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DE-102024132702-A1 - Device for keeping and cleaning an underbody camera of a motor vehicle

DE102024132702A1DE 102024132702 A1DE102024132702 A1DE 102024132702A1DE-102024132702-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for keeping and cleaning an underbody camera (3) of a motor vehicle, which has a number of active components (5, 7, 21) with which different cleaning and/or protective functions can be performed. According to the invention, the device has a control unit (15) which, based on current driving and/or environmental parameters (P) and/or on the basis of a current degree of soiling (V), activates at least one of the active components (5, 7, 21) depending on the situation in order to maintain the functionality of the underbody camera (3).

Inventors

  • Alexander Gummer

Assignees

  • AUDI AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241108

Claims (10)

  1. Device for keeping clean and cleaning an underbody camera (3) of a motor vehicle, which has a number of active components (5, 7, 21) with which different cleaning and/or protective functions can be carried out, characterized in that the device has a control unit (15) which, on the basis of current driving operation and/or environmental parameters (P) and/or on the basis of a current degree of soiling (V), activates at least one of the active components (5, 7, 21) depending on the situation in order to maintain the functionality of the underbody camera (3).
  2. Device according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the device has at least one of the following active components that can be controlled by the control unit (15): - a rotatable transparent protective roller (5), in particular in combination with a cleaning system (7) operating with cleaning fluid, which cleans the outside of the protective roller, wherein the underbody camera (3) is arranged in the interior of the protective roller; - a compressed air nozzle unit (13), by means of which a compressed air flow can be directed along the protective roller (5) to protect its outer surface from contamination, such as dust, water droplets or small stones; and/or - a protective hood (21), by means of which the protective roller (5) with integrated underbody camera (3) can be covered in a watertight and dirt-proof manner.
  3. Device according to Claim 2 , characterized in that the control unit (15) controls one or more of the active components depending on the speed, and in particular: - at low travel speed, the control unit (15) activates the protective roller (5) together with the cleaning system (7) depending on the situation, while the compressed air nozzle unit (3) remains deactivated and the protective hood (21) remains in its open position; - at medium travel speed, the control unit (15) activates the compressed air nozzle unit (13) or the protective roller (5) together with the cleaning system (7) depending on the situation, while the protective hood (21) remains in its open position; - at high travel speed, the control unit (15) moves the protective hood (21) into its closed position in order to cover the protective roller (5).
  4. device according to one of the Claims 2 or 3 , characterized in that the control unit (15) is assigned an image analysis module (17) with which, on the basis of a camera image, a degree of contamination and/or a type of contamination (V) on a roller segment (S1 to S5) of the guard roller (5) can be detected through which the camera viewing direction (B) passes, and in particular that the control unit (15) determines, on the basis of the degree of contamination and/or the type of contamination (V), the frequency or number of guard roller rotations and/or the amount of cleaning fluid required when the guard roller (5) together with the cleaning system (7) is activated.
  5. Device according to Claim 4 , characterized in that , if the roller segment (S1 to S5) through which the camera viewing direction (B) passes is contaminated, the control unit (15) rotates the protective roller (5) until a clean roller segment (S2) is in the camera viewing direction (B), while preferably the contaminated roller segment (S1) can be cleaned by means of the cleaning system (7).
  6. Device according to Claim 4 or 5 , characterized in that by means of the image analysis module (17) a recurring interference contour on the roller circumference during a protective roller rotation can be categorized as permanent damage, and that the control unit (15) rotates the protective roller (5) until the damage is outside the camera's viewing direction (B), and in particular that the image analysis module (17) transmits a warning message to the driver in order to replace the protective roller (5) if there is damage to the protective roller that exceeds a predetermined dimension.
  7. device according to one of the Claims 4 until 6 , characterized in that , in the event that the image analysis module (17) detects dust or sand as the type of contamination, the control unit (15) activates the compressed air nozzle unit (13) to keep the protective roller (5) dust-free.
  8. device according to one of the Claims 2 until 7 , characterized in that when passing through water the control unit (15) activates the protective hood (21) so that the protective roller (21) with integrated underbody camera (3) is protected against water.
  9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (15) is a self-learning system in which the surface condition can be stored depending on the respective GPS position of the motor vehicle.
  10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (15) is assigned an input means by which individual active components (5, 7, 21) of the device can be controlled by the driver in order to to start a cleaning process or to set up camera protection.

