Maintenance system and maintenance method for indirect vision system of vehicle

Abstract

To provide a maintenance system of an indirect vision system of a vehicle and a maintenance method of the indirect vision system.SOLUTION: In a vehicle (1), an indirect vision system (2) comprises at least one optical sensor unit (3) for acquiring image data of environment of the vehicle, at least one processing unit (9) for processing the image data acquired by the optical sensor unit (3), and at least one display unit (4), where on the display unit (4), the image data processed by the processing unit (9) is displayed. The maintenance system also comprises an evaluation unit (10) which, on the basis of the data received by a receiving unit (6), generates a maintenance signal which indicates that the entire indirect vision system is still available for use.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for maintaining an indirect vision system of a vehicle, and to a method for maintaining such an indirect vision system. [Background technology]

[0002] For vehicles, especially commercial vehicles such as trucks, there are areas around the vehicle that cannot be seen directly from the driver's position. In the case of trucks, such areas around the vehicle are, for example, the rear and side areas of the vehicle. To ensure that other road users and obstacles in such areas can be constantly monitored, vehicles are equipped with indirect vision devices, such as mirror-based systems or camera-based systems, known as camera monitoring systems.

[0003] Automotive camera monitoring systems are known, including an imaging unit, a computing unit, and a display unit. The imaging unit, e.g., a camera, is used to capture images of the vehicle's surroundings. After processing by the computing unit, if necessary, the captured images are displayed on a display unit in the vehicle's cab for viewing by the driver. Such indirect vision systems are subject to legal regulations and, because they generally replace conventional mirrors, must be particularly fail-safe. To ensure such fail-safe operation, indirect vision systems have traditionally been removed and replaced in the event of a malfunction, but typically only a subcomponent of the indirect vision system, such as the capture unit, malfunctions. Furthermore, removed parts are typically discarded and not recycled, because their wear and tear or the remaining lifespans of the subcomponents specified by their manufacturers cannot be determined with sufficient accuracy.

[0004] Furthermore, in the event of a complaint, it is not possible to determine which components of an indirect vision system can be reused or do not need to be replaced, so a complaint usually results in the entire system being removed and replaced, which is not sustainable.

[0005] Furthermore, it is desirable to ensure the highest possible reliability and, if possible, to provide information before the predicted lifespan of a vision system component is reached if it needs to be replaced, as this could quickly result in failure of the entire vision system. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and improve the durability of an indirect vision system by removing only individual components of the indirect vision system or re-installing the removed indirect vision system parts in another indirect vision system when a complaint or defect occurs in the indirect vision system. However, to do this, it is necessary to determine how long each component of the indirect vision system can be used. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above object is solved by a maintenance system according to aspect 1 and a method for maintaining an indirect vision system according to aspect 15. Advantageous further developments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

[0008] A maintenance system for a vehicle's indirect vision system according to the present invention comprises the indirect vision system, which comprises at least one optical sensor unit for acquiring image data of the vehicle's environment, at least one processing unit for processing the image data acquired by the optical sensor unit, and at least one display unit (output unit) for displaying (outputting) the image data processed by the processing unit. The image data displayed by the display unit can also be displayed on the display unit without prior processing by the processing unit. According to the present invention, the processing unit can be a separate unit of the indirect vision system or can be part of the at least one optical sensor unit and / or the at least one display unit. This allows the indirect vision system to be made more compact.

[0009] The maintenance system according to the present invention further comprises a receiving unit, which receives data and transmits the data to an evaluation unit, which generates a maintenance signal based on the received data. According to the present invention, the receiving unit may be part of the evaluation unit, the display unit, and / or the optical sensor unit, or may be designed as a separate component. The maintenance signal indicates the usable life and / or usability of subcomponents of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and / or the playback unit. The maintenance signal thus serves as an indicator of wear and damage to the subcomponents. The maintenance signal may also indicate the usable life and / or usability of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and / or the playback unit. The maintenance signal may also indicate the usable life and / or usability of the entire indirect vision system. This makes it possible to determine whether the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and / or the display unit, or their subcomponents, are still usable, i.e., whether they can be reinstalled in another indirect vision system, for example. The maintenance signal may also be used to determine the degree of wear of individual units (optical sensor unit, processing unit, and display unit) and / or their subcomponents of the indirect vision system. Thus, the maintenance signal can be used to determine whether individual subcomponents can be reused, whether the entire unit (optical sensor unit, processing unit, display unit) can be reused, or whether the entire indirect vision system must be discarded.

[0010] According to the present invention, the data received by the receiving unit are acquired by at least one vehicle sensor. The data are vehicle data related to the lifetime of the vehicle, the at least one subcomponent, and / or at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit. Data related to the lifetime of the vehicle or the lifetime of individual units and their subcomponents of the indirect vision system can also be provided by a control unit of the vehicle, which provides corresponding information about the vehicle (vehicle data). In this case, the control unit may be a vehicle sensor itself or a separate component. Such vehicle-related data may comprise, for example, the number of kilometers traveled by the vehicle, the number of kilometers traveled by the vehicle during operation of each subcomponent, at least one of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system, the operating time of the vehicle, the operating time of each subcomponent of at least one of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system during operation of the vehicle, and / or information about errors that have occurred in vehicle components. Such faults occurring in vehicle components can be detected by internal signals acquired by sensors, such as voltage values, voltage jumps, voltage peaks, switching cycles, etc. According to the present invention, the data received by the receiving unit can be internal data of the indirect vision system, such as signals generated by the indirect vision system, voltage peaks, switching cycles, etc., and / or external signals.

