JP2018127063A - Wiper drive control device, wiper drive control method, and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wiper drive control device, a wiper drive control method, and a computer program.SOLUTION: A wiper drive control device, which enables setting of sensitivity of a detection sensor for detecting a raindrop amount, controls drive of a wiper provided in a vehicle, depending on the raindrop amount detected at the set sensitivity by the detection sensor. The wiper drive control device comprises a determination part that determines possibility of a left turn or a right turn of a vehicle, and a sensitivity changing part that changes the sensitivity of the detection sensor so that it can be higher than the set sensitivity, when the determination part determines that the vehicle may make the left turn or the right turn.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a wiper drive control device, a wiper drive control method, and a computer program.

  Conventionally, a vehicle is provided with a wiper for wiping raindrops on a windshield when it rains. In recent years, there is a vehicle provided with a function of automatically operating a wiper during rain using a sensor that detects raindrops, a so-called auto wiper function (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-6-99790

  When the auto wiper function is valid, the wiper operation timing depends on the detection result of the sensor that detects raindrops. Therefore, the wiper may operate at a timing that is not intended by the occupant. On the other hand, it is possible to limit the wiper operation by lowering the sensitivity of the sensor that detects raindrops, but in the state where the sensitivity of the sensor is lowered, it is possible to secure a field of view when turning the vehicle left or right, for example. The wiper may not work under the necessary circumstances.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a wiper drive control device, a wiper drive control method, and a computer capable of driving a wiper in a situation where a visual field such as a left turn or a right turn should be secured when the auto wiper function is enabled To provide a program.

  The wiper drive control device according to this aspect can set the sensitivity of a detection sensor that detects the amount of raindrops, and drives the wiper provided in the vehicle according to the raindrop amount detected by the detection sensor with the set sensitivity. A wiper drive control device for controlling the vehicle, the determination unit for determining the possibility of the vehicle turning left or right, and when the determination unit determines that the vehicle may turn left or right, the setting A sensitivity changing unit that changes the sensitivity of the detection sensor so as to be higher than the set sensitivity.

  In the wiper drive control method according to this aspect, the sensitivity of the detection sensor that detects the amount of raindrops can be set, and the wiper provided in the vehicle is driven according to the amount of raindrops detected by the detection sensor with the set sensitivity. A wiper drive control method for controlling the vehicle, wherein if the vehicle determines the possibility of turning left or right, and if it is determined that the vehicle may turn left or right, the sensitivity is higher than the set sensitivity. The sensitivity of the detection sensor is changed.

  The computer program according to this aspect can set the sensitivity of a detection sensor that detects the amount of raindrops, and controls the driving of the wiper provided in the vehicle according to the amount of raindrops detected by the detection sensor with the set sensitivity. When the computer determines whether the vehicle may turn left or right, and determines that the vehicle may turn left or right, the sensitivity of the detection sensor is set to be higher than the set sensitivity. It is a computer program for performing the process to change.

  According to the above, when the auto wiper function is enabled, the wiper can be operated at a timing at which a visual field in front of the vehicle should be ensured such as when turning left or turning right.

6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an application example of the wiper drive control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. It is a block diagram explaining the internal structure of a wiper drive control apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the table which memorize | stores the relationship between a wiping level and wiping frequency. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing executed by the wiper drive control device according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing executed by the wiper drive control device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the wiper drive control device according to the third embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing executed by the wiper drive control device according to the third embodiment.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be listed and described. Moreover, you may combine arbitrarily at least one part of embodiment described below.

  The wiper drive control device according to one aspect of the present application can set the sensitivity of a detection sensor that detects the amount of raindrops, and the wiper provided in the vehicle according to the amount of raindrops detected by the detection sensor with the set sensitivity. A wiper drive control device that controls the driving of the vehicle, and when the determination unit determines whether the vehicle may turn left or right, and when the determination unit determines that the vehicle may turn left or right, A sensitivity changing unit that changes the sensitivity of the detection sensor so as to be higher than the set sensitivity.

  In the above aspect, when the vehicle may turn left or right, sensitivity adjustment is performed to temporarily increase the sensitivity of the detection sensor. As a result, raindrops are easily detected by the detection sensor, so that the drive start timing of the wiper when it starts to rain can be advanced. In addition, when the wiper is driven by selecting a wiping method with higher wiping frequency as the amount of raindrops detected by the detection sensor increases, the number of times the front window is wiped by the wiper when the vehicle turns left or right is increased. And a field of view in front of the vehicle can be secured.

