Method and control unit for detecting a damage to a vehicle

Abstract

A method for detecting a damage to a vehicle. The method includes a reading-in step and an evaluation step. In the reading-in step, a body sensor signal is read in via an interface to a body sensor of the vehicle, the body sensor signal representing at least one body vibration recorded in the body area. A chassis sensor signal is furthermore read in via an interface to a chassis sensor of the vehicle, which represents at least one chassis vibration recorded in the chassis area. In the evaluation step, the body sensor signal and the chassis sensor signal are evaluated to obtain an evaluation result representing the damage.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a damage to a vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: reading in: a body sensor signal via an interface to a body sensor of the vehicle, the body sensor signal representing at least one body vibration recorded in a body area of the vehicle; and a chassis sensor signal via an interface to a chassis sensor of the vehicle, the chassis sensor signal representing at least one chassis vibration recorded in a chassis area of the vehicle; and evaluating the body sensor signal and the chassis sensor signal to obtain an evaluation result representing the damage; wherein the evaluating includes at least one of the following: subtracting the chassis sensor signal from the body sensor signal; and at least partially suppressing the chassis sensor signal in response to determining that an amplitude or a frequency of the chassis sensor signal is above a predefined threshold.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the evaluating includes the subtracting of the chassis sensor signal from the body sensor signal.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the evaluating includes the at least partially suppressing the chassis sensor signal in response to the determining that the amplitude or frequency of the chassis sensor signal is above the predefined threshold.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the following step: preprocessing the body sensor signal and/or the chassis sensor signal prior to the evaluating step, the preprocessing including filtering at least the body sensor signal and/or the chassis sensor signal.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein: (i) the body sensor is an acoustic sensor and/or an acceleration sensor, and/or (ii) the chassis sensor a road noise sensor.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the damage is detected in the evaluating step, using at least one predetermined signal pattern assigned to a specific damage.

7. A control unit configured to detect a damage to a vehicle, the control unit configured to: read in: a body sensor signal via an interface to a body sensor of the vehicle, the body sensor signal representing at least one body vibration recorded in a body area of the vehicle; and a chassis sensor signal via an interface to a chassis sensor of the vehicle, the chassis sensor signal representing at least one chassis vibration recorded in a chassis area of the vehicle; and evaluate the body sensor signal and the chassis sensor signal to obtain an evaluation result representing the damage; wherein the evaluation includes at least one of the following: subtracting the chassis sensor signal from the body sensor signal; and at least partially suppressing the chassis sensor signal in response to determining that an amplitude or a frequency of the chassis sensor signal is above a predefined threshold.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for detecting a damage to a vehicle, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps: reading in: a body sensor signal via an interface to a body sensor of the vehicle, the body sensor signal representing at least one body vibration recorded in a body area of the vehicle; and a chassis sensor signal via an interface to a chassis sensor of the vehicle, the chassis sensor signal representing at least one chassis vibration recorded in a chassis area of the vehicle; and evaluating the body sensor signal and the chassis sensor signal to obtain an evaluation result representing the damage; wherein the evaluating includes at least one of the following: subtracting the chassis sensor signal from the body sensor signal; and at least partially suppressing the chassis sensor signal in response to determining that an amplitude or a frequency of the chassis sensor signal is above a predefined threshold.

9. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the body sensor signal is generated by a measurement performed by the body sensor concurrently with a measurement by the chassis sensor by which the chassis sensor signal is generated by the chassis sensor.

10. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the body sensor signal is generated by a measurement performed by the body sensor concurrently with a measurement by the chassis sensor by which the chassis sensor signal is generated by the chassis sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle, including a control unit, according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a vibration diagram of a body sensor signal superimposed by the chassis sensor signal for the purpose of explaining the procedure for detecting a damage to a vehicle in accordance with the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a vibration diagram of a chassis sensor signal for the purpose of explaining the procedure for detecting a damage to a vehicle in accordance with the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of a vibration diagram of a damage-typical signal profile without any superimposed vibration components from the chassis signal for the purpose of explaining the procedure for detecting a damage to a vehicle in accordance with the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a method for detecting a damage to a vehicle according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(6) In the following description of favorable exemplary embodiments of the present invention, identical or similar reference numerals are used for the elements which are illustrated in the various figures and have the same or similar functions, a description of these elements not being described repeatedly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

(7) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle 100, including a control unit 105, according to one exemplary embodiment. Vehicle 100 is implemented, for example, as a passenger car. In addition to control unit 105, vehicle 100 also includes a body sensor 110 and a chassis sensor 115. Device 105 is designed to carry out a method for detecting a damage, in that, for example, it reads in a body sensor signal 120 provided by body sensor 110 and a chassis sensor signal 125 provided by chassis sensor 115. Body sensor signal 120 represents at least one body vibration recorded in the body area. Chassis sensor signal 125 represents at least one chassis vibration recorded in the chassis area. According to this exemplary embodiment, device 105 includes a read-in unit 130 and an evaluation unit 135. Read-in unit 130 is designed to read in body sensor signal 120 and chassis sensor signal 125. Evaluation unit 135 is designed to evaluate body sensor signal 120 and chassis sensor signal 125 and to thereby obtain an evaluation result 140 representing the damage. According to this exemplary embodiment, evaluation result 140 represents the result of a subtraction of chassis sensor signal 125 from body sensor signal 120. Evaluation unit 135 is furthermore optionally designed to detect the damage according to this exemplary embodiment, using a predetermined signal pattern assigned to a specific damage. According to this exemplary embodiment, body sensor 110 is designed as an acoustic sensor and/or an acceleration sensor. Chassis sensor 115 is designed, for example, as a road noise sensor.

(8) In other words, chassis sensor 115 is used for a signal correction to detect the damage. According to this exemplary embodiment, this takes place in view of the fact that less significant damage is often detected only when electrical components are damaged. A detection of less significant damage is useful, however, for different reasons, for example to detect a damage caused to another vehicle, to an object or to a person, for example to avoid hit-and-run incidents or to detect the damage to ego vehicle 100. A detection of this type becomes all the more relevant with the development of autonomous driving as well as the growing car-sharing services. It is therefore sensible to facilitate the detection of a local damage, taking into account the chassis vibration, which is also described as excitation, with the aid of the approach presented here.

(9) According to this exemplary embodiment, a reduction of the influence of the driving situation is thus facilitated. Up to now, the detection was carried out only on the basis of local accelerations or excitations, which are referred to here as body vibration, the chassis vibration had to be accepted as n disturbance variable. Since the body vibration is within a comparable magnitude as the chassis vibration, this results in a significant limitation of the performance of a detection system. This means that body sensor 110, which is also referred to as a noise or acceleration sensor, detects both the local excitation and excitations via the chassis in the vehicle, but is not able to automatically separate them from each other. However, chassis sensor 115, which is also referred to as a road noise sensor, detects only the excitations via the chassis, i.e., the vehicle vibration. According to this exemplary embodiment, chassis excitations and local damage may thus be separated. By comparing the body vibration with the chassis vibration, according to this exemplary embodiment, situations, in which a distinction was not previously possible, are distinguished between a normal driving situation and relevant damage.

(10) Taking chassis sensor 115 into account, a feature is generated, for example, which is independent of chassis vibrations, i.e., the chassis vibration is eliminated from the body vibration or partially eliminated or minimized. Technical implementations may take place according to this exemplary embodiment, in that, for example, chassis sensor signal 125 is subtracted from body sensor signal 120, subtracted from the features derived from the raw signals or, for example, time ranges having a high chassis vibration are suppressed or do not cooperate in a decision or further processing.

(11) Depending on the feature calculation and the particular sensor resolutions, a corresponding preprocessing of one or both signals 120, 125 may optionally be necessary. According to this exemplary embodiment, an improved detection of relevant vehicle damage is possible with the aid of the ascertained feature.

