Vehicle camera clearness detection and alert

• US 10,706,293 B1
• Filed: 04/11/2019
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lei, Oliver, Murray, Allen R., Bennie, Brian, Ghannam, Mahmoud Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schnurr, John R
• Application Number:
  US16/381,188
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• 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: G06T 7/0008 checking presence/absence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method of operating a vehicle may include detecting that a vehicle user is exiting the vehicle, that a user is approaching the vehicle or that the user remote starts the vehicle. Upon the one of these events occurring, automatically conducting a camera lens clearness test. If the test detects an unclear camera lens, notifying the user while outside of the vehicle that the camera lens needs cleaning.

Claims

1. A method of operating a vehicle comprising:

detecting that a vehicle user is exiting the vehicle;

upon detecting the user exiting the vehicle, automatically conducting a camera lens clearness test; and

if the test detects an unclear camera lens, notifying the user while outside of the vehicle that the camera lens needs cleaning.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of notifying the user includes sending a wireless signal to a mobile device with a message indicating that the camera lens needs cleaning.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of detecting that the vehicle user is exiting the vehicle includes stopping the vehicle and opening and closing a driver door.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting that the vehicle user is exiting the vehicle includes stopping the vehicle and opening and closing a driver door.

5. The method of claim 1 further including:

detecting that the user is approaching the vehicle;

upon detecting that the user is approaching the vehicle, automatically conducting the camera lens test; and

if the test conducted upon detecting that the user is approaching the vehicle detects that the camera lens is unclear, notifying the user while outside of the vehicle that the camera lens needs cleaning.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of notifying the user includes sending a wireless signal to a mobile device with a message indicating that the camera lens needs cleaning.

7. The method of claim 5 further including:

detecting that the user has remote started the vehicle;

upon detecting that the user has remote started the vehicle, automatically conducting the camera lens test; and

if the test conducted upon the remote starting of the vehicle detects that the camera lens is unclear, notifying the user while outside of the vehicle that the camera lens needs cleaning.

8. The method of claim 1 further including:

detecting that the user has remote started the vehicle;

upon detecting that the user has remote started the vehicle, automatically conducting the camera lens test; and

if the test conducted upon the remote starting of the vehicle detects that the camera lens is unclear, notifying the user while outside of the vehicle that the camera lens needs cleaning.

9. The method of claim 1 further including:

upon detecting the user exiting the vehicle, automatically conducting a second camera lens clearness test for a second camera lens; and

if the second test detects that the second camera lens is unclear, notifying the user while outside of the vehicle that the second camera lens needs cleaning.

10. A method of operating a vehicle comprising:

detecting that a user is approaching the vehicle;

upon detecting that the user is approaching the vehicle, automatically conducting a camera lens test; and

if the test conducted upon detecting that the user is approaching the vehicle detects that a camera lens is unclear, notifying the user while outside of the vehicle that the camera lens needs cleaning.

11. The method of claim 10 further including:

detecting that the user has remote started the vehicle;

upon detecting that the user has remote started the vehicle, automatically conducting the camera lens test; and

if the test conducted upon the remote starting of the vehicle detects that the camera lens is unclear, notifying the user while outside of the vehicle that the camera lens needs cleaning.

12. The method of claim 10 further including:

upon detecting that the user is approaching the vehicle, automatically conducting a second camera lens clearness test for a second camera lens; and

if the second test detects that the second camera lens is unclear, notifying the user while outside of the vehicle that the second camera lens needs cleaning.