Roof module having a transmitter and/or receiver apparatus

Abstract

A roof module having a panel component which forms at least sections of a roof cladding of a vehicle roof, which functions as an outer sealing surface of the roof module, and has a viewing area, wherein at least one transmitter and/or receiver apparatus of an environment sensor is disposed directly and without gaps at the viewing area and/or the panel component or is integrated therein and is configured to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic and/or optical signals directly via the viewing area and/or the panel component.

Claims

1. A roof module, comprising: a panel component which forms at least sections of a roof cladding of a vehicle roof, which functions as an outer sealing surface of the roof module, and has a viewing area, wherein at least one transmitter and/or receiver apparatus of an environment sensor is disposed directly and without gaps at the viewing area and/or the panel component or is integrated therein and is configured to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic and/or optical signals directly via the viewing area and/or the panel component.

2. A roof module, comprising: a panel component which forms at least sections of a roof cladding of a vehicle roof, which functions as an outer sealing surface of the roof module, and has a viewing area, wherein at least one transmitter and/or receiver apparatus of an environment sensor is disposed in a casing free of walls in the direction of the viewing area and connected to the panel component and is configured to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic and/or optical signals via the viewing area and/or the panel component and an air gap between the viewing area and the at least one transmitter and/or receiver apparatus.

3. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitter and/or receiver apparatus comprises an image sensor.

4. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the casing defines a casing section which is free of walls in the direction of the viewing area and is disposed at the panel component.

5. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the casing is connected to the panel component in one piece.

6. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the viewing area is embedded and/or inserted in the panel component or is formed via the panel component and comprises at least one lens or at least one window.

7. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the environment sensor comprises a lidar sensor and/or a radar sensor and/or a camera sensor and/or a multi-camera sensor and/or an ultrasonic sensor.

8. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the panel component comprises at least one electric, electronic and/or electromagnetic component, which has at least one antenna and/or at least one measuring sensor and/or at least one communication apparatus and/or at least one illumination apparatus.

9. The roof module according to claim 1, wherein the roof module is disposed as a structural unit on a vehicle chassis.

10. A vehicle having a vehicle chassis on which a roof module according to claim 1.

11. The roof module according to claim 3, wherein the image sensor is a silicon sensor.

12. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the at least one transmitter and/or receiver apparatus comprises an image sensor.

13. The roof module according to claim 12, wherein the image sensor is a silicon sensor.

14. The roof module according to claim 4, wherein that the casing is glued and/or screwed and/or bolted and/or welded and/or soldered thereto to the panel component.

15. The roof module according to claim 6 wherein the panel component is integrally formed via the panel component.

16. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the viewing area is embedded and/or inserted in the panel component or is formed via the panel component and comprises at least one lens or at least one window.

17. The roof module according to claim 16 wherein the panel component is integrally formed via the panel component.

18. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the environment sensor comprises a lidar sensor and/or a radar sensor and/or a camera sensor and/or a multi-camera sensor and/or an ultrasonic sensor.

19. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the panel component comprises at least one electric, electronic and/or electromagnetic component, which has at least one antenna and/or at least one measuring sensor and/or at least one communication apparatus and/or at least one illumination apparatus.

20. The roof module according to claim 2, wherein the roof module is disposed as a structural unit on a vehicle chassis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Embodiments of the invention are schematically shown in the drawings and are described in more detail in the following.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a motor vehicle having a vehicle chassis and a roof module;

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a first arrangement of a transmitter and/or receiver apparatus as intended by the invention;

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a lateral view of the first arrangement of a transmitter and/or receiver apparatus as intended by the invention;

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a second arrangement of a transmitter and/or receiver apparatus as intended by the invention;

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a cut view of the second arrangement of a transmitter and/or receiver apparatus as intended by the invention;

[0036] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a first arrangement of an environment sensor from the state of the art;

[0037] FIG. 7 shows a cut view of the first arrangement of the environment sensor from the state of the art;

[0038] FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of a second arrangement of an environment sensor from the state of the art; and

[0039] FIG. 9 shows a cut view of the second arrangement of an environment sensor from the state of the art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In FIG. 1, a motor vehicle 1000 having a vehicle roof 100 is shown. Vehicle roof 100 in the present instance is formed via a roof module 10. Roof module 10 can top off a roof frame 102 of a vehicle chassis 103 as a component. This topping off is in the present instance schematically indicated in the form of dashes. Roof module 10 comprises a panel component 12 for forming a roof cladding 14 of vehicle roof 100. A front transverse beam 104 forms a front header of vehicle 1000. Front transverse beam 104 together with a rear transverse beam 104 and two lateral beams 106 form roof frame 102.