  A wiper drive control device according to an aspect of the present application includes a selection unit that selects one wiping method from a plurality of wiping methods with different wiping frequencies according to the amount of raindrop detected by the detection sensor, and the selection unit The wiper is driven by the selected one wiping method.

  In the above aspect, it is possible to select a wiping method in which the wiping frequency increases as the amount of raindrops detected by the detection sensor increases, and the wiper can be driven with a wiping frequency suitable for the amount of rainfall. .

  The wiper drive control device according to an aspect of the present application acquires travel information that includes at least one of the steering angle of the vehicle, the operating state of the direction indicator, the position information of the vehicle, and the planned travel route. An acquisition unit is provided, and the determination unit determines the possibility of the vehicle turning left or right based on the travel information acquired by the travel information acquisition unit.

  In the above aspect, for example, when it is determined that the steering angle is equal to or greater than the set threshold angle based on the acquired travel information, when it is detected that the direction indicator is lit, the left turn or the right turn When it is determined that the vehicle is scheduled to travel on the road, it can be determined that the vehicle may turn left or right.

  A wiper drive control device according to an aspect of the present application includes an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the determination unit is configured to turn the vehicle left or right based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit. Judge the possibility of doing.

  In the above aspect, if an image of the traveling direction of the vehicle is acquired and it is determined that the vehicle is traveling on a left turn lane or a right turn lane based on the acquired image, the vehicle may turn left or right. It can be judged that there is.

  A wiper drive control device according to an aspect of the present application includes a behavior information acquisition unit that acquires information related to a behavior of an occupant riding in the vehicle, and the determination unit includes information acquired by the behavior information acquisition unit. Based on this, the possibility of the vehicle turning left or right is determined.

  In the above aspect, when the action of operating the direction indicator and the action of rotating the steering wheel by a predetermined angle or more are detected based on the acquired action information, the vehicle may turn left or right Judgment can be made.

  A wiper drive control device according to an aspect of the present application includes a traffic information acquisition unit that acquires traffic information on a travel route of the vehicle, and traffic in the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the traffic information acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit. A traffic flow determination unit that determines the degree of flow, and the sensitivity change unit determines whether or not to change the sensitivity of the detection sensor based on a determination result of the traffic flow determination unit.

  In the above aspect, when the traffic flow in the traveling direction is small, the sensitivity of the detection sensor can be prohibited, and the wiper operation at a timing not intended by the occupant can be suppressed.

  In the wiper drive control device according to one aspect of the present application, the sensitivity changing unit returns the sensitivity after the change to the sensitivity before the change after the vehicle turns left or right.

  In the above aspect, since the sensitivity after the change is returned to the sensitivity before the change after the vehicle turns left or right, the wiper operation at a timing not intended by the occupant can be suppressed.

  The wiper drive control device according to an aspect of the present application includes an output unit that outputs information indicating that the sensitivity has been changed when the sensitivity of the detection sensor is changed by the sensitivity change unit.

  In the above aspect, when the sensitivity of the detection sensor is changed, it can be notified to the passenger.

  The wiper drive control method according to one aspect of the present application can set sensitivity of a detection sensor that detects a raindrop amount, and the wiper provided in the vehicle according to the raindrop amount detected by the detection sensor with the set sensitivity. A wiper drive control method for controlling the driving of the vehicle, wherein when the vehicle is determined to possibly turn left or right and the vehicle is likely to turn left or right, the sensitivity is higher than the set sensitivity. Thus, the sensitivity of the detection sensor is changed.

  In the above aspect, when the vehicle may turn left or right, sensitivity adjustment is performed to temporarily increase the sensitivity of the detection sensor. As a result, raindrops are easily detected by the detection sensor, so that the drive start timing of the wiper when it starts to rain can be advanced. In addition, when the wiper is driven by selecting a wiping method with higher wiping frequency as the amount of raindrops detected by the detection sensor increases, the number of times the front window is wiped by the wiper when the vehicle turns left or right is increased. And a field of view in front of the vehicle can be secured.

