Carwash device, car-washing method, storage medium stored with car-washing program, and car-washing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12269442-B2
Application number	US-202217808541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2022
Priority date	Jun 28, 2021
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

A carwash device receives vehicle attribute information indicating an attribute of a vehicle that is a car-washing target. The carwash device selects a car-washing mode based on the vehicle attribute information, and the carwash device drives a drive section for washing the vehicle such that the vehicle is washed in the selected car-washing mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A carwash device, comprising:
a memory, and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to:
receive vehicle attribute information indicating an attribute of a vehicle that is a car-washing target;
select a car-washing mode based on the vehicle attribute information; and
drive a drive section for washing the vehicle such that the vehicle is washed in the selected car-washing mode, wherein:

the vehicle attribute information includes information indicating whether or not the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle;
in a case in which the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, the processor sets an autonomous vehicle-specific car-washing mode, which is the car-washing mode avoiding a vicinity of a sensor utilized during autonomous driving; and
the processor is configured to control the drive section such that the vehicle is washed in the set autonomous vehicle-specific car-washing mode.

2. The carwash device of claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle attribute information further includes at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of
information indicating a shape of the vehicle,
information indicating a paint on the vehicle,
information indicating a coating on the vehicle,
information indicating equipment of the vehicle, and
information indicating robustness of the vehicle.

3. The carwash device of claim 2 , wherein:
the vehicle attribute information includes the information indicating robustness of the vehicle;
the processor is configured to set the car-washing mode reducing at least one of a brush rotation speed, a brush contact force, or a water pressure for washing the vehicle based on the vehicle robustness included in the vehicle attribute information; and
the processor is configured to control the drive section such that the vehicle is washed in the set car-washing mode.

4. The carwash device of claim 2 , wherein:
the vehicle attribute information includes the information indicating the paint on the vehicle or the information indicating the coating on the vehicle;
the processor is configured to set the car-washing mode including a type of detergent for washing the vehicle based on the information indicating the vehicle paint or the information indicating the vehicle coating included in the vehicle attribute information; and
the processor is configured to control the drive section such that the vehicle is washed in the set car-washing mode.

5. The carwash device of claim 2 , wherein
the processor is configured to receive the vehicle attribute information through a management server configured to manage a car-washing system.

6. The carwash device of claim 2 , wherein:
a vehicle control device installed to the vehicle outputs, to the carwash device, the vehicle attribute information or information indicating a manner of car-washing as input by an occupant of the vehicle; and
the processor is configured to select the car-washing mode based on the vehicle attribute information or the information indicating the manner of car-washing.

7. A carwash device, comprising:
a memory, and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to:
receive vehicle attribute information indicating an attribute of a vehicle that is a car-washing target;
select a car-washing mode based on the vehicle attribute information; and
drive a drive section for washing the vehicle such that the vehicle is washed in the selected car-washing mode, wherein:

the vehicle attribute information includes information indicating whether or not the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle;
in a case in which the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, the processor sets an autonomous vehicle-specific car-washing mode, which is the car-washing mode reducing a brush rotation speed in a vicinity of a sensor utilized during autonomous driving; and
the processor is configured to control the drive section such that the vehicle is washed in the set autonomous vehicle-specific car-washing mode.

8. The carwash device of claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is configured to additionally receive an image of the vehicle captured by a camera; and
the processor is configured to set the car-washing mode including a type of detergent for washing the vehicle based on the vehicle image and the vehicle attribute information.

9. A car-washing system, comprising:
the carwash device of claim 1 ; and
a vehicle control device.

10. The carwash device of claim 1 , wherein:
after controlling the drive section such that the vehicle is washed in the set autonomous vehicle-specific car-washing mode, the processor is configured to output an instruction signal instructing to reduce sensor sensitivity to a vehicle control device installed to the vehicle.

11. A car-washing method in which a processor executes processing comprising:
receiving vehicle attribute information indicating an attribute of a vehicle that is a car-washing target;
selecting a car-washing mode based on the vehicle attribute information; and
driving a drive section for washing the vehicle such that the vehicle is washed in the selected car-washing mode, wherein
the vehicle attribute information includes information indicating whether or not the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle;
in a case in which the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, the processor executes further processing comprising
setting an autonomous vehicle-specific car-washing mode, which is the car-washing mode avoiding a vicinity of a sensor utilized during autonomous driving; and
controlling the drive section such that the vehicle is washed in the set autonomous vehicle-specific car-washing mode.

12. A non-transitory recording medium storing a car-washing program that is executable by a computer to perform a process comprising:
receiving vehicle attribute information indicating an attribute of a vehicle that is a car-washing target;
selecting a car-washing mode based on the vehicle attribute information; and
driving a drive section for washing the vehicle such that the vehicle is washed in the selected car-washing mode, wherein
the vehicle attribute information includes information indicating whether or not the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle;
in a case in which the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, the process further comprises
setting an autonomous vehicle-specific car-washing mode, which is the car-washing mode avoiding a vicinity of a sensor utilized during autonomous driving; and
controlling the drive section such that the vehicle is washed in the set autonomous vehicle-specific car-washing mode.

13. A car-washing method in which a processor executes processing comprising:
receiving vehicle attribute information indicating an attribute of a vehicle that is a car-washing target;
selecting a car-washing mode based on the vehicle attribute information; and
driving a drive section for washing the vehicle such that the vehicle is washed in the selected car-washing mode, wherein
the vehicle attribute information includes information indicating whether or not the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle;
in a case in which the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, the processor executes further processing comprising
setting an autonomous vehicle-specific car-washing mode, which is the car-washing mode reducing a brush rotation speed in a vicinity of a sensor utilized during autonomous driving; and
controlling the drive section such that the vehicle is washed in the set autonomous vehicle-specific car-washing mode.

14. A non-transitory recording medium storing a car-washing program that is executable by a computer to perform a process comprisin

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Haibara Teruaki
• Hoshi Kenji
• Sato Masaaki

Classifications

• B60S3/06 Primary

  with rotary bodies contacting the vehicle {(hand-held B60S3/048)} · CPC title

• B60S3/04 Primary

  for exteriors of land vehicles {(B60S3/002, B60S3/004 take precedence; specially adapted for railway vehicles B60S3/006)} · CPC title