JP2007176263A - Controlling method of wiper device and wiper control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wiper device to drive by synchronizing two pieces of motors by communication capable of preventing non-stoppage of a slave side blade when communication abnormality occurs. <P>SOLUTION: This wiper device 1 is furnished with a wiper blade 2a driven by the motor 3a and a wiper blade 2b driven by the motor 3b. The motors 3a, 3b are driven and controlled by control micro computers 5a, 5b connected to each other by a communication wire 7. The control micro computers 5a, 5b detects a communication state and computes operation continuing time Tc in accordance with a state of a wiper switch, car velocity and a rainfall state (S1, 2). They actuate the blade 2b only in a wiping region 11b' not interferring with the blade 2a for the operation continuing time Tc when the communication abnormality occurs (S5, 6). The wiper blade 2b stops at an upper reversing position after the operation continuing time Tc passes (S7, 9). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a control technology for a vehicle wiper device, and more particularly to a technology effective when applied to a counter-wiping wiper device.

  In recent years, in a wiper device for a vehicle such as an automobile, particularly a wiper device of the opposite wiping type (opposite type), a method of individually driving the wiper arms on the driver's seat side and the passenger seat side as in Patent Document 1 has been adopted. ing. In such a wiper device, the motors are individually controlled while looking at the position angle of each blade so that left and right wiper blades (hereinafter abbreviated as blades as appropriate) do not interfere on the wiping surface. For example, in the device described in the above publication, the position angle of the left and right blades is constantly monitored by the wiper control device. A target angle difference is set in advance between the two blades, and the speeds of the left and right motors are individually controlled so that the difference between the target angle difference and the measured angle difference is reduced while referring to the position angle of the other blade. .

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the system configuration of such a wiper apparatus. The wiper device 51 of FIG. 5 has a so-called counter-wiping type configuration in which wiper blades on the driver's seat side and the passenger's seat side are arranged to face each other. The blade 52a on the driver side (hereinafter abbreviated as DR side) and the blade 52b on the passenger seat side (hereinafter abbreviated as AS side) have an upper inversion position set at both ends of the windshield and a lower end of the windshield. The wiping operation is performed in opposition to the lower inversion position set in the center. A DR motor 53a and an AS motor 53b are separately provided on the DR side and the AS side, respectively.

  The motors 53a and 53b are accommodated in the motor units 54a and 54b. Sensors that output a relative position signal (rotation signal) indicating the amount of blade movement in proportion to the motor rotation angle and an absolute position signal indicating the blade position are provided in the motor units 54a and 54b. Control microcomputers 55a and 55b are further arranged in the motor units 54a and 54b. The control microcomputers 55a and 55b calculate the position information (current position) of the blades 52a and 52b based on the sensor output signal in the unit. The control microcomputers 55a and 55b recognize the current positions of the blades 52a and 52b by counting the number of pulses of the relative position signal after the absolute position signal is obtained.

  The DR-side motor unit 54a is connected to an ECU 56 that is a vehicle-side control device. Switch information such as ON / OFF of the wiper switch, LO, HI, INT is input from the ECU 56 to the motor unit 54a. The motor units 54a and 54b are connected by a communication line 57. The control microcomputers 55a and 55b of both the motor units 54a and 54b exchange information on the blade positions of each other via the communication line 57, with the DR side serving as a master and the AS side serving as a slave. The control microcomputers 55a, 55b control the motors 53a, 53b in the forward / reverse direction at the up / down inversion position to reciprocate the blades 52a, 52b, and based on the blade position information of the other party and the blades 52a, 52b The motors 53a and 53b are synchronously controlled so as not to interfere with each other or to increase the angle difference.

On the other hand, when communication between the control microcomputers 55a and 55b is interrupted, such as when a trouble occurs in the communication line 57, the blade position information of the other party is not input to the control microcomputers 55a and 55b. For this reason, the control microcomputers 55a and 55b cannot grasp the positional relationship between the two blades, and the blades may interfere with each other in the overlapping portion of the wiper locus. For this reason, in the system as shown in FIG. 5, when communication between the motors is interrupted, only the motor on one side (usually giving priority to the DR side) is operated, while ensuring the driver's field of view, Avoid collisions. However, even when a failure occurs, if only one blade is operated in this way, the wiping range for the windshield area is significantly narrowed. Therefore, when a communication abnormality occurs between the control microcomputers 55a and 55b, the present inventor operates the blade 52b only in the wiping area that does not interfere with the blade 52a as shown in FIG. 6 (narrow range wiping process). A control method has been developed that prevents the blades from interfering with each other while ensuring the maximum visibility of the vehicle occupant (Patent Document 2).
JP 11-301409 A Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-254427

  However, when the control form as shown in FIG. 6 is adopted, since the communication between the control microcomputers 55a and 55b is interrupted, various control information is not transmitted from the control microcomputer 55a side to the control microcomputer 55b side. For this reason, even when the wiper switch is turned off, the information is not transmitted to the control microcomputer 55b side, and the control microcomputer 55b side cannot recognize the switch OFF state. Accordingly, even after the switch of the wiper device is turned off and the blade 52a stops, the blade 52b continues to operate in a narrow wiping area. In order to stop the blade 52b in this state, it is necessary to turn off the main switch of the vehicle (for example, an ignition switch of an automobile), and the blade operation cannot be stopped during traveling, and a countermeasure for this is required.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a wiper device that drives two motors synchronously by communication, and appropriately stops the slave side motor operation when a communication abnormality occurs, and stops the slave side blade without stopping. Is to prevent.

