阅读说明：本技术 车载传感器清洗装置和车载传感器清洗系统 (Vehicle-mounted sensor cleaning device and vehicle-mounted sensor cleaning system ) 是由 鸟居奏哉 桥本谦人 于 2020-04-06 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供一种结构简单的车载传感器清洗装置。车载传感器清洗装置(11)包括：将附着于检测车辆(12)的周边信息的传感器(14A～14F)的检测面的附着物(雨滴、雾等)去除的第一空气喷射装置(44A)和第二空气喷射装置(44B)；以及在车辆(12)的雨刮器装置(18)工作的情况下使第一空气喷射装置(44A)和第二空气喷射装置(44B)的空气泵(46A、46B)工作的控制ECU(52)。(Provided is a vehicle-mounted sensor cleaning device with a simple structure. An in-vehicle sensor cleaning device (11) is provided with: a first air jet device (44A) and a second air jet device (44B) that remove deposits (raindrops, fog, etc.) adhering to the detection surfaces of sensors (14A-14F) that detect the peripheral information of a vehicle (12); and a control ECU (52) that operates the air pumps (46A, 46B) of the first air injection device (44A) and the second air injection device (44B) when a wiper device (18) of the vehicle (12) is operated.)

1. An in-vehicle sensor cleaning device comprising:

an attached matter removing unit that removes attached matter that has adhered to a detection surface of an in-vehicle sensor that detects information on the periphery of a vehicle; and

a control unit that operates the attachment removing unit when a wiper device of the vehicle is operated.

2. The in-vehicle sensor washing device according to claim 1,

the control unit intermittently operates the deposit removing unit when the wiper device operates in either a continuous wiping mode or an intermittent wiping mode.

3. The in-vehicle sensor washing device according to claim 2,

the control unit intermittently operates the deposit removing unit at a cycle matching the wiping cycle of any one of the patterns.

4. The in-vehicle sensor washing device according to claim 2,

the wiper device is capable of setting a wiping cycle that changes the intermittent wiping pattern,

the control portion may set the period of changing the intermittent operation independently of the wiping period of the intermittent wiping pattern.

5. The in-vehicle sensor washing device according to claim 3,

the control unit, when the one mode is the continuous wiping mode, varies a rest time of the intermittent operation between a high-speed wiping mode and a low-speed wiping mode of the continuous wiping mode.

6. The on-vehicle sensor washing device according to any one of claims 2 to 5,

in the intermittent operation, the operation time is set to be shorter than the rest time.

7. The on-vehicle sensor washing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

when the wiper device is operated in the water mist mode, the control unit operates the deposit removing unit for a predetermined time each time the wiper of the wiper device performs one reciprocating wiping operation.

8. The in-vehicle sensor washing device according to claim 1,

the control unit operates the deposit removing unit for a predetermined time each time the wiper blade of the wiper device performs one reciprocating wiping stroke or each time the wiper blade performs an integral multiple of 2 or more reciprocating wiping strokes.

9. The on-vehicle sensor washing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

the attached matter removing unit is an air ejecting device that ejects air toward the detection surface of the in-vehicle sensor.

10. The in-vehicle sensor washing device according to claim 4,

when the wiper device is operated in the intermittent wiping mode and the deposit removing portion is intermittently operated, the control portion may set the operation time of the deposit removing portion to be constant and the rest time of the deposit removing portion to be variable.

11. The in-vehicle sensor washing device according to claim 7,

when the wiper device is operated in the water mist mode, the control unit operates the attachment removing unit for a predetermined time period at the same time as an operation of a wiper motor included in the wiper device.

12. The in-vehicle sensor washing device according to claim 8,

the control unit operates the attachment removing unit for a predetermined time period when the wiper of the wiper device is opened or closed.

13. An on-board sensor washing system comprising:

a wiper device that wipes a wiping surface of a vehicle whose peripheral information is detected by the in-vehicle sensor; and

the in-vehicle sensor washing device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the control section operates the attachment removing section in a case where the wiper device is operated.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle-mounted sensor cleaning device that cleans a vehicle-mounted sensor and a vehicle-mounted sensor cleaning system including the vehicle-mounted sensor cleaning device.

Background

In the rear monitor device for a vehicle described in patent document 1, an actual image of the vehicle captured by a part of a camera mounted on the rear side of the vehicle is compared with a reference image stored in advance, and presence or absence of a change in the image is detected, thereby determining presence or absence of an attached matter attached to the camera. When it is determined that there is an attached matter, an attached matter removing device such as a wiper blade is operated to remove the attached matter.

In the camera attachment detection device described in patent document 2, the presence or absence of attachment on the camera is determined by comparing image data captured by a camera that captures the surroundings of the vehicle toward the outside of the vehicle with image data stored in an image storage unit in advance, and detecting the presence or absence of a change in the image. When it is determined that there is an adhering substance, air is ejected to the camera to try to remove the adhering substance.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2008-265727

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2014-68328

Disclosure of Invention

In each of the above conventional techniques, a control device for analyzing an image of image data of an image sensor as an on-vehicle camera is required, and therefore, the configuration becomes complicated.

