JPS59128033A - Controller of wiper - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automate wiping action of rain water attached to a windshield, by controlling action, a speed and a cycle of a wiper based on a contrast value between a light and dark parts in a light receiving device provided with a slit plate forming an image having a striped pattern. CONSTITUTION:Light irradiated from a floodlight projector 1 built in a fender mirror is projected to a light receiving device 2 mounted on a room mirror through a windshield and received by a light sensor port 10 through a slit plate 9. In this instance, an image on the slit plate 9 is separated into a light and dark parts and projected on each of a light and dark light receiving elements 10a, 10b of a light sensor part 10 and a difference between light receiving signals (contrast value) to be put out from both the elements 10a, 10b is deteriorated. Then a signal is applied to a peak holding circuit 17 and a monitoring circuit 18 from an arithmetic circuit 16 according to the difference between the light receiving signals, and operational speed/or a cycle of a wiper motor 23 and its suspension of action/restarting of action are controlled according to the size of the above signal difference.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a wiper control device for a vehicle, and in particular, it automatically controls the operating speed or period of the wiper according to the amount of raindrops on the windshield L, and the wiper control device U. If the car wash reaches 11 while the car is in operation, the wiper will automatically stop before the car wash brush reaches the wiper position, and will automatically resume operation after the car wash brush passes the wiper position. This relates to a wiper system-1iIl device.

Conventionally, wiper control devices for vehicles have been able to change the operating speed and cycle of the wiper according to mountain opening and the amount of raindrops on the windshield. I can set up a switch/fi to change it.

However, with this type of wiper device, if it becomes necessary to adjust the operating speed or period of the wiper during operation, this switch must be operated during operation. The adjustment operation may feel troublesome, and may also interfere with driving operation. Furthermore, if the operating speed and cycle are not optimally adjusted according to the rain cover, there are problems such as obstructing the driver's visibility and undesirably increasing the power consumption of the wiper.

The present invention focuses on the above-mentioned points, and the water droplets on the window glass,
The speed and cycle of the wiper are automatically controlled according to the state of adhesion of mud, etc., and the complexity of adjusting the wiper switching using a conventional wiper switch is eliminated.
The first objective is to provide a wiper control system decoy that eliminates the operation of the drive IC and can maintain good driving comfort when driving in the rain.

Further, in the case where the operating speed and period of the wiper are automatically controlled, the operating wiper is prevented from being damaged by the cleaning operation of the car wash brush when washing the inside of an automatic vehicle. The second objective is to prevent the wiper from being undesirably damaged or malfunctioning by the car wash brush even when the wiper is in operation during car wash.

- Therefore, the wiper control device of the present invention connects a light projector disposed outside the vehicle and a middle wall (2) opposite to the light receiver through the windshield. and a control circuit for driving a wiper (-), and the light receiver receives the light from the projector and creates a striped image. The control circuit has a plurality of light-receiving elements that receive light in a dark area and a dark area, and the control circuit inputs the bright area and the 110-part light reception signal from the metering light meter, calculates the contrast value of these, and calculates the contrast value. Referring to the drawings, the present invention is characterized by: 1 to 16 degrees; explain.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a car being washed and equipped with a wiper control device.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a light projector, and the light projector 1 is built into one of the -71-under mirrors 3.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a light receiver, and the light receiver 2 is mounted on the back surface of the handle of the room mirror 6 so as to face the projector 1 through the window glass 11. 26 is a control circuit, and the control circuit 26 controls the wiper 25 based on the light received by the light receiver 2 (a I"r). 27 is a car wash brush.

The projector 1 has two configurations as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b.

In FIGS. 2a and 21), 4 is a light bulb, and a concave mirror 5 for reflection is provided on the back of the light bulb. Further, an infrared transmitting filter section is provided on the upper part of the mirror 12 to reflect visible light and pass infrared light so that the infrared light from the light bulb 4 can be projected toward the light receiver 2. 7 is provided. This infrared transmission filter section 7 is formed by depositing a film having infrared light transmission characteristics on a glass surface. Incidentally, since the infrared transmission filter section 7 reflects more than about 90% of visible light, its function as a mirror is maintained.

The light receiver 2 is constructed as shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b.

In FIGS. 3a and 31, 8 is an infrared transmission filter attached to the front surface of the light receiver 2, and 9 is a plurality of filters.
- are set vertically at predetermined intervals (J) with slit plates (5), which are used between the infrared transmission filter 8 and the light detection section 10.

In the light detection unit 10, a plurality of bright area light receiving elements 10a and dark area light receiving elements 10b are arranged side by side so as to receive light exclusively for the bright and dark areas of the striped image formed by the slit plate 9. It is set up.

Fig. 4 shows a block diagram of the wiper control I device, and in Fig. J0,
Reference numeral 14 denotes a light projection driving circuit for lighting the light bulb 4 of the light projector 1;
Reference numerals 5a and 151) are amplifiers connected to the dark-area light-receiving element 10a and the dark-area light-receiving element 1b of the photodetector 10 of the photoreceiver 2, and amplify the respective light-receiving signals. 1G is amplifier 15a
This is the first arithmetic circuit that calculates the difference between the amplified light receiving signals of 21-1 of the striped pattern image by J Tasurin I/Plate 9
~Calculate the last value. Reference numeral 17 denotes a peak bold circuit connected to the output side of the first σ calculation circuit 16, which holds the calculated maximum value of con1 to lath l-+fj.

A monitor circuit 18 is also connected to the output side of the first processing circuit 16, and the contrast value is always 1t and Il'E twice. 19 is a peak hold circuit 17 and a monitor circuit 1
This is a second calculation circuit which inputs the output signal from 8 and calculates the ratio between the constant value and the maximum value in the contrast value mentioned above. The data extracted by this second arithmetic circuit with the constant value as the denominator and the maximum value 1a as the numerator represents the wiping effect on the wiper blade while the wiper blade has moved itl and m. , the larger the data ratio, the less the wiping effect by the culm wiper 25, and therefore the amount of raindrops will be large. A comparison circuit 20 is connected to the output side of the second rhythm circuit 19, and includes four comparators, each of which has a setting of 1 to operate the wiper 25 at high speed.
, a set value for the 1st cycle operation at low speed, a set value for the short-cycle absenteeism action, and a set value for the long-cycle absenteeism action are set as the reference voltage. 21 receives the outputs sent from each comparator of the comparator circuit 20, and instructs No. 1 to the motor according to the state of these outputs. There is a logic circuit C that sends a signal to the drive circuit 22. The motor drive circuit 22 receives an operation command signal from the logic circuit 21 and operates the wiper motor 2 based on the operation command signal.
3 is configured to be driven at high speed, low speed, short cycle intervals, and long cycle intervals. 2/I is the reset circuit connected to the peak bold circuit 17, wiper motor 2
Wipe wiper 25 from 3? , input the signal at the beginning of the first period,
Based on this, the peak hold circuit 17 is applied to the vth υ
Mark the reset bow Ji11 and reset its hold value.

Further, in FIG. 4, reference numerals 28 to 30 indicate a control system for automatically stopping and automatically restarting the wiper during car washing. The comparator 28 compares the contrast 1~ value from the monitor circuit 18 with a reference value, and when the contrast 1~ value becomes less than the reference value, that is, the car wash brush 27 is set as shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the optical path is blocked and the contrast (when 1ri becomes extremely small, the ability to avoid stopping the operation of the wiper 25) is used.

29 is based on 138 from comparator 28 -[
This is a stop circuit for outputting a stop signal to the wiper drive circuit 22 to stop the wiper 25 at a fixed stop position. 30 is a timer setting circuit, which is connected to the second operating circuit 19, so that the car wash brush 27 passes through the wiper position from the state shown in FIG.
When the value increases beyond the predetermined value, the timer will start at 1'1.
iIJJ starts, and after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the relet 1-signal is output to the stop 1-circuit 29, and the stop m that was output to L = No. 4a is not output J: Unizuru, [1114
5. The hit circuit 30, which also serves as a timer, has a function for operating the wiper 25. Here, the timer is provided to operate the wiper after the car wash brush 27 has reliably passed through the wiper position, that is, the wiper operating area.

Next, the operation of this wiper control IK'l''l will be explained.

[11 When a car is entering or exiting.

The light bulb 4 lights up due to the operation of the light projection drive circuit 14, and the light projection 2
! The light condensed by the concave surface a5 from the window 1. : Light is projected onto the light receiver 2.

J, the light receiver 2 receives this light through the slit plate 9 at the photodetector 10. At this time, the image of the sleeve 1-plate 9 is divided into a bright part and a dark part, and the bright part light receiving element 1 of the light detection part 10
0a and the dark area light receiving element 10b, and in a state where there is no rain and no water droplets have landed on the windshield 11, the bright area 31 of the shadow 1g of the slit plate 9 shown in FIG. And Ili'i part 30 is clear: 'Citrus 1~'
On the other hand, when there are some water droplets on the windshield 11 during rainy season, the light is scattered and the bright area includes a low brightness area 32 as shown in Fig. 5b. appears to be decreased. Therefore, the difference between the light receiving number 13 output from the bright area light receiving element 10a and the dark area light receiving element 10b of the light detecting section 10 provided in the light receiver 2 is the contrast of the image of the slit I-plate 9 to the laser beam 1. It shows the degree (con1 - last value).

Then, the received/light number 18 detected by J is amplified by amplifiers 15a and 15b, respectively, and then the first
i) is sent to the circuit 16. In the first derivation circuit 16, the dark area light receiving element 'IOa is 1! The difference between the light reception signal from the n-section light reception line 10b is determined and this difference tLjFr is sent to the peak hold circuit 17 and the monitor circuit 18. here 1 first
In the case of rainfall Oh, the difference signal output from the decoder circuit 16 is detected at the detection point on the windshield 11 (the part through which the projected light passes).
The maximum value is immediately after the wiper blade passes the IC, and after passing, it decreases as the water droplets become null on the windshield 11, and if the wiper 25 is continuously operated, the wiper blade passes the detection point. After that, the value reverses and reaches its lowest value just before passing the detection point.

The difference signal ``i', l, which changes from the maximum value to the minimum value every cycle of the wiper 25, is sent to the peak hold circuit 17, and the peak hold circuit 17 holds the maximum value of the difference signal and sets it to the maximum value. (Sends the Niji signal to the second arithmetic circuit 19. Here, the peaks of death,
In the next cycle, the new peak ltI is maintained, and the wiper 25 operates 1! The peak l+ti is updated from time to time.

On the other hand, the monitor circuit 1ε3 sends the first extraction circuit 1 (which constantly monitors the difference signal input from 3 and outputs its output signal 2) to the second extraction circuit 19.

The second calculation circuit 19 calculates the ratio of the output of the peak hold circuit 17, that is, the peak value data, to the difference m month data from the monitor circuit 18. Therefore, the larger the data ratio output from the second logic circuit 19 of C1, the greater the amount of raindrops on the windshield, and the worse the visibility becomes. Reset 4M 23 outputted from reset circuit 2'l in each period 1d of wiper 25
J, the peak value of the re-beak hold circuit 17 is re-hi
- is updated, so the peak (ffj data, that is, the reference value which is the numerator of the operator formula of the second operator circuit 19''c) is changed by l! according to the situation every cycle.

Therefore, depending on the situation such as the deterioration of the light source A'J and the change in the characteristic f1 of the light detecting section, str SI! L311! Therefore, it is possible to perform accurate wiper control 911 according to the amount of raindrops on the windshield without being influenced by these factors.

The output of the second arithmetic circuit 19 is proportional to the deterioration of the voltage and is sent as a voltage signal to the comparator circuit 20, and the input signals of J and R are compared to four comparators each having four levels of reference voltage set. According to the magnitude of the human power level 4R, an output (M level) is selectively output from four output circuits.

For example, ', 41 when the input signal level is higher than the maximum setting value.
The output signal R of logic "1" is output from all the comparators C of 16+, and the input signal lI+7 of the next highest set value level is output.
When the input signal is at the next setting level, the logic "1" signal is output from the two comparators, and when the input signal is at the lowest level, the logic "11" signal is output from the three 2 comparators. Logic “1” from two comparators
Haku8 is output.

The output of each −l balator of the comparator circuit 20 is connected to the logic circuit 21.
and the logic circuit 21 receives the 4 output from the comparator circuit 21.
When the input signals of the system are all logic [11, the wiper 25 is operated at high speed.
When the human power mj] of the system is logic "1", the signal 114 receives the signal for the speed command (1 When the input signal of one system is logic 11, signals for long-cycle interruption commands are applied to the motor drive circuit 22 by respective dedicated circuits.

