Method for controlling a wiper motor

• US 7,019,477 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valeo Systemes D'Essuyage (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Systemes D'Essuyage (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Jackson, James, Hospital, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLON SANTANA, EDUARDO
• Application Number:
  US10/451,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20040075409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 318/626, 318/443, 318/444, 318466-469, 318/DIG.2, 318/282, 318/286, 152/500.01, 152/501.2, 152/501.3, 152/501.6
• US Class Current: 318/282
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/08 electrically driven conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and liquid supply of windscreen washer B60S1/482; conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and means for cleaning parts o parts other than windscreens or front windows B60S1/56, B60S1/58, B60S1/606
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/185 with means for stopping or setting the wipers at their limit of movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 318/02 Windshield wiper controls

Abstract

A method for controlling a wiper motor of a wiper device for a motor vehicle windshield. A control unit implements the inventive method and a wiper device for a motor vehicle windshield. The control unit controls an electric motor which powers a wiper blade on a windshield sweeping between two end-of-travel zones. In each end-of-travel zone, there is a software end-of-travel stop which is moved by a predetermined value after each passage on the software stop, the latter always remaining in its test zone, thereby providing self-adaptation of the sweeping limits in time. The invention also enables the detection of the presence of obstacles on the wiper blade path.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a wiper motor equipping a wiper device in order to drive at least one wiper blade moving across a windshield according to an alternating path between a first and second end-of-travel positions, comprising the steps of:

during a first initialization step,

detecting first and second end-of-travel stops such as determined by the construction of the associated wiper device;

then

determining from the first and second end-of-travel stops first and second end-of-travel test zones, the first end-of-travel test zone located between the first end-of-travel stop and a distance from the first end-of-travel stop toward the opposing second end-of-travel stop, and the second end-of-travel test zone located between the second end-of-travel stop and a distance from the second end-of-travel stop toward the opposing first end-of-travel stop, and in each of the first and second test zones the position of a software stop on which the blade changes wiping direction in normal operation;

during a normal operation step,

detecting the position of the wiper blade relative to the first and second end-of-travel test zones, in order to determine the change of wiping direction;

realizing during at least one passage of the wiper blade in a test zone, a variation of the position of one end-of-travel software stop of the wiper blade; and

self-adapting of the end-of-travel software stop in relation to path of the wiper blade.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, during the normal operational step, calculating each end-of-travel test zone as a function of the detection of the docking of the physical end-of-travel stops.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in determining a first limit of each end-of-travel zone on the basis of the detection of the docking of an end-of-travel stop and by a second limit placed at a predetermined distance from the first limit.

4. The method according to claim 1 characterized by the step of varying the position of each software stop via incrementation of a positive or negative pitch such that the software stop stays in the test zone.

5. The method according to claim 1, during normal operation, characterized by the further step of detecting the presence of an obstacle on an alternating path of the wiper blade outside of a test zone, while the wiper blade comes from one end-of-travel test zone, then determining a sweeping stop.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in the step of controlling a reverse return of the wiper blade from a predetermined distance, then performing a stop of a predetermined duration and returning to the position of the obstacle, at least a predetermined number of times.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in the step of controlling, from the stop position of the detection of an obstacle a reverse return of the wiper blade toward the end-of-travel test zone from where the blade came.

8. The method according to claim 1, during normal operation, characterized in detecting the presence of an obstacle in an end-of-travel test zone, then producing a stop sweeping command, then a return in the opposite sweeping direction.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in incrementing an obstacle detection counter in an end-of-travel test zone, then detecting when the counter reaches a predetermined value, then executing the first initialization step again.

10. A method for controlling a wiper motor equipping a wiper device in order to drive at least one wiper blade moving across a windshield according to an alternating path between a first and second end-of-travel positions, comprising the steps of:

during a first initialization step,

detecting first and second end-of-travel stops such as determined by the construction of the associated wiper device;

then

determining from the first and second end-of-travel stops first and second end-of-travel test zones and in each of the first and second test zones the position of a software stop on which the blade changes wiping direction in normal operation;

during a normal operation step,

detecting the position of the wiper blade relative to the first and second end-of-travel test zones, in order to determine the change of wiping direction;

realization during at least one passage of the wiper blade in a test zone a variation of the position of its end-of-travel software stop such that self-adaptation of the wiping limits is produced in time as a function of forces;

detecting the presence of an obstacle on an alternating path of the wiper blade outside of a test zone, while the wiper blade comes from one end-of-travel test zone, then determining a sweeping stop;

controlling a reverse return of the wiper blade from a predetermined distance, then performing a stop of a predetermined duration and returning to the position of the obstacle, at least a predetermined number of times; and

controlling an initialization step, such that the obstacle placed in the path of the wiper blade is considered as a physical end-of-travel stop and permitting sweeping during the normal operation step according to degraded amplitude.