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a simple structure's on-vehicle sensor belt cleaning device and on-vehicle sensor cleaning system.

A first aspect of the present disclosure provides an on-vehicle sensor cleaning device including: an attached matter removing unit that removes attached matter that has adhered to a detection surface of an in-vehicle sensor that detects information on the periphery of a vehicle; and a control unit that operates the deposit removing unit when the wiper device of the vehicle is operated.

According to the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device of the first aspect, the attachment removing unit removes the attachment attached to the detection surface of the in-vehicle sensor that detects the peripheral information of the vehicle. The attached matter removing unit is operated by a control unit when a wiper device of the vehicle is operated. That is, when the wiper device is operated, the control unit determines that there is a high possibility that an attached matter such as raindrops or fog adheres to the detection surface of the in-vehicle sensor, and operates the attached matter removing unit. This simplifies the configuration compared to a configuration in which the presence or absence of the adhering substance is determined by image analysis using the image data of the image sensor.

A second aspect of the present disclosure provides the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device according to the first aspect, wherein the control unit intermittently operates the deposit removing unit when the wiper device operates in either one of a continuous wiping mode and an intermittent wiping mode.

According to the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device of the second aspect, when the wiper device operates in either the continuous wiping mode or the intermittent wiping mode, the control unit intermittently operates (intermittently operates) the attachment removing unit. This can suppress power consumption, compared to, for example, a case where the attached matter removing unit is continuously operated.

In a third aspect of the vehicle-mounted sensor cleaning device according to the present disclosure, in the second aspect, the control unit intermittently operates the attachment removing unit at a cycle matching the wiping cycle of any one of the modes.

According to the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device of the third aspect, when the wiper device operates in either the continuous wiping mode or the intermittent wiping mode, the control unit intermittently operates the attachment removing unit at a cycle matching the wiping cycle of either mode. Thus, the timing of occurrence of the operating noise of the attachment removing portion and the wiper device can be matched, and therefore, the passenger of the vehicle is less likely to be uncomfortable due to the operating noise of the attachment removing portion.

A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device according to the second aspect, wherein the wiper device is capable of setting a wiping cycle for changing the intermittent wiping pattern, and the control unit is capable of setting a cycle for changing the intermittent operation independently of the wiping cycle for the intermittent wiping pattern.

According to the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device of the fourth aspect, the control unit can set and change (can adjust) the cycle of the intermittent operation of the attachment removing unit and the wiping cycle of the intermittent wiping pattern of the wiper device independently. Thus, for example, the cycle of the intermittent operation of the attached matter removing unit can be arbitrarily set to be changed according to the frequency of attachment of raindrops or the like to the detection surface of the in-vehicle sensor.

A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device according to the third aspect, wherein the control unit varies the pause time of the intermittent operation between a high-speed wiping mode and a low-speed wiping mode of the continuous wiping mode when any one of the modes is the continuous wiping mode.

According to the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device of the fifth aspect, when the wiper device operates in the continuous wiping mode, the control unit intermittently operates the attachment removing unit at a cycle based on a wiping cycle of the continuous wiping mode. In this case, the control unit varies the pause time of the intermittent operation of the deposit removing unit between the high-speed wiping mode and the low-speed wiping mode of the continuous wiping mode. Thus, in the high-speed wiping mode and the low-speed wiping mode of the wiping device in which the possibility that the deposit adheres to the detection surface of the in-vehicle sensor is different, the cycle of the intermittent operation of the deposit removal unit can be easily controlled based on the respective wiping cycles of the high-speed wiping mode and the low-speed wiping mode.

A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is the in-vehicle sensor washing device according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, wherein the operation time is set to be shorter than the rest time in the intermittent operation.

According to the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device of the sixth aspect, when the control unit intermittently operates the attachment removing unit, the operation time is set to be shorter than the pause time. This makes it possible to suppress power consumption and operating noise, for example, as compared to the case where the operating time is set to be longer than the rest time.

A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the control unit operates the attachment removing unit for a predetermined time each time the wiper of the wiper device performs one reciprocating wiping motion when the wiper device operates in the water mist mode.

In the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device according to the seventh aspect, for example, when fog is generated around the vehicle, the control unit operates the attachment removing unit for a predetermined time each time the wiper of the wiper device performs one reciprocating wiping motion when the wiper device operates in the water fog mode. This can remove the mist adhering to the detection surface of the in-vehicle sensor.

In an in-vehicle sensor cleaning device according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, in addition to the first aspect, the control unit operates the attachment removing unit for a predetermined time each time the wiper blade of the wiper device performs one reciprocating wiping stroke or each time the wiper blade performs an integral multiple of 2 or more reciprocating wiping strokes.

