System for operating heating devices for cameras in autonomous vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system (5) for operating a heating device (9) of a camera (2) for an automatic vehicle (1), the system (5) comprising a control device (3) and an electronic circuit (10) of the camera (2), the electronic circuit (10) comprising at least one switch (11) for the heating device (9) and a voltage regulator device (12) comprising a primary voltage regulator (13) and, in particular, at least one secondary voltage regulator (14). The control device (3) is configured to supply voltage to the primary voltage regulator (13). The primary voltage regulator (13) reduces the voltage supplied to the switch (11) to a certain voltage level (18). The system (5) is configured to operate the heating device (9) with the supplied reduced voltage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for operating a heating device of a camera for a motor vehicle, the system including a control device and an electronic circuit of the camera. In addition, the present invention relates to a motor vehicle having a camera and such a system, and a method for operating a heating device of a camera for a motor vehicle by such a system.

Background Art

[0002] A motor vehicle can be equipped with at least one camera, such as a front camera, a rear camera, and / or a side camera, configured to capture the environment of the motor vehicle. Alternatively or in addition thereto, the camera may be an interior camera configured to capture the interior of the motor vehicle. In addition, the motor vehicle may have at least partially autonomous, particularly fully autonomous driving functions. These driving functions often require data captured and provided by the camera, particularly such data representing the environment of the motor vehicle.

[0003] If clouding of the camera objective lens of the camera due to condensed water and / or covering of the camera objective lens by ice and / or snow occurs, the data provided by the camera may not represent the environment with sufficient reliability to provide the driving function. Therefore, measures should be taken to clean the camera objective lens, particularly the lens of the camera. These measures include, for example, those based on warm water jets or include a heating device for the camera. To avoid an additional water supply system for supplying warm water jets, the heating device is preferably integrated into the camera. The heating device may be arranged, for example, between the camera objective lens of the camera or the lens module of the camera and a circuit board to which, for example, an image sensor of the camera is coupled. Such a heating device is inexpensive and, moreover, does not affect the external configuration of the camera as compared to the above-described measures based on warm water jets.

[0004] Prior art has shown that numerous cameras for autonomous vehicles, equipped with heating devices, are available.

[0005] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0314311(A1) describes a vehicle camera for a vehicle vision system, the vehicle camera comprising a housing having a front housing portion and a rear housing portion, the front housing portion comprising a camera objective lens. A heating device is positioned on the outermost lens element of the camera objective lens.

[0006] DE 10 2021 201 370 A1 describes a method for heating the lens of a camera objective lens, wherein a circulating current or eddy current is generated in a conductive member incorporated into the camera objective lens using at least one coil, resulting in the conductive member being heated.

[0007] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0192085(A1) describes a heating device comprising a primary induction coil and a secondary induction coil. The primary induction coil generates a magnetic field in response to the reception of electrical energy, and the secondary induction coil overlaps with the primary induction coil, and the secondary induction coil ultimately heats the camera objective lens once the primary induction coil receives power.

[0008] U.S. Patent Application Publication 2018 / 0017785(A1) describes a heating system for preventing fog and ice formation on a driver assistance camera. The heating element communicates with the gap between the camera objective lens and the transparent window, heating the transparent window without obstructing the image received by the camera objective lens.

[0009] However, details of the electronic control of the camera's heating device are not found in prior art. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a solution that enables reliable control of the heating device for cameras used in autonomous vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] This objective is resolved by the subject matter of the independent claim.

[0012] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a system for operating a heating device for a camera of an automated vehicle. The heating device is a component of the camera and is located, for example, within the camera between the camera objective lens or lens module and the camera's image sensor located, for example, on the camera's circuit board. Alternative or additional configurations of the heating device within the camera are possible. Alternatively, the heating device may also be called a heater or heating element. Preferably, the camera is a front camera, rear camera, side camera, and / or interior camera of an automated vehicle. The camera is configured to capture its environment, which is preferably the environment of the automated vehicle. Thus, the camera captures and provides, for example, still image data or video image data. The image data is evaluated, for example, within the automated vehicle, for example, with respect to the partially autonomous, and especially fully autonomous, driving functions of the automated vehicle, provided, for example, particularly by the automated vehicle's driver assistance system.

[0013] This system includes a control device and the camera's electronic circuitry. Preferably, the control device is a component of the automated vehicle and is located outside the camera, and therefore not a component of the camera. Alternatively, the control device may be called the automated vehicle's electronic control unit. The electronic circuitry includes at least one switch for a heating device. The switch for the heating device is configured, for example, to activate or deactivate the heating device in response to a control command provided thereto. In addition, the electronic circuitry includes a voltage regulator device. Alternatively, the voltage regulator device may be called a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator device includes a primary voltage regulator and, in particular, at least one secondary voltage regulator. Alternatively, the primary voltage regulator may be called a main voltage regulator. Alternatively, the at least one secondary voltage regulator may be called an auxiliary voltage regulator. The voltage regulator device can be understood as a component of an electronic circuitry that may include a number of individual voltage regulators.

