KR20200098829A - Roof managment apparatus for vehicle and method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle roof management apparatus and, more specifically, to a vehicle roof management apparatus and a method thereof, which can remove foreign substances present on a roof on which solar panels are mounted. A vehicle roof management apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is an apparatus for managing a roof on which solar panels are mounted. The apparatus comprises: a state detection unit for detecting vehicle state information; an outside temperature detection unit which detects outside temperature information, which is the outside temperature; a foreign substances detection unit for detecting a light recovery rate according to the foreign substances present on the surface of the roof; a wiper driving unit for operating a wiper mounted on the roof; and a vehicle control unit which checks whether a battery needs to be charged based on the vehicle state information, and when the battery needs to be charged, controls the wiper driving unit to remove the foreign substances from the roof according to the light recovery rate detected by the foreign substance detection unit and the outside temperature information detected by the outside temperature detection unit.

Description

Vehicle roof management device and its method {ROOF MANAGMENT APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE AND METHOD OF THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a roof management apparatus for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a roof management apparatus and a method for a vehicle capable of removing foreign substances present in a roof on which a solar cell panel is mounted.

As environmental problems such as global warming have become serious due to the recent excessive use of fossil fuels, it is an urgent setting to reduce carbon dioxide emissions internationally, and interest in renewable energy is increasing for this.

In addition, solar cells and other green energy sources have great advantages in that they do not use fossil fuels, which are limited in the earth, and that they do not emit carbon dioxide gas, so they can minimize environmental pollution.These advantages are global warming and fossil fuel depletion. Considering the position of modern people who must prepare for this increasingly serious future, the importance of this is bound to be very high.

Unlike other energy sources, solar cells are infinite and environmentally friendly, so their importance is increasing as time goes by, and the field of application is also expanding. In response to this trend, the automobile industry is developing and launching automobiles equipped with solar cells and systems that utilize electric energy output therefrom.

A technology is being developed that enables vehicles to use power generated by solar cells by mounting solar panels on the vehicle body.

That is, a technology has been developed to allow a vehicle to use electric power generated from solar cells by mounting a solar panel on the upper surface of a roof panel of a vehicle body or tempered glass of a sunroof or panoramic roof. When solar cells are applied to the sunroof or the panoramic roof, the openness of the existing sunroof can be utilized and solar energy can be utilized in various application fields.

However, when a solar cell is mounted on the sunroof of a vehicle and operated, the amount of power generation may be significantly different depending on the external environment, and in particular, there is a problem that the amount of power generation decreases due to contamination by external dust.

The matters described in this background are prepared to enhance an understanding of the background of the invention, and may include matters not known in the prior art to those of ordinary skill in the field to which this technology belongs.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle roof management apparatus and method capable of removing foreign substances by driving a wiper when foreign substances exist in a roof on which a solar panel is mounted.

In addition, an embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle roof management apparatus and method capable of spraying a washer liquid onto a roof by heating a washer liquid when the temperature drops below zero, such as in winter.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for managing a roof on which a solar cell panel is mounted, comprising: a state detector configured to detect vehicle state information; An outside temperature detector configured to detect outside temperature information, which is an outside temperature; A foreign matter detection unit for detecting a light recovery rate according to the foreign matter present on the surface of the loop; A wiper driving unit for operating the wiper mounted on the roof; And check whether the battery needs to be charged based on the vehicle status information, and if the battery needs to be charged, to remove foreign substances from the loop according to the light recovery rate detected by the foreign material detection unit and the outside temperature information detected by the outside temperature detection unit. It is possible to provide a vehicle roof management apparatus including a vehicle control unit that controls the wiper driving unit.

In addition, when the battery needs to be charged, the vehicle controller may operate the wiper by controlling the wiper driver when the light recovery rate is greater than or equal to the recovery rate reference information, and the outside temperature information is greater than or equal to the temperature reference information.

In addition, the vehicle roof management apparatus includes a storage tank for storing a washer liquid; A pump driving unit that pumps the washer liquid from the storage tank; A spray nozzle for spraying the washer liquid into the loop; And a heater for heating the washer liquid.

In addition, when the outside temperature information is less than the temperature reference information, the vehicle controller controls the heater to heat the washer fluid, controls the pump driving unit to inject the washer fluid into the loop through the spray nozzle, and controls the wiper driving unit to control the wiper. Can work.

In addition, the vehicle roof management apparatus may further include a hot wire driving unit that turns on or off a switch to supply current from a battery to at least one of the heater and the pump driving unit according to the control of the vehicle controller.

In addition, when the outside temperature information is less than the temperature reference information, the vehicle control unit may provide an ON control signal to the heating wire driving unit to provide a current of a battery to the heater and pump driving unit.

In addition, the vehicle control unit checks the light recovery rate detected through the foreign matter detection unit after operating the wiper, and when the light recovery rate is less than the recovery rate reference information, the pump driving unit is controlled to stop spraying of the washer liquid, and the wiper driving unit The wiper can be stopped by controlling.

In addition, the vehicle control unit controls the wiper driving unit to operate the wiper and then checks the light recovery rate detected through the foreign matter detection unit, and when the light recovery rate is less than the recovery rate reference information, the wiper driving unit is controlled to stop the operation of the wiper. I can.

In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for a roof management apparatus for a vehicle to manage a roof equipped with a solar panel, the method comprising: determining whether a battery needs to be charged based on vehicle status information; Checking a light recovery rate according to foreign substances in a loop when the battery needs to be charged; Determining whether the light recovery rate is greater than or equal to the recovery rate reference information; If the light recovery rate is greater than or equal to the recovery rate reference information, checking outside temperature information; And operating a wiper for removing foreign substances present on a surface of the roof when the outside temperature information is higher than the temperature reference information.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when a foreign material is detected in a roof on which a solar panel is mounted, a wiper can be operated to remove the foreign material present in the roof, thus maximizing customer convenience. You can solve the problem.

In addition, even if foreign substances such as snow are attached to the roof in winter, the washer liquid can be removed by heating, so the efficiency of the solar cell can be maximized.

In addition, effects obtained or predicted by the embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention. That is, various effects predicted according to an embodiment of the present invention will be disclosed within a detailed description to be described later.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle roof management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary view illustrating a heating element driving unit of a vehicle roof management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 and 4 are views showing a vehicle equipped with a vehicle roof management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flow chart showing a method for managing a vehicle roof according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an operating principle for a vehicle roof management apparatus and a method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and description. However, the drawings shown below and the detailed description to be described later relate to a preferred embodiment among various embodiments for effectively describing the features of the present invention. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention will not be limited only to the following drawings and description.

In addition, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention in describing the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in an embodiment of the present invention, which may vary according to the intention or custom of users or operators. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout this specification.

In addition, the following embodiments will use appropriately modified, integrated, or separated terms so that those of ordinary skill in the art can clearly understand in order to efficiently describe the key technical features of the present invention. However, the present invention is by no means limited.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a configuration diagram showing a vehicle roof management device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is an exemplary view for explaining a hot wire driving unit of a vehicle roof management device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and 4 is a view showing a vehicle equipped with a vehicle roof management device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the roof management apparatus 100 for a vehicle according to the present invention, a solar panel is mounted on the roof of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 3. This is an invention to remove the amount of power generation of the solar cell when there is a foreign material in the roof on which the solar cell panel is mounted.

To this end, referring to FIG. 1, the vehicle roof management apparatus 100 includes a state detection unit 110, an outside temperature detection unit 120, a foreign matter detection unit 130, a wiper driving unit 140, a wiper 150, and a hot wire driving unit 160. , A battery 170, a heater 180, a pump driving unit 190, a storage tank 210, a spray nozzle 220, and a vehicle control unit 250.

The state detection unit 110 detects vehicle state information for managing the vehicle. That is, the state detection unit 110 detects vehicle state information including the residual voltage of the battery 170, the vehicle speed, and the coolant temperature.

The state detection unit 110 may periodically detect vehicle state information under the control of the vehicle controller 250, or may detect the vehicle state information non-periodically under the control of the vehicle controller 250.

The state detection unit 110 provides the detected vehicle state information to the vehicle control unit 250.

The outside temperature detection unit 120 measures outside temperature information, which is the outside temperature of the vehicle. The outside temperature detection unit 120 provides the measured outside temperature information to the vehicle control unit 250.

The outside temperature detection unit 120 may be installed on the front bumper of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 3.

The foreign matter detection unit 130 detects a light recovery rate according to the foreign matter present in the loop 50.

In this case, the foreign matter detection unit 130 may detect the light recovery rate by emitting light to the loop 50 and checking the amount of reflected light. It can be seen that the higher the light recovery rate, the more foreign substances are in the loop 50. The foreign matter detection unit 130 provides the detected light recovery rate to the vehicle control unit 250.

The foreign matter detection unit 130 may be installed under the roof 50 in the vehicle as shown in FIG. 4.

The wiper driving unit 140 is connected to the wiper 150 to provide a driving force to the wiper 150. The wiper driving unit 140 may be installed at the rear of the vehicle.

The wiper 150 receives a driving force from the wiper driving unit 140 to remove foreign substances present in the roof 50.

The wiper 150 may be installed on the roof 50 along the vehicle width direction as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The wiper 150 may move from the front to the rear and from the rear to the front of the roof 50 to remove foreign substances present in the roof 50.

The hot wire driving unit 160 provides the current of the battery 170 to the heater 180 or the pump driving unit 190.

In other words, as shown in FIG. 2, the heating element driving unit 160 transfers the current of the battery 170 to at least one of the heater 180 and the pump driving unit 190 according to the control of the vehicle controller 250. The switch is turned on or off to supply the current. For example, when the external temperature of the vehicle is below zero, the hot wire driving unit 160 is switched on to provide the current of the battery 170 to the heater 180 and the pump driving unit 190, and the external temperature of the vehicle is imaged. In this case, the switch is turned off and the current of the battery 170 is not supplied to the heater 180 and the pump driver 190.

The battery 170 supplies power required for starting an engine of a vehicle and power required from an electric load such as the wiper 150. In this case, the electric load may represent a component that is driven by a low voltage in the vehicle, and may include a roof 50, a wiper 150, a headlight, a fog light, and the like.

The battery 170 may be a low voltage battery 170. For example, the battery 170 may be a 12V lithium ion battery 170.

The heater 180 may heat the washer liquid. That is, the heater 180 may heat the washer liquid stored in the storage tank 210. Such, the heater 180 is from the battery 170 under the control of the vehicle controller 250

The pump driving unit 190 pumps the washer liquid stored in the storage tank 210. At this time, the washer liquid is supplied from the storage tank 210 by the pump driving unit 190 to the heater 180 through the washer hose 215, heated by the heater 180, and then supplied to the spray nozzle 220.

The heater 180 and the pump driving unit 190 may be installed inside the engine room of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 3.

It should be noted that the heater 180 and the pump driving unit 190 described above are configurations for spraying the heated washer liquid, and are not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 3.

The storage tank 210 stores washer liquid as shown in FIG. 3. The storage tank 210 includes a housing for storing the washer liquid, and the capacity and size of the housing may be variably configured to suit the vehicle.

The spray nozzle 220 sprays the washer liquid onto the roof 50 under the control of the vehicle controller 250.

The spray nozzle 220 may be installed near the roof 50. For example, the spray nozzle 220 may be installed at the front end of the roof 50 in the vehicle as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Meanwhile, although it has been described for example that the spray nozzle 220 is installed at the front end of the vehicle, it is not limited thereto, and the position is irrelevant as long as the washer liquid can be sprayed on the roof 50.