According to the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device of the eighth aspect, when the wiper device is operated, the control unit operates the attachment removing unit for the predetermined time each time the wiper of the wiper device performs one reciprocating wiping motion or each time the wiper performs an integral multiple of 2 or more reciprocating wiping motions. That is, since the operation of the deposit removing portion is performed based on the number of wiping strokes of the wiper blade, the deposit removing portion may be operated only by the wiping strokes of the wiper blade, and the control of the control portion is simplified.

A ninth aspect of the present disclosure provides the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the attachment removing unit is an air jet device that jets air toward the detection surface of the in-vehicle sensor.

According to the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device of the ninth aspect, when the wiper device of the vehicle is operated, the control unit operates the air injection device and injects air toward the detection surface of the in-vehicle sensor. This makes it possible to blow off adhering matter such as raindrops adhering to the detection surface with air that is sufficiently drawn from the atmosphere without being stored in a tank or the like.

A tenth aspect of the present disclosure provides the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device according to the fourth aspect, wherein the control unit sets the operation time of the deposit removing unit to be constant and sets the pause time of the deposit removing unit to be variable when the wiper device is operated in the intermittent wiping mode to intermittently operate the deposit removing unit.

In the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device according to the tenth aspect, when the wiper device is operated in the intermittent wiping mode and the control unit intermittently operates the attachment removing unit, the operation time of the attachment removing unit is set to be constant, and the pause time of the attachment removing unit is set to be variable. This makes it possible to easily control the cycle of the intermittent operation of the deposit removing unit.

An in-vehicle sensor washing device according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is the seventh aspect, wherein when the wiper device operates in the water mist mode, the control unit operates the attachment removing unit for a predetermined time period at the same time as an operation of a wiper motor included in the wiper device.

In the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device according to the eleventh aspect, when the wiper device is operated in the water mist mode, the control unit operates the attachment removing unit for a predetermined time period at the same time as the operation of the wiper motor included in the wiper device. This simplifies the control of the control unit.

An in-vehicle sensor washing device according to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure is the eighth aspect, wherein the control unit operates the deposit removing unit for a predetermined time period when a wiper of the wiper device is opened or closed.

In the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device according to the twelfth aspect, the control unit operates the attachment removing unit for a predetermined time period when the wiper of the wiper device is opened or closed. This simplifies the control of the control unit.

A thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure provides an on-vehicle sensor cleaning system including: a wiper device that wipes a wiping surface of the vehicle on which the vehicle-mounted sensor detects the peripheral information; and an in-vehicle sensor cleaning device according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein the control unit operates the deposit removing unit when the wiper device is operated.

In the vehicle-mounted sensor cleaning system according to the thirteenth aspect, the wiping surface of the vehicle, for which the vehicle-mounted sensor detects the peripheral information, is wiped by the wiper device. When the wiper device is operated, the control unit of the in-vehicle sensor cleaning device operates the deposit removing unit. The in-vehicle sensor washing device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects can provide the above-described operational advantages.

Drawings

The above objects, other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. The drawings are as follows.

Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle sensor washing system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing a wiper device included in the in-vehicle sensor washing system and a configuration of the periphery thereof.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a control system of the in-vehicle sensor washing system.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by the control unit of the in-vehicle sensor washing device included in the in-vehicle sensor washing system.

Fig. 5 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation timing of the wiper motor and the air pump when the "a operation" shown in fig. 4 is performed.

Fig. 6A is a timing chart showing a first example of the operation timings of the wiper motor and the air pump when the "B operation" shown in fig. 4 is performed.

Fig. 6B is a timing chart showing a second example of the operation timings of the wiper motor and the air pump when the "B operation" shown in fig. 4 is performed.

Fig. 6C is a timing chart showing a third example of the operation timings of the wiper motor and the air pump when the "B operation" shown in fig. 4 is performed.

Fig. 7A is a timing chart showing an example of the operation timing of the wiper motor and the air pump when the "C operation" shown in fig. 4 is performed.

Fig. 7B is a timing chart showing an example of the operation timing of the wiper motor and the air pump when the "D operation" shown in fig. 4 is executed.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by the control unit of the in-vehicle sensor washing device included in the in-vehicle sensor washing system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9 is a timing chart showing an example of operation timings of the wiper motor and the air pump according to the second embodiment.

Detailed Description

< first embodiment >

Hereinafter, an in-vehicle sensor cleaning device 11 and an in-vehicle sensor cleaning system 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 7B.

(Structure)

As shown in fig. 1, the in-vehicle sensor washing system 10 of the present embodiment includes a wiper device 18, a rear wiper device 40, and an in-vehicle sensor washing device 11. The in-vehicle sensor cleaning device 11 includes: a first air injection device 44A and a second air injection device 44B as an attached matter removing part; and a control ECU52 as a control section. For example, the vehicle 12 equipped with the vehicle sensor washing system 10 is an automatic traveling vehicle equipped with an automatic driving control system or a vehicle equipped with a driving assistance system, and includes a plurality of first to sixth sensors 14A to 14F as in-vehicle sensors. Note that an arrow FR in fig. 1 indicates the forward direction of the vehicle 12.

