Wiper control apparatus and wiper control method

• US 6,940,244 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2004
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Mitsumoto, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Masih, Karen
• Application Number:
  US10/765,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20040183492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 318/443, 318/DIG.2, 318/444, 318/445, 318/481, 318/483, 318/484, 701/51, 152/501.3, 152/501.6
• US Class Current: 318/443
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/486 including control systems responsive to a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed

Abstract

An apparatus, which engages wiper blades in operation by interlocking with an operation of a washer switch, drives the wiper blades at a high speed if the vehicle speed during the wiper blade operation is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. As a result, the washer fluid sprayed onto the windshield can be wiped away immediately when the vehicle is traveling at a high speed.

Claims

1. A wiper control apparatus comprising:

a wiper drive device that drives wiper blades used to wipe a glass surface at one of a low speed and a high speed;

a vehicle speed detection device that detects a vehicle speed;

a judging device that judges as to whether or not the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection device is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed; and

a control device responsive to a manual turning on of a washer switch to spray a washer fluid and a determination by the judging device that the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed to cause the wiper device to engage the wiper blades in a high-speed operation.

2. A wiper control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

when the washer switch is manually turned on and the judging device determines that the vehicle speed is lower than the predetermined speed, the wiper drive device engages the wiper blades in a low-speed operation.

3. A wiper control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

when the wiper blades are driven to make a predetermined number of movements after the washer switch having been in an ON state is manually turned off, the wiper drive device drives the wiper blades so as to make at least one last movement of the predetermined number of movements at a low speed.

4. A wiper control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the wiper drive device includes a wiper drive motor and a motor control device that controls the wiper drive motor; and

the motor control device rotates the wiper drive motor at a high speed to drive the wiper blades at a high speed.

5. A wiper control apparatus comprising:

a wiper drive means for driving wiper blades used to wipe a glass surface at one of a low speed and a high speed;

a vehicle speed detection means for detecting a vehicle speed; and

a judging means for judging as to whether or not the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed, wherein;

the wiper drive means engages the wiper blades in a high-speed operation when a washer switch is manually turned on to spray a washer fluid and the judging means judges that the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed.

6. A wiper control method for driving wiper blades used to wipe a glass surface at one of a low speed and a high-speed, wherein:

the wiper blades are automatically engaged in a high-speed operation upon a washer switch being manually turned on to spray washer fluid if the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed.