Device and method for controlling a vehicle wiper

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for controlling a wiper of a vehicle. The apparatus may include: a wiper actuator for driving the wiper of the vehicle; a sensor for measuring a driving speed of the wiper; and a controller for controlling the wiper of the vehicle based on a relationship between a driving voltage applied to the wiper actuator and the driving speed measured by the sensor.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2020 - 0073110, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on June 16, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical field

[0003] The present invention relates to a technique for sensing and controlling an abnormal operation of a wiper disposed on a vehicle. Background art

[0004] Generally, a vehicle is equipped with a wiper that removes foreign substances located on the surface of a windshield and wipes snow or rain.

[0005] The wiper of the vehicle is a device that wipes a glass by a wiper blade operated by the rotation of a wiper motor, and this device performs a function of ensuring the driver's field of view. That is, the wiper of the vehicle has a structure in which the rotational motion generated by the wiper motor is transmitted to a pivot mechanism and a wiper arm through a wiper link, so that the wiper arm reciprocates in the left - right direction, and while the wiper blade moves on the surface of the glass, it wipes foreign substances on the surface of the glass. In this regard, the operation of the wiper motor is controlled by, for example, a body control module (BCM) in the vehicle.

[0006] The operation modes of the wiper are mainly divided into a low mode, a high mode, etc., and the terminals of the wiper motor controlled by the BCM are composed of a total of four terminals. Among these terminals of the wiper motor, the E terminal is a ground (-) terminal, the P terminal is a parking control terminal, the H terminal is a high - mode terminal, and the L terminal is a low - mode terminal. In addition, the wiper motor has a cam plate and internal contact points formed by the P terminal and the E terminal controlled by the cam plate. In this regard, the cam plate is installed to rotate in a state integrated with a worm gear (worm wheel) (the worm wheel rotates by receiving the rotational force of the motor in the wiper motor), and when it rotates one circle, the P terminal of the internal contact makes contact with the E terminal once based on the position of the wiper blade.

[0007] In this wiper, the wiper blade reciprocates once by being driven by the wiper motor during one rotation of the cam plate to wipe the glass. At this time, the P terminal and the E terminal of the wiper motor are in contact with each other through the cam plate, so that the wiper blade stops at a preset parking position. In addition, when the user does not turn off the wiper through the multifunctional switch, even if the P terminal and the E terminal of the wiper motor are in contact with each other, the BCM does not disconnect the low relay. Therefore, in a state where the P terminal and the E terminal are in contact with each other, the cam plate rotates and moves due to the inertia of the wiper motor. As a result, the P terminal and the E terminal are separated from each other, and the wiper motor is driven again by the battery power to operate the wiper blade. By repeating this process, the wiper blade continuously wipes the glass.

[0008] Recently, during the process of a driver replacing or cleaning the wiper blade of a vehicle, it often happens that the wiper is operated without the wiper blade contacting the windshield of the vehicle.

[0009] In this case, the wiper blade hits the engine hood of the vehicle and damages the wiper blade and the engine hood.

[0010] The information disclosed in the above background art section is for helping to understand the background art of the present invention, and it should not be considered as an acknowledgement of any part of the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The present invention is made to solve the above problems occurring in the prior art while completely maintaining the advantages achieved by the prior art.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus and method for controlling a wiper of a vehicle, which can detect whether the wiper blade is in close contact with the surface of the windshield based on the relationship between the wiper driving voltage and the wiper driving speed for each surface condition of the windshield of the vehicle, and control the driving of the wiper based on the detection result, thereby preventing the wiper blade from being damaged to the engine hood of the vehicle when being driven in a state of not being in close contact with the surface of the windshield.

[0013] The technical problems solved by the present inventive concept are not limited to the above problems, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will clearly understand any other technical problems not mentioned herein from the following description.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for controlling a wiper of a vehicle includes: a wiper actuator for driving the wiper of the vehicle; a sensor for measuring the driving speed of the wiper; and a controller for controlling the wiper of the vehicle based on the relationship between the driving voltage applied to the wiper actuator and the driving speed measured by the sensor.

[0015] In one embodiment, the controller may determine a threshold speed value corresponding to the driving voltage, and when the driving speed exceeds the threshold speed value, determine that the wiper blade of the wiper does not make close contact with the windshield of the vehicle.

[0016] In one embodiment, when the controller determines that the wiper blade does not make close contact with the windshield of the vehicle, the controller may stop driving the wiper through the wiper actuator.

[0017] In one embodiment, when the controller determines that the wiper blade does not make close contact with the windshield of the vehicle, the controller may warn the user.

[0018] In one embodiment, the controller may give a warning in at least one of a visual warning, an audible warning, or a tactile warning.

[0019] In one embodiment, when the ratio of the driving speed to the driving voltage exceeds a threshold ratio, the controller may determine that the wiper blade of the wiper does not make close contact with the windshield of the vehicle.

[0020] In one embodiment, the device may further include a memory for storing at least one of the following graphs: a graph showing the relationship between the driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the surface of the windshield is in a dirty state, a graph showing the relationship between the driving voltage and the driving speed when the surface of the windshield is in a dry state, a graph showing the relationship between the driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the surface of the windshield is in a normal state, a graph showing the relationship between the driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the surface of the windshield is in a wet state, or a graph showing the relationship between the driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the wiper blade does not make close contact with the surface of the windshield.

[0021] In one embodiment, the device may further include a memory for storing at least one of the following graphs: a graph showing the ratio of the wiper driving speed to the driving voltage when the surface of the windshield of the vehicle is in a dirty state, a graph showing the ratio of the wiper driving speed to the driving voltage when the surface of the windshield of the vehicle is in a dry state, a graph showing the ratio of the wiper driving speed to the driving voltage when the surface of the windshield of the vehicle is in a normal state, a graph showing the ratio of the wiper driving speed to the driving voltage when the surface of the windshield of the vehicle is in a wet state, a graph showing the ratio of the wiper driving speed to the driving voltage when the wiper blade of the wiper does not make close contact with the surface of the windshield of the vehicle.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a wiper of a vehicle includes: detecting, by a controller, a driving voltage applied to a wiper actuator; measuring, by a sensor, a driving speed corresponding to the driving voltage; and controlling, by the controller, the wiper of the vehicle based on a relationship between the applied driving voltage and the measured driving speed.

[0023] In one embodiment, controlling the wiper of the vehicle may include: detecting a threshold speed value corresponding to the driving voltage; and determining that the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle when the driving speed exceeds the threshold speed value.

[0024] In one embodiment, controlling the wiper of the vehicle may further include: stopping the driving of the wiper when the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle.

[0025] In one embodiment, controlling the wiper of the vehicle may further include: warning a user in at least one of a visual warning, an auditory warning, or a tactile warning when the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle.

[0026] In one embodiment, controlling the wiper of the vehicle may include: determining that the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle when a ratio of the driving speed to the driving voltage exceeds a threshold ratio.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a wiper of a vehicle includes storing in a memory a graph showing a threshold speed value for determining whether a wiper blade is in close contact with a surface of a windshield of the vehicle; detecting, by a controller, a driving voltage applied to a wiper actuator; measuring, by a sensor, a driving speed corresponding to the driving voltage; determining, by the controller, a threshold speed value corresponding to the driving voltage based on the graph; and determining, by the controller, that the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle when the driving speed exceeds the threshold speed value to stop the driving of the wiper. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0029] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a device for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 is an exemplary view of a table provided in a device for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3Another exemplary view of a table in a device for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 An exemplary view of the structure of a wiper used in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 A flowchart of a method for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 A block diagram showing a computing system for performing a method for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0035] Some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the exemplary drawings. When adding reference numerals to the components of each figure, it should be noted that even when the same or equivalent components are shown in other figures, they are designated by the same reference numerals. In addition, when describing the embodiments of the present invention, when it is determined that the relevant known configurations or functions impede the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0036] When describing the components of the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and these terms do not limit the nature, order or sequence of the components. Unless otherwise defined, the terms used herein (including technical terms and scientific terms) have the same meaning as those understood by those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in common dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant field, and will not be interpreted as having idealized or overly formal meanings, unless expressly defined as such herein.