As shown in fig. 2, the wiper device 18 is a front wiper device for wiping the front windshield 16 of the vehicle 12, and corresponds to a "wiper device" of the present disclosure. The wiper device 18 includes a pair of left and right wipers 20, a wiper motor (front wiper motor) 26, and a link mechanism 28, for example. The left and right wipers 20 are constituted by a pair of left and right wiper arms 22 and a pair of left and right wiper blades 24 connected to the front end portions of the left and right wiper arms 22.

The wiper motor 26 is, for example, a type that rotates an output shaft in one direction around an axis. One end of a crank arm 30, which is a component of the link mechanism 28, is fixed to an output shaft of the wiper motor 26. The link mechanism 28 has: a pair of left and right pivots 32, the pivots 32 being fixed to the base end portions of the left and right wiper arms 22, respectively; a pair of left and right pivot arms 34, one end portions of the pivot arms 34 being fixed to the left and right pivot shafts 32; a first link 36, said first link 36 being mounted between one of the pivot arms 34 and the crank arm 30; and a second link 38, the second link 38 being bridged between the other ends of the left and right pivot arms 34.

In the wiper device 18, when the crank arm 30 rotates in one direction around the axis of the output shaft integrally with the output shaft of the wiper motor 26, the rotational driving force of the crank arm 30 is transmitted to one pivot handle 34 via the first link 36. The rotational driving force of the pivot arm 34 is transmitted to the other pivot arm 34 via the second link 38, and the left and right pivot arms 34 rotate reciprocally about the axes of the left and right pivot shafts 32 integrally with the left and right pivot shafts 32. Thereby, the left and right wiper blades 20 are reciprocated in the same direction on the front windshield 16, and the left and right wiper blades 24 wipe the front windshield 16. In this case, the left and right wiper blades 24 reciprocate between a lower reversal position (first reversal position) P1 and an upper reversal position (second reversal position) P2 shown in fig. 2.

In the following description, a wiping motion of each wiper blade 24 (each wiper blade 20) from the lower reverse position P1 to the upper reverse position P2 (see arrow a in fig. 2) is referred to as an "opening motion", and a wiping motion of each wiper blade 24 (each wiper blade 20) from the upper reverse position P2 to the lower reverse position P1 (see arrow B in fig. 2) is referred to as a "closing motion". The wiper device 18 may include a pair of left and right wiper motors. In this case, the left and right wiper motors are of a type that cause output shafts to rotate in a reciprocating manner about an axis, and the base end portions of the wiper arms 22 are fixed to the output shafts of these wiper motors, respectively.

The rear wiper device 40 (not shown in fig. 1) wipes a rear windshield of the vehicle 12, not shown, and includes a rear wiper motor 42 and a rear wiper, not shown. The rear wiper motor 42 is, for example, a motor of a type that reciprocally rotates an output shaft, not shown, around an axis. The rear wiper includes a wiper arm and a wiper blade connected to a front end portion of the wiper arm, and a base end portion of the wiper arm is fixed to an output shaft of the rear wiper motor 42. By the reciprocating rotation of the output shaft, the wiper blade reciprocates on the rear windshield, and the wiper blade of the rear wiper wipes the rear windshield.

The first to sixth sensors 14A to 14F (hereinafter, may be referred to as "sensors 14" or simply as "sensor 14") detect the peripheral information of the vehicle 12, and are components of an unillustrated automatic driving control system mounted on the vehicle 12. The first sensor 14 is disposed at a front end portion of the vehicle 12, the second sensor 14 and the third sensor 14 are disposed at both left and right end portions of a front portion of the vehicle 12, the fourth sensor 14 and the fifth sensor 14 are disposed at both left and right end portions of a rear portion of the vehicle 12, and the sixth sensor 14 is disposed at a rear end portion of the vehicle 12. These sensors 14 are image sensors (cameras), radars, or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging, and are disposed with the Detection surface thereof being exposed to the outside of the vehicle or being exposed to the outside of the vehicle. In the above-described automated driving control system, the automated driving control ECU that controls automated driving of the vehicle 12 detects the situation around the vehicle 12 based on the outputs from the above-described sensors 14.

When the sensor 14 is an image sensor, a surface of the sensor 14 on which light outside the vehicle enters is a detection surface of the sensor 14. In addition, in the case where the sensor 14 is a radar such as a millimeter wave radar or a laser radar, a surface on which a millimeter wave, a laser, or an electromagnetic wave is emitted and incident is a detection surface of the sensor 14.

