Vehicle system for determining the availability of a vehicle cleaning device

Abstract

Title: Vehicle System for Determining the Availability of a Vehicle Cleaning Device. A vehicle system for determining the availability of a cleaning device (10) of a vehicle comprising an operating unit (20), a cleaning device (10), and a user interface (30), a system in which the operating unit (20) in a vehicle ignition-off state responds to the arrival of a predefined event to activate a functional test of the cleaning device (10), the cleaning device (10) is designed to perform the functional test in response to the activation, and communicate the result of the functional test to the operating unit (20). Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Vehicle system for determining the availability of a vehicle cleaning device FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle system for determining the availability of a vehicle cleaning device. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] According to the state of the art, vehicle cleaning devices such as windshield wipers and / or cleaning nozzles for cleaning windows or headlights or other vehicle equipment are known.

[0003] Cleaning nozzles are also known which equip a telescopic arm which is automatically driven to retract the latter into the non-use / rest position, for example, into a part of the vehicle bodywork, in order, among other things, to reduce the air resistance of the vehicle and / or to prevent the cleaning nozzle from being damaged when it is not in use.

[0004] Such cleaning devices are coupled to an operating state of the vehicle according to the state of the art, this state corresponding to the activated ignition (also called terminal 15) or the corresponding state of the vehicle.

[0005] DISCLOSURE AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention relates to a vehicle system for determining the availability of a vehicle cleaning device which is, for example, a road vehicle (motorcycle, passenger vehicle, transporter, truck) or a railway vehicle or an aircraft / plane and / or a water vehicle.

[0007] In more detail, the subject of the invention is a vehicle system for determining the availability of a cleaning device of a vehicle comprising: an operating unit, a cleaning device, and a user interface, wherein the operating unit in a non-activated ignition state of the vehicle responds to the arrival of a predefined event to activate a function test of the cleaning device, the cleaning device is designed to perform the function test in response to the activation and, communicate the result of the function test to the operating unit, and the operating unit is further designed to, based on the result of the function test, determine an availability of the cleaning device and, at least in the case of a prevented availability of the cleaning device, issue corresponding information to the user of the vehicle via the user interface.

[0008] In other words, the vehicle system comprises an operating unit, a cleaning device and a user interface; the operating unit is in particular in the form of an ASIC, FPGA, processor, digital signal processor, microcontroller or the like and is part of the existing control device and / or a vehicle's own control device. For example, the operating unit may be part of the cleaning device. Such functionality of the invention supported by the operating unit may be applied correspondingly by relying on a computer program product executable by the operating unit and / or an electronic circuit.

[0009] The field of application of the cleaning device is, in principle, not limited to the cleaning of certain components of the vehicle, but, preferably, the cleaning device applies to the cleaning of exterior surfaces of the vehicle which will be developed in the description in the form of advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0010] The operating unit, in the non-activated ignition state of the vehicle, responds to the arrival of a predefined event by a functional test to activate the cleaning device. The term "non-activated ignition" generally refers to the operating states of the vehicle in which the positive terminal of the battery supplying the vehicle's on-board network is cut off (this state is also called "terminal 15 cut-off") and / or in which the vehicle's engine is not running and / or the vehicle is closed.

[0011] For this purpose, the components of the vehicle system according to the invention are advantageously permanently connected to the poles of the battery supplying the on-board network and / or designed so that if the ignition of the vehicle is not activated, they at least temporarily ensure the power supply by the battery. The latter case corresponds, for example, to a central control unit of the vehicle which is permanently powered and which makes it possible to connect the vehicle system according to the invention, depending on events and, preferably, at regular intervals to the battery. The permanent power supply of the vehicle system according to the invention is not necessary under these conditions when the ignition is not activated.

[0012] It can further be envisaged that the vehicle system according to the invention or at least a part of this vehicle system (preferably at least its operating unit) is powered by a partial network of the on-board network and which supplies electrical energy independently of the activation of the vehicle ignition.

[0013] For communication with the cleaning unit and the user interface, the operating unit is preferably connected to both components via the vehicle's on-board network via a computer link. The computer link is implemented wirelessly and / or preferably by wire and, even more preferably, on the basis of a vehicle bus system (e.g. CAN, LIN, MOST, Ethernet or other buses).

[0014] The predefined events, the occurrence of which requests the operating unit to activate the functional test in the cleaning device, are, in principle, not limited and may be events internal to the vehicle and / or external to the vehicle and which will be described, in more detail, in the description above for advantageous developments of the invention.