[0014] The present invention is based at least on the understanding that, in an automated vehicle, for example, to save cost and / or installation space, a heating device is powered by the same supply cable as the rest of the camera components, such as the camera's image sensor or further electronic components. The supply cable is, for example, a power over coax cable, a shielded twisted pair, and / or an Ethernet cable. The supply cable is, for example, included in the harness of the automated vehicle. For example, since a large amount of energy, at least greater than the amount of energy required by the camera, is generally transported through the harness in the automated vehicle, the system should have an input filter configured to operate with such an amount of energy. Furthermore, the energy supply to the heating device should be monitored, in particular, if the voltage supplied to the camera with the heating device varies depending on and / or over time with respect to the camera's position in the automated vehicle. This variation occurs, for example, because the length of the supply cable, and therefore, for example, the length of the harness, can vary depending on how far the camera is from the control device, and therefore, depending on the camera's position in the automated vehicle. In addition, for example, there may be time-varying variations in the supply voltage supplied by the control device. Furthermore, the heating device should be configured to save installation space and therefore should contain only small-sized electronic components.

[0015] The system's control device may be configured to increase the minimum supply voltage supplied to the camera by the control device to a preset minimum supply voltage value. Depending on the configuration of the automated vehicle, the voltage source in the automated vehicle may supply a voltage of, for example, 12 volts or, for example, 16 volts. In that case, a typical minimum supply voltage is, for example, 7 to 9 volts. This typical minimum supply voltage can be increased to a supply voltage according to a preset minimum supply voltage value, which is, for example, between 12 and 16 volts, particularly 13 to 15 volts. Values ​​other than the above voltage values ​​are also possible.

[0016] It is assumed that the control device of the automated vehicle will supply energy to the camera. In this regard, the voltage source of the automated vehicle, such as a battery, can, for example, supply energy to the control device. The control device can perform adjustments to preset the minimum supply voltage to the camera. By raising the minimum supply voltage to a higher preset minimum supply voltage value, the maximum current supplied to the camera can be reduced. This allows the harness connected to the camera to be thinner and more accommodating compared to a configuration where a lower minimum supply voltage is supplied. Thus, the aforementioned fluctuations can be compensated for at least partially.

[0017] The control device is configured to supply voltage to the primary voltage regulator of the voltage regulator device. If the minimum supply voltage is increased, the supplied voltage can correspond to at least the minimum supply voltage. The primary voltage regulator is configured to reduce the voltage supplied to the switch to a certain voltage level. This constant voltage level is sometimes referred to as a constant voltage value. The primary voltage regulator supplies voltage to the switch. This means that the current required to operate the heating device is supplied to the camera, rather than directly to the camera terminal, and thereby further supplied to the camera's heating device via the voltage regulator device. The primary voltage regulator can reduce the voltage supplied to it to a preset voltage value, and therefore a preset level, which may be lower than the voltage generally supplied to the camera terminal. Therefore, the voltage regulator device is sometimes referred to as a buck regulator. In the example above, the voltage supplied to the voltage regulator device is at least 12 to 16 volts due to the increase in the minimum supply voltage. Next, the primary voltage regulator of the voltage regulator device reduces the voltage to, for example, 4 to 6 volts and maintains this low voltage at a constant level.

[0018] The low voltage supplied by the primary voltage regulator is supplied to the switch of the heating element, and as a result, the switch of the heating element supplies or uses the low voltage to operate the heating device. The advantage of the present invention is that the energy supply to the heating device is kept constant, regardless of how long the harness is formed or what voltage the control device is currently supplying. In this specification, it is always assumed that the voltage reaching the voltage regulator device satisfies a preset minimum requirement, i.e., at least a preset minimum supply voltage value.

[0019] At least one secondary voltage regulator may be configured, for example, to further reduce the voltage supplied to it. This makes it possible to supply an even lower voltage, e.g., about 2 volts, to the camera's image sensor and / or other electronic components of the camera than to the heating device. Therefore, at least one secondary voltage regulator is preferably configured to supply voltage only to the camera's further electronic components, rather than to supply voltage to the heating device. Thus, the primary voltage regulator is preferably the only component of the voltage regulator device that supplies energy to the heating device. By using only the primary voltage regulator for the heating device, it is achieved that both installation space and cost can be saved. Furthermore, additional voltage regulators in the camera provided solely for the heating device can be avoided. Hence, it makes particular sense to use a voltage regulator device with multiple voltage regulators and to provide the primary voltage regulator solely for the energy supply of the heating device.

[0020] The system is configured to operate the heating device with the supplied reduced voltage. Therefore, using this system, by the aforementioned action on the minimum supply voltage and the voltage supplied to the heating device's switch, it is advantageously selected and a constant voltage is supplied to the heating device, thus ultimately achieving the reliable operation of the heating device in a simple manner. In this way, the heating device of the camera in the automated vehicle can be reliably controlled.

[0021] One embodiment provides that an electronic circuit comprises a state determination device configured to determine state information representing the current state of a heating device. The state information may represent, for example, current, voltage, and / or temperature at least partially or directly related to the heating device. The state determination device is configured to supply the determined state information to a control device and / or a control unit of the electronic circuit. The control unit may be a component of a camera and therefore may be integrated into the electronic circuit, for example. The control device and / or control unit is configured to provide control commands to the heating device in accordance with the provided state information. If the determined state information is provided to the control device, the control device provides control commands. If the state information is provided to the control unit, the control unit provides control commands.