[0037] Figure 1 A configuration diagram of a device for controlling a wiper 200 of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] As Figure 1 shown, the wiper control device 100 of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include: a memory 10, a warning device 20, a wiper actuator 30, an angular velocity sensor 40, and a controller 50. In this embodiment, the components may be coupled to each other as one component, or according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, some components may be omitted based on the scheme for implementing the vehicle wiper control device 100.

[0039] In the description of each component, first, the memory 10 can store various logics, algorithms, and programs required for detecting whether the wiper blade is in close contact with the surface of the windshield based on the relationship between the wiper driving voltage and the wiper driving speed for each surface condition of the windshield, and for controlling the driving of the wiper 200 based on the detection result. In this embodiment, the wiper driving voltage represents the voltage applied to the wiper actuator 30.

[0040] The memory 10 can store a table in which the relationship between the wiper driving voltage and the wiper driving speed of the vehicle for each surface condition of the windshield is recorded. The table is, for example, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown.

[0041] Figure 2 is an exemplary view of a table provided in a device for controlling the wiper 200 of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] In Figure 2 , the horizontal axis represents the effective voltage (Vrms), which is the wiper driving voltage; the vertical axis represents the angular velocity (ω = θ / s), which is the wiper driving speed.

[0043] In addition, "210" is a diagram showing the relationship between the wiper driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the surface of the windshield is in a dirty state, "220" is a diagram showing the relationship between the wiper driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the surface of the windshield is in a dry state, "230" is a diagram showing the relationship between the wiper driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the surface of the windshield is in a normal state, "240" is a diagram showing the relationship between the wiper driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the surface of the windshield is in a wet state, "250" is a diagram showing the relationship between the wiper driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the wiper blade is not in close contact with the surface of the windshield, and "260" is a diagram showing the threshold speed values of the wiper driving speed at each different wiper driving voltage, which is used to determine whether the wiper blade is in close contact with the surface of the windshield. In this embodiment, the threshold speed value can be predetermined through a deep learning process using, for example, an artificial neural network.

[0044] For example, when 12V is applied to the wiper actuator 30, i.e., when the wiper driving voltage is 12V, the controller 50 can determine that the threshold speed value corresponding to the wiper driving voltage of 12V is 110θ / s. When the wiper driving speed exceeds 110θ / s (i.e., the threshold speed value of the wiper 200 at 12V), the controller 50 can determine that the wiper blade is not in close contact with the surface of the windshield. When the wiper driving speed does not exceed 110θ / s, it can be determined that the wiper blade is in contact with the surface of the windshield.

[0045] As another example, when 12V is applied to the wiper actuator 30, i.e., when the wiper driving voltage is 12V, when the wiper driving speed is in the range of 60θ / s to 64θ / s, the controller 50 can determine that the surface of the windshield is in a dirty state; when the wiper driving speed is in the range of 74θ / s to 78θ / s, it can be determined that the surface of the windshield is in a dry state; when the wiper driving speed is in the range of 81θ / s to 85θ / s, it can be determined that the surface of the windshield is in a normal state; when the wiper driving speed is in the range of 94θ / s to 98θ / s, it can be determined that the surface of the windshield is in a wet state.

[0046] Figure 3 is another exemplary view of a table provided in a device for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] In Figure 3 , the horizontal axis represents the surface state of the windshield, and the vertical axis represents the ratio (ω / Vrms) of the output (driving speed) to the input (driving voltage) of the wiper system (wiper actuator 30 and wiper 200). Additionally, "310" represents the threshold value of the ratio of the wiper driving speed (ω) to the wiper driving voltage (Vrms). In this embodiment, the threshold ratio can be determined in advance through a deep learning process using an artificial neural network.

[0048] For example, when the ratio of the wiper driving speed (ω) to the wiper driving voltage (Vrms) exceeds 9.5 (e.g., a predetermined threshold ratio), the controller 50 can determine that the wiper blade is not in close contact with the surface of the windshield; when the ratio of the wiper driving speed (ω) to the wiper driving voltage (Vrms) does not exceed 9.5, it can be determined that the wiper blade is in close contact with the surface of the windshield.

