System and method for cleaning obstructions for the sensors of an autonomous vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11059458-B2
Application number	US-201816058107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2018
Priority date	Aug 8, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method, a system, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for cleaning obstructions for the sensors of the autonomous vehicle. The method includes: detecting, via a sensor, obstructions that block the field of views for the sensors; retrieving real-time weather data outside the autonomous vehicle; estimating, based on the real-time weather data, the features of the obstructions; proposing, based on the estimation of the features of the obstructions and, one or more cleaning plans; querying, via a user interface, a selection by a user regarding the proposed cleaning plans; and executing, via a cleaning system for the sensors of the autonomous vehicle, the proposed cleaning plan selected by the user. User interaction may be vehicle-driven or user-driven.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for cleaning obstructions for at least one sensor of an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
detecting obstructions that block a field of view of the at least one sensor;
retrieving, by a processing circuitry of the autonomous vehicle, real-time weather data of an environment outside of the autonomous vehicle;
estimating, by the processing circuitry, features of the obstructions, based on the real-time weather data;
proposing, by the processing circuitry, one or more cleaning plans to a user, based on the estimation of the features of the obstructions, such that the one or more cleaning plans are displayed on a user interface;
querying, via a user interface, a selection of a selected cleaning plan by the user from the one or more leaning plans;
in response to the user selecting one of the one or more cleaning plans that are queried via the user interface, executing by the processing circuitry and via a cleaning system for the at least one sensor of the autonomous vehicle, the selected cleaning plan selected by the user;
in response to the user not selecting one of the one or more cleaning plans that are queried via the user interface, soliciting via the user interface a user suggestion for another cleaning plan, adjusting, by the processing circuitry, the one or more cleaning plans based on the user suggestion, and executing, by the processing circuitry and via the cleaning system for the at least one sensor of the autonomous vehicle, the another cleaning plan suggested by the user.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting of the obstructions comprises a comparison between a signal quality of the sensor and a pre-determined threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the real-time weather data includes data read from a temperature sensor of the autonomous vehicle and/or data retrieved from an online weather database.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the estimating of the features of the obstructions is further based on a signal quality degradation level of the at least one sensor.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more cleaning plans are further based on weather forecast data retrieved from an online weather database.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a vehicle-based user interface and/or a user device-based user interface.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning system comprises heating wires and hot air defroster bars.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the processing circuitry, whether a cleaning program is needed; and
alerting, via the user interface, the user to initiate the cleaning program, when the cleaning program is determined to be needed.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, via the user interface, a user command from the user to initiate a cleaning program.

10. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
at least one sensor performing normal operation when a field of view of the at least one sensor is clear;
a user interface;
a cleaning system for the at least one sensor; and
a processing circuitry configured to:
retrieve real-time weather data of an environment outside of the autonomous vehicle;
estimate, based on the real-time weather data, features of obstructions;
propose, based on the features of the obstructions, one or more cleaning plans to a user, such that the one or more cleaning plans are displayed on the user interface; and
execute, a selected cleaning plan that is selected by the user from the one or more cleaning plans,
wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect obstructions that block a field of view of the at least one sensor,
wherein the user interface is configured to receive the user selection of the selected cleaning plan from the one or more cleaning plans or, in response to the user not selecting from the one or more cleaning plans, a user suggestion for modifying the one or more cleaning plans in response to a query by the processing circuitry,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to adjust the one or more cleaning plans based on the user suggestion, and
wherein the cleaning system is configured to clean the at least one sensor to remove the obstructions according to one of the selected cleaning plan and the adjusted one or more cleaning plans.

11. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that operation of the sensor is abnormal when a signal quality of the sensor is below a pre-determined threshold, and
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to execute the selected cleaning plan when the operation of the at least one sensor is determined to be abnormal.

12. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the real-tune weather includes data read from a temperature sensor of the autonomous vehicle and/or real-time weather data retrieved from an online weather database.

13. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the cleaning system includes heating wires and hot air defroster bars.

14. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine whether a cleaning program is needed.

15. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein the user interface is further configured to alert the user when the processing circuitry determines the cleaning program is needed.

16. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the user interface is further configured to receive a user command to initiate a cleaning program.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer-readable instructions therein which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for cleaning obstructions of at least one sensor of an autonomous vehicle:
detecting, via a sensor, obstructions that block a field of view of the at least one sensor:
retrieving real-time weather data of an environment outside of the autonomous vehicle;
estimating based on the real-time weather data, features of the obstructions of the at least one sensor;
proposing, based on the features of the obstructions, one or more cleaning plans to a user, such that the one more cleaning plans are relayed on a user interface;
querying, via the user interface, a selection by the user of a selected cleaning plan regarding the one or more cleaning plans;
in response to the user selecting one of the one or more cleaning plans that are queried via the user interface, executing, by the processing circuitry and via a cleaning system for the at least ne sensor of the autonomous vehicle, the selected cleaning plan selected by the user;
in response to the user not selecting one of the one or more cleaning plans that are queried via the user interface, soliciting via the user interface a user suggestion for another cleaning plan, adjusting, by the processing circuitry, the one or more cleaning plans based on the user suggestion, and executing, via the cleaning system for the at least one sensor of the autonomous vehicle, the another cleaning plan suggested by the user.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Frederick Scott L
• Robison Scott P

Classifications

• G01S2013/9322

  using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data · CPC title

• G01S7/4047

  Heated dielectric lens, e.g. by heated wire · CPC title

• G01S2013/93273

  on the top of the vehicles · CPC title

• G02B27/0006

  with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation (G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B) · CPC title

• B60S1/56 Primary

  specially adapted for cleaning other parts or devices than front windows or windscreens {(rear-view mirror arrangements mounted on vehicle exterior including cleaning devices B60R1/0602)} · CPC title