JP6578969B2 - WIPER WIPER CONTROL DEVICE AND VEHICLE WIPER CONTROL PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle wiper control device and a vehicle wiper control program.

  Patent Documents 1 and 2 propose a technique for adjusting the time interval and wiping frequency of the wiping operation according to the load of the driving unit in order to prevent heat generation of the driving unit such as a motor of the vehicle wiper device. Yes.

  Further, in Patent Document 3, in order to prevent a drive unit such as a wiper motor from being continuously energized due to an obstacle such as a snowdrift, a restraint state of the drive unit is detected and a restraint state is detected. It has been proposed to perform a reversal operation when is detected.

Japanese Patent No. 5122845 Japanese Patent No. 5130303 JP 2008-254609 A

  However, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, if the obstacle such as a snow puddle cannot be removed even after adjusting the time interval and the wiping frequency of the wiping operation, the wiping operation stops and the visibility cannot be secured. There is room for.

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 3, since the reversing operation is performed by an obstacle such as a snow puddle, the sight of the occupant can be ensured. However, the reversing operation is continuously performed, so Since the drive unit may generate heat and stop due to the load, there is room for improvement.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described facts, and is a vehicle wiper control device and a vehicle wiper control program capable of continuing the wiping operation by suppressing the heat generation of the drive unit even when there is an obstacle. The purpose is to provide.

  A wiper control device for a vehicle according to the present invention includes a drive unit for performing a reciprocating wiper wiping operation by a wiper on a windshield glass of a vehicle, and restraining the wiper by an obstacle on the windshield glass during the wiper wiping operation. A control unit that controls the drive unit so as to perform the wiper intermittent wiping operation that reverses the wiper wiping operation at a position other than a predetermined reverse position and that is limited to the intermittent wiping operation when a state is detected. Yes.

  According to the vehicle wiper control device configured as described above, a reciprocating wiper wiping operation by the wiper is performed on the windshield glass of the vehicle by the drive unit.

  The control unit reverses the wiper wiping operation at a position other than the predetermined reversal position and restricts to intermittent wiping operation when detecting the restraint state of the wiper due to an obstacle such as snow accumulation on the windshield glass during the wiper wiping operation. The drive is controlled so that the wiper intermittent wiping operation is performed. Thereby, since the area | region to obstructions, such as a snowdrift, is wiped off, a visual field can be ensured.

  Also, if the wiper wiping operation is reversed by the control unit and the drive unit is driven continuously, heat may be generated and the drive unit may stop, so the wiper intermittent wiping operation limited to the intermittent wiping operation Is done. Thereby, compared with the case where the wiper wiping operation is performed in a continuous operation by reversing from the wiper restraint state, the heat generation of the drive unit is suppressed, and the stop of the drive unit can be suppressed and the wiper wiping operation can be continued. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vehicle wiper control device that can suppress the heat generation of the drive unit and continue the wiping operation even if there is an obstacle.

  Further, in the vehicle wiper control device according to the present invention, the control unit performs the wiper wiping operation in response to a wiper operation request indicating one of an operation request including an intermittent operation request and a continuous operation request of the wiper wiping operation. The drive control unit that controls the drive unit, and the wiper wiping operation corresponding to the wiper operation request in which the wiper wiping operation is reversed at a position other than the reverse position when the restraint state is detected. As described above, when the restraint state is detected in a state in which the reversing control unit that controls the driving unit and the driving unit is controlled in response to the continuous operation request, the reversing control unit controls the reversing control unit. And a restricting unit that restricts the wiper wiping operation to the intermittent wiper wiping operation.

  According to the vehicle wiper control device having the above-described configuration, it is possible to limit the wiper wiping operation during the control to be reversed from the wiper restraint state to the wiper intermittent wiping operation.

  In the vehicle wiper control device according to the present invention, when the control unit controls the drive unit so that the wiper intermittent wiping operation is performed, the wiper intermittent wiping operation is performed in a predetermined intermittent time. Thus, the drive unit is controlled.

