JP2010052601A - Wiper control device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wiper control device for a vehicle capable of always obtaining excellent front visibility and stabilizing a wiping operation of a wiper device by controlling the wiping operation based on the presence or absence of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of an advancing direction of one's own vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: This wiper control device includes a laser radar device 40, a speed sensor 60 and a navigation system 70, and performs a threshold value adjusting control so that mode-up threshold value and mode-down threshold value for deciding a wiping mode in cooperation with raindrop amount decided based on a detection signal from a raindrop sensor 20 may be varied based on vehicle speed information, the presence or absence of the preceding vehicle, inter-vehicle distance information and rainfall interception information. As a result, the wiping operation of the wiper device is controlled to be always suitable for raindrop and splash adhering states to a windshield, and at the same time, the wiping operation of the wiper device can be stabilized. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle wiper control device that controls the operation of a wiper device based on a detection result of a raindrop sensor that detects raindrops and the like.

  In the conventional vehicle wiper control device, the wiping operation of the wiper device is controlled based on the amount of raindrops attached to the detection region of the raindrop sensor in the front windshield. By the way, when the automobile is traveling in the rain, the raindrop adhesion state on the front windshield varies greatly depending on the behavior condition of the automobile even if the rain state is constant. Therefore, in the conventional vehicle wiper control device that controls the wiping operation of the wiper device based on the amount of raindrop detected by the raindrop sensor, the wiping operation of the wiper device corresponding to the change in the behavioral condition of the automobile corresponds to that. It is difficult to switch quickly.

In order to solve such a problem, for example, the speed change degree (acceleration) of the automobile is detected, and the wiping mode of the wiper device is determined based on both the raindrop amount and acceleration information to perform the wiping operation. There is a thing (refer patent document 1).
JP 2006-021623 A

  Raindrop sensors used in conventional vehicle wiper control devices are manufactured so that the area occupied by the windshield, that is, the area of the detection area used for detecting the amount of raindrops, is as small as possible in order to ensure a good forward view. Has been. That is, the amount of raindrops in the entire front windshield is determined based on the amount of raindrops attached to an extremely small area in the front windshield, and the wiping operation of the wiper device is controlled based on the determination. As described above, since the raindrop sensor detection area is narrow, the degree of raindrop adhesion to the raindrop sensor detection area may change even when the rain condition is constant, and the wiper device wiping operation mode changes accordingly. In other words, the wiping mode may be mode up or mode down. When such a phenomenon occurs frequently, the driver feels that the wiping operation of the wiper device is unstable.

  Such a state in which the wiping operation of the wiper device becomes unstable is likely to occur when the traveling speed of the vehicle is changing or when the preceding vehicle is traveling forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle. In particular, in the latter case, rainwater splashes (hereinafter referred to as splash) collected on the road surface from which the preceding vehicle jumped up adhere to the front windshield of the vehicle, but the degree of splash adhesion is not constant. The wiping action of the device tends to be unstable.

  In the case of the vehicle wiper control device described in Patent Document 1 described above, when the acceleration of the automobile is large (for example, during rapid acceleration, etc.), the amount of raindrops adhered to the front windshield per unit time increases. When it is large, control such as immediately wiping mode up (switching to a wiping mode in which the wiper reciprocating wiping operation interval time is shorter) is performed. Thereby, when the acceleration of the automobile is large, it is possible to stabilize the wiper device due to the wiping operation by taking appropriate measures such as wiping mode up. However, the vehicle wiper control device described in Patent Document 1 described above cannot take an effective measure against the adhesion of splash splashed by the preceding vehicle.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and its purpose is to detect that a preceding vehicle is traveling ahead of the traveling direction of the own vehicle, and to control the wiping operation of the wiper device based on that. Thus, it is an object to provide a vehicle wiper control device that can always maintain a good front view and can stabilize the wiping operation of the wiper device.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following technical means.

  The wiper control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a wiper device that moves a wiper blade to wipe off water droplets adhering to the windshield, and a detection region that is set within a wiping range of the wiper blade on the windshield. A raindrop sensor that outputs a raindrop signal according to the amount of water droplets attached to the controller, a controller that calculates the raindrop amount by inputting the raindrop signal from the raindrop sensor, and outputs a drive signal to the wiper device based on the calculated raindrop amount; The controller includes a raindrop amount determination unit that calculates a raindrop amount by integrating a raindrop signal detected during a wiper stop period that is a reciprocating wiping operation interval time of the wiper blade, and a raindrop amount determination unit. The wiper determines the wiping mode that is the next reciprocating wiping operation interval time based on the amount of raindrops, and the wiper in the determined wiping mode A wiping mode determination unit that outputs a drive signal to the wiper device so as to cause the wiping operation to be performed on the raid, and the wiping mode determination unit is configured such that the raindrop amount determined by the raindrop amount determination unit is greater than or equal to the mode-down threshold and less than or equal to the mode-up threshold. Or when the number of times that the determination that the raindrop amount determined by the raindrop amount determination unit is greater than the mode-up threshold is repeated is less than the number of mode-up thresholds or is determined by the raindrop determination unit When the number of times that the determination that the raindrop amount is smaller than the mode-down threshold is continuously repeated is less than the mode-down threshold number, the wiping mode selected at that time is maintained and determined by the raindrop amount determination unit. When the raindrop amount is greater than the mode-up threshold, or the raindrop amount determined by the raindrop determination unit is greater than the mode-up threshold. Subsequently, when the mode-up threshold is repeated for the number of times, the mode is changed to the wiping mode in which the reciprocating wiping operation interval time of the wiper blade is shorter than the wiping mode selected at that time, and the raindrop amount determination unit determines When the determined raindrop amount is smaller than the mode-down threshold or when the determination that the raindrop amount determined by the raindrop amount determination unit is smaller than the mode-down threshold is continuously repeated the number of times of the mode-down threshold, at that time A wiper control device for a vehicle that is mode-down to a wiping mode in which the wiper blade reciprocating wiping operation interval time is longer than the selected wiping mode, and traveling of the own vehicle that is a vehicle equipped with the vehicle wiper control device A speed sensor for detecting speed, a forward object detection means for detecting an object ahead of the traveling direction of the host vehicle, Forward distance calculating means provided in the controller for calculating a forward distance that is a distance between the host vehicle and the object based on a detection signal from the forward object detecting means, and the controller uses the detection signal from the speed sensor as a detection signal. At least one of a mode-up threshold value, a mode-down threshold value, a mode-up number threshold value, and a mode-down number threshold value based on the traveling speed of the host vehicle calculated based on the forward distance calculated based on the detection signal from the forward object detection means It is characterized in that threshold adjustment control is performed so as to change one.

