Autowiper controller

• US 8,265,824 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation, Niles Company Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation, Niles Company Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Ohata, Tomoyuki, Oishi, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Drew
• Application Number:
  US12/783,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 318/483, 318/444, 340/602
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0818 including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0837 with a particular arrangement of the optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0866 including a temperature sensor heating devices for windshield B60H

Abstract

First and second temperature check portions 7 and 8 determine whether an ambient temperature T1 is lower than 20° C. or not, whether an external surface temperature T2 of a windshield S is lower than 25° C. or not and whether a temperature difference (T2−T1) is lower than 20° C. or not, and a weather condition check portion 9 determines whether a condition that condensation occurs over the windshield S is met or not based on results of the checks. A wiper control portion 10 controls a driving operation of a wiper W based on a rainfall state checked by a low sensitivity rainfall check portion 5 when the condition that the condensation occurs is met, and controls the driving operation of the wiper W based on a rainfall state checked by a high sensitivity rainfall check portion 4 when a condition that the condensation does not occur is met.

Claims

1. An autowiper controller comprising:

a raindrop detecting portion for optically detecting a raindrop adhering to a windshield of a vehicle;

a high sensitivity rainfall check portion for checking a rainfall state with a high sensitivity based on an output of the raindrop detecting portion;

a low sensitivity rainfall check portion for checking the rainfall state with a low sensitivity based on the output of the raindrop detecting portion;

ambient temperature detector for detecting an ambient temperature;

surface temperature detector for detecting an external surface temperature of the windshield;

a first temperature check portion for determining whether the ambient temperature is lower than a first set value or not;

a second temperature check portion for determining whether the external surface temperature of the windshield is lower than a second set value or not and whether a difference between the ambient temperature and the external surface temperature of the windshield is smaller than a third set value or not;

a weather condition check portion for determining whether a condition that condensation occurs over the windshield is met or not based on a result of the check by the first temperature check portion and a result of the check by the second temperature check portion; and

a wiper control portion for controlling a driving operation of a wiper based on a rainfall state checked by the low sensitivity rainfall check portion when the condition that the condensation occurs over the windshield is met, and for controlling the driving operation of the wiper based on the rainfall state checked by the high sensitivity rainfall check portion when the condition that the condensation occurs is not met on the basis of a result of the check by the weather condition check portion.

2. The autowiper controller as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the weather condition check portion determines that the condition for the occurrence of the condensation over the windshield is not met, when a rainfall situation check portion for checking a basic rainfall state determines a rainfall.

3. The autowiper controller as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor attached to the windshield,

wherein the ambient temperature detector sets, as the ambient temperature, a temperature detected by the temperature sensor immediately after an ON operation of an ignition switch.

4. The autowiper controller as set forth in claim 3,

wherein the surface temperature detector sets, as the external surface temperature of the windshield, a temperature detected by the temperature sensor every certain time after the ON operation of the ignition switch.