  According to the vehicle wiper control device having the above configuration, an intermittent operation can be performed in consideration of the removal of an obstacle such as a snowdrift and the heat generation of the drive unit.

  Further, in the vehicle wiper control device according to the present invention, when the control unit controls the drive unit so that the wiper intermittent wiping operation is performed, the control unit performs the intermittent operation in a predetermined intermittent time according to a restraining position of the wiper. The drive unit is controlled so that the wiper intermittent wiping operation is performed.

  According to the vehicle wiper control device having the above-described configuration, it is possible to improve the wiping performance as compared with the case where the wiper intermittent wiping operation is always performed with a constant intermittent time during the reversal control.

  In the vehicular wiper control device according to the present invention, when the reversing control unit controls the drive unit so that the wiper intermittent wiping operation is performed, the restricting position of the wiper is the wiper wiping operation. The wiper intermittent wiping operation is performed in the intermittent time shorter than when the wiper restraint position is outside the predetermined range when it is within a predetermined range including a predetermined reversal position for each reciprocation in The driving unit is controlled.

  According to the vehicle wiper control device having the above-described configuration, it is possible to suppress the heat generation of the drive unit and improve the wiping performance as compared with the case where the wiper intermittent wiping operation is always performed with a constant intermittent time during the reversal control.

  The vehicle wiper control program of the present invention causes a computer to function as the control unit of the vehicle wiper control device.

  The vehicle wiper control program having the above configuration can provide a vehicle wiper control program capable of continuing the wiping operation by suppressing the heat generation of the drive unit even when there is an obstacle.

It is the schematic which shows the structure of the vehicle wiper apparatus containing the vehicle wiper control apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating a mode that a snow accumulation generate | occur | produces and a wiper is restrained. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of the process performed with the microcomputer of the wiper control apparatus for vehicles which concerns on this embodiment. 5 is a timing chart for explaining a specific operation example of each part of the vehicle wiper device when the wiper switch is operated in the order of the LO mode selection position and the HI mode selection position in a situation where snow accumulation occurs. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a case where the wiper wiping position is detected and reversed in a predetermined area where the wiping speed near the upper reversal position and near the lower reversal position is reduced when performing the reversal control. . It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of the process performed with the microcomputer of the wiper control apparatus for vehicles of a modification.

  Hereinafter, an example of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle wiper device including a vehicle wiper control device according to the present embodiment.

  The vehicle wiper device 11 is for wiping a windshield glass 12 provided in a vehicle such as a passenger car, for example, and includes a pair of wipers 14 and 16, a wiper motor 18, a link mechanism 20, and a vehicle. And a wiper control device 10.

  The wipers 14 and 16 include wiper arms 24 and 26 and wiper blades 28 and 30, respectively. The base end portions of the wiper arms 24 and 26 are respectively fixed to pivot shafts 42 and 44 described later, and the wiper blades 28 and 30 are respectively fixed to the distal end portions of the wiper arms 24 and 26.

  In the wipers 14 and 16, the wiper blades 28 and 30 reciprocate on the windshield glass 12 in accordance with the operation of the wiper arms 24 and 26, and the wiper blades 28 and 30 wipe the windshield glass 12.

  The wiper motor 18 has an output shaft 32 that can rotate forward and backward via a speed reduction mechanism 52 mainly composed of a worm gear. The link mechanism 20 includes a crank arm 34, a first link rod 36, a pair of pivot levers 38 and 40, a pair of pivot shafts 42 and 44, and a second link rod 46.

  One end side of the crank arm 34 is fixed to the output shaft 32, and the other end side of the crank arm 34 is operably connected to one end side of the first link rod 36. Further, the other end side of the first link rod 36 is operatively connected to a position near the end different from the end having the pivot shaft 42 of the pivot lever 38. Both ends of the second link rod 46 are operatively connected to an end different from the end having the pivot shaft 42 of the pivot lever 38 and an end corresponding to the end of the pivot lever 38 in the pivot lever 40.

