阅读说明：本技术 用于安装在车辆上的相机系统 (Camera system for mounting on vehicle ) 是由 A·C·M·范德克纳普 S·沃特哈根 M·范尼塞尔罗伊 C·古弗斯 J·基尔霍夫 A·海塞 于 2019-12-09 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种被布置成安装在车辆的前侧位置(110)上的相机系统(200),该相机系统被装备成提供至少车辆(100)前方的区域的图像,该相机系统包括被布置成安装在车辆的前侧位置(110)上的翼组件(120)、以及安装在翼组件(120)中的前视相机(130),翼组件(120)具有前部部分(123f),该前部部分围绕形成前视相机(130)的前侧(120f)的相机透明部分(130t)成形并在其前方延伸,使得相机透明部分(130t)与前部部分(123f)形成平滑且连续的表面；其中,前部部分(123f)向前延伸超过相机透明部分的表面(130T),使得由前部部分(123f)形成弯曲引导表面,该弯曲引导表面将迎面行驶风(F2)从前部部分(123f)沿着相机透明部分(130t)重定向到向下方向,以保持相机透明部分不受污染。(A camera system (200) arranged to be mounted on a front location (110) of a vehicle, the camera system being equipped to provide an image of at least an area in front of the vehicle (100), the camera system comprising a wing assembly (120) arranged to be mounted on the front location (110) of the vehicle, and a forward looking camera (130) mounted in the wing assembly (120), the wing assembly (120) having a front portion (123f) shaped around and extending in front of a camera transparent portion (130t) forming a front side (120f) of the forward looking camera (130), such that the camera transparent portion (130t) forms a smooth and continuous surface with the front portion (123 f); wherein the front portion (123F) extends forwardly beyond a surface (130T) of the camera transparent portion such that a curved guide surface is formed by the front portion (123F) which redirects oncoming wind (F2) from the front portion (123F) in a downward direction along the camera transparent portion (130T) to keep the camera transparent portion free of contamination.)

1. A camera system arranged to be mounted at a front position of a vehicle, the camera system being equipped to provide an image of at least an area in front of the vehicle, the camera system comprising:

-a wing assembly arranged to be mounted in a forward position of the vehicle; and

-a front-view camera mounted in the wing assembly, wherein the wing assembly has a front portion shaped around and extending in front of a camera transparent portion forming a front side of the front-view camera such that the camera transparent portion forms a smooth and continuous surface with the front portion; wherein the front portion extends forward beyond a surface of the camera transparent portion such that a curved guide surface is formed by the front portion, the curved guide surface redirecting oncoming wind from the front portion in a downward direction along the camera transparent portion to keep the camera transparent portion free of contamination.

2. The camera system according to claim 1, wherein the camera transparent portion is provided with an anti-fouling coating.

3. The camera system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the wing assembly has a top airfoil surface and an opposite bottom airfoil surface; wherein the top airfoil has a flatter side than the bottom airfoil.

4. The camera system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the wing assembly has a base airfoil and a protruding portion protruding from the base airfoil, the protruding portion having a front side formed in part by the camera transparent portion of the forward looking camera.

5. The camera system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the protruding portion has a bottom wall and at least one side wall extending between the bottom wall and the bottom airfoil, positioned alongside the camera transparent portion, forming a guide surface to accelerate wind in a rearward direction down the camera transparent portion and partially laterally at high speed.

6. The camera system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising an inner wall portion extending from the bottom airfoil downwardly and towards the front portion in front of the camera transparent portion, the inner wall portion converging in a rearward direction to form a venturi structure for accelerating a travelling wind impacting the front portion and directed along the camera transparent portion.

7. The camera system according to claim 6, wherein the venturi structure is provided with horizontal slats for guiding air towards the front portion.

8. A camera system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the inner wall portion is asymmetrically oriented with respect to the truck length direction.

9. The camera system of any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the inner wall portion is oriented at an angle relative to a length of the vehicle.

10. The camera system of claim 9, wherein the inner wall portion is angled relative to a vertical orientation of the vehicle.

11. The camera system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the wing assembly comprises a hinge mount that articulates the wing assembly in forward and rearward directions of travel.

12. The camera system of claim 11, wherein the hinge has a fixed portion fixed to a side of the vehicle, and wherein an additional overhead camera is disposed in the fixed portion.

13. The camera system as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein the hinge has a base portion including an opening for passing the camera and telemetry cables therethrough.

14. The camera system of any preceding claim, wherein the wing assembly houses a rear view camera.

15. The camera system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the wing assembly has a base airfoil and a protruding portion protruding from the base airfoil, the protruding portion having a front side formed in part by the camera transparent portion of the forward looking camera, and wherein the rearward looking camera is disposed in the protruding portion.

