Detection device for vehicle temperature change system

Abstract

The utility model relates to a detection device for a vehicle temperature change system. The detection device comprises: a thermal imager configured to perform infrared imaging shooting on a temperature change position formed by a temperature change part of a vehicle temperature change system in a heating or cooling state to obtain an infrared image; a temperature sensor configured to detect an ambient temperature in which the vehicle is located; and the controller is configured to receive data from the thermal imager and / or the temperature sensor and judge whether the temperature changing component is normal or not based on the infrared image.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of vehicle detection, and more specifically, to the detection of a vehicle's temperature change system to determine whether the vehicle's temperature change (heating / cooling) system can operate normally. Background Art

[0002] A vehicle's variable temperature system includes both cooling and heating components. Traditional air conditioning systems typically adjust the interior temperature through the air vents. In addition, components such as the steering wheel, seats, rearview mirrors, and rear windshield also feature variable temperature functions to continuously improve vehicle functionality. Testing of variable temperature systems typically relies on temperature sensors and manual judgment, which limits efficiency and reliability.

[0003] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the background of the application and therefore may contain information that does not form the prior art in the art. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this application is to solve or at least alleviate one or more problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] The present application relates to a detection device for a vehicle temperature change system, comprising:

[0006] a thermal imager configured to perform infrared imaging of a temperature change position formed by a temperature change component of a vehicle temperature change system in a heating or cooling state to obtain an infrared image;

[0007] a temperature sensor configured to detect an ambient temperature of the vehicle;

[0008] A controller is configured to receive data from the thermal imager and / or the temperature sensor and determine whether the temperature-changing component is normal based on the infrared image.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present application, optionally, an identifier is also included, which is configured to obtain vehicle information.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present application, optionally, an indicator is also included, which is configured to indicate the detection process and detection results of the detection device.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present application, optionally, there are multiple thermal imagers, and each of the thermal imagers performs infrared imaging toward at least one temperature change position in the vehicle temperature change system.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present application, optionally, the detection device is arranged at a vehicle four-wheel alignment station.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present application, optionally, the thermal imager performs infrared imaging shooting toward at least one of a steering wheel, a seat, an air-conditioning vent, a rearview mirror, and a rear windshield.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present application, optionally, the thermal imager is located outside the vehicle and is arranged on a pillar or a beam.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present application, optionally, the first thermal imager among the thermal imagers is located near the main driver's seat of the vehicle, the second thermal imager among the thermal imagers is located near the co-driver's seat of the vehicle, the third thermal imager among the thermal imagers is located near the rear seats of the vehicle, and the fourth thermal imager among the thermal imagers is located above the rear side of the rear windshield.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present application, optionally, a display is also included, and the display is used to display the detection results and interact.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present application, optionally, the detection device is used for quality inspection of the vehicle before it leaves the factory or for maintenance after it leaves the factory. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The disclosure of this application will be more easily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, similar numbers in the figures represent similar components, where:

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a detection device for a vehicle temperature change system according to the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 Showing visual identification of rear windshield heating wires. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] First of all, it should be noted that the following will illustrate the composition, characteristics and advantages of the detection device for the vehicle temperature change system according to the present application in an illustrative manner, but it should be understood that all descriptions are given for illustration purposes only and should not be understood as forming any limitation on the present application. In this article, the technical terms "first" and "second" are only used for the purpose of distinguishing expressions and are not intended to indicate their order and relative importance. The technical term "connected (or connected, etc.)" covers the direct connection of a specific component to another component and / or indirect connection to another component. In addition, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the dimensions, directions or positional relationships indicated by the technical terms "length", "width", "height", "up", "top", "bottom", etc. are based on the dimensions, orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and cannot be understood as limitations on the present application.

[0022] In addition, for any single technical feature described or implied in the embodiments mentioned herein, or any single technical feature shown or implied in the drawings, this application still allows for any combination or deletion between these technical features (or their equivalents) without any technical obstacles, thereby obtaining more other embodiments of the application that may not be directly mentioned herein. In addition, general matters that are already known to those skilled in the art will not be repeated herein.

[0023] The variable temperature system in a vehicle serves purposes such as vehicle comfort and functionality. For example, the air conditioning system is used to cool and heat the air inside the vehicle to adjust the passenger's perceived temperature, usually by delivering cold / hot air into the vehicle through the air conditioning vents. The heated steering wheel improves the driver's hand comfort in winter. The heated and cooled seats improve the comfort of the passenger's torso. The heated wire in the rear windshield can quickly defrost and remove ice to improve vision. The heated rearview mirror can effectively improve the mirror's clarity in certain weather conditions. The technical solution provided in this application improves the efficiency and reliability of detecting components in these variable temperature systems.

