Sensor diagnostic system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10678230-B2
Application number	US-201815896283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2018
Priority date	Feb 14, 2018
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A diagnostic system for identifying vehicle sensors impaired by a foreign substance. The system includes a plurality of vehicle sensors configured to facilitate navigation of a vehicle in an environment. A gear shift detection sensor is configured to detect a gear position of the vehicle. A control module is configured to identify which of the plurality of vehicle sensors is impaired by a foreign substance; and identify for an operator of the vehicle which of the plurality of vehicle sensors is impaired due to the foreign substance based on the gear position of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A diagnostic system for identifying vehicle sensors impaired by a foreign substance, the system comprising:
a plurality of vehicle sensors configured to facilitate navigation of a vehicle in an environment;
a gear shift detection sensor configured to detect a gear position of the vehicle; and
a control module configured to:
identify which of the plurality of vehicle sensors is impaired by a foreign substance; and
identify for an operator of the vehicle which of the plurality of vehicle sensors is impaired due to the foreign substance based on the gear position of the vehicle.

2. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vehicle sensors are configured to be mounted to the vehicle at locations where performance of the plurality of vehicle sensors may become impaired by the foreign substance.

3. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to, based on the gear position of the vehicle, notify the operator of the vehicle that a feature of the vehicle is unavailable because one or more of the plurality of vehicle sensors is impaired by the foreign substance.

4. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to deactivate a vehicle feature that relies on one or more of the plurality of sensors impaired by presence of the foreign substance.

5. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vehicle sensors include at least one of a radar sensor, LIDAR sensor, ultrasonic sensor, vehicle-to-vehicle sensor, vehicle-to-infrastructure sensor, and a camera.

6. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vehicle sensors include at least one of the following: a surround view camera; a clearance sonar; front radar; rear radar; and side radar.

7. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of vehicle sensors include a clearance sonar; and
when the control module detects that the clearance sonar is impaired by the foreign substance, and the gear position of the vehicle is detected to be in reverse or drive by the gear shift detection sensor, the control module is configured to: deactivate at least one of automatic parking and back-up assist features of the vehicle and inform the operator of the deactivation; and inform the operator that a foreign substance needs to be cleaned from the clearance sonar.

8. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of vehicle sensors include a front radar sensor; and
when the control module detects that the front radar sensor is impaired by the foreign substance, and the gear position of the vehicle is detected to be in drive by the gear shift detection sensor, the control module is configured to: deactivate a pre-collision system of the vehicle; inform the operator of the vehicle that the pre-collision system has been deactivated; and inform the operator that a foreign substance needs to be cleaned from the pre-collision sensor.

9. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of vehicle sensors include a rear radar sensor and side radar sensors;
wherein when the control module detects that any one of the rear radar sensor and the side radar sensors are impaired by the foreign substance, and the gear position of the vehicle is detected to be in reverse by the gear shift detection sensor, the control module is configured to: deactivate a back-up assist feature of the vehicle; inform the operator of the vehicle that the back-up assist feature have been deactivated; and inform the operator that a foreign substance needs to be cleaned from at least one of the rear radar sensor and side radar sensors.

10. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of vehicle sensors include a rear radar sensor and side radar sensors;
wherein when the control module detects that any one of the rear radar sensor and the side radar sensors are impaired by the foreign substance, and the gear position of the vehicle is detected to be in drive by the gear shift detection sensor, the control module is configured to: deactivate a lane change assist feature of the vehicle; inform the operator of the vehicle that the lane change assist feature has been deactivated; and inform the operator that a foreign substance needs to be cleaned from at least one of the rear radar sensor and side radar sensors.

11. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein when the control module detects presence of the foreign substance at any of the plurality of vehicle sensors, and the gear position of the vehicle is in park, the control module identifies for the operator which of the plurality of vehicle sensors is impaired by the foreign substance.

12. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the control module measures optical flow captured by the plurality of vehicle sensors to identify which of the plurality of vehicle sensors is impaired by the foreign substance.

13. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the control module measures optical contrast captured by the plurality of vehicle sensors to identify which of the plurality of vehicle sensors is impaired by the foreign substance.

14. The diagnostic system of claim 1 , wherein the control module measures reflection strength of the plurality of vehicle sensors to identify which of the plurality of vehicle sensors is impaired by the foreign substance.

15. A diagnostic system for identifying vehicle sensors impaired by a foreign substance, the system comprising:
a plurality of vehicle sensors configured to facilitate navigation of a vehicle in an environment;
a gear shift detection sensor configured to detect a gear position of the vehicle; and
a control module configured to:
identify which of the plurality of vehicle sensors is impaired by a foreign substance and needs to be cleaned to remove the foreign substance;
deactivate a vehicle feature that relies on one or more of the plurality of sensors impaired by the foreign substance;
inform an operator of the vehicle which of the plurality of sensors is impaired by the foreign substance and needs to be cleaned based on the gear position of the vehicle such that the operator is only informed of the impaired ones of the plurality of sensors used during operation of the vehicle in the detected gear position; and
inform the operator of the vehicle of the features that have been deactivated based on the gear position of the vehicle such that the operator is only informed of the vehicle features used during operation of the vehicle in the detected gear position.

16. The diagnostic system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of vehicle sensors include at least one of a radar sensor, LIDAR sensor, ultrasonic sensor, vehicle-to-vehicle sensor, vehicle-to-infrastructure sensor, and a camera.

17. The diagnostic system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of vehicle sensors include at least one of the following: a surround view camera; a clearance sonar; front radar; rear radar; and side radar.

18. The diagnostic system of claim 15 , wherein:
the plurality of vehicle sensors include a clearance sonar; and
when the control module detects that the clearance sonar is impaired by the foreign substance, and the gear position of the vehicle is detected to be in reverse or drive by the gear shift detection sensor, the control module is configured to: deactivate at least one of automatic parking and back-up assist features of the vehicle and inform the operator of the deactivation; and inform the operator that a foreign substance needs to be cleaned from the clearance sonar.

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Takama Daisuke
• Gesch Matthew

Classifications

• G05B23/0213

  Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols · CPC title

• G05B2219/2637

  Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair · CPC title

• G05B23/0216

  Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration · CPC title

• G05B19/042 Primary

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title