16. The camera system of any preceding claim, wherein the wing assembly houses one or more digital communication antennas.

17. The camera system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the wing assembly has a side portion that houses the one or more digital communication antennas.

18. The camera system according to claims 16 to 17, wherein the digital communication antenna is a Wifi antenna for a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system.

19. The camera system as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the side portion is shaped as a winglet.

20. A camera system according to any preceding claim, wherein the wing assembly is provided with a removable cover plate.

21. The camera system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the cover plate is secured to the wing assembly by a clamp.

22. The camera system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the wing assembly is integrated as a front view camera in an external rear view front side mirror or mirror replacement device.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a camera system arranged to be mounted at a position on the front side of a vehicle, which camera system is equipped to provide images of an area in front of the vehicle and objects present in this area, in particular for use in queue driving of heavy trucks.

Background

In-line driving (i.e., more than two trucks (e.g., trailer-truck combinations) driving in a fleet) greatly improves the fuel efficiency of the trucks and relieves the driver of the burden of reduced road visibility due to short distances from the following vehicles in such high-precision steering and accountability system monitoring tasks. Furthermore, road usage (meaning more truck trailers per road length section) is maximized by short-range driving (road safety is enhanced) due to reduced or completely eliminated artifacts. Last but not least, the efficiency of the driver can be improved, since the driver can perform other tasks, such as management, rest, etc., while traveling in the case of an autonomous driving mode. Platoon driving is the basis of a new, future concept of automated logistics transportation. It is highly desirable to develop and optimize such systems.

One of the many challenges is to provide a reliable in-line ride control system for two trucks that follow each other at close distances (e.g., less than 15 meters, or even less than 5 meters), even with a camera sensing system, with a limited field of view. This requires that the response time of the vehicle following control system is significantly lower than the human reaction time, which is in the range of 1 to 1.5 seconds, depending on the (trained) skill and alertness level of the driver. In the prior art of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), of which platoon driving is a part, delay times of applied on-board sensor systems, such as cameras and radars, are in the range of 200 to 500 ms.

These delay times limit further minimization of the vehicle following distance; however: the smaller the spacing between following vehicles, the higher the benefits of platooning in terms of fuel economy, road use and traffic safety. For example, the risk of overtaking by other road users is reduced. To compensate for the sensor-related "sluggish" response of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) based vehicle following control systems, a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system is installed. These V2V signals are used to wirelessly (e.g., via WiFi-p) transmit actual vehicle conditions (e.g., acceleration, deceleration), and may even be to transmit steering angles from a leading vehicle to a following vehicle. In this way, feed-forward information is provided in addition to the basic ACC system in the following vehicle, thereby effectively establishing a fast-reacting platoon running control system that allows a short-distance vehicle to follow. In DE 102015010535, a plurality of cameras are used to detect the environment around a transport vehicle. In this arrangement, a central front view camera is provided in addition to the side cameras monitoring the side extent of the vehicle and (partially) replacing the rear view mirrors. One of the problems with side cameras, especially of the front-mount position type, is that the camera is very sensitive to moisture and dust accumulation, since it is oriented in the direction of travel.

In PCT/NL 2017/050285, the side mirror system is provided with a front-view camera provided on the side of the truck as an input to the platoon driving control system for the purpose of enhancing lane detection.

There is a need to provide a camera system, in particular for use in the case of the short-range vehicle-following-in-queue applications of commercial vehicles described in the aforementioned prior art, which is very insensitive to humid conditions and dust accumulation. It is well known to clean camera surfaces by means of wipers and washers (water jets) or similar parts, but these systems and their components are prone to failure over time. Furthermore, packaging these camera cleaning devices in the limited available space of the camera units mounted on these sides of the vehicle is quite problematic, which makes the overall construction complex and expensive. It is intended to provide a robust, durable, low cost solution for a camera mounting system.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one aspect, it is intended to provide a camera system arranged to be mounted at a front position of a vehicle, the camera system being equipped to provide an image of an area in front of the vehicle. The camera system includes a wing assembly arranged to be mounted at a forward location of the vehicle, and a forward-looking camera mounted in the wing assembly. The wing assembly has a front portion shaped around and extending in front of a camera transparent portion forming a front side of the forward looking camera such that the camera transparent portion forms a smooth and continuous surface with the front portion. The front portion extends forwardly beyond a surface of the camera transparent portion such that a curved guide surface is formed by the front portion that redirects oncoming wind from the front portion in a downward direction along the camera transparent portion to keep the camera transparent portion free of contamination.