  The wiper device control method of the present invention includes a first motor driven and controlled by a first control circuit, a first wiper blade driven by the first motor, and the first control circuit connected via a communication line. A wiper device control method comprising: a second motor driven and controlled by a second control circuit, and a second wiper blade driven by the second motor, wherein the first control circuit and the A step of detecting an abnormality in communication with the second control circuit; and if an abnormality in communication occurs between the first control circuit and the second control circuit while the wiper device is operating, the second wiper And a step of driving the blade for a predetermined operation duration, and a step of stopping the second wiper blade after the operation duration has elapsed.

  In the present invention, even if the second wiper blade is in a case where information is interrupted due to a communication abnormality, the second wiper blade stops after performing a predetermined operation duration. For this reason, even after the wiper switch is turned off, the operation of the second wiper blade does not continue endlessly, and the operation of the second wiper blade can be surely stopped when communication is abnormal. When a communication abnormality occurs between the first control circuit and the second control circuit, the second wiper blade is operated only in a region that does not interfere with the first wiper blade. The second wiper blade may be driven for a predetermined operation duration.

  In the control method of the wiper device, the operation duration may be calculated based on at least one of the wiper switch state, vehicle speed, and rainfall state at the time of occurrence of a communication abnormality. It is set based on the wiper switch state immediately before the occurrence of the abnormality, the vehicle speed, and the rainfall state, and the operation continuation time after the occurrence of the abnormality is set to an optimum value according to the situation. In addition, after the operation continuation time has elapsed, the second wiper blade may be stopped at the upper reversal position, whereby the second wiper blade is stopped at a position where it does not interfere with the first wiper blade, and the first wiper blade is stopped. The operation of the wiper blade can be continued as it is.

  Another wiper device control method of the present invention includes a first motor driven and controlled by a first control circuit, a first wiper blade driven by the first motor, the first control circuit and a communication line. A wiper device control method comprising: a second motor driven and controlled by a second control circuit connected to the second motor; and a second wiper blade driven by the second motor. Detecting a communication abnormality between the first control circuit and the second control circuit, and when a communication abnormality occurs between the first control circuit and the second control circuit while the wiper device is operating, A step of operating two wiper blades a predetermined number of times of continuous operation, and a step of stopping the second wiper blade after the number of times of continuous operation.

  In the present invention, even when the information is interrupted due to a communication abnormality, the second wiper blade stops after performing the operation the predetermined number of times of operation. For this reason, even after the wiper switch is turned off, the operation of the second wiper blade does not continue endlessly, and the operation of the second wiper blade can be surely stopped when communication is abnormal.

  In the method for controlling the wiper device, the operation continuation count may be calculated based on at least one of the wiper switch state, vehicle speed, and rainfall state when a communication abnormality occurs. It is set on the basis of the wiper switch state immediately before the occurrence of the abnormality, the vehicle speed, and the rainfall state, and the operation continuation count after the occurrence of the abnormality is set to an optimum value according to the situation. The second wiper blade may be stopped at the upper reversal position after the operation has been continued for a number of times, whereby the second wiper blade is stopped at a position where it does not interfere with the first wiper blade, The operation of the wiper blade can be continued as it is.

  A wiper control device of the present invention is a control device for a wiper device comprising a first wiper blade driven by a first motor and a second wiper blade driven by a second motor, wherein the first motor is A first control circuit that controls driving, and the first control circuit that is connected to the first control circuit via a communication line. When a communication abnormality occurs in the communication line, the second wiper blade is driven for a predetermined operation duration, And a second control circuit that stops the second wiper blade after a lapse of time.

  In the present invention, even when information is interrupted due to a communication abnormality, the second wiper blade is operated for a predetermined operation duration by the second control circuit and then stopped. For this reason, even after the wiper switch is turned off, the operation of the second wiper blade does not continue endlessly, and the operation of the second wiper blade can be surely stopped when communication is abnormal.