[0049] In another example, when the ratio of the wiper driving speed (ω) to the wiper driving voltage (Vrms) is less than or equal to 5.8, the controller 50 may determine that the surface of the windshield is in a dirty state; when the ratio of the wiper driving speed (ω) to the wiper driving voltage (Vrms) is greater than 5.8 and less than or equal to 6.9, the controller 50 may determine that the surface of the windshield is in a dry state; when the ratio of the wiper driving speed (ω) to the wiper driving voltage (Vrms) is greater than 6.9 and less than or equal to 7.5, it may be determined that the surface of the windshield is in a normal condition; and when the ratio of the wiper driving speed (ω) to the wiper driving voltage (Vrms) is greater than 7.5 and less than or equal to 8.5, it may be determined that the surface of the windshield is in a wet state.

[0050] Although the above Figure 2 table and Figure 3 table describe examples using the driving voltage, however Figure 2 table and Figure 3 table can be implemented using the driving current.

[0051] The memory 10 may include non-volatile storage media such as flash type, hard disk type, micro type, and card type (such as Secure Digital Card (SD card)) or external digital card (XD card) and the like, as well as at least one of memories such as random access memory (RAM), static RAM (SRAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), magnetic disk, and optical disk memory.

[0052] The warning device 20 may warn the user under the control of the controller 50 that the engine hood of the vehicle may be damaged.

[0053] The warning device 20 may warn that the engine hood of the vehicle may be damaged in at least one of a visual warning, an auditory warning, or a tactile warning. As an example, the warning device 20 may warn in a visual or / and auditory manner and may include a dashboard, a head up display (HUD), an audio video navigation (AVN) system, etc. that the engine hood of the vehicle may be damaged, and may warn in a tactile manner by vibrating the seat, vibrating the steering wheel, etc. that the engine hood of the vehicle may be damaged.

[0054] The wiper actuator 30 is a motor (e.g., an H-bridge motor) that drives the wiper 200, and the wiper actuator 30 may drive the wiper 200 based on the driving voltage (or driving current) applied under the control of the controller 50.

[0055] The angular velocity sensor 40 is a sensor (e.g., an arm position sensor) that measures the driving speed of the arm of the windshield wiper 200, and the angular velocity sensor 40 can measure the angular velocity (or position) of the arm of the windshield wiper 200.

[0056] The controller 50 performs overall control so that each component can normally execute its function. Such a controller 50 can be implemented in the form of hardware or software or in the form of a combination of hardware and software. In an exemplary embodiment, the controller 50 can be a processor (e.g., a microprocessor, a computer, a CPU, an ASIC, a circuit, a logic circuit, etc.), but is not limited thereto. The controller 50 can be implemented by a non-volatile memory and a processor, the non-volatile memory storing, for example, programs, software instruction reproduction algorithms, etc., which control the operation of the various components of the vehicle when executed; the processor is configured to execute programs, software instruction reproduction algorithms, etc. Here, the memory and the processor can be implemented as separate semiconductor circuits. Alternatively, the memory and the processor can be implemented as a single integrated semiconductor circuit. The processor can include one or more processors.

[0057] During the process of detecting whether the wiper blade is in close contact with the surface of the windshield for each surface condition of the windshield based on the relationship between the wiper driving voltage and the wiper driving speed, and during the process of controlling the driving of the windshield wiper based on the detection result, the controller 50 can perform various controls.

[0058] As Figure 4 shown, the controller 50 can determine a state in which the wiper blade is not in close contact with the surface of the vehicle's windshield.

[0059] Figure 4 is an exemplary view of the structure of a windshield wiper used in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] As Figure 4 shown, during the process of replacing the wiper blade of the vehicle or cleaning the wiper blade, the driver can position the arm of the windshield wiper 200 at the maintenance position and separate the wiper blade from the surface of the windshield. When the windshield wiper 200 is driven in this state, the wiper blade may hit the engine hood of the vehicle and may damage the engine hood of the vehicle.

[0061] The controller 50 can detect whether the wiper blade is in close contact with the surface of the vehicle's windshield based on the relationship between the driving voltage of the windshield wiper 200 and the driving speed of the windshield wiper 200. That is, the controller 50 can detect whether the wiper blade is in close contact with the surface of the vehicle's windshield based on a table stored in the memory.

