Automated controlled windscreen wiping
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A windscreen wiping system having a wiper motor for driving a windscreen wiper blade, moisture sensor means for measuring a quantitative value of moisture on the windscreen during a current wiper action, and automatic wiper control means for setting a future wiping rate of said wiper blade dependent on present wiping rate and said quantitative measure of moisture, wherein said automatic wiper control means comprises:
- input means for receiving a moisture signal from said moisture sensor means having a value corresponding to said quantitative value of moisture;
processing means for determining a control signal by applying a current wiping rate value and said moisture signal value to preprogrammed data, said preprogrammed data setting a control signal value, indexed by current wiping rate and moisture measure, determined to be appropriate for a current absolute moisture accumulation rate; and
output means for providing said control signal to said wiper motor to set a new wiper rate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for automatically controlling the wiping of automotive windscreens is disclosed. The wiping is conducted at a rate corresponding to the amount of water determined to be on the windscreen at each wiping cycle.
15 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A windscreen wiping system having a wiper motor for driving a windscreen wiper blade, moisture sensor means for measuring a quantitative value of moisture on the windscreen during a current wiper action, and automatic wiper control means for setting a future wiping rate of said wiper blade dependent on present wiping rate and said quantitative measure of moisture, wherein said automatic wiper control means comprises:
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input means for receiving a moisture signal from said moisture sensor means having a value corresponding to said quantitative value of moisture; processing means for determining a control signal by applying a current wiping rate value and said moisture signal value to preprogrammed data, said preprogrammed data setting a control signal value, indexed by current wiping rate and moisture measure, determined to be appropriate for a current absolute moisture accumulation rate; and output means for providing said control signal to said wiper motor to set a new wiper rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of controlling a vehicle windscreen wiper comprising the steps of:
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directing radiant energy from the vehicle interior to a detection region of the windscreen, swept by the windscreen wiper, at a preselected angle such that the directed radiant energy will be substantially totally internally reflected by the windscreen only when the exterior surface is dry; detecting the radiant energy reflected by the windscreen and determining the amount of the reflected radiant energy; electronically processing the determined amount of reflected radiant energy that is detected during at least one portion of each action of the windscreen wiper including the radiant energy reflected by a wall of water in advance of the wiper as the wiper passes said detection region to set an output; and controlling speed of motion of the windscreen wiper, or a time delay from one action of the windscreen wiper to the next action of the wiper, according to said output based on the processing of the amount of reflected radiant energy detected during a previous action of the windscreen wiper. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A device for controlling a vehicle windscreen wiper comprising:
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a radiant energy source for directing radiant energy onto a surface of the windscreen, at a detection region to be swept by the windscreen wiper, from the vehicle interior; a radiant energy detector for detecting the directed radiant energy reflected by said windscreen surface and for producing a signal corresponding to the detected amount of reflected radiant energy; and a processor for setting an output which determines speed of a windscreen wiper action, or a time delay between a windscreen wiper action and the next windscreen wiper action, substantially based upon the detected amount of reflected light from a wall of water in advance of the wiper as the wiper passes said detection region during a previous windscreen wiper action. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A vehicle windscreen wiper control assembly comprising:
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a windscreen wiper a light source mounted relative to a vehicle windscreen for directing light from the vehicle interior at an outside region of the windscreen surface swept by the windscreen wiper, at an angle so that said directed light is substantially totally internally reflected by the outside surface of the windscreen only when the windscreen surface is dry; a light detector mounted relative to the light source and the windscreen so as to detect light from the source reflected by the outside windscreen surface and providing a signal dependant on the amount of detected reflected light; and an electronic processor device connected to the light detector and producing a signal for setting speed of a windscreen wiper action or a time delay between a windscreen wiper action and the next windscreen wiper action substantially dependant upon the amount of reflected light detected as a result of a wall of water in advance of the wiper as the wiper passes said region during a previous wiping action. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A windscreen wiper control comprising:
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a device for determining moisture quantity collected by a wiper blade from a windscreen during each wiper action as the wiper blade passes a detection region on the windscreen by detecting variation of radiant energy at said detection region as a result of a wall of water in advance of the wiper blade as it passes said region; electronic logic circuit means for receiving and processing signals from the device to compare moisture quantity signals proportional to the magnitude of the wall of water for respective wiper actions; and means for controlling speed or frequency of each wiper action dependent upon the signals received during a previous wiper action.
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20. A method for controlling a vehicle windscreen wiper comprising the steps of:
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directing radiant energy from the vehicle interior to a region of the windscreen, swept by the windscreen wiper, at a preselected angle such that the directed radiant energy will be substantially totally internally reflected by the windscreen only when the exterior surface is dry; detecting the radiant energy reflected by the windscreen and determining the amount of the reflected radiant energy reflected by a wall of water in advance of the wiper as the wiper passes said region to set an output value; and controlling speed of motion of the windscreen wiper, or a time delay from one action of the windscreen wiper to the next action of the wiper, in accordance with said output value.
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21. A device for controlling a vehicle windscreen wiper comprising:
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a radiant energy source for directing radiant energy onto a surface of the windscreen, at a point or region to be swept by the windscreen wiper, from the vehicle interior; a radiant energy detector for detecting the directed radiant energy when reflected by a windscreen surface and for producing a signal, corresponding to the detected amount of reflected radiant energy from a wall of water in advance of the wiper as the wiper passes said point or region, to set an output value; and means for controlling speed of motion of the windscreen wiper, or time delay from one action of the windscreen wiper to the next action of the wiper, in accordance with said output value.
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22. A device for controlling a vehicle windscreen wiper comprising:
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windscreen wiper means including a wiper blade for sweeping moisture from an area of a windscreen so as to form a wall of water in advance of said wiper blade; detector means including a radiant energy source for directing radiant energy at a detection area of said windscreen and a radiant energy detector for detecting radiant energy reflected therefrom, said detector producing a signal of magnitude that varies in accordance with loss of energy by diffusion through said wall of water; electronic logic circuit means for processing said detector signal to produce an output signal which is directly related to the loss of energy as a measure of the amount of moisture wiped by the wiper blade at said detection area during a sweep of said blade on said windowscreen; and wiper control processing means for processing said logic circuit means output signal and operating to control the next sweep of said wiper blade in a manner depending on the amount of moisture detected at said detection area.
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23. A method for controlling a vehicle windscreen wiper comprising the steps of:
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detecting the presence of moisture on a windscreen by measuring variation of radiant energy reflected from a surface of the windscreen; initiating a first wiping action of a windscreen wiper blade in response to said detection of moisture so as to produce a wall of water in advance of said blade; electronically processing a detection signal resulting from detection of moisture in said wall of water in advance of the wiper blade to provide a signal indicating an amount of such moisture; and controlling speed of sweep of a next sweep of the wiper blade according to said signal indicating amount of moisture.
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24. A method for controlling a vehicle windscreen wiper comprising the steps of:
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detecting the presence of moisture on a windscreen by measuring variation of radiant energy detected on a windscreen surface; initiating a first wiping action of a windscreen wiper blade in response to said detection of moisture so as to produce a wall of water in advance of said blade; electronically processing a detection signal resulting from detection of moisture in said wall of water in advance of the wiper blade to provide a signal indicating an amount of such moisture; and controlling a lag time between said sweep and a next sweep of said wiper blade in accordance with said signal indicating amount of moisture.
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Specification