[0022] This embodiment is based on the recognition that the state of the heating device should be monitored, at least with respect to the current, voltage, power, actual resistance, and / or temperature of the heating device. Preferably, monitoring should be remotely controlled, for example, by a control device. Monitoring is particularly appropriate when at least partially autonomous, and especially fully autonomous, driving functions are used in an automated vehicle, for the reason that then the state of the camera, and therefore the reliability of the camera providing image data, can always be known or at least determined. In addition, the level of energy supply should be adaptable multiple times during the operation of the heating device so that fluctuating environmental conditions, such as temperature fluctuations, can be taken into account, for example. For these reasons, a state determination device is provided to determine and provide state information.

[0023] Control commands can relate to at least the operation or deactivation of the heating device. Furthermore, control commands can relate to the control and / or adjustment of the heating device in a differential manner to pre-set, for example, the temperature rise or fall that can be performed by the heating device. Thus, a monitoring function is provided, and the state of the heating device is determined in particular continuously by determining state information, and as a result, the heating device can be controlled according to the corresponding control commands. Thus, the current state of the heating device is evaluated for future driving and / or control of the heating device.

[0024] According to an additional embodiment, the state determination device is provided to include at least one current-sensing resistor having a preset resistance, connected in series with the heating device, and an analog-to-digital converter. In this case, the state determination device may also be called a current determination device. Thus, the state determination device comprises at least a current-sensing resistor and an analog-to-digital converter. The state determination device is configured to capture the voltage drop across the current-sensing resistor by the analog-to-digital converter. In addition, the preset resistance is known by the current-sensing resistor. Taking into account the captured voltage and the preset resistance, the current value can then be immediately determined as state information, since voltage is the product of current and resistance. The current value indicates the current supplied to the heating device. Thus, an inexpensive feasibility achievable with little effort is provided for determining the actual current value as state information.

[0025] A further embodiment provides that the state determination device comprises at least one electronic switch, in particular a chip, having an integrated current measurement function. The state determination device is configured to determine a current value as state information by means of the current measurement function. Thus, it is possible to rely on already pre-manufactured electronic components that directly measure the current, and as a result, the current does not need to be painstakingly calculated from voltage and resistance as described above. In this regard, it is possible to rely on conventional and thus known components having a current measurement function, which can be particularly inexpensive and economical in terms of installation space.

[0026] In addition, one embodiment provides that the state determination device comprises at least one analog-to-digital converter. The at least one analog-to-digital converter is coupled to the positive terminal of the heating device. The state determination device is configured to determine a voltage value as state information based on the analog-to-digital converter. The voltage value indicates the voltage currently supplied to the heating device. Thus, the state determination device can rely on relatively inexpensive components that are economical in terms of installation space to perform voltage measurements.

[0027] Based on at least one of the above-mentioned capture of the current value as state information and / or the above-mentioned ascertainment of the voltage value as state information, the energy consumption of the heating device and / or the actual resistance of the heating device can be further calculated. Thus, by monitoring the energy consumption and resistance of the heating device, no state determination device specifically provided in the electronic circuit is required, and for example, only the evaluation of the current value and voltage value by a control device and / or a control unit is required.

[0028] Further embodiments include the configuration of a control device and / or control unit to check whether determined state information is outside a preset value range, the preset value range depending in particular on different state information for voltage and current values. The control device and / or control unit are configured to provide an error message and / or a control command to preset the heating device to be at least temporarily stopped, in particular to be shut down, rather than completely shut down. In a temporary shutdown, the heating device is not completely shut down, but rather set to, for example, sleep mode and / or shut down only for a preset time window.

[0029] Therefore, the control device and / or the control unit is configured to inspect the determined state information and, optionally, report it by means of an error message and / or provide a control command. For example, if there is a low current value that is lower than the lower value of the corresponding value range, it may be impossible to operate the heating device at all. In that case, a corresponding error message may be provided, which, for example, indicates that the heating device is currently not available. For example, if the voltage value is higher than the preset upper value of the corresponding value range, an overload of the electronic components of the camera may occur, and as a result, an immediate shutdown of the heating device, for example, may be appropriate. Furthermore, an error message may be provided simultaneously with or instead of this, which, for example, indicates that the heating device is no longer available. The error message is output, for example, to an output device of the motor vehicle. For example, the output device includes a display device such as, in particular, a touch-sensitive screen, a head-up display, and / or another device including a display surface. As an alternative to or in addition to this, the error message may also be provided as an acoustic voice output by a speaker device having at least one speaker within the motor vehicle. Furthermore, the error message may be transmitted to a mobile terminal arranged in the motor vehicle and / or at least a mobile terminal associated with the user of the motor vehicle, and as a result, the error message may be output by the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal is, for example, a smartphone and / or a tablet.

[0030] Therefore, if the monitored current and / or voltage value indicates that an error and / or malfunction has occurred with respect to the heating device of the camera, measures are taken. This makes it possible to provide reliable feedback to the user and to take the required protective measures such as, for example, shutting down the heating device.

