DEVICE FOR MONITORING A VEHICLE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20150304649A1
• Filed: 11/29/2013
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Christian, Schoenherr, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,182,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2007/52009 of sensor obstruction, e.g. dirt- or ice-coating
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras

Abstract

A device for monitoring the vehicle environment includes: a first sensor for sensing the vehicle environment, the first sensor featuring a first sensing region; a second sensor for sensing the vehicle environment; and an evaluation unit. The second sensor for sensing the vehicle environment is situated within the first sensing region, and a diagnosis of the second sensor is achieved with the aid of the evaluation unit.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A device for monitoring a vehicle environment, comprising:

a first sensor for sensing the vehicle environment, the first sensor being configured to acquire data from a first sensing region;

a second sensor for sensing the vehicle environment, the second sensor being situated within the first sensing region; and

an evaluation unit configured to perform a diagnosis of the second sensor.

9. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the first sensor is a camera.

10. The device as recited in claim 9, wherein the second sensor is situated within an opening angle of the camera.

11. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein the second sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

12. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein the second sensor is a camera.

13. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to diagnose a superficial soiling of the second sensor.

14. A method for diagnosing a second sensor of a monitoring device for sensing a vehicle environment, the monitoring device additionally having an evaluation unit and a first sensor configured to acquire data from a first sensing region, the method comprising:

(A) acquiring data from the first sensing region using the first sensor;

(B) supplying the acquired data from the first sensor to the evaluation unit;

(C) supplying reference data to the evaluation unit;

(D) comparing the acquired data with the reference data; and

(E) diagnosing, by the evaluation unit, the second sensor based on the comparison carried out in step D).