  In a conventional vehicle wiper control device, a raindrop sensor is installed on the front windshield, and the wiping operation of the wiper device is controlled based on the amount of raindrops attached to the detection area of the raindrop sensor on the front windshield. When the preceding vehicle is traveling in front of the traveling direction of the host vehicle, splash that is rainwater splash on the road surface that the preceding vehicle jumped up is attached to the front windshield in addition to raindrops. The amount of splash by the preceding vehicle fluctuates due to the influence of road surface conditions, that is, asphalt, concrete, porous pavement, presence of dredging, and the like, and the amount and position of splash adhering to the front windshield also fluctuate. For this reason, it is difficult to accurately detect the amount of splash adhering to the front windshield by the raindrop sensor having a small detection area. That is, when there is a preceding vehicle, the raindrop sensor cannot accurately detect the amount of water droplets adhering to the front windshield as much as the amount of splash attached compared to when there is no preceding vehicle. For this reason, the wiping mode of the wiper device cannot be switched to the wiping mode in accordance with the water droplet adhesion state in a timely manner, and there is a possibility that the front view through the front windshield may be hindered. As described above, in the conventional vehicle wiper control device, when the preceding vehicle is traveling in front of the host vehicle, the splash splashed by the preceding vehicle is effectively removed from the front windshield and It becomes difficult to maintain a good front view.

  By the way, the splash amount that jumps up rearward while the vehicle is traveling increases as the traveling speed of the vehicle increases. Splashed splash falls on the road after drifting in the air for a certain time. Therefore, when the own vehicle follows the back of the preceding vehicle, the amount of splash adhering to the front windshield of the own vehicle increases as the traveling speed increases and the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle decreases. Become more.

  Based on the above, if there are three, the presence or absence of the preceding vehicle in front of the own vehicle, the traveling speed of the own vehicle and the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle, the amount of splash adhering to the front windshield of the own vehicle can be calculated based on these. Can be estimated. By controlling the wiper device so that the wiping action of the wiper device is adapted to the estimated amount of splash adhesion, it is possible to effectively remove the splash adhered to the front windshield even when following the preceding vehicle. It becomes.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle wiper control device comprising: a speed sensor that detects a traveling speed of a vehicle that is a vehicle equipped with the vehicle wiper control device; and an object that is in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle. A forward object detection means for detecting, and a forward distance calculation means for calculating a forward distance that is a distance between the vehicle and the object based on a detection signal from the forward object detection means provided in the controller. The mode-up threshold, the mode-down threshold, and the mode-up count threshold based on the traveling speed of the vehicle calculated based on the detection signal from the speed sensor and the forward distance calculated based on the detection signal from the forward object detection means In addition, threshold adjustment control is performed so as to vary at least one of the mode down frequency thresholds.

  The relationship between the magnitudes of the mode-up threshold, the mode-down threshold, the mode-up count threshold, and the mode-down count threshold and the wiping operation of the wiper device will be described. The lower the mode-up threshold value, the easier the wiping mode will be mode-up, and the lower the mode-down threshold value, the more difficult the wiping mode will be mode-down. Here, “difficult to mode down” is synonymous with “easy to maintain the current wiping mode”. On the other hand, the smaller the mode up number threshold, the easier the mode up, and the larger the mode down number threshold, the more difficult the mode down.

  When the preceding vehicle is traveling ahead of the vehicle at the time of rain, even the splash that the preceding vehicle has jumped in addition to the rain adheres to the front windshield of the own vehicle. Therefore, from the viewpoint of securing a good front view, it is necessary to select either wiping up the wiper device or at least maintaining the current wiping mode.

  The wiper control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 of the present invention detects that there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle, and sets the mode-up threshold based on the traveling speed of the host vehicle and the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle. And by adjusting the threshold adjustment so that at least one of the mode-down threshold is variable, the wiping mode is set up earlier than usual, or mode down later than usual, so that it adheres to the front windshield. Raindrops and splashes can be removed quickly. In other words, since changes in the situation that affect fluctuations in the amount of raindrops and splash adhering to the front windshield of the vehicle are detected and the wiping operation of the wiper device is controlled based on the change, the wiping operation of the wiper device is always performed. It can be controlled to be suitable for raindrops and splash adhesion on the front windshield. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vehicle wiper control device that can always maintain a good front view and can stabilize the wiping operation of the wiper device.

  In the vehicle wiper control device according to claim 2, when the controller determines that there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle based on the detection signal from the front object detection means, Executing at least one of setting a mode-up threshold value smaller, setting a mode-down threshold value smaller, setting a mode-up frequency threshold value smaller, and setting a mode-down frequency threshold value larger; In addition, the higher the traveling speed, the smaller the mode-up threshold value, the smaller the mode-down threshold value, the smaller the mode-up number threshold value, and the larger the mode-down number threshold value. It is characterized by executing at least one.

  Increasing the frequency of the wiper blade's reciprocating wiping operation is effective in order to quickly remove the splash caused by the preceding vehicle attached to the front windshield of the vehicle, and mode up the wiping mode earlier than usual, or It is desirable to mode down the wiping mode later than usual.

  In order to improve the wiping mode earlier than usual, the raindrop amount detection sensitivity should be increased. That is, when it is determined whether or not the wiping mode can be increased based only on the relationship between the detected amount of raindrops and the mode-up threshold, the mode-up threshold may be reduced in order to increase the raindrop amount detection sensitivity. In addition, when it is determined whether or not the wiping mode up is possible based on the number of times that the detected raindrop amount exceeds the mode-up threshold, the mode-up count threshold is set to increase the raindrop detection sensitivity. Just make it smaller.

  On the other hand, in order to down-mode the wiping mode later than usual, the raindrop amount detection sensitivity should be increased. That is, when it is determined whether or not the wiping mode down is possible based only on the relationship between the detected raindrop amount and the mode-down threshold, the mode-down threshold may be reduced in order to increase the raindrop amount detection sensitivity. In addition, when it is determined whether or not the wiping mode down is possible based on the number of times that the detected raindrop amount falls below the mode down threshold, the mode down frequency threshold is set to increase the raindrop detection sensitivity. Just make it bigger.

  In the vehicle wiper control device according to claim 2 of the present invention, the shorter the forward distance, that is, the greater the amount of splash adhesion, the smaller the mode-up threshold is set, and the mode-down threshold is set smaller. At least one of setting the mode-up frequency threshold value to a smaller value and setting the mode-down frequency threshold value to a larger value is performed, and the higher the traveling speed, that is, the greater the amount of splash adhesion, the more At least one of setting a smaller value, setting a mode-down threshold value smaller, setting a mode-up count threshold value smaller, and setting a mode-down count threshold value larger is executed. Thereby, the wiping operation | movement of a wiper apparatus can be always controlled to the thing suitable for the raindrop and splash adhesion condition to a front windshield. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vehicle wiper control device that can always maintain a good front view and can stabilize the wiping operation of the wiper device.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle wiper control device comprising a rain interception judging means for judging whether or not the rain on the own vehicle is interrupted, and the controller outputs a detection signal from the rain interception judging means. Threshold adjustment control is stopped when it is determined that the rain on the own vehicle is blocked based on the detection signal from the rain blocking judgment means, and the threshold adjustment control is determined when it is determined that the rain on the own vehicle is not blocked It is characterized by performing.

  When there is a structure that blocks rainfall above the vehicle, for example, in a tunnel, or a road under an elevated road or an elevated railway, rainfall on the road surface is blocked and the amount of rain water on the road surface is very small. For this reason, there is almost no amount of splash adhering to the front windshield even when the preceding vehicle is traveling in front of the host vehicle. Under such circumstances, threshold adjustment control for effectively removing the splash is not executed, and normal wiper control, that is, wiping operation control of the wiper device based on the amount of raindrops attached to the detection area of the raindrop sensor is performed. Just do it.

  In the vehicle wiper control device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the vehicle wiper control device includes the rain interception judging means for judging whether or not the rain to the own vehicle is interrupted, so that there is a preceding vehicle traveling under the rain. In this case, the threshold adjustment control can be executed to effectively remove the splash caused by the preceding vehicle, and the threshold adjustment control is immediately interrupted in a situation where rainfall on the vehicle is blocked, and the normal wiper device Since switching to the wiping operation control is performed, it is possible to provide a vehicle wiper control device that can always maintain a good front view of the driver.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle wiper control device, the rain interception determining means includes a front illuminance sensor that detects brightness in front of the host vehicle, an upper illuminance sensor that detects brightness above the host vehicle, and a navigation system. It is characterized by being at least one of the following.

  The front illuminance sensor and the upper illuminance sensor are used, for example, to control lighting / extinguishing of vehicle lights, and mainly check the presence or absence of a tunnel based on their detection signals, that is, perform a rain interception determination. Can do. The navigation system performs so-called map matching in which the position of the vehicle is recognized using a signal from a satellite and map data of the vehicle. Therefore, if there is a description of a tunnel or an overhead in the map data, it is possible to easily make a rain interception determination. Note that the front illuminance sensor, the upper illuminance sensor, and the navigation system can each use existing ones, and there is no need to bother to provide threshold adjustment control. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vehicular wiper control device capable of making a rain interception determination while suppressing an increase in cost.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle wiper control device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking as an example a case of application to a vehicle wiper control device 1 mounted on an automobile.

  A vehicle wiper control device 1 is mounted on an automobile 100 and controls the operation of a wiper device 10 that wipes raindrops attached to a front windshield 101 that is a windshield in front of a driver seat in accordance with an operation position of a wiper control switch 30. Is to do. In particular, when the automatic control (AUTO mode) position is selected in the wiper control switch 30, the amount of raindrops attached to the front windshield 101 is detected by the raindrop sensor 20, and the operation control of the wiper device 10 is performed based on the determination result. Do.

  First, the overall configuration of the vehicle wiper control device 1 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle wiper control device 1 drives the wiper device 10 based on a wiper device 10, a raindrop sensor 20, a wiper control switch 30, a signal from the wiper control switch 30, and a signal from the raindrop sensor 20. The controller 50, the laser radar device 40 for detecting an object existing in front of the automobile 100, the speed sensor 60 for detecting the traveling speed of the automobile 100, the navigation system 70 as a rain interception judging means, and the like. The vehicle wiper control device 1 is supplied with power from the battery 70 of the automobile 100 via the ignition switch 80 of the automobile 100. Below, each element which comprises the wiper control apparatus 1 for vehicles shown in FIG. 1 is demonstrated easily.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the wiper device 10 includes a wiper motor 11, a wiper blade 13 that performs a reciprocating wiping operation on the front windshield 101, a driving torque generated by the wiper motor 11, and a reciprocating motion. 13 and a link mechanism 12 that reciprocates the wiper blade 13. The reciprocating wiping operation of the wiper blade 13 is executed by outputting a drive instruction signal to the wiper motor 11 from the wiping mode determination unit 51 provided in the controller 50. Although FIG. 1 shows a state in which the controller 50 and the wiper motor 11 are directly connected, there may be a drive device for the wiper motor 11 in the middle.

