METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE SPATIAL POSITION OF DAMAGE ON A GLASS BODY

• US 20160266070A1
• Filed: 03/14/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hella Gmbh & Co. Kgaa (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Hella KGaA Hueck & Company
• Inventors: Baumgartel, Klaas Hauke
• Granted Patent: US 10,359,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0232 Glass, ceramics, concrete or stone
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0289 Internal structure, e.g. defects, grain size, texture
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2698 Other discrete objects, e.g. bricks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/075 by measuring or comparing phase angle measuring frequencies or phase angles per se G01R23/00, G01R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/36 Detecting the response signal , e.g. electronic circuits specially adapted therefor

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. 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,

wherein the spatial position of a signal source of at least one structure-borne sound signal generated by means of the damage is detected,

the spatial position of the damage is concluded from the spatial position of the signal source,

the spatial position of the damage is checked for spatial overlapping with a predetermined region on the glass body,

said information goes into an information signal in the case of spatial overlapping, and

the information signal is output.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one structure-borne sound signal is detected by at least three sensor-active elements, the direction under which the structure-borne sound signal encounters the structure-borne sound sensor is concluded from a time delay of the arrival of the structure-borne sound signal of a certain frequency at the at least three sensor-active elements, a phase ratio of at least two frequencies of the structure-borne sound signal is detected on at least one sensor-active element, the distance between the signal source and the sensor element is concluded from the phase ratio, and the spatial position of the signal source is concluded from the direction and the distance.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the spatial position of the signal source in relation to the position of the structure-borne sound sensor is presented in polar coordinates.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined region is a region on a windshield and the region comprises an edge region which is arranged between a boundary line arranged approximately parallel to the boundary of the windshield and the boundary of the windshield.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the boundary line is arranged at a distance between 5 cm and 15 cm, in particular 10 cm, to the boundary of the windshield.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined region on the windshield comprises a sight region arranged approximately parallel to the sight axis of a driver.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the sight region arranged parallel to the sight axis of a driver has a width of at least 25 cm and at most 35 cm, in particular of 30 cm.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined region is defined to be unrepairable and an information signal is output to a repair management system in the case of spatial overlapping of the spatial position of the signal source and the predetermined region.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein an information signal is output to a service facility located outside the vehicle and the information signal includes information about the spatial position of damage on the windshield (1).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the service facility is a workshop, in particular a motor vehicle workshop.

11. A device for performing a method according to claim 1, comprising at least one structure-borne sound sensor, at least one evaluation unit and at least one signal output unit,

wherein the structure-borne sound sensor comprises at least three sensor-active elements.