Vehicle camera cleaning system

• US 9,539,988 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Thunder Power Hong Kong Limited (Thunder Power Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chen, Yen-An, Hsiao, Jen-Chieh, Wu, Tai-Te
• Primary Examiner(s): FULLER, RODNEY EVAN
• Application Number:
  US14/883,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20160272164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 396/429
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/10 with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 5/02 Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0862 including additional sensors vehicle speed sensors B60S1/0896
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/485 including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/52 Arrangement of nozzles; Liquid spreading meansnozzles per se B05B
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/54 using gas, e.g. hot air
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/56 specially adapted for cleaning other parts or devices than front windows or windscreens rear-view mirror arrangements mounted on vehicle exterior including cleaning devices B60R1/0602
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/566 including wiping devices B60S1/563, B60S1/583 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0006 with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/811 by dust removal, e.g. from surfaces of the image sensor or processing of the image signal output by the electronic image sensor

Abstract

Embodiments provide vehicle camera cleaning systems used for cleaning foreign matter off of a camera lens, including, for example, a water flow nozzle arranged to eject water flow, an air nozzle arranged to eject air, and a central controller used to control the water flow nozzle and air nozzle. In certain embodiments, a plurality of sensing devices are used for sensing the conditions of the camera lens, such as an infrared water drop sensor, a temperature sensor, a camera sensing sensor, and the like. The central controller may determine whether there are water drops, ice, snow, or other foreign matter on the lens based on signals received from the plurality of sensing devices, and may control the air nozzle and the water flow nozzle to clean the camera lens based on the foreign matter present.

Claims

1. A vehicle camera cleaning system, comprising:

a water flow nozzle arranged proximate to a camera lens, the water flow nozzle being configured to spray water onto the camera lens;

an air nozzle arranged proximate to the camera lens, the air nozzle being configured to expel air onto the camera lens;

a water drop sensor comprising an infrared emitter and an infrared receiver, wherein the water drop sensor is configured to generate and transmit water drop sensor information indicating a percentage of infrared rays emitted by the infrared emitter that are received by the infrared receiver;

a central controller comprising a processing unit including one or more processors, the central controller configured to control the operation of the air nozzle, wherein the central controller is further configured to;

receive the water drop sensor information from the water drop sensor;

determine whether there are water drops on the camera lens based on the water drop sensor information;

in response to determining there are water drops on the camera lens, generate an instruction to activate the air nozzle to expel air onto the camera lens to remove the water drops;

after the air nozzle has expelled air onto the camera lens, receive the water drop sensor information from the water drop sensor and determine whether there are residual water drops remaining on the camera lens based on the water drop sensor information; and

in response to determining there are residual water drops on the camera lens, generating an activation instruction to activate the water flow nozzle to remove the residual water drops.

2. The vehicle camera cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising:

a foreign matter image sensor communicatively connected to the central controller, the foreign matter image sensor comprising a sensor camera, and wherein the foreign matter image sensor is configured to detect foreign matter on the camera lens using the sensor camera, and to transmit a foreign matter detection signal to the central controller in response to detecting foreign matter on the camera lens; and

, wherein

the central controller is further such that the determination whether there are water drops on the camera lens is further based on receiving the foreign matter detection signal.

3. The vehicle camera cleaning system of claim 2, wherein the water drop sensor is arranged on the inner side of the camera lens.

4. The vehicle camera cleaning system of claim 3, wherein the water drop sensor comprises:

the infrared emitter is configured to emit infrared rays onto the camera lens;

the infrared receiver is configured to receive infrared rays reflected by the camera lens; and

the water drop sensor information is generated by comparing the amount of infrared rays received by the infrared receiver in comparison to the amount of the infrared rays emitted by the infrared emitter.

5. The vehicle camera cleaning system of claim 2, wherein the foreign matter image sensor is configured to detect foreign matter on the camera lens based on a determination of whether a set of images captured by the sensor camera is continuous.

6. The vehicle camera cleaning system of claim 2, further comprising:

a heater configured to heat a water flow sprayed by the water flow nozzle;

a temperature sensor communicatively connected to the central controller, the temperature sensor being configured to generate environment temperature information indicating an environment temperature of the camera lens and transmit the environment temperature information to the central controller; and

wherein the central controller is further configured to;

determine whether the environment temperature is lower than a threshold temperature value in response to receiving the environment temperate information; and

generate an activation instruction to activate the heater to heat the water flow sprayed by the water flow nozzle in response to determining the environment temperature is lower than a threshold temperature value.

7. The vehicle camera cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising:

a rubber airbag connected to the air nozzle, such that when the rubber airbag is compressed, air is expelled by the air nozzle.