When the motor drive circuit 22 receives such a motor operation command signal, it drives the neutron motor 23 at high speed, low speed, short period of time, or short period of time in accordance with the command fi8. The wiper 25 performs an operation to wipe away raindrops according to the amount of raindrops that have fallen on the windshield 11.

[I[] When the car is being washed.

After the start of the car wash, the same operation as in the case of driving in the rain is carried out (j) while the washing machine 27 is not in the state shown in FIG. 1, that is, the state in which it blocks the optical path.

When the post-washing IIJ'f brush 27 begins to block the optical path, the numbers 1 to 10 from the monitor circuit 18 decrease and become below the I value to the base of the comparator 28. The signal for stopping the bar is the stop circuit 2.
9, the stop circuit 20 causes the t-tor drive circuit 22 to stop +1. (No. 3 is output. The motor drive circuit 22 which receives the stop signal manually stops the drive of the motor 23 in order to stop the wiper 255 at the stop position. Therefore, the car wash 1
While the brush 27 is blocking the optical path, the wiper 25 is maintained in the stopped position.

When the car wash brush 27 passes through the wiper position and no longer blocks the optical path, the output signal of the second performance circuit 19 changes to the reference value L.
7. j and returns to the same state as that which occurs immediately after the start of the car wash. Therefore, the timer of the timer/reset circuit 30 starts operating. When the timer value reaches a value corresponding to a predetermined time, the reset circuit 30, which also serves as a timer,
- Signal is emitted 1. 1. Input this rehit signal. :
¥? The stop circuit 29 sends the output of the stop I function. For this reason, the wiper control device resumes the same operation as the one performed when the driver is running.

As explained above, the present invention includes a light projector disposed inside and outside the vehicle, a light receiver disposed inside the vehicle facing the light projector through the windshield, and a receiver for receiving signals from the light receiver. The light receiver is equipped with a slit plate which receives the light from the cast light device and which divides the striped image into a bright area and a dark area. (It has a plurality of light-receiving elements that receive light, and the control circuit inputs the light reception signals of bright and dark areas from the metering device and outputs the values to these 21 and 1 and 1 and 1. Con1 to last (C wiper operation speed and / based on Po1
or control the period and the stop and restart of the wiper tl
It is characterized in that it is configured to

Therefore, according to the present invention, the operation can be carried out without switching the operation of the C1 noise impeller due to a change in the rain W during operation.
The speed cycle of the wiper blades is automatically controlled according to the amount of rainfall, making it possible to maintain good driving visibility when driving in the rain, and to keep wiper power consumption sufficiently low. This will effectively prevent the wiper from being undesirably damaged by the car wash brush during the car wash.

4 Song of drawings 1. f explanatory diagrams show embodiments of the present invention, Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic car wash machine equipped with a wiper control device, Fig. 2a is a cross-sectional view of the rear mirror (in which the floodlight 1 is housed), and Fig. Figure 2b is a 1iII tIE side view, figure 3a is a partially cutaway perspective view of the receiver, figure 31) is a partially cutaway front view thereof, figure 4 is a block diagram of the wiper control device, figure 5a and Figure 5b shows an image diagram of the slit l to plate J01... Emitter 2... Light receiver 8... Infrared transmission filter 9... Slit plate 10... Light detection section 10a... Bright area Light receiving element 10b...Dark area light receiving element 16...First abstract circuit 17...Peak hold circuit 1B...Monitor circuit 19...Second performance (>Circuit 20...Comparison circuit 22...・Motor drive circuit 23... Part for wiper drive 25... Wiper 26... Control 11 circuit 27... Car wash brush 28... Comparator 29... Stop circuit 30... Also serves as timer Relet 1-Circuit Agent BUF Tsutomu Saitate and 1 other person Figure 5b

Claims (1)

[Claims] A light projector disposed inside and outside, a light receiver disposed inside the vehicle facing the light projector through the windshield, and a light receiver that receives a signal from the light receiver and drives a wiper. 2, the light receiver receives the light from the projector and sends it to the plate 1, which forms a striped pattern image, and divides the striped pattern image into a bright area and a dark area. The Wi control circuit has a plurality of light receiving elements, and the Wi control circuit inputs the light receiving signals of the bright and dark areas from the light receiver, calculates the contrast value thereof, and controls the control circuit.
- wiper operating speed and/or
A wiper control m+ device, characterized in that it is configured to control the period, stop and restart of the wiper.