Vehicle Sensor Cleaning Control for Continuous LiDAR and Camera Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning apparatuses for vehicle sensors face challenges in maintaining clean sensor surfaces without disrupting information acquisition, particularly due to the need for multiple pumps, which increases production costs and space requirements, and can result in temporary loss of information during cleaning operations.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning apparatus that selectively activates feed mechanisms for different sensor groups, such as LiDAR and camera sensors, to prevent simultaneous cleaning and reduce the number of pumps and nozzles, ensuring continuous information acquisition by prioritizing the cleaning of camera sensors over LiDAR sensors to maintain object detection during the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple pumps are used to clean multiple sensors simultaneously, then cleaning coverage is improved, but production cost and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor array is segmented into multiple groups, with each group having its own dedicated nozzle and feed mechanism. This allows selective cleaning of specific sensor groups while others remain operational, reducing the need for multiple pumps while maintaining comprehensive cleaning coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system operates periodically rather than simultaneously on all sensors. The control unit activates feed mechanisms sequentially for different sensor groups, ensuring that cleaning operations are performed in cycles, which reduces the number of pumps needed while maintaining effective cleaning coverage over time.
2Reliability
If sensor surfaces are cleaned, then cleaning quality is improved, but information acquisition is temporarily disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors are divided into multiple groups that can be cleaned sequentially. While one group is being cleaned, other groups continue to acquire information, minimizing overall information loss and maintaining system operational capability during cleaning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system determines which sensor groups require cleaning based on detected dirt levels, and schedules cleaning operations strategically. By identifying and prioritizing cleaning needs beforehand, the system minimizes disruption to information acquisition by cleaning only when necessary and by selecting optimal timing for cleaning operations.
3Device complexity
If a single pump serves multiple jetting apparatuses, then component count is reduced, but cleaning efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the cleaning function by providing dedicated nozzles and feed mechanisms for different sensor groups. This segmentation allows a single pump to serve multiple specialized feed mechanisms efficiently, maintaining cleaning effectiveness while reducing the total number of pumps required.
Solution Approach 2:
The feed mechanisms are designed to be dynamically controllable, allowing the system to activate only the feed mechanisms needed for current cleaning operations. This dynamic control optimizes the use of a single pump across multiple feed mechanisms, improving cleaning efficiency by eliminating unnecessary pump operation while maintaining the capability for rapid sequential cleaning.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach minimizes the disruption of information acquisition during cleaning, reduces the number of components, and maintains accurate object detection by preferentially cleaning camera sensors, thereby enhancing the reliability of the vehicle's sensor systems.
Implementation Method 1
a jetting apparatus (51) that jets the cleaning fluid (AL) against the sensor surface (21a)
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A cleaning apparatus (11a) includes a first group of nozzles (51, 52, 53, 54, 55) for cleaning the sensor surfaces of a plurality of LiDARs (101, 102, 103, 104, 105) for obtaining information of a surrounding region, a first pump (41) for feeding a cleaning liquid to the first group of nozzles (51, 52, 53, 54, 55), a second group of nozzles (56, 57, 58, 59) for cleaning the sensor surfaces of a plurality of cameras (201, 202, 203, 204) for obtaining information of a region overlapping with the region whose information is obtained by the LiDARs (101, 102, 103, 104, 105), a second pump (42) for feeding the cleaning liquid to the second group of nozzles (56, 57, 58, 59), and a drive assist ECU (80) which activates the first pump (41) and the second pump (42). When the drive assist ECU (80) determines that a cleaning execution condition is satisfied, the drive assist ECU (80) selectively activates one of the first pump (41) and the second pump (42).