  In the wiper control device, the second control circuit may calculate the operation continuation time based on at least one information of a wiper switch state, a vehicle speed, and a rain state when a communication abnormality occurs. The operation continuation time is set based on the wiper switch state immediately before the occurrence of the abnormality, the vehicle speed, and the rainfall state, and the operation continuation time after the occurrence of the abnormality is set to an optimum value according to the situation. In addition, the second control circuit may stop the second wiper blade at the upper reversal position after the operation continuation time has elapsed, whereby the second wiper blade is moved at a position where it does not interfere with the first wiper blade. It is also possible to stop and continue the operation of the first wiper blade.

  Another wiper control device according to the present invention is a control device for a wiper device including a first wiper blade driven by a first motor and a second wiper blade driven by a second motor, A first control circuit for driving and controlling the motor, and connected to the first control circuit via a communication line. When a communication abnormality occurs in the communication line, the second wiper blade is operated a predetermined number of times of operation, And a second control circuit for stopping the second wiper blade after the operation is continued.

  In the present invention, even when information is interrupted due to a communication abnormality, the second wiper blade is operated after a predetermined number of times of operation by the second control circuit and then stopped. For this reason, even after the wiper switch is turned off, the operation of the second wiper blade does not continue endlessly, and the operation of the second wiper blade can be surely stopped when communication is abnormal.

  In the wiper control device, the second control circuit may calculate the number of operation continuations based on at least one of a wiper switch state, a vehicle speed, and a rain state when a communication abnormality occurs. The operation continuation count is set based on the wiper switch state, the vehicle speed, and the rain state immediately before the occurrence of the abnormality, and the operation continuation count after the occurrence of the abnormality is set to an optimum value according to the situation. In addition, the second control circuit may stop the second wiper blade at the upper inverted position after the operation has been continued for a number of times, so that the second wiper blade is positioned at a position where it does not interfere with the first wiper blade. It is also possible to stop and continue the operation of the first wiper blade.

  According to the wiper device control method of the present invention, the first motor driven and controlled by the first control circuit, the first wiper blade driven by the first motor, the first control circuit and the communication line In a method of controlling a wiper device having a second motor driven and controlled by a connected second control circuit and a second wiper blade driven by the second motor, the first control circuit and the second control circuit When a communication abnormality occurs between the first control circuit and the second control circuit during the operation of detecting a communication abnormality with the control circuit and the operation of the wiper device, the second wiper blade is operated for a predetermined operation duration time. Since the step of driving and the step of stopping the second wiper blade after the lapse of the operation continuation time are provided, the second wiper blade is operated in a predetermined operation even when information is interrupted due to a communication abnormality. It can be stopped after the lapse of connection time. For this reason, even when the wiper switch is turned off, the operation of the second wiper blade does not continue endlessly, and the operation of the second wiper blade can be surely stopped when communication is abnormal.

  In addition, by calculating the above-described operation duration based on at least one of the wiper switch state, vehicle speed, and rainfall state at the time of occurrence of a communication abnormality, the operation continuation time can be set to the wiper switch state immediately before the occurrence of the abnormality, It can be set based on vehicle speed and rainfall conditions. For this reason, the operation continuation time after the occurrence of an abnormality is set to an optimum value according to the situation, and the continuous operation of the second wiper blade can be optimized.

  Furthermore, after the operation duration time has elapsed, the second wiper blade can be stopped at a position where it does not interfere with the first wiper blade by stopping the second wiper blade at the upper reverse position, and contact with the second wiper blade. The first wiper blade can be operated while reliably avoiding the above.

  According to another wiper device control method of the present invention, a first motor driven and controlled by a first control circuit, a first wiper blade driven by the first motor, a first control circuit and a communication line are connected. In a control method of a wiper device comprising a second motor driven and controlled by a second control circuit connected via a second wiper blade driven by the second motor, the first control circuit and When a communication abnormality occurs between the first control circuit and the second control circuit during the operation of detecting a communication abnormality with the second control circuit and during operation of the wiper device, the second wiper blade is operated in a predetermined manner. Since the second wiper blade is operated after the continuous operation and the second wiper blade is stopped after the continuous operation, even if the information is interrupted due to a communication abnormality, It can be stopped after the work continues the number of times the operation. For this reason, even when the wiper switch is turned off, the operation of the second wiper blade does not continue endlessly, and the operation of the second wiper blade can be surely stopped when communication is abnormal.

  Further, by calculating the number of operation continuations described above based on at least one of the wiper switch state, vehicle speed, and rainfall state when a communication abnormality occurs, the operation continuation number It can be set based on vehicle speed and rainfall conditions. For this reason, the number of times of operation continuation after the occurrence of an abnormality is set to an optimum value according to the situation, and it is possible to optimize the continuous operation of the second wiper blade.

  Further, after the operation is continued for a number of times, the second wiper blade can be stopped at a position where it does not interfere with the first wiper blade by stopping the second wiper blade at the upper reversal position, and contact with the second wiper blade. The first wiper blade can be operated while reliably avoiding the above.