The vehicle control unit 250 controls components of the vehicle loop management apparatus. That is, the vehicle control unit 250 includes a state detection unit 110, an outside temperature detection unit 120, a foreign substance detection unit 130, a wiper driving unit 140, a wiper 150, a hot wire driving unit 160, a battery 170, and a heater ( 180), the pump driving unit 190 and the injection nozzle 220 are controlled.

In other words, the vehicle controller 250 checks whether the battery 170 needs to be charged based on the vehicle status information. When the battery 170 needs to be charged, the vehicle control unit 250 checks the light recovery rate detected by the foreign matter detection unit 130 and checks the outside temperature information detected by the outside temperature detection unit 120. The wiper 150 is operated by controlling the wiper driving unit 140 to remove foreign matter from the roof 50 based on the vehicle light recovery rate and outside temperature information.

For this purpose, the vehicle control unit 250 may be implemented as one or more microprocessors operating on a set program, and the set program is a series for performing each step included in the vehicle roof management method according to an embodiment to be described later. It can be said to include an order of. This vehicle roof management method will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5.

Hereinafter, a method for managing a loop according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

5 is a flow chart showing a method for managing a vehicle roof according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the vehicle controller 250 checks vehicle state information (S510).

That is, the state detection unit 110 detects vehicle state information and provides the detected vehicle state information to the vehicle control unit 250. The vehicle control unit 250 checks vehicle state information detected by the state detection unit 110.

The vehicle control unit 250 determines whether the battery 170 needs to be charged based on the vehicle state information (S515).

Specifically, the vehicle controller 250 checks whether the vehicle is running based on the vehicle speed and coolant temperature of the vehicle status information. That is, the vehicle control unit 250 may determine that the vehicle is driving when the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the reference speed, or when the vehicle speed is equal to 0 and the coolant temperature is equal to or higher than the reference temperature. Here, the base speed is a speed serving as a reference for determining whether the vehicle is running, and the reference temperature may indicate a temperature serving as a reference for determining whether the vehicle is running.

In addition, when the vehicle is running, the vehicle control unit 250 checks the residual voltage of the battery 170 included in the vehicle state information. The vehicle controller 250 may determine whether the residual voltage of the battery 170 is less than or equal to the reference voltage, and may determine whether the battery 170 needs to be charged. In this case, the reference voltage is a value that serves as a reference for determining whether the battery 170 needs to be charged, and may be a preset value.

Meanwhile, if the residual voltage of the battery 170 exceeds the reference voltage and the battery 170 does not need to be charged, the vehicle controller 250 may return to step S510 to monitor vehicle status information.

The vehicle control unit 250 checks the light recovery rate (S520).

That is, the foreign matter detection unit 130 detects the light recovery rate for the roof 50 on which the solar cell panel is mounted under the control of the vehicle controller 250. The foreign matter detection unit 130 provides the detected light recovery rate to the vehicle control unit 250. The vehicle control unit 250 checks the light recovery rate detected by the foreign matter detection unit 130.

The vehicle control unit 250 checks whether the light recovery rate is greater than or equal to the recovery rate reference information (S525). In this case, the recovery rate reference information may be preset to a value that serves as a reference to determine whether a foreign substance is present in the loop 50. The recovery rate reference information may be set through a predetermined algorithm (eg, a program and a probability model).

Meanwhile, if the light recovery rate is less than the recovery rate reference information, the vehicle controller 250 may return to step S520 to monitor the light recovery rate.

If the light recovery rate is greater than or equal to the recovery rate reference information, the vehicle controller 250 determines whether the outside temperature information is greater than or equal to the temperature reference information (S530).

In other words, if the light recovery rate is greater than or equal to the recovery rate reference information, the vehicle controller 250 determines that there is a foreign material in the roof 50, and determines whether the outside temperature information is higher than the temperature reference information in order to determine whether the outside temperature of the vehicle is below zero. . In this case, the temperature reference information is a value set to determine whether the outside temperature is below zero, and may be 0 degrees.