Although the camera transparent portion is frontally opposite to the general direction of the travelling wind, the curved guiding surface solves the otherwise direct impact of the travelling wind on the forward looking camera. In this way, the occurrence of stationary areas is prevented, which would result in the air velocity near the camera surface being too low to prevent dirt build-up due to direct wind impact.

Drawings

The invention will be further elucidated in the accompanying drawings:

fig. 1 shows a schematic arrangement of guidance of a motor vehicle based on image data when driving the motor vehicle (semi-) autonomously in a platoon driving following a lead vehicle;

FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the camera system mounted by a hinge mount allowing for folding back and forth relative to the vehicle body;

figures 3a and 3b show the base and the suspended hinge mount, respectively;

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment wherein the wing assembly has a winglet and a top flap;

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment showing a wing assembly with a communications antenna mounted in the winglet portion;

FIG. 6 shows a first schematic cross-section of a forward looking camera mounted in a wing assembly, indicating the trajectory of moving air;

FIG. 7 shows a second schematic cross-section of a forward-looking camera mounted in a wing assembly;

FIG. 8 shows a third schematic cross-section of a forward-looking camera mounted in a wing assembly;

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a fourth embodiment in a lateral section of a front-view camera mounted in a wing assembly;

FIGS. 10A and 10B show wind speed distributions of the second and third embodiments;

11A and 11B illustrate a fifth embodiment with a venturi configuration placed in front of a front view camera;

FIG. 12A shows a comparative wind speed profile without a venturi shape;

FIG. 12B shows a wind velocity profile having a venturi shape;

FIG. 13 shows a venturi profile without protrusions, and sidewalls angled in different orientations;

fig. 14 shows a further embodiment with a venturi profile in front and bottom view.

Detailed Description

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs when read in the context of this specification and the accompanying drawings. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. In some instances, detailed descriptions of well-known devices and methods may be omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present system and method. The terminology used to describe particular embodiments is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features. All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions, will control.

While exemplary embodiments have been illustrated for systems and methods, alternative means for performing similar functions and results may be devised by those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. For example, some components may be combined, or divided into one or more alternative components. Finally, these embodiments are intended to be merely illustrative of the present system and should not be construed as limiting the appended claims to any particular embodiment or group of embodiments. Thus, while the present system has been described in particular detail with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof, it should also be appreciated that numerous modifications and alternative embodiments may be devised by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present system and method as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims.

In fig. 1a camera setup according to an embodiment of the invention is shown, which camera setup involves an improvement over the known prior art as described in PCT/NL 2017/050285. This figure shows a motor vehicle 100 (equipped with the improved camera arrangement) travelling in a platoon-type ride following the trailer 50 of a lead vehicle 100'. The distance of a following vehicle from its leading vehicle can be automatically controlled via a so-called Coordinated Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) which uses signals from onboard cameras and radar to measure the headway distance and receives V2V communication messages transmitted by the leading vehicle and containing information about the actual deceleration/acceleration to improve the quality, accuracy and response time of the CACC system. Furthermore, by means of an active steering control (e.g. an electric actuator connected to the steering shaft in order to superimpose an additional steering torque on the driver torque), it is possible to support the steering action of the driver keeping the vehicle in its actual lane, effectively helping the driver intuitively keep the vehicle in its lane. These Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) may be referred to as Lane Keeping Assistance (LKA). In other fully automated queue driving applications, the driver may even take his hands off the steering wheel. These systems may be referred to as Lane Keeping (LK). In such applications, the steering and hence the route or lateral position of the following vehicle is controlled solely by the steering control system, so that the route is followed automatically (which is particularly important in the case of a lane change) and maintained within the desired platooning lane in a completely autonomous manner. These lane keeping (assistance) methods include identifying the current position of the vehicle relative to the lane side 250' by a forward looking camera 20 mounted in a wing assembly mounted at a first forward position of the vehicle, preferably at or on or near the vehicle side mirror position. The additional forward looking camera mounted in the wing assembly 20' is preferably mounted at a second forward position of the vehicle opposite the first forward position of the vehicle relative to the length axis of the vehicle. The forward looking camera 20, 20' may provide a reference lateral distance value to the steering controller relative to the observed first lane side and/or second lane side. In this arrangement, the forward looking cameras 20, 20' define a dual camera base that is greater than the width of the vehicle, i.e., the first and second detectors are spaced apart by a distance equal to or wider than the width of the vehicle.