[0011] Additionally or as an alternative to the above-mentioned vehicle sensors, the maintenance system according to the invention may comprise at least one further sensor transmitting environmental data to the receiving unit, this data being independent of the vehicle and dependent on external environmental factors, such environmental data including, for example, information on temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, UV radiation, dust, fine dust (particulate matter), and / or mechanical loads to which the units of the indirect vision system, its subcomponents or the entire indirect vision system are subjected.

[0012] According to the invention, at least one further sensor, which determines environmental data dependent on environmental factors independent of the vehicle, may be included in the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit and / or the at least one display unit and / or in at least one subcomponent of these units, such that said environmental factors can be measured directly in the units and / or their subcomponents and an expected service life can be predicted.

[0013] Alternatively, at least one additional sensor may be mounted on the vehicle as a separate component and transmit vehicle-independent environmental data wirelessly or via wire to a receiving unit of the maintenance system.

[0014] According to the present invention, the evaluation unit of the maintenance system may further comprise a processing unit for applying at least a portion of the vehicle data and / or environmental data received by the receiving unit from at least one vehicle sensor and / or at least one further sensor to a calculation function and generating a maintenance signal based on the calculation function value. The underlying calculation function has at least a portion of the received vehicle data and / or environmental data as function parameters. According to the present invention, the calculation function can be designed as a calculation matrix whose dimension is given by the number of environmental factors that have a common relationship with each other. In this way, individual data (vehicle data and / or environmental data) functionally related to individual units of the indirect vision system or their subcomponents can be given more importance than other data, and multiple different environmental data (environmental factors) can be taken into account simultaneously. More important data have a greater impact on the service life. Different values ​​of the environmental factors are indicative of wear of the corresponding component.

[0015] Subcomponents of the optical sensor unit that may be monitored include, for example, the camera housing, the camera wings with their carrier structure, the optical image sensor (on a circuit board), the processing board, the power supply unit, the voltage regulator, possibly the circuit board with memory modules, processors, resistors, transmission chips, etc., the optical lens system, the lens unit, the seals, etc.

[0016] Subcomponents of the display unit that may be monitored include, for example, a monitor having a circuit board with a voltage regulator, a power supply unit, a memory module, a processor, resistors, etc., a monitor holder for mechanically securing the monitor to the vehicle, a seal, a housing, etc. Subcomponents of the processing unit that may be monitored include, for example, one or more circuit boards with a power supply unit, a voltage regulator, an FPGA or other processor, a microcontroller, a memory module, resistors, a level converter, a transmission chip, a CAN controller, etc. The above lists of subcomponents of the optical sensor unit, the display unit, and the processing unit are merely examples and are not exhaustive.

[0017] Using the calculation function (calculation matrix) described above, individual data can be prioritized over other data. Individual data may have different effects on different components, or data may have combined effects on each other. For example, information about humidity (water content in the air) and temperature, measured by the optical sensor unit, is prioritized over, for example, barometric pressure and UV radiation of the optical sensor unit. This is because precipitated water can cause problems, particularly for the optical image sensor of the optical sensor unit, when exposed to temperature changes or cold surfaces. Precipitation, such as rain, snow, ice, and hail, can lead to corrosion damage, particularly affecting the optical sensor unit's subcomponents, such as the image sensor, electronic components, circuit boards, solder joints, and electronically conductive components and components in general. Humidity in the air is problematic for the optical sensor unit, while condensed water can be problematic when exposed to temperature changes or cold surfaces. Dust inside the optical sensor unit can lead to problems affecting subcomponents, such as the seals, lens surfaces, folding mechanisms, and latching mechanisms of the optical sensor unit with camera wings on the exterior of the vehicle. According to the present invention, depending on a particular subcomponent, a corresponding calculation function (calculation matrix) is used to determine the maintenance signal for this subcomponent, the calculation function having as function parameters or matrix elements corresponding environmental data related or particularly related to this subcomponent. The matrix elements of the calculation matrix represent measures of lifespan reduction. As described above, the calculation function or calculation matrix prioritizes certain vehicle data and / or certain environmental data (environmental factors) that are more relevant to the wear of the corresponding subcomponent over other data when calculating or determining the maintenance signal. Different calculation functions or calculation matrices can be used for different subcomponents, optical sensor units, processing units, and / or display units, reflecting the different influences of vehicle data and / or environmental data on the respective subcomponents or units.

[0018] According to the invention, multiple maintenance signals can be calculated and used. The maintenance signals can be combined with one another, and the resulting maintenance signal (overall maintenance signal) indicates how long at least one of the at least one subcomponent, at least one optical sensor unit, at least one processing unit, and at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system, is still usable. By combining multiple maintenance signals, the expected lifespan of the individual units (optical sensor unit, processing unit, display unit) and their subcomponents is taken into account, allowing, for example, a more reliable prediction of the lifespan of the entire indirect vision system.

[0019] According to the present invention, the evaluation unit may comprise a counter and a comparison unit, whereby data received from the receiving unit and / or calculated data obtained by applying a calculation function or matrix may be compared with a predetermined threshold value, and the counter may be incremented if the threshold value is exceeded. For example, a temperature counter may be incremented each time a predetermined temperature of 30 degrees is exceeded. The count value indicates how often a unit or subcomponent of the indirect vision system has been exposed to high temperatures, and thus conclusions can be drawn about the expected lifespan of the corresponding unit or subcomponent of the indirect vision system. A maintenance signal output by the evaluation unit based on the value of the counter indicates, for example, how often a critical temperature has been exceeded. The critical temperature (threshold value) may be specified, for example, by the manufacturer of the unit or subcomponent of the indirect vision system, or may be empirically determined, and may change over time. The threshold value may be adjusted, for example, by a software update. Alternatively, according to the present invention, the maintenance signal may also be determined based on, for example, all sensor values ​​stored over a predefined time interval, where an average value is formed over the stored sensor values ​​and the average value is compared to a predetermined predetermined threshold value.

