Sensor apparatus, driver assistance system and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor apparatus comprising at least one sensor device (5) and a cleaning device (6) for cleaning the sensor device (5), wherein the cleaning device (6) comprises a line device (8), via which a plurality of sections (7) of the sensor device (5) to be cleaned can each be supplied with a cleaning fluid provided via an inlet (9) of the line device (8), and a plurality of controllable outlets (10), wherein the supply of cleaning fluid to the individual sections (7) to be cleaned can be controlled separately in each case by opening one of the outlets (10), wherein the line device (8) comprises a safety device (13), which limits the flow of the cleaning fluid to the outlets (10) to a limit value, wherein the limit value is selected in such a way that, in the event that a number of open outlets (10) exceeds a predefined subset of the outlets (10), the cleaning fluid exiting from each of the outlets (10) no longer reaches one or more of the sections (7) to be cleaned assigned to the opened outlets (10), and / or wherein the safety device (13) comprises an adjustable valve device (18), via which the input (9) of the line device (8) can be connected at most to a number of outlets (10) corresponding to the predefined subset.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Sensor device, driver assistance system and vehicle

[0003] The invention relates to a sensor device comprising at least one sensor device and a cleaning device for cleaning the at least one sensor device. The cleaning device comprises a line device via which a cleaning fluid provided via at least one inlet of the line device can be supplied to a plurality of sections of the at least one sensor device to be cleaned, as well as a plurality of controllable outlets. The supply of the cleaning fluid to the individual sections to be cleaned can be controlled separately by opening one of the outlets. Furthermore, the invention relates to a driver assistance system and a vehicle.

[0004] In many applications, special devices for cleaning sensors are required. This is particularly true for sensors mounted on motor vehicles, for example, to detect parts of the vehicle's surroundings. Since such sensors are generally exposed to significant weather and environmental influences during motor vehicle operation, which can cause contamination of the sensor housings and / or body sections covering the sensors, it is known to provide one or more means on the vehicle for removing such contamination.

[0005] US 2022 / 0032879 A1 discloses a system for cleaning a plurality of sensors. Individual sensors can be exposed to a liquid or gaseous cleaning agent via a controllable valve to remove contaminants from the sensors. The system comprises an electronically controllable pump for transporting the cleaning agent. Controlling the pump can influence the pressure and / or flow of the cleaning agent in transport lines connected to the valves. The pump is controlled depending on the type and / or number of sensors to be cleaned, the environmental parameters describing the vehicle environment, and / or the driving state of the vehicle.

[0006] For autonomous vehicles that are automatically controlled based on sensor data from various environmental sensors, it is essential for safe operation that sensor data can be continuously received from at least some of the available environmental sensors at all times. However, especially with optical sensors, restrictions or interruptions in the generation of sensor data may occur during a cleaning process.

[0007] This can be counteracted, for example, by cleaning only a portion of the sensors at a time, for example, by opening only a portion of the valves assigned to the sensors at a time, so that only a portion of the sensors is exposed to cleaning agents. However, this has the disadvantage that a valve failure, which leads to the valve opening inadvertently, could potentially result in the unintentional, simultaneous cleaning of too many sensors or too many sections of the sensors that need to be cleaned.

[0008] The invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a sensor device which avoids unintentional cleaning of an excessively large number of sensors or an excessively large number of sections of a sensor device to be cleaned.

[0009] To achieve this object, in a sensor device of the type mentioned at the outset, it is provided in a first alternative according to the invention that the line device comprises a safety device which limits the flow of the cleaning fluid to the outlets to a limiting value, wherein the limiting value is selected such that when the number of open outlets exceeds a predetermined subset of the outlets, the cleaning fluid emerging from the outlets no longer reaches one or more of the sections to be cleaned assigned to the open outlets.

[0010] Additionally or alternatively, in a second alternative according to the invention, it is provided that the line device has a safety device which comprises an adjustable valve device via which the at least one inlet of the line device can be connected to a maximum number of outlets corresponding to the predetermined subset.

[0011] The sensor device may comprise one or more sensor devices. Each sensor device may have one or more sensors, which are arranged in particular in a common housing or the like. The sensors of a sensor device may be of the same sensor type or of different sensor types.

[0012] The sensor device can, for example, be the sensor device of a vehicle or a sensor device designed for mounting on a vehicle, which can be used, for example, to provide driver assistance functions, in particular functions for autonomous and semi-autonomous driving. The sensor device can, for example, comprise one or more cameras, one or more radar sensors, one or more lidar sensors, or one or more ultrasonic sensors in any combination in at least one sensor device.

[0013] The sensor device further comprises a cleaning device for cleaning the sensors. By means of the cleaning device, one or more sections of the sensor device to be cleaned can be cleaned for each sensor device. For this purpose, the cleaning device has a conduit device via which a cleaning fluid can be applied to the areas to be cleaned. The conduit device comprises at least one inlet via which the cleaning fluid can be provided. For example, the inlet can be connected to a fluid reservoir in which the cleaning fluid is stored. Furthermore, the cleaning device comprises a plurality of controllable outlets via which the supply of the cleaning fluid to the individual sections to be cleaned can be controlled.In particular, each section to be cleaned is assigned an outlet, with the outlets being connected to the at least one inlet via the conduit device. The cleaning fluid can be transported by an actuator, for example a pump or the like, through the conduit device, which, for example, comprises several interconnected lines such as pipes, hoses, or the like.

[0014] The outputs can be connected to a control device of the sensor device, via which the individual outputs can be individually controlled in order to supply the cleaning fluid transported in the line device to the respective section of one of the sensor devices to be cleaned by opening the outputs. The outputs can be designed, for example, as controllable valves or the like.

[0015] The cleaning fluid can be a liquid or a gas or a gas mixture. It is also possible for the cleaning fluid to be a mixture of one or more liquids and / or one or more gaseous substances. For example, the cleaning fluid can be water, optionally mixed with cleaning additives, antifreeze, or other additives. Alternatively, the cleaning fluid can also be air or a mixture of air and a liquid cleaning agent.

[0016] The cleaning agent can be sprayed or blown onto the sections to be cleaned via the outlets of the cleaning device. For this purpose, the cleaning fluid can be pressurized in the line device so that after leaving the outlets it bridges a certain distance before impinging on the section to be cleaned associated with the respective outlet. To prevent more than a predetermined subset of the sections to be cleaned, which is smaller than the total number of sections to be cleaned in the sensor device, from being exposed to the cleaning fluid during operation of the sensor device, the sensor device comprises the safety device. This can be used to counteract the case in particular in which one of the outlets is unintentionally opened or cannot be closed as planned due to a defect or the like.In such a case, it may happen that during the intended cleaning of a given number of sections to be cleaned, at least one additional section is undesirably cleaned or exposed to the cleaning fluid. Depending on the sensor type assigned to this section and the type of cleaning fluid used, this may result in functional impairment. For example, the functionality of a camera may be impaired if a liquid cleaning fluid is applied to its lens or the like. Similarly, other sensor types may also experience functional limitations while being cleaned with a cleaning fluid.

[0017] In a first embodiment, the safety device is therefore designed to limit the flow of cleaning fluid to the outlets to a limiting value. The limiting value is selected such that, if the number of open outlets exceeds the predefined subset of the outlets, the cleaning fluid exiting the outlets no longer reaches one or more of the sections to be cleaned associated with the open outlets. By limiting the flow, the total amount of cleaning fluid exiting the outlets can be limited, thus preventing an excessive number of sensor devices from being unavailable for recording measurement data in the event of an inadvertently opened outlet.

[0018] In a second embodiment of the safety device, which can be implemented alternatively or in addition to the first embodiment, the safety device has an adjustable valve device. The adjustable valve device makes it possible to connect the at least one inlet of the line device to a maximum number of outlets corresponding to the predetermined subset. For this purpose, the valve device can be designed such that it can only be connected to a number of outlets corresponding to the predetermined subset or to a smaller number. The provision of such a valve device makes it possible to prevent the cleaning fluid from being delivered to a number of outlets that is greater than the predetermined subset, even if one of the outlets is incorrectly opened.

[0019] The safety device according to the invention, in both embodiments, has the advantage that it can be easily constructed to prevent an excessive number of sections of the sensor device to be cleaned from being accidentally cleaned. Since the cleaning fluid is prevented from being supplied to the assigned sections to be cleaned in the event of a defect in one or more of the outlets, it is easy to ensure that the sensor device remains functional at all times, even during the cleaning of individual sensor devices.