[0015] The cleaning device is configured to perform the functional test in response to the activation and communicate the result of the functional test to the operating unit.

[0016] The operating unit is further designed to determine, depending on the result of the functional test, an availability of the cleaning device and, at least in the case of a limited availability of the cleaning device, to transmit corresponding information to the vehicle user via the user interface. However, this does not explicitly exclude that, in addition, information concerning the unlimited availability and / or other corresponding information is also transmitted via the user interface. Such other corresponding information is, for example, information concerning the degree and / or nature of the limitation.

[0017] The vehicle system according to the invention has the particular advantage that information concerning a possible limitation of the cleaning device is issued to the user, in particular the driver of the vehicle, even before the start of a journey, in order, for example, to avoid damage to the cleaning device and / or to avoid delaying the user and / or to allow the user to take appropriate countermeasures in good time. This makes it possible, among other things, to increase the availability of the cleaning device and / or the comfort of the user and / or to save repair or other costs.

[0018] In particular, in the case of a supply of the vehicle system according to the invention with electrical energy when the ignition of the vehicle is switched off by a possibility of purely software adaptation of the vehicle components makes it possible to apply the functionality according to the invention in addition in a particularly economical manner by adapting the existing software in the vehicle.

[0019] According to an advantageous development of the invention, the cleaning device comprises a vehicle cleaning system, in particular, a wiper system for a window and / or a headlight and / or an environment sensor (i.e., an environment sensor of the vehicle oriented to capture the environment, for example, for autonomous and / or partially autonomous driving of the vehicle), the wiping system preferably having at least one wiper arm with a wiper blade driven by an actuator (for example, a wiper motor) to pass over the window and / or the headlight and / or the environment sensor, in particular by a measuring signal input surface of the vehicle's environment sensor. The window is, for example, the windshield, the rear window or a side window of the vehicle. The environment sensor is, for example, a lidar sensor and / or a radar sensor and / or an ultrasonic sensor and / or a camera. The windshield wiper system is designed to have, during the execution of the functional test, the blocking and / or limited mobility (for example if the wiper arm does not completely pass its angular range) and / or a limited speed and / or an increased current intake of a motor of the windshield wiper system. For this, at least one sensor (for example, an intensity sensor and / or a rotation angle sensor or the like) is used, the signals of which are, for example, evaluated by the cleaning device and / or the operating unit.

[0020] According to another advantageous development of the invention, the cleaning device has a windscreen washer fluid dispensing unit for the vehicle, in particular a windscreen washer fluid dispensing unit for a window and / or a headlight and / or an environmental sensor, in particular on the input surface of the measuring signal from the environmental sensor of the vehicle. The vehicle window to be cleaned with the windscreen washer fluid dispensing unit is, for example, as already indicated, the windscreen, the rear window or a side window of the vehicle. The environmental sensor is, for example, as already indicated above, a lidar sensor and / or a radar sensor and / or an ultrasonic sensor and / or a camera.The washer fluid dispensing unit allows, during the functional test, to block the cleaning nozzle and / or the telescopic arm of the cleaning nozzle and / or to determine a fault in the actuator for the distribution of washer fluid (e.g., a pump and / or an air compressor or similar). The blockage of the cleaning nozzle is, for example, the freezing of the nozzle or its supply line and / or clogging. The blockage is determined, for example, from the flow of washer fluid in the cleaning nozzle and / or by the power outlet of the pump that transfers the washer fluid.Similarly, the blocking of the telescopic arm which moves the cleaning nozzle during cleaning is detected in a predefined cleaning position (e.g. in front of a headlight and / or in front of an environmental sensor) by determining the current draw of the actuator controlling the telescopic arm and / or the movement speed of the telescopic arm and / or the movement range of the telescopic arm and comparing it with respective thresholds. Such a windscreen washer fluid distribution unit is used in combination with the above-described windscreen wiper system of the vehicle.

[0021] Particularly preferably, the cleaning device may be provided to, during the functional test used to control the actuator (for example, an electric motor or the like) of the cleaning device, control the latter for an operation different from the regular operation of the cleaning device. to reduce the range of motion and / or the power of the actuator during the functional test. This makes it possible, for example, in the event of a jamming of the cleaning device, to avoid damage to the actuator and / or the wiper arm and / or another component of the cleaning device. In addition, by such a "soft" start of the cleaning device, the functional test will be practically invisible to passers-by in the vicinity of the vehicle so as not to irritate them by the unintended automatic activation of an actuator of a vehicle component while the vehicle is parked.