  The wiper control switch 30 is installed at the driver's seat in the automobile 100 and stops the reciprocating wiping operation of the wiper blade 13 (OFF mode), automatic control (AUTO mode), low speed operation (LO mode), and high speed operation (HI mode). ) Is switched by a driver's manual operation or the like. The wiper control switch 30 is constituted by, for example, a rotary switch that is rotated by the driver's hand. When the wiper control switch 30 is rotated to any one of the four operating positions described above, one of these operation modes is performed. Selected. When one of the four operation modes described above is selected, the wiper control switch 30 outputs information about the selected operation mode to the controller 50 (wiping mode determination unit 51) described later.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the raindrop sensor 20 basically includes a light emitting element 21 such as a light emitting diode that emits infrared light toward the detection region Ad of the front windshield 101, and the light emitting element 21. And a light receiving element 22 such as a photodiode that outputs an output value corresponding to the amount of light received and reflected by the front windshield 101. As shown in FIG. 3, a prism 23 is installed between the light emitting element 21 and the light receiving element 22 and the front windshield 101. The light emitted from the light emitting element 21 travels through the prism 23 as shown by an arrow in FIG. 3 and reaches the outer surface of the front windshield 101, and the reflected light travels through the prism 23 and travels through the prism 23. 22 is incident. Moreover, the light emitting element 21, the light receiving element 22, and the prism 23 are accommodated in a casing 24 as shown in FIG. The light emitting element 21 is connected to the controller 50 via a light emitting element driving circuit (not shown), and the controller 50 controls the turning on / off of the light emitting element 21. The light receiving element 22 is connected to the controller 50 via a detection amplification circuit (not shown), and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the detected amount of raindrops to the controller 50. When no raindrops are attached to the detection area Ad, the infrared light emitted from the light emitting element 21 travels as shown by the solid line arrow in FIG. And is received by the light receiving element 22. However, when the raindrop D is attached to the detection area Ad, a part of the infrared light emitted from the light emitting element 21 is broken by the broken line in FIG. 3 via the raindrop D attached to the detection area Ad. Since it progresses as indicated by the arrow and exits from the front windshield 101, the amount of light received by the light receiving element 22 is reduced. As the amount of raindrops D attached to the detection area Ad increases, the amount of light emitted to the outside of the front windshield 101 increases, and the amount of light received by the light receiving element 22 decreases. Thereby, the amount of raindrops adhering to the detection area Ad can be detected based on the amount of light received by the light receiving element 22. In the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the detection signal of the raindrop sensor 20 decreases as the amount of raindrops adhering to the detection region Ad increases, and the raindrop sensor decreases as the amount of raindrops adhering to the detection region Ad decreases. The detection signal of 20 becomes large.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a laser radar device 40 as a front object detection unit that detects an object existing in front of the automobile 100 is attached to a front end portion of the automobile 100 and is electrically connected to a controller 50 described later. Yes. The laser radar device 40 includes a laser light emitting element (not shown) and a light receiving element (not shown), and the laser light emitting element (not shown) irradiates laser light toward the front of the automobile 100, and the light receiving element. (Not shown) receives the reflected light reflected by the object in front of the automobile 100 of the laser light. When the light receiving element (not shown) receives the reflected light of the laser beam, it outputs a detection signal, and this detection signal is input to the controller 50.

  The controller 50 is configured as an electric circuit including, for example, a microcomputer. Actually, the CPU performs control processing and arithmetic processing, a read-only memory (ROM) for storing various programs and data, and a writable memory (RAM). ) And other functions such as an input circuit such as an AD converter, an output circuit, and a power supply circuit.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 50 functionally includes a wiping mode determination unit 51, a raindrop amount determination unit 52, a forward distance calculation unit 53, a speed determination unit 54, and a rain interception determination unit 55. The raindrop amount determination unit 52 determines the amount of raindrops attached to the front windshield 101 based on the detection signal output from the raindrop sensor 20. The wiping mode determination unit 51 determines a wiping mode related to the wiping operation of the wiper blade 13 based on a signal from the wiper control switch 30 or a signal from the raindrop amount determination unit 52, and based on the determination result, the wiper A drive signal is output to the motor 11. That is, when the wiper control switch 30 is operated to a position other than automatic control (AUTO mode), the wiping mode determination unit 51 determines the wiping mode corresponding to the operated position and executes the wiping mode. A drive signal is output to the wiper motor 11. On the other hand, when the wiper control switch 30 is operated to the automatic control (AUTO mode) position, the wiping mode determination unit 51 receives a signal from the raindrop amount determination unit 52, a signal from the forward distance calculation unit 53, and a speed determination unit 54. And the wiping mode which concerns on the wiping operation | movement of the wiper blade 13 is determined based on the signal from the rain interception determination part 55, and a drive signal is output with respect to the wiper motor 11 in order to perform the wiping mode. Here, the wiping mode determined by the wiping mode determination unit 51 includes a stop mode, a stop standby mode, a plurality of intermittent modes in which the time interval of the reciprocating wiping operation by the wiper blade 13 is sequentially shortened, a low speed mode, and a high speed mode. Yes. In the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of intermittent modes are, for example, 7.0 seconds, 3.3 seconds, 1.5 seconds, in order from the longer reciprocating wiping operation interval time. 0.6 seconds. The low speed mode and the high speed mode are the same as the low speed operation (LO mode) position and the high speed operation (HI mode) position set in the wiper control switch 30. The forward distance calculation unit 53 calculates the distance between the automobile 100 and a forward object (for example, a preceding vehicle) based on the detection signal output from the laser radar device 40, that is, the inter-vehicle distance between the automobile 100 and the preceding vehicle. Speed determination unit 54 calculates the traveling speed of automobile 100 based on the detection signal from speed sensor 60. Based on the position information signal output from the navigation system 70, which is a rain interception judging means, the rain interception judging unit 55 determines whether or not the place where the automobile 100 is traveling is a place where the rain is intercepted. Determine. A place where rainfall is blocked is a place where there is a structure equivalent to a roof on the road surface and rain does not fall on the road surface. For example, in a tunnel, under an elevated road or an elevated railway, It is a parking lot in the building.

  The navigation system 70 is generally mounted on a vehicle, and calculates the position of the vehicle based on built-in map data, a signal from a GPS satellite, and the like, and a display (not shown, for example, a liquid crystal panel). It is displayed as an image on top. The controller 50 is connected to the navigation system 70, and position information regarding the automobile 100 is input to the rain interception determination unit 55 of the controller 50.

  In the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the wiper control switch 30 is operated to automatic control (AUTO mode), the controller 50 performs a raindrop detection operation, a wiping mode determination operation, and a forward distance calculation operation. Five types of control operations, speed determination operation and rain interception determination operation, are simultaneously processed in parallel.

  Next, characteristics of the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described in comparison with the case of the conventional vehicle wiper control device. In the conventional vehicle wiper control device, the wiping mode of the wiper device is determined based only on the raindrop amount information calculated based on the detection signal from the raindrop sensor. By the way, when a preceding vehicle is traveling in front of the host vehicle, splash that is rainwater splash on the road splashed by the preceding vehicle is attached to the front windshield in addition to rain. The amount of splash adhering to the front windshield varies greatly depending on how rainwater collects on the road and the wind direction. For this reason, the state of water droplet adhesion to the detection area of the raindrop sensor also becomes unstable, and the wiping mode determined based on the detection signal of the raindrop sensor also becomes unstable, that is, the wiping mode changes in a short cycle and the driver May feel uncomfortable.