[0062] As an example, the controller 50 may detect a driving speed corresponding to a driving voltage (wiper driving voltage) applied to the wiper actuator 30, and based on the table as shown in Figure 2 determine a threshold value corresponding to the driving voltage, and when the detected driving speed exceeds the driving speed corresponding to the threshold value, determine that the wiper blade is not in close contact with the surface of the windshield. In this embodiment, the threshold value is a value that varies based on the driving voltage.

[0063] As another example, the controller 50 may detect a driving speed corresponding to a driving voltage (wiper driving voltage) applied to the wiper actuator 30, and when the ratio (ω / Vrms) of the driving speed (ω) to the wiper driving voltage (Vrms) exceeds a threshold value, based on the table as shown in Figure 3 determine that the wiper blade is not in contact with the surface of the windshield. In this embodiment, the threshold value is a fixed value.

[0064] When the wiper blade is not in close contact with the surface of the windshield, the controller 50 may stop the driving of the wiper 200 through the wiper actuator 30.

[0065] When the wiper blade is not in close contact with the surface of the windshield, the controller 50 may warn the user through the warning device 20.

[0066] In another exemplary embodiment, the controller 50 may determine whether the wiper blade is in close contact with the surface of the windshield based on the wiper driving speed corresponding to the wiper driving voltage at a previous time point (for example, it may be the previous time point immediately preceding the current time when the wiper 200 is driven).

[0067] For example, when the wiper driving voltage at the previous time point is 12V and the wiper driving speed is 98, the threshold value when the driving voltage is 12V may be set to 100.

[0068] As another example, when the ratio of the wiper driving speed to the wiper driving voltage at the previous time point is 9.2, the threshold value may be set to 9.5.

[0069] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] First, the controller 50 detects the driving voltage (501) applied to the wiper actuator 30.

[0071] In addition, the angular velocity sensor 40 measures the driving speed (502) corresponding to the driving voltage.

[0072] Thereafter, the controller 50 controls the wiper (503) of the vehicle based on the relationship between the applied driving voltage and the measured driving speed.

[0073] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a computing system for performing a method for controlling a vehicle wiper according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] Reference Figure 6 , according to the method for controlling a vehicle wiper of the above exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it can also be implemented by a computing system. The computing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1100, a non-volatile memory 1300, a user interface input device 1400, a user interface output device 1500, a storage device 1600, and a network interface 1700 connected via a bus 1200.

[0075] The processor 1100 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or a semiconductor device that processes commands stored in the memory 1300 and / or the storage device 1600. The memory 1300 and the storage device 1600 may include various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, the memory 1300 may include a ROM (read-only memory) 1310 and a RAM (random access memory) 1320.

[0076] Therefore, the operations of the methods or algorithms described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented directly in hardware or software modules executed by the processor 1100, or in a combination of hardware and software. The software module may reside on a storage medium such as RAM, flash memory, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, register, hard disk, removable disk, and CD-ROM (i.e., the memory 1300 and / or the storage device 1600). The exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor 1100, and the processor 1100 may read information from the storage medium and may write information to the storage medium. In another approach, the storage medium may be integrated with the processor 1100. The processor and the storage medium may reside within an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may reside within a user terminal. In another approach, the processor and the storage medium may reside as separate components within the user terminal.

[0077] The above description only illustrates the technical idea of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes without departing from the basic features of the present invention.

[0078] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present invention, but to illustrate the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by the embodiments. The scope of the present invention should be construed to include the scope of the appended claims, and all technical ideas within the scope of the claims should be understood to be included within the scope of the present invention.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a device and method for controlling a wiper of a vehicle can detect whether a wiper blade is in close contact with the surface of a windshield based on the relationship between a wiper driving voltage and a wiper driving speed for each surface condition of the windshield of the vehicle, and control the driving of the wiper based on the detection result, thereby preventing the wiper blade from being damaged to the engine hood of the vehicle when being driven in a state of not being in close contact with the surface of the windshield.