[0020] Furthermore, in both embodiments, the safety device mechanically prevents the cleaning of too many sections to be cleaned, which eliminates the need for electronic control of components that need to be opened or closed. This allows, in the automotive context, the safety level requirements for controlling the outputs to be lower than for the overall functionality of the sensor device in general. A lower safety level, for example, eliminates redundancies, additional safeguards, and the like at the cleaning device's outputs, which advantageously allows the sensor device to be manufactured more cost-effectively.

[0021] According to the invention, the safety device can comprise at least one mechanical flow limiter, in particular at least one spring-loaded flow limiter. The value to which the flow is limited can be determined by the number of outlets from which the cleaning fluid flowing through the flow limiter exits.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the safety device can comprise several flow limiters, each of which limits the flow through one or more of the outlets. This allows, for example, separate flow limiters to be arranged in individual, jointly fed branches of the line system to limit the flow through the individual branches separately. The respective limit values ​​of the flow limiters can be the same or different.

[0023] According to the invention, the cleaning fluid can be a liquid or a liquid-gas mixture, wherein the limiting value is between 1 ml / s and 10 ml / s per outlet to be supplied with the cleaning fluid and / or wherein the pressure in the conduit device is between 1 bar and 10 bar. For a given pressure in the conduit device and a given geometry of the arrangement between the outlets and the associated sections to be cleaned, the flow can then be limited in such a way that if the number of open outlets exceeds the predetermined number of open outlets, the cleaning fluid no longer reaches at least some of the sections to be cleaned.

[0024] According to the invention, the valve device can have a movable part which can be moved into a plurality of positions relative to a stationary part of the valve device, wherein, depending on the position of the movable part, the inlet of the line device connected to the valve device is connected to none or to at least one of the outlets connected to the valve device for conducting the cleaning fluid. The at least one inlet of the line device can be connected to the stationary part or to the movable part. Accordingly, the outlets can be connected to the respective other part of the valve device. The movable part and the stationary part can each have lines or channels which each have an opening at an interface at which the stationary part and the movable part abut one another.In this way, it can be achieved that, depending on the position of the movable part relative to the stationary part of the valve device, none, one or more of the outputs are connected to the at least one input for the passage of the cleaning fluid.

[0025] Since the geometry of the stationary and moving parts, or the arrangement of the respective openings in the line or channels at the contact surface between the stationary and moving parts, determines how many outputs can be connected to the at least one input, the valve device can advantageously ensure that more than a subset of the outputs predetermined by the geometry cannot be connected to the at least one input. Even in the event that an output is opened unexpectedly, cleaning fluid is prevented from escaping from it if the position of the valve device makes it impossible to supply the incorrectly opened output.

[0026] According to the invention, it can be provided that the at least one sensor device has at least one camera and / or at least one lidar sensor and / or at least one radar sensor and / or at least one ultrasonic sensor. The sensor device is in particular the sensor device of a motor vehicle, wherein the sections of the at least one sensor device to be cleaned are arranged in particular on an outer skin of the motor vehicle or on a body or on attachments of the vehicle. The sensor device can be permanently integrated into the vehicle or a body of the vehicle, or it can be a separately designed sensor device fastened to an outer surface of the vehicle.According to the invention, the section to be cleaned can be a lens, a transparent housing section, a radome, and / or an ultrasonic membrane, or the section to be cleaned can comprise a lens, a transparent housing section, a radome, and / or an ultrasonic membrane. Different sensor types can have different cleaning sections, which generally need to be cleaned at least at certain times during vehicle operation to ensure the fault-free functioning of the respective sensor device.

[0027] For a driver assistance system according to the invention, it is provided that it comprises a sensor device according to the invention and a control device, wherein the control device is configured to carry out a driver assistance function, in particular a function for autonomous or semi-autonomous driving, on the basis of sensor data generated by means of the at least one sensor device.