(12) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a vibration diagram 200 of a body sensor signal superimposed by the chassis sensor signal for the purpose of explaining the procedure for detecting a damage to a vehicle. According to the exemplary embodiment, diagram 200 illustrated here represents body vibration 205 in the form of two overlapping curves. Body vibration 205 may correspond to body vibration 120 mentioned in FIG. 1 and may therefore be evaluated, for example, by a device as described in FIG. 1. According to this exemplary embodiment, an x-axis 210 of diagram 200 represents a time t. A y-axis 215 of diagram 200 represents, for example, an amplitude A. According to this exemplary embodiment, body vibration 205 includes both a high-frequency curve 220 and a curve 225 corresponding to the chassis vibration. According to this exemplary embodiment, high-frequency curve 220 represents the damage to the vehicle, which, however, is superimposed by the chassis signal and is thus not uniquely apparent.

(13) FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a vibration diagram 200 of a chassis sensor signal for the purpose of explaining the procedure for detecting a damage to a vehicle. Diagram 200 illustrated here may correspond to or resemble diagram 200 described in FIG. 2. According to this exemplary embodiment, the only deviation with respect to FIG. 2 is that chassis vibration 300 is illustrated in the form of one curve. The body vibration is not illustrated according to this exemplary embodiment.

(14) In other words, a detection of minor damage in a stationary vehicle is much less serious than in a moving vehicle. In a moving vehicle, accelerations and noises are constantly coupled in via the chassis, depending on the driving situation, the velocity and the roadway paving. Chassis vibration 300 is therefore used as an additional input variable to be able to distinguish local damage from chassis excitations.

(15) FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of a vibration diagram 200 of a damage-typical signal profile without any superimposed vibration components from the chassis signal for the purpose of explaining the procedure for detecting damage to a vehicle. Diagram 200 illustrated here may correspond to or resemble diagram 200 described in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3. According to this exemplary embodiment, the only difference is the evaluation result, i.e. a signal representing the damage, illustrated in the form of a curve 400.

(16) The damage represented by curve 400 may then be compared, for example, with one or multiple signal profile(s) or signal pattern(s), which are not illustrated in the figures and which are each assigned to one specific damage scenario. The damage scenario whose assigned signal profile or signal pattern has the greatest similarity with curve 400 may be ascertained hereby. A greatest similarity of this type may be ascertained, for example, by applying the method of minimizing an average squared error. Signal patterns, which were previously ascertained for the damage to be detected in each case, for example in a laboratory environment, and stored in control unit 105, may be used for the identification or detection of the damage. In this way, a significant improvement of the detection of vehicle damage, and thus the increase in traffic safety, may be achieved with the aid of very simple means by using these signal patterns.

(17) FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a method 500 for detecting a damage to a vehicle according to one exemplary embodiment.

(18) Method 500 may be carried out by a device as described in FIG. 1. Method 500 includes a reading-in step 505 and an evaluation step 510. In reading-in step 505, a body sensor signal is read in via an interface to a body sensor of the vehicle. The body sensor signal represents at least one body vibration recorded in the body area. In reading-in step 505, a chassis sensor signal is furthermore read in via an interface to a chassis sensor of the vehicle, the chassis sensor signal representing at least one chassis vibration recorded in the chassis area. In evaluation step 510, the body sensor signal and the chassis sensor signal are evaluated to obtain an evaluation result representing the damage.

(19) According to this exemplary embodiment, method 500 only optionally includes a step 515 of at least partially suppressing the chassis vibration, using the body sensor signal and/or the chassis sensor signal if the chassis vibration exceeds a predetermined threshold value, in particular with regard to an amplitude and/or a frequency. According to this exemplary embodiment, method 500 further includes a step 520 of preprocessing the body sensor signal and/or the chassis sensor signal prior to the evaluation step. The preprocessing includes, in particular, a filtering of at least one of the signals.

(20) If an exemplary embodiment includes an “and/or” linkage between a first feature and a second feature, this is to be read in such a way that the exemplary embodiment has both the first feature and the second feature according to one specific embodiment and either only the first feature or only the second feature according to another specific embodiment.