[0031] Furthermore, one embodiment provides that the state determination device comprises at least one temperature sensor. The state determination device is configured to determine a temperature value as state information by the temperature sensor. The temperature value represents temperature, in particular the temperature inside the camera and / or the temperature in spatial proximity to the camera. Thus, rather than performing meticulous calculations to monitor the temperature inside the camera and / or the temperature of the camera's environment, the temperature sensor is provided as a component of the system in this regard. The temperature value is a quantity particularly relevant to determining when the heating device should be activated or deactivated. For this reason, the above-described state determination device for determining a temperature value as state information is particularly appropriate.

[0032] In an additional embodiment, it is provided that a temperature sensor of a state-determining device is positioned within the camera such that the determined temperature value indicates the internal temperature of the camera. In this regard, the temperature sensor may be positioned, for example, on the camera objective lens or lens module of the camera, in the gap between the camera objective lens and the camera's circuit board, in spatial proximity to the image sensor, and / or elsewhere within the camera housing. This allows the actual temperature inside the camera to be monitored. Preferably, the temperature sensor is positioned on or in spatial proximity to the camera's temperature-sensing electronic component, so that the temperature sensor can timely capture a temperature rise in this component or a temperature rise in this component.

[0033] Alternatively, or in addition to, the camera may be configured as an ambient temperature sensor. In this case, the temperature sensor is generally located outside the camera. The ambient temperature sensor may be, for example, a temperature sensor associated with the air conditioning system of an automated vehicle. The ambient temperature sensor is installed in the automated vehicle. When the camera is configured as an ambient temperature sensor, the determined temperature value represents the ambient temperature around the camera. Preferably, the area around the camera is the area around the automated vehicle. In that case, the external temperature of the automated vehicle is captured; that is, the temperature sensor displays the external temperature.

[0034] In that case, the need for the heating device to operate may be estimated based on the external temperature and / or the internal temperature. For example, whenever the temperature value falls below freezing point, especially below 0 degrees Celsius, it may be reasonable to assume that the camera's heating device should be activated, for example, to melt ice and / or snow on the camera's objective lens, or to prevent ice and / or snow from forming.

[0035] Furthermore, two possible arrangements of temperature sensors can be implemented, namely, at least two temperature sensors can be provided. In this case, a comparison between the internal temperature and the ambient or external temperature can be performed, for example, in particular, to reliably determine whether it is appropriate to heat the camera, especially the camera objective lens.

[0036] In addition, in one embodiment, the control device and / or control unit is provided to be configured to check whether the determined temperature value is less than a preset minimum temperature threshold and to provide a control command to pre-set that the heating device be activated only if so, i.e., only if the determined temperature value is less than a preset minimum temperature threshold. Thus, it may be provided that this check of the provided temperature value is performed before the voltage value and / or current value is unconditionally determined, for example, by a corresponding state-determining device. Thus, it may be provided that monitoring is first performed only by the state-determining device for determining the temperature value, and only after the heating device has been activated is further additional information transferred and monitored thereafter.

[0037] For example, a minimum temperature threshold may be provided as 0 degrees Celsius, and therefore the freezing point of water. Furthermore, temperatures below the freezing point, such as minus 1 degree Celsius, minus 3 degrees Celsius, minus 5 degrees Celsius, or specifically minus 10 degrees Celsius, may be provided as minimum temperature thresholds. Furthermore, the minimum temperature threshold can be above the freezing point, such as 1 degree Celsius, 3 degrees Celsius, 5 degrees Celsius, or specifically 10 degrees Celsius. Alternative minimum temperature thresholds are possible and can be, for example, between the above values. In other words, the temperature sensor is used to determine whether the heating device should be activated, and therefore whether the components of the camera should be heated.

[0038] An additional embodiment provides that, while the heating device is operating, the control device and / or control unit is configured to continuously check whether the determined temperature value is greater than a preset maximum temperature threshold, which is greater than a preset maximum temperature threshold. The control device and / or control unit is further configured to provide an error message and / or control command if so, i.e., if the determined temperature value is greater than the preset maximum temperature threshold. The control command is preset to at least temporarily stop the heating device, in particular to shut it down. Thus, overheating of the camera can be determined based on the evaluation of the temperature value. Preferably, the maximum temperature threshold is chosen to prevent damage to the camera's electronic components by the heating device. For example, the maximum temperature threshold may be 125 degrees Celsius. Alternative maximum temperature thresholds are possible and may be greater than or less than the aforementioned value. The error messages provided may be as already described in the context of current and voltage values. The user of the vehicle may be notified that overheating of the camera's electronic components is occurring or imminent. Instead of stopping or temporarily shutting down the heating device, the control command may pre-configure the system to reduce the temperature. Finally, the system may monitor whether the temperature remains within a pre-configured range limited by minimum and maximum temperature thresholds.

[0039] A temperature sensor may have a function configured to determine air humidity. Alternatively, or in addition to it, a state determination device may include an air humidity measuring unit. In this case, not only can it be determined whether ice and / or snow is on the camera objective lens, but fogging of the camera objective lens can also be predicted and / or measured, for example, by placing the air humidity measuring unit inside the camera. Then, countermeasures may be taken, for example, by increasing the heating power of a heating device according to a corresponding control command.