  The pivot shafts 42 and 44 are operably supported by a pivot holder (not shown) provided on the vehicle body. The wiper arms 24 and 26 are fixed to the ends of the pivot levers 38 and 40 having the pivot shafts 42 and 44 via the pivot shafts 42 and 44, respectively.

  In the vehicle wiper device 11, when the output shaft 32 is rotated forward and backward at a rotation angle θ 1 within a predetermined range, the rotational force of the output shaft 32 is transmitted to the wiper arms 24 and 26 via the link mechanism 20. As the wiper arms 24 and 26 reciprocate, the wiper blades 28 and 30 reciprocate between the lower inversion position P2 and the upper inversion position P1 on the windshield glass 12. The value of θ1 may take various values depending on the configuration of the link mechanism of the wiper device, but in the present embodiment, it is 140 ° as an example.

  In the vehicle wiper device 11 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, when the wiper blades 28 and 30 are positioned at the storage position P3, the crank arm 34 and the first link rod 36 are linear. It is set as the structure which makes.

  The storage position P3 is provided below the lower inversion position P2. The wiper blades 28 and 30 are moved to the retracted position P3 by rotating the output shaft 32 by θ2 from the state where the wiper blades 28 and 30 are in the lower inversion position P2. Although the value of θ2 can take various values depending on the configuration of the link mechanism of the wiper device, etc., in this embodiment, it is set to 10 ° as an example.

  When θ2 is “0”, the lower inversion position P2 coincides with the storage position P3, and the wiper blades 28 and 30 are stopped and stored at the lower inversion position P2.

  The wiper motor 18 is connected to a vehicle wiper control device 10 for controlling the rotation of the wiper motor 18. That is, a reciprocating wiper wiping operation on the windshield glass 12 is performed by driving the wiper motor 18. The vehicle wiper control device 10 according to the present embodiment includes, for example, a rotation angle sensor 54 that detects a rotation speed and a rotation angle of the output shaft 32 of the wiper motor 18. Further, the vehicle wiper control device 10 includes a drive circuit 56 that generates a current for operating the wiper motor 18 by PWM control and supplies the current to the wiper motor 18.

  Since the wiper motor 18 according to the present embodiment has the speed reduction mechanism 52 as described above, the rotation speed and rotation angle of the output shaft 32 are not the same as the rotation speed and rotation angle of the wiper motor body. However, in the present embodiment, since the wiper motor main body and the speed reduction mechanism 52 are inseparably configured, the rotation speed and rotation angle of the output shaft 32 are hereinafter considered as the rotation speed and rotation angle of the wiper motor 18.

  The rotation angle sensor 54 is provided in the speed reduction mechanism 52 of the wiper motor 18 and detects a magnetic field (magnetic force) of an excitation coil or a magnet that rotates in conjunction with the output shaft 32 by converting it into a current.

  The vehicle wiper control device 10 includes a microcomputer 58 as a control unit (drive control unit, reverse control unit, and limiting unit) that controls the wiper wiping operation. The microcomputer 58 can calculate the position of the wiper blade on the windshield glass 12 from the rotation angle of the output shaft 32 detected by the rotation angle sensor 54 so that the rotation speed of the output shaft 32 changes according to the position. The drive circuit 56 is controlled. The vehicle wiper control device 10 is provided with a memory 60 that is a storage device that stores data and programs used to control the drive circuit 56. The memory 60 stores data and a program for calculating the rotation speed of the output shaft 32 in accordance with the position of the wiper blades 28 and 30 on the windshield glass 12.

  The microcomputer 58 is connected to a wiper switch 50, a vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 90 that controls the vehicle engine and the like, and a washer switch 62.

  The wiper switch 50 is a switch that turns on or off the power supplied from the vehicle battery to the wiper motor 18. The wiper switch 50 is a low-speed operation (LO) mode selection position for operating the wiper blades 28 and 30 at a low speed, a high-speed operation (HI) mode selection position for operating at a high speed, and an intermittent operation (INT) operating intermittently at a constant cycle. ) It is possible to switch between a mode selection position and a storage (stop) mode selection position. In addition, a rotation speed command signal corresponding to the selected position in each mode is output to the microcomputer 58.