  According to the wiper control device of the present invention, in the control device of the wiper device including the first wiper blade driven by the first motor and the second wiper blade driven by the second motor, the first motor A first control circuit that controls the driving of the first wiper blade and the first control circuit via a communication line, and when a communication abnormality occurs in the communication line, the second wiper blade is driven for a predetermined operation duration, and the operation duration time Since the second control circuit for stopping the second wiper blade after the lapse of time has been provided, even if information is interrupted due to communication abnormality, the second control circuit causes the second wiper blade to move the second wiper blade after a predetermined duration of operation. Can be stopped. For this reason, even when the wiper switch is turned off, the operation of the second wiper blade does not continue endlessly, and the operation of the second wiper blade can be surely stopped when communication is abnormal.

  In addition, the second control circuit calculates the above-described operation duration based on at least one of the wiper switch state, vehicle speed, and rainfall state when a communication abnormality occurs, thereby determining the operation duration time. It can be set based on the immediately preceding wiper switch state, vehicle speed, and rainfall state. For this reason, the operation continuation time after the occurrence of an abnormality is set to an optimum value according to the situation, and the continuous operation of the second wiper blade can be optimized.

  Further, the second control circuit can stop the second wiper blade at a position where it does not interfere with the first wiper blade by stopping the second wiper blade at the upper reverse position after the operation continuation time has elapsed. The first wiper blade can be operated while reliably avoiding contact with the two wiper blades.

  According to another wiper control device of the present invention, a wiper device control device comprising a first wiper blade driven by a first motor and a second wiper blade driven by a second motor, A first control circuit that controls driving of one motor, and the first control circuit via a communication line, and when a communication abnormality occurs in the communication line, the second wiper blade is operated a predetermined number of times of operation, Since the second control circuit for stopping the second wiper blade after the operation for the number of times of continuous operation is provided, even if the information is interrupted due to communication abnormality, the second control circuit causes the second wiper blade to be operated for a predetermined number of times of operation. It can be stopped after operation. For this reason, even when the wiper switch is turned off, the operation of the second wiper blade does not continue endlessly, and the operation of the second wiper blade can be surely stopped when communication is abnormal.

  Further, the second control circuit calculates the number of operation continuations by calculating the number of operation continuations based on at least one of the wiper switch state, the vehicle speed, and the rainfall state when a communication abnormality occurs. It can be set based on the immediately preceding wiper switch state, vehicle speed, and rainfall state. For this reason, the number of times of operation continuation after the occurrence of an abnormality is set to an optimum value according to the situation, and it is possible to optimize the continuous operation of the second wiper blade.

  Further, the second wiper blade can be stopped at a position where it does not interfere with the first wiper blade by stopping the second wiper blade at the upper reversal position after the second control circuit is operated for the number of times of continuous operation. The first wiper blade can be operated while reliably avoiding contact with the two wiper blades.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a system configuration of a wiper device to which a control method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The wiper device 1 in FIG. 1 has the same configuration as the system in FIG. 5, and is a so-called counter wiping in which DR side and AS side wiper blades 2 a (first wiper blades) and 2 b (second wiper blades) are arranged to face each other. It is a type wiper device. A DR side motor (first motor) 3a and an AS side motor (second motor) 3b (hereinafter abbreviated as motors 3a and 3b) are separately provided on the DR side and the AS side, respectively. Note that “a, b” in the reference numerals indicates members and portions related to the DR side and the AS side, respectively.

  A blade rubber member (not shown) is attached to the blades 2a and 2b. The rubber member is brought into close contact with the windshield of the vehicle and moved to be present in the wiping areas 11a and 11b indicated by broken lines in FIG. Water droplets to be wiped away. The blades 2a and 2b are supported by wiper arms 13a and 13b fixed to the distal ends of the wiper shafts 12a and 12b, and perform swinging motions left and right by drive systems 14a and 14b using the motors 3a and 3b as drive sources. . The drive systems 14a and 14b are composed of motors 3a and 3b and a link mechanism including crank arms 15a and 15b, connecting rods 16a and 16b, drive levers 17a and 17b, and wiper arms 13a and 13b.

  Drive levers 17a and 17b are further attached to the wiper shafts 12a and 12b to which the wiper arms 13a and 13b are fixed. Connecting rods 16a and 16b are attached to the end portions of the drive levers 17a and 17b. The other ends of the connecting rods 16a and 16b are connected to the tip ends of crank arms 15a and 15b fixed to the output shafts 18a and 18b of the motors 3a and 3b. When the motors 3a and 3b are driven and the output shafts 18a and 18b rotate, the crank arms 15a and 15b rotate, and this movement is transmitted to the drive levers 17a and 17b via the connecting rods 16a and 16b. Thereby, the rotational motion of the motors 3a and 3b is converted into the swing motion of the wiper arms 13a and 13b, and the blades 2a and 2b reciprocate between the upside down positions.