In the depicted embodiment, the front-view cameras 20, 20' may be further equipped to provide images of leading vehicles located in front of the vehicle. The steering controller may thus control the steering system to steer the vehicle according to a reference value derived from said image, which is particularly important for performing lane changes throughout the fleet. Thus, in addition to determining its own lateral position relative to the lane, the same camera may be used to determine the position of the trailers of the lead vehicle in the fleet, which is important for stable feedback control of lateral self-movement in a lane-keeping sense. For longitudinal control, the proposed method has the advantage of providing a stereoscopic camera view with a large span (distance between cameras). Thus, a forward looking camera mounted in the wing assembly 20 may be equipped to image the reference point P at the rear of the trailer of the lead vehicle 100' at a certain forward distance. The front distance is typically a distance much smaller than 15m, typically about 5 to 10 meters. In this way, the inter-vehicle distance or inter-vehicle distance with respect to the leading vehicle can be calculated in stereo images obtained from the opposing forward looking cameras mounted in the wing assemblies 20, 20' and advantageously used to improve the quality accuracy of an ACC-based inter-vehicle distance control system that uses a central intermediate camera and radar to measure the following distance as input. Depending on the technical implementation concept, the intermediate camera and the radar may even be dispensed with and thus be completely replaced by the two phase wing assemblies.

Point Q is a virtual point located on the road ahead of the following vehicle, typically ranging between 10m to 30m (the exact value is a tuning parameter in the steering controller to affect the trade-off between yaw damping and turn agility in sharp turns), and may be located below the trailer of the leading vehicle or even in front of the leading vehicle. By using the virtual point Q, the ground-holding (roadhook) control can be optimized for stable but agile yaw motion vehicle behavior by detecting or calculating the further lateral distance to the observed free-visible lane side marking of the left and right side of the lead vehicle with respect to Q (thus using this steering look ahead point information as input to the lane keeping control or assistance system). Mounting the forward-looking camera in the wing assembly (the wing assembly being mounted in a first forward position on the vehicle, preferably on the vehicle side mirror) provides the advantage of a constant field of view on at least one side of the lane-side sign (as is the case in curved lanes). In addition to the lane side detection, the calculated lead point Q in the almost middle of the lead trailer is used for lateral grip control error minimization.

In fig. 2, a more detailed view of the camera system 200 mounted on the vehicle front side location 110 is given. The camera system 200 includes a wing assembly 120 and a forward looking camera 130 mounted in the wing assembly. The wing assemblies 120 may preferably articulate in a forward direction of travel 120f and a rearward direction of travel 120 r. For example, in the extended operative position, the wing assembly does not extend beyond the prescribed lateral extent of the side mirror, may even form a part thereof, or may be a separate assembly mounted in alignment with the side mirror. Furthermore, when additional rear view and top view cameras are integrated in the assembly, the conventional side mirrors may even be replaced by camera wing units. These systems, known as "electronic mirrors", are equipped with a display inside the passenger compartment, typically at the location of the a-pillar, to provide the driver with a view of the road near the vehicle and extending backwards for the vehicle. In the event of an accidental impact, for example when a vehicle scrapes against a wall or another vehicle, the hinge mounts of the assembly rotate the wing assembly forward or backward to a lesser extent depending on the direction of the impact. In another application, the rotation of the wing may be actively adjusted by a hinge integrated motor device. In this case, the driver need not climb out of his vehicle, which is particularly important for commercial vehicles where the wing assemblies are typically located at a distance of 3 to 4m above the ground, to manually fold the mirror towards the cab for the purpose of maneuvering in narrow terrain and/or parking close to a wall or other vehicle at close distances.

The hinge 240 has a fixed portion 142 fixed to the vehicle side 110, and the additional overhead camera 132 is provided in the fixed portion 142. The wing assembly 120 may additionally provide space for housing the rear view camera 131. The hinge axis of rotation is preferably oriented at an angle to the vehicle side 110 (particularly the vertical) so that the wings 120 rotate laterally and upwardly when impacted. This rotational orientation minimizes damage because a portion of the impact energy is transferred by rotating the mirror away from the direction of impact. A relative advantage of the design of fig. 3A compared to the design of fig. 3B is that a larger coverage area (in the same design space) between the body and the rotatable wing is available, so that the hinge mounts can be provided more firmly. Furthermore, the wing assembly 120 may be designed with a top airfoil 121 and an opposite bottom airfoil 122. The top airfoil has a flatter side than the bottom airfoil, providing an advantageous aerodynamic design. Furthermore, it may be convenient to provide the flatter top side as a flattened removable cover (see fig. 4). In the advantageous design of fig. 3A, the flat wing assembly 120 has a bottom airfoil surface 122 and a raised portion 123 that projects from the bottom airfoil surface 122. The protruding portion 123 has a front side formed in part by the camera transparent portion of the front camera 130. As will be discussed below, the flat wing shape minimizes obstruction or drag of the traveling wind speed so as to provide an optimal wind speed for redirecting airflow in a downward direction along the camera 130.