[0028] According to the invention, the driver assistance system can comprise a further control device via which the switchable outputs and / or the valve device can be controlled, wherein the further control device satisfies a lower safety level, in particular a lower Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL), than the control device configured to perform the driver assistance function. For example, a driver assistance system designed to perform autonomous ferry operation can provide that the sensor device, which provides the sensor data required for autonomous ferry operation, is designed according to the ASIL-D safety level.Due to the safety device provided according to the invention, a low safety level may be sufficient for the additional control device, via which the control of the outputs and thus, in particular, also the control of a cleaning process for the sensor device in the sensor device can take place, since unintentional cleaning of an excessive number of sections to be cleaned cannot occur due to the safety device. A vehicle according to the invention is provided that it comprises a sensor device according to the invention or a driver assistance system according to the invention.

[0029] The advantages and configurations described above for the sensor device according to the invention apply accordingly to the driver assistance system according to the invention and to the vehicle according to the invention. The advantages and configurations described in relation to the driver assistance system according to the invention and the vehicle according to the invention are also transferable analogously to the other subject matters of the invention.

[0030] Further advantages and embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments described below and from the drawings. These are schematic representations and show:

[0031] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention comprising an embodiment of a driver assistance system according to the invention,

[0032] Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of a sensor device according to the invention,

[0033] Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of a sensor device according to the invention,

[0034] Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of a safety device designed as a valve device and

[0035] Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of a safety device designed as a valve device.

[0036] In Fig. 1, an embodiment of a vehicle 1 is shown. In the

[0037] Vehicle 1 can be, for example, a motor vehicle, such as a car, a truck, a bus, or another type of automobile. It is also possible for vehicle 1 to be a motorcycle or a rail-bound vehicle, such as a locomotive, a railcar, a railcar train, a tram, or the like. Vehicle 1 can also be configured as an aircraft or as a non-motorized vehicle, such as a trailer or the like.

[0038] The vehicle 1 comprises a driver assistance system 2, wherein the driver assistance system 2 has a sensor device 3 and a control device 4. The control device 4 is designed to perform a driver assistance function for the vehicle 1. In particular, the driver assistance function can provide a function for partially or fully autonomous driving of the vehicle 1. To provide the driver assistance functions, the control device 4 uses the sensor data obtained with the aid of the sensor device 3.

[0039] The sensor device 3 comprises one or more sensor devices 5 and a cleaning device 6, which is designed to clean the sensor devices 5. With the cleaning device 6, one or more sections 7 of the sensor devices 5 to be cleaned can be cleaned. Two sensor devices 5 are shown here as an example, wherein one section 7 of each sensor device 5 to be cleaned can be cleaned by the cleaning device 6. The number of sensor devices 5 shown and their arrangement on the vehicle 1 are purely exemplary.

[0040] The sensor devices 3 can each comprise at least one camera, at least one lidar sensor, at least one radar sensor, and / or at least one ultrasonic sensor. Depending on the sensor type, the section to be cleaned can be, for example, a lens, a transparent housing section, a radome, and / or an ultrasonic membrane.

[0041] Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of a sensor device 3.

[0042] The sensor device 3 comprises two sensor devices 5, each of which can be cleaned by a section 7 to be cleaned via the cleaning device 6 of the sensor device 3. The number of two cleaning devices 5 is purely exemplary; the sensor device 3 can also have three or more sensor devices 3 and / or it can be provided that two or more sections of a sensor device 5 can be cleaned separately from one another via the cleaning device 6.

[0043] The cleaning device 6 comprises a conduit device 8, which connects at least one inlet 9 to two or more outlets 10. The conduit device 8 can, for example, comprise a plurality of communicating lines for the cleaning fluid, such as hoses, pipes, connectors and distributors, and the like, and can also be referred to as a conduit system.

[0044] A cleaning fluid can be supplied via the inlet 9 of the line device 8. For this purpose, the inlet 9 can be connected, for example, to a cleaning agent reservoir 11. To convey the cleaning fluid in the cleaning device 6 or in the line device 8, the cleaning device 6 can comprise at least one pump 12 and / or other means for conveying the cleaning fluid.

