Vehicle Sensor Cleaning During Autonomous Travel
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle control systems face challenges in maintaining autonomous driving mode due to dirt accumulation on sensors, which requires manual intervention for cleaning, disrupting the driving experience and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control apparatus equipped with sensors, a cleaner, and electronic control units that determine if autonomous driving can continue based on other sensors' detection results, allowing the cleaner to clean the affected sensors while maintaining autonomous control by narrowing the required detection range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the detector is cleaned by switching from autonomous driving to manual driving, then the detection performance is improved, but the convenience for the user deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines whether autonomous driving can continue based on remaining sensor detection results and narrows the detection range if necessary, eliminating the need for manual intervention. The cleaner automatically cleans the detector while the system maintains autonomous operation, making the entire process self-service without requiring user action or mode switching.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the detection range based on the cleaning status and availability of other sensors. When one sensor is being cleaned, the system flexibly narrows the required detection range to maintain autonomous driving capability, and restores the full range after cleaning completes, creating a dynamic adaptation to changing sensor availability.
2Measurement precision
If the detector is cleaned during autonomous driving, then the detection performance is improved, but the autonomous driving control is canceled
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the sensor array into multiple independent detection units. When one sensor requires cleaning, the system can continue autonomous driving using the remaining functional sensors, dividing the detection task across available sensors rather than requiring all sensors to be simultaneously operational.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of autonomous driving by narrowing the detection range when sensors are being cleaned. This parameter adjustment allows autonomous driving to continue with reduced sensing capability, and the system restores the full detection range after cleaning completes.
3Extent of automation
If the detection range is narrowed to continue autonomous driving during cleaning, then the autonomy is maintained, but the detection capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system ensures continuous autonomous driving operation by maintaining detection capability through narrowed ranges during sensor cleaning. The useful action of autonomous driving continues uninterrupted, with the system adapting the detection scope rather than stopping the autonomous function.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control apparatus includes one or more electronic control units configured to execute autonomous traveling control of a vehicle based on detection results of a plurality of sensors, a cleaner configured to clean dirt off of at least one of the plurality of sensors. The one or more electronic control units are configured to determine, when cleaning of dirt of a first sensor is executed, whether or not execution of the autonomous traveling control can be continued based on a detection result of one or more remaining sensors among the plurality of sensors, control the vehicle such that a required detection range is narrowed in case it is determined that the execution of the autonomous traveling control cannot be continued, and control the cleaner such that the cleaner cleans dirt off of the first sensor while continuing the execution of the autonomous traveling control.