  The motors 3a and 3b are accommodated in the motor units 4a and 4b, and sensors (not shown) for outputting relative position signals and absolute position signals are provided in the motor units 4a and 4b. The motor units 4a and 4b are further provided with control microcomputers 5a (first control circuit) and 5b (second control circuit) for calculating position information of the blades 2a and 2b based on the sensor output signals. The DR-side motor unit 4a is connected to an ECU 6 that is a vehicle-side control device. From the ECU 6 to the motor unit 4a, ON / OFF of the wiper switch, switch information such as LO, HI, INT, vehicle speed information, and the like are input. The motor units 4a and 4b are connected to each other via a communication line 7. The motor 3a connected to the ECU 6 is on the master side, and the motor 3b connected to the motor 3a on the communication line 7 is on the slave side. Both motors are controlled.

  The control microcomputers 5a and 5b of both units 4a and 4b acquire the blade position information of the other party via the communication line 7. Here, the relative position signal described above is a pulse signal generated with the rotation of the motor, and a pulse number proportional to the rotation angle of the motor is output. On the other hand, the absolute position signal is a single signal generated when the blades 52a and 52b come to the lower inverted position. Since the rotational speeds of the motors 3a and 3b and the rotational speeds of the output shafts 18a and 18b are in a fixed relationship based on the reduction ratio, the rotational angles of the output shafts 18a and 18b can be calculated from the number of pulses. On the other hand, the rotation angle of the output shafts 18a and 18b and the movement angle of the blades 2a and 2b have a certain correlation based on the link mechanism of the drive systems 14a and 14b. Therefore, the movement angle of the blades 2a and 2b can be known by integrating the number of pulses of the relative position signal.

  Therefore, the control microcomputers 5a and 5b detect the current positions of the blades 2a and 2b based on a combination of the absolute position signal indicating the lower inversion position and the number of pulses. The control microcomputers 5a and 5b exchange the position information via the communication line 7 and drive the motors 3a and 3b synchronously based on the positional relationship between the blades. That is, the control microcomputers 5a and 5b perform forward / reverse control of the motors 3a and 3b based on the blade position on the own side. As a result, the blades 2a and 2b perform a reciprocating wiping operation between the upside down positions. At the same time, the control microcomputers 5a and 5b control the motors 3a and 3b based on the blade position information of both the blades 2a and 2b, and the wiper device 1 is controlled so that the blades do not interfere with each other and the angle difference does not increase. Control.

  In the wiper apparatus 1 having such a system configuration, a narrow range wiping process is performed when a communication abnormality occurs between the control microcomputers 5a and 5b, as in the system of Patent Document 1. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when communication is abnormal, the AS-side blade 2b is operated within a range that does not interfere with the DR-side blade 2a. However, as described above, even if the wiper switch is turned off in this process, the AS cannot recognize it because the communication is interrupted, and the blade 2b continues to operate. On the other hand, in the wiper device 1 according to the present invention, the slave side blade 2b is appropriately operated and stopped by the following processing to prevent the blade 2b from being unstopped.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the wiper device control method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and shows a control processing procedure when a communication abnormality occurs in the wiper device 1. As shown in FIG. 3, first, in step S1, the communication state between the control microcomputers 5a and 5b is detected, and information on the wiper switch state (LO, HI, INT), vehicle speed, and rainfall state is obtained. get. The communication state is determined by whether or not blade position information from the other party is input to the control microcomputers 5a and 5b. The rain state is detected using a raindrop sensor (not shown) disposed under the windshield.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S2, and an abnormal operation duration time Tc (hereinafter abbreviated as an operation duration time Tc) is calculated based on the wiper switch state, the vehicle speed, and the rain state. The operation continuation time Tc indicates the operation continuation time of the blade 2b after the occurrence of the communication abnormality, and it is determined here how long the operation of the blade 2b is continued when the communication abnormality occurs at this time. The wiper switch state, the vehicle speed, and the rain state each have points, and the operation duration time Tc is determined by the product thereof. For example, for the wiper switch state, LO = 1.5, HI = 2, INT = 1, and for the vehicle speed, 20 km / h or less = 1, 20 to 40 km / h or less = 1.5, 40 to 60 km / A numerical value such as h or less = 2, more than 80 km / h = 2.5 is predetermined. Further, the rainfall state is set such that the rainfall amount of 5 mm / h or less = 1,5 exceeds 10 mm / h = 1.5, more than 10 mm / h = 1.5.

  That is, the operation continuation time Tc is set short when light rain / low speed and long when heavy rain / high speed. For example, when the wiper is currently in the LO operation state, the vehicle speed is 50 km / h, and the rainfall is 5 mm / h or less, the operation duration time Tc is set to 1.5 × 2 × 1 = 3 (minutes). . Also, when the wiper is in the HI operating state, such as when driving at high speed in heavy rain, and the vehicle speed is 100 km / h and the rainfall exceeds 10 mm / h, the operation duration Tc is 2 × 2.5 × 1. For example, 5 = 7.5 (minutes) is set. In this way, after setting the operation continuation time Tc according to the current situation in step S2, the process proceeds to step S3 to determine whether or not a communication abnormality has occurred.

