Apparatus and method for controlling wiper position

• US 8,204,648 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Autonet Co Ltd (Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Autonet Co Ltd (Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kwon, Mun Soon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): OH, HARRY Y
• Application Number:
  US12/370,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701/1, 701/49, 318/467, 318/671, 318/443, 318/444, 318/446, 340/438, 180/315
• US Class Current: 701/36
• 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 1/482 combined with the operation of windscreen wipers

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for controlling a wiper position are provided. The apparatus to control a wiper position includes a controller to receive a wiper operation control signal output from a user input unit to control a wiper to be stopped at a desired position, a wiper motor to drive the wiper, a wiper relay switched to drive the wiper motor under a control of the controller, and a wipe sensor to sense a position of the wiper motor to transfer a position signal to the controller.

Claims

1. An apparatus to control a wiper position, comprising:

a controller to receive a wiper operation control signal output from a user input unit to control a wiper to be stopped at a desired position;

a wiper motor to drive the wiper;

a wiper relay switched to drive the wiper motor under a control of the controller; and

a wiper sensor having a parking switch to sense a position of the wiper motor according to an open signal and a ground signal of the parking switch to transfer a position signal to the controller,

wherein the wiper motor is divided into a plurality of sensing sections at which different resistances are set and receives different voltages at the respective sensing sections.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wiper motor comprises a sensing pad to sense a normal position of the wiper.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the user input unit including a wiper switch to output the wiper operation control signal in a wired fashion, and a remote key to output the wiper operation control signal in a wireless fashion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user input unit outputs the wiper operation control signal according to an input of a user in a wired or wireless fashion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user input unit is a remote key to output the wiper operation control signal in a wireless fashion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a radio frequency (RF) receiver to receive a wireless signal transmitted from the user input unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a washer motor to drive a washer; and

a washer relay switched to drive the washer motor under control of the controller,

wherein the user input unit receives a washer operation control signal in a wired or wireless fashion.

15. A vehicle comprising the apparatus of claim 1.

8. A method for controlling a wiper position, the method comprising:

driving, via a processor, a wiper motor;

sensing a position of the wiper motor by a wiper sensor having a parking switch according to an open signal and a ground signal of the parking switch; and

stopping a wiper at a desired position according to the sensed position of the wiper motor,

wherein the wiper motor is divided into a plurality of sensing sections at which different resistances are set and receives different voltages at the respective sensing sections.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein when the position of the wiper motor is sensed, the wiper is stopped at a desired position in response to a one rotation time (T1) of the wiper.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the position of the wiper motor is sensed by a voltage, an open signal and a ground signal of a parking switch.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the wiper motor is divided into a plurality of sensing sections, and the position of the wiper motor is sensed by applying different voltages to the sensing sections.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the position of the wiper motor is sensed by a resistance, an open signal and a ground signal of a parking switch.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wiper motor is divided into a plurality of sensing sections, and the position of the wiper motor is sensed by setting different resistances to the sensing sections.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising returning the wiper to a normal position.