When the outside temperature information is greater than or equal to the temperature reference information, the vehicle controller 250 controls the wiper driving unit 140 to operate the wiper 150 (S535). That is, the vehicle control unit 250 drives the wiper driving unit 140 when a foreign material exists in the roof 50 and the outside temperature is an image. The wiper driving unit 140 operates the wiper 150. In this case, the wiper driver 140 may operate the wiper 150 by receiving the current from the battery 170.

The vehicle controller 250 determines whether the light recovery rate is less than the recovery rate reference information (S540).

That is, the vehicle control unit 250 operates the wiper 150 to determine whether the foreign matter has been removed from the roof 50, then checks the light recovery rate once again, and checks whether the light recovery rate checked again is less than the recovery rate reference information. .

Meanwhile, if the light recovery rate is greater than or equal to the recovery rate reference information, the vehicle control unit 250 returns to step S535 and controls the wiper driving unit 140 to operate the wiper 150.

When the light recovery rate is less than the recovery rate reference information, the vehicle controller 250 controls the wiper driving unit 140 to stop the operation of the wiper 150 (S545).

Also, the vehicle controller 250 operates the heater 180 when the outside temperature information is less than the temperature reference information (S550).

Specifically, when the outside temperature information is less than the temperature reference information, the vehicle control unit 250 determines that the outside temperature of the vehicle is below zero, and provides an ON control signal to the hot wire driving unit 160. At this time, the hot wire driving unit 160 receives a control signal turned on from the vehicle control unit 250 and turns on the switch to provide current from the battery 170 to the heater 180 and the pump driving unit 190. The battery 170 provides current to the heater 180 and the pump driving unit 190 by turning on the switch of the hot wire driving unit 160.

The pump driving unit 190 pumps the washer liquid stored in the storage tank 210 and supplies it to the heater 180 through the washer hose 215. The heater 180 heats the washer liquid supplied by driving the pump driving unit 190 through the current provided from the battery 170. The heated washer liquid is sprayed to the loop 50 through the spray nozzle 220.

The reason why the washer fluid is heated and sprayed in this way is to prevent the washer fluid from freezing and not spraying in sub-zero weather.

The vehicle controller 250 operates the wiper 150 by controlling the wiper driving unit 140 (S555).

Meanwhile, although the operation of the wiper 150 after spraying the washer liquid has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the wiper 150 may be operated while spraying the washer liquid.

The vehicle controller 250 operates the wiper 150 and then checks whether the light recovery rate detected by the foreign matter detection unit 130 is less than the recovery rate reference information (S560). The reason for checking whether the light recovery rate is less than the recovery rate reference information is to check whether the foreign matter has been removed from the loop 50.

On the other hand, if the light recovery rate is greater than the recovery rate reference information, the vehicle control unit 250 returns to step S550 and drives the heater 180 and the wiper driving unit 140 to spray the washer liquid, since the foreign matter has not been removed from the roof 50, The wiper 150 can be operated.

If the light recovery rate is less than the recovery rate reference information, the vehicle control unit 250 stops the operation of the wiper driving unit 140 to stop the operation of the wiper 150 (S565).

Accordingly, as described above, the vehicle roof management apparatus 100 according to the present invention improves the amount of generation of solar cells by easily removing foreign substances such as dust, snow, ice, etc. from the roof 50 on which the solar panel is mounted. I can make it.

Although the above has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, those of ordinary skill in the relevant technical field can use the present invention in various ways within the scope not departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the following claims. It will be appreciated that it can be modified and changed.

50: loop
100: vehicle roof management device
110: state detection unit
120: outside temperature detection unit
130: foreign matter detection unit
140: wiper drive unit
150: wiper
160: hot wire drive unit
170: battery
180: heater
190: pump drive unit
210: storage tank
220: spray nozzle
250: vehicle control unit

Claims (13)

In the device for managing a roof equipped with a solar panel,
A state detection unit for detecting vehicle state information;
An outside temperature detector configured to detect outside temperature information, which is an outside temperature;
A foreign matter detector for detecting a light recovery rate according to the foreign matter present on the surface of the loop;
A wiper driving unit for operating the wiper mounted on the roof; And
To check whether the battery needs to be charged based on the vehicle status information, and to remove foreign substances from the loop according to the light recovery rate detected by the foreign material detection unit and the outside temperature information detected by the outside temperature detection unit when the battery needs to be charged. A vehicle control unit for controlling the wiper drive unit;
Vehicle roof management device comprising a. The method of claim 1,
The vehicle control unit
When the battery needs to be charged, the light recovery rate is greater than or equal to the recovery rate reference information, and when the outside temperature information is greater than or equal to the temperature reference information, the vehicle roof management device operates the wiper by controlling the wiper driver. The method of claim 2,
A storage tank for storing washer liquid;
A pump driving unit that pumps the washer liquid from the storage tank;
A spray nozzle for spraying the washer liquid into the loop; And
A heater for heating the washer fluid;
Vehicle roof management device further comprising a. The method of claim 3,
The vehicle control unit
When the outside temperature information is less than the temperature reference information, the heater is controlled to heat the washer fluid, the pump driving unit is controlled to inject the washer fluid into the loop through the spray nozzle, and the wiper driving unit is controlled to operate the wiper. Device. The method of claim 3,
A vehicle roof management apparatus further comprising a hot wire driving unit that turns on or off a switch to supply current from a battery to at least one of the heater and the pump driving unit under control of the vehicle controller. The method of claim 5,
The vehicle control unit
When the outside temperature information is less than the temperature reference information, a vehicle roof management device that provides a control signal on the hot wire driving unit to provide a current of a battery to the heater and pump driving unit. The method of claim 3,
The vehicle control unit
After operating the wiper, the light recovery rate detected through the foreign matter detection unit is checked, and when the light recovery rate is less than the recovery rate reference information, the pump driving unit is controlled to stop spraying of washer liquid, and the wiper drive unit is controlled to operate the wiper. Vehicle roof management device to stop the operation. The method of claim 2,
The vehicle control unit
A vehicle roof management device for controlling the wiper driving unit to operate the wiper and then checking the light recovery rate detected through the foreign matter detection unit, and controlling the wiper driving unit to stop the operation of the wiper when the light recovery rate is less than the recovery rate reference information. In a method for a vehicle roof management device to manage a roof equipped with a solar panel,
Determining whether the battery needs to be charged based on the vehicle state information;
Checking a light recovery rate according to foreign substances in a loop when the battery needs to be charged;
Determining whether the light recovery rate is greater than or equal to the recovery rate reference information;
If the light recovery rate is greater than or equal to the recovery rate reference information, checking outside temperature information; And
Operating a wiper for removing foreign substances present on the surface of the roof when the outside temperature information is higher than the temperature reference information;
Vehicle roof management method comprising a. The method of claim 9,
Operating the wiper mounted on the roof
If the outside temperature information is greater than or equal to the temperature reference information, driving a wiper driver through a current of a battery to operate the wiper. The method of claim 9,
After the step of checking the outside temperature information,
If the outside temperature information is less than the temperature reference information, heating the washer liquid to spray the washer liquid, and operating the wiper;
Vehicle roof management method further comprising a. The method of claim 11,
Injecting the washer liquid and operating the wiper
Supplying a current of a battery to a heater and a pump driver when the outside temperature information is less than the temperature reference information;
Heating the washer liquid by driving a heater through the current of the battery;
Driving the pump driving unit through the current of the battery to inject the washer liquid heated by the heater; And
Operating the wiper;
Vehicle roof management method comprising a. The method of claim 9,
After the step of operating the wiper,
Checking the light recovery rate after operating the wiper; And
Stopping the operation of the wiper when the light recovery rate is less than the recovery rate reference information;
Vehicle roof management method comprising a.

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