[0045] The cleaning fluid is conveyed in the cleaning device 6 to the outlets 10, wherein it is fed from the outlets 10 to a section 7 to be cleaned of one or more of the sensor devices 5. The outlets 10 are switchable, whereby the cleaning fluid can only exit the line device 8 and reach the section 7 to be cleaned when the outlet is open. For this purpose, the outlets 10 can be designed, for example, as switchable valves or the like. The outlets 10 can also comprise at least one nozzle or the like, so that a liquid cleaning fluid, for example, can be sprayed onto the sections 7 to be cleaned. In the case of a gaseous cleaning fluid, the cleaning fluid can be blown from the outlets 10 onto the sections 7 to be cleaned.In order to prevent the cleaning fluid from being supplied to an excessive number of sections 7 to be cleaned if one or more outlets 10 are incorrectly opened, the line device 8 comprises a safety device 13. In the present exemplary embodiment, the safety device 13 is designed as a flow limiter 14.

[0046] The safety device 13 limits the flow of cleaning fluid to the outlets 10 to a limit value. The limit value is selected such that, if the number of open outlets 10 exceeds a predetermined subset of the outlets, the cleaning fluid exiting each of the outlets 10 no longer reaches one or more of the sections 7 to be cleaned associated with the open outlets 10.

[0047] In the example shown here with two sections 7 to be cleaned, the predetermined subset includes, for example, one outlet 10. In other words, it is desired that only one of the sections 7 to be cleaned can be cleaned at a time. This allows, for example, the sensor device 5 whose section 7 to be cleaned is not being cleaned to continue to be available for acquiring sensor data.

[0048] The flow limitation generated by the safety device 13 ensures that in the event of a fault in which, in addition to the outlet 10 controlled to open, the other outlet 10 is also inadvertently open, at least one of the sections 7 to be cleaned is not supplied with the cleaning fluid due to the reduced flow. If, in such a fault event, at least one, preferably both, sections 7 to be cleaned are not supplied with the cleaning fluid, sensor data can continue to be received via at least one of the sensor devices 5 that was not initially intended to be cleaned. Advantageously, the sensor device 3 can thus continue to operate, at least temporarily. This makes it possible, for example, for the vehicle 1 to assume a safe state and to still use the sensor data from at least one of the sensor devices 5 to assume the safe state.

[0049] The safety device 13 can, for example, be designed as a spring-loaded flow limiter 14. The use of another type of mechanical flow limiter or an electrical flow limiter is also possible. The use of a mechanical flow limiter 14 as the safety device 13 has the advantage that no separate electronic control is required, and thus the desired safety effect can be achieved even without a proper control system or without an electrical power supply, etc.

[0050] In the present embodiment, the safety device 13 comprises a plurality of flow restrictors 14, each of which is assigned to a branch 15 of the line device 8. Each of the branches 15 serves to supply an outlet 10 of the line device 8, so that a flow can be regulated separately for each of the outlets 10 or for each of the sections 7 to be cleaned or each of the sensor devices 5. As many branches 15 can be provided as there are sections 7 to be cleaned.

[0051] Alternatively, it is also possible for multiple outlets 10 in one of the branches 7 to be supplied by a cleaning fluid flowing through a single flow restrictor 14. Alternatively, it is also possible for only a single flow restrictor 14 to be used. This can, for example, be arranged at a position 16 shown in dashed lines upstream of a distributor 17, into which the various branches 15 of the line system 8 branch. It is also possible for additional components without flow control to be connected to the line system 8 via the distributor 17.

[0052] The value to which the flow of the cleaning fluid in the line device 8 is limited overall or per branch 15 can depend, in addition to the type of cleaning fluid, on the number of outlets 10 to be supplied, as well as on the nature of the outlets 10 and their arrangement relative to the sections 7 to be cleaned. In general, the flow is to be limited to a value that, with a number of open outlets 10 corresponding to the predetermined number, enables the intended cleaning of the sections 7 to be cleaned, whereas with a number of open outlets 10 that exceeds the predetermined number by at least one, one or more of the sections 7 to be cleaned are no longer supplied with the cleaning fluid.

[0053] In a sensor device 3 used in a motor vehicle for detecting environmental data, it can be provided, for example, that the cleaning fluid is a liquid or a liquid-gas mixture, wherein the cleaning fluid is sprayed through the outlets 10 onto the sections 7 to be cleaned. The limiting value can be, for example, between 1 ml / s and 10 ml / s per outlet 10 to which the cleaning fluid is applied. The pressure of the cleaning fluid in the line device 8, which is generated, for example, by the pump 12, can be, for example, between 1 bar and 10 bar.