  When a signal output from the wiper switch 50 according to the selected position of each mode is input to the microcomputer 58, the microcomputer 58 performs control corresponding to the output signal from the wiper switch 50 in the data stored in the memory 60 and Use a program.

  By the way, the vehicle wiper control device 10 according to the present embodiment performs the wiping operation by inverting the wiper blades 28 and 30 when the wiper is restrained by an obstacle such as a snow pool during the wiper wiping operation. Is supposed to be implemented. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when a snow accumulation occurs due to snow wiped by the wipers 14 and 16 and the wipers 14 and 16 are restrained, the motor current is increased by restraining the wiper motor 18. The wiper motor 18 generates heat. Therefore, when the wiper motor 18 is constrained and a motor current greater than a predetermined value is detected, reversal control is performed to reverse the wipers 14 and 16 at a position other than the predetermined reversal position according to the wiper position. Yes. By performing the reversal control, it is possible to secure a field of view while suppressing heat generation of the wiper motor 18 when an obstacle such as a snowdrift is detected. As a specific example of inversion control, for example, the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-254609 filed by the applicant of the present application may be applied, or other inversion control may be applied. .

  However, in the conventional reversal control, the wiper motor 18 is driven in response to the operation request from the wiper switch 50, and therefore the wiper wiping operation corresponding to the continuous operation request is also performed during the reversal control. Therefore, even if the above-described reversal control is performed, if the wiper operation request is a continuous operation, heat is generated by continuously operating the wiper motor 18, and the wiper motor 18 is heated by the heating protection control (so-called fail safe). There is a case where the field of view cannot be secured by stopping.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when an obstacle such as a snowdrift is detected and the reversal control is performed, the wiper intermittent wiping operation in which the wiper wiping operation is limited to the intermittent operation is performed. Accordingly, even if the reversal control is performed by snow accumulation or the like, the wiper wiping operation is limited to the intermittent operation, so that the heat generation of the wiper motor 18 is suppressed compared to the continuous operation, and the stop of the wiper motor 18 due to the fail safe can be suppressed. Therefore, the wiping operation can be continued.

  Here, specific control performed by the microcomputer 58 of the vehicle wiper control device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of processing performed by the microcomputer 58 of the vehicle wiper control device 10 according to the present embodiment. Note that the processing in FIG. 3 starts when, for example, power is supplied to the vehicle wiper control device 10. The supply of power to the vehicle wiper control device 10 may be started when an ignition switch (not shown) is turned on, but is not limited thereto. For example, it may be started when power is supplied to the vehicle wiper control device 10 connected to a battery mounted on the vehicle.

  First, in step 100, the microcomputer 58 obtains a wiper operation request, temporarily buffers it, and proceeds to step 102. For example, the wiper operation request is acquired by detecting whether or not a wiper operation request is made by the wiper switch 50. Alternatively, the wiper operation request may be acquired by detecting whether or not the wiper operation request is made by a remote operation or the like using a portable terminal or the like carried by the passenger. The wiper operation request includes an operation mode (a low-speed operation mode, a high-speed operation mode, an intermittent operation mode, and a storage mode) in addition to whether or not the wiper is operated.

  In step 102, the microcomputer 58 acquires a snow accumulation state and proceeds to step 104. Specifically, the acquisition of the snow accumulation state is obtained by acquiring the current value of the wiper motor 18 and detecting the occurrence of snow accumulation when a current value equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value is detected. The acquisition of the snow accumulation state can be detected from the signal detected by the rotation angle sensor 54 and the wiper position and rotation speed in addition to the direction of detection based on the current value.