  In order to solve such a problem, in the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the raindrop amount information by the raindrop sensor 20, the preceding vehicle by the laser radar device 40 is used as shown in FIG. 3 information of the following information, the vehicle speed information by the speed sensor 60 and the rain interception information by the navigation system 70 are added and taken in, and the wiping mode is determined based on these four types of information. As a result, it is possible to remove raindrops and splash on the front windshield at an appropriate timing to ensure a good front view, and to prevent the wiping mode from becoming unstable. Hereinafter, in the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the wiping operation control of the wiper device 10 executed in the controller 50 when the wiper control switch 30 is operated in the AUTO mode will be specifically described. To do.

  First, in the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the overall flow of wiping operation control executed when the wiper control switch 30 is operated in the AUTO mode is based on the flowchart of FIG. explain.

  When the wiper wiping automatic control is started, first, in step 101, initialization is performed.

  Next, in step 102, input processing is executed. That is, the inter-vehicle distance information determined based on the detection signal from the laser radar device 40, the vehicle speed information calculated based on the detection signal from the speed sensor 60, and the location environment information of the automobile 100 from the navigation system 70 are input. The Subsequently, in step 103, a raindrop amount threshold value used in the wiping mode determination process executed in step 105 described later, that is, a mode-up threshold value and a mode-down threshold value is selected based on the three information acquired in step 102. . Selection of the mode-up threshold and the mode-down threshold is performed with reference to the threshold selection map shown in FIG. 7 based on the flowchart shown in FIG. A specific procedure of the raindrop amount threshold selection processing in step 103 will be described later.

  Next, in step 104, the amount of raindrops is determined based on the detection signal from the raindrop sensor 20. Subsequently, in step 105, the wiping mode is determined based on the raindrop amount determined in step 104 and the mode-up threshold value and the mode-down threshold value selected in step 103. Subsequently, in step 106, a drive signal for driving the wiper motor 11 is output so that the wiper device 10 performs the wiping operation in the wiping mode determined in step 105.

  Here, the specific flow of the threshold selection process in step 103 in the flowchart of FIG. 5, that is, the mode-up threshold and the mode-down threshold selection process, and the specific flow of the wiping mode determination process in step 105 will be described.

  First, the specific flow of the mode-up threshold and mode-down threshold selection processing will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 and the threshold selection map shown in FIG.

  First, the flow of threshold selection processing will be described with reference to FIG. When the mode-up threshold and mode-down threshold selection processing is started, first, at step 201, it is determined whether there is a preceding vehicle in front of the automobile 100. This is performed based on an output signal from the laser radar device 40. When the distance between the automobile 100 and the front object is equal to or greater than Xm, it is determined that “no preceding vehicle”. When the distance between the automobile 100 and the front object is less than Xm, it is determined that “there is a preceding vehicle”. If it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle, the inter-vehicle distance data is saved.

  If the determination result in step 201 is “no preceding vehicle”, the process proceeds to step 204, and the mode selection threshold and the mode down threshold used for wiping mode determination are selected with reference to the threshold selection map under the “no preceding vehicle” condition. When the determination result in step 201 is “there is a preceding vehicle”, the process proceeds to the next step 202.

  In step 202, it is determined whether or not the automobile 100 is traveling in a rain interception environment. This determination is performed based on the position environment information of the automobile 100 from the navigation system 70. This is to determine whether the automobile 100 is running during rain or in a place where it does not rain, such as in a tunnel, under an overpass, or in an underground parking lot. It is. In other words, the presence or absence of splash by the preceding vehicle is determined. If the determination result in step 202 is “rainfall interrupted environment”, that is, if there is no splash environment, the process proceeds to step 204, and the mode up threshold and mode down threshold are referred to with reference to the threshold selection map under the condition “no preceding vehicle”. Is selected. If the determination result in step 202 is “not a rain-blocking environment”, that is, an environment with splash, the process proceeds to step 203, and the mode-up threshold and the mode-down threshold are referred to with reference to the threshold selection map under the condition “previous vehicle exists”. Is selected.

  Here, before describing the threshold selection map shown in FIG. 7, based on the outline of the wiping mode determination process executed in the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in particular, the output signal of the raindrop sensor 20. The explanation will focus on how to handle the calculated raindrop amount data.

  The mode-up threshold and the mode-down threshold are raindrop amounts, and the mode-up threshold (hereinafter referred to as UCL) and the mode-down threshold (hereinafter referred to as LCL) are set as values where UCL is larger than LCL as shown in FIG. Has been. 8 indicates the raindrop amount determined by the raindrop amount determination unit 52 of the controller 50 based on the detection signal from the raindrop sensor 20, and the horizontal axis indicates time. The x mark in FIG. 8 indicates the determined raindrop amount data. The amount of raindrops increases from the bottom to the top. In the wiping mode determination process of the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the wiping mode is switched when raindrop amount data that exceeds or falls below either threshold is continuously obtained a predetermined number of times. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the number of times that the calculated raindrop amount (marked by X in FIG. 8) exceeds UCL continues m times, the wiping mode is mode-uped at that time (time t1 in FIG. 8). To do. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, when the calculated number of raindrops (marked with x in FIG. 8) falls below the LCL for n times, the wiping mode is downed at that time (time t2 in FIG. 8). To do. Since the detection area area of the raindrop sensor 20 is significantly smaller than the area of the front windshield 101, there is a possibility that the raindrop adhesion density in the detection area of the raindrop sensor 2 does not necessarily match the raindrop adhesion density in the entire front windshield. . That is, even if the rainfall state has not changed, the calculated raindrop amount may fluctuate. Therefore, if the wiping mode is switched for the first time when the calculated amount of raindrops continuously exceeds the threshold value a predetermined number of times, it is possible to reliably detect a change in the rainfall state and switch to a wiping mode suitable for that. In the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the mode-up count threshold that is the number of times the UCL that is the mode-up determination criterion is exceeded is m times, and is lower than the LCL that is the mode-down determination criterion. Although the two are different with the mode down number threshold being the number of times being n, it is not always necessary to do so, and the mode up number threshold and the mode down number threshold may be equal. Further, the value of the mode up frequency threshold and the mode down frequency threshold is appropriately set according to the required specifications for the vehicle wiper control device.