[0040] In further embodiments, the system may be provided configured to regulate the energy supplied to the heating device by an adjustable voltage regulator and / or pulse width modulation included in the electronic circuit. It is assumed herein that adapting the energy supply to the heating device may be required at least partially. This may be done to compensate for various external temperature conditions. Alternatively or in addition to this, this may be done due to internal limitations, for example, limitations on the current supply to the heating device. Two possible techniques particularly suited herein for adapting the energy supplied to the heating device at the start of operation or during operation are the use of an adjustable voltage regulator and / or pulse width modulation. In this regard, already known methods of pulse width modulation may also be relied upon.

[0041] Furthermore, the system may be provided with an interface through which a control device is connected to the camera's electronics. The interface may be configured, in particular, as a serializer-deserializer interface. This may provide a particularly reliable communication link between the control device and the camera's electronic components, i.e., at least the components of the electronics for operating the heating device.

[0042] Further embodiments provide an electronic circuit that includes an integrated circuit for energy management. Alternatively, this integrated circuit may be called a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). The power management integrated circuit is configured to preset any voltage supplied to the camera. In particular, the primary voltage regulator of the power management integrated circuit is configured to supply energy to at least one secondary voltage regulator of the voltage regulator device and / or a switch of the heating device. As a result, the switch of the heating device can be preset how energy flows to the heating device. By using a power management integrated circuit, energy supply for, for example, the switch of the heating device can be achieved in a space-saving and inexpensive manner.

[0043] An additional aspect of the present invention relates to an automated vehicle. The automated vehicle comprises a camera with a heating device. In addition, the automated vehicle comprises a system as described above. This means that the automated vehicle comprises at least a control device, a camera, and electronic circuits. For example, the automated vehicle is a passenger car, truck, bus, motorcycle, and / or motorbike. The camera can be considered a component of the system. For example, the control device is a central control device configured to provide driver assistance systems and / or comfort functions of the automated vehicle. Thus, the control device may be configured not only for energy supply but also, optionally, for the control of the camera and the heating device, respectively.

[0044] An advantageous embodiment of the automated vehicle according to the present invention provides that the control device is an automated vehicle control device located outside the camera. The control unit is a microcontroller incorporated into the electronic circuitry. Thus, determined voltage, current, and / or temperature values ​​can be locally monitored by the camera, for example, using the microcontroller as the control unit. Alternatively or in addition to this, monitoring of these values ​​may be performed remotely via the control device and therefore outside the camera. The microcontroller and / or control device of the automated vehicle can evaluate additional information provided to them and / or control the heating device.

[0045] The control device comprises a processor device. The processor device may include at least one microprocessor and / or at least one microcontroller and / or at least one FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) and / or at least one DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Furthermore, the processor device may include program code, which is sometimes referred to as a computer program product. The program code may be stored in the processor device's data storage.

[0046] An additional aspect of the present invention relates to a method for operating a heating device for a camera of an automatic vehicle by a system of a control device and an electronic circuit of a camera, wherein the electronic circuit comprises at least one switch for the heating device and a voltage regulator device having a primary voltage regulator and, in particular, at least one secondary voltage regulator. The method may include raising a minimum supply voltage supplied by at least the control device for the camera to a preset minimum supply voltage value. The method may include supplying voltage to the primary voltage regulator of the voltage regulator device by the control device. Furthermore, the method may include reducing the voltage supplied to the switch of the heating device to a certain voltage level by the primary voltage regulator and operating the heating device with the supplied reduced voltage.

[0047] The embodiments described in the context of the system according to the present invention are applied individually and in combination to the automated vehicle and method according to the present invention, where applicable. The present invention includes combinations of the described embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0048] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an autonomous vehicle equipped with multiple cameras. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of a camera with a heating device for autonomous vehicles. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the system for operating the camera's heating device. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of a state determination device used to determine the current value. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of a state determination device used to determine voltage values. [Figure 6] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram detailing this system. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram illustrating how to operate a heating device according to the provided state information. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0049] Figure 1 shows an automated vehicle 1 including a number of cameras 2. Here, a forward camera positioned at the top edge of the windshield, two side cameras positioned on the side mirrors of the automated vehicle 1, and a rear camera in the rear area of ​​the automated vehicle 1 are schematically shown as possible cameras 2, merely as examples. Alternatively or in addition to them, cameras 2 may be positioned inside the automated vehicle 1. Other arrangements of cameras 2 are possible.

[0050] Automobile 1 includes, for example, a control device 3, which is the central control device 3 of Automobile 1. A connection 4 is provided between the control device 3 and each of the cameras 2 of Automobile 1. The connection 4 may be formed as a harness. Each camera 2 can receive energy from and / or receive data from and / or transfer data to the control device 3 via its respective connection 4. A battery may be provided in Automobile 1, which supplies electrical energy to the control device 3 (not outlined here). Automobile 1 comprises a system 5 including at least the control device 3 and the individual components of each camera 2 and connection 4.

[0051] Furthermore, the automated vehicle 1 may be equipped with a temperature sensor 30. The temperature sensor 30 may be an ambient temperature sensor configured to capture the ambient temperature of the automated vehicle 1. Alternatively, or in addition to it, the temperature sensor 30 may be a component of the camera 2 and configured to capture the internal temperature of the camera 2. The arrangement of the temperature sensor 30 in the automated vehicle 1 should be understood as merely illustrative, i.e., other arrangements of the temperature sensor 30 are possible.