[0020] According to the invention, the evaluation unit may transmit the generated maintenance signal to a display unit, an external diagnostic device, and / or the cloud. According to the invention, the evaluation unit itself can be located in the vehicle, in the external diagnostic device, and / or in the cloud. This allows the expected lifespan of individual subcomponents, individual units, or the entire indirect vision system of the indirect vision system to be displayed directly on a display unit arranged in the passenger compartment and shown to the vehicle driver, so that the corresponding subcomponent, the corresponding unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system can be replaced before a failure occurs.

[0021] According to the present invention, the maintenance system may also include an action recommendation unit, which receives a maintenance signal from the evaluation unit and generates an action signal based on the value of a counter for transmission to at least one display unit, a diagnostic device, and / or a cloud. Such action signals may directly instruct a user on how to handle individual subcomponents or units of the indirect vision system, or may directly indicate, for example in text form, which components need to be replaced or whether they can still be used, or for how long. By outputting the maintenance and / or action signals to an external diagnostic device, for example in a workshop, it can be determined whether individual subcomponents or the entire indirect vision system need to be replaced or can continue to be used. By outputting the maintenance signal to the cloud, units of the indirect vision system, their subcomponents, or the entire indirect vision system can be analyzed, location-independently, with respect to their expected lifespan.

[0022] According to the present invention, the information contained in the maintenance signal can be stored either in a central memory of the maintenance system and / or in internal memories located in the subcomponents, individual units, and / or the entire indirect vision system. In this way, the information contained in the maintenance signal can be read directly from the individual subcomponents or units of the indirect vision system to determine their expected lifespan and whether they require replacement or can be continued in use (e.g., with another system).

[0023] According to the invention, the receiving unit and / or the evaluation unit of the maintenance system can also be part of the indirect vision system, so that maintenance and / or action signals can be generated and evaluated directly in the indirect vision system.

[0024] According to the method according to the invention for generating a maintenance signal for an indirect vision system for a vehicle including at least one optical sensor unit, at least one processing unit, and / or at least one display unit, the following steps are performed: in a receiving step, data is received; and in a generating step, based on the received data, a maintenance signal is generated indicating for how long and whether at least one subcomponent of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and / or the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system, is still usable.

[0025] According to the method according to the invention, the received data comprises vehicle data detected by at least one vehicle sensor or provided by a control unit of the vehicle, which may relate to the lifetime of the vehicle, at least one subcomponent, at least one optical sensor unit, at least one processing unit, and at least one display unit, and / or the indirect vision system. Additionally or alternatively, the received data may comprise environmental data received from at least one further sensor, which is vehicle-independent and dependent on external environmental factors.

[0026] According to the method of the present invention, the vehicle data may include information regarding the number of kilometers traveled by the vehicle, the number of kilometers traveled by the vehicle during operation of at least one subcomponent, at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the processing unit and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system, the operating time of the vehicle, the operating time of at least one of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system during operation of the vehicle, and / or any faults that have occurred in the vehicle components.

[0027] According to the method of the present invention, the external environment data may include information regarding temperature, humidity, air pressure, ultraviolet radiation, dust, particulate matter, and / or mechanical stress to which at least one of the at least one subcomponent, the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the indirect vision system is exposed.

[0028] According to the method of the present invention, a function value can be calculated by a calculation function or a calculation matrix that includes at least a portion of the received vehicle data and / or environmental data as parameters or matrix elements, and a maintenance signal is generated based on the calculated function value or matrix element.

[0029] According to the method of the present invention, multiple maintenance signals can be combined, and the resulting maintenance signal can be used to indicate how long at least one subcomponent, at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system is still usable.

[0030] According to the method of the present invention, the received and / or calculated data may be compared to a threshold value and a counter may be incremented if (or each time) the threshold value is exceeded.

[0031] According to the method of the present invention, a maintenance signal can be generated based on the value of the counter and output to at least one display unit, a diagnostic device and / or the cloud.

[0032] The method according to the present invention may further generate an action signal based on the value of the counter and output it to at least one display unit, a diagnostic device, and / or the cloud.

[0033] According to the method of the present invention, furthermore, data received from the sensor and / or the control unit, calculated data, thresholds and / or maintenance signals can be stored in at least one of the at least one subcomponent, the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit and the at least one display unit, and / or in the indirect vision system.

[0034] The method according to the invention can be used by the above-mentioned maintenance system according to the invention.