  When performing the wiping mode determination process described above, reducing the UCL makes it easier to change the mode with a smaller amount of raindrops, that is, to make the mode easier. In other words, it increases the sensitivity to the amount of raindrops. On the other hand, reducing the LCL changes the mode to be reduced with a smaller amount of raindrops, that is, makes it difficult for the mode to be reduced, or facilitates maintaining the current wiping mode. In other words, it also increases the sensitivity to the amount of raindrops. In the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when there is a preceding vehicle in front of the automobile 100 and the splash due to the preceding vehicle is received, it is easy to switch the mode by switching UCL and LCL smaller. At the same time, it is difficult to down the mode, and the wiping operation frequency by the wiper device 10 is increased.

  In the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, UCL and LCL are set in six stages. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, UCL1, UCL2, UCL3,... UCL6 are set in order from the largest raindrop amount as UCL. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 9, LCL1, LCL2, LCL3,... LCL6 are set as LCL in order from the largest raindrop amount. Six types of combinations of UCL and LCL are set. That is, a pair of UCL1 and LCL1 is a threshold value P, a pair of UCL2 and LCL2 is a threshold value Q, a pair of UCL3 and LCL3 is a threshold value R, a pair of UCL4 and LCL4 is a threshold value S, and a pair of UCL5 and LCL5 is a threshold value T And a pair of UCL6 and LCL6 is a threshold value W. As the raindrop amount threshold value used for the wiping mode determination, as the threshold value P is switched to the threshold value Q and the threshold value R, it becomes easier to mode up.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the threshold selection map used in the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is divided by the vehicle speed of the automobile 100 in the vertical axis direction, and the preceding vehicle in the horizontal axis direction. It is configured as a matrix table divided by presence / absence and inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle. In the threshold selection map used in the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the rain state on the front windshield, that is, the raindrop adhesion state is stable, the sensitivity of the wiping mode determination is the highest. The threshold is selected so that the wiping mode is difficult to mode-up, and the raindrop adhesion state on the front windshield becomes unstable and the conditions for winning are strengthened. A threshold value that is easy to increase is selected. Specifically, the smaller UCL and LCL are selected when the vehicle speed is higher than when there is no preceding vehicle, when the vehicle speed is higher than the low speed, and when the inter-vehicle distance is shorter.

  In the threshold selection process flowchart shown in FIG. 6, when it is determined in step 201 that there is no preceding vehicle, a column without a preceding vehicle is selected in the threshold selection map shown in FIG. A row is selected and a UCL / LCL pair is determined. If it is determined in step 201 that there is a preceding vehicle and it is determined in step 203 that the environment is not a rain-blocking environment, then it is determined from a plurality of columns with a preceding vehicle in the threshold selection map shown in FIG. The column corresponding to the current inter-vehicle distance is selected, the row corresponding to the vehicle speed is then selected, and the UCL / LCL pair is determined. On the other hand, when it is determined in step 203 that the environment is a rain interception environment, a column without a preceding vehicle in the threshold selection map shown in FIG. 7 is selected, and then a row corresponding to the vehicle speed is selected. A UCL and LCL pair is determined. When traveling in a rain-blocking environment, splash does not occur because rainwater does not accumulate on the road surface even if there is a preceding vehicle. Therefore, there is no problem in selecting the threshold value from the column without the preceding vehicle.

  In the threshold selection map in the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, as the traveling speed of the automobile 100 increases, the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle decreases, in other words, the front windshield. As the amount of splash adhering to 101 increases and becomes unstable, a smaller UCL and LCL pair threshold is selected in the order of threshold P → threshold Q → threshold R → threshold S → threshold T → threshold W. Is set to

  Next, a specific flow of the wiping mode determination process in step 105 in the flowchart of FIG. 5 will be described based on a flowchart as shown in FIG. The flowchart in FIG. 10 includes a part of the flowchart of the threshold selection process in FIG. 6 for easy understanding.

  When the wiping mode determination process is started, first, in step 301, it is determined whether or not there is a preceding vehicle in front of the automobile 100. If there is no preceding vehicle, the process proceeds to step 319, the threshold selection map is referred to under the condition “no preceding vehicle”, and the mode-up threshold and the mode-down threshold used for the wiping mode determination are selected based on the vehicle speed at that time. If there is a preceding vehicle, the process proceeds to step 302, and it is determined whether or not the automobile 100 is traveling in a rain interception environment. If the driving environment of the automobile 100 is not a rain-blocking environment, the process proceeds to the next step 303 where the threshold selection map is referred to under the condition “with preceding vehicle” and the mode is increased based on the vehicle speed at that time and the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle. Select threshold and mode-down threshold. On the other hand, if the driving environment of the automobile 100 is a rain interception environment, the process proceeds to step 319, where the threshold selection map is referred to under the “no preceding vehicle” condition, and the mode-up threshold used for wiping mode determination based on the vehicle speed at that time And a mode-down threshold is selected.

  Subsequently, in step 304, it is determined whether or not the amount of raindrops exceeds UCL. When the raindrop amount exceeds the UCL, the process proceeds to step 305, and the continuous UCL counter value is advanced by one. Subsequently, in step 306, it is determined whether or not the continuous UCL counter value is equal to or greater than the mode-up count threshold value m. If the result of determination in step 306 is that the continuous UCL counter value is greater than or equal to the mode up frequency threshold value m, the process proceeds to step 307 and the wiping mode is mode up. Then, it progresses to step 308, the continuous UCL counter value is initialized, and it repeats from step 301.

  If the result of determination in step 304 is that the raindrop amount is less than the UCL threshold, the process proceeds to step 311 to determine whether or not the raindrop amount is greater than or equal to LCL. If the amount of raindrops is greater than or equal to the LCL, the process proceeds to step 312 to hold the current wiping mode, and then proceeds to step 336 to initialize the continuous UCL counter value and the continuous LCL counter value and repeat from step 301.

  If the result of determination in step 306 is that the continuous UCL counter value is less than the mode-up count threshold value m, the process proceeds to step 309 to hold the current wiping mode, and then proceeds to step 310 to initialize the continuous LCL counter value. Repeat from 301.

