Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7466097?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2015-11-29 01:55:07
Document Index: 445404003

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 42', 'art 42', 'art 32', 'art 48', 'art 32', 'art 42']

Patent US7466097 - Wiper control method and wiper control device - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA wiper control method and a wiper control device are provided which can smoothly respond to rapid change of a rainfall situation at passage of a rainfall shutoff environment such as a tunnel. A wiping state control part 42 determines entry of a vehicle into the rainfall shutoff environment, sets a wiping...http://www.google.com/patents/US7466097?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7466097 - Wiper control method and wiper control deviceAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7466097 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/556,760PCT numberPCT/JP2004/006783Publication dateDec 16, 2008Filing dateMay 13, 2004Priority dateMay 15, 2003Fee statusPaidAlso published asEP1623896A1, EP1623896A4, US20070132417, WO2004101333A1Publication number10556760, 556760, PCT/2004/6783, PCT/JP/2004/006783, PCT/JP/2004/06783, PCT/JP/4/006783, PCT/JP/4/06783, PCT/JP2004/006783, PCT/JP2004/06783, PCT/JP2004006783, PCT/JP200406783, PCT/JP4/006783, PCT/JP4/06783, PCT/JP4006783, PCT/JP406783, US 7466097 B2, US 7466097B2, US-B2-7466097, US7466097 B2, US7466097B2InventorsKazuto Kokuryo, Yoshiteru Makino, Satoshi FurusawaOriginal AssigneeNiles Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (16), Non-Patent Citations (4), Referenced by (5), Classifications (7), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetWiper control method and wiper control device
US 7466097 B2Abstract
A wiper control method and a wiper control device are provided which can smoothly respond to rapid change of a rainfall situation at passage of a rainfall shutoff environment such as a tunnel. A wiping state control part 42 determines entry of a vehicle into the rainfall shutoff environment, sets a wiping level low for the low level of rainfall less than a predetermined rainfall level in response to this determination or sets the wiping level high for the high level rainfall at the predetermined rainfall level or more. A rainfall level generation part 32 detects adhesion of raindrops and determines the rainfall level. A wiper driving signal generation part 48 determines wiper operation based on the rainfall level determined by the rainfall level generation part 32 and the wiping level set by the wiping state control part 42. Images(29) Claims(12)
1. A method for controlling operation of a wiper for a windshield glass of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
(a) reflecting light emitted from a light emitting element on a detection surface provided at a part of a wiper wiping area of the windshield glass and detecting adhesion of raindrops on the detection surface by receiving the reflected light by a light receiving element,
(b) determining a rainfall level based on an output signal of said light receiving element;
(c) determining entrance and exit of said vehicle to and from a rainfall shutoff environment, respectively;
(d) controlling a wiping state of the wiper in response to the rainfall level determined in step (b) and said determination in step (c), the wiping state being classified and defined as a plurality of stepwise wiping levels according to wiping waiting time and wiping speed and step (d) further including:
(d1) making setting to lower the wiping level for a low-level rainfall less than a predetermined rainfall level in the rainfall shutoff environment and to raise the wiping level for a high-level rainfall equal to or more than the predetermined rainfall level in preparation for exit of said vehicle from the rainfall shutoff environment; and
(d2) determining the wiping state of said wiper based on the wiping level set in said Step (d1).
2. A wiper control method according to claim 1, wherein said detecting adhesion of raindrops is based on a momentum of the output signal of said light receiving element included in a section in which said wiper passes the detection surface.
3. A wiper control method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the step (c) includes,
determining entrance of said vehicle into the rainfall shutoff environment based on the fact that the rainfall level determined in step (b) is lowered by a predetermined amount from a rainfall level equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value in a predetermined time and said lowered state lasts for a predetermined period of time, and
determining exit of said vehicle from the rainfall shutoff environment based on the fact that the rainfall level determined in step (b) is returned to the rainfall level equal to or more than the predetermined threshold value.
4. A method for controlling operation of a wiper by reflecting light emitted from a light emitting element on a detection surface provided at a part of a wiper wiping area of a windshield glass of a vehicle and by detecting a state of said detection surface by receiving said reflected light by a light receiving element, comprising the steps of:
(a) determining entran