[0035] (Aspect 1) 1. A maintenance system for a vehicle indirect vision system, comprising: a receiving unit and an evaluation unit; The indirect vision system comprises: at least one optical sensor unit for acquiring image data of the vehicle's environment; at least one processing unit for processing the image data acquired by the optical sensor unit; at least one display unit on which the image data processed by the processing unit is displayed; wherein at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit includes at least one subcomponent; The receiving unit receives data; The system, wherein the evaluation unit generates a maintenance signal based on the data received by the receiving unit, indicating how long and / or whether the at least one subcomponent, at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system are still usable. (Aspect 2) In the maintenance system according to aspect 1, further comprising at least one vehicle sensor and / or at least one additional sensor; the at least one vehicle sensor transmitting vehicle data to the receiving unit; the vehicle data relates to a lifetime of the vehicle, the at least one subcomponent, and / or at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit; The at least one additional sensor transmits environmental data to the receiving unit, the environmental data being independent of the vehicle and dependent on environmental factors. (Aspect 3) In the maintenance system according to aspect 2, A maintenance system, wherein the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, the at least one display unit, and / or the at least one subcomponent comprises the at least one additional sensor. (Aspect 4) In the maintenance system according to aspect 2 or 3, The vehicle data includes: the number of kilometers traveled by said vehicle; kilometers traveled by the vehicle during operation of the at least one subcomponent, at least one of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system; the operation time of the vehicle; the operation time of at least one subcomponent of at least one of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system during operation of the vehicle; and / or A maintenance system containing information about errors that have occurred in vehicle components. (Aspect 5) In the maintenance system according to aspect 2 or 3, The environmental data is A maintenance system including information about temperature, humidity, air pressure, ultraviolet radiation, dust, fine dust (certain substances), and / or mechanical loads that are affected by at least one of the at least one subcomponent, the at least one optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system. (Aspect 6) In the maintenance system according to any one of the above aspects, the evaluation unit further comprises a calculation unit; the calculation unit applies at least a portion of the vehicle data and / or environmental data received from the receiving unit, the at least one vehicle sensor, and / or the at least one additional sensor to a calculation function or matrix, and generates the maintenance signal based on the calculated value; Here, the calculation function or the calculation matrix includes at least a portion of the received vehicle data and / or environmental data as function parameters or matrix elements. (Aspect 7) In the maintenance system according to any one of the above aspects, A maintenance system in which a plurality of maintenance signals are used and calculated, the resulting maintenance signals indicating a period during which the at least one subcomponent, at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system are still usable. (Aspect 8) In the maintenance system according to any one of the above aspects, the evaluation unit comprises a counter and a comparison unit; The data received by the receiving unit and / or calculated or processed data is compared to a threshold value, and the counter increments if the threshold value is exceeded. (Aspect 9) In the maintenance system according to aspect 7, The evaluation unit generates the maintenance signal based on the value of the counter. (Aspect 10) The maintenance system according to aspect 9, further comprising an action recommendation unit: The action recommendation unit: receiving the maintenance signal from the evaluation unit; generating an action signal based on the value of the counter; and a maintenance system that transmits the action signal to the at least one display unit, a diagnostic device, and / or a cloud for output. (Aspect 11) In the maintenance system according to any one of the above aspects, The maintenance signal generated by the evaluation unit is transmitted to the at least one display unit, a diagnostic device, and / or a cloud for output. (Aspect 12) The maintenance system according to any one of the above aspects, further comprising a memory, The memory stores the data received from the receiving unit, the data calculated by the calculation unit, the maintenance signal, the action signal, and / or the threshold value. (Aspect 13) In the maintenance system according to any one of the above aspects, at least one of the at least one subcomponent, the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system, comprises a memory in which information contained in the maintenance signal is stored; a maintenance system, wherein the information indicates a period during which at least one of the subcomponents, the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system will be usable and / or whether it is still usable. (Aspect 14) In the maintenance system according to any one of the above aspects, A maintenance system, wherein the receiving unit and / or the evaluation unit are part of the indirect vision system. (Aspect 15) 1. A method for generating a maintenance signal for an indirect vision system of a vehicle, the indirect vision system comprising at least one optical sensor unit, at least one processing unit, and / or at least one display unit, the method comprising: It includes the following steps: In the receiving step, data is received, The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step generates a maintenance signal based on the received data, the maintenance signal indicating how long and / or whether the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and / or at least one subcomponent of the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system are still usable. (Aspect 16) In a method according to embodiment 15, the received data includes vehicle data and / or environmental data; The vehicle data includes: detected by at least one vehicle sensor; a lifetime of at least one of the vehicle, the at least one subcomponent, the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the indirect vision system; The environmental data is obtained from at least one additional sensor; The method is independent of the vehicle and dependent on environmental factors. (Aspect 17) 17. The method of claim 16, The vehicle data includes: a distance traveled by the vehicle, a distance traveled by the vehicle during operation of the at least one subcomponent, at least one of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system; the operation time of the vehicle; the operation time of at least one subcomponent of at least one of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system during operation of the vehicle; and / or The method includes information about an error that has occurred in a vehicle component. (Aspect 18) 17. The method of claim 16, The environmental data is The method includes information about temperature, humidity, air pressure, ultraviolet radiation, dust, particulate matter, and / or mechanical stress (load) to which the at least one subcomponent, at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system are exposed. (Aspect 19) In the method according to any one of aspects 15 to 18, calculating a value of a function, wherein said calculated function includes as parameters at least a portion of said received vehicle data and / or said environmental data; generating a maintenance signal based on the function value. (Aspect 20) The method according to any one of the above aspects, combining a plurality of maintenance signals; and using the resulting maintenance signal; The resulting maintenance signal indicates a time period during which the at least one subcomponent, at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system is still usable. (Aspect 21) The method of aspect 19 or 20, further comprising the steps of: comparing the received and / or calculated data with a threshold; The method further comprising incrementing a counter if the threshold is exceeded. (Aspect 22) 22. The method of claim 21, generating the maintenance signal based on a value of the counter; outputting the maintenance signal to the at least one display unit, diagnostic device, and / or cloud. (Aspect 23) 23. The method of claim 21, wherein generating an action signal based on the value of the counter; outputting the action signal to the at least one display unit, a diagnostic device, and / or a cloud. (Aspect 24) In the method according to any one of aspects 15 to 23, storing the received data, the calculated data, thresholds, and / or maintenance signals in at least one of the subcomponents, the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the indirect vision system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0036] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a vehicle equipped with an indirect vision system in which the maintenance system and method according to the present invention can be used;

[0038] [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the main components of a maintenance system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] [Figure 3] 2 shows a schematic diagram of the optical sensor unit of the indirect vision system of FIG. 1.