  At this time, if there is a signal input from the other party's control microcomputer, it is determined that no communication abnormality has occurred, a normal wiping operation is performed in step S4, and the routine is exited. On the other hand, if there is no signal input from the other party, it is determined that a communication abnormality has occurred, the process proceeds to step S5, and the lapse of the operation duration time Tc set in step S2 is counted. The operation continuation time Tc starts counting at the same time when an abnormality is detected in step S3. If the operation continuation time Tc has not elapsed in step S5, in order to avoid interference with the DR side blade 2a, the process proceeds to step S6 to perform an abnormal wiping operation (narrow range wiping process), and the routine Exit.

  In the abnormal wiping operation, as shown in FIG. 2, the AS-side blade 2b is driven in a state where the wiping area 11b is reduced. In this case, the wiping area 11b 'is set to a range where the blade 2b does not contact the blade 2a even when the blade 2a wipes the entire area of the wiping area 11a. Accordingly, even if the operation of the blade 2b is continued in a state where the control microcomputer 5a, 5b loses sight of the positional relationship between the two blades 2a, 2b, as long as the blade 2b operates in the wiping area 11b ′, the blades 2a, 2b Will not interfere. That is, even when a communication abnormality occurs, the AS blade 2b is operated as much as possible without interfering with the blade 2a, and the driver's field of view is secured widely.

  On the other hand, if it is confirmed in step S5 that the operation continuation time Tc has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S7, and it is determined whether or not the AS blade 2b has reached the upper reverse position. This determination is performed by the control microcomputer 5b based on position information of the blade 2b that the control microcomputer 5b has. If the blade 2b has not reached the upper reversal position, the process proceeds from step S7 to step S8, the wiping operation at the time of abnormality is continued, and the routine is exited. If it is confirmed in step S7 that the AS blade 2b has reached the upper reversal position, the process proceeds to step S9, where the AS motor 3b is stopped and the routine is exited. Thereby, the operation of the blade 2b stops at the upper reverse position when the time Tc has elapsed after the occurrence of the abnormality.

  As described above, in the control process of FIG. 3, the normal wiping operation is performed in the normal time when no communication abnormality occurs (steps S 1 → S 2 → S 3 → S 4). On the other hand, when a communication abnormality occurs, a narrow range wiping process is performed, and the state is continued within the operation duration time Tc (steps S3 → S5 → S6). Thereafter, when the operation duration time Tc elapses, the blade 2b operates to the upper reversal position (steps S3 → S5 → S7 → S8), and the blade 2b stops at the upper reversal position regardless of ON / OFF of the wiper switch. (Steps S3 → S5 → S7 → S9).

  Therefore, even when the information is interrupted due to a communication abnormality, the slave blade 2b stops after performing an operation for a certain time while maintaining the visibility by the narrow area wiping process. For this reason, the operation does not continue after the wiper switch is turned off, and an extra action for stopping the wiper operation such as turning off the ignition switch becomes unnecessary. Further, since the blade 2b stops after the operation continuation time Tc elapses, it is possible to clearly notify the driver that a failure has occurred in the wiper device 1, and to recognize the failure with certainty.

  Furthermore, since the operation continuation time Tc after the occurrence of a communication abnormality is also set based on the wiper switch state, vehicle speed, and rain condition immediately before the occurrence of the abnormality, the operation continuation time after the occurrence of the abnormality is set to an optimum value according to the situation. Is done. For this reason, it is possible to prevent inconveniences such as the blade 2b immediately stopping while it is heavy rain after the occurrence of an abnormality, and it is possible to minimize the influence due to the occurrence of the failure.

  In addition, when the operation continuation time Tc elapses after the communication abnormality occurs, the blade 2b moves to the upper reverse position and stops, so that the blade 2b can be stopped at a position where it does not interfere with the blade 2a. Therefore, the operation of the DR side blade 2a can be continued as it is while reliably avoiding contact with the blade 2b. Further, as the operation duration time Tc elapses, the blade 2b does not stop in the middle of wiping, so the blade 2b does not stop at a halfway position and does not hinder the driver's view.

  Next, a wiper device control method that is Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the wiper apparatus control method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the control method of Example 2 is also implemented by the wiper apparatus 1 of FIG. 1, and the same reference numerals and terms are used for the same members, parts, processes, and the like as in Example 1, and description thereof is omitted.