  The computer program according to an aspect of the present application can set the sensitivity of a detection sensor that detects the amount of raindrops, and drives a wiper included in the vehicle according to the amount of raindrops detected by the detection sensor with the set sensitivity. When the computer that controls the vehicle determines whether the vehicle may turn left or right, and determines that the vehicle may turn left or right, the detection sensor is configured to be higher than the set sensitivity. It is a computer program for performing the process which changes a sensitivity.

  In the above aspect, when the vehicle may turn left or right, sensitivity adjustment is performed to temporarily increase the sensitivity of the detection sensor. As a result, raindrops are easily detected by the detection sensor, so that the drive start timing of the wiper when it starts to rain can be advanced. In addition, when the wiper is driven by selecting a wiping method with higher wiping frequency as the amount of raindrops detected by the detection sensor increases, the number of times the front window is wiped by the wiper when the vehicle turns left or right is increased. And a field of view in front of the vehicle can be secured.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an application example of the wiper drive control device according to the first embodiment. The wiper drive control device 100 according to the first embodiment is provided in the vehicle C and performs drive control of the wiper 130 that wipes raindrops attached to the front window. Further, a rain sensor 113 for detecting the amount of raindrops attached to the front window is provided on the front window of the vehicle C, and the detection result by the rain sensor 113 is output to the wiper drive control device 100.

  The wiper drive control device 100 has a function of automatically adjusting the wiping frequency of the wiper 130 according to the amount of raindrops detected by the rain sensor 113. In the present embodiment, when the vehicle C may turn left or right, the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 is temporarily changed so that the wiping frequency of the wiper 130 is temporarily increased. It is said.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the internal configuration of the wiper drive control device 100. The wiper drive control apparatus 100 according to Embodiment 1 includes, for example, a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, an input unit 103, an output unit 104, an in-vehicle communication unit 105, and an out-of-vehicle communication unit 106.

  The control unit 101 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The CPU provided in the control unit 101 executes the control program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 102 to control the operation of each part of the hardware, and executes the wiper drive control and the like according to the present embodiment.

  The control unit 101 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be one or more processing circuits including a single core CPU, a multicore CPU, a microcomputer, a volatile or nonvolatile memory, and the like. Further, the control unit 101 may include functions such as a clock for outputting date and time information, a timer for measuring an elapsed time from giving a measurement start instruction to giving a measurement end instruction, and a counter for counting the number.

  The storage unit 102 is a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) or a flash memory. The storage unit 102 stores a control program and data necessary for driving and controlling the wiper 130, for example. The data stored in the storage unit 102 includes information such as the sensitivity set for the rain sensor 113 and the driving mode of the wiper 130.

  The input unit 103 includes an input interface for connecting various switches, sensors, devices, and the like, and acquires various information from the connected switches, sensors, devices, and the like. For example, a wiper switch 111, a sensitivity setting switch 112, a rain sensor 113, a vehicle speed sensor 114, a winker switch 115, a steering angle sensor 116, a navigation device 117, an in-vehicle camera 118, an in-vehicle camera 119, and the like are connected to the input unit 103. .

  The wiper switch 111 is a switch for switching between driving and stopping of the wiper 130 and switching a driving mode when the wiper 130 is driven. When the driving mode of the wiper 130 is switched by the operation of the wiper switch 111 or when the driving of the wiper 130 is stopped, the operation information of the wiper switch 111 is input to the input unit 103.

  In the present embodiment, regarding the drive mode of the wiper 130, a manual mode and an auto mode are provided. When the manual mode is selected, the wiper drive control device 100 continuously drives the wiper 130 with a constant wiping frequency. On the other hand, when the auto mode is selected, the wiper drive control device 100 selects one of a plurality of wiping levels (wiping methods) having different wiping frequencies according to the raindrop amount detected by the rain sensor 113 or the like. A wiping level is selected, and the wiper 130 is driven at the selected wiping level. Here, the wiping frequency of the wiper 130 is defined by, for example, the number of wiping operations per unit time.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a table that stores the relationship between the wiping level and the wiping frequency. In the table of FIG. 3, the relationship between the wiping level and the wiping frequency is defined so that the wiping frequency is the lowest at the wiping level 1 and the wiping frequency is the highest at the wiping level 5. Such a table is stored in the storage unit 102, for example. When the auto mode is selected, the control unit 101 refers to the table stored in the storage unit 102, determines the wiping frequency according to the wiping level, and drives the wiper 130 with the determined wiping frequency. For example, the control unit 101 can drive the wiper 130 by selecting a wiping level (for example, the wiping level 4 or the wiping level 5) having a higher wiping frequency as the amount of raindrops detected by the rain sensor 113 is larger. is there. In addition, the control unit 101 may select a wiping level according to the vehicle speed measured by the vehicle speed sensor 114 and drive the wiper 130 at the selected wiping level. For example, when the vehicle C is stopped, it is not necessary to secure a field of view as compared with traveling, so that the wiper 130 can be driven by selecting a wiping level (for example, wiping level 1) with a low wiping frequency. is there.