[0040] [Figure 4] 2 shows a schematic diagram of the processing unit of the indirect vision system of FIG. 1;

[0041] [Figure 5] 2 shows a display unit of the indirect vision system of FIG. 1;

[0042] [Figure 6] 1 shows an evaluation unit of a maintenance system according to the invention;

[0043] [Figure 7] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a calculation matrix used by the maintenance system and method according to the present invention to determine a maintenance signal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] [Figure 8] 1 illustrates an action recommendation unit of a maintenance system according to the present invention.

[0045] [Figure 9] 3 shows a schematic flow chart of the method according to the present invention according to an alternative embodiment;

[0046] [Figure 10] 4 is a schematic flow chart of the method according to the present invention according to an alternative embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0047] 1 shows a vehicle 1 equipped with an indirect vision system 2, with camera wings located on the left and right sides of the vehicle 1. The indirect vision system 2 includes an optical sensor unit 3 and a display unit 4. Image data captured by the optical sensor unit 3 is displayed on the display unit 4 for the driver 5 of the vehicle 1.

[0048] Figure 2 shows the components of a maintenance system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The maintenance system comprises an indirect vision system 2 according to Figure 1 and a receiving unit 6 for receiving data from vehicle sensors 7 and environmental sensors 8. The vehicle sensors 7 consist of one or more sensors present on the vehicle 1. The vehicle sensors 7 may be a control unit of the vehicle 1, which transmits the relevant data to the receiving unit 6 of the maintenance system. The at least one vehicle sensor 7 acquires vehicle data related to the life span of the vehicle 1 and of the indirect vision system 2, its optical sensor unit 3, display unit 4 and / or processing unit 9, and their subcomponents.

[0049] According to an example of a preferred embodiment, the maintenance system can be used in an indirect vision system 2 that includes multiple optical sensor units 3, a display unit 4, and a processing unit 9. The processing unit 9 can be a separate component in the indirect vision system 2 or can be part of the optical sensor units 3 and / or the display unit 4. The processing unit 9 is primarily used to process image data captured by the optical sensor units 3 and display it on the display unit 4. Alternatively, the captured image data can be displayed on the display unit 4 without being processed.

[0050] The data acquired by the vehicle sensors 7 relate to data related to the vehicle, such as the kilometers traveled by the vehicle, the kilometers traveled by the vehicle when the indirect vision system 2 or its units 3, 4, 9 and their subcomponents are in operation. The at least one further sensor 8 acquires environmental data that is mainly independent of the vehicle and depends on environmental factors. Such environmental data includes, for example, information about the temperature, humidity, air pressure, ultraviolet radiation, dust, fine dust (particular substances) and / or mechanical load (stress) of the indirect vision system 2 or its units 3, 4, 9 and their subcomponents.

[0051] As shown in Figure 2, the receiving unit 6 of the maintenance system according to the preferred embodiment comprises an evaluation unit 10, which will be described in more detail below with reference to Figure 6. The evaluation unit 10 generates a maintenance signal indicative of the usable life of the indirect vision system or its units 3, 4, 9 and their subcomponents based on the data received from the vehicle sensors 7 and the additional sensor 8. According to the preferred embodiment, the additional sensor 8 is provided in each of the optical sensor unit 3, the display unit 4 and the processing unit 9, but may alternatively be provided as a separate component mounted anywhere on the vehicle 1.

[0052] Figure 2 also shows an external diagnostic device 11 that can be connected to the vehicle 1 during a workshop visit, for example, to read out the maintenance signals generated by the evaluation unit 10 and display to the user of the diagnostic device 11 the remaining life span (wear) of the units of the indirect vision system 2 or their subcomponents and / or the entire indirect vision system 2.

[0053] Also shown in Figure 2, which will be explained in more detail later with reference to Figure 8, is an action recommendation unit 12 that outputs an action signal that can be received by the diagnostic device 11, the display unit 4 and / or the cloud. The action signal indicates to a user of the diagnostic device 11, e.g. in text form, a specific action that the user must perform, e.g. to replace a subcomponent or unit of the indirect vision system or the entire indirect vision system 2.

[0054] 2 also schematically depicts a cloud 13 to which, according to a preferred embodiment, the generated maintenance and / or action signals are sent for further processing elsewhere. According to another embodiment, all data from the vehicle sensors 7 and the additional sensors 8 are also sent to the cloud 13. The data from the cloud 13 is also received by the receiving unit 6. Such data may include, for example, thresholds and calculation matrices used to generate the maintenance signals, as described below. Similarly, environmental data, as described above, may also be sent from the cloud to the receiving unit 6. This data may be used to generate the maintenance or action signals in addition to, or instead of, the data from the vehicle sensors 7 and the additional sensors 8.

[0055] Figure 3 shows the optical sensor unit 3 with exemplary subcomponents, including a camera housing 14, a camera wing 15, a lens system 16, a lens heater 17, an image sensor 18, a processing board 19 with, for example, a power supply unit, a voltage regulator, a memory module, a processor, resistors, transmission ICs, etc. (not shown), and a seal 20. Figure 3 also shows a processing unit 9 that processes image data captured by the image sensor 18 for display on the display unit 4 shown in Figure 2. According to other embodiments, the processing unit 9 can be located outside the optical sensor unit 3, for example, in the display unit 4.

[0056] 3 also shows a further sensor 8 of FIG. 2, which according to this embodiment is arranged in the optical sensor unit 3 and acquires environmental data that is vehicle-independent and dependent on environmental factors. The further sensor 8 arranged in the optical sensor unit 3 detects, for example, a reference (current) temperature, humidity in the optical sensor unit 3, and / or other environmental data as mentioned above. This data is output to the evaluation unit 10 and / or the action recommendation unit 12, for example to generate a maintenance or action signal for the sensor unit 3.

