Wiper control method and wiper control device

• US 20070132417A1
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Niles Company Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Niles Company Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Furusawa, Satoshi, Kokuryo, Kazuto, Makino, Yoshiteru
• Granted Patent: US 7,466,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/483
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0818 including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like

Abstract

A wiper control method and a wiper control device are provided which can smoothly respond to rapid change of a rainfall situation at passage of a rainfall shutoff environment such as a tunnel. A wiping state control part 42 determines entry of a vehicle into the rainfall shutoff environment, sets a wiping level low for the low level of rainfall less than a predetermined rainfall level in response to this determination or sets the wiping level high for the high level rainfall at the predetermined rainfall level or more. A rainfall level generation part 32 detects adhesion of raindrops and determines the rainfall level. A wiper driving signal generation part 48 determines wiper operation based on the rainfall level determined by the rainfall level generation part 32 and the wiping level set by the wiping state control part 42.

Claims

1. A method for controlling operation of a wiper by reflecting light emitted from a light emitting element on a detection surface provided at a part of a wiper wiping area of a windshield glass of a vehicle and by detecting a state of said detection surface by receiving said reflected light by a light receiving element, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining entrance of said vehicle to a rainfall shutoff environment;

(b) making setting to lower a wiping level for a low-level rainfall less than a predetermined rainfall level in response to the determination in said Step (a) and to raise the wiping level for a high-level rainfall at the predetermined rainfall level or more; and

(c) determining the rainfall level by detecting adhesion of raindrops and determining operation of said wiper based on the wiping level set in said Step (b).

4. A wiper control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the step (a) for determining entrance of said vehicle to a rainfall shutoff environment includes a step of determining entrance of said vehicle into the rainfall shutoff environment based on the fact that the rainfall level is lowered by a predetermined amount from a rainfall level at a predetermined threshold value or more in a predetermined time and said lowered state lasts for a predetermined period of time.

2. A method for controlling operation of a wiper by reflecting light emitted from a light emitting element on a detection surface provided at a part of a wiper wiping area of a windshield glass of a vehicle and by detecting a state of said detection surface by receiving said reflected light by a light receiving element, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining entrance of said vehicle to a rainfall shutoff environment; and

(b) detecting adhesion of raindrops based on a momentum of an output signal of said light receiving element included in a driving section of said wiper in response to the determination in said Step (a).

3. A method for controlling operation of a wiper by reflecting light emitted from a light emitting element on a detection surface provided at a part of a wiper wiping area of a windshield glass of a vehicle and by detecting a state of said detection surface by receiving said reflected light by a light receiving element, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining entrance of said vehicle to a rainfall shutoff environment;

(b) determining if the running speed of said vehicle is at a predetermined threshold speed or more in response to the determination in said Step (a); and

(c) increasing raindrop detection sensitivity if the running speed of said vehicle is at the predetermined threshold speed or more in said Step (b).

5. A wiper control device for controlling operation of a wiper by reflecting light emitted from a light emitting element on a detection surface provided at a part of a wiper wiping area of a windshield glass of a vehicle and by detecting a state of said detection surface by receiving said reflected light by a light receiving element, comprising:

a wiping state control part for determining entrance of said vehicle to a rainfall shutoff environment and making setting to lower a wiping level for a low-level rainfall less than a predetermined rainfall level in response to said determination and to raise the wiping level for a high-level rainfall at the predetermined rainfall level or more;

a rainfall level generation part for determining a rainfall level by detecting adhesion of raindrops; and

a wiper driving signal generation part for determining operation of said wiper based on the rainfall level determined by said rainfall level generation part and the wiping level set by said wiping state control part.

8. A wiper control device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said wiping state control part determines entrance of said vehicle to the rainfall shutoff environment based on the fact that the rainfall level is lowered by a predetermined amount from a rainfall level at a predetermined threshold value or more in a predetermined time and said lowered state lasts for a predetermined period of time.

6. A wiper control device for controlling operation of a wiper by reflecting light emitted from a light emitting element on a detection surface provided at a part of a wiper wiping area of a windshield glass of a vehicle and by detecting a state of said detection surface by receiving said reflected light by a light receiving element, comprising a wiping state control part for determining entrance of said vehicle to a rainfall shutoff environment and detecting adhesion of raindrops based on a momentum of an output signal of said light receiving element included in the driving section of said wiper in response to said determination.

7. A wiper control device for controlling operation of said wiper by reflecting light emitted from a light emitting element on a detection surface provided at a part of a wiper wiping area of a windshield glass of a vehicle and by detecting a state of said detection surface by receiving said reflected light by a light receiving element, comprising:

a wiping state control part for determining entrance of said vehicle to a rainfall shutoff environment and in response to said determination, determining if the running speed of said vehicle is at a predetermined threshold speed or more; and

a sensitivity control part for raising detection sensitivity of raindrops when said wiping state control part determines that the running speed of said vehicle is at the predetermined threshold speed or more.

9. A method for controlling operation of a wiper by reflecting light emitted from a light emitting element on a detection surface provided at a part of a wiper wiping area of a windshield glass of a vehicle and by detecting a state of said detection surface by receiving said reflected light by a light receiving element, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting adhesion of raindrops on said detection surface;

(b) determining the wiping state of said wiper defined by wiping waiting time and wiping speed based on said detected adhesion of raindrops;

(c) detecting the amount of water carried by the blade of said wiper with wiping operation of said wiper and passing through said detection surface; and

(d) stopping wiping of said wiper when the amount of water passing through said detection surface is at a predetermined threshold value or more and adhesion of raindrops on said detection surface is not detected.

10. A wiper control method according to claim 9, wherein the operation of said wiper is controlled through a predetermined wiper driving signal, and said step (d) stops wiping of said wiper by masking said predetermined wiper driving signal.

11. A wiper control device for controlling operation of said wiper by reflecting light emitted from a light emitting element on a detection surface provided at a part of a wiper wiping area of a windshield glass of a vehicle and by detecting a state of said detection surface by receiving said reflected light by a light receiving element, comprising:

a raindrop detection part for detecting adhesion of raindrops on said detection surface;

a wiping state control part for determining wiping state of said wiper defined by wiping waiting time and wiping speed based on said detected adhesion of raindrops; and

a wiper stop control part for stopping wiping of said wiper if the amount of water carried by the blade of said wiper with wiping operation of said wiper and passing through said detection surface is not smaller than a predetermined threshold value or more and adhesion of raindrops on said detection surface is not detected.

12. A wiper control device according to claim 11, wherein said wiper control device controls operation of said wiper through a predetermined wiper driving signal, and said wiper stop control part stops wiping of said wiper by masking said predetermined wiper driving signal.