  The sensitivity setting switch 112 is a switch for changing the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113. When the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 is changed by the operation of the sensitivity setting switch 112, operation information of the sensitivity setting switch 112 is input to the input unit 103. When the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 is set high by the sensitivity setting switch 112, raindrops are more easily detected by the rain sensor 113 than when the sensitivity is set low, and even if the rain amount is the same, the rain sensor The amount of raindrop detected at 113 increases. As described above, in the auto mode, as the amount of raindrops detected by the rain sensor 113 increases, a wiping level with higher wiping frequency is selected. Therefore, when the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 is increased, the drive start timing of the wiper 130 is In addition, the wiping frequency of the wiper 130 is increased.

The rain sensor 113 is provided, for example, in the upper part of the front window of the vehicle C, detects the amount of raindrops attached to the front window, and outputs the detection result to the wiper drive control device 100. The rain sensor 113 is, for example, an optical sensor and includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element. The rain sensor 113 emits reference light from the light emitting element to the front window, and receives light reflected by the front window by the light receiving element. If no raindrops are attached to the front window, the reference light from the light emitting element is totally reflected by the front window. On the other hand, if raindrops are attached to the front window, the reference light from the light emitting element is transmitted through the front window. The rain sensor 113 can detect the amount of raindrops based on the sensitivity set by the sensitivity setting switch 112 and the degree of attenuation of reflected light with respect to the reference light.
The rain sensor 113 is not limited to an optical sensor, and may be a capacitive rain sensor, a rain sensor using an image processing technique, or the like.

  The vehicle speed sensor 114 is a sensor that measures the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle C. The vehicle speed sensor 114 outputs the measured vehicle speed to the wiper drive control device 100.

  The turn signal switch 115 is a switch for switching on and off of the left and right turn signals included in the vehicle C. When the turn-on / off of the turn signal is switched by operating the turn signal switch 115, operation information of the turn signal switch 115 is input to the input unit 103.

  The steering angle sensor 116 detects a rotation angle of a steering wheel (not shown) provided in the vehicle C, and outputs information on the detected rotation angle (steering angle) to the wiper drive control device 100.

  The navigation device 117 is a device that provides navigation information to an occupant of the vehicle C, and includes a receiving unit that receives a GPS signal (GPS: Global Positioning System), a display unit that displays information, an audio output unit that outputs audio, and an occupant And an operation unit (not shown) for receiving the operation. The navigation device 117 provides navigation information to the occupant by displaying various types of information on the display unit based on information such as GPS signals received by the receiving unit and outputting audio from the audio output unit. Further, the navigation device 117 outputs the current position information of the vehicle C obtained from the GPS signal, the route information of the vehicle C, and the like to the wiper drive control device 100 as necessary.

  The in-vehicle camera 118 is an imaging device that images the interior of the vehicle C. The in-vehicle camera 118 is installed at an appropriate position in the vehicle so as to capture an occupant including a driver, and outputs video data obtained by imaging to the wiper drive control device 100.

  The vehicle exterior camera 119 is an imaging device that captures an image of the periphery of the vehicle C. The vehicle exterior camera 119 is installed at an appropriate position of the vehicle C so as to capture the front, side, rear, etc. of the vehicle C, and outputs video data obtained by imaging to the wiper drive control device 100.

  The output unit 104 includes an output interface for connecting various devices, and outputs a control signal from the control unit 101 to the connected various devices. For example, a wiper driving device 131, a display device 132, an audio output device 133, and the like are connected to the output unit 104.

  The wiper drive device 131 includes a motor or actuator that reciprocates the wiper 130, a drive circuit that outputs a drive voltage for operating the motor or actuator, and the like. The wiper drive device 131 drives the wiper 130 by outputting a drive voltage from the drive circuit based on a control signal from the control unit 101 output through the output unit 104 and operating a motor or an actuator.

  The display device 132 is a device such as a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display, or an MID (Multi Information Display) that displays information to be notified to the passenger of the vehicle C. The display device 132 displays information from the control unit 101 that is output through the output unit 104.

  The sound output device 133 is a device such as a speaker that outputs information to be notified to the passenger of the vehicle C by sound. The audio output device 133 outputs audio based on the audio from the control unit 101 output through the output unit 104.

  The in-vehicle communication unit 105 includes, for example, a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication interface. The in-vehicle communication unit 105 is communicably connected to various ECUs (Electronic Control Units) provided in the vehicle C via an in-vehicle communication line such as CAN, and transmits / receives information to / from various ECUs according to a protocol such as the CAN protocol. I do.

  The communication unit 106 outside the vehicle is a communication device for communicating with a communication device outside the vehicle such as a beacon or a roadside device installed around the road. For example, information related to the light color of the traffic light, traffic flow on the travel route Get information. In addition, the vehicle exterior communication part 106 may communicate with an external communication apparatus via portable communication terminals, such as a smart phone which the passenger | crew of the vehicle C has.

  In the configuration example illustrated in FIG. 2, various switches, sensors, devices, and the like are connected to the input unit 103, and information output from the various switches, sensors, devices, and the like connected to the input unit 103 is input to the input unit 103. However, some switches, sensors, and devices are connected to the ECU, and communication between the in-vehicle communication unit 105 and the ECU is performed to acquire information output from the switches, sensors, and devices. It is good also as composition to do.

Hereinafter, the operation of the wiper drive control device 100 will be described.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a procedure of processing executed by the wiper drive control apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. When an ignition switch (not shown) is on, the wiper drive control device 100 executes the following processing at regular timing, for example. Based on the operation information of the wiper switch 111 input through the input unit 103, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the auto mode is set for the drive mode of the wiper 130 (step S101). When the auto mode is not set (S101: NO), the control unit 101 ends the process according to this flowchart without executing the following process.

  When the auto mode is set (S101: YES), the control unit 101 determines whether or not the vehicle speed of the vehicle C is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed based on the vehicle speed from the vehicle speed sensor 114 input through the input unit 103. (Step S102). When the vehicle speed of the vehicle C is higher than the predetermined speed (S102: NO), the control unit 101 ends the process according to this flowchart without executing the following process.

  When it is determined that the vehicle speed of the vehicle C is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed (S102: YES), the control unit 101 determines the possibility of the vehicle C turning left or right (step S103). For example, the control unit 101 determines that the vehicle C may turn left or right when it detects that either the left or right turn signal lights up based on the operation information of the turn signal switch 115 input through the input unit 103. can do.

  Further, the control unit 101 acquires information on the steering angle from the steering angle sensor 116 through the input unit 103, and determines that the vehicle C may turn left or right when the steering angle exceeds a set threshold value. May be.

  Further, the control unit 101 acquires the position information of the vehicle C and the information on the planned travel route from the navigation device 117 through the input unit 103, and the vehicle C turns left or right based on the position information and the information on the planned travel route. It may be determined whether or not there is a possibility.

  Further, the control unit 101 acquires behavior information of an occupant (driver) riding in the vehicle C based on image information from the in-vehicle camera 118 input through the input unit 103, and the vehicle C is obtained from the acquired behavior information. The possibility of turning left or right may be determined. For example, when the acquired action information indicates an action of operating the turn signal switch 115 and an action of turning the steering wheel by a predetermined angle or more, it can be determined that the vehicle C may turn left or right.

  Further, the control unit 101 determines that the vehicle C may turn left or right based on the image information from the outside camera 119 input through the input unit 103, for example, when traveling on a left turn lane or a right turn lane is detected. May be.

  When it is determined that there is no possibility that the vehicle C makes a left turn or a right turn (S103: NO), the control unit 101 ends the process according to this flowchart without executing the following process.

