US 11,852,748 B2
Method for operating a heating device for controlling the temperature of a radome of a radar sensor of a vehicle by using image data from a camera, computing device, heating control system and vehicle
Jonathan Roth, Starnberg (DE)
Assigned to Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (DE)
Filed by Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (DE)
Filed on Mar. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/704,414.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2021 108 439.3 (DE), filed on Apr. 1, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0317245 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 7/40 (2006.01); G01S 13/931 (2020.01); G01S 13/86 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4047 (2021.05) [G01S 13/867 (2013.01); G01S 13/931 (2013.01); G01S 2013/93271 (2020.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a heating device for controlling a temperature of a radome of a radar sensor of a vehicle, comprising:
receiving surroundings data that describe surroundings of the vehicle and/or at least one area of the radome of the vehicle, wherein the surroundings data comprise image data from at least one camera of the vehicle;
detecting a deposit of a precipitation on the radome on the basis of the surroundings data, wherein the detecting of the deposit of the precipitation on the radome comprises using the image data to detect the precipitation in the surroundings and/or on the area of the radome;
using the image data to determine a deposit probability, a type of the detected deposit of the precipitation, and/or an amount of the detected deposit of the precipitation, wherein the deposit probability describes a probability of there being the deposit of the precipitation on the radome; and
outputting a heating signal to the heating device in order to control the temperature of the radome on the basis of the detected deposit of the precipitation,
wherein a heating power of the heating device is determined based on the deposit probability, the type of the detected deposit of the precipitation, and/or the amount of the detected deposit of the precipitation.