The front portion extends forwardly beyond a surface of the camera transparent portion such that a curved guide surface is formed by the front portion that redirects oncoming wind from the front portion in a downward direction along the camera transparent portion to keep the camera transparent portion free of contamination. The top hinge mount design 241 of FIG. 3B leaves a little room for flattening the airfoil shape 122s with respect to the sides of the vehicle 110, which optimizes the wind speed below the airfoil shape due to the addition of channels on the immediate sides of the vehicle. This may serve as a trade-off for the height of the enlarged wing assembly 220 that may otherwise accommodate the overhead view camera. However, a greater height extension will generally reduce the oncoming wind speed near forward-looking camera 130. Both hinges 240, 241 of fig. 3A and 3B preferably include openings for camera and telemetry cables to pass through, such that a compact design of the articulatable wing assemblies 120, 220 is provided.

In a further embodiment illustrated in fig. 4, the wing assembly 120 is a top surface 121 that is provided as a removable cover plate. This has the benefit of ease of maintenance and installation of the telemetry device, for example, when the camera system is adjusted to a particular vehicle, or when repairs are required. The cover plates 125 forming the top airfoil may be mounted by clamping the cover. In an embodiment, the cover may slide in a correspondingly shaped groove provided in the lower portion 124 of the wing assembly. Alternatively, the clamping hooks 127 may grip corresponding clamps arranged in the bottom part. The cover 128 and recess may be designed such that the cover is clamped with sufficient down force when in the installed position so as to prevent water intrusion. An elastomeric sealing rim (not shown) effectively compressed by this downward pressure may further prevent water intrusion. Preferably, cover 125 is mounted by non-conductive portions (e.g., plastic screws or clamping hooks 127) in place of or in addition to cover 128 to prevent interference with one or more digital communications antennas that may be mounted in wing assembly 120. In case of the application of fastening screws, the mounting orientation may advantageously be chosen in a horizontal or lateral direction (parallel to the flap), e.g. one at the winglet from the inside to the outside, and one or more at the hinge side (the screws in the latter case may be steel, since there is no interference with the communication antenna signal emission performance). An advantage of such a screw connection system (not shown in fig. 4) is that the possibility of water intrusion is further reduced and that it is not possible to see directly this screw point when standing on the ground outside the vehicle. In addition, such a horizontal screw connection system supports actuation of the top cover plate as it clamps the cover, effectively increasing the downforce to connect the wing housings (i.e., body and cover) together and compress the elastomeric seal.

In the preferred embodiment shown in fig. 4 and 5, the wing assembly 120 has an upstanding side portion 150 that houses one or more digital communications antennas 160, 161. Conversely, the side portions 150 may be designed as a profile pointing downwards or as a profile pointing in a direction at an angle β relative to the horizontal plane H of the bottom portion of the wing.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 5a, the upright side 150 is shown as a "winglet". In the embodiment of fig. 5A, a front camera 130 is mounted in the protrusion 126. In the alternative embodiment of fig. 5B, forward looking camera 130 is not mounted by a protruding portion, but is mounted in the rear of a recess 129 in the wing profile shaped as a venturi structure, as will be further discussed with reference to fig. 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge axis of rotation R is preferably oriented at an angle α to the vehicle side (particularly the vertical direction V) so that the wings 120 rotate laterally and upwardly when impacted. As shown in fig. 5B, a plane orthogonal to the hinge axis of rotation may typically intersect the wing assembly at an angle α of 40 to 65 degrees, preferably 45 to 50 degrees, from the vertical direction V. By this measure, the plane cuts the shape in half from top to bottom, thereby avoiding complex intersections to accommodate collision-free folding between the cab support structure (120-1) and the rotating wing portion (120-2). This design is advantageous for obtaining a smoothly contoured (without local interruptions of the hinge area) and aerodynamically optimized shape of the entire wing assembly in the neutral position. The wing assembly of figures 4 and 5 is designed with a side portion 150 shaped as a winglet that provides a flat wing geometry, thereby increasing airflow velocity in front of the camera 130, while at the same time providing sufficient vertical and horizontal space to accommodate an antenna. Alternatively, the antennas 160, 161 are placed in the body 124 of the wing assembly 120, but this increases the vertical extension of the wing shape. Moreover, the winglet shape may aerodynamically increase airflow velocity around the protruding portion 126, as the winglet shape stabilizes air pressure above and below the wing, thereby positively contributing to a stable uniform laminar airflow in the inlet and forward region of the forward looking camera. In a further advantageous embodiment, the winglet is oriented at an angle relative to the length of the vehicle, for example offset from the vehicle in a rearward direction.

