Environment detection device and vehicle with such an environment detection device

• US 10,435,029 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Fendt, Gunter Anton, Rothenhausler, Konrad, Gantner, Manfred, Krokel, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US15/618,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20170355380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0215 Sensor drifts or sensor failures
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2400/00 Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0205 Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0225 Failure correction strategy
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/038 Limiting the input power, torque or speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An environment detection device for a vehicle is includes a sensor unit for determining environment information of a surrounding area of the vehicle itself, with a temperature measurement unit, configured to measure at least one state temperature of the sensor unit, and with a controller, configured to trigger at least one action for reducing the state temperature if a prescribed temperature warning value is exceeded.

Claims

1. An environment detection device for a vehicle, comprising:

a sensor unit for determining environment information of a surrounding area of the vehicle itself;

a temperature measurement unit configured to measure at least one state temperature of the sensor unit; and

a controller configured to reduce an output of at least one of the sensor unit and an electronic sub-assembly of the sensor unit without a shutdown of the sensor unit to reduce the state temperature in response to the state temperature exceeding a prescribed temperature warning value.

2. The environment detection device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises an evaluation unit for interpreting environment information from the sensor data transmitted by the sensor unit, wherein the controller is configured, in order to reduce the state temperature, to shut down the evaluation unit in an idle time of a processing cycle in response to the time required for a shutdown, saving, and switch-on process of the evaluation unit being less than the idle time.

3. The environment detection device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises an imaging unit, wherein the controller is configured, in order to reduce the state temperature, to reduce an image resolution, a field of view, and/or an image recording rate of at least one image to be recorded by the imaging unit.

4. The environment detection device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises at least one driver assistance device to assist the vehicle driver, wherein the controller is configured, in order to reduce the state temperature, to deactivate the at least one driver assistance device.

5. The environment detection device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit comprises at least two driver assistance devices, wherein the controller is configured to carry out the deactivation of the driver assistance devices in stages according to safety requirements.

6. The environment detection device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured, in order to reduce the state temperature, to switch the evaluation unit to a simplified evaluation mode for interpretation of the environment information.

7. The environment detection device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to trigger a speed restriction of the vehicle in response to the state temperature exceeding a prescribed temperature warning value.

8. A vehicle with an environment detection device, comprising:

a sensor unit for determining environment information of a surrounding area of the vehicle itself;

a temperature measurement unit configured to measure at least one state temperature of the sensor unit; and

a controller configured to reduce an output of the sensor unit or of electronic sub-assemblies of the sensor unit without a shutdown of the sensor unit to reduce the state temperature in response to the state temperature exceeding a prescribed temperature warning value;

wherein the controller further configured to inform the vehicle driver of the possibility of an impending shutdown process of the environment detection device, of the possibility of an impending deactivation of at least one driver assistance device, of the impending deactivation of an autonomous vehicle operation, and/or of the possibility of the impending triggering of a speed limitation, in response to the state temperature exceeding a prescribed temperature warning value.

9. A method of environment detection, comprising:

determining environment information of a surrounding area of the vehicle with a sensor unit;

measuring at least one state temperature of the sensor unit with a temperature measurement unit; and

reducing, with a controller, an output of the sensor unit or of electronic sub-assemblies of the sensor unit without a shutdown of the sensor unit to reduce the state temperature in response to the state temperature exceeding a prescribed temperature warning.

10. An environment detection device for a vehicle, comprising:

a sensor unit for determining environment information of a surrounding area of the vehicle itself;

a temperature measurement unit configured to measure at least one state temperature of the sensor unit; and

a controller configured to trigger at least one action for reducing the state temperature if a prescribed temperature warning value is exceeded;

wherein the sensor unit comprises at least two driver assistance devices, wherein the controller is configured to carry out the deactivation of the driver assistance devices in stages according to safety requirements.