Method of controlling a windshield wiper system
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a vehicular windshield wiping system, the wiping system including at least one wiper blade, a motor for driving the at least one wiper blade at a high speed and a low speed, and a sensor mounted to the windshield for monitoring a portion of the windshield wiped by the at least one wiper blade, the sensor generating a sensor signal having a value indicative of the moisture on the portion of the windshield, the system also including an electronic control unit for controlling the motor based on the sensor signal, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining an average rate of change in the sensor signal value over a predetermined period of time;
operating the wiper system with the motor at the high speed based on the average rate of change in the sensor signal value;
determining a rolling sum of the number of times the average rate of change drops below a first threshold over a second predetermined period of time;
comparing the rolling sum to a second predetermined threshold; and
operating the wiper system with the motor at the high speed based on the comparison.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of automatically controlling the operating speed of a vehicular windshield wiping system based on an average rate of change in the value of a sensor signal indicative of the moisture on the windshield. The wiping system includes a motor for driving at least one wiper blade at a high speed and a low speed, and a sensor mounted to the windshield for monitoring a portion of the windshield wiped by the at least one wiper blade. The method includes determining an average rate of change in the sensor signal value over a predetermined period of time and operating the wiper system with the motor at the high speed based on the average rate of change in the sensor signal value. In one embodiment, the method includes wiper system is operated with the motor at the high speed based on the frequency with which the average rate of change in the sensor signal value drops below a first predetermined threshold.
37 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. A method of controlling a vehicular windshield wiping system, the wiping system including at least one wiper blade, a motor for driving the at least one wiper blade at a high speed and a low speed, and a sensor mounted to the windshield for monitoring a portion of the windshield wiped by the at least one wiper blade, the sensor generating a sensor signal having a value indicative of the moisture on the portion of the windshield, the system also including an electronic control unit for controlling the motor based on the sensor signal, the method comprising the steps of:
-
determining an average rate of change in the sensor signal value over a predetermined period of time; operating the wiper system with the motor at the high speed based on the average rate of change in the sensor signal value; determining a rolling sum of the number of times the average rate of change drops below a first threshold over a second predetermined period of time; comparing the rolling sum to a second predetermined threshold; and operating the wiper system with the motor at the high speed based on the comparison. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A method of controlling a vehicular windshield wiping system, the wiping system including at least one wiper blade, a motor for driving the at least one wiper blade at a high speed and a low speed, and a sensor mounted to the windshield for monitoring a portion of the windshield wiped by the at least one wiper blade, the sensor generating a sensor signal having a value indicative of the moisture on the portion of the windshield, the system also including an electronic control unit for controlling the motor based on the sensor signal, the method comprising the steps of:
-
determining an average rate of change in the sensor signal value over a first predetermined period of time; determining a rolling sum of the number of times the average rate of change drops below a first threshold over a second predetermined period of time; and operating the wiper system with the motor at the high speed based on the rolling sum. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A control system for controlling a vehicular windshield wiping system, the wiping system including at least one wiper blade, a motor for driving the at least one wiper blade at a high speed and a low speed, the control system including a sensor mounted to the windshield for monitoring a portion of the windshield wiped by the at least one wiper blade, the sensor generating a sensor signal having a value indicative of the moisture on the portion of the windshield, the control system further comprising:
-
means for determining an average rate of change in the sensor signal value over a first predetermined period of time; and means for determining a rolling sum of the number of times the average rate of change drops below a first threshold over a second predetermined period of time, the control system operating the wiper system with the motor at the high speed based on the rolling sum. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
-
Specification