  In step 104, the microcomputer 58 detects the occurrence of a snow puddle and a continuous wiper operation request (operation request in the low speed operation mode or the high speed operation mode) based on the acquisition result of the wiper operation request and the acquisition result of the snow puddle state. It is determined whether or not. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 106, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 108.

  In step 106, the microcomputer 58 sets the snow puddle intermittent operation and proceeds to step 108. In the intermittent snow accumulation operation, the reversal control is performed by an obstacle such as a snow accumulation, and the wiper wiping operation during the reversal control is limited to the intermittent wiper wiping operation.

  In step 108, the wiper operation request is confirmed, and the process returns to step 100 to repeat the above processing. That is, when a snowdrift occurs and the wiper continuous operation request is issued, the wiper operation request is confirmed for the snowdrift intermittent operation, and when the snowdrift is not a wiper continuous operation request, the acquired wiper operation request is confirmed. As a result, when it is determined that the snow puddle is intermittently operated, the reversing control is performed by the snow puddle or the like, and the wiper wiping operation at the time of the reversing control is limited to the wiper intermittent wiping operation. Further, the wiping operation can be continued while suppressing the heat generation of the wiper motor 18. Further, since the wiping operation can be continued, the field of view can be reliably ensured.

  Next, a specific operation example of each part of the vehicle wiper device 11 when the wiper switch 50 is operated in the order of the LO mode selection position and the HI mode selection position in a situation where snow accumulation occurs will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a specific operation example of each part of the vehicle wiper device 11 when the wiper switch 50 is operated in the order of the LO mode selection position and the HI mode selection position in a situation where snow accumulation occurs. It is a timing chart.

  First, when the wiper switch 50 is operated to the LO mode selection position, the wiping operation is performed at the LO wiping speed.

  Here, since the snow accumulation information indicates that there is no snow accumulation, a wiping operation is performed that reverses at the upper reversal position and reverses at the lower reversal position. In FIG. 4, it is inverted once at each of the upper inversion position and the lower inversion position.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 4, when a snow accumulation occurs and the snow accumulation information changes before reaching the upper reversal position, the wiper operation is limited to intermittent operation, and the wiping operation is performed. The pool is removed. At this time, the wiping speed is intermittently operated at the LO speed indicated by the wiper switch 50. In addition, a predetermined snow accumulation intermittent time is applied as the intermittent time.

  Next, when the wiper switch 50 is operated to the HI mode selection position, the wiping operation is performed at the HI wiping speed as shown in FIG. Since there is no snow accumulation information, a wiping operation that reverses at the upper reversal position and reverses at the lower reversal position is performed.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4, when a snow accumulation occurs and changes to the presence of snow accumulation information, the operation of the wiper is limited to the intermittent operation and the wiping operation is performed, and the snow accumulation is removed. The wiping coarse altitude at this time is intermittently operated at the HI speed indicated by the wiper switch 50. In addition, a predetermined snow accumulation intermittent time is applied as the intermittent time.

  As described above, when a snow accumulation occurs and the wiper operation request is a continuous operation request, the wiping operation is performed while restricting the intermittent operation and performing the reversal control by the intermittent operation while suppressing the heat generation of the wiper motor 18. The field of view can be secured reliably by continuing.

