Patent ID: 8324853

Claim:
A vehicle wiper controller, comprising: a wiper drive circuit which drives a wiper motor; an operation switch manipulatable in a plurality of manipulation directions or to a plurality of operation mode positions when a manipulation force is applied thereto, the operation switch automatically returning to an original position when freed from the manipulation force; a wiper operation control unit which is programmed to electronically control the operation of the wiper motor, the wiper operation control unit setting the wiper motor to an operation mode corresponding to the manipulation of the operation switch by transmitting a control signal to the wiper drive unit; and a control signal hold circuit coupled to the operation switch, the wiper operation control unit, and the wiper drive circuit, wherein when the operation switch is manipulated in a predetermined first manipulation direction or when the operation switch is manipulated to a predetermined first operation mode position, the control signal hold circuit transmits a hold signal to the wiper drive circuit and is set in a hold state in which the hold signal is being transmitted to the wiper drive circuit; and wherein the hold signal is transmitted to the wiper drive circuit independent of the transmission of the control signal to the drive unit by the wiper operation control unit and the wiper drive circuit drives the wiper motor when receiving either of the control signal transmitted from the wiper operation control unit or the hold signal transmitted from the control signal hold circuit.