In more detail, as shown in fig. 6, the wing assembly 120 has a front portion 123f that is forward looking in the direction of travel T and that is shaped around and extends forward of a camera transparent portion forming the front side of the forward looking camera 130 such that the camera transparent portion 130T forms a smooth and continuous surface with the front portion 123 f. While other embodiments may provide a non-planar camera front face (e.g., shaped in a curved and aerodynamic manner in accordance with the curved wing geometry of the protrusions 123), in advantageous embodiments the camera transparent portion 130t is provided with a flat plane, possibly provided with an anti-fouling coating. The flat geometry of the camera portion 130t minimizes ghost images and artifacts that might otherwise occur due to the asymmetric curved shape of the front portion of the camera 130. Furthermore, the flat transparent geometry facilitates easy construction of the camera assembly at low cost and requires less complex imaging software to reconstruct the actual size of the speckled visually distorted object. Furthermore, it is advantageous that the forward looking camera 130 has an additional downward angle to focus on the area directly in front of the vehicle and to ensure adequate coverage of the line far in front of the vehicle on the road (theoretically beyond the horizon), all this in connection with maximum utilization of the (vertical) camera opening angle ("viewing cone"). A typical range of downward angle relative to horizontal may be 10 to 25 degrees, preferably 15 to 20 degrees. Furthermore, to optimize the wing assembly 120 for oncoming wind directions that are moderately elevated in the upward direction due to the vehicle shape (from the front to the rear of the vehicle), the wing shape (from the rear to the front of the vehicle) is oriented in the downward direction, since the wind rises on the side of the truck at these high positions above the side wings of the ground and near the roof edge of the cab. A typical angle may be in the range of 3 to 10 degrees, preferably about 5 to 7 degrees, approach angle of the wing assembly 120. In the depicted embodiment, the approach angle is 6 degrees downward, and the camera appears to be 17 degrees downward relative to the horizontal. In addition to causing a vertical upward lift of the oncoming driving wind, the shape of the vehicle pushes the driving wind aside in the lateral direction when the driving wind passes the front edge of the vehicle body, resulting in a locally curved air flow (expressed as a yaw angle defined in a horizontal plane and rotated relative to the longitudinal center axis of the vehicle). In the case of commercial vehicles, the cab shape typically results in a yaw angle in the range of 5 to 35 degrees of the oncoming wind. As a result, the cross-section of the wing assembly 120 as shown in fig. 6 is rotated about the vertical axis into the direction of this curved running wind in order to optimize the overall aerodynamic design of the wing assembly. In the depicted embodiment, this yaw rotation angle (not shown) may be up to about 25 degrees, but other angles are possible, for example, 5 to 35 degrees. As an example of the practical result of such optimization measures, the orientation of the protrusion shape according to the wing assembly embodiment as explained in fig. 9 may advantageously be rotated by this typical yaw angle. This also applies to the venturi-based arrangement of the wing assembly according to fig. 11.

Thus, the wing assembly 120 has a front portion 123f that is shaped around and extends in front of a camera transparent portion 130t that forms the front side of the front camera 130. The camera transparent portion 130t forms a smooth and continuous surface with the front portion 123 f. In the illustrated embodiment, the front portion 123F extends forwardly beyond the surface 130T of the camera transparent portion in the direction of travel T, such that a curved guide surface is formed by the front portion which redirects oncoming wind F2 passing beneath the wing assembly from the front portion 123F to a downward direction. In this way, flow F2 is diverted to follow the curved guide surface of front portion 123F along camera transparent portion 130t in a parallel manner, thereby keeping the camera transparent portion free of contamination. By this geometry, an extended "brow" portion 120e is formed that provides a split edge for oncoming wind F, directing it upward (indicated by F1) or downward (indicated by F2) from the wing assembly 120. This brow portion 120e has the additional advantage of blocking solar reflections or glare of low solar rays, and forms the lead-in surface of the curved guide surface of the front portion 123 f. In order to optimize the aerodynamic design of this section, it is important that the airflow F1 above the wing and the airflow F2 below the wing adhere to the surface of the wing as much as possible (laminar flow) and thus avoid any unstable turbulence near the front section area 123F. This can best be achieved by limiting the vertical height of the airfoil shaped cross section. For this purpose, the upper profile of the wing guiding the airflow F1 above the wing is designed to be as flat as possible, so as not to cause any unnecessary obstruction that might obstruct the passage of the wind. This effect will be explained in more detail in the discussion of fig. 10 below. With respect to the optimized wing-below airflow F2, it is preferable that the height extension of the introduction portion LI is 20% to 150% of the height extension C of the camera portion 130 t. The lead-out extension LO is preferably smaller than both the lead-in portion and the camera transparent portion, for example, 10% to 30%, so as to bend the oncoming wind F2 in the rearward direction and keep the wind speed high along the camera transparent portion 130 t. In the preferred embodiment of the wing assembly, the inlet extension LI is typically larger and the outlet extension LO is typically smaller than the height extension C of the camera portion 130 t.