The first air injection device 44A includes a first air pump 46A, first to third air nozzles 48A to 48C, and first to third air lines 50A to 50C that connect the air nozzles 48A, 48B, 48C with the first air pump 46A, respectively. The second air injection device 44B includes a second air pump 46B, fourth to sixth air nozzles 48D to 48F, and fourth to sixth air pipes 50D to 50F that connect the air nozzles 48D, 48E, 48F with the second air pump 46B, respectively.

The first to sixth air nozzles 48A, 48B, 48C, 48D, 48E, 48F (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "the respective air nozzles 48" or simply as "the air nozzles 48") have injection ports facing the detection surfaces of the first to sixth sensors 14 and are arranged in the vicinity of the respective sensors 14, and when the first air pump 46A and the second air pump 46B (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "the respective air pumps 46" or simply as "the air pumps 46") are operated, air is injected from the respective air nozzles 48 toward the detection surfaces of the respective sensors 14. The air jet is configured to remove (blow away) or suppress adhesion of raindrops, mist, or other deposits adhering to the detection surface of each sensor 14.

As shown in fig. 3, the control ECU52 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 54, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 56, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 58, and an input/output interface (I/O)62 for communicating with an external device, and these units are communicably connected to each other via a bus 64.

The CPU 54 is a central processing unit and executes various programs or controls each unit. That is, the CPU 54 reads out the control program 60 from the ROM58, and executes the control program 60 with the RAM 56 as a work area. The CPU 54 is configured to perform control of the above-described components and various arithmetic processes in accordance with a control program 60 stored in the ROM 58.

The wiper motor 26, the rear wiper motor 42, the sensors 14, and the air pumps 46 are electrically connected to an input/output interface 62. The wiper switch 66 is electrically connected to the input/output interface 62. Each air pump 46 is connected to the input/output interface 62 through, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network; see fig. 1).

The wiper switch 66 is a switch that turns on or off electric power supplied to the wiper motor 26 and the rear wiper motor 42 from a battery, not shown, mounted on the vehicle 12. The wiper switch 66 can switch the wiper device 18 between: a water MIST mode selection position at which the wiper device 18 is operated in a water MIST Mode (MIST), an intermittent wiping mode selection position at which the wiper device 18 is operated in an intermittent wiping mode (INT), a LOW speed wiping mode selection position at which the wiper device 18 is operated in a LOW speed wiping mode (LOW), a HIGH speed wiping mode selection position at which the wiper device 18 is operated in a HIGH speed wiping mode (HIGH), and a stop selection position at which the operation of the wiper device 18 is stopped. Although the mode is switched to the selection position of each mode according to the intention of the driver, the mode may be switched based on an instruction from the control ECU52 by inputting a signal from a raindrop sensor, not shown, mounted on the vehicle. The wiper switch 66 is provided with a rear wiper operating section for operating the rear wiper device 40.

The fog mode is turned on only during a period when the driver applies an operating force to the wiper switch 66 to the fog mode selection position, and is turned off when the operating force is released. When the water mist mode is on, the control ECU52 temporarily operates the wiper motor 26 and causes the wiper 20 to execute a wiping stroke of one or two reciprocations (one reciprocation in the present embodiment).

The intermittent wiping mode is a mode in which the wiper device 18 is intermittently operated. When the intermittent wiping mode is on, the control ECU52 intermittently operates the wiper motor 26 at predetermined time intervals (with predetermined rest times) and intermittently reciprocates the wiper 20. The wiping cycle (intermittent time) of the intermittent wiping pattern is set to be changed (adjustable) by the operation of a wiping cycle adjustment section (for example, a dial) provided in the wiper switch 61 by the driver.

The low-speed wiping mode and the high-speed wiping mode are continuous wiping modes in which the wiper device 18 is continuously operated. Specifically, when the low-speed wiping mode is on, the control ECU52 continuously rotates the wiper motor 26 at a low speed, and continuously reciprocates the wiper 20 in a wiping stroke at a low speed. When the high-speed wiping mode is on, the control ECU52 continuously rotates the wiper motor 26 at a high speed and continuously reciprocates the wiper 20 at a high speed.

The control ECU52 is configured to operate the first air pump 46A and the second air pump 46B when the wiper device 18 operates in any of the modes described above. Specifically, in the case where the wiper device 18 operates in the water mist mode, the control ECU52 operates each air pump 46 for a constant time each time the wiper 20 of the wiper device 18 performs a wiping operation of one reciprocation.

When the wiper device 18 operates in any one of the intermittent wiping mode, the low-speed wiping mode, and the high-speed wiping mode, the control ECU52 intermittently operates the air pumps 46. In this intermittent operation, the operation time is set to be shorter than the rest time. In the high-speed wiping mode and the low-speed wiping mode, the operation time of the intermittent operation of each air pump 46 is set to be the same, and the rest time is set to be different (in the present embodiment, the rest time in the low-speed wiping mode is longer than that in the high-speed wiping mode). Further, the cycle of the intermittent operation of each air pump 46 is a cycle that matches the wiping cycle of the selected one of the intermittent wiping mode, the low-speed wiping mode, and the high-speed wiping mode. The cycle of the intermittent operation of each air pump 46 is not limited to the cycle matching the wiping cycle of the selected pattern, and may be a cycle based on the wiping cycle of the selected pattern.

