Device and method for detecting wetness on a roadway
AssigneeDr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
InventorStefan Eberhardt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A detection device is provided for a motor vehicle (10) for detecting wetness (18) on a roadway (20). The detection device has a moisture-detection unit (12) and an evaluation unit (40) designed to determine wetness (18) on the roadway (20) on the basis of a moisture value (42) detected by the moisture-detection unit (12). The moisture-detection unit (12) is embodied as a sensor unit and is arranged at a rear region of the motor vehicle (10).
Claims16
A device for determining a risk of aquaplaning of a motor vehicle on a roadway, the motor vehicle having a rear windshield, the device comprising:
- a position detection unit for determining a current position of the vehicle on a roadway and for identifying roadway information at locations subsequent to the current position of the vehicle on the roadway;
- a moisture-detection unit on the rear windshield;
- and
- an evaluation unit configured:
- to determine wetness on the roadway based on a moisture value detected by the moisture-detection unit, to determine an aquaplaning risk at the locations subsequent to the current position of the vehicle on the roadway based on the moisture value detected by the moisture-detection unit and the roadway information identified by the position detection unit at the locations subsequent to the current position of the vehicle on the roadway, and to generate a signal indicative of the aquaplaning risk determined based on the moisture value and the roadway information at the locations subsequent to the current position of the vehicle.
A method for detecting a risk of aquaplaning of a vehicle on a roadway, comprising:
- using a position detection unit for determining a current position of the vehicle on the roadway and for identifying roadway information at locations subsequent to the current position of the vehicle on the roadway
- using a sensor unit at a rear windshield of the motor vehicle for detecting a moisture value;
- determining the wetness on the roadway on the basis of the detected moisture value;
- determining an aquaplaning risk at the locations subsequent to the current position of the vehicle on the roadway based on the determined wetness on the roadway and the roadway information identified by the position detection unit at the locations subsequent to the current position of the vehicle on the roadway;
- and
- generating a signal indicative of an aquaplaning risk above a threshold value.
A motor vehicle, comprising:
- an upward and rearward facing rear windshield aligned at an acute angle to a roadway surface on which the vehicle is supported;
- a wiper element mounted in proximity to the rear windshield and operative to wipe moisture from the rear windshield;
- a moisture-detection unit on the rear windshield at a position that aligns with the wiper element when the wiper element is operated to wipe moisture from the rear windshield;
- and
- an evaluation unit configured to determine wetness on the roadway based on a moisture value detected by the moisture-detection unit, and to generate a signal indicative of a speed dependent risk based on the moisture value and a speed of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.