Further embodiments

Fig. 7 shows an alternative wing geometry, where the brow portion has guide extension LI and guide extension LO in similar proportions as depicted in fig. 6. The airfoil shape in fig. 7 is of a greater height to accommodate, for example, a vertical overhead camera and/or antenna hardware (not shown). The camera may be integrally formed in the wing shape, or the protruding portion 123 may be formed, as shown in the inset of fig. 7.

Fig. 8 shows a geometry similar to fig. 6, wherein there is a longer lead-in LI in the front portion 123f, thereby enhancing the redirection of the travelling wind in the downward direction. The derivation is similar and limited in extent to promote acceleration of wind speed near the bottom edge of the protrusion 123. This embodiment is shaped to additionally house a downward looking camera 132. Thus, the aerodynamic optimization of the cross-sectional height of the wing assembly is limited by the height dimension of the overhead camera. Depending on the size of this camera, the top cover may be designed with a curvature as explained above, which has a detrimental effect on the desired camera lens cleaning mechanism effect (associated with high parallel wind speeds).

Fig. 9 shows a further advantageous embodiment, wherein the protruding portion 123 has a bottom wall 123b and a side wall 123s extending between the bottom wall 123b and the bottom airfoil 122 and forming a guiding surface LI to guide the wind in a rearward direction down the camera transparent portion 130 t. Fig. 9B shows the corresponding shear stress distribution of the surface of the wing assembly (magnified at the protrusion 123) in close proximity to the camera transparent portion 130. Shear stress is related to the frictional forces acting on the surfaces of the wing assembly. The higher these frictional forces in the camera transparent portion 123t, the more power there is to push water droplets and dirt particles away (in a downward direction) from the camera transparent lens. Therefore, the self-cleaning mechanism will function optimally. The shear stress is quadratically proportional to the air velocity, which means that a relatively small increase in air velocity results in a significant improvement in the self-cleaning mechanism. It can be seen that the shear stress is relatively low in the lead-in portion LI of the front portion 123f and increases towards the lead-out portion/edge of the protrusion 123, thereby bending the flow in the backward direction. It can be seen that the side walls have an aerodynamic function that increases the wind speed near the side edges 123e of the side walls 123 s. This increases the local wind speed along the surface of the camera transparent portion 130 t.

FIG. 10 shows a comparison of wind speed distributions for airfoils 120c and 120 f. The airfoil shape 120c as depicted in FIG. 10A is more curved than the flatter shape 120f of FIG. 10B. Comparing the flat wing design 120f of fig. 10B, the wind speed profile of the curved wing design 120c of fig. 10A has a low speed zone (represented by area D) that extends significantly behind and below the raised portion 123, which has a negative impact on the maximization of the local air speed near the camera transparent lens portion 130t (particularly the edge below the camera lens towards the bottom wall of the raised portion 123B, indicated by area a). In fig. 10B, the high velocity zone a below the bottom wall 123B is significantly larger and extends more into the camera transparent portion 130 t. It is also clearly visible in fig. 10B that the low air velocity zone D is only present in a small area behind the wing assembly, away from the forward looking camera lens, and contributes to the maximum laminar airflow above and below the wing assembly, all of which contributes to reducing the risk of early air escape along the wing profile. This clearly demonstrates the advantage of a flat wing design, where preferably the top view camera is mounted outside the wing, more preferably in the hinge portion. This results in a flat design of the wing assembly 120f with increased air velocity near the bottom portion of the protruding portion and a corresponding higher wind velocity near the transparent portion 130t of the camera.

