Automatic wiper-controlled vehicle headlamps

• US 5,519,257 A
• Filed: 10/11/1994
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chrysler Group LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Chrysler Corporation (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Lock, Robert L. III, Betterton, Joseph T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US08/320,366
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1, 307/10.8, 315/77, 315/82, 315/83, 318/DIG. 2, 340/457.2, 362/802, 362/253, 362/61
• US Class Current: 307/10.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather

Abstract

A method for automatically controlling headlamps in response to windshield wiper controls is provided. A microcontroller senses the voltage levels of signals from a windshield wiper switch and a headlamp switch. If the microcontroller senses that the vehicle operator has turned on the windshield wiper switch, the microcontroller turns on the headlamps of a vehicle unless the windshield wipers are in intermittent mode or the operator of the vehicle has turned off the headlamps within a predetermined period of time.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the operation of headlamps in conjunction with the operation of windshield wipers comprising the steps of:

detecting whether the windshield wipers are in an on condition;

detecting whether the headlamps are in an on condition;

determining if the headlamps were turned off within a predetermined period of time; and

turning on the headlamps if the windshield wipers are on and the headlamps have not been turned off within the predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the windshield wipers have an intermittent operation mode and further comprising the steps of:

detecting whether the windshield wipers are in the intermittent operation mode; and

inhibiting the turning on of the headlamps if the windshield wipers are in the intermittent operation mode.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the windshield wipers are controlled by a windshield wiper switch that produces a voltage to indicate its state and the headlamps are controlled by a headlamp switch that produces a voltage to indicate its state, and wherein the steps of detecting involve sampling the windshield wiper switch voltage and headlamp switch voltage.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of determining and turning on are performed by a microprocessor.

5. A method for controlling the operation of headlamps in conjunction with the operation of windshield wipers comprising the steps of:

detecting a voltage level of a signal from a windshield wiper switch means, wherein a detected voltage of substantially zero indicates that said windshield wiper switch means is off, and a detected voltage not substantially zero indicates that said windshield wiper switch means is on;

detecting a voltage level of a second signal from a headlamp switch means, wherein a detected voltage of substantially zero indicates that the headlamp switch means is off, and a detected voltage not substantially zero indicates that said headlamp switch means if on;

determining the amount of time that the headlamp switch means has been off if the detected headlamp switch means is off; and

turning on the headlamps if the windshield wiper switch means is on, the headlamp switch means is off, and the amount of time that the headlamp switch means has been off is greater than a predetermined amount of time.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein a detected voltage of the signal from the windshield wiper switch means of greater than zero volts and less than a threshold voltage indicates that the windshield wiper switch means is in an intermittent operation mode, and further comprising the step of:

inhibiting turning on the headlamps if windshield wiper switch means is in the intermittent operation mode.

7. A method for controlling the operation of headlamps in conjunction with the operation of windshield wipers comprising the steps of:

detecting whether a windshield wiper switch means is in one of an on and off condition;

detecting whether the windshield wiper switch means is in an intermittent operation mode condition;

detecting whether a headlamp switch means is in one of an on and off condition; and

turning on the headlamps if the windshield wiper switch means is in an on condition, the windshield wiper switch means is not in the intermittent operation mode condition, and the headlamp switch means is in the off condition.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

determining the amount of time that the headlamp switch means has been in the off condition if the detected headlamp switch means is in the off condition;

inhibiting turning on the headlamps if the headlamp switch means has been in an off condition for less than a predetermined amount of time.

9. A method for controlling operation of headlamps in conjunction with operation of windshield wipers comprising the steps of:

detecting a voltage level of a signal output from a windshield wiper switch means, wherein a detected voltage of substantially zero indicates that said windshield wiper switch means is off, a detected voltage not substantially zero indicates that said wiper switch means is on, and a detected voltage of the signal of greater than zero volts and less than a threshold voltage indicates that the windshield wiper switch means is in an intermittent operation mode;

detecting a voltage level of a second signal output from a headlamp switch means, wherein a detected voltage of substantially zero indicates that the headlamp switch means is off, and a detected voltage not substantially zero indicates that said headlamp switch means is on; and

turning on the headlamps if the windshield wiper switch means is on and not in the intermittent operation mode, and the headlamp switch means is off.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

determining the amount of time that the headlamp switch means has been in an off condition if the detected headlamp switch means is off;

inhibiting the turning on of the headlamps if the amount of time that the headlamp switch means has been off is less than a predetermined amount of time.

11. A method for controlling the operation of headlamps in conjunction with the operation of windshield wipers comprising the steps of:

detecting whether a windshield wiper switch means is in an on condition;

detecting whether the headlamps are in an on condition;

determining if an operator has turned the headlamps off within a predetermined period of time, if the headlamps are in an off condition; and

turning on the headlamps if the windshield wiper switch means in the on condition and the headlamps have not been turned off within the predetermined period of time.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

detecting whether a windshield wiper switch means is in an intermittent operation mode condition;

turning on the headlamps only if the windshield wiper switch means is not in an "intermittent mode."

13. A method for controlling the operation of headlamps in conjunction with the operation of windshield wipers comprising the steps of:

detecting whether a windshield wiper switch means is in an on condition;

detecting whether the windshield wiper switch means is in an intermittent operation mode condition;

detecting whether the headlamps are in one of an on and off condition; and

turning on the headlamps if the windshield wiper switch means is in an on condition, the windshield wiper switch means is not in the intermittent operation mode condition, and the headlamps are in an off condition.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

determining the amount of time that the headlamps have been in the off condition if the detected headlamps are in the off condition;

inhibiting the turning on of the headlamps if the headlamps have been in the off condition for less than a predetermined amount of time.