Abstract:
A car-wash ready system is described in combination with a vehicle having a plurality of parts operable between at least a first state in which the part is not ready for an automated car wash, and a second state in which the part is ready for an automated car wash. The car-wash ready system includes at least one processor having a car-wash ready mode in which the processor is configured for operating the parts to their second car-wash-ready states, and a switch for switching the processor into and out of its car-wash ready mode. This system provides a convenient way for a vehicle driver to prepare the vehicle for a car wash. Additionally, by temporarily locking certain parts from operation, the system prevents the driver from inadvertently exposing the vehicle to damage while the vehicle is going through the car wash.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to motor vehicles and, more particularly, to preparing a motor vehicle for a car wash  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Preparing a vehicle for an automated car wash requires that a number of steps be taken to prevent damage to the vehicle. It is known for motor vehicles to have automatic windshield wipers that can be activated by a rain sensor located on or near the vehicle windshield. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,741 issued to Berger et al. describes a control device for operating a window wiper at a frequency dependent on a predetermined wetting degree of the window. Although such wipers are convenient under natural precipitation conditions, activation of a rain sensor and wipers by water in a car wash can result in damage to the wipers from car washing equipment. Similarly, operating a vehicle radio while the vehicle is going through a car wash can activate extension of a power antenna, thus exposing the antenna to possible damage. Of course, preparing a vehicle for going through a car wash also entails having to close a sun roof and any side and rear windows that may be open. It may also be advisable to fold in side-mounted mirrors of the vehicle.  
           [0003]    It would be desirable to provide a system that automatically performs the plurality of tasks involved preparing a vehicle for a car wash. It also would be desirable to provide a way of ensuring, that as a vehicle goes through the car wash, the driver does not inadvertently take an action (such as turning on a radio) that might expose the vehicle part to damage.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The present invention in one embodiment is a car-wash ready system, in combination with a vehicle having a plurality of parts operable between at least a first state in which the part is not ready for an automated car wash, and a second state in which the part is ready for an automated car wash. The car-wash ready system includes at least one processor having a car-wash ready mode in which the processor is configured for operating the parts to their second car-wash-ready states, and a switch for switching the processor into and out of its car-wash ready mode.  
           [0005]    The foregoing system provides a convenient way for a vehicle driver to prepare the vehicle for a car wash. Additionally, by temporarily locking certain parts from operation, the system prevents the driver from inadvertently exposing the vehicle to damage while the vehicle is going through the car wash.  
           [0006]    Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from a reading of the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a system for preparing a vehicle for a car wash.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method for preparing a vehicle for a car wash. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a system  10  for preparing a vehicle (parts of which are shown in FIG. 1) for a car wash. As shown and described in the preferred embodiment, the vehicle includes at least one window  24  operated by at least one motor  26 . As shown and described in this preferred embodiment, the vehicle also includes at least one windshield or window  30  having one or more wipers  32 . These wipers are preferably of the type that are automatically activated when a rain sensor  36  senses moisture. The wipers  32  are operated by a motor  38 . As shown and described in this preferred embodiment, the vehicle also includes side-mounted folding mirrors  40  operated by motors  44  and adjustable by an operator or driver (not shown) of the vehicle. As shown and described in this preferred embodiment, this vehicle also includes a sun roof  50  operated by a motor  52 . Finally and as shown and described in this preferred embodiment, the vehicle also includes a radio  60  and a power antenna  62  operated by a motor  64 . The vehicle may include additional or different parts not shown herein but contemplated to be prepared by system  10  for going through a car wash.  
         [0011]    System  10  includes a switch  70  and a processor  80 . (The terms “processor” and “controller” are used interchangeably herein and include, but are not limited to, computers, controllers, microcomputers, microcontrollers, processors, microprocessors and the like.) In another embodiment the switch  70  includes a button (not shown) that is pressed by the driver to activate system  10 , for example, just prior to entering a car wash. In still another embodiment, the switch  70  is controlled via a programmable controller (not shown) in connection with an electronic vehicle information center (EVIC). In one embodiment the programmable controller includes the processor  80 . When the switch  70  is activated, an indicator (not shown) such as a chime, EVIC or cluster light is activated to show that system  10  is activated, and the processor  80  is switched into a car-wash-ready mode.  
         [0012]    More specifically, the processor  80  is configured to operate a plurality of parts of the vehicle to car-wash-ready states when the processor  80  is activated by the switch  70 . For example, processor  80  can cause openings such as the window  24  or the sun roof  50  to close if they are open at the time the switch  70  is activated. The processor  80  can also cause projecting vehicle parts such as the power antenna  62  and/or foldable mirror(s)  40  to retract or fold.  
         [0013]    The processor  80  also can temporarily disable a control for operating a vehicle part to prevent operation of the corresponding part during a car wash. For example, the processor  80  switches the radio  60  to an “off” state, thus preventing damage to the antenna  62  in a vehicle in which the antenna  62  is automatically extended when the radio  60  is switched on, and prevents the antenna from extending even if the radio is inadvertently turned on. The processor  80  can also switch the rain sensor  36  to an “off” state, thus preventing automatic activation of the wipers  32 , even if moisture is sensed.  