[0054] Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of a sensor device 3. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the safety device 13 is designed as an adjustable valve device 18. Via the valve device 18, the at least one inlet 9 of the line device 8 can be connected to a maximum number of outlets 10 corresponding to the predetermined subset. The valve device 18 therefore ensures, in particular mechanically, that the inlet 9 can only be connected to a subset of the outlets 10. The outlets 10 to which the cleaning fluid is supplied can be predetermined, in particular, by different switching positions of the valve device 18.

[0055] By limiting the fluid supply to a predetermined subset of the outlets 10, it can be avoided that cleaning fluid is also supplied to a further outlet 10 if it is incorrectly opened. Thus, the safety controls described above can also be implemented by a safety device 13 designed according to this exemplary embodiment. Analogous to the first exemplary embodiment, several branches 15 can be supplied with the cleaning fluid via the valve device 18. In addition to the branches 15, one or more outlets 10 can be provided, which are assigned to one or more sensor devices 5 corresponding to one or more sections 7 to be cleaned.

[0056] Fig. 4 shows a first embodiment of a safety device 13 embodied as a valve device 18. The valve device 18 comprises a movable part 19, which can be moved into a plurality of positions relative to a stationary part 20 of the valve device 18. In the present case, the stationary part 20 is, for example, annular, with the disc-shaped movable part 19 arranged in the opening of the annular shape. The annular part 19 is located in a first position Pi relative to the stationary part 20.

[0057] The movable part 19 comprises an angled channel section 21, which connects two circumferential openings 22, 23 of the movable part 19. The openings 22, 23 face the annular contact surface between the movable part 19 and the stationary part 20. The stationary part 20 also comprises a plurality of channel sections 24, each of which connects an opening 25 facing the contact surface to an external opening 26. Of the external openings 26, for example, one opening 26 is connected to the at least one inlet 9, whereas the other external openings 26 are each connected to one or more of the outlets 10. The connections between the openings 26 and the inlet 9 or the outlets 10 can each be made via the components of the line device 8.

[0058] The movable part 19 can be rotated into various positions relative to the stationary part 20. Depending on the position of the movable part 19, the inlet 9 of the conduit device 8 is connected to none or to at least one of the outlets 10 connected to the valve device 18. The course of the channel section 21 when the movable part 19 is arranged in a second position P2 is shown in dashed lines in Fig. 4.

[0059] The valve device 18 can thus ensure that the cleaning fluid cannot flow to both outlets 10 simultaneously. Similarly, it is possible for the stationary part 20 to comprise additional channel sections 14 to which additional outlets 10 can be connected. By changing the geometry of the channel section 21 in the movable part 19, it is also possible to simultaneously supply the cleaning fluid to two or more of the outlets 10 comprising subsets of the outlets 10 connected to the stationary part.

[0060] Fig. 5 shows a second embodiment of a safety device 13 embodied as a valve device 18. In this embodiment, the at least one connection 9 is connected to the movable part 19 of the valve device 18. The plurality of outlets 10 are correspondingly connected to the stationary part 20. Analogous to the first embodiment of the valve device 18, the stationary part 19 is also disc-shaped and the stationary part 20 is annular, wherein the movable part 19 can be rotated relative to the stationary part 20 as described above.

[0061] In the present embodiment, three outlets 10 are connected to the stationary part 20. Depending on the relative position of the movable part 19 to the stationary part 20, the angled channel section 21 of the movable part 19 connects one or two different channel sections 24 of the stationary part 20. A supply of the cleaning fluid to at least one further outlet 10 is prevented in each case and, in particular, also ceases if this outlet 10 should be incorrectly opened. In this way, it can be ensured that the cleaning fluid is supplied to only a subset of the outlets 10, in this case, a subset of two of the outlets 10.

[0062] It is possible for the stationary part 20 to be connected to more than three outlets 10. How many and to which of the outlets 10 the cleaning fluid can be supplied simultaneously can be predetermined by the course of the angled channel section 21, which in particular can also have more than two openings 22, 23, as well as by the arrangement of the channel sections 24 or the openings 25 on the stationary part 20.