[0080] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to exemplary embodiments and the drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention claimed by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a wiper of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a wiper actuator for driving the wiper of the vehicle; a sensor for measuring the driving speed of the wiper; and a controller configured to control the wiper of the vehicle based on a relationship between a driving voltage applied to the wiper actuator and the driving speed measured by the sensor, wherein the controller is further configured to: determine a threshold speed value corresponding to the driving voltage; when the driving speed exceeds the threshold speed value, determine that the wiper blade of the wiper is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle.

2. The device for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is further configured to: when the controller determines that the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle, stop driving the wiper via the wiper actuator.

3. The device for controlling a windshield wiper of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is further configured to: when the controller determines that the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle, warn the user.

4. The device for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, The controller is further configured to warn in at least one of a visual warning, an audible warning, or a tactile warning.

5. The device for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is further configured to: when a ratio of the driving speed to the driving voltage exceeds a threshold ratio, determine that the wiper blade of the wiper is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle.

6. The device for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein, The controller is further configured to: when the controller determines that the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle, stop driving the wiper via the wiper actuator.

7. The device for controlling a windshield wiper of a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein, The controller is further configured to: when the controller determines that the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle, warn the user.

8. The device for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein, The controller is further configured to warn in at least one of a visual warning, an audible warning, or a tactile warning.

9. The apparatus for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a memory for storing at least one of the following graphs: a graph showing the relationship between the driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the surface of the windshield is in a dirty state, a graph showing the relationship between the driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the surface of the windshield is in a dry state, a graph showing the relationship between the driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the surface of the windshield is in a normal state, a graph showing the relationship between the driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the surface of the windshield is in a wet state, or a graph showing the relationship between the driving voltage and the wiper driving speed when the wiper blade of the wiper is not in close contact with the surface of the windshield.

10. The apparatus for controlling a wiper of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: A memory for storing at least one of the following graphs: a graph showing the ratio of the wiper driving speed to the driving voltage when the surface of the vehicle's windshield is in a dirty state, a graph showing the ratio of the wiper driving speed to the driving voltage when the surface of the vehicle's windshield is in a dry state, a graph showing the ratio of the wiper driving speed to the driving voltage when the surface of the vehicle's windshield is in a normal state, a graph showing the ratio of the wiper driving speed to the driving voltage when the surface of the vehicle's windshield is in a wet state, or a graph showing the ratio of the wiper driving speed to the driving voltage when the wiper blade of the wiper is not in close contact with the surface of the vehicle's windshield.

11. A method for controlling a wiper of a vehicle, the method comprising: Detecting, by a controller, a driving voltage applied to a wiper actuator; Measuring, by a sensor, a driving speed corresponding to the driving voltage; Controlling, by the controller, the wiper of the vehicle based on the relationship between the applied driving voltage and the measured driving speed, wherein controlling the wiper of the vehicle includes: Determining a threshold speed value corresponding to the driving voltage; When the driving speed exceeds the threshold speed value, determining that the wiper blade of the wiper is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Controlling the wiper of the vehicle further includes: When the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle, stopping the driving of the wiper.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Controlling the wiper of the vehicle further includes: When the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle, warning the user in at least one of a visual warning, an auditory warning, or a tactile warning.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Controlling the wiper of the vehicle includes: When the ratio of the driving speed to the driving voltage exceeds a threshold ratio, determining that the wiper blade of the wiper is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, Controlling the wiper of the vehicle further includes: When the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle, stopping the driving of the wiper.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein Controlling the wiper of the vehicle further includes: When the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle, warning the user in at least one of a visual warning, an auditory warning, or a tactile warning.

17. A method for controlling a wiper of a vehicle, the method comprising: Storing, in a memory, a graph showing a threshold speed value for determining whether a wiper blade of a wiper is in close contact with the surface of a windshield of a vehicle; Detecting, by a controller, a driving voltage applied to a wiper actuator; Measuring, by a sensor, a driving speed corresponding to the driving voltage; Determining, by the controller, a threshold speed value corresponding to the driving voltage based on the graph; When the driving speed exceeds the threshold speed value, determining, by the controller, that the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle to stop the driving of the wiper.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: When the ratio of the driving speed to the driving voltage exceeds a threshold ratio, determining, by the controller, that the wiper blade is not in close contact with the windshield of the vehicle.

Images