[0052] Figure 2 shows an example of a possible configuration of each camera 2. Here, the camera 2 comprises a camera objective lens 6 including at least one lens, configured to collect light from the environment of the camera 2 and output it toward an image sensor 7. The image sensor 7 may be located, for example, on a circuit board 8. Furthermore, a heating device 9 may be located between the circuit board 8 and the output portion of the camera objective lens 6 inside the camera facing the image sensor 7. The heating device 9 may be arranged in a ring around the aperture of the camera objective lens 6, for example. Furthermore, an electronic circuit 10 may be provided, which may be located, for example, on the circuit board 8 or at least partially included by the circuit board 8. Furthermore, the camera 2 may include a housing 40 that isolates the described electronic components and the image sensor 7 from the environment. Other configurations of the camera 2 are possible, and the heating device 9 may be located in different places within the camera 2.

[0053] Figure 3 shows a system 5 configured to operate the heating device 9 of camera 2. System 5 comprises at least a control device 3 of the automatic vehicle 1 and the electronic circuitry 10 of camera 2. The heating device 9, or even the entire camera 2, may be understood as part of system 5, for example. System 5 includes connections 4 between the components of system 5, for example, as at least partially simplified in Figure 3.

[0054] The electronic circuit 10 includes at least one switch 11 for the heating device 9. In addition, the electronic circuit 10 includes at least one voltage regulator device 12. The voltage regulator device 12 includes a primary voltage regulator 13 and, in particular, at least one, preferably a number of, secondary voltage regulators 14. The control device 3 may be configured to raise the minimum supply voltage 15 supplied to the camera 2 by the control device 3 to a preset minimum supply voltage value 16. In this specification, the minimum supply voltage 15 may be raised from, for example, a typical 7-9 volts to, for example, 12-16 volts. As a result, the voltage supplied to the primary voltage regulator 13 may be at least the same height as the raised minimum supply voltage 15. The primary voltage regulator 13 is configured to supply voltage to the switch 11. The primary voltage regulator 13 is configured to reduce this voltage supplied to the switch 11 to a constant voltage level 18, for example, 4-6 volts. Here, the output voltage 17 is supplied to the primary voltage regulator 13. Generally, the minimum supply voltage value 16 is always higher than the output voltage 17 due to the voltage drop across the connector 4 and / or the power-over coaxial filter 19. The primary voltage regulator 13 is configured to supply a voltage at a constant voltage level 18 by taking into account the relationship between the minimum supply voltage value 16 and the output voltage 17. The primary voltage regulator 13 supplies the voltage at the constant voltage level 18 to the switch 11 of the heating device 9. Thus, the system 5 is configured to operate the heating device 9 with the supplied reduced voltage, i.e., the voltage corresponding to the constant voltage level 18. Therefore, the system 5 is configured to handle different output voltage levels by maintaining a constant power to the heater 9 even when the voltage drop across the connector 4 (e.g., across the harness) and / or across the power-over coaxial filter 19 changes.

[0055] At least one secondary voltage regulator 14 may be configured to supply energy to further components of the camera 2. The electronic circuit 10 may include a power-over-coaxial filter 19, which is part of the circuit 10 for supplying energy from the control device 3 to the camera 2.

[0056] Figure 4 shows a state determination device 20 that may be included in the electronic circuit 10. The state determination device 20 is configured to determine state information 31 (see reference numeral 31 in Figure 7), which represents the current state of the heating device 9. Furthermore, the determined state information 31 is provided to a control device 3 and / or a control unit 21, which may be a microcontroller incorporated in, for example, a camera 2. Thus, the control unit 21 is a component of the electronic circuit 10. The control device 3 and the control unit 21 are configured to provide control commands to the heating device 9 in accordance with the provided state information 31, i.e., for example, to activate, deactivate, temporarily deactivate, and / or preset a specific temperature for, for example, the heating device 9.

[0057] Here, the current value is determined as state information 31 by the state determination device 20. In this regard, the state determination device 20 comprises at least one current-sensing resistor 22 connected in series with the heating device 9. In addition, the state determination device 20 comprises an analog-to-digital converter 23. The state determination device 20 is configured to capture the voltage drop across the current-sensing resistor 22 by the analog-to-digital converter 23. In addition, the resistance of the current-sensing resistor 22 is known. The current value is determined as state information 31, taking into account the captured voltage and the preset resistance of the current-sensing resistor 22.

[0058] Alternatively or in addition to the above, an electronic switch having an integrated current measurement function, configured, for example as a chip, may be provided instead of the current sensing resistor 22 and the analog-to-digital converter 23 described above. The current value can then be determined by the electronic switch as state information 31. Alternatively or in addition, an external current sensing device may be provided to determine the current value. The external current sensing device may be a separate current measurement integrated chip.

[0059] Figure 5 shows an alternative or additional state determination device 20 in which a voltage value can be determined. Here, the state determination device 20 comprises at least one analog-to-digital converter 23 coupled to the positive terminal of the heating device 9. The state determination device 20 is configured such that the voltage value is determined as state information 31 by the analog-to-digital converter 23.