  In the first embodiment described above, the blade 2b is operated for a predetermined time after the occurrence of the communication abnormality, and then the blade 2b is stopped. However, the stop control by the number of times is not performed instead of the stop control by such time. good. That is, instead of the operation continuation time Tc, an abnormal time continuation number Nc (hereinafter abbreviated as operation continuation number Nc) is calculated, and after performing the reciprocating wiping operation for that number of times, the blade 2b is stopped. good. As shown in FIG. 4, in the control process of the second embodiment, first, in step S11, the communication state between the control microcomputers 5a and 5b is detected, and the wiper switch state, vehicle speed, and rain state are acquired.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S12, and the operation continuation number Nc is calculated based on the wiper switch state, the vehicle speed, and the rainfall state. The operation continuation number Nc indicates the number of operation continuations of the blade 2b after the occurrence of a communication abnormality. When a communication abnormality occurs at this time, it is determined here how many times the operation of the blade 2b is continued. The number of operation continuations Nc is also determined by the product of the wiper switch state, the vehicle speed, and the points of precipitation in the same manner as Tc described above, and is set to be small during light rain / low speed and large during heavy rain / high speed. In step S12, after setting the operation continuation count Nc according to the current situation, the process proceeds to step S13 to determine whether or not a communication abnormality has occurred.

  If it is determined in step S13 that no communication abnormality has occurred, a normal wiping operation is performed in step S14, and the routine is exited. On the other hand, when it is determined that a communication abnormality has occurred, the process proceeds to step S15, and the lapse of the operation continuation number Nc set in step S12 is counted. The operation continuation count Nc is counted as one round trip from the upper inversion position. If the number of operations does not reach the number of operation continuations Nc in step S15, the process proceeds to step S16 to avoid interference with the DR side blade 2a, and the abnormal wiping operation (narrow range wiping process) as described above. And exit the routine.

  On the other hand, if the number of operations has reached the number of operation continuations Nc in step S15, the process proceeds to step S17 to determine whether or not the AS blade 2b has reached the upper reverse position. If the blade 2b has not reached the upper reversal position, the process proceeds from step S17 to step S18, the wiping operation at the time of abnormality is continued, and the routine is exited. If it is confirmed in step S71 that the AS side blade 2b has reached the upper reversal position, the process proceeds to step S19, where the AS side motor 3b is stopped and the routine is exited. Thus, after the occurrence of abnormality, the blade 2b operates Nc times and stops at the upper reverse position.

  As described above, in the control process of FIG. 4, the normal wiping operation is performed in the normal time when no communication abnormality occurs (steps S11 → S12 → S13 → S14). On the other hand, when a communication abnormality occurs, the narrow range wiping process is performed, and the state is continued until the operation continuation count Nc is reached (steps S13 → S15 → S16). Thereafter, when the number of operations of the blade 2b reaches the number of operation continuations Nc, the blade 2b operates to the upper reverse position (steps S13 → S15 → S17 → S18), and the blade 2b is moved upward regardless of whether the wiper switch is turned ON / OFF. Stop at the reverse position (steps S13 → S15 → S17 → S19).

  Therefore, even in the control process of the second embodiment, when a communication abnormality occurs, the slave blade 2b stops after performing a certain number of operations while maintaining the visibility by the narrow area wiping process, and the wiper switch OFF The operation will not continue afterwards. In addition, since the operation continuation count Nc after the occurrence of a communication error is also set based on the wiper switch state, vehicle speed, and rain condition immediately before the occurrence of the error, the operation continuation count after the occurrence of the error is set to an optimum value according to the situation. Is done. Furthermore, when the operation continuation number Nc elapses after the occurrence of the communication abnormality, the blade 2b moves to the upper reverse position and stops, so that the operation of the blade 2a can be continued as it is without causing a blade interference problem. The blade 2b does not stop at the correct position and does not hinder the driver's view.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the operation duration time Tc and the operation continuation number Nc are calculated based on the three types of information of the wiper switch state, the vehicle speed, and the rain state is shown. It is not always necessary to use all of these three types, and Tc and Nc can be calculated based on at least one of the information. In the above-described embodiments, the wiper switch state, the vehicle speed, and the rain state are numerically expressed, and the operation continuation times Tc and Nc are obtained by multiplying them, but the Tc and Nc calculation method is For example, a method of using a three-dimensional map or multiplying the detected values such as the vehicle speed and the rainfall by appropriately multiplying by a coefficient can be employed. It should be noted that the above-described numerical values relating to the calculation of the operation continuation time Tc and the operation continuation count Nc are merely examples, and it goes without saying that each numerical value is not limited to the above-described values.