  If the result of determination in step 311 is that the amount of raindrops is less than LCL, the flow proceeds to step 313, and the continuous LCL counter is advanced by one. Subsequently, the routine proceeds to step 314, where it is determined whether or not the continuous LCL counter value is greater than or equal to the mode down frequency threshold value n. If the result of determination in step 314 is that the continuous LCL counter value is less than the mode down frequency threshold value n, the current wiping mode is maintained in step 315, the continuous UCL counter is initialized in step 316, and the process is repeated from step 301.

  If the result of determination in step 314 is that the continuous LCL counter value is greater than or equal to the mode-down count threshold value n, the wiping mode is mode-downed in step 317, the continuous LCL counter is initialized in step 318, and the process is repeated from step 301.

  As a result of the determination in step 301, there are no preceding vehicles in front of the automobile 100, and as a result of the determination in step 302, the traveling environment of the automobile 100 is a rain interception environment. Referring to the threshold selection map under the “no preceding vehicle” condition, the mode up threshold and the mode down threshold used for the wiping mode determination are selected based on the vehicle speed at that time. Then, it progresses to step 320 and it is determined whether the amount of raindrops is more than UCL. If the amount of raindrops is greater than or equal to UCL, the process proceeds to step 321 and the continuous UCL counter is advanced by one. Subsequently, at step 322, it is determined whether or not the continuous UCL counter value is equal to or greater than the mode-up count threshold value m. If the result of determination in step 322 is that the continuous UCL counter value is greater than or equal to the mode-up count threshold value m, the process proceeds to step 323 and the wiping mode is mode-upd. Then, it progresses to step 324, the continuous UCL counter value is initialized, and it repeats from step 301.

  If the result of determination in step 320 is that the amount of raindrop is less than UCL, the process proceeds to step 327 to determine whether or not the amount of raindrop is greater than or equal to LCL. If the amount of raindrops is greater than or equal to the LCL, the process proceeds to step 328, the current wiping mode is maintained, and then the process proceeds to step 329, where the continuous UCL counter value and the continuous LCL counter value are initialized, and the process is repeated from step 301.

  If the result of determination in step 322 is that the continuous UCL counter value is less than the mode-up count threshold value m, the process proceeds to step 325 to hold the current wiping mode, and then proceeds to step 326 to initialize the continuous LCL counter value. Repeat from 301.

  If the result of determination in step 327 is that the amount of raindrops is less than LCL, the process proceeds to step 330 and the continuous LCL counter is advanced by one. Subsequently, the routine proceeds to step 331, where it is determined whether or not the continuous LCL counter value is greater than or equal to the mode down frequency threshold value n. If the result of determination in step 331 is that the continuous LCL counter value is less than the mode down frequency threshold value n, the current wiping mode is maintained in step 332, the continuous UCL counter is initialized in step 333, and the process is repeated from step 301.

  If the result of determination in step 331 is that the continuous LCL counter value exceeds the mode down frequency threshold value n, the wiping mode is mode down in step 334, the continuous LCL counter is initialized in step 335, and the process is repeated from step 301.

  In the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention described above, the laser radar device 40 that detects the presence / absence of an object in front of the automobile 100 and the distance to the object, the speed sensor 60 that detects the traveling speed, the automobile 100 A navigation system 70 for detecting a position is provided, and a mode-up threshold value, a mode-down threshold value, a mode-up frequency threshold value, and a mode-down value for determining a wiping mode in cooperation with a raindrop amount determined based on a detection signal from the raindrop sensor 20 Threshold adjustment control is performed such that at least one of the number-of-times thresholds is variable based on vehicle speed information, which is information obtained from the above-described three sensors, the presence / absence of a preceding vehicle and inter-vehicle distance information, and rainfall interception information. In the threshold adjustment control, when the controller 50 determines that there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle based on the detection signal from the laser radar device 40, the mode-up threshold value and the mode-down threshold value are increased as the inter-vehicle distance is shorter. I try to set it small.

  When the preceding vehicle is traveling in front of the host vehicle during rain, even the splash that the preceding vehicle jumps up in addition to the rain adheres to the front windshield of the host vehicle. That is, the degree of water droplet adhesion to the front windshield increases. However, the amount of splash adhesion varies due to the influence of road surface conditions and the like. For this reason, in the conventional method of determining the wiping mode based only on the raindrop amount detected by the raindrop sensor, the wiping mode is frequently switched, so that the movement of the wiper may be felt unstable. Therefore, in order for the driver to secure a good forward field of view, it is effective to increase the frequency of the reciprocating wiping operation of the wiper device 10, and mode up the wiping mode earlier than usual or slower than usual. Therefore, it is desirable to down the wiping mode.

  Therefore, in the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when it is detected that there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle, the threshold is adjusted based on the traveling speed of the host vehicle and the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle. By performing the control, the wiping mode can be quickly and surely removed by attaching the wiping mode earlier than usual or by lowering the mode later than usual. . That is, a change in the situation affecting the fluctuation of the amount of raindrops and splash attached to the front windshield of the vehicle is detected, and the wiping operation of the wiper device is controlled based on the change. As a result, the wiping operation of the wiper device can be constantly controlled to be suitable for raindrops and splash adhesion on the front windshield, and at the same time, the wiping operation of the wiper device can be stabilized. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vehicle wiper control device that can always maintain a good front view and can stabilize the wiping operation of the wiper device.

  In the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, both the UCL and the LCL are changed as a pair during the threshold adjustment control, but only one of the UCL and the LCL is changed. You may make it do.

  Further, in the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the UCL and the LCL are changed during the threshold adjustment control, and the mode up number threshold m and the mode down number threshold n are not changed. At least one of the UCL and the LCL may be changed and at least one of the mode-up count threshold m and the mode-down count threshold n may be changed at the same time. That is, if the mode-up count threshold value m is reduced as the preceding vehicle is present and splash is likely to adhere to the front windshield, it becomes easier to mode-up. Further, if the mode down frequency threshold value n is increased in accordance with the situation in which there is a preceding vehicle and splash is likely to adhere to the front windshield, the mode down becomes more difficult. As a result, the raindrops and splash adhering to the front windshield can be quickly and surely removed by changing the wiping mode earlier than usual or by lowering the mode later than usual. Further, at the time of threshold adjustment control, at least one of the mode-up number threshold m and the mode-down number threshold n may be changed without changing the UCL and the LCL.