[0022] According to another advantageous feature, the operating unit, based on the result of the functional test, can determine the cause of this availability limitation and communicate this cause via the user interface. It can be envisaged that the operating unit receives corresponding additional information from the cleaning device, which the cleaning device determines itself on the basis of the sensor signals. Alternatively or additionally, the cleaning device and / or sensors installed in the area of ​​the cleaning device transmit measuring signals to the operating unit, which, based on these measuring signals, can itself determine the cause of this availability limitation.By determining the concrete cause, the vehicle user will have corresponding information which helps him to remedy the cause of this limitation in order to advantageously restore the availability of the vehicle system according to the invention as quickly as possible.

[0023] Preferably, the user interface is a display and / or a loudspeaker and / or a lighting system of the vehicle. A lighting system which is, for example, the interior lighting of the vehicle and / or a projector or the like is designed to emit a predefined lighting sequence (for example, flashing and / or changing color or the like) to signal to the user of the vehicle, preferably already before he gets into the vehicle that there is a difficulty concerning the cleaning device of the vehicle so that he can, before getting into the vehicle, make an appropriate check and / or take measures.

[0024] Preferably, the user interface is a portable mobile terminal of the user such as a Smartphone and / or a tablet and / or a smartwatch so that the user of the vehicle will have appropriate information regarding a potential limitation of the availability of the cleaning device that may be provided outside the vehicle. For this, the vehicle is equipped with a wireless communication link (e.g., a mobile phone link, a WLAN link or the like) with the mobile terminal (e.g., via an Internet link). According to another preferred feature, the portable mobile terminal has a dedicated app (application program for a mobile device) that emits information, for example, in the form of a push notice. Alternatively or additionally, the information regarding the imitation of the operation of the cleaning device may be transmitted to the vehicle user by a home automation system in that the information is, for example, issued in the form of a wall display or the like. This allows the user to be informed in good time of a potential functional limitation of the cleaning device.

[0025] According to a further advantageous development of the present invention, the operating unit, in response to the occurrence of the predefined event, activates at least one part of the on-board network of the vehicle concerned by the cleaning device and / or the user interface or deactivates this part of the on-board network. This allows that only one part of the cleaning device according to the invention (i.e. at least the operating unit) is permanently connected to the poles of the battery so that the operating unit is permanently powered and that, in this way, it can activate the cleaning device and / or the interface.

[0026] Particularly advantageously, the operating unit, depending on the result of the functional test, issues a maneuver recommendation corresponding to the result to the vehicle user. According to one example, for a frozen cleaning nozzle and / or a frozen windshield wiper arm, a maneuver recommendation for defrosting the cleaning device can be sent to the vehicle user so that before the user starts the journey, he can plan the necessary time and the appropriate means for defrosting the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the operating unit is designed so that, depending on the result of the functional test, it automatically activates an auxiliary heater and / or a window heater and / or a headlight heater and / or a surrounding field sensor heater of the vehicle. If the limited availability of the cleaning device is caused by frost and / or a layer of snow.This allows the availability of the cleaning device to be restored if necessary completely without or with slightly assisted handling by the vehicle user.

[0027] According to another advantageous feature, the predefined event is the fact that the outside temperature reaches and / or falls below a predefined temperature threshold (for example, when reaching and / or falling below the freezing temperature of water) and / or the history and / or a predefined time of use of the vehicle. The history and thus the planned time of use is determined, for example, from the electronic calendar of the user's mobile terminal and / or from a memory of the vehicle or the like so that, depending on these times of use, the operating unit can set a suitable time, in time to determine the availability of the cleaning device (for example, at a predefined time interval preceding the respective time of use, for example, 30 min., 10 min. or 5 min. before the respective time of use). This enables the vehicle user to be informed in good time before starting the journey about the availability of the cleaning device. It is furthermore conceivable to derive the predefined time from a predefined time interval so that in accordance with the respective course of the time interval, the availability of the cleaning device can be checked regularly. Alternatively or additionally, the predefined event represents a user input (e.g., by an app) which is activated, for example, by the user interface of the vehicle system and / or by another, different user interface. As a user interface, there is, among other things, the touch display of the vehicle and / or a voice input system of the vehicle and / or the mobile terminal or the like.The user input is used both for direct triggering to determine the availability of the cleaning device and also for determining the times for future determination of the availability of the cleaning device. In another variant, the predefined event is the user approaching the vehicle and / or unlocking and / or opening the vehicle. These possibilities apply, for example, according to the recognition of the presence of a radio key in the vicinity of the vehicle or the actuation of a vehicle key and / or a location function of a mobile terminal of the user and / or an approach sensor or the like.

