Vehicle Sensor Cleaning Control via Adhesion Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle cleaning systems for onboard sensors in driving assistance and autonomous driving vehicles require manual operation and struggle to efficiently determine the dirtiness level of multiple sensors, leading to inefficient cleaning and potential detection performance issues.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle cleaning system that automatically adjusts cleaning conditions based on the travel situation, environmental conditions, and adhesion indicators of onboard sensors, using a control section to choose appropriate cleaning parameters such as operation intensity, duration, and number of cycles for each sensor, and includes storage for pre-set conditions and reporting of difficult-to-clean cases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual operation of cleaning system is used, then user can control cleaning process, but user burden increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system automatically determines the dirtiness level of multiple onboard sensors and executes cleaning operations without requiring manual user assessment or intervention. The control section autonomously selects cleaning targets and controls the cleaning section based on detected adhesion levels, enabling the system to serve itself and eliminating the burden on users while maintaining high cleaning efficiency.
2Device complexity
If uniform cleaning conditions are applied to all sensors, then cleaning process is simple, but excessive cleaning occurs and resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different cleaning conditions to different onboard sensors based on their individual dirtiness levels. The control section selectively controls the cleaning section to clean only those sensors that require it, rather than uniformly cleaning all sensors. This localized approach prevents excessive cleaning of already clean sensors, reducing energy consumption and resource waste while maintaining appropriate cleaning quality for each sensor.
3Reliability
If cleaning of all sensors is performed, then detection performance is maintained, but cleaning time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs partial cleaning by selectively cleaning only those onboard sensors that have adhered material on them, rather than cleaning all sensors regardless of their condition. The control section determines which sensors require cleaning based on adhesion level detection and executes cleaning operations only on those specific targets. This partial action approach maintains detection performance for sensors that need it while significantly reducing the total cleaning time compared to cleaning all sensors uniformly.
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
Enables precise and efficient automatic cleaning of onboard sensors, reducing excessive cleaning and ensuring optimal detection performance by adapting to varying adhesion levels and sensor types, thereby enhancing the functionality of driving assistance and autonomous driving systems.
Implementation Method 1
cleaning water is sprayed under pressure through a liquid nozzle toward the lens surface
Implementation Method 2
Air is then blown under pressure through an air nozzle to dry the cleaning water remaining on the lens surface
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning target provided to a vehicle is automatically cleaned in an appropriate manner. A vehicle cleaning system includes a cleaning section configured to clean a cleaning target provided to a vehicle, and a control section configured to control cleaning of the cleaning target by the cleaning section according to at least one out of a travel situation of the vehicle, an environmental situation of the vehicle, or an indicator relating to adhesion of adhered material to the cleaning target of the vehicle.