[0041] In a frontal, central roof area of roof module 10, as viewed in a longitudinal vehicle direction x, a transmitter and/or receiver apparatus 16 of an environment sensor 18 is disposed directly and without gaps at panel component 12. Transmitter and/or receiver apparatus 16 is configured to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic and/or optical signals 24 directly via a viewing area 19. Viewing area 19 is transparent for the signals processed by transmitter and/or receiver apparatus 16. In the present case, viewing area 19 is also transparent for visible wavelengths, meaning transmitter and/or receiver apparatus 16 can be seen through viewing area 19. Viewing area 19 is presently designed as a lens. In the case of FIG. 1, transmitter and/or receiver apparatus 16 is glued onto a surface of viewing area 19 oriented towards an interior of roof module 10. Alternatively, it is also possible to integrate transmitter and/or receiver apparatus 16 in the viewing area, for example via cast molding. Transmitter and/or receiver apparatus 16 is presently an image sensor or a photo chip. Further technical components 21 of environment sensor 18, in particular an image processing apparatus or an evaluation apparatus, are disposed in an installation space in a rear area of a wheel guard or a fender of vehicle chassis 103 in the present instance, which is shown in the form of a box in a strongly simplified manner. Transmitter and/or receiver apparatus 16 is communicatively connected to other components 21 via a cable harness 22, i.e., via several cables, in the present instance. Cable harness 22 is preferably guided to other components 21 along the vehicle chassis or along roof frame 102.

[0042] In the present case, vehicle sensor 18 is a lidar sensor. Other sensor types, such as (multidirectional) cameras and/or ultrasonic sensors, can be used. Environment sensor 18 is configured to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic signals 24 in order to chart a vehicle environment of vehicle 1000 (for example for autonomous driving or for parking) in this manner.

[0043] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, transmitter and/or receiver apparatus 16 can be disposed at a casing 20 (see FIGS. 2 to 5). In this case, at least two different types of casings are conceivable. Casing 20 can, however, also be a partial casing or a casing section.

[0044] According to FIGS. 2 and 3, casing 20 can be a casing 20 which is connected to panel component 12, is free of walls in the direction of viewing area 19 and is disposed at and/or affixed to panel component 12 as a separate component. In (separate) casing 20, transmitter and/or receiver apparatus 16 is disposed so as to be spatially distanced from other components 21 of environment sensor 18 and is connected thereto via cable harness 22. FIG. 3 shows that electromagnetic and/or optical signals 24 are transmitted and/or received via viewing area 19 and an air gap 23 available within casing 20 between viewing area 19 and at least one transmitter and/or receiver apparatus 16. Electromagnetic and/or optical signals 24 consequently do not have to pass through several viewing areas 19, as is the case in the state of the art shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. This leads to optical losses being reduced.

[0045] In FIGS. 4 and 5, casing 20 is formed integrally with panel component 12. Casing 20 is therefore disposed in one piece at panel component 12 and does not have to be separately mounted thereon for this reason.

[0046] FIGS. 6 to 9 refer to the embodiments of sensor arrangements from the state of the art. As can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is common in the state of the art for an environment sensor 18 to be disposed as a closed functional unit on roof module 10 in a separate, self-contained casing 20. For this purpose, casing 20 has its own viewing area 19, meaning environment sensor 18 has to look through two viewing areas 19 to chart the vehicle environment.

[0047] As can be seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, an insertion solution is known from the state of the art, in which environment sensor 18 is inserted as a self-contained functional unit 18 into panel component 12 via an opening via a closed casing 20. In this instance, environment sensor 18 may only look through viewing area 19 of casing 20, however, there are problems in this case regarding the tightness, as a sealing of the opening is required.