  On the other hand, in the above-described embodiment, the DR side motor 3a is the master side and the AS side motor 3b is the slave side. However, the AS side may be connected to the ECU 6 to be the master side. In the above-described embodiment, the control mode is such that the AS side is wiped in a narrow range when communication is interrupted, but the DR side may be wiped in a narrow range. In this case, the AS side is the first side and the DR side is the second side. Become the side. However, from the viewpoint of safe driving, it is preferable to give priority to the driver's view.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the drive systems 14a and 14b are constituted by motors 3a and 3b and a link mechanism including crank arms 15a and 15b, connecting rods 16a and 16b, drive levers 17a and 17b, and wiper arms 13a and 13b. However, the wiper arms 13a and 13b may be directly attached to the output shafts 18a and 18b of the motors 3a and 3b.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the system configuration | structure of the wiper apparatus with which the control method which is one Example of this invention is applied. It is explanatory drawing which shows blade operation | movement at the time of communication abnormality generation | occurrence | production. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the wiper apparatus control method which is Example 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the wiper apparatus control method which is Example 2 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the system configuration | structure of an opposing wiping-type wiper apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the blade operation | movement at the time of communication abnormality generation | occurrence | production in the wiper apparatus of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Wiper device 2a Wiper blade (second wiper blade)
2b Wiper blade (first wiper blade)
3a Motor (first motor)
3b Motor (second motor)
4a, 4b Motor unit 5a Control microcomputer (first control circuit)
5b Control microcomputer (second control circuit)
6 ECU
7 Communication line 11a DR side wiping area 11b AS side wiping area 11b 'Narrow area wiping area 12a, 12b Wiper shafts 13a, 13b Wiper arms 14a, 14b Drive systems 15a, 15b Crank arms 16a, 16b Connecting rods 17a, 17b Driving lever 18a, 18b Output shaft 51 Wiper devices 52a, 52b Wiper blade 53a DR side motor 53b AS side motors 54a, 54b Motor units 55a, 55b Control microcomputer 56 ECU
57 Communication line Tc Operation continuation time at abnormality Nc Number of operation continuation at abnormality

Claims (12)

Drive-controlled by a first motor driven and controlled by a first control circuit, a first wiper blade driven by the first motor, and a second control circuit connected to the first control circuit via a communication line. A wiper device control method comprising: a second motor; and a second wiper blade driven by the second motor,
Detecting a communication abnormality between the first control circuit and the second control circuit;
When a communication abnormality occurs between the first control circuit and the second control circuit while the wiper device is operating, driving the second wiper blade for a predetermined operation duration; and
And a step of stopping the second wiper blade after the operation continuation time has elapsed.   2. The wiper device control method according to claim 1, wherein the operation continuation time is calculated based on at least one of a wiper switch state, a vehicle speed, and a rainfall state when a communication abnormality occurs. Control method of wiper device.   3. The method of controlling a wiper apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second wiper blade stops at the upper reversal position after the operation duration time has elapsed. Drive-controlled by a first motor driven and controlled by a first control circuit, a first wiper blade driven by the first motor, and a second control circuit connected to the first control circuit via a communication line. A wiper device control method comprising: a second motor; and a second wiper blade driven by the second motor,
Detecting a communication abnormality between the first control circuit and the second control circuit;
When a communication abnormality occurs between the first control circuit and the second control circuit while the wiper device is operating, the step of operating the second wiper blade a predetermined number of times of operation;
And a step of stopping the second wiper blade after the operation is continued.   5. The method of controlling a wiper device according to claim 4, wherein the operation continuation count is calculated based on at least one information of a wiper switch state, a vehicle speed, and a rainfall state when a communication abnormality occurs. Control method of wiper device.   6. The method of controlling a wiper apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second wiper blade stops at the upper reversal position after the operation is continued for a number of times. A control device for a wiper device comprising a first wiper blade driven by a first motor and a second wiper blade driven by a second motor,
A first control circuit for driving and controlling the first motor;
The second wiper blade is connected to the first control circuit via a communication line, and when a communication abnormality occurs in the communication line, the second wiper blade is driven for a predetermined operation duration, and after the operation duration time has elapsed, the second wiper blade And a second control circuit for stopping the operation.   8. The wiper control device according to claim 7, wherein the second control circuit calculates the operation continuation time based on at least one of a wiper switch state, a vehicle speed, and a rainfall state when a communication abnormality occurs. A wiper control device.   9. The wiper control device according to claim 7, wherein the second control circuit stops the second wiper blade at the upper inversion position after the operation continuation time has elapsed. A control device for a wiper device comprising a first wiper blade driven by a first motor and a second wiper blade driven by a second motor,
A first control circuit for driving and controlling the first motor;
The second wiper blade is connected to the first control circuit via a communication line, and when a communication abnormality occurs on the communication line, the second wiper blade is operated for a predetermined number of times of operation, and the second wiper blade is operated after the number of times of operation continuation And a second control circuit for stopping the operation.   11. The wiper control device according to claim 10, wherein the second control circuit calculates the operation continuation count based on at least one information of a wiper switch state, a vehicle speed, and a rain state when a communication abnormality occurs. A wiper control device.   12. The wiper control device according to claim 10, wherein the second control circuit stops the second wiper blade at the upper reversal position after the operation is continued for a number of times.

Images