Description

The invention relates to a device for keeping clean and cleaning an underbody camera of a motor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1. Underbody cameras are installed in typical off-road vehicles, allowing the driver to see underneath the vehicle and at the wheels. This helps the driver navigate the vehicle around obstacles, rocks, etc., while driving off-road without damaging the underbody or tires. Although the vehicle is equipped with heavy-duty underbody protection along its entire length, the camera systems offer additional protection against damage. The camera system can consist of two wide-angle cameras, one facing forward and the other backward. Depending on the driving situation, the driver can therefore monitor either the front or rear wheels. Due to their exposed position in the underbody, and especially during off-road driving, such a camera system is extremely susceptible to dirt and grime. Existing cleaning systems are no longer sufficient in such conditions. Underbody cameras are a valuable aid for drivers, especially when driving off-road, as they allow a view underneath the vehicle. Obstacles at the wheels, the risk of bottoming out, and other critical situations can thus be identified even without a guide – i.e., an external person. Due to their installation location, these cameras are particularly susceptible to dirt accumulation. Conventional cleaning systems quickly reach their limits here. For example, aerodynamic measures are ineffective due to the low speeds off-road. Cleaning via spray nozzles only works as long as the dirt hasn't dried on the camera cover. Then, manual cleaning is usually the only option, which is difficult to access due to the camera's location under the vehicle. Furthermore, relying solely on spray nozzles for cleaning quickly consumes large quantities of cleaning fluid. At higher speeds, such as when driving between obstacles on off-road trails, the risk of stone chips and thus permanent damage to the camera covers also increases. Additionally, the amount of dirt accumulated can increase significantly at higher speeds, further increasing the need for cleaning fluid. Furthermore, many off-road tracks include water crossings where vehicles sometimes drive right up to the sill line through riverbeds or water holes. In this case, an underbody camera is usually useless because nothing is visible in the dark and often murky water. On the other hand, the risk of soiling or even damaging the underbody camera increases. Current approaches to sensor cleaning do not yield satisfactory results when using underbody cameras for off-road driving. For example, from the DE 10 2020 107 394 A1 A camera is known which is provided in a lens housing that is secured by a mounting means. A cleaning agent is provided in an area remote from the lens. From the DE 10 2013 006 686 A1 A motor vehicle is known with a sensor that is housed in a rotatable casing, to which a wiper is assigned that cleans the outside of the casing when the casing is rotated. From the DE 10 2020 131 873 A1 A sensor lens cleaning system for a cylindrical sensor with a sensor lens surface is known. The sensor cleaning system has a compressed air nozzle that generates an airflow directed onto the surface of the sensor lens. From the WO 2022/177437 A1 A cleaning device for the outer surface of an optical instrument of a motor vehicle is known, in which a cleaning fluid is supplied. From the DE 10 2018 116 822 A1 A self-cleaning camera device is known in which cleaning is also carried out using a cleaning fluid. From the DE 10 2018 006 529 A1 A camera system for a vehicle is known in which a camera housing is rotatably mounted and a cleaning system with a wiper element is included, with which liquid can be wiped from the outside of the housing during a cleaning process. From the US 5 068 770 A A vehicle headlight is known that is housed in a rotatable, spherical protective shield. Light-reducing road contaminants such as slush adhere to the shield and therefore cannot stick to the headlight. The object of the invention is to provide a device for keeping and cleaning an underbody camera of a motor vehicle, by means of which resource-saving and/or needs-based cleaning of the underbody camera is made possible. The problem is solved by the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. The invention relates to a device for keeping and cleaning an underbody camera of a motor vehicle. This device has a number of active components with which various cleaning and/or protective functions are performed. The following measures are taken according to the invention to enable resource-saving and needs-based cleaning or protection of the underbody camera: The device has a control unit that activates at least one of the active components based on current driving and/or environmental parameters and/or the current degree of soiling in order to maintain the functionality of the u