[0060] Furthermore, the state determination device 20 may include at least a temperature sensor 30, which can be configured to determine a temperature value as state information 31. The temperature sensor 30 used for this may be located inside the camera 2. In this regard, the temperature sensor 30 may be located on the camera objective lens 6, for example, near the lens of the camera objective lens 6. Alternatively or in addition to this, the temperature sensor 30 may be located on the circuit board 8 and / or one of the further electronic components of the electronic circuit 10. Finally, either the internal temperature of the camera 2 and / or the ambient temperature around the camera 2, preferably the ambient temperature around the automatic vehicle 1, can be captured by the temperature sensor 30.

[0061] Figure 6 shows the specific configuration of system 5. Here, the control device 3 comprises an energy source 24 and a power-over coaxial filter 19. Furthermore, an interface is provided between the control device 3 and the electronic circuit 10, thereby enabling the control device 3 to be connected to the electronic circuit 10 of the camera 2. Here, the interface is configured as a serializer-deserializer interface. In this regard, the control device 3 comprises a deserializer 25. Furthermore, it is outlined here that the serializer 26 of this interface is located on the camera 2 side. The connecting cable between the control device 3 and the electronic circuit 10 of the camera 2 is preferably a coaxial harness.

[0062] Here, the electronic circuit 10 includes a power management integrated circuit 27 configured to pre-set any voltage supplied to the camera 2. In particular, the primary voltage regulator 13 of the power management integrated circuit 27 is configured to supply energy to at least one secondary voltage regulator 14 of the voltage regulator device 12, and / or the switch 11 of the heating device 9, as illustrated here with respect to the switch 11.

[0063] In other words, Figure 6 shows how camera 2 is connected to control device 3 via a SerDes interface, i.e., via deserializer 25 and serializer 26. Power over coaxial technology (PoC) is used to supply current from control device 3 to camera 2, i.e., a power over coaxial filter 19 is provided. The SerDes interface enables bidirectional communication, as a result allowing control device 3 to turn the electronic heating switch (switch 11) on and off. A PMIC (power management integrated circuit), i.e., a power management integrated circuit 27, is used to regulate all of the voltages of camera 2. The primary controller in the PMIC supplies current to all of the secondary controllers and switch 11. Switch 11 then determines whether or not current flows to the heating device 9. In this application, the enable pin of switch 11 is remotely controlled from control device 3. This is achieved by an I2C interface between control device 3 and PMIC (via serializer 26, which functions like an I2C bridge). Other interfaces and / or communication protocols may be used instead of or in addition to the I2C interface. The PMIC has a GPO (General Purpose Output) pin connected to the enable pin of switch 11. To turn the heating device 9 on or off, an I2C command is sent to the PMIC to toggle the GPO pin. For current measurement, a current-sensing resistor 22 between the negative terminal of the heating device 9 and electrical ground is used for current measurement. The voltage across this resistor is measured by an ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter), i.e., analog-to-digital converter 23, in the serializer 26. Alternatively, this may also be done by a separate ADC. The control device 3 can remotely read the value of the ADC and calculate the current flowing through the heating device 9. Here, the temperature sensor 30 is located in the serializer 26 and the image sensor 7. The control device 3 can also read these temperature sensors 30 via a communication link between the camera 2 and the control device 3 to determine their temperatures, thereby determining the maximum temperature of the camera 2.This information may be used to turn the heating device 9 on or off at a specific temperature threshold.

[0064] System 5 may be configured to regulate the energy supplied to the heating device 9 by adjustable voltage regulators 13, 14 and / or pulse width modulation included in the electronic circuit 10 (not outlined here).

[0065] Figure 7 shows possible monitoring functions for operating the heating device 9. In method step S1, state information 31 is determined, here by the respective state determination devices 20. Here, the state information 31 can, exemplarily, include a voltage measurement 32, a current measurement 33, and / or a temperature measurement 34; that is, the state information 31 can represent a voltage value, a current value, and a temperature value, respectively. Each measurement may be determined by calculation and / or measured directly.

[0066] For voltage measurement values ​​32 and / or current measurement values ​​33, it may be checked in method step S2 whether the determined state information 31 is outside the respective value range 35, where different ranges of values ​​35 are preset for current and voltage. If so, an error message 36 is provided and / or a control command for the heating device 9 is provided, the control command preset to at least a primary shutdown of the heating device 9, preferably a deactivation. These actions, i.e., the error message 36 and the primary shutdown or deactivation of the heating device 9, are performed in method step S3. If it is determined that the determined state information 31 is within the respective value range 35, method step S1 may be repeated. Method step S1 is preferably performed sequentially.

[0067] In step S4 of the method, the temperature measurement 34 may be examined to determine whether it is less than a preset minimum temperature threshold 37. The minimum temperature threshold 37 is, for example, the freezing point or near the freezing point. If the temperature measurement 34, and therefore the determined temperature value, is less than the minimum temperature threshold 37, a control command is provided to preset the heating device 9 to operate, as in step S6 of the method. However, if the temperature measurement 34 is greater than or equal to the preset minimum temperature threshold 37, the heating device 9 may remain stopped, for example (step S5 of the method).