8. The vehicle camera cleaning system of claim 7, further comprising:

an air blowing motor connected to a first end of a crank, wherein a second end of the crank is connected to a piston configured to compress the rubber airbag,

wherein the air blowing motor is communicatively connected to the central controller and configured to receive activation instructions from the central controller, and wherein upon activation the air blowing motor is configured to drive rotation of the crank, thereby driving the piston back and forth to enable the piston to compress and release the rubber airbag to expel or take in air.

9. The vehicle camera cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising:

a water pump connected with the water flow nozzle; and

a windshield wiper water tank,

wherein the water pump is communicatively connected to the central controller and configured to receive activation instructions from the central controller, and wherein upon activation the water pump is configured to pump water from the windshield wiper water tank to the water flow nozzle.

10. The vehicle camera cleaning system of claim 1, the central controller comprising one or more machine-readable storage medium, storing therein instructions configured to cause the processing unit of the central controller to:

a water pump connected with the water flow nozzle; and

a windshield wiper water tank, actions including computer readable configured to execute instructions to perform;

receive an environment temperature of the camera lens from the temperature sensor;

determine whether the environment temperature of the camera lens is lower than a temperature threshold; and

in response to determining that the environment temperature of the camera lens is lower than the temperature threshold, activate the heater to heat the water flowing through the water flow nozzle.

11. A method of using a vehicle camera cleaning system to clean a camera lens in the vehicle, the camera cleaning system comprising a water flow nozzle arranged proximate to a camera lens, the water flow nozzle being configured to spray water onto the camera lens, an air nozzle arranged proximate to the camera lens, the air nozzle being configured to expel air onto the camera lens, a water drop sensor comprising an infrared emitter and an infrared receiver, the water drop sensor being configured to generate and transmit water drop sensor information indicating a percentage of infrared rays emitted by the infrared emitter that are received by the infrared receiver, and a central controller comprising a processing unit including one or more processors, the central controller configured to control the operation of the air nozzle, the method comprising:

receiving, by the controller of a vehicle camera cleaning system, the water drop sensor information from the water drop sensor;

determining, by the controller of the vehicle camera cleaning system, whether there are water drops on the camera lens based on the water drop sensor information;

in response to determining there are water drops on the camera lens, generating an instruction to activate the air nozzle to expel air onto the camera lens to remove the water drops;

after the air nozzle has expelled air onto the camera lens, receiving the water drop sensor information from the water drop sensor and determine whether there are residual water drops remaining on the camera lens based on the water drop sensor information; and

in response to determining there are residual water drops on the camera lens, generating an activation instruction to activate the water flow nozzle to removing the residual water drops.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle camera cleaning system further comprises a foreign matter image sensor communicatively connected to the central controller, the foreign matter image sensor comprising a sensor camera, and wherein the foreign matter image sensor is configured to detect foreign matter on the camera lens using the sensor camera, and to transmit a foreign matter detection signal to the central controller in response to detecting foreign matter on the camera lens, and wherein the determination whether there are water drops on the camera lens is further based on receiving the foreign matter detection signal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether there are water drops on the camera lens comprises:

comparing the amount of infrared rays received by the infrared receiver in comparison to the amount of the infrared rays emitted by the infrared emitter.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting foreign matter on the camera lens, by the foreign matter image sensor, is based on a determination of whether a set of images captured by the sensor camera is continuous.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the vehicle cleaning system further comprises a heater configured to heat a water flow sprayed by the water flow nozzle, and a temperature sensor communicatively connected to the central controller, the temperature sensor being configured to generate environment temperature information indicating an environment temperature of the camera lens and transmit the environment temperature information to the central controller, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, by the controller, whether the environment temperature is lower than a threshold temperature value in response to receiving the environment temperate information; and

generating, by the controller, an activation instruction to activate the heater to heat the water flow sprayed by the water flow nozzle in response to determining the environment temperature is lower than a threshold temperature value.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting the activation instruction to at least one of the water flow;

transmitting the activation instruction to an air blowing motor, the air blowing motor configured to drive rotation of a crank connected to a piston, thereby driving a piston back and forth to compress and release a rubber airbag connected to the air nozzle.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle camera cleaning system further comprises a heater configured to heat a water flow sprayed by the water flow nozzle, a temperature sensor communicatively connected to the central controller, the temperature sensor being configured to generate environment temperature information indicating an environment temperature of the camera lens and transmit the environment temperature information to the central controller, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the environment temperature is lower than a threshold temperature value in response to receiving the environment temperate information; and

generating an activation instruction to activate the heater to heat the water flow sprayed by the water flow nozzle in response to determining the environment temperature is lower than a threshold temperature value.