[0028] According to a further advantageous development of the invention, the operating unit, in the event of a determined limitation of the availability of the cleaning device, prohibits the regular use of the cleaning device or limits it. For this purpose, the operating unit switches off, for example, the power supply to the cleaning device and / or prohibits the activation of the cleaning device by a signal and / or limits the functionality of the cleaning device to non-critical functions. This advantageously ensures that the cleaning device, in such a limited state, is not intentionally or unintentionally activated for regular operation which could, if necessary, damage the cleaning device. Brief description of the drawings

[0029] The present invention will be described below in more detail with the aid of embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

[0030] [Fig.l] schematic view of a vehicle system according to the invention for determining the availability of a vehicle cleaning device, and

[0031] [Fig.2] example of integration of the vehicle system according to the invention in a on-board network architecture (on-board network) of a vehicle.

[0032] DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0033] [Fig.l] is a schematic view of a vehicle system according to the invention for determining the availability of a cleaning device 10 of a vehicle.

[0034] The vehicle system comprises an operating unit 20 in the form of a microcontroller connected by a computer link to the cleaning device 10, to a user interface 30 in the form of a display, with a wireless communication unit 90 based on a mobile radio and an auxiliary heater 50 of the vehicle.

[0035] The cleaning device 10 consists of a windshield wiper system 12 and a washer fluid distribution unit 16 for the windshield 40 of the vehicle; the windshield wiper system 12 is driven by the respective wiper motors 14 and a washer fluid distribution unit 16 with pumps (not shown).

[0036] The operating unit 20 is designed so that in the non-activated ignition state of the vehicle, in response to the occurrence of a predefined event, a functional test of the cleaning device 10 is activated; the predefined event is triggered here by the actuation of a predefined virtual service area in an app of a Smartphone 100 of the user of the vehicle in that the Smartphone transmits the actuation in the form of an activation signal via a mobile radio link to the wireless communication unit 90 of the vehicle. This wireless communication unit 90 transmits the activation signal to the operating unit 20.

[0037] The cleaning device 10 performs the functionality test in response to the activation and during the functional test the wiper motors 14 of the wiper system and the pumps of the washer fluid distribution unit 16 are controlled at reduced power compared to those of the regular operation of the cleaning device 10 to avoid possible damage to the cleaning device 10 in the event of a possible blockage of the wiper system 12 and / or the cleaning nozzles 18 of the washer fluid distribution unit 16.

[0038] The cleaning device 10 comprises sensors (not shown) for checking the windshield wiper system 12 and the windshield washer fluid distribution unit and for determining the result of the functional test which is then communicated by the cleaning device 10 to the operating unit 20.

[0039] The operating unit 20 further determines, from the result of the functional test, the availability of the cleaning device 10 and transmits information concerning the availability in connection with an action recommendation by the wireless communication unit 90 to the user's Smartphone 100.

[0040] In parallel, the operating unit 20 determines the cause of the present potential limitation of the availability of the cleaning device 10 and in particular, a temperature measurement is carried out to determine whether ice and / or snow is the cause of a possible blockage of the windscreen wiper system 12 and / or the distribution unit. of windshield washer fluid 16; the current outside temperature is then compared by the operating unit 20 to the freezing temperature of the water. In the case of ice and / or snow identified as the cause of blockage, the operating unit 20 is able to automatically activate the auxiliary heater 50 of the vehicle to release the blockage by increasing the interior temperature of the vehicle.

[0041] The operating unit 20 is further designed so that in the event of a limitation of the availability of the cleaning device 10, regular use of the cleaning device 10 is prohibited.

[0042] [Fig.2] shows an example of integration of the vehicle system according to the invention into the architecture of the on-board network (or on-board network) of a vehicle not shown.

