Windshield Damage Localization via Structure-Borne Sound
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for detecting damage on a vehicle's windshield do not provide information on the spatial position of the damage, making it difficult to determine if the damage can be safely repaired or if it poses a hazard to passengers.
Innovation Solution
A method using structure-borne sound sensors and an evaluation unit to detect and localize the spatial position of damage on a windshield by analyzing structure-borne sound signals, outputting information on the damage's location, and determining if it overlaps with hazardous regions, allowing for appropriate countermeasures or notifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If damage detection is performed without spatial localization, then detection simplicity is maintained, but the ability to determine repair feasibility and safety is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from simple damage detection (0D/1D) to spatial localization (2D/3D) by adding positional dimensions to the detection output. Multiple structure-borne sound sensors are arranged to capture signals from different positions, enabling the system to determine not just that damage exists, but where it is located on the windshield surface, thus recovering the lost spatial position information.
Solution Approach 2:
The windshield surface is divided into multiple spatial zones or regions through the arrangement of multiple structure-borne sound sensors. Each sensor or sensor pair is responsible for monitoring specific areas, allowing the system to localize damage to particular zones. This segmentation enables precise spatial positioning while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular sensor placement.
2Measurement precision
If multiple structure-borne sound sensors are used for spatial localization, then measurement precision of damage position is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By arranging structure-borne sound sensors in specific spatial configurations (e.g., arrays at different positions and orientations), the system captures structure-borne sound signals from multiple spatial dimensions. This multi-dimensional sensing approach enables precise triangulation or time-difference-of-arrival calculations to locate damage with high accuracy, transforming the system from simple detection to precise spatial measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure-borne sound sensors serve multiple functions: they detect the presence of damage, determine the spatial position of damage, and can potentially assess damage severity. This multi-functionality justifies the use of multiple sensors, as each sensor contributes to several aspects of damage characterization simultaneously, improving measurement precision without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
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 accurate determination of the damage's location on a windshield, allowing for informed decision-making on repair feasibility and safety, reducing the risk of unrepairable or hazardous damage going unnoticed.
Implementation Method 1
a structure-borne sound sensor and at least one evaluation unit, wherein the spatial position of a signal source of at least one structure-borne sound signal generated by the damage is detected
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for determining the spatial position of damage on a glass body, in particular on a windshield of a vehicle, comprising at least one structure-borne sound sensor and at least one evaluation unit, it is provided according to the invention that the spatial position of a signal source of at least one structure-borne sound signal generated by means of the damage is detected, that the spatial position of the damage is concluded from the spatial position of the signal source, that the spatial position of the damage is checked for spatial overlapping with a predetermined region on the glass body, that this information goes into an information signal in the case of overlapping, and that the information signal is output.