Assembly Unit Of A Vehicle With Lidar Sensor

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly unit (100) arranged on a roof (201) of a vehicle. The assembly unit (100) comprises a radio antenna unit (101) arranged above the vehicle roof (201) and having at least one radio antenna (107) which is adapted to transmit and receive radio signals, a lidar sensor (102) arranged below the radio antenna unit (101) and above the vehicle roof (201) and adapted to detect objects around the vehicle, and a first cooling unit (103) arranged below the lidar sensor (102).

Claims

1. Assembly unit (100) arranged at a vehicle roof (201) of a vehicle, comprising: a radio antenna unit (101) arranged above the vehicle roof (201) and having at least one radio antenna (107) which is set up for transmitting and receiving radio signals, a lidar sensor (102) arranged below the radio antenna unit (101) and above the vehicle roof (201) and adapted to detect objects around the vehicle, and a first cooling unit (103) arranged below the lidar sensor (102).

2. The assembly unit (100) according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit (104) arranged below the vehicle roof (201), which is set up to process sensor signals detected with the lidar sensor (102) and/or radio signals received with the radio antenna unit (101).

3. The assembly unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (104) comprises a radio module (111), which is adapted for modulating radio signals to be transmitted with the radio antenna unit (101) and/or processing radio signals received with the radio antenna unit (101).

4. The assembly unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (104) comprises an interface (112) to a control system of the vehicle.

5. The assembly unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (104) comprises at least one further radio antenna (113) for transmitting and receiving radio signals.

6. The assembly unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first cooling unit (103) is adapted for cooling the lidar sensor (102) and/or the control unit (104).

7. The assembly unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first cooling unit (103) comprises a heat-emitting surface and/or a thermal contact surface to the vehicle roof (201).

8. The assembly unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first cooling unit (103) comprises a liquid cooling circuit and/or at least one fan and/or at least one Peltier element for active cooling.

9. The assembly (100) according to claim 8, wherein the liquid cooling circuit and/or the at least one fan and/or the at least one Peltier element are temperature controlled.

10. The assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein the lidar sensor (102) is arranged to detect objects in a plane perpendicular to a vertical axis of the vehicle.

11. The assembly unit (100) according to claim 1, comprising a second cooling unit (105) arranged between the radio antenna unit (101) and the lidar sensor (102) and adapted to cool the lidar sensor (102) and/or the radio antenna unit (101).

12. The assembly unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein the second cooling unit (105) comprises a liquid cooling circuit and/or at least one fan and/or at least one Peltier element for active cooling.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings. Thereby show:

[0041] FIG. 1 a block diagram of an embodiment of a assembly unit according to the invention,

[0042] FIG. 2 schematically shows an arrangement of the unit on a vehicle roof.

[0043] Corresponding parts are marked with the same reference numbers in the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an assembly unit 100 according to one embodiment of the invention. The assembly unit 100 has the following functional units, which are shown in FIG. 1: a radio antenna unit 101, a lidar sensor 102, a first cooling unit 103, a control unit 104 and a second cooling unit 105. Furthermore, the assembly unit 100 may have further functional units, which are not shown in the figures, for example one temperature sensor or several temperature sensors.

[0045] The assembly 100 is arranged at a roof 201 (see FIG. 2) of a vehicle.

[0046] FIG. 2 schematically shows an arrangement 200 of the assembly 100 at the vehicle roof 201 in a sectional view.

[0047] The radio antenna unit 101 is arranged above the vehicle roof 201 and comprises at least one radio antenna 107, which is arranged to transmit and receive radio signals. For example, the radio antenna unit 101 has a mobile radio antenna as a radio antenna 107.

[0048] The radio antenna unit 101 has, for example, a so-called sharkfin housing indicated in FIG. 2, which has the shape of a shark fin. In this way, in particular, an aerodynamically favorable shape of the radio antenna unit 101 and thus also of the assembly unit 100 can be realized.

[0049] The lidar sensor 102 is arranged below the radio antenna unit 101 and above the vehicle roof 201, and is arranged to detect objects in a surrounding area of the vehicle.

[0050] In particular, the lidar sensor 102 is arranged to detect objects in a plane perpendicular to a vertical axis of the vehicle. Preferably, the lidar sensor is thereby arranged to detect objects in the plane in an angular range of 360 degrees around the vehicle.

[0051] The first cooling unit 103 is arranged below the lidar sensor 102. The first cooling unit 103 is set up to cool the lidar sensor 102 and the control unit 104.

[0052] In particular, the first cooling unit 103 may be arranged to actively cool the lidar sensor 102 and the control unit 104 as needed. For example, the first cooling unit 103 is arranged to actively cool the lidar sensor 102 when a temperature of the lidar sensor 102 or a vehicle component in the vicinity of the lidar sensor 102, for example a temperature of the vehicle roof 201, exceeds a predetermined first threshold value. Alternatively or additionally, the first cooling unit 103 is arranged, for example, to control or regulate a coolant flow of a coolant with which the lidar sensor 102 is coolable in dependence on a temperature of the lidar sensor 102 or a vehicle component in the vicinity of the lidar sensor 102, for example in dependence on a temperature of the vehicle roof 201. For example, the first cooling unit 103 is adapted to maintain the temperature of the lidar sensor 102 below 125° C., preferably below 100° C., preferably below 75° C.

[0053] Accordingly, the first cooling unit 103 is arranged, for example, to actively cool the control unit 104 when a temperature of the control unit 104 or a vehicle component in the vicinity of the control unit 104, for example a temperature of the vehicle roof 201, exceeds a predetermined second threshold value. Alternatively or additionally, the first cooling unit 103 is arranged, for example, to control or regulate a coolant flow of a coolant with which the control unit 104 is coolable in dependence on a temperature of the control unit 104 or a vehicle component in the vicinity of the control unit 104, for example in dependence on a temperature of the vehicle roof 201. For example, the first cooling unit 103 is adapted to maintain the temperature of the control unit 104 below 120° C., preferably below 100° C., preferably below 75° C.