         [0014]    In a second embodiment, the processor  80  is configured to maintain the windows  24 , the rain sensor(s)  36 , the mirrors  40 , the sun roof  50 , the radio  60  and the antenna  62  in their car-wash-ready states, thus embodying a method for preparing a vehicle for a car wash as shown in FIG. 2. For example, and as shown in FIG. 2, at  100  the processor  80  maintains vehicle parts  24 ,  36 ,  40 ,  50 ,  60  and  62  in car-wash-ready states until a completion event is signaled as further described below. The processor  80  is used to determine whether a vehicle part is in a car-wash-ready state and, if not, to change a state of a vehicle part to a car-wash-ready state.  
         [0015]    More specifically and referring to FIG. 2, at  104  the processor  80  determines whether each window  24  is closed. This can be done by sensors in the window openings or in the motors  26 . If any open windows  24  are detected, at  106  the processor causes the open window(s)  24  to close, for example by operating motor  26 . At  108  the processor  80  determines whether the sun roof  50  is closed. This can be done by sensors in the sun roof opening or in the motor  52 . If the processor  80  determines that the sun roof  50  is open, at  110  the processor  80  causes the sun roof to close, for example by operating the motor  52 . At  112  the processor  80  determines the state of the wipers  32 . If the wipers  32  are operating, the processor  80  turns them off, for example by turning off motor  38 . The processor  80  preferably also turns off or otherwise deactivates moisture sensor  36 , so that the wipers are not automatically activated in the car wash. If a sensor  36  has become activated, at  114  the processor  80  switches off the sensor  36 .  
         [0016]    At  116  the processor  80  determines whether the side mirrors  40  are folded. This can be done by sensors adjacent the mirror  40  or in the motor  44 . If the processor  80  detects any projecting mirror(s)  40 , then at  118  the processor causes the projecting mirrors  40  to fold toward the vehicle, for example by operating the motors  44 . At  120  the processor  80  checks whether the radio  60  is in the “off” state. If the radio  60  has been switched to the “on” state, at  122  the processor  80  switches the radio  60  to the “off” state. At  124  the processor  80  determines whether the antenna  62  is retracted. If the antenna  62  is extended, then at  124  the processor  80  retracts the antenna  62 . In another embodiment in which the antenna  62  is automatically retracted when the radio  60  is switched to the “off” state, the processor  80  does not perform the step shown at  124 . When the vehicle parts  24 ,  36 ,  40 ,  50 ,  60  and  62  have been placed in their car-wash-ready states, at  128  the processor  80  switches a “car-wash ready” indicator (not shown) to an “on” state.  
         [0017]    Signaling of a completion event switches the processor  80  out of the car-wash ready mode, i.e. causes the processor  80  to cease maintaining vehicle parts in their car-wash-ready states. For example, the processor  80  ceases maintaining parts in car-wash-ready states upon a determination  130  that the vehicle is moving while in a drive gear, i.e. a transmission (not shown) of the vehicle is in a non-neutral state. A completion event could also be signaled at  132 , for example, when the vehicle operator deactivates the switch  70 .  
         [0018]    In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, information is transmitted to the processor  80  from which current states of the rain sensor  36  and the radio  60  can be determined. Of course other or additional vehicle parts can be configured such that information as to their current states is made available to the processor  80 . For example, and as shown in FIG. 2, the processor  80  performs the steps described at  104 ,  108 ,  112 ,  116 ,  120  and  124  using current state information for parts  24 ,  50 ,  36 ,  40 ,  60  and  62  respectively. In another embodiment, the processor assumes that a part is not car-wash-ready and operates the part to its car-wash-ready state.  
         [0019]    Where current state information is available to the processor  80 , the processor  80  can save this information and utilize the saved information when the processor is switched out of the car-wash-ready mode. For example, and referring to FIG. 2, at  134  the processor  80  returns at least one vehicle part to its state preceding its car-wash-ready state. Thus, for example, where the radio  60  had been switched on before a car wash and was switched off by the system  10  in preparation for the car wash, the processor  80  can automatically switch the radio  60  “on” when the system exits the car-wash-ready mode, for example, when the user operates switch  70  or when the vehicle is put in gear. Additional embodiments are contemplated wherein various combinations of vehicle parts, and various default states for such parts, are programmed into the programmable controller to accommodate individual operator preferences as to system  10  operation. When the processor has completed the steps indicated at  100  and returned any parts to saved states as described at  134 , at  136  the “car-wash ready” indicator (not shown) is switched to an “off” state.  
         [0020]    The above described system and method allow a vehicle driver conveniently to prepare a vehicle for a car wash, for example, by pressing a single button. Because the above system can automatically maintain the vehicle as car-wash-ready for the duration of the wash, the driver is prevented from e.g. accidentally or inadvertently opening a window or causing an antenna to extend. Furthermore, because the above system is deactivated by driving a vehicle away from a car wash, the driver does not have to remember to deactivate the above system.  
         [0021]    While the invention has been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment illustrated by the drawings and described in the specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include any embodiments falling within the description of the appended claims.