  In the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the laser radar device 40 is employed as a forward object detection means for detecting a preceding vehicle ahead of the automobile 100. However, it is not necessary to limit the forward object detection means to the laser radar device 40, and other types of detection means may be used. For example, an ultrasonic radar device, an infrared radar device, or the like may be used.

  Moreover, in the vehicle wiper control device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the navigation system 70 is used as the rain interception determination unit, but it is not necessary to limit to the navigation system 70. Other means, for example, a front illuminance sensor that detects the brightness in front of the host vehicle used for automatic lighting control of the light included in the automobile 100, an upper illuminance sensor that detects the brightness above the host vehicle, or the like may be used.

1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle wiper control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a vehicle wiper control device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on an automobile 100. FIG. It is sectional drawing explaining the structure of the raindrop sensor 20, and is the III-III sectional view taken on the line in FIG. It is a block diagram explaining the input information and output object in the controller 50 of the wiper control device 1 for vehicles by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the flow of the automatic control procedure of the wiper wiping operation | movement in the controller 50 of the wiper control apparatus 1 for vehicles by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the flow of the threshold-value selection process in the controller 50 of the vehicle wiper control apparatus 1 by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a threshold value selection map used for the threshold value selection process in the controller 50 of the wiper control device 1 for vehicles by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the outline | summary of the wiping mode determination process performed in the vehicle wiper control apparatus 1 by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a graph explaining the threshold value (pair of UCL and LCL) used for threshold value adjustment control performed in the wiper control device 1 for vehicles by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the specific flow of the wiping mode determination process performed in the vehicle wiper control apparatus 1 by one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle wiper control apparatus 10 Wiper apparatus 11 Wiper motor 12 Transmission mechanism 13 Wiper blade 20 Raindrop sensor 21 Light emitting element 22 Light receiving element 23 Prism 24 Casing 30 Wiper control switch 40 Laser radar apparatus (front object detection means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 50 Controller 51 Wiping mode determination part 52 Raindrop amount determination part 53 Forward distance calculation means, Forward distance change rate calculation means 54 Speed determination part 55 Rain interception judgment part 60 Speed sensor 70 Navigation system (Rainfall interception judgment means)
80 Ignition switch 90 Battery 100 Automobile 101 Front windshield (windshield)
A Wiping area Ad detection area D Raindrop t1, t2 Time

Claims (4)

A wiper device that moves the wiper blade to wipe off water droplets adhering to the windshield; and
A raindrop sensor that outputs a raindrop signal corresponding to the amount of waterdrop attached to the detection area set within the wiping range of the wiper blade on the windshield;
A controller that calculates the amount of raindrops when the raindrop signal from the raindrop sensor is input and outputs a drive signal to the wiper device based on the calculated amount of raindrops,
The controller is calculated by a raindrop amount determining unit that calculates the raindrop amount by integrating the raindrop signal detected during a wiper stop period that is a reciprocating wiping operation interval time of the wiper blade, and the raindrop amount determining unit. A wiping mode that determines a wiping mode that is the next reciprocating wiping operation interval time based on the raindrop amount and outputs a drive signal to the wiper device so that the wiper blade performs a wiping operation in the determined wiping mode A determination unit;
The wiping mode determination unit is configured such that when the raindrop amount determined by the raindrop amount determination unit is greater than or equal to a mode-down threshold value and less than or equal to a mode-up threshold value, or the raindrop amount determined by the raindrop amount determination unit is greater than the mode-up threshold value. When the number of times that the determination of being large is continuously repeated is less than the number of mode-up thresholds, or the determination that the raindrop amount determined by the raindrop amount determination unit is smaller than the mode-down threshold is continuously repeated. When the number of times is less than the number of mode-down thresholds, the wiping mode selected at that time is maintained, and when the raindrop amount determined by the raindrop amount determination unit is greater than the mode-up threshold or the raindrop amount determination The determination that the amount of raindrops determined by the unit is greater than the mode-up threshold is continuously repeated as many times as the mode-up threshold. Sometimes the mode of the wiper blade is set to the wiping mode in which the reciprocating wiping operation interval time of the wiper blade is shorter than the wiping mode selected at that time, and the raindrop amount determined by the raindrop amount determination unit is the mode-down threshold value. When the determination that the raindrop amount determined by the raindrop amount determination unit is smaller than the mode-down threshold value is repeated continuously by the number of times of the mode-down threshold value, the wiping mode selected at that time is selected. And a wiper control device for a vehicle that mode-downs to the wiping mode with a longer reciprocating wiping operation interval time of the wiper blade,
A speed sensor that detects a traveling speed of the vehicle that is a vehicle equipped with a vehicle wiper control device;
Forward object detection means for detecting an object in front of the traveling direction of the host vehicle;
Forward distance calculating means provided in the controller for calculating a forward distance that is a distance between the host vehicle and the object based on a detection signal from the forward object detecting means;
The controller includes the mode-up threshold value based on the traveling speed calculated based on a detection signal from the speed sensor and the front distance calculated based on a detection signal from the front object detection means. A vehicle wiper control device that performs threshold adjustment control to vary at least one of the mode-down threshold, the mode-up number threshold, and the mode-down number threshold.   In the threshold adjustment control, when the controller determines that there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle based on a detection signal from the forward object detection means, the mode-up threshold is set to be smaller as the forward distance is shorter. At least one of setting the mode-down threshold value, setting the mode-up number threshold value smaller, and setting the mode-down number threshold value larger, and the running speed The higher the value, the smaller the mode-up threshold, the smaller the mode-down threshold, the smaller the mode-up threshold, and the larger the mode-down threshold. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle executes at least one of the following. Use wiper control device. A rain interception judging means for judging whether or not the rain on the own vehicle is interrupted;
The controller stops the threshold adjustment control when it is determined that the rain on the host vehicle is blocked based on the detection signal from the rain interception determination means, and based on the detection signal from the rain interception determination means 3. The vehicle wiper control device according to claim 1, wherein the threshold adjustment control is executed when it is determined that the rain on the vehicle is not blocked. 4.   2. The rain interception determining means is at least one of a front illuminance sensor that detects brightness in front of the host vehicle, an upper illuminance sensor that detects brightness above the host vehicle, and a navigation system. The vehicle wiper control device according to claim 3.

Images