[0054] For active cooling of the lidar sensor 102, the first cooling unit 103 has, for example, a fan that is set up to flow air through the lidar sensor 102 or a heat sink that is in thermal contact with the lidar sensor 102. Alternatively or additionally, the first cooling unit 103 comprises, for example, a liquid cooling circuit for the lidar sensor 102 or a heat sink in thermal contact with the lidar sensor 102 with a cooling liquid, for example water. Alternatively or additionally, the first cooling unit 103 comprises, for example, a Peltier element arranged to cool the lidar sensor 102 or a heat sink in thermal contact with the lidar sensor 102.

[0055] Accordingly, the first cooling unit 103 for actively cooling the control unit 104 has, for example, a fan that is set up to flow air through the control unit 104 or a heat sink that is in thermal contact with the control unit 104. In this regard, a different fan may be used for cooling the control unit 104 than for cooling the lidar sensor 102, for example. Alternatively or additionally, the first cooling unit 103 comprises, for example, a liquid cooling circuit for the control unit 104 or a heat sink in thermal contact with the control unit 104 with a cooling liquid, for example water. In this regard, a different liquid cooling system may be used for cooling the control unit 104 than for cooling the lidar sensor 102, for example. Alternatively or additionally, the first cooling unit 103 comprises, for example, a Peltier element arranged to cool the control unit 104 or a heat sink in thermal contact with the control unit 104. In this regard, a different Peltier element may be used for cooling the control unit 104 than for cooling the lidar sensor 102, for example.

[0056] For temperature-dependent cooling of the lidar sensor 102 and the control unit 104, the assembly 100 may further comprise at least one temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the lidar sensor 102 or a vehicle component in vicinity of the lidar sensor 102 or a temperature of the control unit 104 or a vehicle component in vicinity to the control unit 104.

[0057] Furthermore, the first cooling unit 103 may also be arranged for passively cooling the lidar sensor 102 and/or the control unit 104. For example, for this purpose, the first cooling unit 103 has a heat-emitting surface arranged above the vehicle roof 201 and/or a thermal contact surface to the vehicle roof 201.

[0058] The control unit 104 is arranged below the first cooling unit 103 and below the vehicle roof 201.

[0059] In particular, the control unit 104 is arranged to process sensor signals detected with the lidar sensor 102 and/or radio signals received with the radio antenna unit 101.

[0060] For example, the control unit 104 includes a radio module 111 configured to modulate radio signals to be transmitted with the radio antenna unit 101 and/or process radio signals received with the radio antenna unit 101.

[0061] For example, the radio module 111 has a transceiver for the radio antenna unit 101 and a microcontroller for controlling the transceiver. The radio module 111 controls the radio antenna unit 101 and executes the transmission and reception protocol for transmitting and receiving radio signals with the radio antenna unit 101.

[0062] Further, the control unit 104 includes, for example, an interface 112 to a control system of the vehicle.

[0063] For example, sensor signals detected by the lidar sensor 102 and/or radio signals received by the radio antenna unit 101 can be supplied to the control system of the vehicle via the interface 112, possibly after processing or preprocessing by the control unit 104. Furthermore, the control unit 104 can be addressed via its interface 112 to the control system of the vehicle, for example, from the control system of the vehicle. The interface 112 of the control unit 104 to the control system of the vehicle is, for example, an interface to a CAN bus of the vehicle.

[0064] Further, the control unit 104 includes, for example, another radio antenna 113 for transmitting and receiving radio signals.

[0065] For example, the control unit 104 may have as a further radio antenna 113 a Bluetooth antenna, a WLAN antenna, and/or a receiving antenna for satellite signals from navigation satellites of a navigation satellite system such as GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, or Galileo. This allows the control unit 104 to be used for transmitting and/or receiving further radio signals.

[0066] The second cooling unit 105 is disposed between the radio antenna unit 101 and the lidar sensor 102, and is arranged to cool the lidar sensor 102.

[0067] For example, the second cooling unit 105 has a heat sink with cooling fins, which is in thermal contact with the lidar sensor 102 and is flowed with air by the airstream and thereby cooled while the vehicle is moving. Such passive cooling of the lidar sensor can advantageously reduce an active cooling power and an energy consumption of the first cooling unit 101 for cooling the lidar sensor 102.

[0068] Further, the second cooling unit 105 may also be configured to cool the radio antenna unit 101.

[0069] For example, if the second cooling unit 105 includes a heat sink with cooling fins, the heat sink may also be in thermal contact with the radio antenna unit 101 to passively cool the radio antenna unit 101.

[0070] Alternatively or additionally, the second cooling unit 105 is arranged for actively cooling the lidar sensor 102 and/or the radio antenna unit 101. For example, the second cooling unit 105 comprises for this purpose a liquid cooling circuit and/or at least one fan and/or at least one Peltier element for active cooling of the lidar sensor 102 and/or the radio antenna unit 101, in particular for demand-dependent and temperature-controlled cooling of the lidar sensor 102 and/or the radio antenna unit 101.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0071] 100 Assembly [0072] 101 Radio antenna unit [0073] 102 Lidar sensor [0074] 103 First cooling unit [0075] 104 Control unit [0076] 105 Second cooling unit [0077] 107 Radio antenna [0078] 111 Radio module [0079] 112 Interface [0080] 113 Further radio antenna [0081] 200 Arrangement [0082] 201 Vehicle roof