreign objects from the windshield based on the trigger signal; if there is no need to remove foreign objects, do not supply high-pressure gas to the windshield; if there is a need to remove foreign objects, proceed to step S3. S3, determine whether the air spring of the air suspension system is in the lowered state; If so, the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring is lowered is used to blow air into the windshield to remove foreign objects. If not, then determine whether the gas in the storage tank is sufficient; If the gas tank is full, the high-pressure gas in the gas tank is used to blow air into the windshield to remove foreign objects. If the gas tank is not full, start the air pump and use the high-pressure gas generated by the air pump to blow away foreign objects.

2. The method for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the air spring is not in the lowered state and the gas in the air tank is insufficient, if the density of fallen leaves does not reach the preset threshold, the air pump will not be started to blow air directly, but the air pump will be started to replenish the air in the air tank.

3. The method for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, If the leaf detection result is valid or the automatic windshield washer complete signal is valid, then it is determined that there is a need to remove foreign objects from the windshield. When the leaf fall detection result and the automatic windshield washer completion signal are both valid, the airflow opening corresponding to the leaf fall detection result is set to be higher than the airflow opening corresponding to the automatic windshield washer completion signal.

4. The method for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The leaf fall detection result includes a leaf fall density value, and the leaf fall density value is obtained in the following ways: A pre-trained target detection model is used to detect single-target fallen leaves in the windshield image, and the fallen leaf recognition results and bounding boxes are output. The area of ​​the marker frame is calculated based on the pixel width and pixel height of the marker frame, and the ratio of the area of ​​the marker frame to the total pixel area of ​​the windshield image is used as the leaf density value. The density of fallen leaves is divided into multiple levels.

5. The method for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, When using high-pressure gas from the gas tank to blow air through the windshield to remove foreign objects, the airflow rate is adjusted according to the level of the density of fallen leaves or the automatic windshield wiper completion signal.

6. The method for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When using the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring is lowered to remove foreign objects from the windshield, adjust the airflow to the maximum.

7. A vehicle windshield foreign object removal control system equipped with an air suspension system, characterized in that, It includes a signal receiving module, a control module, an actuator module, and a windshield foreign object removal module; The signal receiving module is used to receive trigger signals, including windshield leaf detection results and / or automatic windshield washer completion signals, and send the trigger signals to the control module; The control module is used to determine whether there is a need to remove foreign objects from the windshield based on the trigger signal. If there is a need to remove foreign objects: Determine whether the air spring is in the lowered state. If so, output the first control signal to cause the actuator module to deliver the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring is lowered to the windshield foreign object removal module. If not, determine whether the gas in the gas tank is sufficient. If it is sufficient, output a second control signal to cause the actuator module to deliver the high-pressure gas in the gas tank to the windshield foreign object removal module. If the air pressure is insufficient, a third control signal is output to activate the air pump in the actuator module, and the high-pressure gas generated by the air pump is directly delivered to the windshield foreign object removal module. The windshield foreign object removal module is used to receive high-pressure gas delivered by the actuator module and blow air to remove foreign objects from the windshield.

8. The vehicle windshield foreign object removal control system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The control module is also used to, when the air spring is not in the lowered state and the gas in the air tank is insufficient, if the density of fallen leaves does not reach a preset threshold, not to output the third control signal, but to output the fourth control signal to control the air pump to start and replenish the air tank.

9. The vehicle windshield foreign object removal control system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The actuator module also includes a reversing valve group and an air flow solenoid valve with adjustable duty cycle. The reversing valve group includes a first reversing valve, a second reversing valve, a third reversing valve, a fourth reversing valve, and a fifth reversing valve. The first end of the first reversing valve is connected to the main air supply line of the air suspension system, the second end is open to the atmosphere, and the third end is connected to the windshield foreign object removal module. It is used to switch between venting the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring is lowered to the atmosphere or supplying it to the windshield foreign object removal module. The first end of the second reversing valve is connected to the air spring, the second end is connected to the third reversing valve, and the third end is connected to the air pump and the first reversing valve, for switching the air pump to supply air to the air spring or to the air tank and the windshield foreign object removal module. The first end of the third reversing valve is connected to the fourth reversing valve, the second end is connected to the second reversing valve, and the third end is connected to the windshield foreign object removal module, which is used to switch the air tank to supply air to the windshield foreign object removal module or to receive air replenishment from the air pump. The first end of the fourth reversing valve is connected to the air spring, the second end is connected to the third reversing valve, and the third end is connected to the air tank, for switching between supplying air to the air tank, the air spring, or the windshield foreign object removal module. The first end of the fifth reversing valve is connected to the air flow solenoid valve, the second end is connected to the outside of the vehicle, and the third end is connected to the gas nozzle of the windshield foreign object removal module. The fifth reversing valve is used to guide high-pressure gas to the gas nozzle to blow air to the outside of the windshield when energized; and to connect the gas nozzle to the outside of the vehicle to discharge rainwater when not energized.

10. The vehicle windshield foreign object removal control system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, When the high-pressure gas in the air tank is used to blow air through the windshield to remove foreign objects, the control module controls the duty cycle of the air flow solenoid valve to adjust the blowing flow rate according to the level of the density of fallen leaves or the automatic windshield wiper completion signal. When the high-pressure gas discharged when the air spring is lowered is used to remove foreign objects from the windshield, the control module controls the opening of the air flow solenoid valve to be adjusted to the maximum.

11. A foreign object removal control device for a vehicle windshield, comprising: A memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, when the processor executes the computer program, it implements the steps of the method for controlling the removal of foreign objects from a vehicle windshield equipped with an air suspension system as described in any one of claims 1-6.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the method for controlling the removal of foreign objects from the windshield of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension system as described in any one of claims 1-6.

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