Automated system for suggesting wiper replacement

• US 10,068,388 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Santana Sanchez, Tonatiuh, Hernandez Cervantes, Oscar, Sosa Alfaro, Arian Jose, Santo Rincon, Antonio Espiritu
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinle, Courtney D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US15/348,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20180130266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 291, 701 301, 701 319, 701 296
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/38 Wiper blades provided with liquid spreading means B60S1/524; provided with gas spreading means B60S1/546
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3844 equipped with means to indicate wear or usage of blade
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/00 Testing of vehicles testing fluid tightness G01M3/00; testing elastic properties of bodies or chassis, e.g. torsion-testing, G01M5/00; testing alignment of vehicle headlight devices G01M11/06; testing of engines G01M15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0066 by exciting or detecting vibration or acceleration vibration testing of structures G01M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

A system for determining a need for a vehicle windshield wiper blade replacement includes a detector for detecting a wiper blade operating noise and a processor configured to determine a wear condition requiring wiper blade replacement from the detected wiper blade operating noise. On determining the wear condition, the processor provides a display including at least a windshield wiper blade wear condition warning and a listing of one or more suggested replacement wiper blades. The visible display may further include a listing of one or more suggestions of locations for acquiring the replacement wiper blades. Related methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for determining a need for a vehicle windshield wiper blade replacement, comprising:

a detector for detecting a wiper blade operating noise;

a processor configured to determine a wear condition requiring wiper blade replacement from the detected wiper blade operating noise; and

a user interface wherein the processor provides a display comprising at least a windshield wiper blade wear condition warning and a listing of one or more suggested replacement wiper blades.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the visible display further includes a listing of one or more suggestions of locations for acquiring the replacement wiper blades.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the wear condition requiring wiper blade replacement by filtering an audio signal received from the detector.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor filters the audio signal to distinguish a worn wiper blade audio signal from a new wiper blade audio signal and from a vehicle background audio signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises at least one microphone associated with a passenger cabin of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor processes the wiper blade operating noise signal taking into account a rotational speed of the windshield wiper.

7. The system of claim 1, further including a memory for storing a record of the detected wiper blade operating noise indicative of the wear condition requiring wiper blade replacement.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor determines that the wiper blade requires replacement when a predetermined number of records are stored within a predetermined time period.

9. A system for determining a need for a vehicle windshield wiper blade replacement, comprising:

a detector for detecting a wiper blade operating noise;

a processor configured to filter a wiper blade audio signal received from the detector;

a memory for storing a record of a detected wiper blade operating noise indicative of a wear condition requiring wiper blade replacement; and

a user interface wherein the processor provides a display comprising at least a windshield wiper blade wear condition warning, a listing of one or more suggested replacement wiper blades, and a listing of one or more suggestions of locations for acquiring the replacement wiper blades.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor filters the audio signal to distinguish a worn wiper blade audio signal from a new wiper blade audio signal and from a vehicle background audio signal.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the detector comprises at least one microphone associated with a passenger cabin of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor determines that the wiper blade requires replacement when a predetermined number of records are stored within a predetermined time period.

13. A method for determining a need for a vehicle windshield wiper blade replacement, comprising:

by a detector, detecting a wiper blade operating noise and emitting the signal to a processor;

by the processor, determining a wear condition requiring wiper blade replacement from the emitted signal; and

by the processor, providing to a user interface a display comprising at least a windshield wiper blade wear condition warning and a listing of one or more suggested replacement wiper blades.

14. The method of claim 13, further including providing to the user interface a listing of one or more suggestions of locations for acquiring the replacement wiper blades.

15. The method of claim 13, including, by the processor, determining the wear condition requiring wiper blade replacement by filtering an audio signal received from the detector.

16. The method of claim 15, including, by the processor, filtering the audio signal to distinguish a worn wiper blade audio signal from a new wiper blade audio signal and from a vehicle background audio signal.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the detector comprises at least one microphone associated with a passenger cabin of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 13, including, by the processor, processing the wiper blade operating noise signal taking into account a rotational speed of the windshield wiper.

19. The method of claim 13, further including providing a memory for storing a record of the detected wiper blade operating noise indicative of the wear condition requiring wiper blade replacement.

20. The method of claim 19, including, by the processor, determining that the wiper blade requires replacement when a predetermined number of records are stored in the memory within a predetermined time period.