However, the control ECU52 can set the period for changing the intermittent operation of each air pump 46 independently of the wiping period of the intermittent wiping mode. That is, in the present embodiment, the wiping cycle of the intermittent wiping mode can be made different from the cycle (intermittent time) of the intermittent operation of each air pump 46. Specifically, for example, in addition to the wiping cycle adjustment portion described above, a removal cycle adjustment portion (e.g., a dial) for setting a cycle for changing (adjusting) the intermittent operation of each air pump 46 is provided in the wiper switch 66. By operating the removal period adjustment portion, the control ECU52 is configured to set a period for changing the intermittent operation of each air pump 46.

Next, an example of specific processing executed by the control ECU52 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in fig. 4 and the time charts shown in fig. 5 to 7B. The processing is started by operating the wiper switch 66 to the water mist mode selection position, the intermittent wiping mode selection position, the low-speed wiping mode selection position, or the high-speed wiping mode selection position. When the processing is started, first, in step S1, the control ECU52 determines whether or not the mode (operation mode) selected by operating the wiper switch 66 is the MIST Mode (MIST). If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S2, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S4.

When the process proceeds to step S2, the control ECU52 causes each air pump 46 to perform the "a operation". In the "a operation", for example, as shown in fig. 5, the air pump 46 is operated for a constant time T1 while the wiper motor 26 is operated to cause the wiper blade 20 to perform a wiping operation (water mist operation) of one reciprocation. In this case, the operating time T1 of the air pump 46 is set shorter than the operating time T1 of the wiper motor 26. When the process in step S2 ends, the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, the control ECU52 determines whether or not the wiper switch (wiper SW)66 is off. If the determination is affirmative, the processing of the flowchart shown in fig. 4 is ended, and if the determination is negative, the process returns to step S1 described above.

On the other hand, when the determination at step S1 is negative and the process proceeds to step S4, the control ECU52 determines whether or not the operation mode selected by the operation of the wiper switch 66 is the intermittent wiping mode (INT). If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S5, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S6.

When the process proceeds to step S5, the control ECU52 causes each air pump 46 to perform the "B operation". In the "B operation", for example, as shown in fig. 6A to 6C, the air pump 46 is intermittently operated. In the intermittent operation of the air pump 46 in the "B operation", the operation time of the air pump 46 is set to a constant time T1, and the off time of the air pump 46 is set to be variable (for example, it is possible to set and change to any one of T4, T4', and T4 "). This setting change is performed by the operation of the removal period adjustment portion of the wiper switch 66.

Fig. 6A is an example in which the air pump 46 is intermittently operated in match with the intermittent operation of the wiper motor 26, fig. 6B is an example in which the air pump 46 is operated twice for three times of the operation of the wiper motor 26, and fig. 6C is an example in which the air pump 46 is operated four times for three times of the operation of the wiper motor 26. The rest times T4, T4', and T4 ″ are set to be, for example, 2 to 12 seconds. The rest times T4, T4', and T4 ″ are set to be longer than the operation time T1. When the processing in step S5 ends, the process proceeds to step S3 described above.

On the other hand, when the determination at step S4 is negative and the process proceeds to step S6, the control ECU52 determines whether or not the operation mode selected by the operation of the wiper switch 66 is the LOW wiping mode (LOW). If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S7, and if the determination is negative, that is, if the control ECU52 determines that the operation mode selected by the operation of the wiper switch 66 is the HIGH wiping mode (HIGH), the process proceeds to step S8.

When the process proceeds to step S7, that is, when the control ECU52 determines that the selected operation mode is the low-speed wiping mode, the control ECU52 causes the air pump 46 to perform the "C operation". In the "C operation", for example, as shown in fig. 7A, the air pump 46 is intermittently operated at constant time intervals during continuous operation of the wiper motor 26. In the intermittent operation of the air pump 46 in the "C operation", the operation time T1 of the air pump 46 is set to be shorter than the off time T2 of the air pump 46. When the processing in step S7 ends, the process proceeds to step S3 described above.

On the other hand, when the control ECU52 determines that the determination at step S6 is negative and proceeds to step S8, that is, when the control ECU52 determines that the selected operation mode is the high-speed wiping mode, the control ECU52 causes the air pump 46 to execute the "D operation". In the "D operation", for example, as shown in fig. 7B, the air pump 46 is intermittently operated at constant time intervals during continuous operation of the wiper motor 26. In the intermittent operation of the air pump 46 in the "D operation", the operation time T1 of the air pump 46 is set shorter than the off time T3 of the air pump 46. The rest time T3 is set to be shorter than the rest time T2. When the processing in step S8 ends, the process proceeds to step S3 described above.