[0068] Here, it can be checked whether the determined temperature measurement 34 is greater than a preset maximum temperature threshold 38. The maximum temperature threshold 38 is greater than the minimum temperature threshold 37. If it is greater than the preset maximum temperature threshold 38, an error message 36 is provided, for example, and / or a control command is provided that presets the heating device 9 to be at least temporarily stopped, in particular to be shut down. However, if the maximum temperature threshold 38 is not reached, this check may be repeated many times in succession, for example, or method step S1 may be performed, i.e., the state information 31 may be determined anew many times.

[0069] Overall, the embodiment demonstrates the possibility of how an electronic implementation of an interface between a control device 3 and a camera 2 can be realized for stable operation and inspection of a heating device 9 in a camera 2 located in an automated vehicle area.

Claims

1. A system (5) for operating a heating device (9) of a camera (2) for an automated vehicle (1), comprising a control device (3) and an electronic circuit (10) of the camera (2), The electronic circuit (10) comprises at least one switch (11) for the heating device (9), and a voltage regulator device (12) comprising a primary voltage regulator (13) and, in particular, at least one secondary voltage regulator (14). - The control device (3) is configured to supply voltage to the primary voltage regulator (13) of the voltage regulator device (12), - The primary voltage regulator (13) is configured to reduce the voltage supplied to the switch (11) to a certain voltage level (18), - System (5) is configured to operate the heating device (9) with the supplied reduced voltage.

2. The system (5) according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit (10) comprises a state determination device (20), the state determination device (20) is configured to determine state information (31) representing the current state of the heating device (9), and to provide the determined state information (31) to the control device (3) and / or the control unit (21) of the electronic circuit (10), and the control device (3) and / or the control unit (21) is configured to provide control commands to the heating device (9) in accordance with the provided state information (31).

3. The system (5) according to claim 2, wherein the state determination device (20) comprises at least one current sensing resistor (22) having a preset resistance connected in series with the heating device (9), and an analog-to-digital converter (23), wherein the analog-to-digital converter (23) captures the voltage drop across the current sensing resistor (22), and determines the current value as the state information (31) taking into consideration the captured voltage and the preset resistance.

4. The system (5) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the state determination device (20) comprises at least one electronic switch, in particular a chip, the electronic switch having an integrated current measurement function, and the current measurement function determines a current value as the state information (31).

5. The system (5) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the state determination device (20) comprises at least one analog-to-digital converter (23), the analog-to-digital converter (23) is coupled to the positive terminal of the heating device (9), and the analog-to-digital converter (23) is configured to determine a voltage value as the state information (31).

6. The system (5) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, with reference to claim 2, wherein the control device (3) and / or the control unit (21) are configured to check whether the determined state information (31) is outside the respective value range (35), and if so, to provide an error message (36) and / or to provide a control command to pre-set the heating device (9) to be at least temporarily stopped, in particular to be stopped.

7. The system (5) according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the state determination device (20) comprises at least one temperature sensor (30) and is configured to determine a temperature value as state information (31) by the temperature sensor (30).

8. The system (5) according to claim 7, wherein the temperature sensor (30) is positioned inside the camera (2) such that the determined temperature value represents the internal temperature of the camera (2), and / or is configured as an ambient temperature sensor (30) such that the determined temperature value represents the ambient temperature around the camera (2).

9. The system (5) according to claim 7 or 8, with reference to claim 2, wherein the control device (3) and / or the control unit (21) are configured to check whether the determined temperature value is less than a preset minimum temperature threshold (37), and to provide a control command that pre-sets that the heating device (9) be activated only if it is less than the preset minimum temperature threshold (37).

10. The system (5) according to claim 9, wherein the control device (3) and / or the control unit (21) are configured to continuously check whether the determined temperature value is greater than a preset maximum temperature threshold (38) which is greater than the minimum temperature threshold (37) while the heating device (9) is operating, and if so, to provide an error message (36) and / or to provide a control command to preset the heating device (9) to be at least temporarily stopped, in particular to be stopped.

11. The system (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the system (5) is configured to adjust the energy supplied to the heating device (9) by an adjustable voltage regulator and / or pulse width modulation included in the electronic circuit (10).

12. The system (5) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the electronic circuit (10) comprises a power management integrated circuit (27) configured to set any voltage supplied to the camera (2), and the primary voltage regulator (13) of the power management integrated circuit (27) is configured to supply energy in particular to the secondary voltage regulator (14) of the voltage regulator device (12) and / or the switch (11) of the heating device (9).

13. An automated vehicle (1) comprising a camera (2) and a system (5) having a heating device (9) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The automatic vehicle (1) according to claim 12, wherein the control device (3) is a control device (3) of the automatic vehicle (1) located outside the camera, and / or the control unit (21) is a microcontroller integrated into the electronic circuit (10).

15. A method for operating a heating device (9) of a camera (2) for an automated vehicle (1) by a system (5) of a control device (3) and an electronic circuit (10) of the camera (2), wherein the electronic circuit (10) comprises at least one switch (11) for the heating device (9) and a voltage regulator device (12) having a primary voltage regulator (13) and, in particular, at least one secondary voltage regulator (14), - The control device (3) supplies voltage to the primary voltage regulator (13) of the voltage regulator device (12), - The voltage supplied to the switch (11) of the heating device (9) is reduced to a certain voltage level (18) by the primary voltage regulator (13), - To operate the heating device (9) with the supplied reduced voltage, Methods that include...

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