  When it is determined that the vehicle C may turn left or right (S103: YES), the control unit 101 adjusts the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 (step S104). For example, the control unit 101 may perform sensitivity adjustment so that the sensitivity after adjustment is higher than the current sensitivity by a set value with respect to the current sensitivity set by the sensitivity setting switch 112. Further, sensitivity after adjustment may be set in advance as a target value, and when the current sensitivity is lower than the target value, sensitivity adjustment may be performed by changing the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 to the target value. When the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 is changed by sensitivity adjustment, the control unit 101 causes the storage unit 102 to store the sensitivity before the change (that is, the sensitivity set by the sensitivity setting switch 112). In addition, the control unit 101 outputs information indicating that the sensitivity has been changed from the output unit 104, and executes processing for displaying the information to that effect on the display device 132 or processing for outputting the information from the audio output device 133 as audio.

  Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not to cancel sensitivity adjustment (step S105). For example, when the left turn or the right turn of the vehicle C is completed, the control unit 101 determines to cancel the sensitivity adjustment. Further, when it is determined in step S103 that the vehicle C is likely to turn left or right, it may be determined that the sensitivity adjustment is canceled when the vehicle C continues straight ahead. If it is determined not to cancel the sensitivity adjustment (S105: NO), the control unit 101 waits until the sensitivity adjustment cancellation condition is satisfied.

  When it is determined that the sensitivity adjustment is to be canceled (S105: YES), the control unit 101 reads out the stored sensitivity before change from the storage unit 102, and executes processing for returning the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 to the sensitivity before change. (Step S106), the process according to this flowchart is terminated.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, when the vehicle C may turn left or right, sensitivity adjustment for temporarily increasing the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 is performed. As a result, raindrops are easily detected by the rain sensor 113, so that the drive start timing of the wiper 130 when it starts to rain can be advanced. Further, when the auto mode is selected with respect to the driving mode of the wiper 130, the wiper 130 is driven by selecting a wiping level having a higher wiping frequency as the amount of raindrops detected by the rain sensor 113 increases. When the vehicle C makes a left turn or a right turn, the number of times of wiping the front window can be increased, and a visual field in front of the vehicle can be secured.

(Embodiment 2)
In the second embodiment, a configuration in which sensitivity adjustment is not performed when raindrops are not detected by the rain sensor 113 will be described.
Note that the internal configuration of the wiper drive control device 100 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining a procedure of processing executed by the wiper drive control apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment. When an ignition switch (not shown) is on, the wiper drive control device 100 executes the following processing at regular timing, for example. Based on the operation information of the wiper switch 111 input through the input unit 103, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the auto mode is set for the drive mode of the wiper 130 (step S101). When the auto mode is not set (S101: NO), the control unit 101 ends the process according to this flowchart without executing the following process.

  When the auto mode is set (S101: YES), the control unit 101 determines whether or not the rain sensor 113 has detected a raindrop based on the detection result from the rain sensor 113 input through the input unit 103. (Step S110). The controller 101 determines that no raindrop is detected when the raindrop amount detected by the rain sensor 113 is zero, and determines that a raindrop is detected when the detected raindrop amount is not zero.

  If it is determined that no raindrop is detected (S110: NO), the control unit 101 does not need to drive the wiper 130, and thus ends the processing according to this flowchart without performing sensitivity adjustment.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that raindrops have been detected (S110: YES), the control unit 101 executes the processing after step S102 described in the first embodiment, and the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed and the vehicle C turns left or right. If there is a possibility, the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 is adjusted.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the sensitivity adjustment of the rain sensor 113 is not performed in a situation where raindrops are not detected and the wiper 130 does not need to be driven. Can be prevented from operating.

(Embodiment 3)
In the third embodiment, a configuration for determining whether to adjust the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 based on traffic information obtained from the outside will be described.
Note that the internal configuration of the wiper drive control device 100 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the wiper drive control apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, as a configuration on the infrastructure side, a detection device 201 that is installed at an intersection or the like and detects the presence of a moving body P such as a vehicle or a pedestrian passing through a predetermined area, and a movement detected by the detection device 201 A roadside communication device 202 that transmits information on the body P to the outside is provided.

  The detection device 201 detects the presence of the moving object P by, for example, imaging the vicinity of an intersection using an imaging device and calculating a difference between the obtained captured image and a background image captured in advance. Further, the presence of the moving body may be detected by combining the imaging device and the distance measuring sensor, and the position of the moving body P may be detected. Moreover, the detection apparatus 201 may be provided with a pressure sensor embedded at an appropriate location at an intersection. When a pressure within a predetermined range is detected by the pressure sensor, the detection device 201 assumes that the moving body P is present at the appropriate location at the intersection and sends information related to the presence and position of the moving body P to the roadside communication device 202. Output.

  The roadside communication device 202 is a wireless communication device that performs wireless communication with a communication device mounted on the vehicle C (for example, the vehicle exterior communication unit 106 included in the wiper drive control device 100). Installed. The roadside communication device 202 performs wireless communication according to a predetermined communication protocol based on, for example, IEEE 802.11p. The frequency band used in the wireless communication between the roadside communication device 202 and the communication device mounted on the vehicle C is not particularly limited, but for example, frequencies of 5.9 GHz band and 700 MHz band can be used.

  The above-described detection device 201 is connected to the roadside communication device 202 by wire or wireless. The roadside communication device 202 acquires information on the moving body P detected by the detection device 201, and transmits the acquired information on the moving body P to the outside. Moreover, the roadside communication apparatus 202 acquires information related to the light color of the traffic light installed at the intersection, and transmits the acquired information related to the light color of the traffic light to the outside. These pieces of information are received by the communication device mounted on the vehicle C when the vehicle C exists near the intersection (in the road and vehicle information area where the vehicle C can communicate with the roadside communication device 202).

  In the present embodiment, when the vehicle C makes a left turn or a right turn, when traffic information such as traffic flow information in the road and vehicle information area transmitted from the roadside communication device 202 and traffic light color information is received, The wiper drive control device 100 determines whether to adjust the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 based on the received traffic information.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining a procedure of processing executed by the wiper drive control apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment. When an ignition switch (not shown) is on, the wiper drive control device 100 executes the following processing at regular timing, for example. The control unit 101 determines whether or not the auto mode is set for the drive mode of the wiper 130 and whether or not the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed in the same procedure as in the first embodiment (step S201 to step S201). S202). When the auto mode is not set (S201: NO), or when the vehicle speed is not equal to or lower than the predetermined speed (S202: NO), the control unit 101 ends the process according to this flowchart.

  When it is determined that the auto mode is set (S201: YES) and the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed (S202: YES), the control unit 101 receives the traffic from the roadside communication device 202 received through the outside communication unit 106. Based on the information, it is determined whether or not the light color of the traffic light in the traveling direction of the vehicle C is blue (step S203).

  When it is determined that the light color of the traffic light is not blue (S203: NO), it is not necessary to secure a field of view, so that control for increasing the wiping frequency of the wiper 130 by adjusting the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 is unnecessary. The unit 101 ends the process according to this flowchart without executing the following process.

  When it is determined that the light color of the traffic light is blue (S203: YES), the control unit 101 determines the possibility of the vehicle C turning left or right (step S204). As described in the first embodiment, the control unit 101 operates the blinker switch 115, the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 116, the position information of the vehicle C obtained from the navigation device 117, and the planned travel route information. Based on the image information obtained from the in-vehicle camera 118 or the out-of-vehicle camera 119, it can be determined whether or not the vehicle C may turn left or right.

  When it is determined that there is no possibility that the vehicle C makes a left turn or a right turn (S204: NO), the control unit 101 ends the process according to this flowchart without executing the following process.

  When it is determined that the vehicle C may turn left or right (S204: YES), the control unit 101 determines whether the vehicle C is traveling in the traveling direction based on the traffic information from the roadside communication device 202 received through the outside communication unit 106. The degree of traffic flow is determined, and it is determined whether the traffic flow is busy (step S205). For example, when the detection device 201 receives information from the roadside communication device 202 that one or more moving bodies P are detected in the road and vehicle information area, it may be determined that the traffic flow is busy.

  If it is determined that the traffic flow is not busy (S205: NO), the control unit 101 ends the process according to this flowchart without executing the following process.

  When it is determined that the traffic flow is busy (S205: YES), the control unit 101 adjusts the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 (step S206) and temporarily wipes the wiper 130 as in the first embodiment. Control to increase the frequency. The control unit 101 determines whether or not a condition for canceling the adjustment is satisfied (step S207). If the condition for canceling the adjustment is not satisfied (S207: NO), the control unit 101 waits until the condition is satisfied. When the condition for canceling the adjustment is satisfied (S207: YES), a process for returning the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113 to the original is executed (step S208).