  In the above embodiment, when a snow accumulation occurs and the wiper continuous operation is requested, the wiper wiping operation during the reverse control is limited to the intermittent operation, and the predetermined snow accumulation intermittent time is applied to perform intermittent operation. Although the operation is performed, the snow accumulation intermittent time may be a variable value instead of a fixed value. For example, the wiper wiping operation decelerates in the vicinity of the upper inversion position and the lower inversion position, so that the current value decreases and the amount of heat generation also decreases in the vicinity of the upper inversion position and the lower inversion position. Therefore, when the reversal control is performed, the intermittent time may be set in advance according to the positions of the wipers 14 and 16 constrained by the snow accumulation. For example, it may be set to a predetermined intermittent time corresponding to the speed according to the position of the wipers 14 and 16 (a short intermittent time as the speed is low). As an example, when performing the reversal control, the wiping positions of the wipers 14 and 16 are predetermined areas where the wiping speeds near the upper reversal position and the lower reversal position are decelerated, as shown by the hatched area in FIG. When a snow puddle is detected and reversed, a shorter intermittent time may be set as compared with the case where it is reversed in another region. Thus, even if the intermittent time is shortened, since the drive current of the wiper motor 18 is a smaller region, the wiping performance can be improved while suppressing heat generation. As a specific processing example in this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, steps 105, 106A, and 106B are added instead of step 106 of FIG. That is, when the determination in step 104 is affirmed, the microcomputer 58 determines whether or not the wiper restraint position is in the vicinity of the inversion region (shaded area in FIG. 5). The process proceeds to 106A. If the result is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 106B. Then, in step 106A, the snow puddle intermittent operation of the first intermittent time set in advance is set, and in step 106B, the snow puddle intermittent operation of the second intermittent time shorter than the first intermittent time is set. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of processing performed by the microcomputer of the vehicle wiper control device according to the modification, and the same processing as in FIG. 3 is denoted by the same reference numeral.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the wiper operation request is made by the wiper switch 50 has been mainly described. However, the wiper operation request is not limited to the operation of the wiper switch 50. For example, a configuration may be applied in which the vehicle wiper control device 10 is provided with a communication function or the like so as to be able to communicate with a mobile terminal, and a wiper operation request is made by remote control from the mobile terminal.

  In the above embodiment, the vehicle wiper device 11 configured to forward and reverse the wiper motor 18 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the wiper motor 18 can be rotated in one direction to perform the wiper wiping operation. The form to be performed may be applied.

  Although one embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Wiper control apparatus for vehicles, 11 ... Wiper apparatus for vehicles, 12 ... Windshield glass 14, 16 ... Wiper, 18 ... Wiper motor, 50 ... Wiper switch, 54 ...・ Rotation angle sensor, 56... Drive circuit, 58.

Claims (6)

A drive unit for performing a reciprocating wiper wiping operation with a wiper on a windshield glass of a vehicle;
When the wiper wiping operation is detected during the wiper wiping operation due to an obstacle on the windshield glass, the wiper wiping operation is reversed at a position other than a predetermined reversal position and limited to the intermittent wiping operation. A control unit for controlling the driving unit so that
Wiper control apparatus for vehicles provided with. The control unit is
A drive control unit that controls the drive unit so that the wiper wiping operation is performed in response to a wiper operation request indicating any one of an operation request including an intermittent operation request and a continuous operation request of the wiper wiping operation;
An inversion control unit that controls the drive unit so that the wiper wiping operation is performed in response to the wiper operation request in which the wiper wiping operation is reversed at a position other than the inversion position when the restraint state is detected;
A limiting unit that restricts the wiper wiping operation to the intermittent wiper operation by the control of the reversal control unit when the restraint state is detected while the drive unit is controlled in response to the continuous operation request. ,
The wiper control device for vehicles according to claim 1 containing.   The said control part controls the said drive part so that the said wiper intermittent wiping operation may be performed in predetermined intermittent time, when controlling the said drive part so that the said wiper intermittent wiping operation | movement is performed. Alternatively, the vehicle wiper control device according to claim 2.   When the control unit controls the driving unit so that the wiper intermittent wiping operation is performed, the driving unit performs the wiper intermittent wiping operation in a predetermined intermittent time according to a restraining position of the wiper. The vehicle wiper control device according to claim 1 or 2, which controls a portion.   When the control unit controls the drive unit so that the intermittent wiper wiping operation is performed, the restraint position of the wiper is within a predetermined range including a predetermined reversal position of each reciprocation in the wiper wiping operation. 5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the drive unit is controlled such that the wiper intermittent wiping operation is performed in the intermittent time shorter than when the wiper restraint position is outside the predetermined range. Wiper control device.   The vehicle wiper control program for functioning a computer as the said control part of the vehicle wiper control apparatus of any one of Claims 1-5.