[0057] 3 also shows an internal memory 20 in the optical sensor unit 3. The internal memory 20 stores all relevant data according to the example preferred embodiment, such as environmental data detected by the additional sensors 8, image data processed by the processing unit 9, image data captured by the image sensor 18, maintenance signals generated by the evaluation unit 10, and / or action signals output by the action recommendation unit 12.

[0058] According to a preferred embodiment, the information stored in the internal memory 20 constituting the maintenance information indicates the expected life span of the optical sensor unit 3 or at least one of the subcomponents 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. The information stored in the internal memory 20 of the optical sensor unit 3 can, for example, according to an example preferred embodiment, be read out by the diagnostic device 11 shown in Figure 2, displayed on the display unit 4 and / or transmitted to the cloud 13.

[0059] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the processing unit 9 illustrated in FIG. 3 . The processing unit 9 includes, for example, a memory 21 in which image data captured by the image sensor 18 can be stored. FIG. 4 also illustrates a circuit board 22 that processes the image data temporarily stored in the memory 21 and outputs it to the display unit 4. According to a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4 , the processing unit 9 includes an additional sensor 8 that can detect, for example, the aforementioned environmental data, which is additionally stored in the memory 21. The processing unit 9 can transmit the data acquired by the additional sensor 8 or the environmental data stored in the memory 21 for further evaluation to the evaluation unit 10 and / or the action recommendation unit 12, and generate a maintenance signal or an action signal. The maintenance signal indicates the expected remaining life of the processing unit 9. The maintenance signal and / or the action signal are stored in the memory 21 according to the exemplary embodiment and can be read by the diagnostic device 11, the display unit 4, and / or the cloud 13.

[0060] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a display unit 4 of the indirect vision system 2 of Figure 1 according to an embodiment. As sub-components of the display unit 4, Figure 5 shows, for example, a housing 23, a circuit board 25 with a power supply unit, a voltage regulator, a processor such as an FPGA, a microcontroller, a memory module, resistors, a level converter, a transmission chip, a CAN controller, etc.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 5 , the display unit 4 includes an additional sensor 8 for detecting the above-mentioned environmental data. According to this embodiment, the processing unit 9 shown in FIG. 4 is included in the display unit 4, but can alternatively be provided as a separate component in the indirect vision system. Also shown in FIG. 5 is a display area 26 and a memory 27. In the display area 26, image data processed by the processing unit 9 is displayed to the driver 5 of the vehicle 1. In the memory 27, environmental data acquired by the additional sensor 8 is stored and transmitted to the evaluation unit 10 or the action recommendation unit 12 in a similar manner as described for the optical sensor unit 3, and / or directly to the cloud 13 and / or the diagnostic device 11. The generated maintenance signal and / or action signal of the display unit 4 is stored in the memory 27 according to the embodiment and can be read by the diagnostic device 11 and / or the cloud 13. According to the embodiment, the maintenance signal and / or action signal is displayed in the display area 26 of the display unit 4.

[0062] FIG. 6 shows the evaluation unit 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the maintenance system. The evaluation unit 10 receives data from the vehicle sensors 7 and / or the additional sensors 8 via the input module 28. According to a preferred embodiment, as described above, data is received from the additional sensors 8 of the optical sensor unit 3, the display unit 4, and / or the processing unit 9. As shown in FIG. 6, the evaluation unit 10 comprises a comparison unit 29 and a counter 30. The comparison unit 29 receives, for example, a temperature value from the input module 28 and compares this temperature value with a predetermined threshold value. If this predetermined threshold value is exceeded, particularly for a certain period of time, the counter 30 is incremented according to the preferred embodiment. For example, if the threshold value is exceeded for a certain period of time, the counter can be incremented by a predetermined value corresponding to the predetermined period of time. For example, if the threshold value is exceeded for 10 minutes, the counter can be incremented by one. If the threshold value is exceeded for another 10 minutes, the counter can be incremented by one again, for example. Other dependencies between the duration and the increment of the counter value are conceivable according to the present invention and may also depend on the type of environmental data.

[0063] Alternatively, a number of temperature values ​​obtained over a given time interval can be averaged and compared with a given threshold value, and if the threshold value is exceeded, the counter can be incremented by a given value. The value of counter 30 is output via output module 31 of evaluation unit 10. The threshold value is a value specified by the manufacturer of the indirect vision system, a unit of the indirect vision system or a subcomponent thereof and indicates the expected overall life span of the corresponding component.

[0064] The evaluation unit 10 also comprises a calculation unit 32 which receives data (vehicle data, environmental data) from the input module 28 and applies it to a predetermined calculation function or calculation matrix. The evaluation unit 10 shown in Fig. 6 thus receives data from the vehicle sensors 7 and the additional sensors 8 and generates a maintenance signal 33 for the indirect vision system 2, its units 3, 4, 9 and / or its subcomponents. The maintenance signal 33 is output from the evaluation unit 10 via an output module 31. According to a preferred embodiment, the output is sent to the diagnostic device 11, the cloud 13, the display unit 4 and / or the action recommendation unit 12, as explained with reference to Fig. 8.

[0065] FIG. 7 illustrates a calculation matrix according to an embodiment of the present invention, which determines a maintenance signal indicating the remaining lifespan of an indirect vision system, one of its units, and / or its subcomponents. According to the present invention, the calculation matrix is ​​stored in the maintenance system, the cloud, and / or an external diagnostic device to calculate the influence of various environmental factors. Here, the dimension of the matrix corresponds to the number of relevant environmental factors. The matrix elements correspond to the influence on the lifespan of the component under consideration (component means the entire indirect vision system, at least one of its units, and / or at least one of its subcomponents). A specific measurement value of an environmental factor at a specific time point is used to reference a specific matrix element, which is then used to calculate the remaining lifespan. Alternatively, multiple matrix elements are stored at different times, and the remaining lifespan of the component is then calculated from the multiple matrix elements stored at different times. Multidimensional dependencies of various environmental factors are mapped in this way.

