SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VEHICLE CLEANING

• US 20180364728A1
• Filed: 06/19/2017
• Published: 12/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: YALDO, VALOR, SONG, XIAOFENG F.
• Application Number:
  US15/627,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20180364728A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/00 Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles cleaning in general B08B; cleaning peculiar to waterborne vessels B63B57/00, B63B59/00; ground equipment for cleaning aircraft B64F5/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3679 Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities G01C21/3611 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/56 relating to colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for controlling an autonomous vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving image data from a camera device coupled to the autonomous vehicle; computing, by a processor, a value based on the image data; determining, by a processor, one of a cleanliness and an uncleanliness of the autonomous vehicle based on the computed value; and selectively generating, by a processor, a signal to at least one of control the autonomous vehicle to navigate to a cleaning station and notify a user based on the determined one of cleanliness and uncleanliness of the autonomous vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

receiving image data from a camera device coupled to the autonomous vehicle;

computing, by a processor, a value based on the image data;

determining, by a processor, one of a cleanliness and an uncleanliness of the

autonomous vehicle based on the computed value; and

selectively generating, by a processor, a signal to at least one of control the autonomous vehicle to navigate to a cleaning station and notify a user based on the determined one of cleanliness and uncleanliness of the autonomous vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing the value comprises computing a color value based on the image data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the color value is a Red, Green, Blue value.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the one of the cleanliness and the uncleanliness of the autonomous vehicle is based on a comparison of the color value to a stored value associated with a body of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing the color value comprises computing a color value for a plurality of pixels in the image data, and wherein the determining the one of the cleanliness and the uncleanliness of the autonomous vehicle is based on a comparison of the color values for the plurality of pixels to a threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing the value comprises computing a brightness value based on the image data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a clarity of the camera device based on the brightness value.

8. A system for controlling an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

a first module configured to, by a processor, receive image data from a camera device coupled to the autonomous vehicle;

a second module configured to, by a processor, compute a value based on the image data, and determine one of a cleanliness and an uncleanliness of the autonomous vehicle based on the computed value; and

a third module configured to, by a processor, selectively generate a signal to at least one of control the autonomous vehicle to navigate to a cleaning station and notify a user based on the determined one of cleanliness and uncleanliness of the autonomous vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second module computes a color value as the value based on the image data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the color value is a Red, Green, Blue value.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the second module determines the at least one of the cleanliness and the uncleanliness of the autonomous vehicle based on a comparison of the color value to a stored value associated with a body of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the second module computes the color value by computing a color value for a plurality of pixels in the image data, and wherein the second module determines the at least one of the cleanliness and the uncleanliness of the autonomous vehicle is based on a comparison of the color values for the plurality of pixels to a threshold.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the second module computes a brightness value as the value based on the image data.

14. The system of claim 13, further a fourth module that determines a clarity of the camera device based on the brightness value.

15. A vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of camera devices distributed about the vehicle, the camera devices sense at least a portion of a body of the vehicle; and

a controller that is configured to, by a processor, receive image data from at least one of the camera devices, compute a value based on the image data, determine one of a cleanliness and an uncleanliness of the autonomous vehicle based on the computed value, and selectively generate a signal to at least one of control the autonomous vehicle to navigate to a cleaning station and notify a user based on the determined one of cleanliness and uncleanliness of the vehicle.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the controller computes a color value as the value based on the image data.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the color value is a Red, Green, Blue value.

18. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the controller determines the one of the cleanliness and the uncleanliness of the autonomous vehicle is based on a comparison of the color value to a stored value associated with a body of the vehicle.

19. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the controller computes a brightness value as the value based on the image data.

20. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the controller determines a clarity of the camera device based on the brightness value.