Method of controlling a heated portion of a windshield
First Claim
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1. A method of preventing a windshield wiper from freezing to a windshield of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- monitoring a state of said windshield wiper;
initiating a timer when the state of said windshield wiper changes from an off state to an on state;
sensing an ambient temperature of said vehicle a first period of time after initiation of said timer if said windshield wiper remains in the on state; and
warming a portion of said windshield where said windshield wiper resides in the off state if the sensed ambient temperature of said vehicle is near or below zero degrees Celsius.
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Abstract
A method of preventing a windshield wiper from freezing to a windshield of a vehicle is provided. The method broadly includes the steps of: (a) monitoring a state of the windshield wiper; (b) initiating a timer when the state of the windshield wiper changes from an off state to an on state; sensing an ambient temperature of the vehicle a first period of time after initiation of the timer if the windshield wiper remains in the on state; and (c) warming a portion of the windshield where the windshield wiper resides in the off state if the sensed ambient temperature of the vehicle is near or below zero degrees Celsius.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of preventing a windshield wiper from freezing to a windshield of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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monitoring a state of said windshield wiper; initiating a timer when the state of said windshield wiper changes from an off state to an on state; sensing an ambient temperature of said vehicle a first period of time after initiation of said timer if said windshield wiper remains in the on state; and warming a portion of said windshield where said windshield wiper resides in the off state if the sensed ambient temperature of said vehicle is near or below zero degrees Celsius. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of preventing a windshield wiper from freezing to a windshield of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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continuously sensing an ambient temperature of said vehicle; initiating a timer when a state of said windshield wiper changes from an off state to an on state; and warming a portion of said windshield where said windshield wiper resides in the off state if the sensed ambient temperature of said vehicle is near or below zero degrees Celsius a predetermined period of time after initiation of said timer. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A circuit for preventing a windshield wiper from freezing to a windshield of a vehicle comprising:
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a temperature sensor for sensing an ambient temperature of a vehicle; a windshield wiper switch for controlling a state of the windshield wiper; a climate control module for receiving an output of said temperature sensor indicative of the ambient temperature of the vehicle, monitoring the state of the windshield wiper, and initiating a timer when the state of the windshield wiper changes from an off state to an on state; a heat source thermally coupled to the windshield for warming a portion of the windshield where the windshield wiper resides in an off state; and a switch, responsive to said climate control module, for switching power to said heat source if the sensed ambient temperature of the vehicle is near or below zero degrees Celsius and said windshield wiper is in the on state for a predetermined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification