US 12,449,518 B2
Method and device for identifying contamination on a protective screen of a lidar sensor
Philipp Schindler, Karlsruhe (DE); and Andreas Scharf, Stuttgart (DE)
Assigned to Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Stuttgart (DE); and Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart (DE)
Appl. No. 18/000,988
Filed by Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Stuttgart (DE); and Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart (DE)
PCT Filed Jun. 2, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/064777
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 7, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/249845, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 115 252.3 (DE), filed on Jun. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0213630 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. G01S 7/497 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 7/497 (2013.01) [G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G01S 2007/4977 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for identifying contamination on a protective screen of a Lidar sensor, comprising:
dividing a detection region of the Lidar sensor into multiple sectors, wherein it is determined by sector whether there is contamination on the protective screen in the respective sector, and wherein
in each sector a sector background noise is determined at various sensitivities of a receiver on the Lidar sensor, wherein it is inferred that there is contamination in the respective sector if a sector background noise detected at a higher sensitivity compared with a sector background noise detected at a lower sensitivity does not show a significantly higher level of sector background noise,
wherein when contamination is inferred the contamination is removed from the protective screen.