Operation of vehicle window wipers based on perceived vehicle stops to drop off passengers

• US 10,766,460 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2018
• Issued: 09/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Urano, Hiromitsu, Ichikawa, Kentaro, Ueno, Junya
• Primary Examiner(s): Malkowski, Kenneth J
• Application Number:
  US16/188,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20200148170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0896 including control systems responsive to a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/486 including control systems responsive to a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30268 Vehicle interior
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0008 checking presence/absence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51

Abstract

Systems, methods, and storage media for controlling wiper devices of a vehicle are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: remove, by one or more wiper devices, fluid or debris from viewing portals; generate output signals conveying passenger sensor information related to passenger actions; generate output signals conveying vehicle sensor information related to vehicle operations; determine, based on the output signal, the passenger sensor information; determine, based on the output signal, the vehicle sensor information; assess, based on the passenger sensor information or the vehicle sensor information, readiness of a passenger to depart the vehicle via an exit; and control, based on the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit, the one or more wiper devices.

Claims

1. A vehicle configured to control wiper devices, comprising of:

one or more wiper devices configured to remove fluid and/or debris from viewing portals;

one or more passenger sensors configured to generate output signals conveying passenger sensor information related to passenger actions;

one or more vehicle sensors configured to generate output signals conveying vehicle sensor information related to vehicle operations;

an exit; and

a processor configured by machine-readable instructions to;

determine, based on the output signal, the passenger sensor information;

determine, based on the output signal, the vehicle sensor information;

assess, based on the passenger sensor information and/or the vehicle sensor information, readiness of a passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit; and

control, based on the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit, the one or more wiper devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured such that assessing the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit includes detecting one or more departure trigger events that are indicative of an increase in the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured such that assessing the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle includes determining, in an ongoing manner, a value of a metric that indicates the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured such that a departure trigger event is detected through analysis of a time derivative of the value of the metric.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured such that the departure trigger event is detected through comparison of the value of the metric to a threshold value.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are further configured such that the threshold value changes over time.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are further configured such that the threshold value is static.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured such that controlling the one or more wiper devices based on the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit includes controlling the one or more wiper devices to commence or accelerate removal of dirt and/or debris from the one or more viewing portals to enhance visibility through the viewing portals for an anticipated exit of the passenger from the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the departure detection trigger events include determining one or more of disengagement of a seat belt, phrases vocally conveyed by the passenger, a change in physical state of the passenger, the passenger unlocked the exit, relative location of a present lane with respect to one or more other lanes and/or the road as a whole, a decrease of the vehicle'"'"'s overall speed, increased use of turn signals and/or hazard lights, and the distance to the destination is less than a threshold away, wherein the vehicle includes one or more additional exits.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to control, based on the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit, the one or more wiper devices such that the one or more wipers are deactivated.

11. A method for controlling wiper devices of a vehicle, the method comprising of:

generating output signals conveying passenger sensor information related to passenger actions;

generating output signals conveying vehicle sensor information related to vehicle operations;

determining, based on the output signal, the passenger sensor information;

determining, based on the output signal, the vehicle sensor information;

assessing, based on the passenger sensor information and/or the vehicle sensor information, readiness of a passenger to depart the vehicle via an exit;

controlling, based on the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit, the one or more wiper devices; and

removing, by one or more wiper devices, fluid and/or debris from viewing portals.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

wherein assessing the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit includes detecting one or more departure trigger events that are indicative of an increase in the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

wherein assessing the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle includes determining, in an ongoing manner, a value of a metric that indicates the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising wherein a departure trigger event is detected through analysis of a time derivative of the value of the metric.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising wherein the departure trigger event is detected through comparison of the value of the metric to a threshold value.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising wherein the threshold value changes over time.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising wherein the threshold value is static.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

wherein controlling the one or more wiper devices based on the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit includes controlling the one or more wiper devices to commence or accelerate removal of dirt and/or debris from the one or more viewing portals to enhance visibility through the viewing portals for an anticipated exit of the passenger from the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the departure detection trigger events include determining one or more of disengagement of a seat belt, phrases vocally conveyed by the passenger, a change in physical state of the passenger, the passenger unlocked the exit, relative location of a present lane with respect to one or more other lanes and/or the road as a whole, a decrease of the vehicle'"'"'s overall speed, increased use of turn signals and/or hazard lights, and the distance to the destination is less than a threshold away, wherein the vehicle includes one or more additional exits.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising controlling, based on the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit, the one or more wiper devices such that the one or more wipers are deactivated.