US 12,117,562 B2
Surroundings sensor with a movable sensor unit for motor vehicles
Rainer Hagen, Leverkusen (DE); Thomas Grimm, Cologne (DE); Ulrich Grosser, Kürten (DE); Alexander Meyer, Düsseldorf (DE); Andreas Klein, Leverkusen (DE); Dirk Hinzmann, Pulheim (DE); Peter Capellen, Krefeld (DE); and Rafael Oser, Krefeld (DE)
Assigned to Covestro Intellectual Property GmbH & Co. KG, Leverkusen (DE)
Appl. No. 17/282,815
Filed by Covestro Intellectual Property GmbH & Co. KG, Leverkusen (DE)
PCT Filed Oct. 4, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/076921
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 5, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/074391, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 16, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18199529 (EP), filed on Oct. 10, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0389435 A1, Dec. 16, 2021
Int. Cl. G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/02 (2006.01); G01S 7/40 (2006.01); G01S 7/497 (2006.01); G06F 18/25 (2023.01)
CPC G01S 7/4813 (2013.01) [G01S 7/027 (2021.05); G01S 7/4039 (2021.05); G01S 7/497 (2013.01); G06F 18/25 (2023.01); G01S 2007/4975 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a sensor system for a motor vehicle comprising a sensor housing and an active or passive sensor arranged therein and held on a movable sensor holder with sensor technology based on radiation detection as well as a measuring device associated with the sensor and a control device, coupled to said measuring device, for the sensor holder,
wherein the sensor housing has a signal-transmissive cover for the sensor on its side located in the detection direction of the sensor and wherein the detection area of the sensor in the area of the signal-transmissive cover has a smaller extent than the signal-transmissive cover,
wherein the measuring device is used to check whether and in which section of the detection area of the sensor the signal-transmissive cover has an area with reduced signal transmissivity, and if an area with reduced signal transmissivity is detected, the position of the sensor is changed by means of the control device in such a way that the area with reduced signal transmissivity is outside the detection area of the sensor and,
wherein an area with reduced signal transmissivity is defined in that attenuation of the signal to be detected by the sensor technology of at least 5% occurs in a contiguous area of at least 1% of the detection area of the sensor on the signal-transmissive cover compared to the remaining area of the signal-transmissive cover in the detection area of the sensor.