[0066] At predetermined time intervals (e.g., every hour), for example, temperature (environmental factor k), humidity (environmental factor n), and UV radiation (environmental factor m) are measured in the camera via additional sensors 8 mounted on the camera. The measurements are referenced to a matrix element M, which is stored in the system depending on or independent of the time interval. The stored elements are used to calculate the remaining lifespan of the component, where, for example, high values ​​of temperature and humidity have a more negative value than low values. A combination of high temperature and very low humidity may result in a much shorter lifespan of the component than a combination of moderate temperature and high humidity. The measurement may use the humidity of the environment in combination with the probability of leakage in the optical path related to moisture ingress.

[0067] FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of the action recommendation unit 12. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this unit receives a maintenance signal 33 from the evaluation unit 10 and outputs an action signal 34 to the display unit 4, the diagnostic device 11, and / or the cloud 13. According to the present invention, the action recommendation unit 12 comprises, for example, a database 35 in which specific text-based instructions for actions are stored, which informs the user of the maintenance system what needs to be done. The database according to the present invention comprises, for example, a left column in which all possible maintenance signals are stored and a right column in which associated actions are stored. According to a preferred embodiment, the action recommendation unit 12 comprises a comparison module 36, which receives the maintenance signal 33, compares it with all data in the left column in the columns of the database 35, and in case of a match or near match, outputs the corresponding action instruction in the right column as the action signal 34. Such an action instruction can be, for example, "replace component," "remaining life is 1 year," "component is reusable," etc.

[0068] FIG. 9 is a schematic flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In step S1, environmental data is acquired by the additional sensor 8 and transferred to the receiving unit 6. This data is then transmitted to the evaluation unit 10, which received the data in step S2. In step S3, the comparison unit 29 of the evaluation unit 10 compares the data with a threshold value. If the threshold value is exceeded, the counter 30 of the evaluation unit 10 is incremented by a predetermined value in step S4. Preferably, the threshold value must be exceeded for a predetermined period before the counter is increased or incremented. The predetermined value by which the counter is incremented preferably depends on a predetermined duration. In step S4, the current counter value is saved. Based on this counter value, a maintenance signal is generated in step S5. The maintenance signal indicates the environmentally related lifespan of the corresponding component with which the sensor 8 is associated. In step S6, the component maintenance signal is saved in the component itself and / or in an external memory.

[0069] In step S7, an action signal is generated based on the maintenance signal generated in step S5 and stored in step S6, and is output to the display unit 4, the diagnostic device 11, and / or the cloud 13. As shown in Figure 9, the action signal 34 is received by the display unit 4, the diagnostic device 11, and / or the cloud 13 and displayed to a user of the maintenance system via a human-machine interface HMI.

[0070] According to another embodiment (I) of the present invention, the maintenance signal generated in step S5 can be output directly to the display unit 4, the diagnostic device 11, and / or the cloud 13. Because the maintenance signal in step S5 is based on the count value obtained in step S4, this count value is an indicator of the remaining life span. According to this embodiment (I), the user must interpret the maintenance signal themselves without being presented with a specific recommended action. According to yet another example embodiment (II), the counter value obtained in step S4 can be processed directly in step S7 to generate an action signal 34 in step S7, as shown in FIG. 9. This action signal 34 can be output to the display unit 4, the diagnostic device 11, and / or the cloud 13 in a similar manner.

[0071] Figure 10 is a schematic flow chart of a method according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Steps S21 to S24 in Figure 10 correspond to steps S1 to S4 in Figure 9, and therefore will not be described again.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 10, the count value obtained in step S24 is transmitted to the cloud 13 and received in step S15. In step S26, a maintenance signal is generated based on the received count value in the cloud 13 and stored in step S27. As in FIG. 9, an action signal is generated in step S28 based on the maintenance signal stored in step S27 and output to the human-machine interface in step S29. As shown in FIG. 10, according to this embodiment, steps S25 to S29 are all performed in the cloud 13. As in the method of FIG. 9, according to an alternative embodiment (III), an action signal can be generated directly in step S28 from the count value obtained from the cloud in step S25, without generating and storing a maintenance signal. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1 vehicle 2. Indirect visual system 3 Optical sensor unit 4 Display Unit 5. Driver 6 Receiving unit 7 Vehicle Sensors 8 additional sensors 9 Processing Unit 10 evaluation units 11 Diagnostic equipment 12 Action Recommended Units 13. Cloud 14 Camera housing 15 Camera Wing 16 Lens System 17 Lens heater 18 Image Sensor 19 Processing board 20 internal memory 21 Memory (Storage) 22 Circuit Board 23 Case 24 Monitor support 25 Circuit Board 26 Display area 27 Memory 28 Input Modules 29 Comparison Units 30 Counters 31 Output Module 32 Processing Unit 33 Maintenance Signal 34 Action Signal 35 databases 36 Comparison Module M matrix elements

Claims

1. 1. A maintenance system for a vehicle indirect vision system, comprising: a receiving unit and an evaluation unit; The indirect vision system comprises: at least one optical sensor unit for acquiring image data of the vehicle's environment; at least one processing unit for processing the image data acquired by the optical sensor unit; at least one display unit on which the image data processed by the processing unit is displayed; wherein at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit includes at least one subcomponent; The receiving unit receives data; The system, wherein the evaluation unit generates a maintenance signal based on the data received by the receiving unit, indicating how long and / or whether the at least one subcomponent, at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system are still usable.