Fig. 11A shows a further variation of this design, in which the protrusion 123 has extended wall portions 123v extending downwardly below the bottom airfoil surface 122 and towards the front side 120f of the wing 120v, as viewed from the camera portion 130t, said extended wall portions 123v converging in a rearward direction to form a venturi structure for firmly capturing and accelerating the traveling wind impacting the front portion 120f and turning it at high speed along the camera transparent portion 130 t. In fig. 11, the venturi shape precedes the protrusion 123 having a wall portion 123 v. Not shown in the figures, in addition, transverse slats may be provided which guide the incoming wind in an upward direction against the bottom wall portion of the wing, thereby further increasing the incoming wind flow in the lead-in area of the front side. Fig. 11B shows the velocity distribution of the airflow in the horizontal plane passing through half of the camera transparent lens portion 130t, and the resulting shear stress distribution acting at the surface of the protrusion 123B below the camera lens. Due to the impact of the traveling wind on the front portion 123f, in the initial region of the guide surface (i.e., the introduction region), there is a decrease in the air velocity, resulting in a local minimum wind velocity. This "lowest speed" point (represented by the dashed boundary) is located substantially above and in front of the camera transparent portion 130 t. From this point on, as the wind speed passes inside the venturi structure, over a certain travel corresponding to the length of the brow portion 120e (front portion guide edge), the wind speed is accelerated, so that when it finally (in parallel) passes through the camera transparent portion 123t, the wind speed is accelerated in the order of 80% to 150% of the vehicle running speed. It can also be clearly seen in fig. 11B that the high shear stress region at the front lower edge 123B now effectively moves into the camera transparent lens portion 130t, greatly contributing to the maximization of the self-cleaning mechanism. In addition, the extension wall portion 123v may form a side wall 123s of the protrusion portion 123. Alternatively, the extension wall portion 123 may be formed as a separate structure before the camera portion 130 t. In a further advantageous embodiment, the inner side wall 123V is angled relative to the length orientation of the vehicle, that is, the inner side wall 123V has an angled major lengthwise direction, for example, converging in a rearward direction toward the vehicle, forming a V-shaped venturi structure. As explained in the discussion of the embodiment according to fig. 6, the orientation of the entire venturi structure (with its subsequent protrusions) may be designed with a preset yaw angle (e.g., 5 to 35 degrees). To provide further wind speed acceleration, the sidewalls may also converge in a downward direction away from the bottom airfoil 122.

Fig. 12A and 12B show comparative velocity profiles of a transparent portion with (B) and without (a) a venturi shape similar to the embodiment of fig. 11A. It is shown that a velocity profile having a venturi shape significantly increases the wind speed in the portions above and above the camera transparent portion, so that the guiding surface formed by the front portion 120f redirects the oncoming wind with enhanced efficiency from the front portion 120f to a downward direction along the camera transparent portion 130t, thereby keeping the camera transparent portion free from contamination.

Fig. 13 shows an alternative embodiment in a bottom view of the truck side 110, with the camera integrated in the wing profile, without the protruding part. The camera lens portion 130t remains free of contamination due to the venturi profile of the inner walls 123v-1, 123 v-2. In a preferred embodiment, the venturi-shaped inner wall 123v is aligned in different directions relative to the truck. That is, relative to the truck length direction L, the inner wall 123v-1 closest to the truck side 110 has an oblique orientation, for example, 30 to 50 degrees relative to the truck length direction. The other interior wall 123v-2, which is further from the truck side 110, is oriented substantially in the truck length direction L and may have a deviation of about +/-10 degrees.

Fig. 14 shows a further embodiment of an application with a venturi shape, where no distinct protrusions are mounted under the wings, and the corresponding elements are indicated. Such a design allows for more freedom in packaging components such as cameras and cabling into the wing assembly and allows for adjustment of the overall shape from the standpoint of smooth contouring and optimized aerodynamic drag. The inner wall of the venturi structure 129 (shaped as a recess 129 in the wing profile) has an inner wall 123v-2 that is at an angle a (typically, an angle in the range of 80 to 100 degrees) to the truck transverse axis. The inner wall 123v-1 closest to the truck has an angle beta of about 30 to 50 degrees, in the illustrated embodiment 45 degrees. In the design of fig. 14B, the rear-view camera is disposed in an additional recess in the rear of the wing shape having a more or less rectangular shape that facilitates free viewing of the camera toward the rear end of the truck-trailer combination. The depression also provides an anti-glare feature in the rearward direction.

Fig. 14C shows a design having a brow portion 120e to provide an anti-glare (sun-fighting) function in the front viewing direction. The aligned orientation of the recesses 129 and 700 can provide laminar flow to the lower edge of the recessed portion 700 of the rear view camera. This edge 700-1 is designed to have a fairly sharp radius of curvature between the bottom wing surface and the (vertical) plane of the camera lens to allow the laminar airflow to break away at this last point of the bottom guiding surface of the wing and thus allow the wind to freely pass through the (static) air inside the recessed portion 700. This helps to keep the rear camera clean and avoid severe turbulence in this area.