Vehicle sensor cleaning apparatus and control method thereof

1 . A vehicle sensor cleaning apparatus connected to a vehicle controller of a vehicle comprising:

a liquid sprayer configured to spray washer fluid at at least one sensor located in a vehicle;

an air sprayer configured to spray air at the at least one sensor;

a liquid controller configured to control the liquid sprayer according to a cleaning request signal received from the vehicle controller; and

an air controller configured to control the air sprayer according to a cleaning request signal received from the vehicle controller,

wherein the liquid sprayer comprises:

a washer fluid tank configured to store washer fluid;

a washer pump motor configured to output the washer fluid stored in the washer fluid tank to a liquid distributor; and

a plurality of nozzles configured to spray the washer fluid output from the liquid distributor toward a plurality of sensors,

wherein a number of nozzles capable of simultaneously spraying the washer fluid is predefined,

wherein the liquid controller is configured to output a motor control signal for the washer pump motor and nozzle control signals for controlling ON/OFF states of the respective nozzles according to the cleaning request signal,

wherein, when second to N-th (wherein N is 3 or greater) cleaning request signals for second to N-th sensors of a same type are received while performing a cleaning operation corresponding to a first cleaning request signal for a first sensor, the liquid controller is configured to:

determine priorities of the second to N-th cleaning request signals;

perform, within the number of nozzles capable of simultaneously spraying the washer fluid, cleaning operations corresponding to the cleaning request signals selected according to the priorities in an overlapping manner with the cleaning operation corresponding to the first cleaning request signal; and

after completion of the cleaning operation corresponding to the first cleaning request signal, perform in an overlapping manner a cleaning operation corresponding to a cleaning request signal having a next priority.

2 . The vehicle sensor cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid controller is further configured to set a liquid spray mode to an ON state indicating the washer fluid is being sprayed when starting a control operation for spraying the washer fluid at the at least one sensor and set the liquid spray mode to an OFF state indicating the washer fluid is not being sprayed, and the air controller is further configured to stop spraying the air when receiving the ON state of the liquid spray mode from the liquid controller and perform a control operation to spray the air when receiving an OFF state of the liquid spray mode indicating the washer fluid is not being sprayed.

3 . The vehicle sensor cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid controller is further configured to output the motor control signal having a duty cycle to the washer pump motor when receiving the cleaning request signal.

4 . The vehicle sensor cleaning apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the liquid controller is further configured to control the nozzles of the liquid sprayer, which sprays the washer fluid, to be turned off when a cycle of the motor control signal is completed.

5 . The vehicle sensor cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid controller is further configured to adjust a duty cycle of a motor control signal for the washer pump motor according to a difference between a predefined reference voltage and a supply voltage supplied from the vehicle.

6 . The vehicle sensor cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid controller is further configured to output a value indicating an amount of the washer fluid in the washer fluid tank of the liquid sprayer based on sensing values of a plurality of level sensors which located at different heights in the washer fluid tank.

7 . The vehicle sensor cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid controller is further configured to stop the washer fluid spraying when a supply voltage or a supply current supplied from the vehicle for driving the washer pump motor is outside a predefined first reference range and resume the control operation when the supply voltage or the supply current falls within a predefined second reference range.

8 . The vehicle sensor cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid controller is further configured to stop an operation of the washer pump motor when receiving an error signal from the washer pump motor.

9 . A control method of a vehicle sensor cleaning apparatus connected to a vehicle controller of a vehicle, the control method comprising:

receiving a cleaning request signal from the vehicle controller; and

controlling a liquid sprayer and an air sprayer to be alternately performed on at least one sensor located in a vehicle,

wherein the liquid sprayer comprises:

a washer fluid tank configured to store washer fluid;

a washer pump motor configured to output the washer fluid stored in the washer fluid tank to a liquid distributor; and

a plurality of nozzles configured to spray the washer fluid output from the liquid distributor toward a plurality of sensors,

wherein a number of nozzles capable of simultaneously spraying the washer fluid is predefined,

when second to N-th (wherein N is 3 or greater) cleaning request signals for second to N-th sensors of a same type are received while performing a cleaning operation corresponding to a first cleaning request signal for a first sensor, the controlling comprising:

determining priorities of the second to N-th cleaning request signals;

performing, within the number of nozzles capable of simultaneously spraying the washer fluid, cleaning operations corresponding to the cleaning request signals selected according to the priorities in an overlapping manner with the cleaning operation corresponding to the first cleaning request signal; and

after completion of the cleaning operation corresponding to the first cleaning request signal, performing in an overlapping manner a cleaning operation corresponding to a cleaning request signal having a next priority.

10 . The control method of claim 9 , wherein the controlling comprises:

performing a control operation to spray washer fluid at at least one sensor; and

spraying air when the washer fluid spraying is in an off state.

11 . The control method of claim 9 , wherein the controlling comprises:

upon receiving a cleaning request signal, outputting a motor control signal having a duty cycle to the washer pump motor for the washer fluid spraying; and

when a cycle of the motor control signal is completed, controlling the nozzle, which sprays washer fluid, to be in an OFF state.

12 . The control method of claim 9 , wherein the controlling comprises:

determining a supply voltage supplied from the vehicle;

adjusting a duty cycle of a motor control signal of the washer pump motor for washer fluid spraying according to a difference between a predefined reference voltage and the supply voltage supplied from the vehicle.

13 . A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon computer-readable program code that, when executed by the vehicle controller, causes the control method of claim 9 to be performed.