[0043] The central computer 60 of the vehicle which ensures the central control of the vehicle is connected by a computer link to the wireless communication unit 90 of the vehicle in order, when the ignition of the vehicle is not activated, to receive by the wireless communication unit 90, a signal generated outside the vehicle and which represents a predefined event, to determine the availability of the cleaning device 10 (see [Fig.l]) of the vehicle.

[0044] The operating unit 20 according to the invention is part of the vehicle computer 60; this operating unit 20 is designed to, in response to the reception of the signal, activate a zone control device 70 of the vehicle itself designed to activate a pilot control device 90 for controlling the wiper motor 14 of the cleaning device 10 of the vehicle.

[0045] The pilot control device 90 further makes it possible, in response to a request by the operating unit 20, to execute a functional test of the windshield wiper motor 14 and transmit the result of the functional test to the operating unit 20.

[0046] NOMENCLATURE OF MAIN ELEMENTS

[0047] 10 Vehicle

[0048] 12 Windshield wiper system

[0049] 14 Windshield wiper motor

[0050] 16 Windshield washer fluid distribution unit

[0051] 18 Cleaning nozzle

[0052] 20 Operating Unit

[0053] 30 User Interface

[0054] 40 Windshield

[0055] 60 Vehicle computer

[0056] 70 Zone control apparatus

[0057] 90 Vehicle Wireless Communication Unit

[0058] 100 Smartphone

Claims

Claims

1. Vehicle system for determining the availability of a cleaning device (10) of a vehicle comprising: • an operating unit (20), • a cleaning device (10), and • a user interface (30), wherein • the operating unit (20) in a non-activated ignition state of the vehicle responds to the arrival of a predefined event to activate a function test of the cleaning device (10), the cleaning device (10) is configured to: ** perform the function test in response to the activation, and ** communicate the result of the function test to the operating unit (20), and • the operating unit (20) is further configured to: ** based on the result of the function test, determine an availability of the cleaning device (10), and ** at least in case of a prevented availability of the cleaning device (10),transmitting corresponding information to the user of the vehicle via the user interface (30).,

2. Vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein • the cleaning device (10) comprises a windscreen wiper system (12) for the vehicle and in particular a windscreen wiper system (12) for a window (40) and / or a headlight and / or an environment sensor of the vehicle, and • the windscreen wiper system (12) is designed to, during the execution of the functional test, determine a blockage and / or reduced mobility and / or a limited speed and / or an excessive current consumption of a motor (14) of the windscreen wiper system (12).

3. Vehicle system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning device (10) has a washer fluid dispensing unit (16) for the vehicle, in particular a washer fluid dispensing unit (16) for a window (40) and / or a headlight and / or an environment sensor of the vehicle, and • the windscreen washer fluid dispensing unit (16) is designed to determine during the execution of the functional test, the blockage of a cleaning nozzle (18) and / or a telescopic arm of the cleaning nozzle (18).

4. Vehicle system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning device (10) is designed to, during the functional test for checking the actuator (14) of the cleaning device (10) in comparison with a regular operation of the cleaning device (10), to control in bypass, to reduce a range of movements and / or the power of the actuator (14) during the functional test.

5. Vehicle system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating unit (20) based on the result of the functional test, determines the cause of the determination of availability and communicates the cause by the user interface (30).

6. Vehicle system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the user interface (30) is: • a display and / or a loudspeaker and / or a lighting system of the vehicle, and / or • a portable mobile terminal (100) of the user, and / or • a home automation system.

7. Vehicle system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating unit (20) is designed to activate and deactivate, in response to the occurrence of the predefined event, the part of the vehicle's on-board network affected by the cleaning device (10) and the user interface (30).

8. Vehicle system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating unit (20) is designed to, on the basis of the result of the functional test: • issue a maneuver recommendation corresponding to the result to the user of the vehicle, and / or • automatically activate the auxiliary heater (50) and / or the window heater and / or the headlight heater and / or the vehicle environment sensor heater, automatically, if the limited availability of the cleaning device (10) is produced by frost and / or snowfall.

9. A vehicle system according to any preceding claim, wherein the predefined result corresponds to the outside temperature reaching and / or falling below a predefined temperature threshold and / or the current determined history and / or the predefined times of use of the vehicle, and / or • user input, and / or • the user approaching the vehicle, and / or • unlock and / or open the vehicle by the user.

10. Vehicle system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating unit (20) is designed to prohibit or limit the regular use of the cleaning device (10) in the event of a determined limitation of the availability of the cleaning device (10).

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