  As described above, in the third embodiment, when there is a possibility that the vehicle C may turn left or right at the intersection where the traffic signal is provided, sensitivity adjustment is performed to temporarily increase the sensitivity of the rain sensor 113. As a result, raindrops are easily detected by the rain sensor 113, so that the drive start timing of the wiper 130 when it starts to rain can be advanced. Further, when the auto mode is selected with respect to the driving mode of the wiper 130, the wiper 130 is driven by selecting a wiping level having a higher wiping frequency as the amount of raindrops detected by the rain sensor 113 increases. When the vehicle C makes a left turn or a right turn, the number of times of wiping the front window can be increased, and a visual field in front of the vehicle can be secured.

  The embodiment disclosed this time is to be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the meanings described above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Wiper drive control apparatus 101 Control part (a judgment part, a sensitivity change part, a selection part)
102 storage unit 103 input unit (running information acquisition unit, image acquisition unit, behavior information acquisition unit)
104 Output unit 105 In-vehicle communication unit 106 Outside communication unit (traffic information acquisition unit)
111 Wiper switch 112 Sensitivity setting switch 113 Rain sensor (detection sensor)
114 Vehicle Speed Sensor 115 Blinker Switch 116 Steering Angle Sensor 117 Navigation Device 118 In-Vehicle Camera 119 Out-of-Vehicle Camera 130 Wiper 131 Wiper Drive Device 132 Display Device 133 Audio Output Device C Vehicle P Moving Body

Claims (10)

A wiper drive control device capable of setting the sensitivity of a detection sensor for detecting the amount of raindrops and controlling the drive of a wiper included in the vehicle according to the amount of raindrops detected by the detection sensor with the set sensitivity. ,
A determination unit for determining the possibility of the vehicle turning left or right;
A wiper drive control device comprising: a sensitivity changing unit that changes the sensitivity of the detection sensor to be higher than the set sensitivity when the determination unit determines that the vehicle may turn left or right . A selection unit that selects one wiping method from a plurality of wiping methods with different wiping frequencies according to the amount of raindrops detected by the detection sensor,
The wiper drive control device according to claim 1, wherein the wiper is driven by one wiping method selected by the selection unit. A travel information acquisition unit that acquires travel information including at least one of the steering angle of the vehicle, the operation state of the direction indicator, the position information of the vehicle, and the planned travel route;
The wiper drive control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determination unit determines the possibility that the vehicle turns left or right based on the travel information acquired by the travel information acquisition unit. An image acquisition unit for acquiring an image of the traveling direction of the vehicle,
The wiper drive control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines a possibility that the vehicle turns left or right based on an image acquired by the image acquisition unit. An action information acquisition unit for acquiring information related to the action of an occupant on the vehicle,
The wiper drive control device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines a possibility that the vehicle turns left or right based on information acquired by the behavior information acquisition unit. A traffic information acquisition unit for acquiring traffic information on the travel route of the vehicle;
A traffic flow determination unit that determines the amount of traffic flow in the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the traffic information acquired by the traffic information acquisition unit;
The wiper drive according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sensitivity change unit determines whether or not to change the sensitivity of the detection sensor based on a determination result of the traffic flow determination unit. Control device. The wiper drive control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sensitivity changing unit returns the sensitivity after the change to the sensitivity before the change after the vehicle turns left or right. The wiper drive control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an output unit that outputs information indicating that the sensitivity has been changed when the sensitivity of the detection sensor is changed by the sensitivity change unit. A wiper drive control method that can set the sensitivity of a detection sensor that detects the amount of raindrops and controls the drive of a wiper included in the vehicle according to the amount of raindrops detected by the detection sensor with the set sensitivity. ,
Determine the possibility of the vehicle turning left or right,
The wiper drive control method of changing the sensitivity of the detection sensor so as to be higher than the set sensitivity when it is determined that the vehicle may turn left or right. The sensitivity of the detection sensor that detects the amount of raindrops can be set, and the computer that controls the drive of the wiper included in the vehicle according to the amount of raindrops detected by the detection sensor with the set sensitivity,
Determine the possibility of the vehicle turning left or right,
A computer program for executing a process of changing the sensitivity of the detection sensor to be higher than the set sensitivity when it is determined that the vehicle may turn left or right.

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