2. 2. The maintenance system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one vehicle sensor and / or at least one additional sensor; the at least one vehicle sensor transmits vehicle data to the receiving unit; the vehicle data relates to a lifetime of the vehicle, the at least one subcomponent, and / or at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit; The at least one additional sensor transmits environmental data to the receiving unit, the environmental data being independent of the vehicle and dependent on environmental factors.

3. 3. The maintenance system according to claim 2, The at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, the at least one display unit, and / or the at least one subcomponent comprises the at least one additional sensor.

4. 3. The maintenance system according to claim 2, The vehicle data includes: the number of kilometers traveled by said vehicle; the number of kilometers traveled by the vehicle during operation of the at least one subcomponent, at least one of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system; the operation time of the vehicle; the operation time of at least one subcomponent of at least one of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system during operation of the vehicle; and / or A maintenance system containing information about errors that have occurred in vehicle components.

5. 3. The maintenance system according to claim 2, The environmental data is A maintenance system including information about temperature, humidity, air pressure, ultraviolet radiation, dust, fine dust (specific substances), and / or mechanical loads that affect at least one of the at least one subcomponent, the at least one optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system.

6. 2. The maintenance system according to claim 1, the evaluation unit further comprises a calculation unit; the calculation unit applies at least a portion of the vehicle data and / or environmental data received from the receiving unit, the at least one vehicle sensor, and / or the at least one additional sensor to a calculation function or matrix and generates the maintenance signal based on the calculated value; Here, the calculation function or the calculation matrix includes at least a portion of the received vehicle data and / or environmental data as function parameters or matrix elements.

7. 2. The maintenance system according to claim 1, A maintenance system in which a plurality of maintenance signals are used and calculated, the resulting maintenance signals indicating a period during which the at least one subcomponent, at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system are still usable.

8. 2. The maintenance system according to claim 1, the evaluation unit comprises a counter and a comparison unit; A maintenance system wherein the data received by the receiving unit and / or calculated or processed data is compared to a threshold value, and the counter increments if the threshold value is exceeded.

9. 9. The maintenance system according to claim 8, The evaluation unit generates the maintenance signal based on the value of the counter.

10. 10. The maintenance system of claim 9, further comprising an action recommendation unit, The action recommendation unit: receiving the maintenance signal from the evaluation unit; generating an action signal based on the value of the counter; and transmitting the action signal to the at least one display unit, a diagnostic device, and / or a cloud for output.

11. 2. The maintenance system according to claim 1, The maintenance signal generated by the evaluation unit is transmitted to the at least one display unit, a diagnostic device, and / or a cloud for output.

12. The maintenance system according to claim 1, further comprising a memory, The memory stores the data received from the receiving unit, the data calculated by the calculation unit, the maintenance signal, the action signal, and / or the threshold value.

13. 2. The maintenance system according to claim 1, at least one of the at least one subcomponent, the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system, comprises a memory in which information contained in the maintenance signal is stored; A maintenance system, wherein the information indicates a period during which at least one of the subcomponents, the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system will be usable and / or whether it is still usable.

14. The maintenance system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, A maintenance system, wherein the receiving unit and / or the evaluation unit are part of the indirect vision system.

15. 1. A method for generating a maintenance signal for an indirect vision system of a vehicle comprising at least one optical sensor unit, at least one processing unit, and / or at least one display unit, comprising: It includes the following steps: In the receiving step, data is received, In the generating step, a maintenance signal is generated based on the received data, indicating a period during which and / or whether the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and / or at least one subcomponent of the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system is still usable.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, the received data includes vehicle data and / or environmental data; The vehicle data includes: detected by at least one vehicle sensor; a lifetime of at least one of the vehicle, the at least one subcomponent, the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the indirect vision system; The environmental data is obtained from at least one additional sensor; The method is independent of the vehicle and dependent on environmental factors.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, The vehicle data includes: a distance traveled by the vehicle, a distance traveled by the vehicle during operation of the at least one subcomponent, at least one of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system; the operation time of the vehicle; the operation time of at least one subcomponent of at least one of the optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system during operation of the vehicle; and / or The method includes information about an error that has occurred in a vehicle component.

18. 17. The method of claim 16 The environmental data is The method includes information about temperature, humidity, air pressure, ultraviolet radiation, dust, particulate matter, and / or mechanical stress (load) to which the at least one subcomponent, at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system are exposed.

19. 16. The method of claim 15, calculating a value of a function, wherein said calculation function includes as parameters at least a portion of said received vehicle data and / or said environmental data; generating a maintenance signal based on the function value.

20. 16. The method of claim 15, combining a plurality of maintenance signals; and using the resulting maintenance signal; The resulting maintenance signal indicates a time period during which the at least one subcomponent, at least one of the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit, and the at least one display unit, and / or the entire indirect vision system is still usable.

21. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of: comparing the received and / or calculated data with a threshold; The method further comprising incrementing a counter if the threshold is exceeded.

22. 22. The method of claim 21, generating the maintenance signal based on a value of the counter; outputting the maintenance signal to the at least one display unit, diagnostic device, and / or cloud.

23. 22. The method of claim 21, generating an action signal based on the value of the counter; outputting the action signal to the at least one display unit, a diagnostic device, and / or a cloud.

24. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 23, storing the received data, the calculated data, thresholds and / or maintenance signals in at least one of the subcomponents, the at least one optical sensor unit, the at least one processing unit and the at least one display unit, and / or the indirect vision system.

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