[0063] The switchable outputs 10 and / or a safety device 13 designed as a valve device 18 can be controlled via the control device 4. Alternatively, it is possible for a further control device 27, shown in dashed lines in Fig. 1, to be provided to control the switchable outputs 10 and / or the valve device 18.

[0064] The additional control device 27 serves, in particular, only to operate at least some of the components of the cleaning device 6 and not to provide a driver assistance function. Since the provision of the safety device 13 prevents the cleaning fluid from being supplied to an excessive number of sections 7 to be cleaned in the event of a defect in one of the outlets 10, it is possible that the additional control device 27 meets a lower safety level than the control device 4 configured to implement the driver assistance system.

[0065] For example, the control device 4, which, for example, provides a function for autonomous ferry operation of the vehicle 1, can be designed according to the ASIL-D safety standard. A lower safety standard can be provided for the further control device 27, which controls the switchable outputs 10 and / or a safety device 13 designed as a valve device 18. This reduces the effort involved in implementing the sensor device 3, since redundancies in the control of the outputs 10 and / or the valve device 18 can be dispensed with if necessary. A simple and thus more cost-effective design of the switchable outputs 10 is also advantageously possible. In addition to the use of the sensor device 3 in a vehicle, other areas of application are also possible, for example in industrial plants, power plants, robots, and the like.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Sensor device, comprising at least one sensor device (5) and a cleaning device (6) for cleaning the at least one sensor device (5), wherein the cleaning device (6) comprises a line device (8), via which a cleaning fluid provided via at least one inlet (9) of the line device (8) can be supplied to a plurality of sections (7) to be cleaned of the at least one sensor device (5), as well as a plurality of controllable outlets (10), wherein the supply of the cleaning fluid to the individual sections (7) to be cleaned can be controlled separately by opening one of the outlets (10), characterized in that the line device (8) comprises a safety device (13), wherein the safety device (13) limits the flow of the cleaning fluid to the outlets (10) to a limiting value, wherein the limiting value is selected such thatthat when the number of open outlets (10) exceeds a predetermined subset of the outlets (10), the cleaning fluid emerging from the outlets (10) no longer reaches one or more of the sections (7) to be cleaned assigned to the open outlets (10), and / or wherein the safety device (13) comprises an adjustable valve device (18) via which the at least one inlet (9) of the line device (8) can be connected to a maximum number of outlets (10) corresponding to the predetermined subset.

2. Sensor device according to claim 1, characterized in that the safety device (13) for limiting the flow comprises at least one mechanical flow limiter (14), in particular at least one spring-loaded flow restrictor.

3. Sensor device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the safety device (13) comprises a plurality of flow limiters (14), each of the flow limiters (14) limiting the flow through one or more of the outlets (10).

4. Sensor device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning fluid is a liquid or a liquid-gas mixture, wherein the limiting value is between 1 ml / s and 10 ml / s per outlet (10) to be supplied with the cleaning fluid and / or wherein the pressure in the line device (8) is between 1 bar and 10 bar.

5. Sensor device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve device (18) has a movable part (19) which is movable into a plurality of positions relative to a stationary part (20) of the valve device (18), wherein, depending on the position of the movable part (19), the inlet (9) of the line device (8) connected to the valve device (18) is connected to none or at least one of the outlets (10) connected to the valve device (18) for the passage of the cleaning fluid.

6. Sensor device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one sensor device (5) has at least one camera and / or at least one lidar sensor and / or at least one radar sensor and / or at least one ultrasonic sensor.

7. Sensor device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the section to be cleaned is or comprises a lens, a transparent housing section, a radome and / or an ultrasonic membrane.

8. Driver assistance system comprising a sensor device (3) according to one of the preceding claims and a control device (4), wherein the control device (4) is configured to carry out a driver assistance function, in particular a function for autonomous or semi-autonomous driving, on the basis of sensor data generated by means of the sensor device (3).

9. Driver assistance system according to claim 8, wherein the driver assistance system comprises a further control device (27) via which the switchable outputs (10) and / or the valve device (18) can be controlled, wherein the further control device (27) satisfies a lower safety level, in particular a lower Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL), than the control device (4) configured to carry out the driver assistance function.

10. Vehicle comprising a sensor device (3) according to one of claims 1 to 7 or a driver assistance system (2) according to one of claims 8 or 9.

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