11. A control unit for controlling a wiper motor carrying a wiper device to drive at least one wiper blade across a surface in an alternating path between first and second end-of-travel positions comprising:

means for determining an end-of-travel test zone at a first sweeping end, located between a physical end-of-travel and a distance from the physical end-of-travel toward an opposing physical end-of-travel, the input of the determining means connected to means for detecting the docking of the wiper blade on the physical end-of-travel stop;

means for determining an end-of-travel test zone at a second sweeping end, located between a physical end-of-travel stop and a distance from the physical end-of-travel toward an opposing physical end-of-travel, the input of which is connected to means for detecting the docking of the wiper blade on the physical end-of-travel stop;

means for determining the position of the end-of-travel stop in each end test zone; and

means for controlling the movement of a wiper motor, such that the sweeping direction is reversed during each docking of a software end-of-travel stop and such that the position of each software end-of-travel stop is varied at the end of a determined sweeping, in order for the software end-of-travel stop to stay inside the test zone relative to the associated physical end-of-travel stop.

12. The control unit according to claim 11, characterized as further comprising:

means for detecting the presence of an obstacle in the end-of-travel test zone, the output signal of which is transmitted to the activation input of a generator that controls a reverse return toward the opposite end-of-travel test zone.

13. The control unit according to claim 12, characterized as further comprising:

means for counting number of sweepings of the wiper blade during which an obstacle has been encountered, then, when the predetermined number of sweepings has been reached, recalculating the situation of the end-of-travel test zone in which an obstacle has been detected.

14. A wiper device incorporating a wiper control unit according claim 11 characterized as further comprising:

a wiper motor powered under the control of a control device in order to detect a stop/start command of one of a user and of an on-board computer, connected to the wiper control unit, which also receives signals representative of right and left physical ends-of-travel as well as the relative position and of the detection of an obstacle generated via a detection means in relation to the output shaft of the wiper motor mechanically connected to a redactor and to a conversion device of the rotational movement of the output shaft of the redactor in a sweeping movement applied to at least one wiper blade.

15. A control unit for controlling a wiper motor carrying a wiper device to drive at least one wiper blade across a surface in an alternating path between first and second end-of-travel positions comprising:

means for determining an end-of-travel test zone at a first sweeping end, the input of which is connected to means for detecting the docking of the wiper blade on a physical end-of-travel stop;

means for determining an end-of-travel test zone at a second sweeping end, the input of which is connected to means for detecting the docking of the wiper blade on a physical end-of-travel stop;

means for determining the position of the end-of-travel stop in each end test zone;

means for controlling the movement of a wiper motor, such that the sweeping direction is reversed during each docking of a software end-of-travel stop and such that the position of each software end-of-travel stop is varied at the end of a determined sweeping, in order for the software end-of-travel stop to stay inside the test zone relative to the associated physical end-of-travel stop; and

means for detecting the presence of an obstacle outside of an end-of-travel test zone, the output signal of which is transmitted to the activation input of a generator that includes;

means for controlling a reverse return of the wiper blade from a predetermined distance;

means for controlling a reverse return of the wiper blade until the preceding software end-of-travel stop;

means for producing a stop time of a predetermined duration, then a return towards the detected position of the obstacle;

first counter means for counting the number of detection of an obstacle from an intermediate stop position producing an active output signal when the number of detections surpasses a predetermined value, such that the means for controlling a reverse return of the wiper blade until the preceding software end-of-travel stop is activated;

the counter means being reinitialized for counting the number of detections of an obstacle from an end-of-travel test zone; and

producing means for counting an active output signal when the number of detections surpasses a predetermined value, such that at least one of the means of determining an end-of-travel test zone and a software end-of-travel stop are activated by taking the position of the obstacle as end-of-travel stop.