Autonomous radar roof module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569721-B2
Application number	US-201815862178-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2018
Priority date	Jan 4, 2018
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A roof apparatus for an autonomous hardtop vehicle is described. The apparatus includes a vehicle roof having an opening for a sunroof and a roof cover that encloses sensor devices. The roof apparatus is mounted from the underside of the vehicle roof at the position for mounting a sunroof. The sensors include an array of cameras having a field of view of the full width of the vehicle in at least the front of the vehicle. The height of the roof cover above the vehicle roof is a minimal height to accommodate the height of the cameras.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A roof apparatus for an autonomous hardtop vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a vehicle roof having an opening;
a roof assembly having a plurality of sensors mounted thereon, the roof assembly being mounted to a lower side of the vehicle roof at an interior of the vehicle;
a roof panel that extends across and forms a top of the vehicle roof; and
a roof cover mounted to the top of the vehicle roof to enclose the plurality of sensors and the opening,
wherein the plurality of sensors include a plurality of cameras having a field of view of a full width of the vehicle in at least a front of the vehicle, and
wherein the roof cover includes an arcuate front lip which closely matches a curvature of the vehicle roof.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opening in the vehicle roof is a sunroof opening.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opening in the vehicle roof is a moonroof opening.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a side of the roof cover arranged to face the front of the vehicle is of a transparent material,
wherein a side of the roof cover arranged to face the rear of the vehicle is of a transparent material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors include a LIDAR.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the roof cover is made of the same material as a material of the vehicle roof, and the transparent material is a same material as the vehicle windshield.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the transparent material includes one or more of glass, plastic, and a transparent resin.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein peripheral edges of the roof cover is made of a transparent resin sufficient to allow a signal transmitted from the sensors to pass through substantially unobstructed.

9. A method for mounting a roof apparatus for an autonomous hardtop vehicle in an opening for a sunroof, the method comprising:
attaching one or more sensors to a radar reinforcement plate having a peripheral shape that matches the sunroof opening;
attaching the radar reinforcement plate to a sunroof assembly;
mounting the sunroof assembly to an underside of the roof of the hardtop vehicle; and
mounting an aerodynamic cover to a top of a vehicle roof panel to enclose the sunroof opening and the one or more sensors,
wherein the aerodynamic cover includes an arcuate front lip which closely matches and engages with a curvature of a front of the vehicle roof.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the radar reinforcement plate is attached to the sunroof assembly and the sunroof assembly is attached to the underside of the roof of the hardtop vehicle at a position for mounting a sunroof.

11. A roof apparatus for an autonomous hardtop vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a vehicle roof having an opening;
a roof assembly having a plurality of sensors mounted thereon, the roof assembly being mounted to a lower side of the vehicle roof at an interior of the vehicle;
a roof panel that extends across and forms the top of the vehicle roof; and
a roof cover mounted to the top of the vehicle roof to enclose the plurality of sensors and the opening,
wherein the plurality of sensors include a plurality of cameras having a field of view of a full width of the vehicle in at least a front of the vehicle, and
wherein the roof cover includes a transition at a rear of the roof cover, and
wherein the transition closely matches and engages with a curvature of a rear window of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the aerodynamic cover includes a transition at a rear of the aerodynamic cover, and
wherein the transition closely matches a curvature of a rear of the vehicle.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the arcuate front lip closely matches and engages with a curvature of a front of the vehicle roof.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the roof cover includes a transition at a rear of the roof cover, and
wherein the transition closely matches a curvature of a rear the vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Frederick Scott L
• Sakowski Andrew L
• Castleman Bill

Classifications

• B60R2011/004

  outside the vehicle · CPC title

• B62D35/00

  Vehicle bodies characterised by streamlining · CPC title

• B62D25/06

  Fixed roofs (non-fixed roofs or like shelters B60J7/00; roof liners B60R13/02; insulating elements B60R13/08) · CPC title

• B60R11/04 Primary

  Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• G05D1/0231

  using optical position detecting means (position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16) · CPC title