[0024] These temperature-changing components in the vehicle's temperature-changing system can form corresponding temperature-changing locations in the system when in a heating or cooling state (i.e., a temperature-changing state). These temperature-changing locations may partially overlap, substantially overlap, or be adjacent to the temperature-changing components themselves. By monitoring the temperature distribution at the temperature-changing locations, it is possible to determine whether the temperature-changing components and the temperature-changing system are functioning properly.

[0025] refer to Figure 1In one embodiment provided in the present application, a detection device for a vehicle temperature change system includes a thermal imager 10, which is configured to perform infrared imaging of one or more temperature change components in a vehicle temperature change system in a heating or cooling state, or to perform infrared imaging of one or more temperature change positions formed by the one or more temperature change components, so as to obtain an infrared image of the temperature change position and thereby obtain the temperature distribution. Figure 1 The embodiment shown includes four thermal imagers 10. The number of thermal imagers 10 can be more or less (e.g., three, two, or one), and each thermal imager 10 is configured to perform infrared imaging at different locations of the temperature-changing system. For example, the first thermal imager 101 is used to perform infrared imaging of the steering wheel and the front air-conditioning vents, the second thermal imager 102 is used to perform infrared imaging of the right rearview mirror and the backrests and cushions of the front seats, the third thermal imager 103 is used to perform infrared imaging of the backrests and cushions of the rear seats and the rear air vents, and the fourth thermal imager 104 is used to perform infrared imaging of the rear windshield and the left rearview mirror. When performing infrared imaging of temperature-changing components in the vehicle, the vehicle windows need to be lowered. Therefore, pointing the thermal imager 10 at the temperature-changing components can most effectively reflect their heating or cooling effects. For example, with the windows down, the ambient temperature may affect the overall interior temperature, making it difficult to reach the set air conditioning temperature. Therefore, infrared imaging of the air conditioning outlet can more accurately determine whether the air conditioning is functioning properly. The thermal imager 10 is connected to the controller 70 via the switch 20. The controller 70 receives data from one or more thermal imagers 10. In one embodiment, the controller 70 may be an industrial computer.

[0026] Continue to refer Figure 1 The detection device further includes a temperature sensor 40 for measuring the ambient temperature of the vehicle and sending data related to the ambient temperature to the controller 70. The controller 70 determines whether the vehicle's temperature change system is normal based on the data from the thermal imager 10, or determines whether the vehicle's temperature change system is normal based on the relationship between the data from the thermal imager 10 and the temperature sensor.

[0027] The detection device also includes an identifier 30 for identifying the vehicle, confirming the vehicle model information, and transmitting this information to the controller 70. The identifier 30 can, for example, be a barcode scanner that scans the vehicle's loading slip or a barcode on the vehicle body to obtain vehicle information. Of course, vehicle information can also be determined through other means, such as manually entering vehicle information such as the vehicle model and the configuration of the temperature control system. By obtaining this vehicle information, the vehicle's temperature control components can be determined. Based on this vehicle information, the direction and number of temperature control locations captured by the thermal imager 10 can be determined, thereby matching the corresponding judgment criteria of the vehicle's temperature control system to determine whether the temperature control system or temperature control components are functioning properly. A button box 60 is connected to the controller 70 and is equipped with two buttons for starting and ending the test. The detection device may also include an indicator, such as an indicator light 80, which indicates the detection process and test results. For example, when in the detection process, the indicator light 80 flashes continuously to indicate that the detection is in progress; when the detection is completed and passed, the green light may be turned on; when the temperature change system fails the detection, the yellow light may be turned on, and another test may be performed to confirm whether there is an abnormality in the temperature change component or whether the failure to pass the test is caused by a failure of the detection device; when it is confirmed that the temperature change component or the temperature change system has failed, a red light will be turned on to indicate the result. Optionally, the detection device may include a display to facilitate operation and display of the detection process and results. The detection device may include a first display 501 and a second display 502, the first display 501 is used for on-site detection result display, including the display of infrared images and the display of temperature values, and the second display 502 is used for interactive operation of the detection software.

[0028] The vehicle temperature-variable system detection method and detection device provided in this application can be applied before a vehicle leaves the factory. For example, the detection device can be installed at the vehicle's four-wheel alignment station, and the temperature-variable system detection can be performed while the four-wheel alignment is being performed. This reduces cycle time and the amount of civil engineering and renovation work. The vehicle temperature-variable system detection method and detection device provided in this application can also be used to detect the vehicle's temperature-variable system during the vehicle's after-sales process, such as during repair or maintenance, to determine whether it is functioning properly.

[0029] The detection method for a vehicle temperature change system of the present application will be further described in detail below.

[0030] Any object above absolute zero radiates infrared radiation. Furthermore, the temperature of an object is correlated with the energy of the radiated infrared radiation. A thermal imager uses an infrared detector and an optical imaging lens to capture the infrared radiation energy of a target object and convert it into electrical signals. These signals are processed to produce an image representing the temperature distribution, known as an infrared image. In the present embodiment, a thermal imager 10 captures infrared images of a vehicle's temperature-changing system, either in a heating or cooling state, or of a temperature-changing location formed by the temperature-changing components. This image captures the temperature distribution of the temperature-changing components or locations. Simultaneously, a temperature sensor 40 detects the vehicle's ambient temperature, such as the vehicle's workshop temperature. A controller 70 receives data from the thermal imager 10 and the temperature sensor 40 and, based on this data, determines whether the vehicle's temperature-changing system is functioning properly. In addition to determining whether the temperature-changing system is achieving the desired cooling or heating effect, the controller can also identify the size, number, shape, and location of the temperature-changing components in the system to further determine whether the components are functioning properly. For example, the number and length of heating wires in a heated rear windshield can be identified to determine whether the heating wires are working properly.

[0031] During the infrared imaging step of the temperature-changing component or temperature-changing location, a set number of consecutive images are typically taken within a set timeframe. The results of each infrared imaging session are then combined to determine whether the temperature change of the temperature-changing component or temperature-changing location during the set timeframe, while in the heating or cooling state, meets the required temperature. This can reflect whether the corresponding temperature-changing component is heating or cooling properly, and whether the vehicle's temperature-changing system is functioning properly. Generally, the proper functioning of the temperature-changing component / temperature-changing system can be analyzed based on the temperature change trend of the temperature-changing component / temperature-changing location during the set timeframe. The temperature of the workshop where a vehicle is located can vary by more than 30 degrees Celsius depending on the season. The temperature of each vehicle can also vary when it is put on the line. The equipment surrounding the vehicle testing site can also generate heat, affecting the ambient temperature of the vehicle. Considering the ambient temperature, the ambient temperature can be simultaneously monitored by a temperature sensor 40 during the infrared imaging of the temperature-changing location. For different ambient temperatures, appropriate criteria can be used to determine whether the vehicle's temperature-changing component meets the required temperature. During the judgment process, the working condition of the temperature changing component or temperature changing system can be more comprehensively judged based on the difference between the temperature of the temperature changing component / temperature changing position and the ambient temperature, as well as the temperature change trend of the temperature changing component / temperature changing position.

[0032] Thermal imagers passively receive infrared light, and the temperature data they measure is affected by factors such as detector background noise, amplifier background noise, the air medium, and the characteristics of the object being measured. Therefore, the temperature measurement accuracy of a thermal imager is a statistical value. Although the temperature measurement principle of a thermal imager is non-deterministic, in the temperature measurement of automotive heating and cooling, the characteristics of the object being measured are unidirectional hysteresis systems, characterized by temperature changes in a single direction (heating or cooling) and relatively slow, rather than drastic, manner. Regarding temperature values, a Kalman filter algorithm is used to clean the temperature data based on system characteristics. The Kalman filter algorithm processes noisy input and observation signals based on a linear state space representation to determine the system state or true signal.

[0033] In addition to judging the trend of temperature value changes, the detection of temperature-changing components can also detect the size, quantity and shape of the temperature-changing components for heating or cooling, so as to further obtain detailed working information of the temperature-changing components. For example, the temperature-changing components in the rear windshield are multiple heating wires, and it is necessary to ensure that all heating wires can work normally. By recognizing infrared images, it is possible to determine the shape, size, quantity and location of the temperature-changing components in normal operation. Figure 2 The figure below shows a visual identification diagram of heating wires in a rear windshield, revealing their shape, number, and length. In infrared imaging, the infrared image of a temperature-variable component or location changes as heating or cooling progresses. The Faster RCNN (Faster Region-based Convolutional Neural Networks) algorithm extracts feature maps, forms an infrared image dataset, establishes an infrared image feature model, and determines the heating or cooling characteristics of the imaged component. Because the detection window for automotive heating and cooling components is much smaller than the full heating and cooling cycle, a BP (Back Propagation) neural network algorithm is used to analyze and predict temperature.

[0034] The final judgment result can be obtained by fusing the model judgment results of temperature value and infrared image. The result fusion can adopt the waterfall mode fusion method. Multiple models are connected in series in a certain order. Each model acts as a filter to process the input data.

[0035] The vehicle temperature-variable system testing method disclosed herein not only enables on-the-spot detection of the temperature-variable system of a specific vehicle, but also, by integrating the test results from multiple vehicles, provides vehicle designers with extensive data feedback on the quality of the vehicle's temperature-variable system and components, enabling them to analyze and improve vehicle components and systems. Furthermore, by integrating this extensive vehicle test data, temperature-variable system algorithm designers can further adjust and improve the algorithms within the testing method, further improving the accuracy of the test results.

[0036] In a specific example, a vehicle enters a fixed workstation and is fixed there. A barcode scanner scans the loading list to identify the vehicle information and generates a judgment standard or logic for the current vehicle model. The operator presses the start button on the button box 60 to start the detection of the temperature change system. The first to fourth thermal imagers 101, 102, 103, and 104 continuously perform infrared imaging on the temperature change position of the vehicle in the heating or cooling state within a set time to obtain multiple infrared images of the corresponding components. The infrared image displays the temperature distribution through color distribution, and the infrared image also contains the specific temperature. Value information, the first thermal imager 101 is located on the first column, which is located on the outside of the vehicle in the direction of the main driver's seat of the vehicle, the second thermal imager 102 is located on the second column, which is located on the outside of the vehicle in the direction of the co-driver's seat of the vehicle, the third thermal imager 103 is located on the third column, which is located on the outside of the vehicle at the rear seat, and the fourth thermal imager 104 is located on the gantry or crossbeam, with a certain X-direction (vehicle front and rear direction) distance and a certain Z-direction (height direction) distance from the vehicle, and its field of view can cover the rear windshield and left and right rearview mirrors of the vehicle. The temperature sensor 40 measures the ambient temperature at the same time. If all temperature-changing components meet the temperature change standard, it is judged to have passed the test, otherwise it will fail. The indicator light 80 indicates whether the vehicle has passed the temperature change test.

[0037] The specific embodiments described above are intended only to more clearly illustrate the principles of the present invention, wherein the various components are clearly shown or described to make the principles of the present invention easier to understand. Those skilled in the art may readily make various modifications or variations to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. It should be understood that such modifications or variations are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A detection device for a vehicle temperature change system, characterized in that: include: a thermal imager configured to perform infrared imaging of a temperature change position formed by a temperature change component of a vehicle temperature change system in a heating or cooling state to obtain an infrared image; a temperature sensor configured to detect an ambient temperature of the vehicle; A controller is configured to receive data from the thermal imager and / or the temperature sensor and determine whether the temperature-changing component is normal based on the infrared image.

2. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that , also includes an identifier configured to obtain vehicle information.

3. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that , also includes an indicator, which is configured to indicate the detection process and detection results of the detection device.

4. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that There are multiple thermal imagers, and each of the thermal imagers takes infrared imaging shots toward at least one temperature changing position in the vehicle temperature changing system.

5. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that ,The detection device is arranged at the vehicle four-wheel alignment station.

6. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that The thermal imager takes infrared imaging shots toward at least one of the steering wheel, seat, air-conditioning vent, rearview mirror and rear windshield.

7. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that ,The thermal imager is located on the outside of the vehicle and is ,set on a pillar or a crossbeam.

8. The detection device according to claim 6, characterized in that The first thermal imager among the thermal imagers is arranged near the main driving seat of the vehicle, the second thermal imager among the thermal imagers is arranged near the co-pilot seat of the vehicle, the third thermal imager among the thermal imagers is arranged near the rear seat of the vehicle, and the fourth thermal imager among the thermal imagers is arranged above the rear side of the rear windshield.

9. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that , also includes a display, which is used to display detection results and interact.

10. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that ,The detection device is used for quality inspection of the vehicle before it leaves the factory or during ,the maintenance process after it leaves the factory.

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