(action and Effect)

Next, the operation and effect of the present embodiment will be described.

In the present embodiment, the first air ejector 44A and the second air ejector 44B remove the adhering matter such as raindrops and mist adhering to the detection surfaces of the first sensor 14A to the sixth sensor 14F that detect the peripheral information of the vehicle 12. The air pumps 46 of the air injection devices 44A, 44B are operated by the control ECU52 when the wiper device 18 of the vehicle 12 is operated. That is, when the wiper device 18 is operated, the control ECU52 determines that there is a high possibility that attachments such as raindrops and fog are attached to the detection surfaces of the sensors 14, and operates the air pumps 46. This simplifies the configuration compared to a configuration in which the presence or absence of the adhering substance is determined by image analysis using the image data of the image sensor. As a result, for example, cost reduction can be achieved. Further, since image analysis using captured data is not required, the present invention can be applied to cleaning of in-vehicle sensors other than image sensors, and the number of types of in-vehicle sensors to be applied can be increased.

In the present embodiment, when the wiper device 18 operates in any one of the intermittent wiping mode, the low-speed wiping mode, and the high-speed wiping mode, the control ECU52 intermittently operates the air pumps 46. This can suppress power consumption, for example, as compared with a case where each air pump 46 is continuously operated.

In the present embodiment, when the wiper device 18 operates in the continuous wiping mode (low-speed wiping mode or high-speed wiping mode), the control ECU52 intermittently operates the air pumps 46 at a cycle matching the wiping cycle of the continuous wiping mode (see fig. 7A and 7B). Thus, the operating noise of the wiper motor 26 of the wiper device 18 can be matched with the generation timing of the operating noise of each air pump 46, and therefore, the occupant of the vehicle 12 is less likely to be given a feeling of discomfort due to the operating noise of each air pump 46.

In the present embodiment, the control ECU52 can set a cycle for changing the intermittent operation of each air pump 46 independently of the wiping cycle of the intermittent wiping mode of the wiper device 18 (see fig. 6A to 6C). Thus, for example, the period of the intermittent operation of each air pump 46 can be arbitrarily set and changed according to the frequency of raindrops or the like adhering to the detection surface of each sensor 14. Further, as shown in fig. 6A, the cycle of the intermittent operation of each air pump 46 can be matched to the wiping cycle of the intermittent wiping mode. Thus, the operating noise of the motor 26 in the intermittent wiping mode can be matched with the generation timing of the operating noise of each air pump 46, and therefore, it is possible to make it less likely that the occupant of the vehicle 12 is given a feeling of discomfort due to the operating noise of each air pump 46 in the intermittent wiping mode.

In the present embodiment, as described above, when the wiper device 18 operates in the continuous wiping mode, the control ECU52 intermittently operates the air pumps 46 in a cycle based on the wiping cycle of the continuous wiping mode. In this case, the control ECU52 varies the pause time of the intermittent operation of each air pump 46 between the high-speed wiping mode and the low-speed wiping mode in the continuous wiping mode (see T2 in fig. 7A and T3 in fig. 7B). Thus, in the high-speed wiping mode and the low-speed wiping mode of the wiping device 18 in which the possibility that the adhering substance adheres to the detection surface of each sensor 14 is different, the cycle of the intermittent operation of each air pump 46 can be easily controlled based on each wiping cycle of the high-speed wiping mode and the low-speed wiping mode.

In the present embodiment, when the control ECU52 intermittently operates the air pumps 46, the operation time T1 is set to be shorter than the rest time T2, T3, T4, T4', or T4 ″. Thus, for example, power consumption and operating noise can be reduced as compared with the case where the operating time of each air pump 46 is set longer than the off time.

In the present embodiment, for example, when fog is generated around the vehicle 12, the control ECU52 operates each air pump 46 for a predetermined time T1 each time the wiper 20 of the wiper device 18 performs one reciprocating wiping motion when the wiper device 18 operates in the fog mode. This can remove the mist adhering to the detection surface of each sensor 14.

In the present embodiment, when the wiper device 18 of the vehicle 12 is operated, the air pumps 46 of the air injection devices 44A and 44B are operated by the control ECU52 and inject air toward the detection surfaces of the sensors 14. Therefore, it is not necessary to store the attached matter such as raindrops attached to the detection surface of each sensor 14 in a tank or the like, and the attached matter can be blown off (removed) by air that can be sufficiently taken in from the atmosphere. In this way, since the air jetting devices 44A and 44B jetting air toward the detection surfaces of the sensors 14 are used as the deposit removing portions, for example, the replenishment of the cleaning liquid is not necessary and the maintenance is facilitated, as compared with a configuration in which a cleaning liquid jetting device jetting a cleaning liquid toward the detection surfaces of the sensors 14 is used as the deposit removing portions.

< second embodiment >

Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Note that, with regard to the configuration and the operation which are basically the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment are given, and the description thereof is omitted.

Fig. 8 shows in flowchart the flow of processing executed by the control ECU52 (control section) of the in-vehicle sensor washing device included in the in-vehicle sensor washing system of the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 is a timing chart showing an example of the operation timings of the wiper motor 26 and the air pump 46 according to the second embodiment.

The structure of this embodiment is basically the same as that of the first embodiment, but the processing executed by the control ECU52 is different from that of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the control ECU52 is configured to detect the swing position (wiping position) of each wiper 20 and operate each air pump 46 for a predetermined time each time the wiper 20 starts a reciprocating wiping operation. Specifically, for example, a rotational position detection sensor configured to detect the rotational position of the output shaft of the wiper motor 26 is electrically connected to the control ECU52, and the control ECU52 detects the swing position of each wiper blade 20 based on the output of the rotational position detection sensor.

An example of specific processing performed by the control ECU52 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in fig. 8 and the time chart shown in fig. 9. The processing is started by operating the wiper switch 66 to the water mist mode selection position, the intermittent wiping mode selection position, the low-speed wiping mode selection position, or the high-speed wiping mode selection position. When this processing is started, first, in step S10, the control ECU52 determines whether or not the wiper motor 26 is operated (turned on). If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S11, and if the determination is negative, the process of step S10 is repeated.

When the process proceeds to step S11, the control ECU52 determines whether or not the wiper blade 20 starts the opening operation (see arrow a in fig. 2). If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S12, and if the determination is negative, the process of step S11 is repeated.

When the process proceeds to step S12, the control ECU52 operates each air pump 46 for a constant time T1. When the process in step S12 ends, the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the control ECU52 determines whether or not the wiper switch (wiper SW)66 is off. If the determination is affirmative, the processing of the flowchart shown in fig. 8 is ended, and if the determination is negative, the process returns to step S1 described above.

In this embodiment, when the wiper device 18 is operated, the control ECU52 determines that there is a high possibility that attachments such as raindrops and fog are attached to the detection surfaces of the sensors 14, and operates the air pumps 46. Thus, as in the first embodiment, since image analysis using the captured data is not required, the configuration is simplified, and the number of types of in-vehicle sensors to be applied can be increased. In the present embodiment, when the wiper device 18 is operated, the control ECU52 operates each air pump 46 for a constant time T1 each time the wiper 20 performs a wiping operation of one reciprocation. That is, since the number of wiping strokes of one reciprocation of the wiper 20 is the same as the number of operations of each air pump 46, it is only necessary to operate each air pump 46 in accordance with one reciprocation of the wiper 20, and the control of the control ECU52 is simplified.

< supplementary explanation of embodiment >

In the second embodiment, the control ECU52 operates the air pumps 46 for the constant time T1 each time the wiper 20 performs one reciprocating wiping motion, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the control ECU52 may operate the air pumps 46 for the constant time T1 every time the wiper 20 performs a wiping operation of an integral multiple of one reciprocation (2 or more). At this time, the number of reciprocating operations of the wiper blade 20 in the high-speed wiping mode and the low-speed wiping mode may be set to be different (the high-speed wiping mode may be set to be smaller than the low-speed wiping mode).

In the second embodiment, the control ECU52 determines whether or not the wiper blade 20 is opened in step S11, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, in step S11, the control ECU52 may be configured to determine whether or not the wiper blade 20 has performed the closing operation (see arrow B in fig. 2).

In the above embodiments, the air ejecting devices 44A and 44B that eject air toward the detection surface of the sensor 14 are configured as the deposit removing portion, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a cleaning liquid ejecting device that ejects a cleaning liquid toward the detection surface of the sensor 14 may be configured as the deposit removing portion.

In the above embodiments, the case where the processing performed by the control ECU52 is software processing performed by executing the control program 60 has been described, but the processing is not limited to this, and may be processing performed by hardware. Alternatively, a combined process of both software and hardware is also possible.

In each of the above embodiments, various processors other than the CPU 54 may execute processing executed by the CPU 54 by reading software (control program 60). As the processor in this case, a Specific Circuit is exemplified which has a Circuit configuration specifically designed to execute Specific processing such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) and an ASIC (application Specific Integrated Circuit) capable of changing the Circuit configuration after manufacturing an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The processing executed by the CPU 54 may be executed by one of the various processors described above, or may be executed by a combination of two or more processors of the same type or different types (for example, a plurality of FPGAs, a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, or the like). The hardware configuration of the various processors described above is more specifically a circuit in which circuit elements such as semiconductor elements are combined.

In the above embodiments, the control program 60 is stored (installed) in the ROM58 in advance, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The program may be provided in a form stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) Memory. The program may be downloaded from an external device via a network.

In addition, although the present disclosure has been described in terms of the embodiments, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and configurations. The present disclosure includes various modifications and variations within an equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and modes, including only one element, one or more other combinations and modes, also belong to the scope and the idea of the present disclosure.